THE CREATURE

(from The Creature From

The Black Lagoon - 1954)

Manufacturer: Tsukuda

Material: Vinyl

Scale: 1/6

All the big Tsukuda vinyl monster models are basically toys. I say this because they come pre-assembled with movable arms. The Creature is the best of their monster series in my opinion. The sculpt is very good with nice detailing and stands 14” without a base. My only criticism is that the hands are a little big and out of proportion with regard to the actual movie suit. They do not, however, detract from the kit.

When I bought this it had been painted, apparently by a kid. The paint job was pretty rough so I got it a fairly good price. I gave it a quick clean, a base coat of primer and started painting. This kit was entirely brush painted with acrylics.

I scratch built the base since it didn’t come with one. I had fun trying to create a swampy environment. The rocks are made of Styrofoam, the ground is Durham’s Water Putty and the muck is layered, clear, casting resin with paint between layers.

While this isn’t the best Creature kit out there, it is definitely worth having in your collection if you can find one.