# Aurora Tarzan Problem



## karvin (Jan 4, 2008)

Hey Guys, I was wondering if I was alone in this problem. years ago I purchased a MIB box Comic scenes Tarzan. Price was VERY cheap. But it seams to have been missing the knife sticking out of the lion....OK.. fair enough. So I went a few years back and purchased an old store stock sealed one from REDS wharehouse. I live near him and is the only place that still stocks aurora kits as if they were released last month. Albiet he is now internet sales only.. But I digress.. anyway. I crack open the seal and low and behold.. missing the knife.. Bad luck or did the comic scenes never come with a knife ?


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

You're not alone karvin!! Mine's also missing the knife as is John Ps. I have a lead on the knife, but I don't know when I'll be able to pick it up. Once I have it I'll cast it for you.

Chris.


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## Aurora-brat (Oct 23, 2002)

The knife may have been left out of the Comic Scenes version. Remember that was when Nabisco was running Aurora, and after the whole uproar over the Monster Scenes being too violent. The big cookie might have said no to a dead lion with the still warm knife sticking out of its heart for fear of animal rights activists picketing their offices.

I'll check with my Aurora source and confirm it.


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## DinoMike (Jan 1, 1970)

I can confirm that the Comic Scenes version DID have a knife. I've had 3 copies in my time, and they all had the knife.

It just seems to be the 1 piece that's prone to breaking off the sprue & getting lost somewhere in packaging.


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## Kitzillastein58 (Jan 27, 2009)

Hi Karvin, I had just purchased a 1974 Comic Scenes Tarzan a couple of weeks ago, mint sealed kit, and fortunately, mine has the knife included with it. Is there a possibility that it might have come off the sprue and got stuck under one of the lower box flaps? It is a very small and flat piece. Hope you find it! 

Kitz' :wave:


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## karvin (Jan 4, 2008)

Thank you everyone for the speedy reply. Yes Chris.. I would LOVE a cast of the knife. 2 if possible, since I now have 2 kits that need it. I would be happy to compensate you. I did look in the flaps and such knowing the knife may have slipped in there, with no luck. I assumed it did come with it, because if aurora omited the knife, they would have omited it from the newly done instructions as well.


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## Cloudminder (Mar 4, 2009)

Hi Karvin,
Do you have the web address for Reds warehouse? I'd love to acquire the Tarzan kit if he still has them. Thanks, I'm new to posting here though I've been lurking on the fringes for a while now. Lots of great stuff from all of you.


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## karvin (Jan 4, 2008)

The reds wharehouse closed down after Big red himself passed away a few years ago. I dont know if the site is actually still active, but it is up and running. the prices in the store were much better than the online prices... give them a call first..www.bigreds.com. The store was an actual wharehouse about 3 city blocks long. red had a habbit of putting 3 or 4 cases of every toy, comic book and whatever else he sold.. in storage. and would keep it there for years until someone cared to ask for it. not much left on the site really either


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## Cro-Magnon Man (Jun 11, 2001)

I too can confirm that the Comic Scenes version had the knife; I've bought two Comic Scenes Tarzans from different scources and both had the knife.


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## KINGZILLA (Aug 27, 2005)

I remember years ago they had a sale on the addar planet of the apes kits and 3 times I had to return Dr Zais because there was no front of the had peice,ended up making it from scratch,pretty pitiful.for the time. lol


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## Mark McGovern (Apr 25, 1999)

*Now, Really....*

Guys,

I just went back to look at Gillmen's restoration of Tarzan in order to be sure I knew what part you were discussing. I hate to be the one to pass the cheese plate, but c'mon - are you telling me that it's beyond your abilities to whittle up that little knife handle from a chunka sprue? I'm not familiar with karvin's work, but I can't believe that the same A-nut who treated us to such a fantastic Dick Tracy is kicking over this little doodad.

Mark McGee, KINGZILLA had to scratchbuild Dr. Zaius' _face_, fer corn's sake.


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## Zorro (Jun 22, 1999)

karvin said:


> The reds wharehouse closed down after Big red himself passed away a few years ago. I dont know if the site is actually still active, but it is up and running. the prices in the store were much better than the online prices... give them a call first..www.bigreds.com. The store was an actual wharehouse about 3 city blocks long. red had a habbit of putting 3 or 4 cases of every toy, comic book and whatever else he sold.. in storage. and would keep it there for years until someone cared to ask for it. not much left on the site really either


I bought several MIB Comics Scenes kits from Big Red a number of years ago (long enough ago that I had to order over the phone). I remember that the prices were _quite_ reasonable for that time.*

*Just checked the site - you should be able to get a better deal on most of these kits on eBay - _especially_ in these economic times.


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Hi Mark,
I don't think it would be a problem at all making a replacement knife, but I'd prefer the Aurora part seeing as I'm all anal and everything. It's probably just me but I like my Auroras with all the little details and quirks.
BTW Mark, are you still looking for a Tarzan kit? It seems to me there's a few guys with more Tarzans than they really need.....

Chris.


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## Mark McGovern (Apr 25, 1999)

Auroranut said:


> ... I'd prefer the Aurora part seeing as I'm all anal and everything...


I was afraid one of you guys would say that, A-nut (given your admission, aintcha glad I used the "t" there? :devil. The reason why is, I consider "anal" to be perfectly reasonable. I mean, this hobby is one endeavor where anal works! Plus, there's no accounting for taste - we ask the "Triple A" builders to look kindly on us, after all. So _if you just HAVE to have _that freakin' knife, well then, more power to ya.

I was hoping one of you guys would carp about how hard it would be to make the knife handle so's I could trot out my moldy goldy oldie about how I had to make replacement parts for a built up Aurora Creature way back when...

Mark McGee, this guy knows how to murder a classic - !


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Mark, I have a problem with making parts for my Aurora Creature kit. Would you have any idea on how I could possibly make replacements??

Chris.


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## mcdougall (Oct 28, 2007)

Auroranut said:


> Mark, I have a problem with making parts for my Aurora Creature kit. Would you have any idea on how I could possibly make replacements??
> 
> Chris.


Chris...Nobody could possibly make Creature Parts...why...why it would be darn near impossible to accomplish such a feat...I've only ever heard of such a tale, from ancient times where it is fabled that one Man, and One Man Only ever accomplished the impossible....Oh if only I knew more...or perhaps this ONE crusader of all that is right with the modelling industry...would only step forward and speak of his incredible doings...alas we can only hope......
Mcdee


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## Mark McGovern (Apr 25, 1999)

WHY SURE!! First you take - 

Hey...wait a minute...what're you, a coupla wise guys? 

Moe McG.


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## mcdougall (Oct 28, 2007)

No...No...Ya got me all wrong...see...ya , sure...all wrong....
Why me and da boyz wuz just saying ...we'd love to hear the tale...
why coitenly we would...nyuk,nyuk,nyuk...(Cheese it, numbskull...Marks gettin wise to us ) 
Auroranut:wave:
I mean Chris


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## Mark McGovern (Apr 25, 1999)

Awww, that's okay, mcdee. Let's let bygones be bygones. Here, lemme show ya this nifty new cutting wheel I been using with the Dremel Magnagouger...

EEEEYYYYAAAARRrrrrrrriiiinnnngggg!!!

 Why you lamebrain - - look what your thick skull did to my cutting wheel!!!

Moe, again


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## mrmurph (Nov 21, 2007)

As long as we're discussing the Aurora Creature, has anyone ever noticed that huge ridge..... oh, never mind.

And I will look up that thread about making replacment parts for it. That really does sound interesting.


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## Mark McGovern (Apr 25, 1999)

You won't find it, mrmurph - I did that Creech back in the ninties, _just before_ (arrgh!) the Monogram reissue came out. The tree and lizard's tongue were carved from sprue. I formed the snake in two sections, the head and body, using Sculpey thermosetting clay. I was guided in forming these parts by a set of instructions from the old Aurora instructions book and photos in _Fantastic Plastic._

I even made an interior piece for the lizard's mouth from Sculpey. The trick here was to fit the clay within the lizard's body halves, then put the whole assembly in the refrigerator for a couple hours. The cold air made the Sculpey become very stiff, so I was able to open the lizard parts and pry the mouth insert out of one of them without deforming the Sculpey piece. I baked it per the instructions; when the part came out of the oven, it was still pliable enough for me to replace in the lizard's head. This insured that the insert would fit perfectly once it had cooled. This method also allowed me to make the snake fit properly on the tree branch.

A little postscript: I took this model to the 1998 IPMS Region 4 show, not entirely satisfied with it, but having only one other model to enter in the contest. In the vendors' room, I came across the Monogram reissue. I snapped the kit up thinking, "Now I can start fresh and build a REAL winner, and trash the piece of junk I have in the contest". This turned out to be a case of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, as that "piece of junk" took Second Place in its category (the boxed Creech has since been incorporated into a vignette with Polar Lights' reissue of the _Seaview_).

Hope this helps,

Mark McG.


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## Cro-Magnon Man (Jun 11, 2001)

Auroranut said:


> Mark, I have a problem with making parts for my Aurora Creature kit. Would you have any idea on how I could possibly make replacements??
> 
> Chris.


 
Make Creature parts, Chris? Surely you just need to get the Revell Creature reissue for the parts you need.


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