Just in time for Halloween, the skeletal Field Marshal and his faithful driver take to the African deserts once again, in the form of Monogram's 2009 1/24 reissue of Tom Daniel's classic '60s “Krazy Kommand Kar” design.
This was one of the few Tom Daniel showrods I never actually got to build as a kid, so I wanted to do it more or less stock OOB (with complete original-style decals), with just a few added touches. I dumped the chrome finish on the kit parts in favor of a more regulation heavily-weathered sandgelb finish, then added more accurate command flags and convoy reflectors to the fenders, standard Wehrmacht vehicle plates front and rear, and a rear-view mirror for the driver. I modified the kit aerial (and added a jaunty pennant) and scratchbuilt a command radio so the Generalfeldmarschall could stay in touch with his spectral divisions.
The real fun was with the figures. I added ribcages from styrene strip, then made up (suitably tatttered) uniforms piece by piece with white-glue-soaked tissue, and regular paper for pockets, belts and such. Insignia and decorations were internet images printed out on paper and decal stock, with a little hand-painting thrown in. I modified the driver's steel helmet to form the more stylish Afrika Korps field cap. My finishing touch was to remove Herr Feldmarschall's molded-on motorcycle-type goggles from his hat, and replace them with tiny scratchbuilt sand goggles of the British design which became part of Rommel's oft-photographed iconic image.
An Internet search turned up an image of an actual German military map of the Tobruk area, so I had to shrink it down and print it out. I enlarged the kit's map table, added a few covenient hand grenades as paperweights, and all was done.
The ghostly Field Marshal thoughtfully studies his map of Tobruk, deciding strategy and planning his next brilliant against-the-odds attack. His loyal driver smiles for the camera and checks his rear-view mirror for any sign of SAS Commandos or marauding low-flying Hurricanes.
Happy (and safe) Halloween to one and all!
