Celebrity models

Sorry, no pictures of Cindy Crawford or Naomi Campbell on this page. These celebrity models are a different kind of toy.

This page features models which have been featured on the pages of magazines, used for box art photos or maybe even seen in a movie.

magcovr.jpg (43420 bytes) These are the two models I built which were featured on the covers of SAE and Car Modeler. My column, Replica Stock, ran for close to 10 years between the two magazines.

autobox.jpg (53108 bytes) Two autographed kit boxes. The top box was signed by John "Bo Duke" Schneider when my band opened for his Country Music roadshow in 1983.

The bottom box was signed by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. The "copy is boss" line refers to the copy I wrote for the side panel of the box in which I refer to him as "a bear coming out of hibernation". I guess he didn't mind being called a bear.

revoporsche.jpg (41454 bytes) A 1/20th scale Porsche I built for the Bally-Midway Co. Video Games Division. It was used in an arcade game called Revolution X. The car had working lights all around and opening doors so that live actors could be filmed getting in and out of the model vehicles. I actually played the game at a video arcade once but I wasn't good enough to get to the level that my car was on.-This group is for sale. Price $400. Inquire for details.

plastere.jpg (26425 bytes) This plaster model was an early Edsel design study done at Ford Motor Co. in the mid-1950s. It's looks to be approximately 1/32nd scale and even has pencil markings on it for a variety of trim designs. It was a gift from a designer at Ford to a neighbor lady.

threeboxart.jpg (32183 bytes) Three box art models I built for MPC (Model Products Corporation) during my stint with them in the early 1980s. I was sent blueprints and each model had to have certain elements built from scratch. 

batford.jpg (45465 bytes) In 1995, Revell-Monogram included a special Batman comic book as a premium in certain model kits. An article was written for the comic on "Kitbashing" and several of my models were used to illustrate the article. This '36 Ford was one of them. The circled area on the comic reads- "Models built by Dean Milano".- This group is for sale. Price $200. Inquire for details.

martiancar.jpg (25662 bytes) In early 1998, I was contacted by the studio doing the special effects for the new Disney release of "My favorite Martian". They heard I had a 1960 Valiant model and they asked if they could borrow it. I sent it to Hollywood and 6 months later, it was returned to me. The model was used for the film and it was also used as a guide for larger models that were built for various scenes.

dremel.jpg (26328 bytes) In 1991, I was contacted by the Dremel Tool Company and asked if I could supply them with a model car for a print ad to appear in Fine Scale Modeler magazine. Out of the 500 or so built models in my collection at the time, the '56 Plymouth you see here was the model they chose for the photograph.

stirlingmoss.JPG (26455 bytes) A signed letter from Stirling Moss to Revell dated May of 1955, in which he asks Revell if they'd be interested in producing a model of his winning Mercedes 300 SLR. Little did he know it would be 40 years before the car would actually be added to their kit line.- This group is for sale. Price $300. Inquire for details.

k-9.jpg (198597 bytes) Doctor Who fans will recognize this li'l creature. This is the original K-9 that was built in 1977 and used in the TV series. Mat Irvine worked on the mechanics of the robot and he now considers himself the K-9 "Caretaker". It's the only pet in the house he doesn't have to feed. 

monsterford.jpg (68220 bytes) This '31 Ford Model A was completed (built and painted) in less than 3 hours after we got a call from the TV show- Monster Garage. Apparently, the model was needed for a segment they were planning to shoot involving a real '31 Model A. You can still see the black paint on my fingers. I put on my best "monster" attitude for this picture. (The episode aired Feb.21, '05)

warbucks2.JPG (42203 bytes) warbucks1.JPG (23504 bytes) greenwich.JPG (16243 bytes) This one took me by surprise when a friend told me had seen my picture on the boxcover of the new AMT Daddy Warbucks funny car kit. But sure enough, there I am, right behind the car. The picture to the far right shows the original image as seen on the ABOUT ME page at my own website. The funny thing is, I work for Revell and my picture is on an AMT box- our main competition! Thanks, Dave Burket!

I received this in the mail one day from model maker Dave Van. He reduced my Toy Museum and made decals of it which he applied to this 1/87 scale diecast truck model.

trashcan.jpg (23115 bytes) What's this? An actual celebrity model! Well, almost. This is my wife modeling for a Trash Can Liner package that was used in the 1960-70s. If she sees I've put this on the Website, she'll freak!