Wonderfest Afterglow: June Twelve Minute Modelsphere

We get real about the behind-the-scenes side of running a scale modeling podcast. May hit us with health issues, a car that refused to make the trip, and the kind of production chaos that throws schedules off. We lay out what June should look like, what we’ve already recorded, and how we’re planning to get feature episodes and shorts back on track as we head toward bigger events like the IPMS Nationals.

The heart of the conversation is Wonderfest. Even if sci-fi isn’t your main lane, Wonderfest delivers world-class builds, a vendor room you won’t see at a typical IPMS-style show, and an atmosphere that feels like a model show blended with a convention. We share what stood out, the people we ran into, and how a single weekend can push you to try something totally new at the bench. We also talk about the dojo community momentum, from daily posts to smart technique questions about pigments and weathering powders, and why seeing others build outside their genre makes all of us braver.

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Transcript

Why Kit Mask Exists

Janelle (KitMasx) 0:01

Kev, tell everyone why you started Kit Mask.

Kevin (KITMASX) 0:04

Well, manually masking canopies sucks, and somebody had to step in to save those countless kits from the shelf of Doom.

Janelle (KitMasx) 0:11

And now we've got over 400 sets and counting. We've got old kits, new kits, forgotten kits, you name it.

Kevin (KITMASX) 0:16

Yeah. And if we don't have it, just ask.

Janelle (KitMasx) 0:18

Yeah, people don't realize we take custom requests and we even have a service that gets you canopy masks for free.

Kevin (KITMASX) 0:23

We do.

Janelle (KitMasx) 0:24

Our masks are precision cut, they fit well, they're easy to apply. Kevin cuts and tests every set.

Kevin (KITMASX) 0:30

Several times.

Janelle (KitMasx) 0:31

Yeah, precision is kind of his thing.

Kevin (KITMASX) 0:33

And Janelle, she does everything else. She cares about each customer and is the heart of our business.

Janelle (KitMasx) 0:38

If you ever reach out, you're talking directly to us. Real people, real modelers.

Kevin (KITMASX) 0:43

And if you don't love your masks, we'll refund or replace them. No questions asked.

Janelle (KitMasx) 0:47

Visit kitmask.com, join the mailing list, and treat yourself to easier, cleaner masking.

Kevin (KITMASX) 0:53

Kitmask, made by a modeler for modelers.

Janelle (KitMasx) 0:56

Hey, what about me?

Kevin (KITMASX) 0:56

You're not a modeler.

Rough May And Resetting June

Mike 1:18

I guess we're kind of lucky to make it to June. Oh man, I feel like I am, but you know.

Kentucky Dave 1:24

May turned out to be a little bit of a rough month for both of them.

Mike 1:28

It did. And we had some content scheduling problems or content production problems. It wasn't a scheduling issue. It was just uh oh god. Between your health and my car.

Kentucky Dave 1:43

Yeah, I know.

Mike 1:44

I know. I think I think I'm on the I'm on the back side of mine. Mine too. Still sucks, but we'll get there, man. We'll get there.

Kentucky Dave 1:54

We'll get there. Hey, June is June is looking good, man. I'm telling you.

Mike 1:59

June is gonna be a great month. I hope so. I mean, May wasn't I'm gonna say it wasn't terrible, but it kind of was. Yeah.

Kentucky Dave 2:09

It was. But hey, people don't want to hear about our problems.

Mike 2:12

No, and we have uh very gracious listeners, so yes, we do. Even though we we kind of slipped an episode. We did have the the short with Brandon, which wasn't all that short. So nope. That worked out well. We did put out a fair amount, and it it, you know, we're down a little, but not too bad. Uh that's good. We'll come roaring back in June, Dave. Yep, yep, we will. That said, we normally start this with where we where we're going and where we've been. Well, we're we're not going anywhere in June in particular, but at least half of us went somewhere.

Kentucky Dave 2:48

Well well, for June, we're saving up our money for the nationals, so we gotta hoard some money.

Mike 2:55

Yep.

Wonderfest Recap And Why It Hits

Kentucky Dave 2:56

But uh yes, uh Wonderfest was this past weekend. You and I had both planned to go. Yep. Unfortunately, that wasn't in the cards for you.

Mike 3:08

My car, my car really didn't want to go to Louisville.

Kentucky Dave 3:12

Yeah, you wanted to go, but your car didn't want to go. And it won that argument, didn't it?

Mike 3:19

In spades, yes.

Kentucky Dave 3:21

Well, I did manage to get to Wonderfest and saw several listeners there. Got to hang out with Warren Dickinson, who came up from southern Kentucky for his first Wonderfest.

Mike 3:34

What'd he think?

Kentucky Dave 3:36

He was really, really amazed. He got exact, you know, he's not a sci-fi. Yeah, I know.

Mike 3:43

That's what I'm asking.

Kentucky Dave 3:45

And and he immediately got what I was telling people when I say, even if you're not, if this isn't your area or cup of tea, you have to see it. Yeah. He was amazed by the quality, and uh every year I think Wonderfest, the quality of the models can't get better.

Mike 4:10

Every year it gets better. And it's not just the models, there's all the peripheral stuff. It's like it's just a really unique thing, and it's it's it's it's kind of a a mashup of a of a model show and a and a you know a Comic-Con kind of event.

Kentucky Dave 4:26

Yes.

Mike 4:26

And I'd be curious. Maybe we'll see him soon at a show around here or somewhere. Uh we'll see him at Nats, I think.

Kentucky Dave 4:32

Yeah.

Mike 4:33

Uh be curious what he thought about all the all the other stuff. Uh maybe he told you, maybe you can tell me.

Kentucky Dave 4:38

Yeah, he did. He actually he fulfilled a lifelong dream. He got his picture with Marta Christensen from Lost in Space. Which he had a crush on her since he was a little kid, and she's there as you know, she's there for fairly regularly. She is there almost every now.

Mike 5:00

Was the whole Lost in Space display there again?

Kentucky Dave 5:02

Yes, it was. Okay. In fact, he got his picture with her in front of that control panel.

Mike 5:09

Ah, that's fantastic.

Kentucky Dave 5:11

And in fact, uh, hopefully he'll listen to this and hopefully he'll post it to the dojo. But yeah, it it wasn't just the models. I mean, the vendors, you know, it's squadrons there, a number of upscale or a number of uh vendors uh that you might see at a IPMS style show or there. But then there are a lot of vendors with stuff that just you'd never see at an IPMS uh IPMS style show, and the quality of the stuff and the variety was just amazing. Sounds like you had a good time. Had a real good time. He and I hung out out there. Oh, and I also saw the the the Fort Wayne gang that we interviewed uh recently. I got to talk with them. Of course, they were there promoting the show. Saw a ton of, of course, MMCL members, since that's a local show for us, just really had a fantastic time. And then uh after we were done at the show, Warren and I actually went over to Cracker Barrel and had lunch together, a late lunch

The People Behind The Models

Kentucky Dave 6:29

together. Oh, that's nice. And so it was really nice. So we got to talk, and you know, he's he's still going through that, having lost his wife at the end of last year. And he was telling me about how he's found a community of modelers who have all gone through a similar experience. Yeah, I can't. And how these guys have now found each other. And I mean, it was really, really a great story to hear.

Mike 7:01

Interesting. Hmm. It's got me thinking.

Kentucky Dave 7:04

Yeah, it got me thinking too. You and I will have to talk some more.

Mike 7:08

That's that's good. Um you know, it's good to see him out, and I'm glad you all had had time to to grab some something to eat together. And uh and man, it's such a that's such a crazy show.

Kentucky Dave 7:20

I'll have to tell you a story offline. We may with with Warren's permission tell it later. But he introduced me to somebody at the show that has a really interesting backstory. And it just goes to show you that the people you see at Wonderfest, yeah, I mean, they all have their particular niche or interest.

Mike 7:48

Yep.

Kentucky Dave 7:49

But the variety of life that they come from is really amazing and is amazing in ways that you wouldn't otherwise expect. So I'll have to tell you that story, and then maybe with Warren's permission, I'll tell I will tell that story on a future episode. But yeah, Wonderfest good come next year. I don't know the dates yet. As soon as I know them, I'll let you know. And the Podfather, in addition to coming this year to go with us to Fort Wayne, is planning on coming back next year to do Wonderfest.

Mike 8:29

So if we ought to line up because I'm usually, I go and then next year I can't, then I go and then the next year I can't. So I couldn't go this year, so maybe next year, if fate holds true, I'll be able to go.

Kentucky Dave 8:40

And and the stars are aligning. It's the 50th anniversary of Star Wars. Oh man. The Podfather will be in from Australia. Jim Bates is talking about coming in from Seattle.

Mike 8:52

Okay, now it's turned into an epic event.

Kentucky Dave 8:54

So yes, this this one may be one for the ages.

Mike 8:58

Okay.

Kentucky Dave 8:59

So start pre-planning for Wonderfest for 2027.

Mike 9:05

And we're 10 minutes in now, so that's maybe the 20-minute model sphere. We'll full we'll uh take a account at the end, folks. All right.

Kentucky Dave 9:33

Hey Mike.

June Release Plan And Honesty Check

Kentucky Dave 9:34

Yeah. Are we gonna do some episodes in June?

Mike 9:37

Man, I hope so. Man, this is fun, though. Even when it sucks, it's fun.

Kentucky Dave 9:43

I know. I know. I agree.

Mike 9:45

Folks, uh, I'm not even gonna predict. I'm not I'll have to predict. I'm not gonna predict, but we're gonna have come hell or high water, two feature episodes. You're gonna get the one you missed, which was 164. Is that right? Yep. So now now the even number's at the front of the month.

Kentucky Dave 10:02

Yeah, I know.

Mike 10:03

Because of our uh whatever.

Kentucky Dave 10:06

We'll have to squeeze in a three-episode month at some point.

Mike 10:09

I'm I'm okay with uh, I don't really care about that, but uh I know, I know. Uh it was gonna be a shop talk with somebody in the third chair. That may still be the case. I don't know. And 165 now. We're gonna have to bump up the odd numbered episode to toward the end of the month. It's gonna be great, folks. That's all I'm gonna say. It's gonna be awesome. Uh-oh.

Kentucky Dave 10:30

Mike is planning something. Tune in.

Mike 10:33

Battery's got nothing else to say because they haven't. Okay. Uh, we're gonna have two feature episodes.

Kentucky Dave 10:39

You don't have to tell them that.

Mike 10:41

No, I don't, but uh, you know, let's be honest and keep all hands above the table. Gotcha. Two feature episodes, and we're gonna get our normal shorts. We've got one that should have been out already, but we had a conversation with the national contest team from the IPMS, and that's already recorded. I need to edit that and get that out. That'll probably come out pretty soon, actually. And then we'll get to episode 164, not too long after that.

Kentucky Dave 11:07

Yep.

Mike 11:07

Hopefully we'll do it that way. And then, man, we gotta get 165. And uh, I don't know what else. Maybe a uh the mall show spotlight's gonna be a national convention. Yeah. So, folks, we're kind of in a little disarray right now because of our bad May. And hopefully we'll write the ship and uh get the rudder pointed in the right direction again. And uh, we appreciate you bearing with us. It's just been a tough month in May, and just man. Good stories for uh after hours at the Nats. How about that?

Kentucky Dave 11:40

That's right. How about that? That's right. Stop by the table at the Nats and and Mike and I'll tell you stories about May.

The Dojo Growth And Better Posts

Mike 11:52

Even though we kind of stopped in May, the dojo didn't stop.

Kentucky Dave 11:57

No, it didn't. Although, at least from my end, my participation has not been what it should be. And I'm here to to promise that I've got some content coming up, but the dojo itself is hopping. We now have 5,800 members. The posts continue to roll in at a pace of at least 20 new posts every day. We're getting a great mix of show reports, of people finishing models, of people asking modeling-related questions. Uh Tom Choi asked one regarding regarding using pastels and then overcoating them.

Mike 12:41

Or pigments or something.

Kentucky Dave 12:43

Or pigments, yeah.

Mike 12:44

Weathering powders is what he said.

Kentucky Dave 12:46

Weathering powder of some sort. And so we're getting a lot of good mix of stuff in the dojo, and I want to see that continue. And with every new new member we add, we're getting another contributor, another person who's bringing in what they're doing or their expertise. I'll tell you one of the things that I've seen a number of times on the dojo recently that I really like, which is people modeling outside of their genre. Had somebody post the first ship that they've done either ever or in a long time.

Mike 13:27

Same thing with ship.

Kentucky Dave 13:30

Ship. Or same thing with cars, uh, armor modelers who are posting aircraft. So we're getting a really nice mix of that. And I think that's again another another feature of the dojo that will encourage other modelers to take that step. Because I think a lot of times the thing that keeps you from doing that is you just fear of the unknown. Yeah. And if you see other guys doing it, then you're more likely to do it yourself.

Mike 14:05

Or you go to a show like Warnerfest, and all of a sudden you want to build a lost in space subject.

Kentucky Dave 14:10

There was a great Jupiter 2 from the rebooted Amazon Prime series. It was gorgeous. I mean, fully lit interior, open hatches was really beautiful. I got some great pictures, and hopefully they'll be up on the dojo tonight. So by the time you hear this, you can go back to the dojo and look and

Back To The Bench

Kentucky Dave 14:37

find them.

Mike 14:37

Well, folks, we're gonna try to write the ship here in June and uh really look forward to uh pumping out the content. And uh glad you got to Wonderfest, Dave.

Kentucky Dave 14:46

Yes, I am too. And I'm glad that all the all the listeners have hung with us as we're as we weathered May, and we promise that we're gonna get you some great content in June.

Mike 15:01

We're past 12 minutes, but I think that's okay, Dave.

Kentucky Dave 15:04

Yeah, uh I think I think we owe people some, so that's okay that we've gone a little long.

Mike 15:09

Well, in addition to all that, we got to get back to the bench so we can uh actually have something to talk about in our future episodes. That sounds like a good idea. All right, man. Well, we'll see you soon.

Kentucky Dave 15:19

See you soon, man.