I dunno, is it me or does this look very similar to something else. I'd be interested to know what Monroe Pedru think on seeing this, even down to the name.

You know Alan.............you're right..........it does..............................I wouldn't think Monroe has too much to say, but apparently Mike Bishop does, and that's ok as everyone is entitled to their opinion, and it doesn't offend me. I'm simply the patternmaker and my client was very specific regarding his design, which I followed..........................it would be nice if life moves on now and folks take time to enjoy either product. A long time ago, I made a piece for Jaguar Models and later, Warriors Scale Models came and asked for the same piece, or it was visa versa, I can't really recall right now, there's been so many masters built. These two kits went head to head and one of the players was angry about the fact that both companies were in essence, selling the same item.......................I take a neutral stance....it was my living and I didn't really care if two companies wanted to nip at each other. I simply made the master and got paid and let politics play out, and the same feelings run here and now regarding these two products. I've been in the game for over 20 years and have worn enough of other peoples crap and lies and rumors that this little fling going on here doesn't even phase me. In the end, people will either buy Mike Bishops product or Jose Rodriguez's and they'll do so because they like it, and I feel there's enough room for both to run the market. Plus, it's kinda fun sitting back and watching............after all, there's what.............3 or 4 companies that all make the same Panzer IV and perhaps three times that many who make a Spitfire, and they're all having fun...........as for the name of Jose's product.................well, it's his business and I guess he can name it what he wants to Kind regards Ben Jakobsen LINK

Last time I opened a book I saw plenty of fences, roads, and buildings. If me and Joe Blow decide to each build a building and they end up looking alike, does that mean we copied each other's work? I believe Ben when he says that he was doing what the client asked him to build. If he didn't know about Perdu's road, is it a copy? We can have kit upon kit of Panzer IVs and Spitfires released (seems weekly we get another Panzer IV, with an extra bolt head, of course) but if two people release a road and a fence there is surely something underhanded going on. I personally like the longer fence section of Jose's kit. For those who want a shorter wall, get Perdu's. In the end it's all about what the modeler likes. Even though they may be similar, there are enough differences for me.

Sunken roads to tend to have a certain 'sameness' to them. Even though, frankly I don't see many similarities between the 2 models mentioned...

Yes Monroe Perdu has a very similar base. Since I think of Mike a friend, I am a more than a little biased on this issue. And considering Mike does this kind of thing for a living (and on a much bigger scale) and making up creative scenes and buildings is only what he has been doing since long before many of us took up modeling (or going back to it), it's not really that surprising that his stuff inspires similar items. He has some excellent new items as well which I am sure will be the inspiration for other diorama accessory pieces. I am sure Mike is pretty use to this by now. It reminds me a bit of when I started Armorama and at that time no site had a dynamic database-driven content system. Now of course many of the new sites do. Heck I was on a Vietnamese site the other day and wrote the webmaster to compliment their site. He wrote me back today and I noted they are calling their group builds 'Campaigns'. hehe Jim