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THE COVETED BLACK SWAMP MODELERS TROPHY To help attract and motivate builders of non-mainstream subjects, the Black Swamp Modelers awards the coveted BSM trophy to competitors in International Plastic Modelers Society events who have created what we think is the most outstanding non-mainstream entry in a show. One of the privileges of membership in the BSM is the ability to award the trophy in whichever Region that member lives. In considering the candidates at any given contest for the BSM Award, we look to see that the models meet the same standards of craftsmanship that any other entry in an IPMS contest must display. As you can see from the photos, the trophy has generally been handmade by Mark. After June of 2009, BSM members will be able to come up with their own trophies, with the SIG providing the nameplate. Mark (whose back was turned during the judging) won the first trophy with his Colin Clive figure. On a personal note, the happenstance of me having won my own award has bugged me for years. This year (2008), events transpired that have driven me to try and correct this inequity. I am doing so by removing the 2000 plaque from the trophy, and will replace it with a new one for 2009. Given the trophy's design, the theme for 2009 coveted Black Swamp Modelers award is suggested to be: "Best Model of an Extra Terrestrial Subject". This might be anything from the critters that oozed through the Alien films to Superman to an U.F.O., just as long as it's from Somewhere Out There - so start building now!
In 2001, John Brindley won with his Godzilla collection. John Lemons was the winner for 2002. In lieu of a trophy (but still earning the bragging rights) he was presented with a package containing Polar Lights reissues of Frankenstein's Flivver and The Wolf Man's Wagon model kits, plus a Posthumous Productions resin nameplate that read, "Frankenstein's Flivver Meets the Wolf Man's Wagon" (in the box art lettering, naturally).
For the "Celebrating a Century of Flight" theme of the 2003 Century-Con - which was won by Mike Edwards, the President of the IPMS/Fremont Kitbashers chapter - we added a theme of our own:
Sorry to say, we've lost track of a couple other winners. The 2006 IPMS Region 4 Convention was hosted by the Toledo chapter. As it coincided with the 40th Anniversary of the debut of Star Trek we felt it only appropriate to make that the theme of the 2006 BSM award:
Our records are incomplete; we're missing the 2005 and 2007 winners. If you are a past recipient of the coveted Black Swamp Modelers award, we'd like to hear from you - you're already a member of the SIG! If you haven't won yet, we hope that this site will inspire you to build the next coveted Black swamp Modelers trophy winner!
The coveted 2008 BSM award went to Gary Cohoe, for his Discovery spacecraft from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. View photos of the model on Gary's gallery page. |
The
2008 trophy was presented at the 2008 IPMS Region 4 Convention held in Kirtland,
Ohio, by the IPMS/John Glenn and IPMS/Western Reserve Chapters;