The Playland Penny Arcade

[Ken Hamilton]

The 1/2"-scale "Playland Arcade" project has been lying dormant since I made some arcade games for it nearly
five years ago. Indecisiveness about what type of building to make put the project on hold, but it's
time to knuckle down and bring the project back to the bench.  Here are a couple of the games:



...and a shooting gallery game under construction:



After drawing up some ideas and roughing in the buildings with Gatorboard, the Arcade is
coming back to life.  The idea is an old arcade that's being emptied out, with the contents being
loaded onto the back of a stakebody truck:



Just to get my feet wet, I'm concentrating on this little hallway in the building beside the
Arcade.  It will only be seen through this open front door, but there will be a dim light in there
so it will need some detail:



I wanted some peeling wallpaper to show, as well as a small piece of a damaged
plaster wall beside the doorway on the right, just inside the entrance.
First, the Gatorboard was cut and the foam scooped out:



Next, two studs and some basswood slats were installed...



....followed by a mix of Aluminum Oxide powder and white acrylic paint for the plaster:



"Jim's Printable Mini" wallpaper was glued on with doll house wallpaper paste
and some of the paper was torn and bent:



The doors, woodwork and flooring still need to be done, and the walls and ceiling need
more weathering and water streaks and a couple of radiator pipes, but the Arcade is officially back on the bench!

[Chuck Doan]

It's back!

[BKLN]

Ken,
that Wolfson show last Winter did get you infected, huh? You know those model viruses can linger around for a while until the first symptoms show up. I am very excited about this project. Your DPM-Kitbash was very inspiring to me, so I can't wait to see the progress reports for this one!

[gin sot]

"Antique" arcade game consoles provide a unique opportunity to model indoor weathering: cigarette burns, spilled soda pop, etc.

[lab-dad]

Ahhh the memories of wasted afternoons.......
The smells and all sorts of sensory overload.
I still remember many of those games you have modeled.
Looks like the start of an interesting diorama.
-Marty

[Frederic Testard]

Now, THIS is creation, Ken!

[Ray Dunakin]

Very cool project!

[Malachi Constant]

Is it true the place went out of business cuz you didn't feel like making scale coins to operate the machines? 

Another really cool project ... but, speaking of coins, shouldn't there be some little coin slots on the machines?

The graphics and overall "feeling" of the games is amazing!

Cheers,
Dallas

[danpickard]

Ken,
Something I always appreciate about you work is the different slant you put on the subject.  Could have just made a collection of old arcade games in room, but the choice to tell the story of the arcade being closed, building in a state of disrepair etc, almost gives the diorama a sense of history...death of the arcade.   You just need to include a figure of a young guy walking past he truck with a Nintendo DS in his hands to complete the story.

It's good a radical degree of coolness...is that appropriate arcade language?

Cheers,
Dan

[Ken Hamilton]

Thanks, guys:
Dan: I do plan on a figure or two in the scene if I can pull off just the right poses.
Dallas: there will definitely be coin slots (and more) on each of the machines. 
More weathering on each one, too.  I do like to give builds a sense of history,
or at least some sort of human touch.
BKLN: Yeah....that Wolfson show was amazing.  Seeing his stuff in person was a real treat.

[Ken Hamilton]

Deck the Halls.... Here's the latest progress. 
The tile floor is from Jim's Printable Minis; the front edge and face of the steps
are styrene spritzed with primer and washed with thin white for the marbleized effect.



Water running down the wall justifies the damaged plaster:



Here's a close-up of the intercom:



Remember, the hallway is going to be seen from this angle through the door:



Not much for a week' work.  At this rate, the Arcade Diorama might take a while.
PS: The wainscoting is made from leftover coffee stirrers......Is there no escaping those horrible things?

[Ray Dunakin]

That looks great! The intercom, with notes stuck along the edge, is a nice touch.

[finescalerr]

I think we are going to have a very good time watching this little creative process move along. Looks like you already are having fun with it. -- Russ

[Junior]

Beautiful work so far! What is the Wolfson Show? 

Anders

[DaKra]

For a while I worked nights as a process server in NYC, that was a funny job, but a bit scary at times.   This dingy vestibule brings back memories, just needs more grime.  Actually a lot more grime 

Anders, Wolfson is a diorama artist who does NYC scenery in about 1/25 scale, beautiful work, very inspirational.   He had a show at a gallery in Lower Manhattan a while back

     http://www.alanwolfson.net/