MASTER BOX Pin-Up Series 1&2, Claire & Jackie, 1/24 scale plastic figures
Master Box, the well-known manufacturer from Ukraine, has a very extensive “Pin-up” series in 1/24th scale, with figures of very attractive and glamorous ladies in easy to build and combine poses. These kits are part of a growing series of no less than fifteen figures. The choice of scale is because there is an enormous number of model kits in 1/24th scale on the market, whilst there is a deficiency of figures in this scale. The series is offered with the aim of making up this deficiency.
Even if you do not normally build figures, you will certainly be attracted by the extremely beautiful and utterly professionally designed box covers of these kits. Master Box very deservedly has included both the names of illustrator V. Petelin and sculptor A. Gagarin on the box cover. Each kit consists of one plastic injection sprue/runner, with all necessary parts that allow creating one figure of a woman plus some accessories or even a...dog (kit no.25015). Parts are typical for the Master Box - separate legs, hands, torso, head and hair. Details are excellent – e.g. one lady is depicted holding a cigarette.
The pose of each woman allows using the figure with any number of models. Each figure can be posed standing alone or together with almost any part of a model car in 1/24th scale. Claire (kit no. MB24021) can be seated on the back seat of a cabrio or a front door can be opened and the driver/co-driver figure can be seated ready to exit, etc. The figure is performed on a high artistic level and will be a pleasure to assemble and easy to paint. Big scale is tempting for using an airbrush for better realism.
The poses of the other three women are standing or slightly bending over a car, and this allows using the figures with any number of models or creating an independent and very expressive vignette. Experienced modellers will be tempted to convert these figures to alternate poses, in order to fit their future projects, as it is easy to cut hands, feet and other body parts and reposition them with the aid of epoxy putty.
‘A Short Stop” lady (kit no. 24016) is located bending over the bonnet area and looks like she is trying to repair something, holding a wrench tool in her hand. A nice touch is the fact that this kit is the part of a bigger composition, consisting of three figures (24015, 24016 and 24017) and the modeller can decide wether to use all three figures as a small diorama with a car or to use one or two figures.
Molding quality, face expressions and dress folds detail are all excellent, and with careful painting the modeller can obtain superb results. There is no assembly manual because all the instructions are printed on the back side of the box. Vallejo and Lifecolor code numbers are stated in a useful table.
Altogether, four nice releases from Master Box. In each box you get a nice design and molding quality that should look realistic in assembled state. Your vehicle's appearance will be more engaging with one or more ladies around and they can give you interesting ideas about creating a diorama. Do not forget that there are already twelve other figurines available in the series so far and the range will certainly increase in the future.
Highly recommended!
These kits are available through all of Masterbox’s distributors
http://www.mbltd.info/models.htm
http://www.mbltd.info/models_24.htm
