Rocky Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 One thing that amazes me, is that it would be so easy for the artist to take a built kit, hang it on a string, take a photo of it and use that picture as a basis to at least get the shape of the plane right. I'm no artist, but even I can copy an image well enough to look vastly better than this box "art". One would think the manufacturers would want to make their products look good. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
habu2 Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Not exactly "worst" box art but I have noticed several instances of one company taking the box art from a kit from another company and modifying it (or even downright copies it) for their own kit. I'll try to find some examples and post them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 The very worst box art has to be the Trumpeter 1/48 scale Grumman Hu-16 Albatross........ The sinking ship was totally wrong :woot.gif:/> http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234927710-148-grumman-hu-16a-albatros-by-trumpeter-released-new-alley-cat-nose-correction-set/?hl=%2Btrumpeter+%2Balbatross#entry1186224 See post #13...... I mean, if the artist can't even get the sinking ship right, what hope is there...... ???? Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Darius at home Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Reading that thread on BM reminded me of why I quit that site. Too much nitpicking by Naval Architects!!! Darius Quote Link to post Share on other sites
habu2 Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Reading that thread on BM reminded me of why I quit that site. wow... sad to see them sink to that level... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aerofan Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 (edited) These 80's Testors boxing are just as uninspiring as those Minicraft/Hasegawa ones of the 80's. The table is more interesting - looks very nice. Here's an even more ugly box art of the bug. What carrier is that? Notice the line up of bugs on the deck, all in the prototype paint scheme. Edited December 31, 2014 by aerofan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vince Maddux Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Just thought of this one because I'm getting ready to build this with my young nephew when he comes over to visit during the holidays. These 80's Testors boxing are just as uninspiring as those Minicraft/Hasegawa ones of the 80's. I'll show my nephew a dvd to get him inspired - the boxart would make him run to his more inspiring Lego. For years I have wanted to build a testors kit and build a display for it ,just like is on the box. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kevan Vogler Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 At least Testors went to some effort to make the scene look like the model was fresh from the workbench and usually had good lighting for the picture. Most other companies who put pictures of the real model on the box didn't exercise even that little bit of care. Not so inspiring, I agree, but definitely more attractive on the shelf than contemporaries who were doing the same on their boxes. Less inspiring from Testors was their "Hobby Shop Only" boxings net photo I knew one or two fellows who worked in model shops who just hated the HSO packaging with a passion because the plain brown boxes had no visual impact at all from the shelf and the labeling had a habit of coming detached and tatty at the corners rather easily. The best thing about the HSO boxing, in my view, was that you got a stronger than average box out of the deal. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CorsairMan Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Reading that thread on BM reminded me of why I quit that site. Too much nitpicking by Naval Architects!!! :cheers:/> Darius The interwebs have made 'experts' out of idiots. But deep down...... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jinxter13 Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 (edited) I'm no artist, but even I can copy an image well enough to look vastly better than this box "art". One would think the manufacturers would want to make their products look good. Most of the [bad] box art wasn't meant to attract older modelers i.e. modelers over the age of 13 years or so; most of that box art was done during a time when [grown] men didn't openly build plastic models as we do now. It was aimed at an age group who looked at it saw a plane in attack mode and thought..."WOW...that's so cool", grabbed said kit and proceeded to the checkout register/stand dropped their $1-2 on the counter and walked out thinking only of getting the box opened and starting the build, did I mention they didn't have to buy plastic cement (it was included) in the box); remember those days ;) ; for the more modern [bad box art] I can only attribute that to blatant reckless disregard or a DGAS attitude; they had may as well put it in a plain box with a label describing the contents. I would rather have bad box art with a jewel of a kit, than great box art with an injection molded disaster inside. Edited December 12, 2014 by #1 Greywolf Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Exhausted Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 I was under the impression that CBUs needed altitude to open... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spruemeister Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 And by all means, when releasing weapons at 15 feet have the speed brakes open. :huh:/>/> Here we see the USS Arizona being attacked at Pearl Harbor by a couple of... Sonias? And for some reason she has traded her Kingfishers for SOCs. This box art is to blame for why I painted this kit overall silver as a young fledgling assembler. Back before I could even spell "research". Rick L. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aurora Mark Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 My wife and I do quite a bit of aviation art, and art in general... far from "expert class" but we certainly do try to get some accuracy ...so when we came across this thread, we had to have a look. Turns out, we actually made a bowl of popcorn to look over this thread, and have been busting our guts laughing! Thank you so much for this, it's an absolute riot! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
majortomski Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 And by all means, when releasing weapons at 15 feet have the speed brakes open. :huh:/>/>/> Here we see the USS Arizona being attacked at Pearl Harbor by a couple of... Sonias? And for some reason she has traded her Kingfishers for SOCs. This box art is to blame for why I painted this kit overall silver as a young fledgling assembler. Back before I could even spell "research". Rick L. Actually it was better than the original artwork. For decades Revell had the Arizona turned around the wrong way, with Ford Island on the port sided http://www.oldmodelkits.com/index.php?detail=23812&erl=Revell-1-426-USS-Arizona-Pearl-Harbor-Battleship-H302 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Exhausted Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Waiting for this to be stickied! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JB2013 Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Second! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cag_200 Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 (edited) This boxart always paid my attention, .. ? Edited December 15, 2014 by cag_200 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kstater94 Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 This would be my choice for worst kit box art I always thought that the subject of the kit was supposed to be the "star" (if you will) The only thing that I can think of when seeing this art is that it was the artist's last day and he wanted to stick it to Airfix.... (who were up against a deadline and had no choice but to go with the art work). Cheers! John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CorsairMan Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 I can see why the lightning is going down....what with the catastrophic failure of the starboard wing and elevator Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ryan Hothersall Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 This would be my choice for worst kit box art I always thought that the subject of the kit was supposed to be the "star" (if you will) The only thing that I can think of when seeing this art is that it was the artist's last day and he wanted to stick it to Airfix.... (who were up against a deadline and had no choice but to go with the art work). Cheers! John Doesn't the new Airfix Blenheim box art show it with one engine on fire and what to me looks like an FW-190 shooting it down? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mumbles Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 (edited) This would be my choice for worst kit box art I always thought that the subject of the kit was supposed to be the "star" (if you will) The only thing that I can think of when seeing this art is that it was the artist's last day and he wanted to stick it to Airfix.... (who were up against a deadline and had no choice but to go with the art work). Cheers! John Not the only example of it's kind, but Matchbox made theirs look awesome anyway (like almost all of their boxart). Airfix boxart is almost as good these days, bar the odd slip-up with a first edition here and there :) : Edited December 16, 2014 by Mumbles Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mumbles Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Doesn't the new Airfix Blenheim box art show it with one engine on fire and what to me looks like an FW-190 shooting it down? Ki-43's. The boxart depicts a Victoria Cross winning action in the Malayan campaign in 1941: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mumbles Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 (edited) From a more recent manufacturer, some of Trumpeter's art has been, well, ordinary: There's a certain M.C Escher quality to this one: Edited December 16, 2014 by Mumbles Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wayfarer 30 Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 (edited) Airfix boxart is almost as good these days, bar the odd slip-up with a first edition here and there :) AAAAWWWWWWW!! When are you due? Is it a boy or girl?? Edited December 16, 2014 by Wayfarer 30 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mumbles Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 AAAAWWWWWWW!! When are you due? Is it a boy or girl?? See anything, I dunno, missing in that image? :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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