# Invisible man



## AJ-1701 (May 10, 2008)

After doing yhe cornelius kit I decided to start off on the Invisible man kit with the help of the decals by Henry at TSDS. So far I've completed the book case and painted the floor with only the rug to go...

























I have to say Henry's decals really make the finished articals come alive...

























I wasn't sure how to do the rats... In the end I went went with the 'almost there' experiment look. By leaving the insides visible through the transparent skin...









Cheers,

Alec.


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## sg-99 (Jan 11, 2009)

Nicely done:thumbsup:


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## Cloudminder (Mar 4, 2009)

Really nice work so far!


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## Marko (Jul 11, 2002)

Nice work, I like your idea of the invisible rat!!


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## SJF (Dec 3, 1999)

Nice job!

Sean


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## Guest (Dec 16, 2010)

Super job on the book shelf. How did you achieve the wood grain look? Also did you fill the glassware with anything? Did you use a colored transparent paint? Just curious. Please show us more as you progress.


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## MonsterModelMan (Dec 20, 2000)

Great job!:thumbsup:

Did you glue all the books and bottles down on the shelf?

MMM


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## ChrisW (Jan 1, 1970)

Alec - great start. The invisible rat with the visible innards was exactly what we were going for - a "Failed Experiment".
Please keep posting updates!

Chris


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## AJ-1701 (May 10, 2008)

Thanks everyone… Not much done so far as the weather has not been condusive to painting. I have the floor done except for the rug, finished the mortar and petsal and the floor stack of books and thats about it todate.

































Model Maker I did the bookcase by first giving it a very light sand with some 180 grit paper to get a bit of grain before priming it in flat black then airbrushing a thin mix of Tamiya red brown over that. The rest was done with a flat coarse artist brush using three different browns which were thinned out as well. I then softly dry brushed it all over with citadels snakebite leather and then to finish it off I used a smaller size flat brush to streak of some black and then over coating all that with a black red-brown wash, then finally airbrushing on several light coats of thinned future.

All the jars were sprayed with clear/ coloured future and then I dipped the bottom half in a clear flat which I which when dry I just brushed on some light beige and or inks to get them to look as if they held something. These were again over coated in clear future before Henrys decals were applied.

MonsterModelMan everthing is glued down with micro scales krystal klear. 

Thanks ChrisW It just seemed the right way to go. 

Cheers,

Alec.


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## Magesblood (May 12, 2008)

Wow. Amazing! My jaw dropped at the sight of the very realistic-looking wood of the base.


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## AJ-1701 (May 10, 2008)

With the raintrashing yet another Sunday out skydiving I decided to finish of the table I started a couple of nights ago after painting the rug and adding some spillage around the glass pieces on the floor... 
Apologies for the pics  I am using the mobile at the moment as our digital camera died...








I wanted to make it a piece of used furniture so I took to it with knife, file, sanding stick and sand paper... After detailing the top I painted it pretty much the same way as I did the floor using a dark base coat and laghter shades with the help of washes and pastels... I've still yet to do the bunson burner piece but I decided that Henrys papers on the table decal are pretty cool couldn't go to waste so after some carefull trimming etc they look magic.

































Cheers,

Alec.


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## roadflea (Jul 14, 2009)

WOW what a great job cant wait to see what you do with the figure


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## Parts Pit Mike (Jan 3, 2001)

This is great to see . Thanks for the step by step.


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## Mitchellmania (Feb 14, 2002)

Amazing work!!


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## deadmanincfan (Mar 11, 2008)

Mitchellmania said:


> Amazing work!!


I agree...this kit has been responsible for some very amazing builds, ones I will be hard-pressed to equal...


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## rkoenn (Dec 18, 2007)

Continuing to look just great. It is one of the best kits, in my opinion, out there with the fantastic diorama setting. Looking forward to seeing you complete it.

Bob K.


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## g_xii (Mar 20, 2002)

Well, I'm sure impressed! That's the best use of my decals I've ever seen. Although with your skills, I doubt you often need decals! Your use of layers of color and styles on the book case is really inspiring, too. 

I never actually built the kit as I'm frankly not very good with figure kits, and gave my kit to a friend along with a set of decals for it (and it still sits there on _his_ shelf now rather than mine!), but now I kind of regret not at least trying it.

Really outstanding and inspiring work! Thank you for the mention of the decals, too!

--Henry


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## joker36635 (Dec 26, 2010)

Your work is fantastic! I just got this kit and now I really want to get the decal set.


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## mcdougall (Oct 28, 2007)

.......................


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## AJ-1701 (May 10, 2008)

Thanks everyone.  Hope you all had a good christmas. :thumbsup:

Henry your decals *really* are good, they are clean and crisp and handle well too. I picked up a tip from HT a while back to prepaint the books white as the decals are a little transparent. But in my opinion thats not a bad thing especially for the bottles and jars. For the paper on the top shelf and table I just coated some antique style paper with a thin coat of pva mixed with water, which under the decals just looks sweet.

I haven't done much on Griffin... I have his main body assembled and primed but I'm struggling with the two side seams on his coat.:drunk: I'm almost tempted to put in a false seam on the back piece from the collar to the split. After all it was a theatre prop he stole  So its properbly not a premium taylor made item. As for painting anthing well thats frustrating as it's pretty much been raining for 4-5 days with very tropical humidity levels to boot. Not as bad as nth Qld where they had a catagory 1 cylone on xmas day, poor buggers. So while I'm waiting for a change in the weather, which has also grounded me for any skydiving, I'm trying to figure out how to paint the coat to look like velvet.... I am thinking coarse drybrushing of flats and gloss's to get the look.

Thanks again for the compliments everyone and here's hoping you all have a great new year. :wave:

Cheers,

Alec.


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## AJ-1701 (May 10, 2008)

Well even with the rain I decided to do some more work on the build. 

So with the aid of the trusty old hair dryer and acrylic paints etc, I managed to get most of Griffin done...

























Cheers,

Alec. :wave:


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## deadmanincfan (Mar 11, 2008)

Nice, Alec! I particularly like the spattering effect on his shoes and pant cuffs! :thumbsup:


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## g_xii (Mar 20, 2002)

deadmanincfan said:


> Nice, Alec! I particularly like the spattering effect on his shoes and pant cuffs! :thumbsup:


Yes -- I have to second that opinion! What a beautiful build this is turning into. I love all the painful detail work you've done, and hate you for doing it! 

I look forward to further crushing photos...

--Henry


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## Alex DeLarge (Nov 15, 2008)

I have to add my voice to the crowd, this is really looking awesome. Every little detail is so nicely done. I cant wait to see it finished.

Alex


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## AJ-1701 (May 10, 2008)

Thanks again everyone.  and Happy New Year to you all to. :hat:

I've always been a fan of H.G Wells so even though I don't really count myself as a 'figure' modeler I had to get this one. Infact if I had the courage or true scratch buid ability I do a 1/24th First Men in the Moon 'sphere'.... but I digress...



deadmanincfan said:


> Nice, Alec! I particularly like the spattering effect on his shoes and pant cuffs!


I did the same effect on the inside and back of his coat too again I borrowed from the book a bit here, because when he was in Ipping it was in the midst of winter so snow and slush would have splashed around him as he ran insanely through the streets...









I was going to put his hat on the table instead of the bunsen burner and beaker. However with all the effort Moebius went into I couldn't bring myself to do it so the table was finished as per all the parts except the pens...















I'm not sure if the alcahol jar was meant to be clear glass but again it just felt right to do it that way. though I did have trouble getting the flame to look natural. It came out a bit dark but hey with everything else it's only a small glitch.

The bandaged head and strip was a bit of a challenge. I wanted it to look a little used but not turn out like it belonged on Imotep... I started with a medium gray base coat then airbrushed a thin lighter 'starship' grey over that and then brushed on a thin coat of a sepia ink wash. When that was dry I then drybrushed it with white and then ab'd a thin wash of white over that with a blending of 'almost' drybrushed white over it all again befor dusting on some pale mustard and white pastel chalks for effect.
















Just to note that I did actually paint inside the head but somehow the camera shows it as grey???
When I glued the head in place the shirt looked a little to 'clean' so I went back over that with the thin 'starship' grey around the cuffs, collar and recesses just to tone it down some. I also wanted to do something differant and abstract with the name plaque/book. I actually got the idea from the piece when it was still on the spru... At first I wasn't sure if I liked it but now I couldn't see it done any other way. 








Over a white base coat I mixed some brown wash with a mix of thinned down future which I applied via airbrush, about three coats I think. I followed that with some scribbled word and part formulars with a hb pencil and then I did the embossed letters in several layers of very thin white. Overcoated that with a clear flat and then brushed on a couple of coats of micro scales clear gloss on the white painted letters.

Cheers,

Alec.


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## AJ-1701 (May 10, 2008)

*The last build for 2010 finished on the last day...*

The last thing to do was Griffins goggles. As with the coat I stuck with the description from the novel, sorry Henry your goggle decals look so good but I had to go with my heart on this so I painted the lenses dark blue. As for the rest of Griffin I pretty much followed the colours with what the instructions said, well maybe a bit of license with his shoes.

















Actually I had so much trouble trying to get a good, clean and toned pic of the finished pieces with our basic little digital camera. I must have photo shopped and deleated about 2 dozen pictures. :freak: I say "pieces" as I recken the completed table, book case and figure are pretty much stand alone kits and would work in just about any inscale dio. Which just goes to show the level of how Frank and his team do a kit for us. :thumbsup:

Cheers and thanks again for looking. Finally I have to say a very big *"THANKS"* to Moebius for, a; making another superb kit and b; Henry at TSDS for the time and effort to produce and supply his decals to help us modelers along. Also my beautifull wife for her onging patients with my hobby's. :wave:

Alec.


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## roadflea (Jul 14, 2009)

this is the BEST build up i have seen for this kit yet GREAT work


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## deadmanincfan (Mar 11, 2008)

Alec, that book is TOO COOL! Brilliant idea!


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

deadmanincfan said:


> Alec, that book is TOO COOL! Brilliant idea!


Along with the rest of the build! Incredible!! Thanks for sharing!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## AJ-1701 (May 10, 2008)

Thanks again guys. 

It was actually a lot of fun trying to tweek the build without going too far... A problem I sometime have 

Cheers,

Alec


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

Alec, What did you use in the old-fashioned white crushing bowl with the ceramic-looking tool? (I know it has a proper name, I just can't remember it) It looks like some kind of dry powdered kitchen spice. Great effect. Especially on the crushing tool. Just how it looks in real life. Very nice, Sir!


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## AJ-1701 (May 10, 2008)

kdaracal said:


> Alec, What did you use in the old-fashioned white crushing bowl with the ceramic-looking tool? (I know it has a proper name, I just can't remember it) It looks like some kind of dry powdered kitchen spice. Great effect. Especially on the crushing tool. Just how it looks in real life. Very nice, Sir!


I believe it's called a motar & petsal (spelling might be off) I used a mix of greens, brown and grey chalks rubbed out on sand paper then I just dabbed them in by an old brush :thumbsup:

Cheers,

Alec


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

> I believe it's called a motar & petsal (spelling might be off) I used a mix of greens, brown and grey chalks rubbed out on sand paper then I just dabbed them in by an old brush


Nice! Will remember that!


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## Alex DeLarge (Nov 15, 2008)

Fantastic job. Every detail is just right. The handwritten notes in the book are so cool.... Thanks for sharing the work in progress as well as the finished piece. 

Alex


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## mrmurph (Nov 21, 2007)

Gorgeous! Museum quality work!


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## LT Firedog (Nov 14, 2001)

Top Shelf work


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## SJF (Dec 3, 1999)

Really nice job. Love your attention to details. 

Sean


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## rkoenn (Dec 18, 2007)

It ended up fantastically. I think that is one of my favorite kits on my shelf now. I won a third place at Wonderfest last year with mine and have pictures in my photos section: http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showphoto.php/photo/38664/ppuser/44666 The TSDS decals really helped too but even with those there was a bunch of hand work to get all those books done, and a lot of decal trimming. I also used Dan Jorgensen's Kitbuilders magazine article when I was building mine. One of the best model dioramas out there. Again fantastic job.

Bob K.


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## Tanis-uk (Jan 8, 2011)

Both kits look fantastic thanks for the inspiration


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## louspal (Sep 13, 2009)

Excellent, all around. Love how you treated the table, and a great idea with the writing on the title book. Really tells the story.
BTW: How's things in Oz with the rain?


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

louspal said:


> ...BTW: How's things in Oz with the rain?


Crud, I forgot you were in Queensland, Alec. I hope you and your family are all safe and nowhere near the flooding.


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## DoctorG (Jan 1, 1970)

Wonderful job on this great kit! I had a blast working on mine; one of the more involved and enjoyable builds in a long time


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## AJ-1701 (May 10, 2008)

Thanks again for the compliments everyone  

Thats a really great build up rkoenn. :thumbsup: I especially like the finish on all the clear plastics. Thats really the only bug-bear I have about mine is the seams on the clear plastic. 

As for the rain and floods, thanks for the concern Paul and louspal. The floods have finally cought up with Brisbane and from what the media and other reports say is that about 30% plus area of Brisbane will go under water over the next day or so. They reckon that the water lying over the state is the same area as france & germany combined.  

Where Sandy and I live is pretty safe and my immediate family is safe. Though our heart and prayes go out to others less so. We are far by far much luckier than others in the statethats for certain. Since yesterday am two major local dams have had to release more water down the rivers than what is carried in Sydney Harbour and with more rain predicted this is not helping!!!

Yesterday a flash flood went through Toowoomba which is a manger regional city about 80kms west of Brissy and it then travelled down the range and that is one of the most catastrophic events since the big wet started with 9 dead and 60 - 70 missing. They have called an inland sunami with waves of 2-3mtrs and gauging a path of destruction in its path and wake. In short pretty much all of Queensland is a natural disaster zone... The last time I saw water like this was in 1974 when I was 13 and that was with the aid of a cyclone. This wet is just from a series of lows so I'm praying that we don't get one anytime soon. I just got a text from the emergency services telling those in areas near the river, creeks and tributaries of Brisbane to evacuate as the level is set to peak at 18-19mtrs by tomorrow...

So again thanks for your concern which is just another great side to HTs community.

Cheers,
Alec :wave:


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## rkoenn (Dec 18, 2007)

AJ-1701 said:


> Thanks again for the compliments everyone
> Thats a really great build up rkoenn. :thumbsup: I especially like the finish on all the clear plastics. Thats really the only bug-bear I have about mine is the seams on the clear plastic.
> Alec :wave:


Thanks for the compliment. My glassware likely shows a bit of the seam but not too bad. I used Jorgensen's suggestion for doing them. I used a transparent glue to put them together but to give them the fluid effect I then dipped them part way into Tamiya transparent acrylic paint. When it had dried I then dipped the entire piece in Future floor acrylic. On the open beakers I mixed up a bit of 5 minute epoxy and then added a colored acrylic paint to it and dropped some drops into the beaker. I have done that as well on a couple of other models to get a drip effect from a bottle or jar. It works really nicely.

Bob K.


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## Tanis-uk (Jan 8, 2011)

well just started on mine preped and painted the table top


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## rkoenn (Dec 18, 2007)

Tanis-uk said:


> well just started on mine preped and painted the table top


I was going to tell you Tanis, you can assemble and paint the clothing separately like the vest and coat and pants. That obviously makes the painting much easier. Then you can, extremely carefully, pry, twist, and turn the vest and get it to fit into place within the coat. I got a bit concerned I wasn't going to make it but persistence worked.

Bob K.


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## AJ-1701 (May 10, 2008)

rkoenn said:


> I was going to tell you Tanis, you can assemble and paint the clothing separately like the vest and coat and pants. That obviously makes the painting much easier. Then you can, extremely carefully, pry, twist, and turn the vest and get it to fit into place within the coat. I got a bit concerned I wasn't going to make it but persistence worked.
> Bob K.


I painted the trousers seperatly but didn't trust myself withgetting the vest piece in undamaged. I did snip off the two pins/tabs on the inside of the vest which helpped getting the trousers inplace.



rkoenn said:


> Thanks for the compliment. My glassware likely shows a bit of the seam but not too bad. I used Jorgensen's suggestion for doing them. I used a transparent glue to put them together but to give them the fluid effect I then dipped them part way into Tamiya transparent acrylic paint. When it had dried I then dipped the entire piece in Future floor acrylic. On the open beakers I mixed up a bit of 5 minute epoxy and then added a colored acrylic paint to it and dropped some drops into the beaker. I have done that as well on a couple of other models to get a drip effect from a bottle or jar. It works really nicely.
> 
> Bob K.


I did a similar thing with mine only with the games workshop washes. Good tip on the epoxy though :thumbsup: For future refferance though how did you do the seams? I used micros krytal klear which at least dosen't go milky like ca or polystyrene cement.

With all the rain we've had down here I haven't done much modeling or much of anything really. So to stop from getting to much cabin fever I knocked up this little video on my Invisible man and postd up on youtube.





Also for those that know of our situation down under in Queensland it was officialy announced that just over 75% of the state is affected by the rains and floods, an area which is just over the size of Texas!! To think just over twelve months ago our combined water levels in the states dams was only about 23% now they are averaging over 130% above capacity...


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## whitewarrior (Nov 29, 2008)

Ditto! Ditto! Ditto!


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## Tanis-uk (Jan 8, 2011)

Still working on the kit, today I stipled testors liquid poly all over the trench coat with an old very stiff brush to get a brushed effect on the material, its the same tecnique as adding cast detail to an AFV, painted now and set to one side to dry, Recived my decals from TSD for the books etc they are fantastic, thank you Henry, posted Monday recieved in the UK today, a little more work tonight I think
__________________

Visit TSDS website for quality decals and more: http://www.tsdsinc.com


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## Roy Kirchoff (Jan 1, 1970)

rkoenn said:


> It ended up fantastically. I think that is one of my favorite kits on my shelf now. I won a third place at Wonderfest last year with mine and have pictures in my photos section: http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showphoto.php/photo/38664/ppuser/44666 The TSDS decals really helped too but even with those there was a bunch of hand work to get all those books done, and a lot of decal trimming. I also used Dan Jorgensen's Kitbuilders magazine article when I was building mine. One of the best model dioramas out there. Again fantastic job.
> 
> Bob K.


rkoenn, What number Kitbuilders mag was this article in?

~RK~


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## rkoenn (Dec 18, 2007)

Roy Kirchoff said:


> rkoenn, What number Kitbuilders mag was this article in?
> 
> ~RK~


I believe it is in Issue #62, July 2009. I used many of Dan's tricks and suggestions for mine. I also emailed Dan on a couple of questions and found out he painted his striped tie by hand. I did mine with tape and by hand. I used many of the Freestyle paints he sells but also used various other paints as well. I used his technique for simulating wood with Minwax dark walnut stain brushed over an underlying brown. I also found out on another model that only the dark walnut works to do this with. A tried a lighter pine colored stain and it didn't work at all for that purpose. I've used many of his articles to help with my builds as I gain experience.

Bob K.


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## sjanny01 (Jan 22, 2011)

Invisible Man is a novel written by Ralph Ellison, and the only one that he published during his lifetime (his other novels were published posthumously). It won him the National Book Award in 1953. The novel addresses many of the social and intellectual issues facing African-Americans in the early twentieth century, including black nationalism, the relationship between black identity and Marxism, and the reformist racial policies of Booker T. Washington, as well as issues of individuality and personal identity.



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## louspal (Sep 13, 2009)

sjanny01 said:


> Invisible Man is a novel written by Ralph Ellison, and the only one that he published during his lifetime (his other novels were published posthumously). It won him the National Book Award in 1953. The novel addresses many of the social and intellectual issues facing African-Americans in the early twentieth century, including black nationalism, the relationship between black identity and Marxism, and the reformist racial policies of Booker T. Washington, as well as issues of individuality and personal identity.


All true, but "The Invisible Man" in question is from an H.G. Wells story.


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