John Clancy
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
At 1/12 scale, John’s Autocar armored truck dominated the table. The paper model of the Canadian World War I lorry was designed by Dave Winfield and includes a ton of details, such as folding sides and functional stowage bins.
Ken Beckler
Peoria, Illinois
Ken scratchbuilt seat belts, cockpit side panels, and flame holders with the fuel dump at the rear on a Trumpeter 1/48 scale Sukhoi Su-15C. Painting Tamiya lacquers over gray primer, he marked the fighter stationed in the Soviet Union’s Far East.
Dan Brennan
Alsip, Illinois
After dressing up a Dragon 1/48 scale Fokker Dr.I with aftermarket photo-etched metal, Dan painted the World War I fighter as a plane from the German Jasta 13 using Model Master and Humbrol enamels.
Bryan Gill
Lowell, Indiana
Bryan built an old Revell-Monogram 1/24 scale Chevy Silverado race truck out of the box and painted the red-and-white livery with MCW enamels. Using PowerSlide decals, he imagined if NASCAR legend Darrell Waltrip had raced his No. 11 car in the Truck Series.
Scott Bischoff
Wheaton, Illinois
The show theme was “The Fabulous Fifties,” and it’s hard to imagine anything more ’50s than a 1957 Chevy Bel Air-inspired race plane. Look closely under the massive tailfin, and you can just about see the Revell 1/48 scale Spitfire Mk.II at the model’s heart, but Scott modified the kit wings, canopy, and exhausts. He scratchbuilt the base and the pylon. Fabulous!
Oliver James
Ashton, Illinois
Oliver’s Tamiya 1/48 scale T-55 stood out in the Junior category. He built the Soviet tank out of the box, primed with Tamiya NATO Black, base-coated the camo with Tamiya Dark Green, and post-shaded with Vallejo NATO Green.
Rick Hambel
Winfield, Illinois
To deploy a Tamiya 1/35 scale M41 Walker Bulldog to Vietnam, Rick up-armored the turret with epoxy-putty sandbags, modeled rocket ricochet damage on the glacis, formed a mantlet cover with glue-soaked tissue, and added stowage. He painted the light tank with Vallejo acrylics and applied the characteristic Vietnam red mud with a mix of Vallejo paint and pigments.
Mario “Shadow” Mendiola
Chicago, Illinois
Shadow spent a year building and painting this AMT 1/25 scale ’49 Ford convertible as a tribute to Joe Bailon, the creator of the candy apple red finish on full-size cars, who passed away in 2017. After customizing the body and adding quad headlights and custom taillights, he applied silver and topped it with HOK Green Pearl Flip-Flop Kandy and used Organic Green for the flames.
Robert Shankland
Valparaiso, Indiana
After detailing an Italeri 1/72 scale CH-47 Chinook with photo-etched metal interior equipment and machine guns from his spares box, Robert painted the U.S. Army helicopter heavy lifter with Vallejo acrylics.
Toni Levine
Wayne, Illinois
To scratchbuild the British sloop HMS Swallow as it looked in 1779, Toni obtained the original vessel’s plans from the Royal Museum Greenwich and developed a concept of how to model it in CAD. She built the plank-on-bulkhead model using Costelo boxwood for the clinker hull planking, and the deck is holly with bamboo treenails and added accents with pear and cherry.
Robert Raver
Crystal Lake, Illinois
Robert painted a Carl Reid Sculpt 1/6 scale French Revolutionary as part of a Sabot Miniatures seminar at the Military Miniature Society of Illinois 2023 show in October. The finish is Scale Color acrylics and Scale 75 inks, and he designed and 3D-printed the label for the base.
Andy Keyes
West Bend, Wisconsin
Monogram’s 1/48 scale Mitchell dates to 1977, and Andy proves it can still be built into an impressive model with a little work. He painted the B-25H with Mr. Color lacquers using pre- and post-shading and weathered with a sludge wash and ground pastels.
Tim Shelton
Plano, Illinois
The MPC Fundimensions Haunted Glo-Head Mummy is a bit rare, and it comes to life thanks to Tim’s work with Ceramcoat craft acrylics. “I layered the colors from darkest to lightest and dry-brushed the surfaces as I went along,” he said. To add impact, he made the wall from styrene foam covered with transparent gesso. The figure underneath came from another model and unwittingly hitched a ride.
Greg Shore
Westchester, Illinois
Greg’s early ’60s dragster started with parts from a Revell dragster parts pack to which he added the axles, engine, and other parts from an AMT Double Dragster kit and Parts by Parks velocity stacks and distributor. He also wired the engine and scratchbuilt details on the frame.
Elliot Doering
West Allis, Wisconsin
Elliot accurized a Revell 1/24 scale NASCAR Taurus by lowering the front suspension, detailing the engine, frame, interior, roll cage, wheels, and tires, and added race exhausts. He painted the fast Ford with MCW lacquers and clearcoat and applied Slixx decals for Robert Pressley’s Jaspar Engines car.
Chris Chapman
Northbrook, Illinois
It’s early in Operation Barbarossa, and some advancing Germans take a few minutes to check out a bogged KV-2 and have a little fun in Chris’ scene named, appropriately, Hijinks at the River Monster. He added Hauler engines and a gun barrel to a Tamiya 1/48 scale KV-2 and painted it with AK Interactive colors. Tamiya figures modified for better interactions surround it on groundwork made of insulation foam covered with AK and Vallejo terrain products and Woodland Scenics foliage and water.
Geoff Docherty
Morton Grove, Illinois
Geoff’s only modification to Tamiya’s 1/24 scale Mercedes Benz 300SL was cutting open the trunk. The classic Mercedes silver was applied with Tamiya spray-can lacquer over Rust-Oleum primer, followed by a clear coat, wet-sanding, and polishing.
Doug Burger
Dalton City, Illinois
To model USS La Vallette in October 1942, Doug added a 40mm stern gun tub and 20mm gun tub amidships to a Tamiya 1/350 scale Fletcher-class destroyer. He painted the ship with Colourcoats enamels over Tamiya primers.
Karen Koch
Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin
Bringing a Gundam to the tables, Karen showed off her Bandai 1/144 scale Colonies Liberation Organization Mobile Suit posed in flight on a special action base. She said this was her first model and that she was inspired to try her hand at it because of her husband.
George LoCoco
Algonquin, Illinois
A CMK 1/35 scale Volkswagen Type 82E comes to life thanks to George’s scratchbuilt crew. He painted the German World War II staff car with Vallejo acrylics and weathered with pre-shading, layering, artist oils, and pigments.
Jeff Marker
Montgomery, Illinois
After painting a Screamin’ 1/4 scale Crypt Keeper with acrylics, Jeff topped the presenter of the TV anthology series Tales from the Crypt with a mane made from dog hair.
Mike Fuller
Ottawa, Illinois
Mike replicated the plane that Jackie Cochran set a speed record for women with Wolfpack Design’s 1/48 scale T-38A. His only addition to the kit was a turned-brass pitot, and he painted the eye-popping scheme with Tamiya spray-can lacquers.
Marek Rogal
Madison, Wisconsin
Hasegawa’s 1/72 scale Tornado GR1 got wing-box surgery to correct the anhedral, thanks to Marek. He also added photo-etched metal wing gloves before painting the Royal Air Force ground-attack aircraft with Mr. Color lacquers over Mr. Surfacer 1500; weathering was done with Flory washes.
John Anton
Midlothian, Illinois
Building a mount suitable for Bon Scott of AC/DC, John added real chain accents and custom skulls to an Atlantis 1/8 scale Hell Rider Trike. The infernal livery is pearl white with pearl orange and pearl yellow fades.
Lee Lygiros
Gurnee, Illinois
To make Young Miniatures’ 1/10 scale Spartan bust look like King Leonidas must have near the end of the Battle of Thermopylae, Lee dented the helmet, breastplate, and shield and drilled holes in the shield for arrow shafts. He painted the cape and hair with Model Master acrylics, and everything else was finished with Vallejo acrylics. He picked up the model on a visit to the battlefield.
Ben Gifford
Rock Island, Illinois
Ben updated the wheels and hubs on an Italeri 1/24 scale Scania S770 tractor, then opened the driver’s door and scratchbuilt the door interior panel and jamb. The simple but attractive finish is Tamiya Metallic Gray lacquer.
Matt Deck
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Outflanked is right, as a German army cook tries to fight a war on two fronts against his wily canine opponents in Matt’s 1/35 scale vignette. He made a bunch of improvements to the wagon, including steel rims for the wheels and chains on the vents. Matt painted everything with various acrylics and artist oils. He scratchbuilt the building and made the tree from wire, seafoam, and flocking. The figure is from Platoon, and the mutts are from Douglas Lee.
Keith Benes
Orland Park, Illinois
“I always thought offroad desert scenes and vehicles were awesome,” Keith said. He equipped a Revell 1/24 scale Series III Land Rover with a 3D-printed winch, wooden crates inside, and Verlinden stowage on the roof, painted it with Tamiya spray-can lacquers, applied weathering, and then placed it amid Woodland Scenics rocks outcroppings and rocks and clumps of grass cut and planted from a cheap paintbrush. He repainted an American figure to match the setting.
Ronald Neuendorf
Waukesha, Wisconsin
After receiving a Bandai 1/100 scale HG Winged Gundam Zero from his kid, Ronald went all in, weathering the big fighting suit and building a scenic base with papier mache and scotch tape for the waterfall.
Jonathan Moriarty
Plainfield, Illinois
Putting Star Wars vehicles in other settings is always fun, as Jonathan shows with his Atomic Games 30mm Snowspeeder. He painted the Rebel vehicle in camouflage appropriate for a World War II fighter and decorated the scene with static grass, stones, and sticks.
Ned Ricks
Gurnee, Illinois
Vincent looks very serious. Ned painted the Alexandros 200mm Van Gogh with enamels and oils. He makes an impression, but only after you see him!
Johnny Novak
Western Springs, Illinois
Master Box’s 1/72 scale Austin Mk.IV armored car is tiny, less than 3 inches long, but that didn’t stop Johnny from adding fender struts and a taillight. Using Ammo by Mig Jimenez and Vallejo acrylics, he hand-painted the camouflage to mark it as a Japanese vehicle used in the Siberian Intervention in 1920.
Felix O. Gonzalez
Chicago, Illinois
Felix has been working on a series of Star Wars “What If?” builds, and his latest is this T-70 X-wing painted in typical Luftwaffe World War II camo. He painted the Bandai 1/72 scale kit with Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics.
Bryan Warchus
Portage, Indiana
Bryan packed a ton of extra detail inside and out on an AFV Club 1/35 scale T-34/76, including replacing the road wheels and tracks. He painted it with colors from Tamiya and AK Interactive as a Red Army tank during the Battle of Kursk.