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BPMS Bulletin
by Bobby B2 Blue Pokorny
November was an excellent meeting. We had 25 members and no guests who brought in 20 models, most of which were for the quarterly contest.
November Meeting
COntest night – 4th qtr 2022: This was the final installment of the quarterly BPMS Annual Contest. Now it’s my turn to crunch the numbers and see who we voted for in 2022!
super raffle: This is the reason why you must fill out your paperwork at each meeting. For every new model you brought in over the course of the year you got ONE SUPER RAFFLE TICKET. We had around 285 tickets and 125 prizes for the year. Nice job! Can we beat that in 2023? Also, thank you to everyone who made donations!
DUES 2023: With all the expenses going up, the club is forced to push up the dues to $35 annually.
NEW MEMBER: If you come on the Zooms you should already know Frank “Grail”. He’s been to three meetings and has shown us his models so we voted him in. Welcome to the fold!
raffle: We did NOT have a regular raffle during the meeting. It’ll probably return in December.
On the agenda: DECEMBER
DECEMBER THEME CONTEST: Finally! It’s Here! It’s time for the December theme contest:
The Golden Age of AURORA Models.
Sponsored by Joe B and Kevin K
HOLIDAY DESSERTS: ‘Tis the season! Why not close out the year with your BPMS buddies and some tasty treats? You are cordially invited to bring some sort of dessert or snack or treat to this meeting. Thanks in advance!
AWARDS CEREMONY: At the time this is being written, I have the numbers crunched. Hopefully I’ll have the awards printed out in time so we can see who the winners are for 2022.
Photo-phone list: Gordon started taking photos of the group for the photo-phone list. If he didn’t take your photo at the last meeting, please see him at the next meeting.
WEEKLY ZOOM: Even though we are back to having regular meetings, the weekly ZOOM will continue! New day and time: Tuesdays at 7:30 PM. Every week EXCEPT for weeks with an in-person meeting.
SPOTLIGHT MODELER: Julio G.
Where do you live? How Long?: I’m from the Bronx, NY. Lived here just about my whole life.
Where did you go to school?: I went to DeWitt Clinton Highschool in the Bronx and Eventually Bronx Community College.
When/ how were you first exposed to the hobby?: My first experience was through one of my older brothers that liked Sci-fi Models. For my 11th Birthday he got me the Battlesaurus model from the Techno Zoids (Now widely known as just ZOIDS) series, which he had a few of growing up. We spent a few hours putting it together and it was pretty much the coolest thing I had. I didn’t build any other models until I was about 17, buying Gundam Models from a local video game store I frequented. I pretty much bought out the stores entire stock over time.
How long have you been involved in the hobby and what do you like to build?: I’d say I’ve been building seriously for about 4 or 5 years. I did build some models when I was younger but there wasn’t any effort outside of snapping them together. Nowadays, I like giving my models a bit of work and breathing some life into them. I’d say my taste in models is rather broad, since I do enjoy armor, I enjoy giant robots and I also enjoy busts. Basically, if I like it, I’ll want to work on it.
How did you learn the techniques you use when building a model?: They were learned online, by looking for websites with how-to turtorials and youtube videos. I also have some friends that are into scale modeling, so I consulted with them too. Great thing about the current day and age is that there is a ton of information available, gathered from so many experienced modelers, readily available with a few clicks of a mouse or taps of your finger.
Do you remember the first model you built?: First model for sure was the Battlesaurus (aka Ultrasaurus), a giant mechanized Brontosaurus, by the Kenner toy company from a line they released called Techno Zoids, a rebranded localization of the ZOIDS series. While it was from a toy company, this thing came in a huge box loaded with a ton of runners. All pieces, like a traditional model, needed to be cut off the runner and put together. It was a snap tight model (As is the nature of almost every ZOIDS model out there) so assembly was pretty easy. My older brother and I put this together in an evening, I’d say over a course of 5 hours. Despite being a model, it was marketed as a toy due to the fact it came with a battery powered motor to make the model not only light up, but walk as well, which was a new feature to ZOIDS models. They all used to sport a simple wind-up motor to make them move.
What was your favorite model to build? Why?: My favorite model to work on would be this Cthulhu bust I worked on about a year or two ago. It’s a 3D printed model, made from grey resin, and I don’t think there was a scale to it at all. Its my favorite because it was a very new experience for me, being outside of a traditional plastic model and also being a bust, which I was interested in working on for some time. Having to paint this both via airbrush and by hand, was an enjoyable experience and I tried to pour as much of what I’ve learned so far into it. It currently sits in a friend of mines house that liked it so much, I decided to give it to him.
Where do you usually work on models?: I have a dedicated desk space for working on models. Its located in my living room, in a nice corner out of the way from everything else. Its currently a mess right now, but what kind of scale modeler doesn’t have a messy desk?
Are there any models you wish would be produced? Why?: I’m not sure. Nowadays, there are models of almost everything. There model kits off Cup Noodles out there, so I don’t think there’s anything left that doesn’t have a plastic model out there.
How do you feel about the current state of the hobby and how do you think it will survive the future?: I think the current state of the hobby is doing well and only going to get better. There’s more interest in plastic models as they are somewhat easier to get a hold of these days and there is an extremely large selection to choose from. You like tanks? There are plenty of tanks. You like big robots, there’s plenty of those. Like boats? There’s so many to choose from! Scale modeling as a hobby will definitely be a thing, now and many years into the future. If there is a version that exists of it, there will always be someone out there with love and an appreciation for taking a subject and making a real looking counter part in a scaled down size.
How/ When did you find out about the BPMS? How long have you been a member?: I first heard about BPMS after looking up on line what the closest to home IPMS Chapter was. This took place after a trip to Mosquitocon a few years ago. Saw it was in Brooklyn, said hey, I’m going to go participate and I am looking to continue to do so.
Do you have other interests or hobbies?: I play Video Games pretty often. Mostly platformers or action/adventure games. Always have since I was a kid and don’t plan on stopping. I think it helps keep my hand/eye coordination in check.
Any other comments, such as anecdotes or hobby stories that you would like to share?:
Thank you to all the awesome scale modelers out there. From the people who are just getting started to the seasoned veterans, without you guys, the hobby wouldn’t be as rich, rewarding and fun as it is now.
Meeting Date: Dec 16, 2022
Location: BBSC
Time: Doors open by 6 PM, business starts at 7:30 PM
See you there!
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