The Polar Lights Mummy

Before we get to the Mummy from 1999, here is an ad from the back cover of some1960's DC Comics showing when Godzilla and King Kong kits were added to the Universal Monsters Collection from Aurora Plastics.  This got the count up to 8 kits.  Aurora will only add 5 more to the collection.  Yes, I know Godzilla is owned by Toho, but everyone seems to call these 13 kits the Universal Monsters Collection and for a change I do not feel like a rebel.  The Forgotten Prisoner of Castlemare, the last kit in the series, as well as the Witch, were not based on movies at all, but are still considered part of the same series of horror goodness.

In 1999 Universal Pictures released the new version of The Mummy, rather loosely based on the 1932 movie of the same name.  Aurora had made The Mummy model kit as part of their line in the 1960's and Polar Lights followed suit with The Mummy based on the new movie.  Great kit!  Love the base and the figure is on the verge of disgusting, which is exactly what you would want from a rotting corpse climbing out of it's coffin (OK, technically it is a sarcophagus, but you know what I mean).  

The box art appearance versus the actual kit appearance has been sometimes more than a little exaggerated by model companies, with a prime example being the Wolfman from my beloved Aurora Plastics.  Not this time.  What you see is what you get.  Floor, sarcophagus, jar...it is all here.  These kits are available on the net for a very reasonable price (at least at the time of this writing) so if you want one for your very own, I would encourage you to not delay.  Long out of production model kits tend to only go up in both price and rarity.  

Continuing my notes about the diorama I am currently working on, I have selected a few more of the kits which I will use.  I built the Tamiya German Hanomag Sdkfz 251/1 which I believe will be toward the center of the street.  I have not yet weathered it because I have not determined the amount of weathering which will best suit the scene.  I will also have to adjust the decals a bit as I progress.  The Hanomag comes with a combat crew of 5 which I will not be using this diorama.  I did paint and assemble them.  Stored them in a plastic box called a Floss Organizer which I picked up for about $3 at Wal-Mart.  There were already four Americans soldiers in there to keep them company.  I am including a picture of the floss organizer interior below.  Perfect for 1/35 scale figure storage.

At the moment the plan is for the half-track, a motorcycle with side car, three building fronts and the checkpoint.  Then add about 35 more people besides the 6 which come in the checkpoint kit.