Well, I never thought I would build, let alone review an Atlantis kit. But you know what, it is a fun little build.I even engaged my wife into providing feedback as to what colors cave bears really are, or were. We recalled our trip to the Lascaux caves as a result. These caves and the cave bear go back to the same time. What prompted the build, is the Coastal Carolina modelers in house contest next year of any Atlantis kits. So, seeing it was available, I opted to review it.

The kit was originally released in 1972 under the Aurora brand. The kit can be snapped together in a few minutes, painted, and ready to go in about a day. There are only 30 parts and they snap together well. This is an ideal kit for younger modelers and is a good kit to get them started into a lifelong hobby. Also available is a Sabre Tooth Tiger in the prehistoric scenes collection. Both kits can be put together to make your very own prehistoric diorama.

The Prehistoric Scenes kits were first issued (from what I can find) in 1971 or before so the kit is over 50 years old. Looking inside the box, the kit comes with two small bases and a tree along with the star of the show, the Sabre Tooth Tiger. The molds have been cleaned up and there is pretty much no flash at all. The plastic is a very nostalgic yellow and if you are my age, you remember the planes and kits of the time being this bright color.

Since I built this kit decades ago, I wanted to do something a little different so I reversed the layout a bit as the tiger looks mad and I wanted him jumping at you attacking. So if you look the kit up on the Internet, mine may look backwards but I like it in attack mode.

I will be honest…I do not have any firefighter figures that needed painting. That being said, these paints were PERFECT for what I used them for. I have a military motorcycle kit that I was working on. These paints were perfect for base paint on the project and especially for dry-brush weathering. On the figures the German Grey was the perfect shade as a base for the uniforms. After painting that, I used the Russian Green Primer. I dry brushed this lightly over the grey on the uniform jackets to give it the slightly “dusty green” that was pictured on the motorcycle kit box and it was a fantastic look. For the motorcycle itself I used the Chocolate, Black and Green Ochre to simulate dust, dirt, and scratches. I used a little bit of the Clear Red mixed with the Chocolate and Green Ochre. It made a very nice light rust color to simulate some very miniscule rusting on the motorcycle. Became a very nice touch.

Another in ICM’s range of paint sets for use with their figures is this set for British WWII Infantry, indicated for use with their figure sets - #35616 ‘You are important to God’; #35617 ‘Montgomery’s Staff (Figures)’; and #35646 ‘British Vickers MG Crew’, although they can of course be used for any British WWII infantry figures.

The set contains the following 12ml paint pots; I have listed their intended uses:

• 1008 Deep Brown – for weapon stocks and other wooden parts
• 1027 Gun Metal Metallic – for weapons
• 1059 Green Ochre - webbing
• 1062 British Khaki – Uniform clothing
• 1069 Extra Dark Green – helmets and various accessories
• 2001 Varnish Matt

The back of the box has a couple of drawings showing where to use each colour on the figures.

Right on the heels of their lovely Mobile Chapel kit, ICM has released a set of figures that can either be used to create a stand-alone vignette or be used together with the aforementioned vehicle.

This set includes five well-sculpted figures, along with a separate sprue containing a portable organ, folding chair and numerous small bits that would be appropriate on an altar or other religious table. As I mentioned in my previous review of the mobile chapel itself, I stated that such a vehicle would rarely (I assume) have seen front-line service, and this set of figures supports that theory, as they appear very much to be rear-echelon types in suitably casual garb.

The set includes a preacher in appropriate ecclesiastic garb, an organ player, two supplicants and an assistant holding out a collection plate. Detail is crisp and the facial features distinctive and well done.