James Bama’s colorful monsters have fascinated hobbyists since they first graced the boxes of Aurora model kits more than four decades ago. What wonderful images they are.

I love them all, but the Phantom of the Opera is a particular favorite. The way Bama painted him — green skin, white hair — he was like no other Phantom ever to grace the screen. I know the artwork was inspired by the makeup James Cagney wore in the 1957 film “Man of a Thousand Faces”, but this Phantom is in many ways a unique creation.

In the 1990s, Polar Lights introduced its own model of the Phantom of the Opera. Nice kit, but the head … kinda stunk. Looking at it, I thought it would be cool to turn the kit into the Aurora Phantom, something showing James Bama’s monster at a different dramatic moment.

The Dedham Pond Designs Phantom replacement head, sculpted by Chris Wooten, is 1/8 scale, one piece resin. Please note that the replacement head is made to fit the Polar Lights Phantom, not the Aurora Phantom, and that the plastic kit is not included.