New Hampshire, United States

Occupation: Web Developer/Designer
Interests: Scale Models, Star Wars, reading, my daughter and wife, cars, history, and travel to name a few.
USERNAME: staff_Jim

  



About staff_Jim
I started building models in 1971 when I was 6. My first model was a 1/32 P-40 Warhawk. Revell I believe. From there I moved onto the standard cars, Apollo spacecraft, and other kid orientated kits. I don't know what got me started on Armor. I must have seen a Monogram tank kit one day and said "Mom, can I get this?" I was probably about 8 by then. Soon I was outgrowing the discount department store in my small town and had to find a local hobby store. Well that store carried Tamiya and that was the real catalyst for getting me even further into the hobby. I stopped building in my teens and started up again in my mid-twenties. That was the late-eighties and I discovered new things like Italeri, Verlinden and Photo-etch at the local hobby store I frequented in Tallahassee, Florida. There was another long break when I was moving all around the country for a while and my models and supplies were put in storage. Then back in 2001 a friend and I decided to startup a business involving online communities and blogging. I wanted to build a site that I could test out some of these technologies with and so Armorama was born. It has been quite a ride since then, and slowly this site (which was a side-line hobby for me) has morphed into a real business for my wife and I. I have met so many great people and am very proud of what they have helped me build here. Thanks to all my staff (past & present) and all the site regulars and contributors that make the KitMaker Network so special!

My Feature Articles

1.Unboxing Tamiya's New Shimakaze
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
DESTROYERS ENGLISH
2.Scharnhorst 1941
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BATTLESHIPS ENGLISH
3.Unboxing Flyhawk's SMS Derfflinger
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
CRUISERS ENGLISH
4.2013 IPMS USA Nationals - The Ships
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
SHIP SHOWS & EVENTS ENGLISH
5.Closer Look: Nano Dread 1/700
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
GENERAL SHIPMAKING ENGLISH
6.Cracking the Box: Sevastopol by Zvezda
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BATTLESHIPS ENGLISH
7.Cracking the Box: Aoshima Unryo
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
CARRIERS ENGLISH
8.Unboxing Gallery Models USS New York
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
MILITARY SUPPORT VESSELS ENGLISH
9.Cracking the Box: JB's Dryad Class
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
OTHER COMBAT SHIPS ENGLISH
10.2010 IPMS-USA Nationals - The Ship Photos
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
SHIP SHOWS & EVENTS ENGLISH

My Reviews

1.R.M.S. Titanic
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BY ZVEZDA ENGLISH
2.Grand Fleet Battlecruisers
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BY SEAFORTH PUBLISHING ENGLISH
3.World of Warships Bismarck
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BY ITALERI ENGLISH
4.Lexington's Final Battle
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BY AK INTERACTIVE ENGLISH
5.Tenryu Waterline IJN Cruiser
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BY HASEGAWA MODELS ENGLISH
6.Soviet Battleship Marat
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BY ZVEZDA ENGLISH
7.Japanese Battleship Kongo
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BY KAGERO PUBLISHING ENGLISH
8.The Battleship Gneisenau
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BY KAGERO PUBLISHING ENGLISH
9.1:2000 Missouri & Lexington
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BY AOSHIMA ENGLISH
10.HMS Dreadnought 1907
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BY TRUMPETER ENGLISH
11.The Heavy Crusier Lützow
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BY KAGERO PUBLISHING ENGLISH
12.USS Intrepid CV-11
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BY GALLERY MODELS ENGLISH
13.U.S. Navy Elco 80' PT Boat
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BY MERIT INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH
14.USS Massachusetts in 3D
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BY KAGERO PUBLISHING ENGLISH
15.US Cold War Aircraft Carriers
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BY OSPREY PUBLISHING ENGLISH
16.The Battleship HMS Warspite
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BY KAGERO PUBLISHING ENGLISH
17.Into the Dark Water
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BY CASEMATE PUBLISHING ENGLISH
18.USS George Washington SSBN-598
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BY RENWAL BLUEPRINT MODELS ENGLISH
19.USS Lassen DDG-82 Detail Set
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BY TETRA MODEL WORKS ENGLISH
20.Battleship King George V
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BY KAGERO PUBLISHING ENGLISH
21.HMS Belfast 1942
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BY TRUMPETER ENGLISH
22.USS Indianapolis
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS :
BY ACADEMY ENGLISH

My Awards