As it just so happens, pretty far. He’s still going back into the body box since (a) he has a chipped ear, (b) several body rubs, and (c) he’s the Traditional Black Stallion mold with those goofy splash dot dapples from the 1990s. He’d have to be minty-mint, in the box, for me to get any serious money for him.
Still, it was kind of a fun exercise, seeing how far I could actually push him into social acceptability. At least now, we he gets ignored in the body box, it won’t be because he’s dirty. It’ll be because he’s a Black Stallion mold. Even I have to admit he’s a bit of a challenge to customize well.
As you may know, I’m not easily squicked by anything, model horse-wise. I love - or at least tolerate willingly - a lot of molds deemed horrible enough to give some hobbyists the vapors. My love of a model is not conditioned on anatomical reality. If some of the parts aren’t exactly where they’re supposed to be, I’m not going to obsess over it too much.
(Just like they’re now doing with the Weather Girl. My only question: gosh, what took them so long to get started?)
But boy, do I ever remember being disappointed when the Traditional Black Stallion mold came out in 1981. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I had definitely imagined something a little grander. He was merely okay.
If Breyer had originally released him as some other horse, in some other color, maybe I would have taken more of a shine to him. He was supposed to be my dream horse, darn it!
I got one anyway because I was (and to a degree, still am) a huge Black Stallion fan, and a couple others in colors I thought looked good on him. Like the Ageless Bronze of the Hyksos, for instance, and the rather pretty Mahogany Bay of the SR Ofir. I’m also a bit intrigued by the odd, multicolored splash spot Appaloosa one, whatever it was supposed to be, though I haven’t gotten around to owning one yet.
A couple years later, they came out with a Classic version of the "The Black" in The Black Stallion Returns Set, and he was a lot closer to my mental picture of him than the Traditional mold. I think I have more of him than I do of the Traditional, including a Test Color for the Sham in the 3345 King of the Wind Set, in a more golden shade of Bay than the Regular Run release.
Time to get back to the "spring cleaning," I guess. The rest of these horses aren’t going to prep and pack themselves.
7 comments:
I like both the Classic and Trad Black Stallions, there's just something about their deep, shiny black coat and contrasting tan hooves that appeals to me.
Why is it that OFs are so scrutinized while resins can get away with all kinds of anatomical and conformational flaws? I mean I have to point and laugh whenever I see someone with a Fraley in their signature or their avatar complaining that Moody models too "too cartoony". Both artists sculpt incredibly stylized sculptures, both styles can be called "cartoony", with all kinds of weird ABC issues. But Moody OFs (and most of her resins) get trashed while Fraley resins are the best thing since sliced bread. It's all so subjective and silly.
I've often wondered that myself. I think it might be some sort of variation of the "sellout" idea.
IOW, you get a big ol' target on your back once you "sellout" to "da Man."
Which doesn't make sense to me, since they're not competing for the same slice of the market, or even working in the same medium. You're just not going to get the same results in injection-molded plastic that you're going to get in resin or bronze. Period.
And it's not like Reeves shells out the big bucks; there's definitely some element of pride involved on the part of the artists who do it. (I'd be totally verklempt if Reeves asked me to sculpt something, f'rinstance. Not that that's ever going to happen.)
I'm not understanding where all of the sudden Moody malice is coming from, though.
I think its a rather nice looking model, odd spots and all. Maybe Im just weird tho. Ive gotten some neat models from peoples body boxes. Latest was a San Domingo mold Lightning and an appaloosa Gem Twist.Picked each up for 3.00 and a magic eraser did wonders on them.
I really like this horse and the Rugged Lark from your previous post. (Maybe it's just because I like being contrary, especially in the model horse hobby.) I don't think of the spots as dapples, and they have a pleasing, mystical affect when not taken realistically. (Or maybe I've been a little troubled and deprived of horses in the past few days.)
Greystreak was one of my first Breyer horses and I thought she (always seemed like a mare to me) was the bee's knees. I still do admire that color greatly.
I agree about the Trad Black Stallion being underwhelming - I think the Classic one is a lot better. Too bad they can't switch the Trad one to Classic size and vice versa. I think the Classic one hearkens back to the paperbacks with Ruth Sanderson covers better (those were always my favorite cover paintings...they've really done some hideous/stupid ones over the years).
Very nice..i really like the horse and Rugged Lark .
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