MONDO - THE THING

[Asta]

I'm struggling to photograph him to show how he actually looks now. The flash is creating false impression, but without it he was showing up too dark.

I finally managed to get close by putting him on the sill in the conservatory in bright sunlight:

Some from the collection room with the flash, and his left hand falling out...

 

[BurningRage]

 

[karamazov80]

Golden highlights look great.

For a figure potentially over the 250 dollar mark, this is just unacceptable IMHO.

Not disagreeing with your overall criticism here, but I will say that you get a fair amount with this guy for that cost in comparison to, say, this:

https://www.sideshow.com/collectibles/star-wars-ponda-baba-sideshow-collectibles-100488?var=100488

If you factor in the free international shipping, this figure was closer to $240-ish. One monster has articulation, the other is very large, and the blowtorch is an impressive accessory. Plus, he has an extra head.

And the other stuff Mondo sells are just articulated plastic figures with no mixed media, yet they are all over the $200 mark.

In that respect, while we can critique the figure's execution, I still don't know that it wasn't a reasonably good value.

 

[davejames]

Clearance Event #6.....I really don't understand this and yet some are saying how great DHL is?????

Yeah I'm not sure what the hell is going on. I've had tons of stuff delivered through DHL over the years, and never had anything get stuck for days and days in Ohio like this. Usually it goes straight from customs in LA up to where I am in Sac, but I guess this one got diverted to Ohio along with everyone else's.

 

[PizzaCake]

Fantastic work, @Asta, those lighter highlights really liven up the sculpt, adds some much needed contrast to that one-tone helmet head. Will definitely be looking to do something similar, thanks for sharing your progress, as always!

 

[Asta]

Fantastic work, @Asta, those lighter highlights really liven up the sculpt, adds some much needed contrast to that one-tone helmet head. Will definitely be looking to do something similar, thanks for sharing your progress, as always!

Thank you.

I'm happy how he turned out, though frustrated that I can't show exactly how he looks in real life because the camera won't let me.

I set the shutter speed and aperture when I got the camera so that it would specifically take photos of 1/6 figures, but that set up always requires the flash indoors. There are so many options on the camera I never use, with 14 modes just on the dial on the top, let alone all the other variables.

Just looking at that dial I switched it to the flower macro icon, flipped the flash up, pointed and clicked.

I wasn't expecting to get anything decent, yet this is that photo:

It's a bit blown out, but that's pretty much the hair in hand.

When I saw that on the screen I took a couple more:

That macro setting has potential, but it needs some tinkering with.

 

[Asta]

Found better variables for the macro mode:

 

[Asta]

I didn't get round to painting any of the flamethrower yesterday, but I got as far as going through the film to collect screencaps for reference.

The M2A1-7 that MacReady used was the same one used by Childs when he challenges the dynamite wielding MacReady. It's distinctive due to the red on the small central tank (the pressure tank), which may be anti-corrosive red oxide paint showing through?

As an aside, I just found the following page:

War Department Technical Manual TM 3-376A: PORTABLE FLAME THROWER M2-2, 16 May 1944

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/53669/53669-h/53669-h.htm


As a precursor to the M2A1-7 the tank section looks similar, if not identical, to the version in The Thing. The major difference is the design of the gun section.

I took a lot of screencaps, then pruned them down to these:

 

[Remembermyname]

After reading and absorbing all I have decided to not open the box and move the set on, including the DID leather jacket and a blue hoodie.

The Thing is it feels good.

 

[Asta]

I've painted the base colour on the flamethrower. Coat d'Arms' Russian Green was a good match, which is coincidental since Russian Brown was a good match for the straps.

So now I'm ready for the weathering, and was looking for confirmation on the metal used for the pressure tank. Could the red actually be copper showing through instead of anti-corrosive red oxide paint?

My searches eventually turned up the manual for the M2A1-7.

It has a really catchy title:

"Operators, Organizational, Direct Support, and General Support Maintenance Manual (Including Repair Parts and Special Tools Lists) Flamethrower, Portable, M2A1-7 FSN 1040-586-4560", Headquarters Department of the Army, November 1973.

https://the-eye.eu/public/Books/World Tracker Library/worldtracker.org/media/library/Military/TM 3-1040-204-14 Flamethrower, Portable, M2A1-7.pdf


It gave me the answer I was looking for:

"The pressure tank (2, fig. 1-5) is a cylindrical steel tank which contains the pressurized air for dispersing the fuel from the fuel tanks..."


So definitely not copper, and more likely to be anti-corrosive paint.

Some photos from the manual:

 

[Asta]

There weren't any decent reference photos showing the weathering on the tanks. As far as I could make out the two fuel tanks weren't heavily scraped up with bare metal showing. They just look rough and uneven, as though old damage was painted over. The only part that had a lot of bare metal was the strap holding the pressure tank, which Mondo placed lower down than in the film, so I couldn't follow the screencaps for the red areas.

Without clear reference for the tanks I had to take a lot of liberties

The 'Russian Green' colour was almost identical to Mondo's paint, and it may be a shade too dark comparing it to the shots with Childs above, which I judge to be more the actual colour due to the lighting at that point.

The gun had more paint loss, and I found it easier to paint than the tanks.

 

[dantes2501]

Found this. What do you think?

https://stevostoys.com/OTHER_ERA_HOLLYWOOD.htm

 

[karamazov80]

You would have to remove the hair but it might work.

 

[davejames]

Might be OK for hanging behind his back, but looks too low quality for anything else.

 

[Heavy Metal Spike]

I didn't get round to painting any of the flamethrower yesterday, but I got as far as going through the film to collect screencaps for reference.

The M2A1-7 that MacReady used was the same one used by Childs when he challenges the dynamite wielding MacReady. It's distinctive due to the red on the small central tank (the pressure tank), which may be anti-corrosive red oxide paint showing through?

As an aside, I just found the following page:

War Department Technical Manual TM 3-376A: PORTABLE FLAME THROWER M2-2, 16 May 1944

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/53669/53669-h/53669-h.htm


As a precursor to the M2A1-7 the tank section looks similar, if not identical, to the version in The Thing. The major difference is the design of the gun section.

View attachment 722173
View attachment 722174
View attachment 722175
View attachment 722172


I took a lot of screencaps, then pruned them down to these:

View attachment 722176View attachment 722177View attachment 722178View attachment 722179View attachment 722180
View attachment 722181View attachment 722182View attachment 722183
View attachment 722185
View attachment 722184
View attachment 722186View attachment 722187

I've painted the base colour on the flamethrower. Coat d'Arms' Russian Green was a good match, which is coincidental since Russian Brown was a good match for the straps.

So now I'm ready for the weathering, and was looking for confirmation on the metal used for the pressure tank. Could the red actually be copper showing through instead of anti-corrosive red oxide paint?

My searches eventually turned up the manual for the M2A1-7.

It has a really catchy title:

"Operators, Organizational, Direct Support, and General Support Maintenance Manual (Including Repair Parts and Special Tools Lists) Flamethrower, Portable, M2A1-7 FSN 1040-586-4560", Headquarters Department of the Army, November 1973.

https://the-eye.eu/public/Books/World Tracker Library/worldtracker.org/media/library/Military/TM 3-1040-204-14 Flamethrower, Portable, M2A1-7.pdf


It gave me the answer I was looking for:

"The pressure tank (2, fig. 1-5) is a cylindrical steel tank which contains the pressurized air for dispersing the fuel from the fuel tanks..."


So definitely not copper, and more likely to be anti-corrosive paint.

Some photos from the manual:

View attachment 722190View attachment 722191
View attachment 722195
View attachment 722193View attachment 722194

There weren't any decent reference photos showing the weathering on the tanks. As far as I could make out the two fuel tanks weren't heavily scraped up with bare metal showing. They just look rough and uneven, as though old damage was painted over. The only part that had a lot of bare metal was the strap holding the pressure tank, which Mondo placed lower down than in the film, so I couldn't follow the screencaps for the red areas.

Without clear reference for the tanks I had to take a lot of liberties

The 'Russian Green' colour was almost identical to Mondo's paint, and it may be a shade too dark comparing it to the shots with Childs above, which I judge to be more the actual colour due to the lighting at that point.

The gun had more paint loss, and I found it easier to paint than the tanks.

View attachment 722204
View attachment 722199
View attachment 722208
View attachment 722209
View attachment 722207

Amazing research - thanks for sharing


.

 

[shells075]

Nice work on the flamethrower Asta

I have used Vallejo Environment paints for jobs like these in the past. I think if I remember right they did an engine series of paints.

 

[Hunterdnrc]

DHL customs folks must be feeling like this:

 

[Heavy Metal Spike]

DHL customs folks must be feeling like this:

View attachment 722312

DHL's sales pitch . . .

.

 

[Asta]

DHL customs folks must be feeling like this:

I didn't know whether to laugh or feel sad.

Laughing didn't feel right in the circumstance, so I changed the emoji to sad face.

But since Heavy Metal Spike laughed, it's laughing emoji again.

 

[dantes2501]

Might be OK for hanging behind his back, but looks too low quality for anything else.

That's the intended use.