Moebius Models

Dr. Jekyll as Mr. Hyde

Reviewed by  Dave Morrissette, IPMS# 33653

MSRP: Kit: $18.95 (Moebius Models) Website: www.moebiusmodels.com [Editors Note: This review kit was built using aftermarket detailing -- see separate review of those items.] I was excited when Moebius Models announced their upcoming line up of models coming out - they are filling the void left by the departure of Polar Lights and filling it in a big way. The first release is an Aurora-style Dr. Jekyll as Mr. Hyde in the classic scene where he is turning into that character. The kit comes in medium soft brown styrene and crystal clear parts for the lab ware. A very nice touch is that the easily breakable clear tube on the beaker comes wrapped in packing to prevent breaking- mine was perfect. I broke down my construction in four parts- the lab coat, the main body, the hands/head and the base. I glued the lab coat together and clamped it well and set it aside to dry. The pants were also glued together and set aside to dry overnight. Both pieces need a little filler and sanded out well to a nice fit. The shift front was added to the pants and both the lab coat and main body were primed and left to dry. The hands and head were done next. The hands are pretty straightforward and went together well. The head from the kit goes together well but there is the wide open mouth to deal with- as you can see, it is a gaping hole. Cult of Personality comes to the rescue with a great solution- a resin mouth insert which fits perfectly into the head. This was added and the kit head closed up. If you want to add that extra touch, Cult of Personality also offers an exquisitely rendered Frederick March head in resin which is a direct replacement. Each comes with a well made resin nameplate. See the separate review for more of these pieces. Last was the base, and there is a lot to do. The base comes with a lab table and stool, test tubes, beakers and a small Bunsen burner. For that extra touch, a spider and rat for the base are included. All of these parts fit well - there were some ejector pin marks on the bottom of the table and stool seat, but no big problems. The clear parts are superb. I primed everything (except the clear parts) and sat these aside. Time for painting. The lab coat and Dr.'s shirt were painted light gray, and the highlights were worked in with lighter grays, using white for the final highlights. The pants were painted brown and the base color lightened with yellow. Both parts were then painted with several coats of Dullcote. The base was painted wood brown as were the stool and legs for the table. The table top was painted black which is what the benches in my chemistry class were painted. The base has engraved wood lines, so several washes and dry brushing sessions took place. The stool and table were streaked with various colors of brown to represent grains. All the parts were then shot with Dullcote. The rat and spider were painted and added to the base. I used pastels to deepen the shading on all the pieces and resealed with Dullcote. All the pieces were assembled onto the base except for the head and hands. I elected to use the Cult of Personality Frederick March head. The hands and the head received a coat of bronze flesh from Freestyle Paints. This was highlighted with natural flesh and then pale flesh. Seal and detail with pastels for shading and paint and dry brush the hair, last was the eyes and these were sealed with clear gloss. The head and hands were added to complete the model. This was a neat kit, made even neater by the excellent resin parts. Moebius has an amazing line up coming with Captain Action, the Voyager and later this fall, a 39" long Seaview from "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea". Also, Rommel's Rod is on the books. I can't thank Frank Winspur and Moebius enough for bringing these kits back or out - they are well done and make for a lot of fun building. Their price also makes them perfect for bringing kids into the hobby- highly recommended!!

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