# Anyone else notice this?



## BronzeGiant (Jun 8, 2007)

Am I the only one who’s noticed this?

Not too long ago we had another flurry of posts from someone claiming to have all of the old Aurora molds and planning to re-release a fair number of these kits again. This was, apparently, just hot air as this person/ these persons disappeared without producing anything.
Now, not long after this, there is a deluge of kits actually being produced from these original Aurora molds.

Atlantis has released or is planning to release (from my understanding from the original tooling.):

Zorro
American Bison
Black Bear and Cub (up-sized based on the original tooling)
White Stallion
Tyrannosaurus Rex
Big Horn Sheep
Captain Kidd
Black Beard
Viking
Roman Gladiator
The Crusader
Indian Chief


Round 2:

In addition to all of the Polar Lights Monster kits, the Bat-based kits; Batmobile, boat, etc. The Green Hornet’s Black Beauty.


Moebius:

The Confederate Raider
The Movie Scenes Creature From the Black Lagoon
All of the Monster Scenes kits
The 2001 Moon Bus.


Does it strike anyone else as interesting that there have been people threatening to release kits from the original molds for years and now we are actually getting said kits? Makes ya wonder…….

Steve Prange


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

IIRC the Moebius Moon Bus is not using original molds but new molds reverse engineered from an unbuilt sample kit.


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## Scott J (Jun 21, 2000)

The people that keep making this claim are a bunch of crackpots (the hobby is full of them! ) that resurface every few years. It started out nearly 10 years ago as LAPCO (Lost Aurora Plastics Corp) They went so far as to have a few prototypes made of new kits (resin kits mind you) but never showed anything else. A few people got involved with them and lost a lot of money. Believe NOTHING from them as it is a scam!! As for Round 2, Atlantis, Moebius........all Legit from what I've seen!! There is product getting released, they are going to shows, and are filling orders! 

SJ


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## BronzeGiant (Jun 8, 2007)

Scott J said:


> The people that keep making this claim are a bunch of crackpots (the hobby is full of them! ) that resurface every few years. It started out nearly 10 years ago as LAPCO (Lost Aurora Plastics Corp) They went so far as to have a few prototypes made of new kits (resin kits mind you) but never showed anything else. A few people got involved with them and lost a lot of money. Believe NOTHING from them as it is a scam!! As for Round 2, Atlantis, Moebius........all Legit from what I've seen!! There is product getting released, they are going to shows, and are filling orders!
> 
> SJ


Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting that you give any credence to the LAPCO people, I know they're not legit. 

What I am saying is that every time the LAPCO people popped up, everyone else said that there was no way that any of the old Aurora molds existed. Now we're getting kits from those exact molds that everyone said didn't exist anymore. 

I, for one, am thrilled that they DO still exist and are usable, makes me wonder what else still exists that everyone claimed didn't.

Steve


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## djmadden99 (Dec 23, 2008)

Maybe the one positive from the LAPCO debacle was that manufacturers realized there was enough demand for these kits to make them viable. I remember LAPCO and the stir they caused very well...I think they even have an old website up. 
Again, if the demand is there, the kit can be done - Bride of Frankenstein, Batmobile, Big Franky, Zorro, MOM Creature - I remember people on this and other message boards saying emphatically that no way would they ever be back. 
Heck, ten or twelve years ago I paid more than I care to admit for a MOM Creature and Rodan in their boxes because I thought it would be the only way I'd get them. Hey, at the time, they were worth it to me!


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## derric1968 (Jun 13, 2003)

BronzeGiant said:


> Now we're getting kits from those exact molds that everyone said didn't exist anymore.


That's not entirely true. While some original molds have been found, a number of these kits are NOT made from the original molds. I don't know enough specifics to comfortably identify which are from original molds and which are from new molds, but the process of reverse engineering is responsible for bringing some of these old kits back from the dead. Zorro, White Stallion and T-Rex are from the original molds, but I'm pretty sure that every other Aurora kit Atlantis is doing will be reverse engineered to create new molds. Perhaps some of our resident Aurora experts can offer more insight.

Fortunately for us, the process of reverse engineering has gotten good enough and affordable enough to justify the creation of new molds.


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## LGFugate (Sep 11, 2000)

Supposedly, the Round 2 Aurora 1966 Batmobile is from the original molds...

Larry


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Nearly all the kits you mention ARE NOT FROM THE ORIGINAL MOLDS. The Atlantis Zorro and White Stallion are from the original Aurora molds, either leased from Revell or run by Revell for Atlantis. The Batmobile from Round 2 is slightly modified from the original mold, again provided by Revell.

Atlantis' own web site says the wild life, Viking, Gladiators, etc are NEW MOLDS. It has been well known that the old Polar Lights stuff (Witch, LiS Robot, Black Beauty) are new molds too.


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## IanWilkinson (Apr 23, 2010)

I got my hopes up with a comment on a site stating the Forgotten Prisoner was getting re-issued... i would be just as happy with the Ghost getting released!..


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## xsavoie (Jun 29, 1999)

Yes,the Ghost of Castle Mare,and by the way when is the next release from Monarch coming out,and will the Ghost be the first to reah us ,or Gorgo.


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## Kit (Jul 9, 2009)

No, this observation does not have much meaning. The Giammarino folks, the ones who started LAPCO, are relatives of one of the principals of the real Aurora Plastics Corp., now long gone. They claimed to have a number of molds that still haven't and will probably never see the light of day, including models they claimed Aurora made molds for but never released. For almost all, if not all, of the repops of recent years, the molds were either reverse-engineered or it was no mystery that they still existed.


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## otto (Jan 1, 1970)

Indeed, I 'm pretty sure all of the Moebius kits ( of old Aurora kits)were reverse engineered, using old kits to make the new molds.


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## TAY666 (Jan 8, 2000)

BronzeGiant said:


> Am I the only one who’s noticed this?
> 
> Not too long ago we had another flurry of posts from someone claiming to have all of the old Aurora molds and planning to re-release a fair number of these kits again. This was, apparently, just hot air as this person/ these persons disappeared without producing anything.
> Now, not long after this, there is a deluge of kits actually being produced from these original Aurora molds.
> ...


You actually have it backwards.
These people turn up when someone actually starts producing the old kits after a few years lull in activity.

First time around Polar Lights was turning out some great stuff. Either in conjunction with Revell, who still owns the original Aurora molds, or by reverse engineering old kits that molds no longer exist for.
Once it was obvious there was a market and strong interest, these people turn up and try to capitalize on that very same interest.

Then we several quiet years after PL was bought by RC2 and nothing was getting reissued.

Along comes Moebius. They start announcing and reissuing cool kits again.
And lo and behold. LAPCO crawls out from under it's rock and tries the same crap all over again.


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## BronzeGiant (Jun 8, 2007)

You know, you make me sorry I said anything.

Steve


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## Scott J (Jun 21, 2000)

BronzeGiant said:


> You know, you make me sorry I said anything.
> 
> Steve


Steve, no need to feel that way. It appears you just didn't have all the facts and timelines. I've personally been at this for 25 years since I got back into "figure modeling". I don't claim to know it all......but I know a lot of it and the history. The above mentioned LAPCO and it's incarnations that followed have rubbed a lot of people the wrong way that have been around a while. 

SJ


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## Bruce Bishop (Jan 17, 1999)

I sold Frank my unbuilt bad-box Confederate Raider which as far as I know was used to make the molds for the kit they issued. That was the intention anyway, from our email conversations.


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## Tim Casey (Dec 4, 2004)

LAPCO did show sculpts of Karloff in "The Ghoul" as well as a "Dracula's Daughter". I wish they (or someone) had done something with those two sculpts. I would have loved those kits.


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## TAY666 (Jan 8, 2000)

BronzeGiant said:


> You know, you make me sorry I said anything.
> 
> Steve


Don't be sorry.
This is how the people new to the hobby learn some of the history.
By people asking questions.


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## terryr (Feb 11, 2001)

And every time they pop up some people believe them and defend them absolutely, no matter what you say.


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## deadmanincfan (Mar 11, 2008)

Tim Casey said:


> LAPCO did show sculpts of Karloff in "The Ghoul" as well as a "Dracula's Daughter". I wish they (or someone) had done something with those two sculpts. I would have loved those kits.


Those look more like resin kit prototypes they may have borrowed from someone to "prove" they were "in the game"...


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## wolfman66 (Feb 18, 2006)

deadmanincfan said:


> Those look more like resin kit prototypes they may have borrowed from someone to "prove" they were "in the game"...


I wonder who has them as love to see Moebius or Atlantis make them into styrene for us:thumbsup:


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

I wonder how A-corpse is going these days?.....

Chris.


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## mcdougall (Oct 28, 2007)

According to their website....Just fine!
Mcdee


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Cool. I might have to put in an order....

Chris.:drunk:


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## deadmanincfan (Mar 11, 2008)

...into the bong water again, Chris...? :tongue:


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## mcdougall (Oct 28, 2007)

Yeah he's still drinking that Toledo Windowbox 1967...
Mcdee


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

.....wHo???? mE???.....

Chris:drunk:


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