Vintage Model Toy Kit Illustrations from Artist and Designer Matteline67

I have been creating artwork for imaginary model kits that I wish had been available when I was growing up. So in some cases there is a kit available now. But where was it in 1977 when 10-year-old me really needed it? Ha!

Wherever possible I have matched the aspect ratio of my box top artwork to actual box sizes of the suggested manufacturer.

1. Landmaster

One of the greatest vehicles ever to appear on film, the film “Damnation Alley” is a bit underwhelming as a film, but the Landmaster is a futuristic, highly credible vehicle. And it was built full size and really worked! A model kit – by Tamiya, the experts in AFV kits – in 1/35th scale would have been terrific.

2. Flying Bug

There was a popular “Matchbox” toy car in the early 70s which featured an outsized driver wearing a WW1 German helmet. This kit imagines the vehicle as a more or less a real vehicle. I made the engines look more like V1 ramjet motors.

3. Nautilus 1 from “Captain Nemo and the Underwater City”

This film was often shown on TV when I was growing up and I always loved the Nautilus design in the film, although the Disney Nautilus is THE gold standard. I think part of the appeal of a kit like this is that the underwater shots are quite murky and it is hard to tell just what the ship looks like. A kit would answer all those questions 🙂

4. The Liberator

From “Blake’s 7,” such an awesome spaceship. The TV show had a great premise and the ship, with its sentient computer controlling it, was fabulous.

5. Firefox MiG-31

I just love this plane and really like the 1982 Clint Eastwood film “Firefox.” Designing a unique aircraft and creating the shots of the plane in flight with vfx was a bold choice, but it gives the super advanced aircraft an added feeling that it is special. Several resin “garage kits” have been made, but this really warranted a mainstream “Airfix” kit!

6. The Albatross

From “Master of the World,” the Albatross is a unique flying machine. It looks like an airship, but it actually has a full interior, more akin to a ship. In the script, the inventor Robor (the great Vincent Price no less) states that it is made from compressed paper! I like how this artwork follows the format of many of the Airfix classic ship kits.

7. Klaatu’s spaceship from “The Day the Earth Stood Still”

This one is not so much a kit I would have loved to have, as much as a piece that came out really well. In the film the ship glows white when it flies. A ‘glows in the dark’ treatment seems like just the sort of gimmicky thing that you could believe Aurora would have done, as they already had experience with glows in the dark pieces in their monster kits. And the ship itself is basically a classic, but not super interesting, the flying saucer they may have wanted to give it a new lease of life to add to sales.

8. Airport Emergency Set

The TV series “Thunderbirds” featured an array of great looking and believable vehicles in addition to the magnificent Thunderbird craft themselves. This artwork was inspired by the series of course, but also the Airfix RAF Emergency Set and the terrific Roy Cross box art.

9. Fairchild C82 Packet

The film “The Flight of the Phoenix” is a terrific thriller of a movie. The premise of the film (and the book), where the survivors of a crashed airplane attempt to rebuild it, is especially appealing to model-makers I think. I have loved this film since the first time I saw it as a kid. (p.s. – avoid the remake)

10. Max’s Models Red Baron

This is one I was asked to do for the Max’s Models channel, which celebrates all things to do with model kits. Max wanted a box top like the old 1960s Aurora kit. I was flattered to be asked and I am really happy with the finished piece.

Like what you see? Check out more from Matteline67 or commission your own piece at matteline.com and at YouTube @matteline.