Introduction

Accion Press fronts so many different modeling magazines nowadays that I doubt they ever have much of a down day in the offices. I would imagine that putting your imprint on Panzer Aces, Model Laboratory, and Euro Modelismo which must be the original product, can keep your very busy. With that much going on it is a wonder that more things don’t slip through the cracks. The recent publication of Euro Modelismo #242 sure seems like one of those unfortunate slips to me.

Contents

A beautifully produced (A4 size) glossy magazine on very nice paper of 64 total pages that features lavish color photography throughout should be something for Accion Press to be proud of. All of the text is in Spanish but that detracts little if any from the value of the magazine. And it is beautiful; a wondrous article on a 1/32 Spitfire IXc (sorry, it does include their standard one airplane article!) by Juan Castro that is superbly weathered.

The photographs, also by Castro, are a lesson in weathering. Even if you would never allow a wingy thing to grace your workspace you can still learn something from his work. Prolific modeler Rodrigo Cabos presents the second part of an article showing how to make snowy terrain using micro-balloons, aluminum powder, and ‘Still Water’ from Vallejo. He also includes a nice selection of reference photos for inspiration.

The issue finishes up with a show report from Montijo, Portugal, a short single page rundown of a few new items and an article by Jorge del Corral on the building and weathering of a 1/35 Alan Panzer IIJ (a brave man). Corral dolls it up with a good selection of aftermarket goodies and then walks us slowly through the finishing process which is well done. I appreciate how the actual paint or pigment used is displayed, makes it easier to shop for the same.

The only thing I have left out is the feature article, 15 pages in length; a diorama of the Warsaw ghetto. The diorama was built by a team of three builders, and photographed by all three of the builders plus an additional gentleman. The diorama features lots of figures doing lots of things several vehicles, scratch built buildings complete with interiors. Everything is first rate. If you are looking for tips on the construction of buildings, brick walls, or interiors this article will fit the bill nicely. The focus is on such and in fact never even touches on the figures or vehicles.

Conclusion

I said in the beginning that I felt it was an error for Accion Press to lead with this feature, I felt it is a very well done diorama but may cause offence. That is because the main article on the Warsaw Ghetto features some gruesome work; an older wheelchair bound gentlemen being pitched headlong from the third floor out into the street in what I would consider the focal point of the diorama. Other poor souls are depicted being rounded up while another lies prone on the street in the process of having his head bashed in by the butt of a German rifle. Did incidents like this happen? Surely and sadly they did. Should we forget? Surely, not. But; this does not seem to me to be the best possible feature for the cover. As modelers we already fight something of a battle in the eyes of the general public concerning our chosen subject matter and things like this make it hard to defend. When modeling the harsh realities of what we model I chose the maxim that “Less is More”, I only wish the publishers of Euro Modelismo had done the same.