THE RIGHTEOUS BISON - INDIVISIBLE PARTICLE SMASHER

"This honorable bovine could be the horn in the side of your most bothersome foe! It’s true! The Righteous Bison can bore a fist-sized hole through 17 yards of cheese, on tight beam, or put a zeppelin-girthed aperture in your uncle’s munitions factory (should he choose not to drop those charges). And all this without permanently damaging the family trust!"

So goes the description of Weta's latest creation by Greg Broadmore, the "Righteous Bison",  latest product from the lab of Dr.Grordbort, newest addition to the armoury of Lord Cockswain, and Weta's first raygun designed for the cosplayer and  convention goer.

Most of us are familiar with, and lust after Weta's collector series rayguns, handcrafted in metal, and meticulously painted. However, for most of us mere mortals in the League of Lunar Abhorrers, the cost in whatever coin of the realm one uses is often an issue. Ah, but fret no more, the Righteous Bison will not only prove an efficacious tool against the Dread Moon Men, but will also not deprive one of food or drink, due to pecuniary shortages.

How is this possible? Weta has cleverly designed the Righteous Bison to be crafted en masse, by making use of Imitation Metal (which under normal Earth conditions has a  resemblance to plastic).  Indeed, when asked about that, the answer from Weta was:    "It wasn’t an easy decision to make a gun out of plastic, but we did it with one very specific purpose — to give cosplayers and other fans a gun they wouldn’t be too terrified to stick in a holster and take to conventions or Halloween parties or… you name it. We will definitely continue our range of high-end, limited edition guns — this is in parallel to the high-end guns and the miniatures."

What's that? "Get on with it, man!" you say? Indeed, then, to the details forthwith.

It began simply, with the much awaited arrival of a rather large box from dropped off by a well known transplanetary shipping company. With the help of my trusty Spyderco Kiwi, the layers of packing tape and officious documents were peeled away, to reveal:

 a very solid cardboard box with typical Dr. Grordbort style and humour,being covered in glossy, full-colour artwork, with a seal on the box’s cover reading "Kicking Protons in the Groin Since 1887" For collectors obsessed with keeping things in mint condition, the top of the box, a flap held in place by Velcro tabs, opens up to reveal a Righteous Bison-shaped, clear acetate window that allows the raygun to be displayed. Its not a perfect display case, but it will suffice.

Great care has been taken to protect the Righteous Bison during shipping. There are several twist ties holding the raygun to the plastic clamshell, and the box packing below. Where these ties secure the Righteous Bison, they are wrapped in soft plastic foam to protect the finish. There are even well taped stress reliefs on the cardboard backing of the box, where the twist ties are secure. On a scale of  1-10, Weta's packing  rates an 11.

Out of the box, and into the hand. the Bison weighs in at a comfortable 500 grams (by my kitchen scales) which is not quite one pound, two ounces for those of you who are not yet metric-ified. That's close to Weta's description of weight as much as a brown trout, but falls short of the two pints of pale ale (we have heavy glasses at the local!). That's a good weight, not too heavy for a cosplay piece, and still feels good in the hand. By contrast, the Weta metal guns are listed at 7+ pounds.

The first surprise, though, is the size, this is not a wimpy raygun, no sirrah! This is a raygun of classically heroic proportions. Moon Men will quake at the sight! Venusian Swamp-Lords will grovel with fear!

Once one starts getting more familiar with the Bison, you notice how well it is made. There trigger is operable, and spring loaded. Despite being of plastic construction, there is only a liitle visible flashing, and while there is a midline seam, it is well masked by the paint scheme and is unobtrusive. This is a well made piece, a good shaking reveals no rattles, squeaks or other objectionable noises. The raygun itself, is sculpted as well as the metal guns, save that it lacks the fine wire details that would be pretty much given to breaking if done in plastic (excuse me, Imitation Metal!). The details are finely executed, and show none of the softening of detail or blobiness that is often associated with mas castings in plastic. At first glance, one notices subtle scratches and dents, which while appearing to be manufacturing flaws, are actually subtle additions to the sculpting that enhance the raygun’s “distressed” and well used look. This isn't surprising, seeing as how Weta has a long history in the film prop business. The styling is classic retro raygun from the 40's, right down the massive fin and the shaped projecting discs at the business end. The fact that it happens to look a LOT like the Dr.Grordbort logo, is most likely intentional, and it really captures the look and feel of the whole retro sci-fi genre. Flash Gordon would have loved having this handy to take on the Minions of Ming!

The pipes and gauges, though, are pure steampunk, as are the rivets detailing the body. There are cast in levers, but unlike the sprung trigger, these do not move.

Which brings us to the paint. This is where Weta really delivers the goods.  The painting is superb, as is the colour scheme. The Bison is trimmed in gold and black with a metallic base, that approximates a steel/cast iron look very well. The real treat, though, is the weathering, a beautiful job done with rust, grime and general patina-ing on the  body of the gun, as well as on the details. Even the gauges are nicely weathered. No fresh from the lab raygun this, the Bison looks to have a few expeditions under its belt. High marks for Weta on the paint job, which really elevates the Bison out of the range of the ordinary. Also kudos for the overall antique look that they have captured in the paint and details.

The fin, complete with Dr.Grordbort logo, shows evidence of hand-finishing, with silver paint nicely dry-brushed as detail. The fin itself is finished in a metallic gold and semi-matt black, which sets of the rest of the paint scheme very well.

If you look in the picture above, you can see the aforementioned cast in scratches and dents. Just another touch from the Weta design masters. The paint job certainly does its work, and really hides the fact that this raygun is not metal. This is not your typical "budget price point" paint job.

Note the grip detail with its "atom" logo feature, a nice touch, wedding  retro-futuristic sci-fi into the overall Steampunk feel. The grip also has, cast into its base, a recess that will allow the use of the Universal Gun Stand, a new product from Dr.Grordbort.

So, overall, what to think of the Righteous Bison?? In its favour are the price, and the look , as well as the smashing paint job. This is probably the best, under $100.00 prop raygun you can get, no holds barred. Any Steampunk or Sci-fi fan worth their salt would simply love on of these.  The Bison weighs in at far less in terms of cost than the handmade metal collectable rayguns from Weta, but it remains a durable and very attractive piece. excellent value for the money.  What's that, you say? "Its plastic!", True, but you'd never know it from the paint job, and plastic is probably the best material  for the job, given the uses the Bison was envisioned for. At this price point, its practically a steal!  This would make an excellent "Mid-Winter-Holiday-of-Your-Choice" gift for that special Steampunk or Sci-Fi Fan on your gift list.

Dr.Grorbort's site describes the Bison thusly:

"The Righteous Bison is no ordinary raygun. Far from it.
Where traditionally manufacturers in the Wave Oscillation genre have (some say lazily) gone down the well charted route of heft and mass, the Righteous Bison has been designed with the handler in mind. Portability and wieldability have been the guiding lights for the ground breaking team of young talent that's been put in charge of this whimsical undertaking.
It is furthermore an eminently suitable accessory to your pseudo-Victorian attire for weekending in the country or impressing your peers at parties or other large gatherings. The Righteous Bison can take a fair amount of man-handling. And even more woman-handling!
The result, ladies and gentlemen, as I'm sure you agree, is nothing short of pretty good. The gun is about the same weight as a small brown trout (or two pints of Pale Ale) and can be fired continuously without exhausting the sportsman. Much like a good man-servant.
It is dispatched packaged in equally light-weight materials and should reach you at your desired destination quick-smart.
Made from Imitation Metal*
Any similarity between the Righteous Bison Indivisible Particle Smasher and the raygun silhouette in the crest of Grordbort Industries is naturally not completely coincidental. They're both rayguns, silly.

*Imitation Metal is a light-weight compound that looks and feels remarkably like plastic under Earth conditions "

Are they right? I'd say so. Would Lord Cockswain approve? Wholeheartedly, I'd say, after all every Transplanetary Adventurer needs a lightweight, but powerful raygun at their side, ready to dispatch various and sundry whatevers, should the need arise.

The Righteous Bison may be ordered directly from  Weta.  Wander over and have a look... You won't be disappointed.

Next Up - A review of Weta's newest miniature raygun - "The Victorious Mongoose - Miniature Version"

11/12/2009 - HAC - for Brass Goggles