Benno's Figures Forum

Posted by **The Observer** on 06 Sep 2010, 19:59

Inspired by the discussion about the best build figure set , i throw the hat in the ring on how you guys think about the best box art printed on a figure box?

I presume Airfix will go far at this....... ;-)

Posted by **PitYak Studios** on 06 Sep 2010, 20:09

Hat's have the best box art. And the biggest discrepenacy between box and contents.

Posted by **musketier** on 06 Sep 2010, 20:49

I am kind of partial to the old (not the first edition ones) Airfix box art :love:

Posted by **Maurice** on 06 Sep 2010, 21:27

I like the reenactment photo's on the MARS boxes.

Posted by **Erich von Manstein** on 07 Sep 2010, 00:13

I really like the "classical" action-paintings on the Zvezda, Waterloo 1815, Revell, Emhar, MiniArt & of course Italeri boxes.
Also the old Matchbox & Esci and the brandnew Plastic Soldier box art in this spirit.
Giuseppe Rava is just one of the artists, but he might be the best known.

Have to say that I find the composition on the Lucky Toys boxes quite interisting, a bit extraordinary & also appealing. Very colourful & maybe a little overloaded, but something different at least.
http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=1514
http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=894

Best box art?
Hard to say, can't name a single "best" one. Here some nice examples:
Italeri - Chinese Cavalry http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=1510
Italeri - Nap. Prussian Infantry http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=886 (yes I know, an otherwise miserable set)
Zvezda - Polish Winged Hussars http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=1315
Waterloo 1815 - Anglo-Egyptian Army http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=794
Revell - 7YW Austrian Infantry http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=499
MiniArt - French Knights with Assault Ladders http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=563
Emhar - WWI British Artillery http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=344
... and if I would go on for hours I still couldn't name the "best" ... .

And just for some nostalgic reasons:
Matchbox - WWII Japanese Infantry http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=240
Esci - WWII Japanese Soldiers http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=88

Ahhh, memories. :love:

BTW, I strongly agree with what PitYak Studios wrote.
Earnestly the Hät boxes feature amazing paintings!
But the contents rarely (actually never) live up to the high expectations generated by the wonderful, detailed & correct box art. Their figures normally don' t even come close to what the picture describes. Sad, very sad. :roll:

Regards

Posted by **ModernKiwi** on 07 Sep 2010, 02:32

Zvedza's Samurai sets have very nice box art in my opinion. Not that the box art has ever affected my choice of buying or not.

Posted by **Angelle Sambre** on 07 Sep 2010, 04:22

I like the Pegasus Waffen SS boxes, that show the potential of the contents very nicely done. What in the Hell made them deviate with such a beautiful set as Rangers on DDay, I will never know! To their credit, Italeri generally prepare you for what is inside, and Zvezda show them on the flip side... and my motion, I guess, carries the HaT statement! They do have some hand-drawn pix on the back of each box to give you an idea of what you are really buying! Odemars and BUM might be the worst...

Posted by **closerlookbooks** on 07 Sep 2010, 04:36

Great question. I know this doesn't relate to the box art of 1:72 scale figures, but I found a site with beautiful illustrations. If interested, follow this link to the site: http://zgonnik.ucoz.ua/photo/14
Enjoy.
Steve

Posted by **ColeF** on 07 Sep 2010, 14:07

PitYak Studios wrote:Hat's have the best box art. And the biggest discrepenacy between box and contents.

No, I'd have to give that award to MiniArt....

Posted by **Erich von Manstein** on 07 Sep 2010, 18:54

Always have been strongly impressed by the Esci Diorama boxes back then:

Berlin - Die Götterdämmerung http://henk.fox3000.com/Esci/2021.jpg
Krimea - Sevastopol's Siege http://henk.fox3000.com/Esci/2024.jpg
Moscow - Operation Typhoon http://henk.fox3000.com/Esci/2002.jpg
Stalingrad - The Long Siege http://henk.fox3000.com/Esci/2010.jpg
Operation Barbarossa - Russia Invasion http://henk.fox3000.com/Esci/2016/01.jpg
Tobruk - Africa Gate http://henk.fox3000.com/Esci/2007.jpg
Kasserine Pass - US First Clash http://henk.fox3000.com/Esci/2023.jpg
Salerno - Hardest Landing http://henk.fox3000.com/Esci/2011.jpg
Siegfried Line - The Giant's Fall http://henk.fox3000.com/Esci/2013.jpg
Burma - The Green Hell http://henk.fox3000.com/Esci/2020.jpg
Singapore - Japanese Invasion http://henk.fox3000.com/Esci/2026.jpg
Saigon - The Tet Offensive http://henk.fox3000.com/Esci/2028.jpg
...
Those were the best diorama sets available then & maybe unbeaten till today. Real value for the money and the kits & figures were first-rate at that time. Much better already than their Airfix, Fujimi, Nitto, Matchbox & Hasegawa ancestors & siblings. It was definitely the "action heavy" box art that downright forced me to buy just another of those Dio-boxes (although I may have owned the kits & figs included already - besides the dio-plate of course).

See them all at Henk's formidable site:
http://henk.fox3000.com/Esci4.htm

Memories again! :love1:

Regards

Posted by **The Observer** on 07 Sep 2010, 19:08

Yes-those ESCI-Diorama Sets were really great! The artwork wich included always (or nearly always) a soldier looking to the spectator is a great idea , although Airfix did that too in some of their box art.

Ipersonally like also many of the old Esci Box Art , the awesome painting from Rava on the newer Italeri Boxes - those rocks!

Beside all the favour of some for the HäT Box Art i see there some who look a bit....strange..like the Theban Infantry Box-is he out for war or waiting to be picked by some handsome guys up for a disco night dancing to Y.M.C.A.? ;-)