YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!!! - Un-classic Box Art
Comments
52 12 October 2024, 14:15
Andrzej RygielNice collection of WTF box arts 🙂. To be fair, majority of them are from the ancient era (60's/70's/80's) of modelling, nobody focused that much on what's on the box back then (but there were also really nice looking artistic pieces from those times that I remember). I'll try to find some newer (90's and onward) box arts that I consider a "failed mission in marketing" - this one is a nice example from 2021 --> Saab TF-35 Draken (Skale Wings SS-72001, 1:72), and this one a bit older (2003), but also has a high WTF factor --> Messerschmitt Bf-109E 3/4 "H..tenkrad (Academy 2214, 1:72).
12 October 2024, 14:56
Robert PodkońskiAnd the next one to your collection, gorby:
Saunders-Roe SR-53 (URSUS , 1:72)
2 12 October 2024, 19:52
Ben MI built that thunderceptor (photo 32) when I was a kid. I got it at a 5 and dime store. I recall I painted it testors metallic gloss red.
12 October 2024, 20:57
Robert PodkońskiAaaaaand my favourite:
PZL P-23 a Karas (RUCH MK006, 1:72)
PZL P-23a (Coopexim , 1:72)
PZL-23A Karaś (RUCH , 1:72)
PZL P.23A Karaś (PZW , 1:72)
which one do you like most? 😄
Don't you dare look at the contents - what's most unbelievable: the same moulds are used now to produce "new" kits:
PZL P-23B Karas (BIGMODEL K72046, 1:72)
3 12 October 2024, 21:04
gorby AuthorThanks for your comments. Some excellent examples Robert, particularly the first three PZL P.23. 😄
13 October 2024, 07:14
gorby AuthorYes it bugs me when classic box-art is altered to remove any sign of unpleasantness. This is an ideal example.
Superfortress (Airfix 07001-4, 1:72)
Boeing B-29 Superfortress (Airfix A07001, 1:72)
One is full of action and the other is dull.
3 13 October 2024, 13:49
Robert PodkońskiStill, I love the Lindberg's rendering of MiG-19... and Soviet "Warhawk" - quite inspiring, isn't it 😉
13 October 2024, 14:06
gorby AuthorThe Warhawk is unbelievable! It looks nothing like the real aircraft. I'd love to see the model.
13 October 2024, 15:25
Ben MP-40B Tomahawk (Zvezda 7201, 1:72)
You can find out for 15 euro, gorby
2 13 October 2024, 15:48
Mark SherwoodThat Airfix B-29 re-mastered cover art is an affront to the Royal Cross original.
13 October 2024, 16:44
gorby AuthorI've just Googled it Ben and it doesn't great, but not as bad as I thought it would. I think I'll save my 15 euro. 😉
I agree Mark (incidentally, the predictive text has change Roy to Royal).
I didn't notice that Martin. 😄
13 October 2024, 17:28
Robert PodkońskiConvair on the picture apparently has no engines, but drop tanks instead 😄 😄 😄t
And here is the next piece of art from Trumpeter:
MiG-15 UTI mixed with Caproni-Stipa by Chinese:
PLA Air Force FT-5 Trainer (Trumpeter 02203, 1:32)
And a few more from Trumpeter:
Chinese Y-5 (Trumpeter 01602, 1:72)
and Airbus Beluga with all-moving tail 😄
A300-600ST Beluga (Trumpeter 00604, 1:144)
and finally, Iliushin Il-28:
Chinese Bomb-5 (Trumpeter 01603, 1:72)
1 13 October 2024, 19:12
Mark SherwoodTo my previous post, re the B29 box art. It is the inimitable Roy Cross. The reason I bought Airfix. 🤟🥸🤘
13 October 2024, 19:12
gorby AuthorTrumpeter have a rich history of dreadful box-art, that Y-5 is particularly painful. 😄
14 October 2024, 06:41
TreehuggerOh, wow, what a weird looking Voodoo F-101. Hm, I suppose it might be some prototype jet variant.
14 October 2024, 08:26
Ludvík KružíkVery interesting collection of boxart. 👍
There is a reason for the shape of the boxarts made in the Soviet Union. The incompetence of the Soviet industry and the political situation influenced the creation not only of boxarts, but of entire kits produced in the former Soviet Union. Lousy boxarts were defended by claiming that the attractive color pictures on Western boxarts were just capitalist tinsel and bourgeois detailism. And a socialist doesn't need such things.
The model's box was made of poor quality cardboard with mostly two-color printing. From the modest Cyrillic inscription on the box one could read that the box contained a kit of model aircraft number xxxx, or at best, even more accurately, that it was, for example, a fighter aircraft. The instructions for building the model were printed on stiff paper, which could be successfully used as sheet metal. It contained only pictorial instructions for building the model. Any detailed information (colours, camouflage, what kind of machine it was and where it was used...) was missing. In most cases, decals were also missing. In some kits the decals were replaced by stickers. Most of these kits were pressed by the leading company Frog, which was acquired by the Soviets in the second half of the 1970s.
Curiously, the same models, but intended for the Western market, were produced under the NOVO brand. The quality and content of these kits were comparable to the original FROG kits.
2 14 October 2024, 12:05
Robert PodkońskiActually, Beaufighter is described here as "morskoj shturmovik" = "sea/navy assault plane"...
14 October 2024, 14:36
Spitfire14I live your comments and the selection (also fron the commentors contributing! Can't wait for the extension of the collection...definitely made my day.
25 December 2024, 11:40
Denis DogadovIf you are really interested in the topic of amazing boxarts, here is a website created by enthusiasts about models in the USSR Where you will find many more pictures-
retromodels.org
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4 25 December 2024, 13:08
gorby AuthorJan - it was your excellent 'All sorts' album which gave me the idea of posting them on Scalemates, so thanks. 👍
1 26 December 2024, 08:38
Air noSympa. J'ai eu le Wellington Camojet en provenance directe d'Urss. Merci pour ta visite Gorbie.
1 12 February 2025, 19:17
bossy122That Convair 880 is going 6 different directions, all at once. Impressive.
15 February 2025, 19:35
Lochsa River...and so inspiring...more funky box art added by helpful SCM members....
1 16 February 2025, 10:19
Alec KIndeed! How the heck I missed this, I don't know. Some real pearls here for sure 👍🤣
1 20 February 2025, 05:38
Mr DThe Tomahawk looks like it a cross between a Mustang and a Policarpov 🤣
Would have a terrible C.G
But it's good to see nice n innocent basic art work for kids l assume .
1 20 February 2025, 12:04
Łukasz GlińskiI know I'm late but both are brilliant and made my day - the pics and the comments equally 😄
1 20 March 2025, 22:04
gorby AuthorI'm pleased you enjoyed the album Łukasz. 🙂
Thanks for your comment Mr D. I'm not sure if some of the art work was for kids, or by kids. 😉
1 21 March 2025, 07:13
MakarielThis gallery belongs into a museum 😂 the James Bond and Oddjob dance scene had me nearly fall off my chair
1 21 April 2025, 20:03
Mr DI will have to build one of the old USSR model kits one day. I've done an easy German VEB.
I've seen a few on eBay ...🤔👍
1 17 December 2025, 01:12
gorby AuthorGood luck with that Mr D. And good luck with the resultant therapy. 😉
17 December 2025, 08:16
Mr DYes Gorby.....l think alot of the old USSR kits are old frog kits, l watched some YouTube vids and they are very poor 😮, unusable decals, release oil dripping of them ect " think life's to short for the hassle" 😂
1 17 December 2025, 22:44
gorby AuthorGood idea Mr D, just experience it on Youtube. Personally I'm not a fan of horror films. 😄
Glad you enjoyed it Rui. 🙂
1 18 December 2025, 08:56
Denis DogadovA very interesting and detailed article about the history of the NOVO company, if anyone is interested.
And please note, this site contains all possible models sold in the USSR.
Google Translate will help.
retromodels.org/gb/jaguar-hunter/
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4 18 December 2025, 15:29
Robert PodkońskiThis is the best Phantom livery ever imho:
Vsyepogodnyi istrebitel (all..) (Mir (ПО Мир) , 1:72);
and a "camouflaged" Hellcat:
Naval Fighter (Mir (ПО Мир) 4764-BL, 1:72)
1 18 December 2025, 20:26
Mr DThanks Denis 👍 interesting...will have good read.
I was considering building a Novo La-7 kit, thought it would be nice to build soviet plane from USSR kit. will need to see what decals would be needed.?
1 18 December 2025, 21:33
Denis DogadovMr D I can recommend it.
This is the first model that I built myself back in the 70s.
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1 18 December 2025, 22:15
Mr DNice 👍 would you consider building one of your childhood kits ? For nostalgia ?
I've done one my Be-6.
Just purchased a 1985 Lightning that l built with my dad back in 1987.
Thanks Denis 😀
1 18 December 2025, 22:33
The historybuff ww2What are the aircraft on the boxart? Are these old egg kits? Cool though.
1 18 December 2025, 23:16
Denis DogadovThe historybuff ww2 Read the article, I posted the link above.
Everything is written in detail there.
1 19 December 2025, 08:46
Mr Dthe PZL-23 box art must been a Friday 16:45 arrival on the design desk.. Label ( Must be out first thing Monday 🚩)
being as the box art usually over sells the item inside int quite concerning 😯
1 13 February, 22:56
gorby AuthorThat made me laugh Mr D.
I really should update this album as I've got a few new ones to add.
2 14 February, 08:30
Jan Peters'Great' additions to the collection Gorby, #54 especially, I just can't seem to figure out what this aircraft would look like in the flesh. It is a bit like a MC Esher with a false perspective.
1 14 February, 14:52
Robert Podkoński@Mr D- In an economy of scarcity, no one needed to be encouraged to buy anything. That's how economy dependent on russia operated in communist Poland...
4 14 February, 14:54
gorby AuthorJan: It's probably harmful to brains to try and work out what the Sage 2 looked like from the box art. If Esher had done that he'd probably decide he should only paint when sober. 😄
I hadn't thought about it like that Robert. That's mad!
4 14 February, 15:22
CuratormI like the soviet bloodhound box-art : it looks early ad-art of Soviet union.
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2 15 February, 11:55
Wojtek G.I remember those Polish glider models and that Karaś... it was hard to get and what was inside today would make many people laugh... but it was there!
4 20 February, 10:38
Robert Podkoński@Wojtek G. - the problem is that the kits from the same moulds are now sold in Poland under BigModel brand:
mojehobby.pl/product..-Karas-51773904.html
it is a crime against humanity imho
6 20 February, 11:54
Wojtek G.@Robert Podkoński - Yes, I saw it a few days ago and was shocked. There must be some takers for the 25 złoty (about €6), especially since the box promises so much. 🕵🏻♂️
4 20 February, 12:14
gorby AuthorSounds like a bargain. Particularly as there must be at least €1 worth of flash. 😄
3 20 February, 14:03
Mr DHi Gorby 👋 your forgetting the ¢50 worth of machine oil dripping of the sprue 🚀
Basic tools may be required ⚒️
2 20 February, 21:43
Jan PetersAnother gem worth adding to the collection Gorby 🤗
Republic F-84F Thunderstreak (Italaerei 107, 1:72)
3 21 March, 15:18
Łukasz GlińskiWhile the boxart might look poor, that is very inspiring livery Jan 👍
3 21 March, 16:00
Mr DI always did like the F-84 display team ..... Had to be viewed in heavy cloud for best experience ✈️🤣
2 22 March, 21:37
Steven Van DyckIf you type "dinosaur" in the search bar, you also get some pretty gnarly examples. But sometimes that's exactly what is in the box.
Plated Dinosaur (Pyro 273, No)
2 23 March, 11:52
Steven Van DyckHere another one, a T-Rex where the artist must have thought the arms needed to be longer than that. The teeth though, mine might be longer.
Tyrant Dinosaur (Pyro 274-98, No)
23 March, 12:01
Dexi GoodchildI mean @gorby, you say "cockpit" for photo 54, but let's be honest, it's more of an MC Escher drawing than an actual "cockpit" don't you think? 🤣
23 March, 13:46
gorby AuthorWow those are truly dreadful Steven. When I get time those are definitely going in the album. 🙂
That made me laugh Dexi. Escher would sue, so just as well he's pegged it. Admittedly the odds on him being a Scalemates member would probably have been slim. 😄
1 23 March, 17:25
Robert PodkońskiNow I know where originated the idea that cavemen lived in the Jurrasic Era...
1 23 March, 18:26
Steven Van DyckIn the background on this one, a T-Rex is using it's well-known karate kick hunting method:
Tyrannosaurus (Bandai 8331-350, 1:55)
3 23 March, 23:29
Steven Van DyckThis must have been an attractive model kit to bring home to the kids:
Deer (ARII A480-300, No)
7 23 March, 23:49
Dexi GoodchildI hate to be the one to ask, but did that deer kit come with the little you-know-what, and more importantly, what colour were you supposed to paint it? 🫣🤣 BTW, I believe the text in the speech bubble is "WOW! This is amazing!" I mean, yes, yes it is my friend.
2 24 March, 08:42
Jan PetersIt actually says "Hahaha! This is hilarious!!!!" According to Google Translate.
3 25 March, 08:08
Steven Van DyckNot only that. The text left of the animal makes clear that it is workable. The tail is actually a lever. The text on top says. "The rage of the media".
3 25 March, 09:02
Steven Van DyckWould I still dare to mention that the text on the bottom says something about fortune cookies?
4 25 March, 09:22
Ludvík KružíkGorbi, you're actually in luck! I think if you eat these cookies, things might turn out exactly as they're drawn on the box of that building set. 😄
1 26 March, 11:51
Jan PetersHere's another gem for your collection Gorby 🤗
Russian Mig 19 (Aurora 66-79, 1:48)
2 19 April, 09:30
gorby AuthorThat monstrosity is already in the collection Jan (photo No. 30).
I suspect it's such a visual crime your brain has attempted to edit it out. 😄 😄
19 April, 14:18
Album info
These are the worst examples of box art that I could find, some you wouldn't believe any self respecting company would want their product associated with. You'd think the least they could do is employ an artist rather than the managers pre-teen nephew. Let's hope the kit was better than the box.
The vast majority are aircraft because it seems that aircraft must be harder to paint. Either that or the worst 'artists' are drawn to wingy things. Most are from the early days of model kits although some are frighteningly more recent. You're unlikely to hang any of these on your wall unless you have masochistic tendencies.
To any art lovers, I'm sorry, this'll hurt.