The Way of the Editor:
Paper ShapingBy and gone is the era of the paper toys — or is it? ComicBase Editor Shiaw-Ling Lai takes a look at models and toys that you can create yourself, entirely out of paper. The mind boggles.
Whatever you want, they’ve got it on this inter-web thing. Even if you didn’t know you wanted it.
Sounds ominous? Well, not really. But even after years of using the internet, I’m still amazed at the kind of neat things I can find online.
Take, for instance, paper models. They’re not so popular now, but I remember years in my childhood when paper dolls where the customizable toy of choice for every little girl to have. Cheap, colorful, with the original add-on design-it-yourself-accessories, paper dolls were imaginative solutions for the working class child. Nowadays, of course, plastic Barbies and video games (The Sims, anyone?) have more than filled in for the cheap entertainment of my childhood, but the point is this: there’s still a lot of possibilities when you’re working with paper.
What brought this all up was just a surprising find on the internet: The Interdimensional House of Hako, an off-beat site devoted to designs for paper model toys, including Batman, Iron Man (with removable helmet), and Superman (cape included). It all begins with simple PDF design sheets downloadable from the site that you can print and assemble yourself, using nothing more than glue, and scissors. Construction time can take anywhere between one to five hours, depending on the difficulty level and complexity of the project you choose.
So far, my favorite “themed” paper models have been the ThePaperShaper.com’s commercial tie-ins. Get anything from Tux the Linux penguin to South Park’s Cartman or a SprintPCS: Samsung 3500 cell phone—how funny is that? Artwork and colors on the various “blueprints” for models can range from basic boxes to extremely involved spaceships like an Enterprise (Constitution Refit II) from Star Trek or a Centauri Republic “Sentri” Class Interceptor from Babylon 5.
If the models available on the aforementioned Interdimensional House of Hako—like Batman, Superman, The Flash and Devilman—aren’t enough, its predecessor, The Original Hako Clone site*, has even more designs, including Wonder Woman, Bizarro, Supergirl, Spider-Man, etc. Just imagine having the entire Justice League of America in paper lining your cubicle. It’s cheaper than getting the plastic models, plus you get extra points for originality.
Of course , paper models have arguably been around—if you count origami and its related crafts — for hundreds of years, but technology has created innovative ways for us to revisit these old crafts. Paper models are fun projects that both kids and adults can enjoy, and the freedom (and cost effectiveness) of creating materials as you go makes hako accessible for just about anyone; and what you choose is completely based on your interest and the level of difficulty desired.
Most PDFs are available free of charge, so check out the links on this page, or visit the Paper Model Webring for more paper model connections. Leave it to the internet to give us this fun and cheap blend of modern and old technology.
* Also see Masamune's Dimensional Paper Model Locus, from the same creator, for current updates to the paper model designs. (Updated 3/7/06)
Additional Links
The Interdimensional House of Hako
Shiaw-Ling Lai is the Editor of ComicBase and the resident maser of origami. She has three cats who gleefully overrun her apartment and devour her paper creations. She can be reached for comment or questions at slai@human-computing.com