It's entirely within character for John Valo. He's a professional artist and a very accomplished modeler. He's also a friend of mine who exhibits a great deal of "out of the box" thinking. I first met John through membership in the Twin City Aero Historians, the local IPMS/AAHS club in Minneapolis.
Twin City Aero Historians - Website
He lives in St. Cloud, Minnesota, where the winters are such that you can accomplish great deal of modeling and artwork during those long months. He's won many IPMS competitions with his exquisitely detailed models with finishes the envy of all.
He has illustrated many model box tops for Hobbycraft as well as many books. One example is illustrated below. "The Best in the Southwest" is a unit history of the 380th Bomb Group in WWII during its Pacific Theater operations. It was written by Glenn R. Horton, Jr. - another friend and fellow member of TCAH - because it was his father's bomb group.
It was lavishly illustrated by John Valo, including the cover and 48 color profiles within. His research is extensive, his painting impeccable, and his capacity for beer legendary.
A unique individual, a good person, and I'm pleased you all appreciate his talents.
