ATLANTIS MODELS HAS UNLEASHED THE WOLFMAN, A 1/8-SCALE CLASSIC FIGURE MODEL KIT

BY BILL ENGAR

ATLANTIS #A450 -- 41 SPOOKY PARTS MOLDED IN DARK BROWN AND GLOW-IN-THE-DARK STYRENE PLASTIC -- BUILT MODEL STANDS 8.5" TALL -- PAINT AND GLUE NOT INCLUDED -- ASSEMBLY REQUIRED -- RECOMMENDED FOR AGES 14 AND UP

Atlantis brings back "Wolfman" in a square box with glow-in-the-dark parts for the first time since the 1970's.  This is a reissue of one of the most popular Aurora Monster kits of the early 1960's!

Universal’s "The Wolf Man" debuted in 1941, just two days after the Pearl Harbor attack in the United States.  Lon Chaney Jr. starred as the Wolfman.  Popular with audiences even during the early depths of WWII, the film spawned several sequels throughout the 1940’s with Lon Chaney Jr. returning for each.  Thanks to brooding cinematography and incredible makeup utilized in The Wolf Man, the film has withstood the test of time to remain one of the greatest horror movies ever made.  It is a must-see for any fans of the werewolf legend.

​In 1962, over two decades after The Wolf Man debuted, Aurora Models immortalized the legendary horror character in styrene plastic with its release of the Wolfman figure kit in 1/8-scale.  Wolfman followed Frankenstein and Dracula into model kit history as the most popular model kit line of figures ever.  For 2023, Atlantis Models brings back the Wolfman figure!

The Wolfman has has sporadic re-releases over the years, but none in a square box with the glow-parts included.  Recall that a few years after the model kit was originally released, Aurora re-released them with spooky glow-parts in square boxes.  The glow-parts are replicas of the originals, duplicated from the original kit master patterns and arranged on their own sprue.  Wolfman's head, feet and hands are molded in glow-plastic along with a couple extra rats and a skull for the base.

Wolfman has 41 parts.  12 are glow-parts.  Note that the glow-parts are duplicates of parts on the regular sprues.  You get the choice of whether or not to use the glow-parts on the model.

Sculpting for Aurora's figure kits was exceptional for the period.  Each kit was a mini-diorama including a nice base with accessories.  This model has a skull and rats you can arrange on a rock base.  Thanks to the glow-parts, you have an extra skull and rats you could add to your Wolfman model or save them for other projects (glue them to a 1/25-scale car to make a real Rat Rod).

Sculpting for Wolfman was well-done with plenty of textured surfaces that will benefit from washes and dry-brushing.  Note a small amount of flash that will need to be removed from Wolfman's mouth.  A #11 X-Acto blade will make short work of this.

The three-part rock base has a molded-in name plate.  Dynamic figure poses on rugged bases make for striking display pieces.  Is it any wonder that Aurora's Monster Kits are legendary.

Wolfman is a plastic model kit requiring assembly.  Atlantis recommends it for builders aged 14 and over.  It should be easy to build by modelers younger than this if they have successfully built a glue-kit or two.  Molded in dark brown plastic, the model could certainly be built without paint if desired.  In the hands of a skilled figure painter, there is no reason why this couldn't become a contest-winning model.

A closer look at the figure-parts...

...and the glow-parts.  Exposing them to a bright light briefly will cause them to glow in the dark.  At first they'll be pretty bright then they'll spookily fade.  Awesome!

Being a vintage figure kit, the parts will need a little cleanup by the contest modeler including minor mold seam lines and flash.  There will be a few gaps between limb and body halves that can be filled with common modeler's putty.

Atlantis Models always goes the extra mile to be sure that all aspects of a kit release are first-class.  The instruction sheet includes photos of a built model, a history of Wolfman and vintage Aurora artwork assembly instructions!

We are thrilled that Atlantis Models is bringing back many of the classic Aurora Monster kits!  They go the extra mile to be sure the kits are high-quality with features that please the most discriminating collectors and builders.  The 2Modeler Guys give this kit an enthusiastic Four Thumbs Up!  Visit Atlantis-Models.com today to learn more about this and many other spectacular Atlantis  kits!

SPECIAL THANKS TO ATLANTIS MODELS FOR SHARING THIS MODEL KIT FOR US TO REVIEW AND ENJOY!
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BONUS FEATURES

Universal Pictures' 1941 Wolfman solidified the studio's reputation as a horror movie powerhouse.  Their horror movie collection can be considered an early film franchise.

The Wolfman (1941) was the first of a series of five films featuring Lon Chaney Jr as the title character.  While it was a popular film when first released, interestingly The Wolfman did not crack the top ten most popular films of 1941.  It was television in the 1950's and 1960's that introduced the Universal Monsters to a new demographic of kids born years after the films were first made.  The TV networks did not consider the films suitable for broadcast during Prime Time when families and children would typically be watching.  We have a webpage that describes how kids could see these movies (spoiler:  it wasn't easy!)

Atlantis Models has re-released many of the classic Aurora Monster model kits.

In the 1960's, kids loved to be scared by decades-old classic horror movies shown on television and at Saturday matinees.  The Aurora Model Company capitalized very successfully on this youth-fascination with the macabre at the time.  We've created a webpage that explores the reasons that the Aurora Monster Model kits were such a big hit starting in the early 1960's.  It's one of the most popular Google searches on the topic.  Check it out!