Remembering REVELL Modeling Kits, written by Thomas Graham, is an overview of the history, the product and the people that made Revell what it was during the heydays of plastic modeling (1950-1979).  The author has pictures of completed models, kit boxes and display cases throughout the book.  The book is well laid out so that the pictures generally corresponded to the text on the page.

 Revell started in California when entrepreneur Lew Glaser and some partners decided to get into the plastics business thanks to some cheap raw plastic and used machine tools.  Revell started out as a contract plastics manufacturer and eventually became a plastic toy maker.  In 1951 Revell produced a very successful product line of toy cars called Highway Pioneers that kids had to assemble before playing with it.  Soon after Lew Glaser decided for Revell to focus on making plastic replicas.  The first “true” plastic model Revell ever made was the USS Missouri in 1952.  Revell built their first plane, the F-94 Starfire, soon after that.

 Revell quickly jumped into making plastic models and produced an almost endless variety of subjects.  The first generation of models were of all vastly different scales so as to fit the standard box.  However, this proved to be a poor decision as the rest of the modeling world opted for using standard scales regardless of the box.  In the early 1960s, Revell decided to standardize their plane and car models to those within the industry and all but scrapped the first generation of plastic models.

 Eventually, both the military and car manufacturers allowed Revell to get very good looks at their equipment—sometimes even before they were released to the public.  This cooperation allowed Revell to produce an accurate model (for the time) and gave the military and car companies free PR.

 Many of today’s modelers (including myself from time to time) sometimes grumble about the level of detail found in Revell Kits, but we should remember that they were designed based on Revell’s idea to make it a fun toy as well as a static model.  Revell wanted to give their customers (kids) the pleasure of building a replica while pretending to be that glued covered, poorly painted figure trapped behind the fogged over cockpit or windscreen.  (Looking back at my own experiences, I personally think they achieved that goal.) 

Even though Revell models were made to be toys, the model designers at Revell were still pushed by Lew Glaser to make the model as realistic as possible.  In most cases, Revell succeeded and in the case of their original 1961 Polaris Submarine model, it was too successful.  The model’s apparent accuracy, in particular the engine room, bothered Admiral Rickover so much that he publicly criticized it as an example of how military secrets got leaked into the public domain (and eventually copied by the USSR.)  Lew Glaser decided to take it all in stride and use the controversy as a marketing tool.

 Thomas Graham also explains why Revell didn’t cover the military vehicle market like it did with military jets and warships.  They did so by choice as truth be known the folks at Revell were really gentle folk at heart who didn’t particularly like the messy mud and blood realities of ground warfare.  Warplanes and warships were considered “cleaner” and more emphasis was put on the technology rather than their actual purpose.

 The book takes a long look at the trends that dominated each decade—reflective of the times and attitudes of their customers.  The 1950s were dominated by cold war jets and cars.  Funny cars, real spacecraft and jets led the way in the 1960s—although the interest in space died when Apollo ended.  The 70s were primarily dominated by cars as the market for military jets ebbed away thanks to the anti military backlash of the Vietnam War.  The book takes a good look at the history behind some of the most important kits of each era such as the Ed Roth series of funny cars and the introduction of the big 1/32 scale aircraft.

 The author didn’t just write about Revell’s list of glowing successes as he makes the book a complete history by documenting Revell’s failures such as their attempts to make female friendly model kits, figurine kits, toys (such as their version of Lego) and turning down the chance to make Star Wars models.

 The book also dedicates a substantial portion of its pages and pictures to the box cover art.  If the names Jack Leynnwood, John Steele or Richard Kishady don’t ring a bell to most of you then you are not alone.  These men were among the more notable folks who were responsible for the beautiful box cover art that graced Revell model kits.  Each artist had their own particular style, specialties and in the case of John Steele, an unusually interesting life.

 The book does not deal with any kits after 1979.  By this time, the company was suffering from a major decrease in the number of kids due to the end of the baby boom, competition from other hobbies, the introduction of the personal computer/games and the economic difficulties of the era.  The author also outlines the wayward path Revell took after it was sold to its French distributor in 1982 and its eventual merger with its rival Monogram.

 Remember REVELL Model Kits also includes as complete a list as possible of Revell models up to 1979 including a collector’s price guide in the back.  The author admits that this list is incomplete due to the wide variety of kits they produced from the same mold, but it covers all of the classic Revell kits. 

 I highly recommend this book for those who are fans and collectors of Revell models and want to learn about the history of this company and the evolution of their products.  The amount of detail about Revell from design, marketing and so on gives a good account of what made this company so successful between the 50s and 70s.  This book makes me want to go back in time armed with just a tube of glue, a case of acrylic paints and a powerful exhaust fan to build all those kits shown in this book. 

 If you are ordering this book new from amazon.com then it may take some time because it is a special order book.

If you would like your product reviewed fairly and quickly by a site that has thousands of visits a day, please contact me or see other details in the Note to Contributors.