Heya, Folks,
I just wanted to share a great deal with you: Hamilton Books, the Connecticut overstock bookseller, has the $80.00 Shep Paine hardcover book by Schiffer Publishing, for $25.00 plus tax and shipping.
Having grown up building Monogram armor and airplane kits in the 70’s, Shep Paine’s diorama inserts inspired a million ideas and always pushed me to be a more imaginative and better modeler…
That said, $80.00 was still tough to justify, but $32.00 with shipping is well worth it to me!
Here’s the link — and yep, they misspelled his name on the page!
The text is an extended series of interviews about Paine’s life and work. Many of the works from the Monogram tip sheets are pictured, along with a number of pieces I had never seen, nor did I realize he sculpted (Valiant Miniatures figures). Also cool to see that he did diorama work for the famous artist, Andrew Wyeth (Christina’s World).
The book also includes interviews with professional modelers, sculptors, etc who have become renown in the hobby, and who were all influenced by him.
So this is definitely not a How To book, but a catalogue of and dialogue about his work over the scope of a career that influenced many a modeler, from the pro’s that we all know to average modelers like myself.
Have been having a great time reading through the book, reliving memories from those mind-exploding tip sheets, poring of Shep’s work, and remembering how much imagination used ta be part of the hobby for me back in my youth…
I have no connection with the vendor — just a happy customer who wanted to share a worthwhile bargain and trip down memory lane with my fellow hobbyists.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year!!
With Regards and Aloha,
Johnny B.