The Modeling Insanity Podcast
The Modeling Insanity Podcast
Episode 48: Artificial Intelligence, Real Inspiration, & Zero Personal Space
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Episode 48: Artificial Intelligence, Real Inspiration, & Zero Personal Space
Join Rob Riv, Frank Donati, Justin Ryan, and Steve Santucci for another unpredictable episode of the Modeling Insanity Podcast as they dive into a wide-ranging discussion on the growing role of artificial intelligence in the hobby. From AI-enhanced photos and generated artwork to the impact AI may have on how modelers share and present their work, the crew offers their thoughts, opinions, and plenty of spirited debate along the way.
The conversation then shifts to a more personal topic: what inspires them to build. Whether it’s box art, historical subjects, reference photos, museum visits, movies, books, or the work of fellow modelers, each host shares what fuels their passion for the hobby and keeps them coming back to the workbench.
Of course, no episode would be complete without a classic Rob Riv Life Lesson Rant™. This time, Rob tackles one of society’s greatest unsolved mysteries: why some people feel the need to stand six inches behind you in stores, checkout lines, and hobby shops. Equal parts observation, frustration, and comedy, it’s the kind of rant that only Rob can deliver.
So grab a drink, pull up a chair, and join the insanity. There are laughs, opinions, hobby talk, and more than a few questionable life lessons. Because honestly, what the hell are we doing if we can’t have a few laughs along the way?
Opening and end music by Supernova by Arthur Vyncke https://soundcloud.com/arthurvost
Music promoted by http://www.free-stock-music.com
Join the Podcast on Facebook on The Modeling Insanity Podcast Page
Email the Insanity Crew at modelinginsanitypodcast@gmail.com for any comments or suggestions.
Debbie came down. She says, I heard you yelling. You're all right? You gotta calm down.
SPEAKER_04It looks like he's telling the story. It's the oh, she took 15 minutes to come down. She took the iron of bringing a drink. She took long enough that the heart attack would have kicked in. It's too late for CPR, and you're good.
SPEAKER_03All right, guys, welcome to the Modeling Insanity Podcast. I'm your host, Rob Riv. I'm with my co-host, Mr. Frankie Denardi. Hey! I shook it up. I usually do Justin first, Mr. Justin Ryan. Hey, hey, everybody. And Mr. Steve Santucci. Hello. All right, no Rob Adams again tonight. Rob forgot we were recording tonight, and he's in the middle of making dinner. And it's like, I guess, a birthday celebration. I think his wife is wearing some skimpy outfit for him, so he couldn't join us. Good for him. Um maybe he'll get lucky tonight. So Rob Adams now again is not joining us, but uh he'll be in our hearts and our minds for this show tonight, right, Mr. Denati? Absolutely, 100%. Rob Who again? Rob, yeah, exactly. Rob Who. All right, so there's a there's lots to talk about. Um, we're kind of late on this episode. Our last episode was our kind of our live show from Amps, as well as our little cut-ins. That show went over really, really well. As everybody knows who listened to it knows that I went on some crazy rant. I needed to do that, and it had to be done. And I cannot tell you the amount of messages that I got like within the first few hours of that episode dropping from people who knows what I'm talking about, people who don't know what I'm talking about, and were just like, wow, that was pretty, you know, you went off the little deep end on there, and it was definitely warranted, especially people who know what I'm talking about. Um, were very happy and thankful that I did do it and I had to do it, and I'm glad I did. I'm not gonna rehash it, but whoever did reach out to me and those people know who they did, I do appreciate it because it made me feel a lot better because I kind of felt like I went a little too crazy, especially listening back after, but uh, I'm glad I did because it needed to be said. On that note, there's a lot of other things that have gone on. Santucci's in the midst of doing his like 250th anniversary reenactment stuff across the freaking east coast of Long of uh I was gonna say Long Island, but the east coast of the United States. So he's got that going on. Justin finally has his beard growing back. If anybody knows that Justin's beard was shaved, why he did it, I don't know. It was like some sort of he went crazy in his bathroom with the razor, chopped his beard off, and it was really, really tough to look at there for a little while. Um, but thankfully it's kind of coming back, right?
SPEAKER_05I was actually like a professional swimmer. I had absolutely zero body hair.
SPEAKER_03That's right. Yeah, you should have just gone crazy to shave your entire body. You would have been a dolphin with eyebrows, buddy. A dolphin with eyebrows. Yeah, that would have been good.
SPEAKER_05I just kept the eyebrows so that the sweat would have somewhere to go.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, well, it's tasty. There is a lot going on. We did record an episode of the Quarter Scale Madness, and it was released a f like a week or so ago. We did record a second episode, which will be released probably either right around the time that this episode is being released. So we have another episode of Quarter Scale, Model Car Mania, the car show, just released their ninth show, which was pretty good.
SPEAKER_05You guys are like all or nothing over at the quarter scale, huh?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, we're gonna try to, you know, it's kind of hard to get everybody together. So it's really trying to um get some recordings in, so we were able to do that. I was a guest and I want to say thank you. I know I I did it on the live cast, but I was a guest on uh Beyond the Box Art, which was a lot of fun. Um, thank you to Paul Brownie over there, as well as Dan Brazilla and a bunch of the guys over there at the Beyond the Box Art podcast, which was a lot of fun. I was there, I think it was episode 27, but those guys are like they recall like every week. They've had like five episodes that's come out in five consecutive weeks. They actually did a um a joint podcast with the Scale Model Podcast, Frank, for Stuart Clark, which we do appreciate because we know Stuart's also a very good friend of ours, and he's been going through a lot with his wife. So they did a nice like dual show with those guys. And I told Brownie I want to try to get those guys on here to do a show together because I had such a great time. I consider them good friends now, and uh it was a lot of fun, and I do appreciate um being on there, and I hope people give it that show a listen. They're a bunch of great guys, especially that show. I was on with Spencer Pollard, and it was actually really good, and a lot of fun to talk about some of the topics. Sometimes it's good not to be the person running the show. It was good getting interviewed and uh being able to just speak your mind and your take your your outlook on the hobby, and it's really good to um you know be able to participate with the other groups. We haven't done a movie show in a while, and we are gonna be starting the new movie podcast. Myself, Dave Goldfinch, and Whitey from the Modo Geeks. We're just trying to find some dates to record, but that's gonna be in full swing. Mr. Goldfinch will be spending the day at my house at the end of July before he goes to Mr. Dave Knight Esquire over in Kentucky. So I'm gonna be able to have spend the night with Dave, um, Mr. Goldfinch, the podfather himself. I'm sure we'll share the bed together and spoon each other a little bit.
SPEAKER_07That's what it sounds like.
SPEAKER_03I'm looking forward to like snuggling with my pod father when he comes over, and I'm looking forward to that. Jesus Christ. Yeah, it's gonna be good. Does anybody before I get into like a life lesson from Rob Riv, which needs to be said, and we're gonna talk about a bunch of stuff today. It might be some stuff that we touched base on on the last episode, but we're also gonna talk about things, other things too that's gonna be fun because I want to try to keep this a little uplifting a little bit. Um, but Mr. Ryan, before I take over the conversation with my life lesson, how are you doing?
SPEAKER_05Doing all right. Have you been building? No, I don't fucking do this anymore.
SPEAKER_03Why aren't you building anymore? Like, can you can you contribute in a in a constructive positive way with the podcast anymore? Absolutely. Let's make it sure, man.
SPEAKER_05You still scroll Facebook.
SPEAKER_03You still scroll, you're able to figure out what everybody else is doing, and you're gonna live vicariously through them.
SPEAKER_05I do more doom scrolling than anything else in my life anymore.
SPEAKER_03You know what it'll be like? I'm gonna make Justin. What are you building? It's like ah, I'm building you know this hot rod. I'm like, that was freaking that was what's his name? Eddie from the courtship of Eddie's father from Scrooge when he was like living through the shows you watch.
SPEAKER_05That's you.
SPEAKER_03You're gonna start living through what everybody else is building. I'm building right now.
SPEAKER_05I've got a couple going like usual. I just don't sit at the bench much.
SPEAKER_03Well, you need to start sitting at the bench because it's a good little uh mental cleanse for yourself. You gotta do it, man. Yeah, you gotta do it. Sometimes you gotta find time to just you know, I'm not saying it's not it's not so much the time, it's the focus. You gotta focus, man. And and and I think when you're in a good frame of mind when you're modeling, it's a good escape, I think. That's just my opinion.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, no, it it it always has been in the past.
SPEAKER_03Well, it should be. You should be, you know, spending time with your friends a little bit on uh in our build rooms, you know. I got you. I gotta get to the tooch because the tooch has been like he's MIA a lot lately because it's the 250th anniversary of Rev. Like this, this is what this guy lives for. Like he couldn't wait, he was too young for the 200th. He was a three-year-old kid back in 1976. And you know what the crazy thing is, he had fucking long gray hair then, too, just like he has now, iconic, who sort of looked like a he looked like a mini Ben Franklin back then. But uh look at this guy. This guy's like a pig in shit right now with 250th anniversary. How's 4th of July gonna be? Are you gonna be like running around with a flag and shit and two and everything?
SPEAKER_07No, actually, all the requests are for like late May, June. So, like today's like we're recording on the last day of May. So, like June is like on the weekends, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays. I'm like all over the place. I think a week from well, uh on June 6th, I'm at Edison Day. So at the Thomas Nat Thomas Edison National Historical Park, they had uncovered films that Edison did like in 1910-11 on the American Revolution. So I'm gonna I chose two, they're 15 minutes long. I'm gonna talk about them and the context and for their Edison Day stuff, and it's just one thing after the other, you know. I'm back in the field doing archaeology because it's that time of year.
SPEAKER_03Drop them, Dr. Jones.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_03You won't.
SPEAKER_04What are you doing, Tooch?
SPEAKER_07Well, I'm working with grad students that I was in class with over the winter and undergrad students, and with the two professors, so that's keeping my Saturdays and most Fridays busy, too.
SPEAKER_03This is how it is with Tooch. I was asking him, What are you digging up? He's like, Oh, we're finding, you know, like bullets and whatever, this, that, and the other. I'm like, take that shit, man. Don't even like look around, throw it in your pocket. He's like, It belongs in a museum. I'm like, What are you fucking Indiana Jones now? Who do you?
SPEAKER_07Hey, what was he gonna do?
SPEAKER_03This is the third time you try to take something of mine to Dr. Jones. Come on, Tooch. If it's good enough for the Brits, it's good enough for you. Just take it.
SPEAKER_07It's not nah, but you know, it's funny. I'm surprised you haven't made fun of me yet because oh, it's coming. Uh, I'm talking to the the principal archaeologist, the head archaeologist of this project that we're working on, collaborating with, and he's also the president of the archaeological society that I'm also a board member of. And he turned around to me and I said something, and I said about something else that I collect. And he goes, You collect stamps, you collect coins, and I go, I collect baseball cards, ephemera, you know, ephemera, ephemera. And he goes, he just shook his head and walked away.
SPEAKER_03Dude, I'm telling you, man, if there's one you are the geekyest guy. Listen, I love you.
SPEAKER_06You're one of my best friends, the most interesting man in the world.
SPEAKER_03Or you're you are, but the hobbies that you have, like you. This is my day. Sometimes I'll just be relaxing at work, doing some stuff, and all of a sudden I get a text from Tooch about like stuff he sold, like in his collection of whatever is like cards, whatever, stamps, and he's like, Oh, I just sold this. I'm like, good for you, Toots. Like, I like this guy's got problems. This guy, my buddy's got problems. No, listen, we love it. We love you. We love you, man. Listen, there's a lot of worse hobbies. You could be like a couple of our friends that I think are suspected serial killers, you know, so you got a good hobby.
SPEAKER_07I'm shocked that all week, and even when I was in the build rooms, that you didn't say a freaking word about me spending two and a half days at a world stamp expo in Boston.
SPEAKER_03You know what? I kind of tried to forget that the fact that you did that. You know, like if you you think about like what what are what's the what's the clientele like the shape and look and smell of the clientele at a model show? I can only imagine what a stamp show looks like.
SPEAKER_07Um, let me tell you, 10 times better, 10 times better than what you would see at a model show.
SPEAKER_03You talking about like just the people that are there? Like, was there any chicks there?
SPEAKER_07I am talking you got kids all the way up to 80-year-olds, but you had women of all ages and all there were a lot of foreign postals there too. And a lot of there was I I met a guy who's uh not far from you, Frankie, who does uh post Canadian postals. So I bought a few off of him. Well World War II letters too from soldiers. Really cool. Um, but you know, I I mean it my all my hobbies kind of losing the audience.
SPEAKER_03I hate to be that guy. We're losing them, we're losing them. See the stamp collectors, they're nerds. It's a funny story coming up.
SPEAKER_05Stamp collectors are nerds, but they're like the high class nerds. These people wear suits.
SPEAKER_03I mean, exactly. They have they have their briefcase like fucking handcuffed to their wrists.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, I saw some stamps there, and I saw eight inverted jennies that were at on uh that were coming up.
SPEAKER_05I could go for just one inverted jenny right about now.
SPEAKER_03Listen, man, you guys are like the stamp collectors at a great coupon fucking mustard. We're the fucking yellow French's mustard over here.
SPEAKER_07Let me get this last part out. The the highlight of my uh the for the two first two days of this eight-day show, and I only spent two plus days there, is that they had a competition US Postal Service in which they had the public vote for half for almost a half a year on what stamp to bring back. And they had a whole array of stamps on the vote on that's pretty cool, and they kept it very secret until that what was it, Sunday, I think it was, or Saturday. It was it was Sunday, and they announced it and they brought on stage the CEO, the the uh the director of the Fred Rogers Foundation, Mr. Rogers, Mr. Rogers and who comes up, who's the last one on the stage? The actor who plays Mr. McPhee, the speedy delivery man.
SPEAKER_03One of our best cold openings by Jeff Fern was the Mr. Rogers' fucking cold opening. We should get another one in there just for that. I should have Jeff do it. Maybe it'd be the beginning of this one.
SPEAKER_07Peter McPhee. Uh he spoke, and then they gave out free first aid covers of the stamp because it was from the 2007 release of Fred Rogers. And I waited online, and all the postal people responsible, the show host, and Mr. McPhee and the artists who designed the original, they all signed the first aid cover. It was really cool. That's awesome.
SPEAKER_03Well, listen, I hope we didn't lose people because people turned it off. No, come back, it's gonna be a funny story. Well, listen, I'm glad you had a good time at your stamp show, Tooch. Just uh try to keep that on the down low, man. Please, next time we go out to like Miss Me and you, like to the bar, don't tell the girls that are sitting next to us to the ladies that you just went to a stamp collecting show and they're growing it, right? Thank you, Frankie. What about you, man? What have you been up to? Like, I you know what I know that you've been, you know, it's the end of the year. You and Tooch will soon be spending your like days building in the room because you're both off during the summer.
SPEAKER_04Oh, yeah, that's gonna be a good time, Tooch.
SPEAKER_03So, how are you doing, Frank? You look less up last year at this time. You were like, you know, you were batching crazy. Now you're definitely you're definitely low-key Frankie right now.
SPEAKER_04A year ago, I was uh given the devastating news that my professional career would be over. So yeah. For those who don't know, you lost your OnlyFans page, right? No, that's actually doubled in subscription. I got like 11 platinum members now. Oh shit. Yeah, ever since uh ever since Shannon Elizabeth popped on, it's just been people have been wanting to see my feet nonstop. It's crazy. I love it. Keep it up, people. You put my kids through college. No, uh last year was shit. This year is is much better. I mean, I'm working like a dog, you know that. It's uh it's hard to get some bench time in, but it's been good. I'm looking forward to August. I get to go uh hang out with my good friend Tooch for a week, along with Stuart and and Did you guys extra table there for the podcast? No, we didn't should.
SPEAKER_03You didn't request one. How are we gonna have one?
SPEAKER_04I don't know. Oh, we can just uh set one up with somewhere.
SPEAKER_03Maybe you can sit with squadron.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, maybe we'll figure it out. Yeah, so no, uh uh building. Uh unfortunately hanging out with you a lot more lately. With me? Unfortunately we've been spending more time together. Well we have been. We've been spending a lot of time together. Yeah, and chatting and and just you know, being buds, keeping keeping keeping Justin and Rob out of trouble.
SPEAKER_03Out of building.
SPEAKER_04Uh and building.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_04No, no, it's good. You know, excited for the summer. Uh gonna go see grandpa with the kids in a in a week and uh see my friend Tooch and and uh hopefully uh we'll be good.
SPEAKER_03Well me and Tooch are gonna be doing our um our 25th wedding anniversary dinner that we usually do every year in the city, New York City. We go to a good restaurant. Yep. Um Tooch is you know, he's been doing good financially lately, so I think he's take picking up the tab this year, like I did a couple of times. So the Tooch is I'm definitely ordering top shelf. Definitely.
SPEAKER_07Oh, we're definitely going to Burger King then.
SPEAKER_03But listen, I so listen, I know it's been a while since I've had a life lesson from Rob Rev, but I gotta do a life lesson, all right? I got a little rant I gotta do. Preach. I think Frankie knows this. Justin and Tooch don't know the story because I it happened over this past weekend on Saturday. Yep. Those who live like in the East Coast quadrant of the United States, like New York, Long Island, Jersey, we have a lot of bagel shops. So I've been doing really good. I've been doing the Justin Ryan inspired modeling insanity, get back in shape build thing, right, Justin?
SPEAKER_05Absolutely. Down 16 pounds, by the way.
SPEAKER_03Looking good. Man, I'm down over 10, so I feel fantastic. Does that include the beard? Yeah, I'm feeling good, man. My shirts are getting nice and loose. Um, but that's not the rant. The rant is this. So Saturday morning, I was like, ah, you know, I'll go get some bagels for the house. So I'm finishing up my walk. I stop at the bagel shop. I open, I go, I walk in with some guy, I hold the door for him. We're talking, nice guy. We order our bit stuff. Um I order a couple bagels, standing waiting to pay. All of a sudden, like a horde of people come into the bagel shop. This is a long bagel. Too, I don't know. Have you ever been in this bagel shop? The one right by my house. Picar's been in there with me before. So there's like this slew of people like lined up, like to come in. Now I'm gonna pay. So I'm like up at the counter and it's very narrow. And as I'm waiting, some young girls, like two young girls were like trying to figure out like, did their order get screwed up? So the ladies that I know there, they're trying to figure out the order, which is not the problem. But everybody behind me is fucking standing like right behind me. Like this fucking store is like 4,000 square feet. You have to stand right behind me, like breathing on my fucking neck. There's a girl like about 20 years old standing right next to me, like literally touching my arm. Two guys are standing behind me. I can feel them. I'm not a tall guy, obviously. They're fucking breathing on my back of my neck and bumping into me. Like, dude, I'm waiting to fucking hey. What are you waiting for for Christ's sake? Dude, I snapped. I fucking turned around. I'm like, can we get a little fucking space here, people? Can like everybody take a fucking step back? Whatever happened to social distancing. I was like, you buddy, you're fucking breathing down my neck. Stick your finger up my ass and give me a prostate exam. That's how fucking close you're standing next to me.
SPEAKER_06Did you say that to him? Wait, wait, wait. Did you say that?
SPEAKER_03Oh, I did. First of all, like half the fucking bagel shop was like in shock that I just said that, and the other half broke out in laughter, so it was actually worked. But the thing is, is it's like, dude, can you everybody just fucking not touch people and put like you're bumping into me while I'm trying to pay? Like, what's the fucking rush? A little social distancing spread out like you're a fucking car. You know, you don't go tailgate somebody and fucking crash into them. These people are fucking rear-ending me for like the last three minutes while I'm trying to pay for my fucking bagels, man. Some fucking space, right, Frank? Did you hear when I came back? I couldn't take it.
SPEAKER_04Oh, yeah. Nope.
SPEAKER_03You were like, Jesus Christ. And the one kid's looking at me like, what's your what's my problem? Back the fuck up, man. You don't need to be fucking dipped the ass on me right now. I'm fucking trying to pay for my freaking bagels. People just have no fucking social awareness today.
SPEAKER_04No, I agree with you, man. I really value my personal space.
SPEAKER_03Right, arms distance, fucking just like it's Catholic school when you dance with some chick. You had to be arm's length when you fucking held him. Fucking arm's length, please. I don't want to smell what you fucking ate just before my fucking neck. Oh my god, man. People, I dude, it was so funny, man. And I walked out of the place and everybody, dude. Fucking listen, I had a Justin Ryan meltdown on Saturday, man. Life lesson. Fucking give people some distance, especially when you're fucking waiting to pay for your sandwich at a deli or a bagel shop, a pizzeria, or wherever you go get your fucking food, a subway. You don't need to fucking be standing fucking hip to hip with people. Please, social distance, right, Frank?
SPEAKER_05My hand up on your hip. When I dip you dip, we dip.
SPEAKER_03That's my right, exactly. So that's my life lesson, man. So yes, and Tooch, did I say that? 100% looking straight in the eye at a guy. I said, stick a finger up my ass. That's how fucking close you are. The guy just looked at me like I was crazy. Fucking stop touching me, please. Fucking people, man. I don't know what it is today with people in this world. They just have no fucking clue what's going on, man. Kids today, man, they're too worried about looking at their fucking phones. All right, I'm calm down now. So here we go. So we're gonna talk the hobby, I think. All right. So first I want to talk about a couple of things. One being is this an incident happened. This is after we recorded our last episode. It happened on actually on the amps Facebook page, and I'm gonna talk about this. This whole thing with AI inspired pictures or videos. What the fuck is the big deal about people posting a picture with an AI background or something or a video? Bill Moore, great guy, posted a really cool video on the amps page. No, it was AI. It was like these like World War I tanks, like on some train. You could tell it was AI, but it was pretty freaking cool. And all of a sudden, everybody's fucking up in arms about a fucking AI video on the amps page. Yeah, okay, then it gets taken down. A post is made about no AI pictures are gonna be allowed and all this other stuff. And then Justin interjected and be like, What did you say, Justin?
SPEAKER_05Again, something like who gives a fuck? It's fucking modeling.
SPEAKER_03Justin just said, like what I just said, like, who cares? And then you would have thought Justin fucking yelled fire in a fucking movie theater. Like all of a sudden, Justin's banned for 10 days because he fucking was insensitive to another person. I'm not even gonna name his name because he's not really a friend of mine. Well, I would call him an acquaintance, right? That he says something to him, and all of a sudden, like everybody's up an arm. Justin posts on the insanity page, and then I got guys from that page coming on our page, complaining about Justin being a baby and all this other stuff. I'm like, this is fucking high school drama on fucking Facebook. It's like I and the people that are running, I'm an admin on that page. And there's guys, I looked at the admin list, these people don't even participate in the group anymore. Why are they still admins on the amps page? These people have no presence in the community at all, and they're making decisions unilaterally without any discussion on what's going to be allowed on the page or not, which drives me crazy. I'm all for it. You want to post an AI picture on the modeling insanity page? That's cool. I have no problems with it. As long as it's not insensitive, right, Frank?
SPEAKER_04Yep. Not a hate crime, right? Right.
SPEAKER_03As long as it's not gonna upset somebody, but somebody, how people get so like they oh my god, you posted a picture with an AI background. How dare you, dude? Get a life.
SPEAKER_04There's enough problems in the world that you can get your pennies in a bunch for a lot of other things before you even get to that.
SPEAKER_03I'm at my wits' end with a lot of this stuff, man. It's like, yeah, Riv, why are you worrying so much about nonsense? I try not to, but it's like so hard to avoid. Like, you know, like it's sort of like like you gotta go to the bathroom, right? But the asshole before you just blew out the toilet. The smell is unavoidable, right? I'm going on Facebook because that's what I do. We share shit, we read shit, we have fun, you interact with people. And unfortunately, the smelly, shitty bathroom is what's gonna be there from people who can't have fun, who always have to take things so goddamn seriously and fucking cause problems all the time. It's fucking crazy, man. I'm sorry, I'm having like a moment again because it's like it these are little things that like ruins the enjoyment for other people. I think people just like like I said this before, like what did uh Michael Cain say in the dark night about the Joker? Like, some people just want to see the world burn. There's like some weird people in here that just want to make life or make like things miserable for people. Maybe Justin's one of those guys. He's causing problems sometimes, Justin.
SPEAKER_05Justin always is like night of fire. Look, these stupid historical videos aside. Like they're historical videos. I dude, I actually like when you see those those short little 45-second videos that shows the evolution of German tanks from World War I to modern. Like, I I dig that. That's cool.
SPEAKER_02That's cool, you know?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, but like people are up in arms about it because it's AI. It's the same as people with Photoshop. The professional fucking photo retouchers lose their shit when there was fucking Photoshop became a thing.
SPEAKER_07Because AI, when it can't figure it out, it just makes shit up. That's the problem. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_05And I get that.
SPEAKER_07You sit there and you like these videos that are created by AI that show the evolution of the tank, get one of the bolt counters to go off on you. I'm tired of these little mom and pop historical sites popping up videos that have so much inaccuracy in the imagery alone. So that's my issue. My personal issue with AI is you don't know enough to know when it's doing it wrong. That's the problem. And when you get upset somehow, and people who are not experts of things that we might be experts in see that, that's how they assume it to be. You know, that's why we, you know, I get upset when there's movies about some historical events that they portray in Hollywood and they get it wrong. Like, let's go with the Patriot, burning people in the church. That didn't happen. Yes, the British burned churches. I can tell you six churches in New Jersey they burnt down, they were all Presbyterian churches. They were the ones who were anti-Anglican and anti-King, but they didn't burn people in the churches. The Nazis did in France in 44. It was a French director. And as what his comment was, we're not making a documentary, we're making a movie. And assume that people can tell the difference between a documentary and a movie is laughable. They just assume with their eyes everything is correct. That's the problem with AI.
SPEAKER_03Listen, on so many sites, you should know what's AI and what's not, and most people are scrolling past that anyway. You exactly.
SPEAKER_07I think 90%.
SPEAKER_03I don't know, man. Like, does it really matter if Frank Denati posts his model with the fucking AI background? With like, you know, what whatever it might be, with a feeling background, but we're talking about the content.
SPEAKER_07Whatever.
SPEAKER_03They don't want any AI. It it's not like it's has a distinction of the difference between a moving picture or a video or a static.
SPEAKER_07I stopped, I was doing that. I was putting backgrounds in the stuff I was photographing. Then I started to look closely, and it was actually altering my freaking model. So I stopped. I stopped. It was altering it.
SPEAKER_03But we're not talking about altering it. Like this side in particular, right now, didn't do it because it's altering things. They think maybe it's a misrepresentation of what you're trying to show.
SPEAKER_06Could be, but you know, it's their page, they have a right to sit.
SPEAKER_03No, I understand that. My problem is this that a group like amps that has a board and a hierarchy, again, has these people making decisions without having a discussion, unilaterally just making decisions.
SPEAKER_07So your issue is the fact that there is such a disconnect between the different parts of amps that the leadership, the leadership doesn't know it doesn't know what's going on in its tail, it's like a Bronosaurus.
SPEAKER_03Right. It's twofold. One is they're making decisions without having a discussion, is one, and two, to have such a disdain or a like listen, I don't I know I might get emails with people saying they hate AI, and that's fine. The debate or discussion happened for that particular video that was taken down was nonsense. And the argument or the issues that that happened after shouldn't have happened because the decision the way it happened shouldn't have happened the way it had. That's just my opinion. That's we're having a discussion. I'm not saying that I'm right. This is just my opinion. And I didn't like the way they came onto our page. Certain people, I'm not mentioning names, to go after Justin because Justin was made a post on his page that he's an admin on to complain about what happened. And then they came on our page to fucking complain about what he said. And he has every right to say what he wants.
SPEAKER_05My statement was basically like if you don't like it, keep scrolling. That's Facebook. Like it's not hurting anybody being there. You know it's fake. Just put a if you want to comment, comment. Hey, that's fake bullshit and scroll on. Or don't comment at all. Just fucking scroll the fuck on.
SPEAKER_03But people love chaos, they love it. People don't give a shit what I have to say. I don't give a shit what you have to say. People think if their opinions mean something, they don't. Everybody's opinion means shit. Who cares? Just scroll on. Everybody has to put their two cents on and what their beliefs are. This who gives a shit? I don't care. You're not gonna change anybody's opinions about their politics, their religion, or the teams they root for. Just keep scrolling. Am I wrong about that, Mr. Denati?
SPEAKER_04No, you're not wrong. And that's you know that's how I feel. Just shut the fuck up and move on. But I get rant part du. I get it, right? The big thing is you've got admins running something, and you're gonna make a blanket statement, you better make sure that the organization is on board. My Facebook page, I'll decide what gets posted on it or not. Right, right? A group page like our page, I take into consideration we run our own Facebook page. The five of us administer it, and we do a pretty good job of policing it, and we do discuss things when issues pop up. Like, I don't think this is right. What do you think? Let's get rid of this post or let's stop commenting. But we talk about it, we make that decision. We don't just blanket whitewash things or make things happen. And I think that's one of the key elements because we don't, we, the five of us, we don't operate in that way, we operate more on a consensus base. And I like our approach because we all have an equal part in this to make sure that it's run the way we want to see it run. And two, I do the backgrounds, but the damn AI altered my friggin' uh camel, my Maquay. I put two guns on him. Like, what are you? And I even told it, eh? I said you put two guns. I told AI, you put two guns on my one gun thing. You can't do that. Fix it. So it did, but it took off the wrong one.
SPEAKER_07Hey, I had chat to me. I was doing a funny me and this one guy are doing this thing where he posted a picture about a friend so that we can irritate another friend because it's just kind of an ongoing thing, but it doesn't matter, it's just a lot of fun. It's a no-so he'll make these like you know, the you know, those uh the most interesting man commercials. So he'll always say, you know, he one time rode onto the battlefield with a three-legged horse. So I'm there, chat GP for two hours arguing with it. Give me a three-legged horse. And it kept giving me a two-legged horse or a four-legged horse, but never a third leg. And I had to spell it out. I did it in Spanish, I did it in German. But for an hour, it took me an hour.
SPEAKER_03I can appreciate that, but I think that the chaos that ensued over that video on that page was unnecessary. Yeah, I think that's necessary.
SPEAKER_07That has to be clear, it's not so much the AI, it's what came out after.
SPEAKER_03Yes, it wasn't necessarily the AI, but it was the response and and the aftermath of that video a being there, people unilaterally just making a decision without a discussion from anybody who else is involved in that group who should be making decisions or have a say, and that that's what's the problem. And that's gonna carry over into this next thing. All right, and I know that another podcast they kind of talked about the judging at Amps Nats, and I just want to touch base on this and have a response to it. And we really didn't get into it last episode, and this is not the show. I just wanted to get this point out there because I think I want people to hear my opinion on it. You know, Amps is trying to make changes, but I just feel like they're not working. One is this expert division class, it's sort of like a glorified advanced, there's no difference because what's the difference between expert and advanced? Is it that you can't win bronze, so it's either silver or gold, and the model's not like you got any better chance of winning any other awards. Same thing happens for advanced, and I just feel like after this past show, where another 18 people now are gonna be in the expert category, it's like all of a sudden soon the expert category is just gonna be advanced with less people in advanced because then eventually everybody's gonna be an expert.
SPEAKER_04Well, you're just kicking the can down the road, as a wise man said earlier today.
SPEAKER_03Yes, you're just kicking the can down the road, and I I don't think it's solving those issues. I think, and I had a and and this is gonna go and I had a good talk with my buddy Jim Gould. Those who know Jim Gould, he's a great modeler, great guy, uh, good friend. And we we met up this weekend to go hobby shop hopping, and we went for a nice lunch, and we sat down over lunch, we talked about a bunch of things. One was the way the judging is done at AMPS, and I was like, you know, I don't think it can ever improve. And I know that there's other people who've had some concerns recently about some things, especially at the last show. And I just feel like the only way you can fix it because of how many golds are being given out now. And I understand what people say, oh well, people's abilities have improved, therefore, that's why there's so many, you know, they're getting better awards and better stuff and things like that. The best way to do this to try to eliminate the effect that I think that the judging isn't a funk. And what's happening is is I think, in my opinion, I'm gonna put a put a scenario out there, and this is something that Jim had brought up, and I totally agree with that I think that the beginners and advan and intermediate modelers should be judged at the foretop, but advanced and expert modelers and models should be judged by a selection of judges to be able to judge those models on the tables or separate from the rest of the competition. And no offense to some people, people might get offended because I say this. I truly believe that's a lot of people judging models that have no idea what they're looking at, and they don't can't decipher certain things, they're making assumptions, they're putting personal beliefs in the way they're judging, and they're not judging based on the rubric at amps, and they're also interjecting just like subjectivity into the way they're judging, and that shouldn't happen. And the only way to eliminate that happening is by getting a certain amount of judges that I think would be qualified to judge advanced and expert models so that we don't have 70% of the people winning gold medals. And I'm not saying that people shouldn't. I want people to be recognized for great work, but when everybody's winning gold, nobody is special. It's not special when you're all winning the same thing. It can't be a participation trophy, there has to be something else in that organization because it's holding it back. And I know they're listening to this, and I'm sure they're not gonna be happy that I openly discussed this, but it's just something that was being discussed, especially after AMS and all the posse guys had discussed it, and I and we've had talked about it, and I agree with a lot of the things that they've said, and I agree with a lot of the things that are being proposed. And it the thing is, is like I said before, and I'm gonna say it again, and I said at the last show, the biggest problem is this there's too many outside influences on a lot of these clubs that aren't involved on the board, they just have external say and stuff, and it's stopping or not allowing things to grow or giving any progressive type opinions or outlooks on how to make things better. All right, so I just got that out there. I don't know if any of you guys want to just interject on what I just said. You know, do you have an opinion, Frankie, of what I said about maybe having like my buddy Jim Gould? I gotta give him credit, he's one of the people that brought this up, and I agree with him on it that maybe advanced in expert, we should look at possibly having a select amount of judges to be able to judge those models specifically and eliminate some of these people who I believe shouldn't be judging those models.
SPEAKER_04I agree. We've talked about this prior. I've judged at AMP, I've worked with other teams, and no, I I think Jim's uh had a great idea, and I uh it's something that I would definitely support. It is an issue. I didn't go this year, but what's the first thing that I had to hear about, right? Which was all of this again, another year, and then it's another same old story about people complaining about shitty judging and not listening to the ACJs and doing their nonsense. So I don't think that would be a bad idea. And I agree that right now, all expert is kicking the can down and not dealing with the problem you have in advance just by creating another tier and then replicating it. How many people got promoted to expert?
SPEAKER_0318 people. 18 people. Yeah, that's a lot of people.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, so was it like an instance of hey everybody look under your seat?
SPEAKER_03I mean, it's like 18 people got advanced from the advanced level to expert, and eventually there's gonna be a lot more because there was a lot of people brought a lot of models, and the more golds that are given out in advanced means that people are gonna fast track to that expert 10 model criteria. I've said it before, I don't have to, I don't give a fuck. I have I think I've added two models in 15 years, and I I bring one model when I've had when I've done it, or two. So it's not gonna be riv. I'm not gonna be in that category because I don't bring models to these shows. I'm talking about other people. You want these you want to have excellence, right? You know, you go and you look at Europe and you got SMC and you got these other shows like Telford and you got the Martian show and these other shows. You got this, you got this other show that's going on. This what's the show that's going on this weekend, Frank, over in Europe?
SPEAKER_04The there was the one last week, it's Saumuro. That was the French one. That was uh that was in France.
SPEAKER_03Whatever the case was one in Italy too, right? It's also a K, and I'm blanking on the name of it right now. But the thing is, is you have these these these shows with like you know, with this exceptional work, people are being recognized for it, and I just feel like like Amps is so behind with that, just so behind.
SPEAKER_07Well, Rob, and over there, people aren't uh to best of my knowledge, because I don't see it posted on social media over there, but people aren't butthurt because they didn't get you know get awards.
SPEAKER_03I don't know what people's you know, you don't know what goes on in people's brains. I don't know what goes on in people's brains. I mean, people inherently listen, we talk about this, people inherently want to be, you know, uh hey, go win, get something for the work that they do. So yes, people are gonna feel when they don't win something, but the fact of the matter is, is here in the states, if we want amps to be considered an elite show with elite modelers in the U.S., because that's what it is, it's either that IPMS or Wonderfest that's going on right now, whatever. You got Eagle Quest next year. These shows, if you want to be considered elite, you have to do things. You had the Rocky Mountain show, which I think I haven't been there. From what I see and what from what I've heard, and from what everybody's talking about, and from the pictures, people had a blast at that show. An amazing time. Scott Gentry and those guys put on one hell of a show. I wish I can get out there and see it. I would love to see if we can ever do something like that on the East Coast. It looks like people had a blast, and that's the way to do it. That guy knows what to do and how to do it, and he's doing it the right way at that show. And I think that that should be the gold standard of how they should be doing shows here in the States, is what they do at that Rocky Mountain show. Hands down. That's just my opinion. All right. So before we go on to our topic, this was just this was the previews. We had rants, we had discussions, we had people yelling at each other in the first like 20-30 minutes of the show. It's uh it's gonna be fun. But before we move on to our segment, right, Mr. Donati, our first segment, we are going to go to our first ad spot for squadron.com.
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SPEAKER_03We're back, and our first topic that we're going to talk about here is what attracts us toward the projects that we've been doing, especially lately. I know that some people are like, oh yeah, the box art's great. That's what made me want to do it. Or wow, that's a great reference. You know, like you see something on you know Facebook or social media or one of your reference books, and it makes you want to do a particular subject or a particular um time period of some, you know, armor, aircraft, ships, or whatever, or you might be inspired by somebody's work. Frankie Donati, you are somebody who does a new project every week. So I want to know what keeps you motivated and what inspires you to do the projects that you do. Are you basing it on references? Is it a box art when you're looking at the when you're at the hobby shop or the show? Or is it looking at my work? When does it my work inspire you, Frank?
SPEAKER_04No.
SPEAKER_03Oh, thanks.
SPEAKER_04No.
unknownNo.
SPEAKER_04You know what? You know what? And your work does inspire me, but only because like you know what I like. So when you get a kit to preview for the magazine, you make sure that I see it incessantly. Because you know that's what I want. So like I like the the heavy Russian stuff and the early war Soviet stuff because it's it's just it's weird, it's a mishmash. So, you know, the RFM Josef Stalin, that's going to come home with me when I go to nationals. Right? I'll smuggle it back over the border. But for me, it's a mix. It's I read a lot, I read a lot of history books. Tuch and I talk about this stuff all the time, but I I read a lot of history, and when I read stuff or I see stuff, I go and look it up. And then sometimes that sparks my interest. Uh, you know, when I'm I'm I'm reading right, I'm reading about the Korean War right now, so I can guarantee you at some certain point, I'm probably gonna pick up a Pershing kit because I I don't think I've ever built one and I'll probably do a Korean Pershing. So I always love those. Yeah, so for me it's it's kind of an all of the above. If I'm reading something, it's interesting. I just finished uh the Rob Riv donated T40S. Yeah, and when I was researching it, because anytime I build, I look it up, I realized that or I found out that the Soviets actually took the T40, took the turret off, and put a rocket pad on the back and turned it into a little mobile rocket. Wow, really. So I was like, okay, that might be something in the future. Or just the weird stuff. I'm doing a BT7 in 70 second scale, and I'm doing it with skis. Because found an aftermarket set, and this is a real so when I saw it, I researched it, realized, yeah, uh, although they they don't have a lot on it, it looks like it was tried at least, so I'm gonna build that. So it's those things, but you know, like a pretty girl or a car, the box art can go a long way when really well visualized, a real good piece of box art can definitely make you go, oh, I forgot how cool that is. Because just sitting in a museum, a Panzer 3 is a giant rectangle, right? How dare you? It's a little more than that. Hold on, but then TACOMs 3N. I want to build it. I'm not, you know, I'm with you, like I'm not a big TAC om. The blitz kits piss me off. I don't like them, and I've had some problems with some of their stuff, but that Panzer 3N. Box art makes me want to build that kit because the box art for the Tacom 3N is fucking cool. I like it. And to go further, we were talking to Kev Green, and Kev picked up some airplane kits, and he'll come on here and he'll hold it up and he'll go, look at this box art, man. Look at this fucking frame it, right? Take it all right. This is a beautiful pay. Look at it. And you know, he's influenced because he likes a certain plane. But if he sees the kit's box art presented in a manner and he just goes loopy on it, and then he wants to build you know the box art. So for me, it's personal interest. I like weird shit, uh, you know, three-legged horses, things like that. But in my musings, I come across something, or even someone's built something that looks cool.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_03I want to jump in on that though, Frank. About the like, you know, I agree with you with the Tacum Panzer 3N and the M. I actually bought a Blitz M, but I bought all the Voyager upgrades to fix it. Good. Spent like another like $60 on upgrades to try to fix that kit.
SPEAKER_04But you know, I picked this up now. For those who can't see us, I was at Anime North up here in Toronto, big anime show, and I picked up this Kempfer. It's the uh the MS-18 Kempfer uh Gundam kit. Was that real grade or a master? Is that real grade? This is a uh no, this is a high grade. Oh come on, you get you got better standards than that, don't you? What's that? I well, I got a master grade down here that I'll get to eventually, but um it's like I mean, look at it, look at this thing. It just looks cool, right? And this box art captured me with regards to this kit.
SPEAKER_03You know, I thought about you when I picked up the Yamato.
SPEAKER_04I know you did.
SPEAKER_03I'm gonna buy, I'm gonna buy this. I know it'll drive Frankie crazy. That's something that I bought for the box art.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, oh I mean, and all all three kits, the box art is fantastic for the Yamato. Yeah, they're really cool.
SPEAKER_03They're really cool.
SPEAKER_04I will have one one day.
SPEAKER_03I think as your skill level improves and the more you're involved in the hobby, I think that you'll move away from being inspired or purchasing kits due to the box art, right? I mean, listen, some of these companies like Ron Volstadt box arts are awesome. Jason, who does like the Jason Wong, who does like the border models, some really cool box arts for those companies, maybe some other ones as well. Yeah, some box arts can inspire you, but I think as you build and get in when you're more and more into the hobby, I think the box art might definitely play a less of an impact than what your choices will be. Like for me, it's more, you know, I've obviously have so many kits in my stash, but what inspires me to build something is probably seeing a cool reference picture or another model to build the kit. And I'm like, wow, man, they did such a great job that you know what I have that kit in the stash. I'm gonna I want to build that. Um, and most likely I have all the aftermarket for it too, because I have mostly have all the aftermarket for most of the kits in the stash. But I think that uh it more it's always reference or another model of doing something really cool with a kit that or a subject that makes me want to do it, you know, for me.
SPEAKER_04So well, I screen capture, so I'll use that save function in Instagram or in Facebook. If someone builds something that I really like, like when Russ is T10 and I got a T10 sitting here, right? I've bookmarked Russ's post on the T10 because he'd give it away. You know that he gave that kid away? Of course he did.
SPEAKER_03Why? You should have brought it to Armacon.
SPEAKER_04Nah, I give kits away all the time. So my kids have got all my kids have got kits and some friends and stuff. It's it's uh once it's built, that's the joy.
SPEAKER_03I mean, I thought it'd be hard for you to give up your stuff. Not that no, not that you couldn't, but why would people want them, Frank? Well, because they love me, Rob. I'm joking with you. Toots! You'd say you don't get a chance to talk. Rob Adams isn't here tonight. This is your chance. Oh my god, it's amazing.
SPEAKER_07Sorry, Rob. But I hate to say it's it's kind of pathetic. Box art. Well, I box art, really. Inspiration. Wait, wait, wait. What what attracts me to a kit is box art. What inspires me to do something with it is gonna be something outside of the box art. But think about it. I mean, it's the old adage, like the cover, you get you only get one chance for a first impression. You gotta catch my eye. So, you know, the box art, yeah. I mean, you gotta love the Tamiya box art from the 70s and 80s, the white background with the with the beautiful painting of the tank. I mean, who didn't like that? Who didn't, right? And that artwork was rebooted on other companies too. I mean, I think with it, didn't Delari have it on some of their box art too? Uh Bandai had it, some of the German stuff.
SPEAKER_03What about the Cheppaint inserts and the monogram kits stuff? Like when you were a kid and you got to that and you saw that that was awesome.
SPEAKER_07And I will I I will admit that I know there are some people who are trying to collect the original ones from all those kits that they were in. I only have the 17. Yeah, because if you get the new mon the reboots, you could tell the difference in the paper quality, it's more computer. They're not the same, it's heavier bonded. So I try to track down the original ones myself. I think I only have two, but what inspires me to build is whatever I'm feeling. I mean, with World War One, I'm gonna build just about anything, but right now I'm kind of in a rut. Like, I got stuff that's well, once once school's out, I'll be able to finish a lot of the stuff that's been sitting on the bench.
SPEAKER_03But but you're inspired by references, though. Like, you you I am oh no, we've had this conversation reference material.
SPEAKER_07I'll flip through a book, I'll flip through a World War One era book or something, and I'll see a photograph, I'll go through my postcard collection, I'll get an inspiration, it'll push me in that direction. But if what's gonna attract me to buying a kit, it's gonna be the box art. I'm I know it's sad, it's kind of like with shiny stuff, you know.
SPEAKER_03I didn't think you would say that. I I thought Justin would say it.
SPEAKER_07Justin's yeah, but I gotta say, once I get into a pro once I get into a brand and I like it, I'm gonna stick with it. So, like Copper State, love it. Yeah, that's coming out of France, the small guy, small op mama pop. His stuff is great. He's just releasing something else that Sean's already ticked off about that I'm gonna get that he'll get too.
SPEAKER_04You know, Tooch, you pointed out something. Like, I I'm subbed into this brand loyalty. Yeah, like we find a good brand, it's hard to get away from it, right? Like, like yeah, Riv and I both love RFM, right? I mean, Rye Field is like probably I'm all over uh Ryefield lately, man.
SPEAKER_03They just out touch right now. Love everything about him.
SPEAKER_07I'm only a quarterway through building something I started a couple years ago for a friend, and yeah, I get it. I get why you guys like building it. I could see building a lot of RFM stuff. Yeah, I get it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I've built Copper State and I totally get it. I'll be getting more Copper State, but it's like I want the Romfeld also, but it's it's it was such a great build. Yeah, you know, I'm Flyhawk. Flyhawk is my scale, and their box art is fun. But they're just the most amazing 70 second scale kits to build. I love them. You know that.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, so like sometimes it's how good the box is put together. You know, to me, it used to be the old hard cardboard. You remember that? I think I had one. I think I still have one from the 70s. That's the hard cardboard top and bottom, you know. And they went to the cheaper chipboard stuff after that. Who was it? Uh was it monogram and revell would actually have the built model, but they would put it like in a realistic scene, like a real scene, like real grass around it and stuff. And it just looked like no, not far from AI. It's like they put it in the backyard and they put a blue like background so they could wash out everything, and they take a picture and it's just like it looks like a toy. It doesn't, it looks like a toy. I want to see what it looked like when it was in action, you know. I mean, I have one case. You were with me, Rob, and I I gotta and I will pick up dinner because I owe you money.
SPEAKER_03That's right. I bought you a bunch of stuff.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, but a hundred dollars. I owe you over a hundred dollars. Well, yeah, I think right the best.
SPEAKER_03I was wondering why I couldn't pay for lunch on the way home from the now.
SPEAKER_07It's now it's recorded. Now, now I have to pick up dinner. Um, but anyway, like sometimes I've seen them use real photographs on box art. That's rare, but I've seen it like that big artillery piece, German artillery piece that can be backdated to World War One. That has like a grainy black and white photo of the actual uh artillery piece, tracked artillery piece. So, does box art inspire me? No, it will draw me to buying it or taking it.
SPEAKER_03You said it did inspire you. I'm I'm lost, yeah.
SPEAKER_07No, I'm saying it's converting itself. Are you realizing it inspires the purchase? It inspires the purchase, but not necessarily what I'm gonna what I'm gonna do with it.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I get it because I'm actually thinking the same kind of thing, you know, like I might already have an idea of oh cool, yeah, I want to do something like that, and then I'll buy it because of that box art, and then then I fall into the rabbit hole of looking at other people's builds, looking at historical and AI videos, and you know, just to just to kind of get the juices flowing, and then next thing you know, I'm gonna build a tiger with 24 road wheels because I can.
SPEAKER_03No, Justin, like with car models, man. For me, like when I'm at the hobby shop and I'm just like looking at what's on the like on the on the shelves, I don't know much about car models. Like, I know obviously a lot about armor, so the box arts aren't like gonna really draw me to it because I know the vehicle, but the cars I know nothing about when I see a really cool race car, I'm like, wow, that's really cool, man. It's basically a Tamiya kit that's like really cool box art. That would make me want to buy that kit, or like a gundam. Never build it. Like, okay, but a Gundam, like a I got I don't, I mean, I know a little bit about them, but I don't know a lot about them. And if I want to buy, like, let's say get a Gundam or something for like a the turkey shoot or something. I'm looking and I'm like, what one looks the coolest? That's really what it comes down to. Like, what cool look look what looks cool? Like, I love the Zakus, I just like the way they look, but other ones, I'm like, wow, this you know, that the box art on that's pretty cool. I'm gonna buy that for me, I guess. When it comes to something I don't know about, when it comes to stuff I do know about, I don't know if the box art's gonna really make a difference from there. It's more references though, and peer work. Seeing someone do a really good job on some vehicle that you haven't built or want to build, and like and like you might be like, Wow, I want to build that, you know. Like, for instance, I've talked about it before, like um Brian Kruger, who did um his SU 76i like years ago. I always thought the vehicle was cool. And when Dragon had released the vehicle, it was good, but it had some issues, it needed to be upgraded. Um, because it used like the old like Imperial SU7 SU76i main fighting compartment with the new smart kit lower hull, and you have to kind of make it fit, and it just like needs a lot of work. So I when I when they released that kit, I was like, wow, I always remember the way Brian had built that, and it always inspired me to do it. I try to put my own little spin on it, but it inspired me to build that kit because it was sort of like a tribute to him. Because I've always looked up to him as a model, because he's one of the best ones, in my opinion, out there. The way he builds the type of um obscure type like Russian vehicles and things that he builds is like so cool that he's really inspiring when it comes to a lot of the stuff that you do, right, Frankie? Yeah, 100%. And that SU76R from Dragon's a dog of a kit. You gotta, and you think it's a smart kit, you open it up. I'm like, what the frick is this?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and I'd love to build that kit. I've yours was great, and I've seen that one, but it's just it's like the bison. I'd like to do a bison, it's just so hard to find that Africa Core bison, right?
SPEAKER_03And and I always think of a bison because freaking BJ, God rest his soul, try to build the whole thing and paint it for the whole turkey shoot.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03It didn't build it, he didn't get to paint it, but he did build it in a weekend. God bless them.
SPEAKER_07BJ started Sunday afternoon evening painting it and just said I can't rush it. Yeah, I miss BJ.
SPEAKER_03I miss that guy, man. What a good guy.
SPEAKER_07But Riv, being inspired by other people always makes me nervous because I don't because of what you have said, like, don't copy me, don't copy me. Like, I have this idea in my head, and all of a sudden I see somebody who's done it. I'm like, I can't do it now because somebody else done it because I don't want to be accused of being a copycat. Now I had done you remember a few years ago, I had made I had that photograph in a World War book magazine of the faux mortar that I scratch-built the freaking mortar, the barrel for the mort to make the mortar right out of the barrel. And then I see someone else do it like a year later, and they're using my reference photo I posted on two sites, a World War One site and our site, and using it and saying, Oh, look what I found, and I'm like, dude, they almost copied my whole format, right? What I did. And I'm like, you know, they always say it's what's the old art adage copying as a kind of show of respect or something.
SPEAKER_03So I have this, I have no problems with the copying. That the one instance where I took offense to what I was doing that was when I was doing the Panja 3A from Bronco.
SPEAKER_08Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Wasn't the fact that and and and the person who was doing it, he had mentioned my me and being, I guess, an inspiration for it, but that person was also trying to monetize and sell a lot of the things he was doing, which I didn't appreciate because I'm not that's not what this hobby is about for me. And that what that's what bothered me because while I was building it, he started doing it too, and he was taking pictures exactly like I was taking, and it was becoming to a point where people couldn't decipher like if it was my work or if it was this person's work in some ways or another, which again isn't a big deal, wouldn't bother me so much, but when you're trying to profit off of it off of some stuff, that's where it bothered me because I don't profit off of my own work. No, if I'm not profiting off of my own work, I don't appreciate you profiting off of like the ideas that I have. Does that make sense or not? Does that make me sound like an idiot? No, it makes sense. That's the only reason why I took a fence to that. But I think you should be inspired by other modelers. Doesn't mean you need to copy their work per se, maybe be inspired by the way they do certain things. Like, there's a reason why when you do a video for YouTube or when Night Shift does videos or some of these better models like Sam Dwyer or some like or Plasmo, and these guys have these videos and showing you how they're building a vehicle, they're doing it for a reason. They want to inspire you to try it. I have a few videos, and one of the most popular videos that I did was the H39 from Tamiya when it first came out, or prior to it coming out. And believe it or not, a lot of people what like 20, that's that those two videos combined have like 20,000 views. And a lot of people I noticed that like a lot of people built their model, like I built it. Now, now don't get me wrong, there's only one way you could build it, but doing certain things that obviously they may have gotten from watching my video, but I loved it because that was that's the reason why I did it.
SPEAKER_07Because they improved it. You found how you can improve it, and they want it to be they want that.
SPEAKER_03It wasn't like they were copying, they were doing the they were doing things that I was showing that I did on the model to show how to improve it, and and that that was the reason why I did it, so people can do it on their kits. And I loved it, but that's different, right? In a way, like that's why you make those videos, is so you could inspire people, or you do an article on a kit or showing them how you built it, is to maybe inspire someone to try something different on their model. It might not necessarily be copying, but you want to inspire them to maybe do new things and try new things. We've talked about this before, yeah. You know, I think for me, again, it's it's reference and people's work that really inspire me to try to do a subject. Not necessarily like the way they did it, but just to build that particular vehicle itself, you know. So, Justin, anything else to add to this?
SPEAKER_05I mean, I get inspired by other people's builds as well. It's a fine line. You start talking about copying other people's work and inspired by it.
SPEAKER_03Copying and being inspired, totally different. You can be inspired by someone's work. But it's a fine line. Fine line. Like there's artists, there's famous artists out there that have been inspired by some other artist's work where you can see that there's an inspiration from that person that were influenced on their art style. I mean, there's influences, just like the way people paint today, you know, the whole like color modulation and things like that that people do. This is getting inspired by other modelers' works that came up with those techniques. You're doing it and you just put your own spin to it. It's not necessarily copying, right? Exactly. Right? It's being inspired by people, you know, and using that inspiration to bring to your model from like like Tooch was saying, like at first, he was saying the box arts would bring them to a subject, which is fine. And I'm l there's a lot of people out there that box arts to these particular models might inspire or get them to buy it, right? You gotta have a self-factor to some of these kits, right? Exactly. Like you wouldn't just have a box with just the name of the vehicle. Imagine if none of these boxes had like a picture of the vehicle that just said, like, you know, Sherman.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, I think Tacum has done white box editions with just the very line art on it that I think is interesting. Like I like that. I do because there's like in my hobby of baseball, like the higher end products, like when I'm talking higher end 500 to a thousand to two thousand dollars uh with chase hits and them. Sometimes the box art is very simple to give it that elegance. If you go look at like Tiffany's, they're not all about like a target symbol. Tiffany's the word Tiffany's is all they need to sell whatever they have. It's a very simple box with just the word Tiffany's. I think sometimes if manufacturers, I think Edward does it too with their special with their very limited edition runs, it's a like a dark box with like gold art imprint. I think that creates a level of intrigue and interest and like highbrow in the hobby that attracts people to it. There might not be anything more different other than an extra screw of parts or some metal metal uh of photo action it, you know.
SPEAKER_03You gotta entice people who are like look like we talk about this all the time, and it sounds like a fucking broken record about like how many people that aren't like crazy about the hobby where it takes over their lives every day, like us and other people, where you know, a lot of people are buying models and they're walking in their hobby shops and they're buying kits because the box art was really cool. When you were a kid and you went and bought models, you bought the box art, right? Is that what you did? I think that's what I did. Yeah, you know, you did that. I mean, that's what you did.
SPEAKER_07The white box B17 monogram G, that box art with them blow, you know, with the the painting dropping bombs on Germany. Yeah, of course I'm buying that.
SPEAKER_03Right. You gotta sell product, there's gotta be something enticing. I mean, there has to be some sort of like advertisement division at Tacum and Tamiya and Meng and Royfields. There's gotta be seeing what marketing works to like subliminally make people want to buy shit, right? Frank, yeah, like we're gonna do this because guys like Frankie Donati are gonna want to buy this model, at least for people who are just getting into the hobby, especially with the airplanes have some of the best um box arts then in the world.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I agree. That's a whole world of aviation art, it's a big deal because like some of the box art, right? These artists are known. One of the artists, and I I can't remember the name, recently passed away, and we did a picture of him on our club Facebook page because all the airplane guys they know and love this guy, right? Like, I mean, for the artwork. So I think you're right, aircraft have some of the best box art, right?
SPEAKER_03You know, it's it's this was a cool little discussion. It was like, you know, we thought about talking about this on the quarter scale too, but I think that it wouldn't have gone like the women much to talk about. I really believe that the depending on your level, your skill level, and how involved you are in the hobby will really dictate what inspires you. Like, I think beginner modelers and people just getting into the hobby will be more inspired by box arts and things like that. As you know, the more you're in it, the more research you do on projects, maybe, and see some really cool reference pictures of certain vehicles might inspire you. For me, when I go to a show like Amps or like a national show or something, or a mosquito con or like a replica con, when I walk the tables, I see things that I'm like, wow man, this guy did a great job on this. I want to build that, or build something that I normally wouldn't even build, like a Gundam or a ship, dare I say. Every time I go to a show, I see these awesome ships. I'm like, wow, I wish I got to build one of those, you know, with the photo etch railings and all the goodies on these one three, you know, 350 ships. And I say, you know what? And every time I go to the store to pull a trigger, I just can't do it because I'm like, when am I gonna find the time to build this? I don't know. But it's so cool. So this was a pretty good topic. So you know what? We're gonna kind of move on and just still go to we because we talked about a bunch of stuff today. We're gonna go on to a couple other segments, we're gonna talk about upcoming shows, maybe what's on the bench, and maybe just have a couple more laughs and some more stories. So, but before we do that, we're gonna go to our next ad spot for guideline publications in Military Modocraft International.
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SPEAKER_03All right, we're back, and we are going to talk about upcoming shows. We have three shows on June 13th. So the first show on June 13th is My Region, Region 1, IPMS, which is NorrisCon 53. It is again on June 13th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. And it's at the Dome Arena on 2695 East Henrietta Road in Henrietta, New York, 14467. And it's a region 1 Northeast Region show. And the Rock City Scale Models is the host for this NorrisCon. So I'm hoping that my club, the Long Island Club, can maybe host Norris Con next year, but there's a little issue going on. So hopefully we can do that. All right. So the contact person is Ken Brent. So again, that's NoreseCon, and it is on June 13th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The other show on June 13th is Nimcon. I love that name, Nimcon. You're like a Nympcom Poop. Used to call me that, right, Frank? Nympkin Poop? I did. All right. So Nimcon 14 is June 13th, like I said, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. And it's at the VFW Post 4600. And it's on 3002 IL 120. What the hell ever that is. In McHenry, Illinois. 60051. And it's a region 5 Midwest show. And it's the IPMS Lakes Region Scale Modelers. The next show is also June 13th, and it's uh IPMS Region 8. It's called the this is what it's called, Frank. It's called the IPMS Region 8 Contest and Swap Meet. Very original. Can we get these guys come up with some stuff for us?
SPEAKER_05Well, I mean, the MFCA show is called a show and Mart. So all right.
SPEAKER_03Well, the name of this show is just RPMS Region 8 Contest. They don't even have a fucking name for it. Can't be bothered. It's located at the San Diego Air and Space Museum Attics, Gillespie Field, and it's 335 Kenny Street on El Cajon, California, 92020. And it is hosted by the IPMS San Diego Model Car Club. Interesting.
SPEAKER_04You say El Cajon? Isn't that like you're nuts? El Cajon.
SPEAKER_03E L L and then C-A-J-O-N. El Cajon. El Cajon.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, he's got it.
SPEAKER_03El Cajon. I was gonna sell Oh Cajone. Well, you said Gillespie. We're gonna do two more. We're gonna do two more because one is our buddies. We got to talk about. So the next one is on June 20th, and it's SummerCon 2026. Now that's a cool name for a show. I think that region 8 contest guys should come up and figure something out. They should talk to the SummerCon guys.
SPEAKER_05We are talking about their show, though.
SPEAKER_03We are talking about it because we have nothing else to talk about right now. We're trying to fill this episode. So June 20th from 9 to 4. It's at the Robert H. Burns American Legion Post 16. And it's on 2031 Ronald Reagan Highway in Co Covington, Louisiana. 70433. And that's a region six Southwest show. And it's hosted by the IPMS North Shore Scale Modelers. And then the last show we're going to talk about for our good buddy Alan Tackett. This is PamScon. If anybody fucking remembers this from our episode with Luke Pitt when he started laughing and it was in the outtakes about where it is, and you'll you'll laugh when you hear it. It's on June 27th from 12. Alan, you got to fix the time on the IPMS website. It says the show runs from 12 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. So it's a 24-hour show. All right. So that's the first thing, Alan, that you got to fix. But the name of the show, and this is it. If you're Justin, let's see if you remember. Remember, Luke was making a joke at this. It's at the Planned City Strawberry Festival grounds and it's on 303 North Lemon Street in Plant City, Florida. 33563, and it's a region 11 show, and it's hosted by the IPM.
SPEAKER_05Strawberry Fields Forever.
SPEAKER_03Polk Area Model Society. And thanks again, Alan. You gave us a nice Poke Area Model Society mug for me and Steve Santucci. I don't know if the Justin, did you get a mug too?
SPEAKER_05I got one too. Yep.
SPEAKER_03Oh, and Justin as well. So we all got a mug from Alan. Alan's a great guy and a good friend. We haven't seen him in the room for a while. But again, this is Pam Scon. All joking aside, it's on June 27th. Obviously, the time is probably more like nine o'clock in the morning. Um, and again, it's at the Plant City Strawberry Fields Festival grounds. All right, and that's it for upcoming shows. And that was a doozy. And I'm hoping not to edit that too much because it's kind of funny when you're trying to read some of this shit.
SPEAKER_04Strawberry Fields on Lemon Street in Christmas. Right.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and there's a couple of other shows that are coming up going into July and end of June. And hopefully we'll get another episode recorded shortly. So we'll be able to get to that. What we're gonna do is we're gonna talk about fun stuff, like what's on the bench and what we've been doing and how we've been doing. Some of us, like myself, have been inundated with work, me and Frankie Danati. Then we have Steve Santucci, who's probably on a scale of one to ten, like about a four when it comes to the hobby right now. And uh Justin Ryan is more like a two, right? What do you make? What are you looking at me like that?
SPEAKER_07I'm not gonna argue with that.
SPEAKER_03No, you haven't been participating. It's okay. I mean, I haven't been life takes over.
SPEAKER_07Listen, I haven't you got a lot going on.
SPEAKER_03Don't take the listen, don't you have to get offended. I'm just telling you.
SPEAKER_07I'm not gonna there are other things I do that are not online, but yes, yes.
SPEAKER_03Well, not online, but I mean, build the the model really isn't online, it's you just you know interacting with guys while they're building on the display.
SPEAKER_07I text you guys in in the chat from you do you text from time to time.
SPEAKER_03We make sure that you're you're still breathing, you know. Although you don't check on me.
SPEAKER_04He texts us once in a while going, Did anybody miss me? Does anybody miss me?
SPEAKER_06Brad Brad does. Brad texted me. He just texted me a little while ago, checking in on me. Yeah, really?
SPEAKER_03Brad Belshaw me such an indie. I didn't feel he's got a he's a serial killer. He has like his he actually has empathy. That guy, yeah.
SPEAKER_04He checks on me too, but I think he checks on me too, but I think uh tooch is because he's got room for us in the backyard eventually.
unknownI don't got time for that guy.
SPEAKER_05He's got a hole dug already.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, come on to Ohio. I got something I want to show you.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, all right.
SPEAKER_03So hold on. So Frankie, Yamon. You just finished another model. It's like you're I don't know, how many models have you done this month alone? This month, May? Two. All right, so what do you got on the what's what what do you got on the beds now that you finished your T40S that was graciously donated by me personally to you? It was a nice fun little kid.
SPEAKER_04You know what, Rob, I'm gonna say, I'm gonna compliment you because for an ESL, you're really doing well. I'm proud of you, son.
SPEAKER_03English is the second language, but yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04You really make me proud. You're a piece of shit. You know that, Frank. I got enough problems, right? First of all, the T40, yes, thank you. But that's part of that inspiration because when I was researching the T40, I came upon a website well, the War Spot Russia site, where it talked about the Russians experimenting with camel patterns. And that T40 showed up with what I ended up painting. I like that. It's like that track on the tank on the tank that you get on the T34s. And so I did that uh I think it was to simulate like a broken up branch pattern. But I'd seen another modeler who had done it, so I made sure that my pattern did not match that other person's pattern because I wanted to make make sure it was unique. But I finished that one now because I'm in a Russian state of mind, I'm doing a flyhawk 72nd scale BT7, but I got this aftermarket heavy hobby conversion kit to make it into a BT7 on skis. That's pretty cool. Which I've tried to research and I haven't seen. Who makes a conversion? Uh Heavy Hobby.
SPEAKER_03Heavy Hobby makes a conversion, really.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah. I got two heavy hobby conversions. They're good stuff. I got the skis, I got another BT7 where it's running on its road wheel, so it gives you extra tracks and stuff to put onto the uh and by the way. I recommend these because even though mine has skis, they threw in headlights and exhaust also for the 70 second scale guy for 70 second scale. So that's pretty small, but still, if anyone likes Braille scale and you like armor, you need to build a 70 second scale fly hawk kit. They are they're nice, they are spectacle, they're not easy. If you're a beginner, you know, go get your magic factory. Needs to build more 70 seconds because their puma was great. It you know what it was. So Magic Factory, if you're listening, make more send them to Rob and I. They got it. Yeah, they got it.
SPEAKER_03They got it.
SPEAKER_04But Flyhawk is absolutely amazing. I've got three of them right now. Tooch has built the Renault Solvai. I've built like seven Renault's Tooch and I basically have a division.
SPEAKER_03We usually order when we order from BA, which I'm putting an order in, Tooch, if you need anything.
SPEAKER_04All right. So uh so on the bench right now, yeah. I got that going on. That'll be next, and then when that's done, another flyhawk. I think it's gonna be the finish BT42, which is the finish. Yeah, I built the Tamil one, yeah. With the howitzer.
SPEAKER_03It's interesting that you're mentioning BTs because I'm gonna mention this and just jump in here. Christopher Nielsen, our good buddy at Demon Barber Design, he recently posted I knew about it prior because he's sending me out one of them with the tracks. He had made a full two full conversions for the Hobby Boss BT2 to be in either early or late BT5.
SPEAKER_04That BT2 is on my list, so that was right.
SPEAKER_03I got it. So Lou got me the BT2 kit a while back. So I have the kit, but Christopher Nielsen, who's Demon Barber Designs, does amazing stuff, and we will do his ad spot a little bit after we finish the segment, is gonna be sending out a sample of it to do a build for military model craft. So I can't wait to get that because I want to get my hands on it. Because Christopher Nielsen does he he does some of the best.
SPEAKER_04Yes, he does. And Christopher, if you want to see that painted, send me a copy, too.
SPEAKER_03Ah, well, I'm gonna paint more, you bastard. He's already got my butt be building that sucker, so um that's gonna be really interesting because I love the B, I love those BT sevens and bt fives and stuff, they're just so cool. I just love the boxy look of them. I just really, really cool the way the track sag. And you know what? Right, and I did the one in the winter whitewash, the seven, the 1935 one, I think it was.
SPEAKER_04Yep, that's the five.
SPEAKER_03Right. Was it the five?
SPEAKER_04The seven is 38 and later.
SPEAKER_03Whatever, something like that. I can't remember. I think my mind is fried. I was too crazy before. This is what happens when I get all worked up. I kind of shut down a little bit, powering off. But I love those because you can beat the shit out of them. You can dirty it up, you can weather it up, you can maybe even over-weather it, Tooch. Because it can be really cool about like really when it's all dirty and grimy. And those, when you see those, you can just see how dirty and grimy the weather, like when it was in the winter time, love them. So, and seeing them on skis would probably be really freaking cool too.
SPEAKER_04Well, you're gonna get that opportunity, my friend.
SPEAKER_03Well, hopefully, you do a good job.
SPEAKER_04I always do a good job, Mr.
SPEAKER_03Ryan. Dare I say, I see you building as we're talking.
SPEAKER_05A little bit. Actually, just uh posted a uh weekend benchtop update on the Ryan's random model works as we're recording this. Really, the only thing I've done this week is paint and install the turbo superchargers on this P38 Lightning. Uh, last weekend I painted it and chipped it and began the paint work on the Edward resin replacements of the turbo superchargers. Uh, gave them my my usual pale burnt metal base coat after priming in black with a little bit of uh dectan thinned out really, really thin to give it that oxidized aluminum look, and then some uh brown and burnt Sienna Ink mixed 50-50 over top to kind of burn up where the exhaust comes out of these suckers. Other than that, I'm really not got a lot that I'm ramming through. Working on the Blue Ox Model Shop Rally Cool Group Build, which uh I got I was given a Peugeot by Jason Handsome Hanscom at uh just after NNL East when I drove up for two hours to have breakfast with them for an hour. And uh so that's my entry to that. I did the decals a couple weeks ago, trying to find my way back to that thing. But other than that, there's not much going on at the bench. I get home from these long ass days at work and I eat dinner and I fall asleep on my chair. Then I go to bed and do it all over. I did start building the engines for the Mang 35th scale Apache that I bought that I've been gradually, slowly chipping away at. But other than that, not really too productive lately.
SPEAKER_03Start being more productive, for Christ's sake. Do something. Santucci, dare I ask what you've been, yeah. I don't think you've have you worked on it. Well, you've done the bike for the magazine, right?
SPEAKER_07Like I did for the magazine, the bicycle, the German bicycle with these spring wheels. But I'm working on a figure, and when I do get into the room, that's what I'm working on painting a figure to go with it to do a little vignette. But I do have projects that are in various states of uh of uh finish that need to be painted and finished up that way. So I think that might be the one of the first things I do in June, besides cleaning out the mess that's behind me in the video. But uh yeah, and then I don't know. I is there a big project for the summer. I don't know. I have that wooden kit of the USS Philadelphia, the gunboat, and the 250th of the battle that that participated on is in October. So I don't know if I want to dive into a wood kit this summer.
SPEAKER_04That would be cool.
SPEAKER_07It would be cool. It's big, so we'll see. We'll see where I got the World War One sub that's like two and a half feet long. That could be on the list because I've got all the aftermarket for it. Um is that the dust work one?
SPEAKER_04The dust work?
SPEAKER_07Yeah, the dust work one. I found photo S for it uh that you can't find it anywhere because it's a beautiful plus a lot of figures to go on the uh on it too, top side wise.
SPEAKER_04On the Conning Tower, such as nice. Well, listen, you and I are spending a lot of time together this summer.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Feel free to bring any of those to our builds.
SPEAKER_07Oh, absolutely, absolutely. You know, and I'm I have this figure that was in pre-production from Model Cellar that I painted up, but now it's in production, so I'm gonna do that for the magazine tomorrow and get it to Mr. Crummet. So I got stuff. I just do a little little piecemeal here and there.
SPEAKER_04What about you, Rob? Can you tell us what anything you're working on right now?
SPEAKER_07Oh my god. What is he not working on?
SPEAKER_03Well, I finished that moderator too. Thank god 16th scale. That was last month. I don't want to see another 16 scale kit again for for a while.
SPEAKER_06I heard that like the last 16 scale. No, no, no, no.
SPEAKER_03Well, the chaffy might be coming in 16th scale. I don't know, but there's a possibility we can get a hold of it when it does get sent out. But I don't want to do any more 16-scale kits. I got a stack of bins with just finished 16-scale models in them that are just gonna wither away. If I saw Frankie Denati, I would give him the Frank to paint, but unfortunately, I'm not gonna see Frank. But what am I doing?
SPEAKER_07And I'm gonna see Frank. So you're not fucking carrying bins and fucking models for Frank.
SPEAKER_03What am I doing now? So this month, right now, it's on the bench. I'm working on um, I'm almost done doing the preliminary build of the Ryefield models JS2 with the full upgrade. There'll be a preview in the July issue with the full on the bench in the August issue. So I got a little more time on that. I just did a full thing for the new ResinTech models, um, new KV and T34 turrets. Jan from Resin Tech did a great job, Jan. You're doing awesome with this stuff. So I just did a full uh review and of all the turrets. He gave me a bunch of turrets and other upgrades for the KVs and uh T34s. The other was from Black Ops models, who we just had on our quarterscale madness podcast. Uh, Matt from Black from Black Ops Models, he did they just did with my um in conjunction with our good friend, Mr. Stan Spooner, who's my co-host on the quarter scale, they did an an upgrade for the Tamiya Leopard 2A7 V. If anybody knows, I did that model a few months back, probably like in all in July, I think it was in the January issue. Actually painted that Frank, which was a really good kit. But that to me, a quarter scale leopard or 48 scale leopard, to me, it definitely like skimped out on a lot of detail on that model. The most glaring is using decals for the side graded turret bins as well as the stowage boxes. Also, all the tools are molded on, and the suspension arms are hollow. So, right, so this upgrade set it closes up the suspension arms, it gives you all the tools, the toe cable eyes, all the side turret bins, all 3D printed with the grating. Excellent set. If anybody builds this kit, I recommend the upgrade set to awesome. So that's also gonna be reviewed in the magazine for this month. And the other is for our friend Mr. Cody Wersmer. So Frankie Donati and myself, I got hold of the new JS2 and JS3 tracks. Frankie had Tiger One tracks as well as T55 OSMH tracks, and we're gonna have a little review of Cody Wersmer's CRS Tankworks tracks as well. So that's what I've been working on. I've also been working on some of my quarterscale projects to try to get them done. My 48 scale Yag Tiger that I've been working on here and there, and finishing up and trying to clean up the Nash horn that I've been working on. It's been really hard to work on things for myself because I've been committed to do other things. When people send you stuff to review, you kind of feel obligated to do it, you know. So for me, I try to get those out of the way. The Ryefields JS2 is a really awesome kit. I love Ryefield models, and this JS2 is definitely on par, if not better, than the Tamiya kit. Just because of the way it's broke, the way the parts are broken down, gives you full workable tracks in the kit. You just got to clean them up. There's no reason to pay buy the 3D printed tracks from Rye Fields, but I do recommend getting the upgrade kit that they sell for it, which gives you like two sheets of photo ads, all the fenders, all the details, boxes, 3D printed fittings, like the tow hooks and everything. Definitely makes a big difference on the kit. So I recommend that. So, and there's a couple other projects, like I said, I just got the Yamato from the Star Blazers. If anybody's familiar, the one the one 1000 scale, um, like uh futuristic battleship, which is so cool. I want to build that and just relax over the summer, just do a fun, relaxing build. But there's a lot of things that are going on. I connected with Dino's son from T-Rex, they're kind of rebranding themselves to uh Frankie. They got a new formula for their tracks and their products, they're going with black resin. So they're gonna be sending out some upgrades to some kits and some tracks to test out. So hopefully when I get those, I can try out that new stuff from T-Rex. And they just started a new Facebook group. I don't know if you've if you've seen. Yeah, I got invited. Yeah, so hopefully everybody who sees that can get on that page. And that's pretty much it. What's on the bench, man? I mean, it's a lot going on from one month to the next, but there's a lot of podcasts to edit as well. So we got that going on. So before we move on to finish up the show, what we're gonna do is I just gotta get one last ad spot in. I want to get one in for my buddy Christopher Nielsen. We just talked about him, about his little upgrade. So our next ad spot is for Demon Barber Designs.
SPEAKER_00Let me tell you about Demon Barber designs. Demon Barber Designs specialize in crafting 3D printed tracks, exhausts, gun barrels, and other detail parts for your armor and military models. Whether you're a casual builder or a hardcore detail fanatic, their high-quality products will enhance your scale modeling projects. As a special offer for the Instanity Podcast listeners, use the code Instanity for a special 10% discount. Visit demonbarberdesign.com and let them redefine your modeling creations. That's demonbarberdesign.com.
SPEAKER_03All right, we're back and we're gonna kind of wrap this up. Um, Mr. Denati.
SPEAKER_04Yes, sir.
SPEAKER_03What is your social media shout-out?
SPEAKER_04So tonight uh it's a friend of the podcast and it's a fellow uh Holanda, Martin Holst. Uh Martin posted on our page. He did a 70-second scale Miles Sparrowhawk from SPS Models. Uh he posed it as taking off um to race in the King's Cup. But the build is fantastic. The airplane looks great, but it's his display. He's put it on a block and it's it's on uh some stretch spruce, so it looks like it's flying. But he's got two small figures that are kind of like you know, saying bye to dad who's flying off on the plane. But it it's the build and it's the presentation. So if you get a chance, just uh look at Martin Holst on our modeling and sanity podcast. You'll see his uh barrel hawk. Just great work. Martin's a great guy. He comes in. We bust chops in Dutch so that Riv has no clue what we're talking about. It was a nice well done, Martin.
SPEAKER_03Mr. Santucci.
SPEAKER_07Mine's gonna be a little unique for this episode because it's an entire group of modelers. And it's the Great Wars Sig SIG out of England. They just had a show the day before us recording this at the IPMS Salisbury model show. And they always have their own tables and they show off all their stuff from busts and figures from 72nd scale all the way up to 30 second scale, from aircraft to tanks. And I gotta tell you, every time they post photos when they do their group tables, this group and the modelers who lay out this stuff is fantastic work. And I know a few of our guys in our group are followers of their page. I think it's like a quarterly digital magazine that you can access for free from their website, and that has like all product reviews and what people are working on. I gotta tell you, there's not a bum subject that they put on that table. They're just inspirational, love them, great work. So my shout out goes to the Great War Sick group for their recent display at the Salisbury IPMS show in England. And if you want to follow them, just look up Great War SIG on Facebook and follow them. They post stuff all the time and it's great inspiration. But collectively, my shout out goes to them.
SPEAKER_03Awesome. I gotta check it out. Mr. Justin Ryan, who is your social media shout-out?
SPEAKER_05My social media shout-out is Mark Casiglia Scale Models. I actually stumbled on this guy's uh I've been following him for a while, but uh stumbled across his build of the same exact Tamiya P38 I'm building, and uh his is looking spectacularly spectacular. I'm digging watching what he's doing with his as I'm pretending to do things to mine. Mark Cassiglia Scale Models. You're my shout out.
SPEAKER_03Rob, do you have a shout out for this week, Robbie? I do, and my shout out is gonna go to a good friend over there at the Black Rifle Motorworks group, Mr. Luke Coswell. And he did that Italary 19th Triumph. Yeah, did you see that bike he did, man?
SPEAKER_07Wow, yeah, he did an amazing job on that. That's that's not an easy thing to do.
SPEAKER_03That subject Luke did an amazing job on that. And I feel bad, man. I haven't really talked to Luke in a while, man. I feel like we were talking a lot lately there for a while, and it's they haven't talked to the guy in quite some time. We gotta try to hook up again and talk and hang out a little bit. But that uh bike that he did in that one, like he does a lot of different, you know, he does armor, he does this, he does that, he does this. He did this bike. Amazing. Good job, Luke. Excellent work. The painting, the build, phenomenal, outstanding. I bet you it looks even better in person, but in pictures, it looks great. So it looks awesome. All right, on that note, we're gonna try to wrap this up. We've been going for a while. I know the beginning was all we were a mess at the beginning. No, we were at least I was a mess, but it was fun. We were out of practice. It's all right, I'm tired. We are gonna be recording our 50th show soon, and we gotta figure out how we're gonna do it. We still need to release episode 49 first, though. I know that Mr. Dave Grummet, my good friend Mr. Dave Grummet from Guardline Publications, is gonna be coming on. He's the managing editor of Military Modelcraft International as well as Fantasy Figure International, so he will be our guest. We might have a couple other people on the show. I don't know how long that show is gonna be or what we're gonna talk about, but it's kind of a milestone, even though we've gotten more than 50 episodes in. Our numbers are not 50, and uh we have a couple of special shows in there, but there's a few things that we want to do during that show to commemorate our 50th anniversary. Oh, 50th anniversary, our 50th episode. Episode adversary, it feels like that sometimes, bro. Yeah, our 50th episode. And what I want to do is we want to maybe do a couple of giveaways that might happen in that show, and there might be some things spoken about in the show that we want people to email us about, and we will talk about it during the show. And there'll be some gift certificates, maybe $100 gift certificates to see.
SPEAKER_05We should give away some 50-year-old kits.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, 50-year-old kits, some hobby shops of their choice, like an Andes or a squadron, obviously, or Sprue Brothers. But uh, we will see how it goes. We might have some kits, like maybe uh, I dare I say a Qatari plane to give away, as well as maybe some Tamiya products to give away, some Tamiya kits. So we will try to use it crazy, boys. So we're gonna see how that goes on our 50th show, and hopefully it goes well and it should be. And that's pretty much it, man. I'm tired right now. I'm ready to go to bed. We recorded the quarter scale last night. We're recording TIS tonight. I'm tired, I'm ready to lay down and go to bed. Anything else you guys want to say? Anything, any parting words, Mr. Donati?
SPEAKER_04Uh no, you know what? Thanks again for taking the time out of your day to spend some time with us. We always appreciate it. And model on, brothers and sisters.
SPEAKER_03Well, this isn't the send off. Next, if you have anything else to add.
SPEAKER_04Oh, anything to say? Uh no, not really. I I think we've we've spoken enough for the last two freaking hours. Everyone's tired of listening to us. They want to go to a real podcast.
SPEAKER_03Justin, anything to say other than uh, you know, but you usually say so how hold on. So, how's the model comedy going? Going good? You just recorded.
SPEAKER_05Model Colemania is going well. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Can you tell Mikey Outlaw to fucking stop letting me down, man?
SPEAKER_05I will pass the word along.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Even on the live cast. Did you watch the live cast and you didn't make it? Did you watch it?
SPEAKER_05No. What the hell was I doing? I was doing something that I could make.
SPEAKER_03The intro. Can you do that when we get it? When we when we're gonna call it.
SPEAKER_05I absolutely will.
SPEAKER_03So before we sign off, I want to say this. So, Mr. Justin Ryan, what is the spiel?
SPEAKER_05All right, everybody, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, listeners of all ages. If you've enjoyed what you heard tonight, make sure you go over to modelpodcasts.com, the consortium website where you can find all of your favorite podcasts regarding the model hobby that we all enjoy. You can even, if you know how to, you can read because we've got podcasts as well as short form and long form blogs located over there. And don't forget to drop us a line at modeling insanity podcast at gmail.com.
SPEAKER_03There you go. And make sure to watch us at the Modeling Insanity TV on YouTube for our live cast, which is pretty good. Again, like I said, Mikey Outlaw was our last guest and he let me down miserably. At least we got him out of the way, though. We don't have to have him back on, right, Justin? We're not. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_05He's in there.
SPEAKER_03He's done. All right. So on that note, we're gonna kind of sign off. So for the Modeling Insanity Podcast, I'm your host, Rob Riv. I'm with my co-host, Mr. Justin Ryan.
SPEAKER_07Peace out, Cubscouts. Mr. Steve Santucci. Build what you love, love what you build.
unknownMr.
SPEAKER_03Frankie Donati. Thanks for spending some time with us. All right, guys. Thanks for listening, and uh we will catch you on the you just went to a stamp collecting show and they're gonna ruin it, right? Thank you. Before I get to the life lesson, we we got a lot of things to talk about, but I gotta get this life lesson out. It's been a while since I've discussed what happened what happened, Frank.
SPEAKER_04No, I'm good, Rob. Thanks for checking in with me too, buddy.
SPEAKER_03Oh, hold on. I'm sorry. No, we're good. We're good. Thanks for checking in. Appreciate it. You fucking asshole. Because then eventually everybody's gonna be an expert.
SPEAKER_05Exactly.
SPEAKER_03Hold on, Frankie. You're texting, man, and my Facebook is dinging dinging dinging, man.
SPEAKER_04Well actually it wasn't me who did that. What? Well, it was all of us. Justin tried to generate a three-legged horse.
SPEAKER_08But it's a two- and they gave me two-legged with a big blue tail.
SPEAKER_03I told you. You know what? It's uh believe it or not, the car models.
SPEAKER_07There's a naked woman on your screen, Rob. Look to your left. You're right.
SPEAKER_03Oh, yeah, that's Michelle Bauer. I'm watching uh sorority babes in the Slybow Bowl Rama. I'm sitting there watching her sticker. That's Michelle Bauer. That's a great scene. She's all possessed, she's having sex with the nerd.
SPEAKER_07I'm so glad this is audio only and not visual.
SPEAKER_03That's an edit right there. That's an edit right there. And um sorry. Yeah. Looks like he's having a small stroke. Yeah. And uh we're trying to finish up a show and you guys are just standing here looking at me, you know? No, you know what?
SPEAKER_04I I I I'm looking at my social that I bothered to get for tonight.
SPEAKER_03Oh, and you broke up. Would you say it again?
SPEAKER_04I said, I said I was just looking at my social shoutout that I I decided to bring for tonight.
SPEAKER_03So uh breaking up again for you guys a little bit.
SPEAKER_04My internet's been embodied for the last Christ, Frank.
SPEAKER_03We pay you enough to have good internet.
SPEAKER_04You're back. I said, I said, I was just looking at my social media shout-out that I bought to get for you. I don't know about you, J.
SPEAKER_03He's going out again. Christ! Fuck. I mean you you would think that you would use that pay increase for something. Look at that, look at that guy's legs, bro. They're so Frankie, stand up again.
SPEAKER_04Are you are you laughing at my lack of ass or lack of lack of ass, dude?
SPEAKER_03Your legs look like they can be snapped, they're like fucking toothpicks. What's right? I know, I know. I have Frank, I love you, but it's really weird because you're like you're you're you're a tall man, you're kind of like stocky up top. You look like fucking the guy from Ant-Man in the Wild. You look like Modoc. You're like this big upper body with these short, skinny legs that's hanging on some seeds.
SPEAKER_04But I I have long legs though. That's the thing. I'm proportionate. I'm more like a gazelle. A pregnant gazelle, you're more gazelle nonetheless.
SPEAKER_03What did Don Rickle say? You got more legs than a flamingo and no ass? This is exactly that describes me to a T.
SPEAKER_04I have negative ass. I've had it chewed out so many times.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you're you're fucking embarrassing me right now. All right, so say what you said again without breaking up. I'm tired, I'm ready to lay down and go to bed. I just wish Frankie Donati was here to rub my feet for me.
SPEAKER_04What the fuck? Tip to tip, baby. Tip to tip to the biggest.
SPEAKER_05What have I missed being away for so long?
SPEAKER_03A lot of bonding, a lot of unnatural bonding. Holy shit, Justin. I just saw something just move behind you, dude. Did you know? I fucking not kidding, dude. Is it the kid from the school?
SPEAKER_05You rewind the tape.
SPEAKER_03No, no, no, I'm not I'm not fucking kidding, dude.
SPEAKER_07What did it look like?
SPEAKER_03Like a fucking orb just fucking floated behind you.
SPEAKER_07Oh, it might have been a car turning into the parking lot down below.
SPEAKER_05No, because uh this this window faces the courtyard. Uh I don't care. Whatever.
SPEAKER_07You know, Rob will never visit. I just fucking saw some of that.
SPEAKER_05Maybe I'll get lucky and it'll smother me with one of my pillows when I'm asleep.
SPEAKER_03Dude, I I I just saw a fucking orb fucking fly.
SPEAKER_07This is why he won't come into my basement when he comes over.
SPEAKER_03I mean, it's possible.
SPEAKER_05It's possible. Apparently, I become quite spiritual.
SPEAKER_03I don't know. Maybe it's my buddy Terry. You know, it's all in I dude, I want to be able to go to bed tonight. I can't be fucking nervous and scared when I go to bed. That was really weird, man. I'm not kidding. I wish this was being recorded. All right.
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