Revell German UFO Taken off the Market

Posted on June 19, 2018 by admin

https://www.thelocal.de/20180619/toy-nazi-ufo-taken-off-market-after-criticism

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26 Responses to Revell German UFO Taken off the Market

Daniel Murphy says:

June 19, 2018 at 11:25 AM

Given political sensitivities in Germany, I’m a bit surprised that such a product made it onto the market. Hypothesizing Nazi flying saucers is a bit different from rolling out one more version of a Tiger tank. That said, if Revell had been less tone-deaf in their packaging and advertising, fantasy WWII wargamers probably would have bought a bunch. Revell could have tied it to Roswell, or just made it generic, with stickers appropriate for various combatants. I suppose if nothing else, this shows the cultural impact of shows like Ancient Aliens!

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OIF-Retread says:

June 19, 2018 at 11:28 AM

will Rommel’s Rod be next? as a kid i remember thinking that was an actual vehicle; that probably warped my mind in assorted ways.

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ERWIN F SELL says:

June 19, 2018 at 12:40 PM

In my opinion this is ridiculous and regardless won’t even cover any true and fact First is very absurd they continue use label the invention made during WW2 as Nazi .They germans did ,wherever were under a regime of any political influence or not is not what important and should not be cover off as a taboo ,neither take off credit the Germans indeed were a century ahead in innovation in many modern technology in many aspect .That The Nazy party gob did support and benefit of it is the same as Soviets use the russian advance and terrorist use any arabs advance .It is very absurd mix one thing with other.
Funny is that US and Soviet -Russian rob and kidnap or (“hire” ) most Nazi era German scientific and use then to develop their space program and others .
My thoughts

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George Albany says:

June 19, 2018 at 12:57 PM

Attack of the politically correct historic revisionists again. Any one with half a brain and over the age of 13 knows that the Germans/Nazis did not have flying saucers. Perhaps they had plans on the drawing board, but come on, what educated adult would be so gullible as to think that Ole Adolph and his pals were flying through space? I may just track down one of these models myself while they may still be available, assemble it and create a vignette of a Nazi moon landing. That’ll scare the pants off of the revisionists. Whaddya’ll think?

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- George Albany says:
  
  June 20, 2018 at 6:09 AM
  
  I did it. I just ordered the 1/144 size kit. Anyone have any suggestions as to how I can create a 1/144 moonscape? I thought maybe the moon base terrain from the Marx playset, but too expensive and looks like the wrong size/shape anyway. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
  
  Reply
  - TDBarnecut says:
    
    June 20, 2018 at 10:41 AM
    
    Skip the moon, make it be Mars. The Calvin and Hobbes version -less craters, more interesting landscapes, etc.
    
    Reply
    - George Albany says:
      
      June 20, 2018 at 7:19 PM
      
      Good idea. Maybe I’ll add Calvin and Hobbes in their interplanetary transmogrifier in a corner of the vignette, although it may be difficult to create a boy and his tiger in 1 /144. Will have to see actual size when the kit arrives.
      
      Reply
      - George Albany says:
        
        June 27, 2018 at 6:32 PM
        
        I got the Pegasus 1/144 Saucer today and am planning on doing the Mars thing, but I can’t find any Calvin and Hobbes figures. Anyone have any suggestions? I’m not good enough to make them from scratch.
TDBarnecut says:

June 19, 2018 at 4:44 PM

Building a full scale Graf Zeppelin in my garage. Hmmmm, where can I get some hydrogen? Now there is some advanced technology.

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- ERWIN F SELL says:
  
  June 19, 2018 at 11:47 PM
  
  You could-may be arrested fo terrorism and handling possible material x explosive too !!!.just saying ….today everything is so ridiculous sensitive and touchy you never know where you going to be hurt
  my thoughts..
  
  Reply
  - TDBarnecut says:
    
    June 20, 2018 at 8:11 PM
    
    Reply
Daniel Murphy says:

June 19, 2018 at 4:45 PM

The Ancient Aliens guys have been pushing the idea that the Nazi-era Germans (and Werner von Braun) were getting ideas and technology from aliens. This trope has made it into various science fiction works – Nazi bases on the moon etc. All of this is quite silly, but I guess in these politically correct times, and especially in Germany, it is too much to assert this absurd Nazi technological innovation in a toy. As I said above, packaged differently (or maybe the same in the US) this model would find a market in fantasy WWII gamers and with other folks. I like the vaguely steampunky design, with the ball turrets on the underside. At 1/72 it would match up nicely with piles of readily available figures. Providing stickers for other nationalities and maybe some fantasy identifications would have made this a great product for all sorts of purposes. Given Revell’s surrender to its critics, I hope the company has the sense to simply repackage the saucer as a more generic fantasy toy.

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Daniel Murphy says:

June 19, 2018 at 4:58 PM

Here is a Pegasus model of a German flying saucer in a different scale. Being an American company (I believe) I guess it did not attract the attention Revell did:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pegasus-9119-Haunebu-II-German-WWII-UFO-Flying-Saucer-Model-Kit-1-144-/232812100867?_trksid=p2349526.m4383.l4275.c10#viTabs_0

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Jack Gibbons says:

June 19, 2018 at 9:03 PM

Nazi UFOs? Who needs a U-Boat when you have a spaceship to let your Fuher escape the bunker and live out his days in South America?

I just love made-up history where nobody takes the time to actually read or learn what was actually going on at the time. I also enjoy being falsely outraged or insulted over things that may have actually happened in history. My exasperation and sarcasm should be noted (because both of them have actually occurred).

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kent sprecher says:

June 19, 2018 at 11:57 PM

Send in Indian Jones, he will clean the Nazis up.

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james nixon says:

June 20, 2018 at 7:47 AM

Have just seen on ebay people are bidding on the 1/72 scale revel flying saucer they are bidding on one saucer and it is going for £128.50 with still days to go when there is another to buy for £95.00. It is the same to me about calling German ww2 figures elite instead of Waffen ss is this trying to change history where would the American space program be without the Nazis and the IVF treatment as in Josef Mengele who was in to experimenting All this has been hushed up also the head of NATO who was top German tank commander from ww2 lets have it all out in the open.

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Don Perkins says:

June 20, 2018 at 8:10 AM

Here’s the Martin Luther King Jr. “rule” on previously persecuted groups being “sensitive” about modern-day treatment of the events which caused their suffering:

1. Any religious, racial, or ethnic group which has suffered historical persecution has the right to be “sensitive” about it and/or to object to modern-day depictions which minimize their suffering and/or treat it like it’s now irrelevant or all in “good fun” by trivializing the historical events which caused the suffering;

2. Any person who’s own group was not itself a victim of the persecution has no moral right to minimize or to mock the “sensitivity” of the group which was the actual victim of the persecution.

King, before he was himself assasinated, called this his “rule of historical good manners”.

I myself tend to agree with King’s “rule”. I know some will dismiss it out-of-hand, but I think it’s worth considering for at least a minute or two, before lashing out in anger.

I therefore support the efforts of those who object to the depiction of Nazi symbols on children’s toys, and I support Revell’s withdrawel of this “fantasy” model from circulation. I think the objections to the model on the part of various Jewish and German groups represent a legitimate, thoughtful effort to avoid letting Nazism become something that’s “normal”.

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- TDBarnecut says:
  
  June 20, 2018 at 10:35 AM
  
  Citations, please.
  
  Reply
- ERWIN F SELL says:
  
  June 20, 2018 at 11:51 AM
  
  If read the the reason was apparently not the symbol but the fact the the supposed invention was made during Nazi era . By the way yes Germans were involved in the projects and several places were start to be build with some test actually ,plus captured mock samples and prototype were taken by US army at the end of war along proof found documentation. Even many want denied it ,there had been some proof declassified recently about it. Yet I will not discuss it here .
  The toy as sold with unfunded data description as if were SFC toy .
  
  But going back to thematic .Is not about Nazi symbols depicted in toy kit but about fact it was build during the German Nazi era apparently what spark the issue.
  Yet in official Revell company statement it indicate because the depiction of “Emblazoned with emblems from the Third Reich,”
  
  https://www.thelocal.de/20180619/toy-nazi-ufo-taken-off-market-after-criticism
  
  Now .The only symbols depicted in this item is the Wehrmacht Balkenkreuz that is NOT at all a Nazi era symbol as first used in end WW 1,then in WW2 by Heer, Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine .The black cross and belong specifically to the German Army/Air and marine forces only ,not political party ,the cross used in planes and armors do not have any problem even at-first child age toys ,sample the very proliferate Polish company (COBI) that sale all in Germany as well Europe these toys with German WW2 marking it outside box and in toys with decals and have not been banned at all neither retired.
  An these are toys for small children ,not hobby kits .
  SAMPLE.
  https://www.ebay.com/itm/COBI-Small-Army-Junkers-JU-87B/253472803193?epid=2287166677&hash=item3b04280979:g:d1IAAOSwW5lan1K~
  
  So again and going back to the fact it was not symbol but time these possible invention ideas were been work-made !!
  Are they going to ban that during Nazi Germany the Autobahn ( first high-speed motorways ) were build in the world ,yet invented in 20s in Germany first before Nazi took over !?
  That since 1938-1942 German had test and build used the first ever Jets !?
  That Germans build the first long range rockets V1 and V2?
  That Germans ever build and use the first night vision infrared system in combat-1939 Zielgerät ZG 1229 Vampir
  That Germans ever build and used introduce in mass the first assault rifle- StG 44
  The Germans introduced the first ever guide missile bomb typo Fritz X anti-ship bomb
  Germans during Nazi era introduce the first Helicopter-1935-1937Fl 282 Kolibri
  Germans develop the first Cassette recorder machine from where the future cassette will be made .Magnetophon K1,
  
  Are they going to ban brands companies such
  
  Adidas brand was invented by two former SS Germans soldiers .
  Puma too by one of the brothers of Adidas founders.
  
  Aldi supermarket owner both served in WW2 army
  
  Fanta drinks was invented by Max Keith(Fervent Nazi economist ) after the Coca cola was not longer exported to Germany during WW2 ,today is worldwide known and sold used .
  He used forced slave labor in his factories by the way .
  
  I can go on in the list as will be huge….
  
  So I think covering the history and facts with ban is complete non sense .
  
  It were Germans that happen to be under a regime call Nazi who invented and used it .
  Yet crimes were committed during that era but the credit of invention should not be erased from history.
  
  About minority and majority .
  
  If we let minorities imposes their-rules -bans -ideas – will; then the majorities will be dominated by minority and their minorities ideas becoming a non democratic real world .Not quite right neither acceptable in a real “free world”
  
  my thoughts.
  Best
  
  Reply
  - Don Perkins says:
    
    June 20, 2018 at 1:47 PM
    
    Two thoughts, Erwin:
    
    1. I can’t think of a weaker argument than pointing out that others have done similar things, or that there have been other abuses or imperfections which have taken place that weren’t corrected, and in consequence nobody is allowed to protest anything unless they can solve every other issue or inconsistency in the world first;
    
    2. Contrary to your last paragraph, this case did not involve a minority imposing a “rule” on the majority. The German and Jewish groups protesting the model do not have the power to make a “rule”, or to compell Revell to discontinue the model. Revell took that action voluntarily, presumably as a business decision. The only thing these protesters have power to do is to attempt to persuade Revell to take an action. They have the democratic right to do this, even if they are in the minority, and even if a current majority disagrees. This is the democratic way — minorities (not just majorities) have the right to protest, persuade, to speak out, and to boycott — even if they are just a minority. You yourself have an absolute right to write a letter to Revell yourself, arguing a contrary position. And you have the right to do so regardless of whether your position reflects a majority viewpoint, or just that of a minority.
    
    Reply
    - ERWIN F SELL says:
      
      June 20, 2018 at 2:53 PM
      
      Don.
      It looks very clear a minority WILL -complain was impose over others using a biases law in “this case ” .It is only matters of course to Revel in order to post that statement in order avoid a sue as usually is done by so call “self-minorities”
      I’m wonder why not other toys with WW2 german insignia had been ever complained as very clear i show one sample.That is clear a twisted odd fact
      You other thought is far away from what i say or meant to express , so don’t make sense to me .Sorry
      The world today is upside down and i’m sure many share my view .
      Regardless i will prefer leave this absurd news same way all toy soldiers militar toys today are seen too violents x kids too .As this thematic is going political and this blog is not .
      So i take my leave off this with respect to avoid any misunderstanding
      
      best
      
      Reply
    - admin says:
      
      June 20, 2018 at 2:56 PM
      
      I think that at this point we have covered the topic enough. Other sites have picked up on this article and will be discussing it.
      Both you Don and Erwin have hit good points on the subject.
      Germany is very sensivite to Nazi regalia.
      
      Reply
james nixon says:

June 20, 2018 at 9:19 AM

If they feel that strongly about it why are they allowing them to still make ww2 war films with Germans in they should only be making them fighting the Japanese and the Italians.

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- Don Perkins says:
  
  June 20, 2018 at 10:24 AM
  
  I think historical depictions are one thing; “fantasy” creations are something else.
  
  I’m sure the owners of Revell Model Company are not neo-Nazis. But they thoughtlessly (which they now concede) released a product with the intent to make money off it.
  
  I don’t think the desire to make money should trump all other values, including a legitimate interest in preserving a country’s historical consciousness about something so morally monsterous as Nazism.
  
  Reply
Daniel Murphy says:

June 20, 2018 at 10:33 AM

With the Revell incident, we are talking about German sensitivities. Because of their history, the Germans have strong restrictions on the use of Nazi symbols. Note that Pegasus and for all I know other manufacturers in other places have marketed fantasy German WWII saucers with no problems. The Germans have made many films about WWII, with none to my knowledge celebrating the German record. Should some German filmmaker attempt a serious version of Mel Brooks’ “Springtime for Hitler” there would be an outcry and maybe (I’m no expert on German law) legal penalties. Leaving aside the peculiarly German context of the Revell saucer mess, I think common sense and the King rule Don mentioned above should be taken seriously. The great mid-60s Marx Battleground sets with Germans did not have swastika flags. Some have pointed out that this was not historic. But these sets were designed for kids, not adult wargamers, dioramists, etc. Thinking about it, would we really want prepubescent boys running around with symbols of a historic evil they could not yet fully understand? I think Marx hit the balance right – the kids got German foes for their GIs, and some sense of history, but signs pointing to deeper issues could wait until they were older.

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al striano says:

June 20, 2018 at 6:26 PM

getting back e.f. figures they are very good but they charge way to much for them.At least 14 bucks to muchI know they are imported and such but so is every one elses and they don’t chaege 34 for 9 figures In admit I have a lot of the sets but id have akot more if they were priced right I have 985 boxes of aip and there are guys that have been to my house who will backm mE up on that.prjce it right and you will sell a lot more and make more money on volume in the end. paul email me I have a private question for you

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