Tanker Magazine Issue # 1 Review

I picked up my copy of the inaugural issue of Tanker magazine - Extreme Rust last week. This is a new quarterly publication from AK Interactive. My first thought was this is way cool, it must be something equivalent to Abrams Squad. Nothing wrong with that as one can never get enough stuff about tanks. Once I started thumbing through it though, I quickly discovered that it was something else entirely. What I found was a product that is AK Interactive’s version of Weathering Magazine. While this is not exactly a fresh idea, it is not some derivative concept devoid of merit. After all, it’s focused on tanks, which is never a bad thing. The subject of this issue is extreme rust. I like the execution of this magazine as well as the production values. The quality of the photographs is exceptional and the pages are a heavy card stock. While I would classify it as a magazine as it has a magazine format and advertisements, it does has the feel of something more substantial. Something you need to know up front, if you are expecting the usual collection of pictures of highly attractive and half nekkid women like Weathering Magazine, you will be disappointed. Nothing like that here, but frankly that’s okay, as those pictures just cut down on space that could be devoted to more pictures of tanks. Not that there’s anything wrong with pictures of Miss Akatsiya in a magazine, but I find that the photographic focus in Tanker magazine on tank and technique photos to be much more professional. The content is nicely balanced with a blend of interesting articles around the common theme of rust. The first is a short, but informative article on the process of oxidation. This is followed by two articles with step by step photos of a Paper Panzer Lowe with an unpainted hull and a badly rusted out Char B1 bis hull awaiting restoration. The photos are a combination of close up detail shots with numbered captions and larger overall project shots. These are followed by a badly rusted out van, a burned out and rusted Israeli Sherman and an abandoned BRDM. This article has a little twist as this project is set in a small vignette with a figure taking pictures of the BRDM, the photographer is none other than Julie Ludmann the proprietor and resident modeler at Model Miniatures. Not only does she produce some excellent resin models, but she also contributes vehicle photographs to a number of web sites. Next up is a rusted and rat infested T-34 turret that demonstrates the use of pigments to achieve rust effects, and a rusted Sherman war memorial. There are also some interesting articles that include a “Rust Reference” of photos of rusted equipment, a “how to” on replicating rusty ironwork on buildings, and painting rusty spare tracks using a variety of techniques including metal burnishing and acrylics. There are short articles on a partially excavated T-34 hull and weathering CONEX shipping containers. The final pages are taken up with photos of a Lebanese tank scrap yard and a “School of Techniques” with some really interesting explanations of how to achieve some really interesting rust effects using a variety of techniques and materials, how to rust out exhausts and creating broken glass. Wanna know how to make rivets, small chains and tow cables? Look no further, it’s all here. There is also a nice section on available products and their uses, such as streaking fluids, acrylics, enamels, deposits, pigments, oils and washes. Overall, it’s a pretty interesting magazine. One thing that I liked is that the rust projects all look both real and plausible. What I mean is that unlike another product on the market, this seems a little more researched in terms of what materials are depicted as rusting. There is nothing that quite screams out “noob” like someone who rusts the aluminum sponson boxes and fenders on an M60 series tank. Just saying. Anyway, I liked this magazine and recommend it to my fellow armor modelers. It also has some application to car and railroad modelers, as the techniques lend themselves well to both types of modeling. The next issue will be on extra armor. I can hardly wait. I got my copy from Last Cavalry at www.lastcavalry.com