15
Sep 17
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MEGA-SCALE (in 1:24) Imperial Walker “AT-AT”

Standing nearly 38 Inches Tall (while walking), this beautiful Imperial Walker is the second I have had in my Collection. The first was built by artist Mark Elkins, and resides today in a major Collection in Hong Kong. This fine piece seen here was made from Parts created by artist Mike Salzo, then beautifully built by artist Dan Grumeretz to resemble what we viewed in the 1980 film, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back! This build of this specific model actually is it’s second incarnation of the model. We originally had it positioned to be like the AT-AT that we see stepping back with it’s left rear leg, and turning it’s head to the left in order to shoot down a Rebel Snowspeeder. That position was simply to hard for the model to hold in a display, as it placed much pressure on the right rear leg for nearly three years before we decided to make that change. It was best in order to preserve the strength integrity of the model. The reason it was originally positioned like that is due to it being part of a huge diorama that never came to be…. a 20 foot by 20 foot Hoth Snow Battle Scene. We have two more Salzo 1:24 AT-AT’s that have yet to be built that were to be included in this scene. I am sorry to report that I am simply unable to follow through with said display at this time. It is well, because these AT-AT’s stand as AWESOME displays on their own. Now this piece is obviously stomping it’s way forward. It’s right-front leg lifted toward it’s next step, and it’s head looking slightly to its left as it scans the horizon for Rebel activity. It is ominous in every way. Mike Salzo did fantastic work in his creation of these parts, and Dan Grumeretz brought it to life for me… twice! The cockpit window glows read with the push of a button hidden among the details on it’s back. Inside we see actual slides of the two AT-AT Pilot’s driving the beast as General Veers stands behind them in the center. The weathering is purposefully done using 1970’s ILM techniques to make it look like the original filming miniatures. Early ILM techniques are world-class (truly legendary), as those amazing model makers changed everything for the art form and industry world-wide in the works they produced. I am eternally grateful of them. Dan has done what he always does, and made it look classically marvelous utilizing their proven techniques. I LOVE THIS PIECE!

Kurt Kuhn
Kuhn Global Incorporated

Model Information

Current Owner: Kurt Kuhn of Kuhn Global, Inc.

Parts Master Artist: Mike Salzo

Build Artist: Dan Grumeretz

Blue Screen Photographer: Kurt Kuhn of Kuhn Global

~Hours Vested to Final Display: ~160

Total Vested Cost of Development and Build: Unknown

2020 Estimated Value: $35,000 USD

Current Licensed Appraised Value: TBD

Kurt Kuhn

KUHN GLOBAL INCORPORATED

USA

**

Dan Grumeretz

USA

**

Mike Salzo

MSLZ22 Models

USA

**

31
Jul 15
-

Photographing Our Battlestar Fleet

Missing only the Battlestar Triton from the Peace Envoy at CIMTAR (the openings of the original Battlestar Galactica series and film), here are the other four that were built and painted from the Salzo kits by artists Dan Grumeretz and Marc Elkins. They include the Battlestar’s Galactica, Atlantia, Pacifica and Acropolis. All painted differently to identify them each by their color scheme and detail. Dan and I were in a rush that day, and set these up quickly in my home office. Thus the unfinished shots never came to be. Never the less… I thought we’d share a few shots quickly taken that day. Please remember that this is my home office…and not truly set up for this… LOL. Of note: The mystery Battlestar seen in a few shots is the study model originally starting it’s life for the upcoming Singer/DeSanto Battlestar Galactica film, and with a few ownership agreement issues, and with even more design changes, then became for the Kuhn Global Productions, Battlestar Galactica origin story of “13”.
Kurt Kuhn
Kuhn Global, Inc.
Modeler’s Miniatures & Magic

EACH Battlestar pictured has a 2016 Modeler Magic appraised value of $15,000 USD

10
Oct 14
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Pre-Peace Rendevous

During the building of Battlestar’s Atlantia, Galactica, and Pacifica, artist Dan Grumeretz took a few photos, one of which I used to create the Composite you see below. The Vipers are actually R.L. Bleecker builds from my own Collection and Blue Screen photos. If you look very closely, you will see three of those Vipers landing on Atlantia…. with two coming in further back. They nearly look like dots, don’t they? Also, much closer we see a set of three off the port side of Galactica, with two even more close toward Galactica’s aft area. I felt adding these elements gave it a more realistic feel.

Kurt Kuhn
Kuhn Global Inc.
Modeler’s Miniatures & Magic

Original photo…

15
Jul 10
-

“Hot Dog Piloting” – Composite Art by Kurt Kuhn (Kuhn Global)

Being that the best experienced Colonial Pilots are spread thin these days, Captain Apollo rarely gets to share the skies with his best friend… Lt. Starbuck. Such was one of these days. A colony-type planet had been detected a few light years in front of the fleet and needed to have some recon done…. their names were first on the flight roster. Detecting no hostile presence, the two friends shoot for the deck of the planet to discover most of it covered with water. Alone, with beautiful skies above, deep blue oceans below…. and a whole world of freedom waiting to hear the screaming of Viper engines for the first time….. Apollo looks over at Starbuck… who just nods, and waves his hand as if to say “after you” while placing his cigar back in his mouth…. their hot dog piloting was about to begin.

Continuing as the second “atmospheric flight” composite collection piece suggested for me to do by master artist Ben Lim, while using my Blue Screen photos of the fantastic studio Viper builds done by R.L. Bleecker from the hyper accurate MSLZ22 Model kits, and using a few elements from various sources… I was able to create this scene as I viewed it in my head. What I found especially challenging was getting the reflections correct both on the Vipers themselves… as with the water beneath them. The angle of the sun made it very difficult to determine what was to be seen.

08
Feb 08
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Studio Scale Cylon Raiders – “Pyro” and “Hero” Comparison

These two Raiders are beautiful. Both built by R.L. Bleecker, look closely and you will see the differences. I photographed them side by side for all to view for themselves.

The photo above I did replicating two of the Raiders as we viewed flipping over during their classic attack scenes.

08
Feb 08
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Studio Scale “Hero” Cylon Raider

I had shown the studio scale Cylon Raider “Pyro” version that had become a kit soon after Jim Key and Mark Dickson had released it. This one shown here today was patterned by artist Mike Salzo to be more like the “Hero” model that we viewed in the series and film. There are differences that you will view in another post placing them side by side.
Artist R.L. Bleecker was again behind how this piece turned out. He did wonderful work.

This piece has a 2016 Modeler Magic appraised value of $2,500 USD

Kuhn Global “Hero” Cylon Raider Blue Screen Photos by Kurt Kuhn

29
Sep 07
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Studio Scale V1 “PYRO” Cylon Raider Replica from the 1978 Series…Battlestar Galactica

This Version 1 (V1) Cylon Raider Studio Scale replica was masterfully built and painted by R.L. Bleecker in 2006. The studio scale kit itself was mastered off an original pyro model (used in the 1978 series) that we believe may have cast from what ICONS Replicas once sold as a Studio Scale Replica from Battlestar Galactica. Artist Mark Dickson, under Jim Key’s company, made it so. Later on, this would become a Kit which would be sold by Jesse Meyers, and then by Kit and Pattern maker Mike Salzo (MSLZ22 Models). Today the kit is sold by Kit Maker Jason Wright of JAWS Models in Australia.

Here are the Blue Screen Photos I took of this model during a few trial lighting tests. Unfortunately I never went back to actually photograph it correctly. In using different light filters during this shoot, the model looks bright, and yellowish in some shots. It was actually quite beautiful to look at in it’s grey paint scheme. Artist R.L. Bleecker even added the accurate ‘ghost’ Cylon symbol on the starboard wing that was on the original filming model. It truly added to this fine replica.

This piece was given to my dear friend, and talented modeler, Marc Elkins on December 14, 2011. A few years later, it was taken apart and rebuilt by Marc, then giving it a new paint scheme. As far as I know, this V1 Studio Scale PYRO Cylon Raider replica resides in his collection today.

Enjoy the Blue Screen Photos…

Peace be unto you.

Kurt Kuhn
Kuhn Global Incorporated

Photo of Kurt Kuhn with the 1978 “Pyro” Cylon Raider Replica

Model Information

Owner at Time of Posting: Marc Elkins

V1 “Pyro” Kit Master Artist: Mark Dickson

Build Artist: R.L. Bleecker

Blue Screen Photographer: Kurt Kuhn (Kuhn Global)

Kit Once Offered By: Jesse Meyers

~Hours Vested to Final Display: Unknown

Total Vested Cost of Development and Build: Unknown

2020 Estimated Value: $2,000 USD

Current Licensed Appraised Value: TBD

Kurt Kuhn

KUHN GLOBAL INCORPORATED

USA

**

R.L. “Bob” Bleecker

USA

**

Marc Elkins

USA

**

ICONS Replicas

USA

**

Jim Key

CUSTOM REPLICAS

USA

**

Mark Dickson

USA

**

Jesse Meyers

USA

**

Mike Salzo

MSLZ22 Models

USA

**

22
Sep 07
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Salzo V2 Studio Scale RED 3 (Biggs Darklighter)

When Mike Salzo released the V2 studio scale X-Wing, it was much different than the Captain Cardboard X-Wing, even though it was the Captain Cardboard version that was morphed by Mike to be the V2. It was beefier, and more like the Pyro models we viewed in Star Wars in 1977. To this point, most everyone would build either RED 5 (Luke’s), or RED 2 (Wedge)… so in 2007 I asked Richard Long to build this as RED 3… Biggs Darklighter’s X-Wing. This would complete the Death Star Trench Trio I had planned on displaying together. Richard did beautiful work capturing the green tints that are on RED 3…. which is the only filmed X-Wing model to have survived filming after Episode 6 was completed. All others were blown up for the films. As we did with RED 2, we placed a new cockpit with Biggs as it’s pilot, and placed the proper droid behind him. At this point in time…. we are the first to do so world-wide with these studio replicas. This piece now resides in Germany, and in the collection of Michael Keuhner.

Click HERE to View the V2 RED 2 X-Wing

Click HERE to View the V2 RED 5 X-Wing (Coming Soon)

Kurt Kuhn with the Studio Scale V2 RED 3 X-Wing

Model Information

Owner at Time of Posting: Michael Kuehner

Master Pattern Artist: Mike Salzo (From Scott Alexander’s Patterns)

Re-Build Artist: Richard Long

Blue Screen Photographer: Kurt Kuhn (Kuhn Global)

Parts Once Offered By: Mike Salzo of MSLZ22 Models

~Hours Vested to Final Display: Unknown

Total Vested Cost of Development and Build: Unknown

2020 Estimated Value: $2,800 USD

Current Licensed Appraised Value: TBD

Kurt Kuhn

USA

**

Richard Long

USA

**

MSLZ22 MODELS

Mike Salzo

USA

**

Michael Kuehner

GERMANY

18
Sep 07
-

Salzo V2 Studio Scale RED 2 X-Wing (Wedge Antilles)

When Mike Salzo released the parts for the V-2 Studio Scale X-Wing, I was so completely excited that I purchased parts for 3 X-Wings from him immediately! I envisioned a trench scene large enough to have all three studio scale X-Wings within it. This diorama was also to have Vader (with his two Wing-men) in pursuit, and it was to be about 50 feet long, embedded into the floor of the display area that people may walk over it’s heavy glass top. At that time, Modeler Magic was to be opened in Las Vegas. Alas… 2008 was a tragic year on many levels for everyone… and this placed the Modeler Magic Gallery on hold. A few years before that time, Model Maker R.L. Bleecker was doing many amazing works for me, and he took on this beautiful V2 X-Wing. Robert made it the Wedge Antilles’ RED 2 X-Wing, replicating Wedge himself, and the droid that sat behind the actor in the full sized prop. When Mike Salzo created the parts for the V3 X-Wing, and I went crazy again… purchasing enough parts to make 6 of them to replicate the entire 1977 X-Wing lineup that resides here on display today. As Modeler Magic went into a holding pattern, I decided to end my vision of a floor entrenched TRENCH scene. Michael Kuehner contacted me in 2010 about wanting all three V2 studio scale X-Wings (what I call the TRENCH TRIO, and of which comprised of Red 2 (Wedge), Red 3 (Biggs) and Luke’s Red 5. I sold them to him on September 3, 2010. All three were supremely packed by a ‘white-glove’ shipper and shipped to Germany to go into Michael’s Collection. Disturbingly…. only two of them survived an International Customs Agency that became involved. Allow me to clarify this wrong-doing. One of the V2 Studio Scale X-Wings was unpacked, unwrapped, played with, destroyed (as if someone threw it into the air for it to crash on the ground), then all of the parts and packing materials were thrown back into the original container, taped up and sent on it’s way THREE MONTHS LATER when we finally identified where it was abused through a shipper investigation when it disappeared. I know… I made a run on sentence for sure.. LOL. Moving on… this was a huge disappointment for Michael and myself. Because it happened in the ‘grey’ area known as “Customs”, the shipping company no longer had control of the item and therefore we learned what happened in “Customs” stayed in “Customs”. Apparently the heavy insurance policy I had taken out on them for any issues that could arise no longer applied. Unfortunately International Customs Agencies are not held liable for anything that goes through their hands. A great loss was incurred and was very much felt.

In any case… R.L. Bleecker did wonderful work on this RED 2, and Michael has a few fantastic studio scale X-Wings in his Collection.

I photographed this Salzo V2 studio scale RED 2 directly after I received it. I showed them here on Modeler Magic back on January 8, 2009. This is basically a refresh of that original showing back then. This RED 2 was a pleasure to have in the collection, albeit a brief time, and it was a treat to photograph. I thank Robert Bleecker for his fine work, and Michael Kuehner for his patience during the Customs issue.

Enjoy the photos taken back in 2007!

Kurt Kuhn
Kuhn Global Incorporated
Modelers Miniatures & Magic