Around The BLOCKhead

Last column, I went into some detail about die cast cars and how they might work with your collection of Block Figures. Where was I last month? Well, my computer died and I was unable to churn out a column. This month, I have a desktop computer again, but the myriad of summer-time events have me writing this one down to the very wire. Combine that with my own lack of coordination--especially when it comes to scissors and paste--and you get a column with no photos of my own.

"Scissors and paste? What's next, juice boxes and mats?" I hear you cry. The answer is: yes. But only after storytime.

Seriously, though, while the last column was all about expensive props for your figures, this column is all about staying on the cheap. Or, at least as cheap as printer ink gets. It's time to get out your Elmer's and warm up your computers, because we're not a paperless society yet! This month, it's time to talk about paper models of all shapes and sizes. Depending on your skill level and inclination, this may be one of the best ways to give your block figures a world to inhabit.

Before we get down and dirty and I start listing out sites which carry paper models, you might want to aquaint yourself with Pepakura Designer, as many of the paper modelling sites utilize this nice (and free) piece of software.

I'll start off on the more simpler end of papercrafting. It may be a rarity that you want your block figures to be in a classic 80's arcade, but even minifigs need to unwind now and then, and what better way to do it than with a game of "Galaga?" Plus, for the unititiated, this gives a good idea of what's involved and expected in paper modelling. Personally, I couldn't even put together a "Ms. Pac-Man" machine, but maybe once you visit Silicon Era's post about micro-arcade papercraft, you'll be ready to take on the world. Or, at least have your Jack Bauer figure play "Gauntlet" with Captain Kirk.

Once you've gotten a taste for it, maybe you'll be ready to build your own Spinner, that nifty cop car in "Blade Runner." I happen to have a link to it here on the Blade Zone site. And, in keeping with the sci-fi theme, the Aliens Papercraft website has a lot of various models ready to be built for... you guessed it, the "Aliens" movie(s), as well as some other sci-fi goodies. Jay's Box of Sci-Fi Goodies is another treasure trove of sci-fi paper goodness, check out the "CARDIS Contact" and "Card Trek" links!

Say, remember that die cast Delorean from the last column? Well, you don't have to shell out much cash if you make it from paper. You just have to be very good with scissors. Check out the Paper Inside site for not only the classic Delorean, but also the time train from "Back to the Future."

And, when you're ready for the big time, you don't want to miss Ray Keim's Paper Model Purgatory, which features paper model designs of various haunted mansions.

For the steady of hand and patient of psyches, paper modelling can be the road to populating not only environments for your block figures, but, with some creative scaling adjustments, any doll or toy. This really just scratched the surface of all the goodies floating around out there. I mean, I didn't even mention the Papercraft Paradise blog, for instance. So, if you're good with the glue guns and have a surplus of paper... Well, need I say more?

-erich

Erich lacks the physical coordination to cut out paper models, tends to eat the paste before he can use it and even has trouble getting his block figures to stand while making his webcomic, Attercap.Net. Don't let that stop you, though.