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Aurora Model Kits: With Polar Lights, Moebius, Atlantis
Hollywood movie monsters are enduring pop culture standards. Kids and adults around the world recognize Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolf Man, and the Mummy. Although monsters are Aurora’s most famous products, the company created model kits of all varieties, including historic sailing ships, sports cars, moon rockets, military and commercial aircraft, TV stars, comic book heroes, wildlife scenes, knights, and much more.
Over 500 color photographs enhance this comprehensive history and guide to Aurora models, now updated to include new companies continuing the Aurora tradition. Aurora executives, sculptors, artists, and engineers who created the models tell the story in their own words. Every model Aurora made is described in detail. Today, Polar Lights, Moebius, Atlantis, and Monarch continue the Aurora tradition. Executives from these companies explain how they have added to the list of revived Aurora models, with information on reissues and current collectors’ market values.
Over 500 color photographs enhance this comprehensive history and guide to Aurora models, now updated to include new companies continuing the Aurora tradition. Aurora executives, sculptors, artists, and engineers who created the models tell the story in their own words. Every model Aurora made is described in detail. Today, Polar Lights, Moebius, Atlantis, and Monarch continue the Aurora tradition. Executives from these companies explain how they have added to the list of revived Aurora models, with information on reissues and current collectors’ market values.
- GenresNonfiction
200 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 16, 2017
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 5.0 of 5
Try as I might, I could never get any of my children interested in model kits. I grew up in the 1970's and I have fond memories of sitting in the living-room, at a card-table covered with newspapers, and gluing and then painting plastic model kits. I didn't spend much time looking at manufacturer names ... a kit was a kit to me. Was the design interesting? Did the box cover art draw me to the model? But as I read through this book I realize that most of the kits I worked on were Aurora model kits.
What drew me to this book was the cover and that picture of the Frankenstein monster model. That particular model kit was a turning point for me ... possibly the kit that got me most interested in doing models. I also remember it being the winter of 1968/69 and I spent a lot of time getting it 'just right.' From there I went for the Dracula glow-in-the-dark kit, which I thought was just about the best thing I'd ever had a chance to make, and that led to a whole variety of model kits, from cars, to planes, to ships, and of course plenty of tv and pop-culture related kits (I loved that Beatles yellow submarine that you were supposed to put a coin in to help make it sink in the bathtub!).
And if you can't tell by the above paragraph, reading through this book brought back a flood of fond memories. I have a couple of un-opened model kits that I'd purchased (years ago) for my children, but when they didn't show any interest in them I put them aside. Reading through this book made me want to go open one of those kits and experience the joy of carefully removing the pieces from the plastic stem; file the excess plastic off, very carefully, and begin gluing the pieces together (and likely getting glue all over my fingers!) so that I could get something that I could then carefully paint.
The first portion of this book is a well-researched history of Aurora: their start-up plans, the people behind the company, and how they got in to model kit making, as well as how some of the kits were received and who designed them. It's a tremendous biography of a company and very interesting reading.
It also details the decline of the company and how other companies purchased some of these model kits.
The book is tremendously illustrated with photographs - not just of the model kits (though there is plenty of that), but also of the organization and the people who made Aurora what it was.
The second portion of the book is a comprehensive list of all of the models manufactured by Aurora, with kit numbers, and many of them with photographs of the boxes (and some of the completed models). It's a great checklist and a super trip down memory lane for some of us.
I loved going through this and thinking, "Oh, yeah, I had that one, too!" I'd forgotten just how many different model kits I had put together through the years until I read this book.
All in all, this is a really remarkable history of a small business that had a big impact on popular culture and hobbies during its peak years. It is worth reading.
Looking for a good book? Aurora Model Kits: With Polar Lights, Moebius, Atlantis by Thomas Graham is a tremendously researched and thorough book about Aurora model kits, and is a nice addition to any library.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
Try as I might, I could never get any of my children interested in model kits. I grew up in the 1970's and I have fond memories of sitting in the living-room, at a card-table covered with newspapers, and gluing and then painting plastic model kits. I didn't spend much time looking at manufacturer names ... a kit was a kit to me. Was the design interesting? Did the box cover art draw me to the model? But as I read through this book I realize that most of the kits I worked on were Aurora model kits.
What drew me to this book was the cover and that picture of the Frankenstein monster model. That particular model kit was a turning point for me ... possibly the kit that got me most interested in doing models. I also remember it being the winter of 1968/69 and I spent a lot of time getting it 'just right.' From there I went for the Dracula glow-in-the-dark kit, which I thought was just about the best thing I'd ever had a chance to make, and that led to a whole variety of model kits, from cars, to planes, to ships, and of course plenty of tv and pop-culture related kits (I loved that Beatles yellow submarine that you were supposed to put a coin in to help make it sink in the bathtub!).
And if you can't tell by the above paragraph, reading through this book brought back a flood of fond memories. I have a couple of un-opened model kits that I'd purchased (years ago) for my children, but when they didn't show any interest in them I put them aside. Reading through this book made me want to go open one of those kits and experience the joy of carefully removing the pieces from the plastic stem; file the excess plastic off, very carefully, and begin gluing the pieces together (and likely getting glue all over my fingers!) so that I could get something that I could then carefully paint.
The first portion of this book is a well-researched history of Aurora: their start-up plans, the people behind the company, and how they got in to model kit making, as well as how some of the kits were received and who designed them. It's a tremendous biography of a company and very interesting reading.
It also details the decline of the company and how other companies purchased some of these model kits.
The book is tremendously illustrated with photographs - not just of the model kits (though there is plenty of that), but also of the organization and the people who made Aurora what it was.
The second portion of the book is a comprehensive list of all of the models manufactured by Aurora, with kit numbers, and many of them with photographs of the boxes (and some of the completed models). It's a great checklist and a super trip down memory lane for some of us.
I loved going through this and thinking, "Oh, yeah, I had that one, too!" I'd forgotten just how many different model kits I had put together through the years until I read this book.
All in all, this is a really remarkable history of a small business that had a big impact on popular culture and hobbies during its peak years. It is worth reading.
Looking for a good book? Aurora Model Kits: With Polar Lights, Moebius, Atlantis by Thomas Graham is a tremendously researched and thorough book about Aurora model kits, and is a nice addition to any library.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
January 21, 2025
If you're not interested in Aurora model kits, stop reading!
I had loads of the figure models - the Universal monster kits - when I was young. I was predominantly interested in this book to read about them, but after having enjoyed the whole text, I'm delighted to have read this book. It's a great example, in my opinion, of how a fan-created book should look: A good narrative around the history of the company; stories from the creators to pepper the accounts of model releases; news from the time of what else was happening in this hobby field; accurate information, should one want to follow up anything and finally many many pictures, not only of the released models but those which were in production but were never released.
I was pleased to see similar companies covered too- Polar Lights, Moebius, Atlantis and others.
Brilliant research, with interviews and newspaper clippings/adverts too.
Great book.
I had loads of the figure models - the Universal monster kits - when I was young. I was predominantly interested in this book to read about them, but after having enjoyed the whole text, I'm delighted to have read this book. It's a great example, in my opinion, of how a fan-created book should look: A good narrative around the history of the company; stories from the creators to pepper the accounts of model releases; news from the time of what else was happening in this hobby field; accurate information, should one want to follow up anything and finally many many pictures, not only of the released models but those which were in production but were never released.
I was pleased to see similar companies covered too- Polar Lights, Moebius, Atlantis and others.
Brilliant research, with interviews and newspaper clippings/adverts too.
Great book.
February 25, 2015
Aurora Model Kits is split into two main sections – the first is a history of the development of Aurora during the period from 1950-1977 when it made model kits, finishing with something about the companies under who’s brands surviving Aurora molds have been used since. The second part is a comprehensive list of all model types issued over the years. This includes all issued under the Aurora brand, including those reboxed from other manufacturers, and those acquired from other manufacturers, as well as those reissued under other brands since Aurora’s demise. The book is incredibly well illustrated with box art, completed models, and a few shots of the company management. Estimated current collectors valuations in USD are also included, as the kit listing is aimed at the collector. There is a great feeling of nostalgia attached to Aurora, because they are associated with their models of monsters and media tie-ins such as Batman, Superman and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea to name just a few, and this book captures that perfectly. I can remember seeing many of their products on sale way back when, or advertised in DC comics, and the colourful illustrations bring it all back. In fact, the cover features the monster from Frankenstein, one of their best sellers, and it prepares you well for the contents of the book. Brilliant.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews