Published in the UK, Volume 5 of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Modeller, published quarterly, is a beautiful square-bound magazine that focuses on building (either from kits or by scratch) models.
This issue also features a 23 page article on the effects crew of
Star Wars, by Paul Taglianetti and Gene Kozicki which features many pictures of the processes of Industrial Light and Magic that have never seen the light of day. You're kidding, you say! I thought that
The Making of Star Wars had given us all the remaining photos. Nope. There's some great photos of the old ILM facility in Van Nuys showing technicians such as Steve Gawley, Jon Erland, and Dennis Muren working on ships from the Y-wing to the
Millennium Falcon to the original version of the blockade runner. The article provides a technical and historical process of the creation of ILM, and their development of the process and techniques that would become industry standards for years to come.
Also provided in this issue are a series of "how-to" articles. One explains how to give a convincing paint scheme to the AMT/Ertl
Millennium Falcon. Another shows how to build your own Darth Vader cut-away lightsaber. But the biggest section shows you how to recreate your own Death Star trench run. The focus on the Fine Molds 1/72 X-wing fighter, the MPC Y-wing, ADAPTING the AMT X-wing INTO Red 5, plus scratchbuilding Death Star tiles and creating a Death Star turret as well!
There are also a few non-
Star Wars elements as well. This is Sci-Fi & Fantasy Modeller. These include creating a diorama of the Armored Fighting Vehicle, the Gunther Schwere Kampf Läufer 1:35 Mech, an article on the upcoming
Thunderbirds model kits, scratchbuilding the Martian Exploration Vehicle from the
TV-21 comic strip, and finally re-imagining the Galactic Raider from the latest
Battlestar Galactica series.
For £12.95, this is one chock packed magazine. It's actually a lot more like a nice softcover book, collector magazine or trade paperback that you might get. I just might go pull out those old AMT AT-AT models I've been holding on to for 20 years.
Readers can check out more, and even order the issue online at
scififantasymodeller.co.uk.
