58 replies to this topic

[Futurabat]

Hmmm...box "art" versus photos of the actual contents. I'll admit that in many cases box "art" can be eye catching and can cause one to stop and look at a model they might not have. However for me, I would much rather have photos (non re-touched) of the actual kit. I could care less if it's a professionally built box-top-model if it's done decent. Show me what i'm getting, not an artists conception of what it could be.

[martinfan5]

Hmmm...box "art" versus photos of the actual contents. I'll admit that in many cases box "art" can be eye catching and can cause one to stop and look at a model they might not have. However for me, I would much rather have photos (non re-touched) of the actual kit. I could care less if it's a professionally built box-top-model if it's done decent. Show me what i'm getting, not an artists conception of what it could be.

Agreed

[Junkman]

Half of my collection consists of stuff purely bought for the box art.

[sjordan2]

In my estimation, nearly all model kit box art -- especially the paintings -- is second-rate when it comes to technique. That covers everything that isn't a photo on page one of this thread. One of the very few pieces of excellent painting that I've seen is this one... I have this kit, and it's as excellent in its production as the taste of the manufacturer who okayed the box art.

 

I think most of the Revell of Germany art of the past few years has also been quite good.

 

 

Edited by sjordan2, 19 January 2013 - 11:59 AM.

[Eshaver]

A M T's gorgeous art prints in 1969 were the all time high point in their history. Monogram had a few hits , so did Revell. A M T blew it period when they were held hostage by Racing Champions . I dunno how many times a box art model was depicted on a box , only to be something ENTIRELY different with in the box .

[Von Don Koolkat]

I've talked with several modelers who already had this kit - but bought this version just because of the box art.
 

 

http://images57.fotk..._beswick-vi.jpg

[lordairgtar]

I think most of us are too much of insiders for the box art to affect us! We know what's going on from the rumor stage of a new kit, so we know what we will and won't buy before it ever hits the market.

 

Box art is a big seller to the general public, those that see kits for the first time on the hobby shop shelf.  We seldom see stuff we don't already know about.  Remember the excitement as a kid when you went store to store to look at the model selection.  You'd find new kits you never knew existed and that was very exciting.   And there was box art that absolutely sold kits!  For me it was the Revell '57 Nomad kit. That beach scene got me time and time again.  I really wanted to have the car on the box top!

 

 

Here's the box.  Note the Bob Paeth autograph in the sand!

...and if you look closely, you will see that the chrome reverse wheels are actually black and white photos from a different car. Bob Paeth's car in fact, an old Rambler. They at Revell did not like the wheels the car used so they took a B&W photo of the rambler wheel and cut and pasted the wheels the old fashioned way by actually cutting the pic and pasting it over the Chevy's wheels.

[sjordan2]

...and if you look closely, you will see that the chrome reverse wheels are actually black and white photos from a different car. Bob Paeth's car in fact, an old Rambler. They at Revell did not like the wheels the car used so they took a B&W photo of the rambler wheel and cut and pasted the wheels the old fashioned way by actually cutting the pic and pasting it over the Chevy's wheels.

 

I remember that story. He was an excellent artist and art director.

[1972coronet]

As a visual and conceptual artist , the box art is a huge attraction !

 

I'll be 43 in April ; I first started building in '73 or '74 , and my sole decisions for a 32nd scale snap kit was based upon what was on the box (Monogram's Funny Car series was my favourite !).

I ostensibly missed out on the golden era of box art (the Pop Art / Psychedelic artwork of '63-'70) , though I certainly do recall seeing those kits' boxes at older cousins' houses and in thrift stores and in outdated stock at dep't stores when I was a kid (wanted to build them , but they were beyond my abilities ...).

 

When I started on glue kits (around '75 / '76) I was drawn (no pun intended) to the MPC annuals . Sears seemed to keep quite a few of them in their stock !

Also , being of an abstract mind , the reissues of Tom Daniel's kits (Vandal , etc.) were a feast for the eyes !

 

In subsequent years , I've passed on many kits just because of the crappy cover art ! The RC-2 era of AMT was thee worst !!

 

In summary : The boxes' art still is a subliminal decisor for me , but not as big a deterrent as it was in the past .

The neuvaux Revell box art is attractive . Round2's box art is the absolute best (and , yes , that's in full recognition that some of it is repro AMT and MPC work , which is-was another favourite of mine !) .

[Craig Irwin]

A lot of box art was really cool, but it really boiled down to subject.

[Shardik]

     I've gone both ways on this issue.  Generally, I'm looking for a specific vehicle when I go to the LHS.  In that case, the only thing I'm looking for on the box is some photographic evidence of what's in the box (assuming I haven't read a review beforehand).  The folks at Lindberg taught me to be skeptical in this regard, with their beautiful pictures of 1:1 cars in studio settings that make them look like they could be well made models.

     There are times, however, when I'm in a rut and looking for inspiration.  At these times, since I'm generally looking at unfamiliar subjects, the box art can be the whole justification for the purchase.  Since I go into these with minimal expectations in the first place, I'm rarely disappointed.

[zenrat]

...and if you look closely, you will see that the chrome reverse wheels are actually black and white photos from a different car. Bob Paeth's car in fact, an old Rambler. They at Revell did not like the wheels the car used so they took a B&W photo of the rambler wheel and cut and pasted the wheels the old fashioned way by actually cutting the pic and pasting it over the Chevy's wheels.

 

IIRC the original had/has Buick wires and Revell didn't want to tool up for them for some reason.

[Tom Geiger]

...and if you look closely, you will see that the chrome reverse wheels are actually black and white photos from a different car. Bob Paeth's car in fact, an old Rambler. They at Revell did not like the wheels the car used so they took a B&W photo of the rambler wheel and cut and pasted the wheels the old fashioned way by actually cutting the pic and pasting it over the Chevy's wheels.

 

 

True story and I got to hear it first hand from Bob himself at the GSL in 2001. The pic above is me, Bob Paeth and Tom Daniel in 2003.

[gtx6970]

Box art might influence what kit I but over another only if the 2 kits are exactly the same. Meaning if the box is either an original or replica of some old version of said kit  . As an example. I was looking for  an AMT 1955 Nomad recently and I tried to get one of the original / older issues with some really cool box art lid.

But,,alas I ended up just getting one of the newer releases with the boring artwork on the cover.

But otherwise it means nothing to me . I buy for whats inside.

Edited by gtx6970, 04 February 2013 - 06:44 AM.

[Greg Myers]

Best box art ever.

 

 

Bought a bunch of these over the years.

[Draggon]

I must say  box art got me into the JDM/Shakotan/Bosozuko/GranChan thing. Yea, I'm 58, but I can appreciate drastically lowered cars.

 

[G Holding]

I have seen some great box art....Couple of builders photo shopped their builds onto the kit box...complete with logos and all. The one I fell for was the 48 Ford custom from Revell...Donn Yost Edition ! ...Yeah I found out that it was bogus, But it looked real to me!

[Casey]

If the box art doesn't feature a car poppin' a wheelie while smoking the tires, and doesn't have red-hot flames shooting out of the headers, I'm not even pickin' it up.   

 

[Casey]

I think I have a new favorite, even ignoring the crush I had on Faye Dunaway from the 1967 movie:

 

 

 

Bullet holes stamped out of the box lid? THAT is a nice touch. 

[Erik Smith]

I would buy this for the box art: