For the Dwarf fans of you out there, Lead Adventure Miniatures are running a rather nice looking Kickstarter at the moment. There's a lot of choice and it's already funded. Details here.
Tuesday, 21 February 2017
Kickstarter Watch - LAM Dwarves
For the Dwarf fans of you out there, Lead Adventure Miniatures are running a rather nice looking Kickstarter at the moment. There's a lot of choice and it's already funded. Details here.
Saturday, 18 February 2017
More Charity Shop Finds (Pt 1)
I've not posted for a while, so thought I would do one of the no-thought-required posts on my recent purchases from charity shops. I'd done all the photos, but still couldn't get the post written. Then, yesterday, I found something remarkable in a charity shop...
So, here are recent finds. First, books (in order of pulpiness).
So, here are recent finds. First, books (in order of pulpiness).
It turns out that I already have the Poe, but what the hell - this is a nice edition!
I read a lot of Solzhenitsyn in the 80s (like you do when you're in the sixth form). These are stories he wrote after the fall of communism and his return to Mother Russia.
I thought I already had this, but don't. You can't beat Conan Doyle! If you don't know his non-Sherlock Holmes stories, you must read them - especially his speculative fiction. The Brigadier Gerrard stories are funny ones.
| His and Her's |
One of these hats was bought new on the internet. The other was bought in a charity shop and cost a tenth of the price. Can you tell which is which?
Tomorrow I will tell you about the amazing purchases I made yesterday (and about the Ones that Got Away!).
Tuesday, 31 January 2017
Dr Who Wednesday #19
Doctors: Past, Present and Future
If you have the remotest interest in Doctor Who you would have had to be living under a stone to miss two recent news items. First. the sad death of Sir John Hurt and, secondly, the fact that Peter Capaldi is to stand down as the current incarnation.
Tens of thousands of words have been written about John Hurt (after all he had a long and very distinguished career), and I have very little to add to them. In a way his role in Doctor Who was a minor one - the War Doctor only appeared in a couple of episodes, but the character was a piece of genius retconning. Without a doubt the concept could have fallen flat if he had been played by a lesser actor. Hurt gave it a huge dramatic punch.
And Capaldi? He had his annoying bits and pieces (which seem to be a necessary part of playing the Doctor these days), but on the whole I think his has been a good incarnation. Let's see what he does in the coming season...
We're now faced with the old questions - "Can the next Doctor be a woman/be black?". I'm not going to go down that line. All I can say is that the writers made it very clear in the episode 'Hell Bent' that a male, white Time Lord can regenerate into a black woman. Some of the names mentioned as potential Doctors (and I'm thinking Idris Elba here) are too 'big' to be able to devote the time needed to being the Doctor (there's so much more work than merely shooting the show).
All I will say is that I think the BBC will go with a young Doctor again - Capaldi was apparently lacking 'yoof appeal' and wasn't sufficient of a heart-throb. It is said that 'they' want to appeal to the yoof market (more of which later) and ratchet up the sexual tension with the Companions. Really, they're harking back to the David Tennant glory days...
The third bit of actory news was that it was Tom Baker's 80th birthday in 20 January. This launched a lot of nostalgia on social media. It also prompted the BBC Store to have a special offer on several of the Fourth Doctor seasons.
These special offers are worth looking out for. For example, this week marks the 40th anniversary (yes really!) of one of the best stories in Doctor Who - the incomparable Robots of Death. To mark it, the BBC Store is selling it's robot bundle (a collections of serials from Hartnell to Capaldi) at half-price if you use the code ROBOT50 (possibly someone was too young to spot the error).
Viewing
Recently I've been watching Class. It's a Who spin-off aimed a the said 'yoof'. Initially is was only shown on BBC3 (the BBC's web-only channel), but is currently on BBC1 (I believe it's soon to debut on BBC America). It's set in the Coal Hill Academy (as the old grammar now is). Apparently all the timy-wimy stuff that's been going on there since the sixties has left the space-time barriers very thin and prone to incursion (one exchange in the first show was 'So it's like we're on a hellmouth?', 'No, a bit more like The Vampire Diaries'. Nobody said 'Oh! Exactly like Cardiff is in Torchwood before it got all wierd'). So it's down to a group of ethnically-diverse sixth-formers (plus an emigre alien prince and his slave/bodyguard/prisoner) to Save the World. Basically it's a cross between the Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood before it got weird. Those of my readers who don't like sex in Doctor Who (especially gay sex with aliens) better not watch.
On the Paint Table
I do have some Who figures on the paint table, but as per the rules of the Analogue Painting Challenge I won't discuss them until they've featured there. That was supposed to be this week (I'm one of the Monday crowd), but that was stymied by a bad chest cold. Hopefully next week. All I will say is that they are Companions.
I was going to do a TARDIS for the 'Terrain: Home' bonus round, but have completely buggered up construction of the (two-piece) model.
Gratuitous Quill Photo
Monday, 23 January 2017
Painting Challenge Submissions: Pilots and Tong
Curt's wheeze of having a cull off those who hadn't submitted to the Painting Challenge by 20 Jan served to give me the kick up the backside I needed. Just in time, I manged to get these fellows done.
The first is from Ironclad Miniature's splendid VSF range - the pilot from their steam helicopter. I won't be submitting the (still partially-finished) helicopter as part of the Challenge, as it was started some months ago, but included a picture of him in the aircraft for context..
| He has a Bleriot quality |
The pilot striding out to his Spitfire or Hurricane is from the ever-reliable Artizan - their Pilot Officer Reynolds. I decided for khaki rather than RAF uniform as likely to use him in a Pulp setting. I was rather pleased with how he came out.
For the EAST Bonus Round I thought I would submit some proper East End villains. So here are Wing Fen, the Limehouse Scholar, and some of his 'students'.
They were horribly rushed, and I'm far from happy with them - especially the bases. My original intention was to try to base them with some Victorian paving stones or cobbles, but I didn't really have the time, so instead I went with my usual 'Home Counties gravel quarry' (in this case doubling as the famous yellow mud of the Yangtze).
So that's my duck broken - hopefully there will be more soon!
Wednesday, 4 January 2017
Dr Who Wednesday #18
Lately it's been hard to stop these posts being advertisements for Warlord Games. That's because I've been doing very little Dr Who related and they've been doing rather a lot! Hopefully that will change once I get my chops in gear for the Analogue Painting Challenge - we'll see.
Spotted on the Web
Dr Who fans of my vintage will fondly remember the Weetabix promotions of the 1970s. The artwork was the work of Gordon Archer, and it's now available in various formats through a website run by his son, Yellow Planet, (as is the work he did tied-in with Star Trek and other popular shows). Great fun!
OK, now for Warlord...
One of the things the company promised when it took on the licence, is that they would produce a mixture of 'New' and 'Classic Who' figures. A couple of forthcoming releases show that they're coming good on their promise.
First is the newest of 'New Who' - figures from the 2016 Christmas Special. You don't get much more topical than that!
Secondly, we have some 'Old Who' monsters: the Tetraps. These are pretty obscure chaps - only seen in the 1987 episode 'Time and the Rani' (Sylvester McCoy's first story) - basically humanoid vampire bats. An interesting choice - but release dates seem to be tied to getting approval from the BBC, etc, rather than any Grand Plan (see the interview below).
Fir those of you who want to read about Warlord's plans from the horse's mouth ("read... from the mouth"? Surely something wrong there?) there's an interview with Paul Sawyer: Part 1 and Part 2. There's a lot in the pipeline it seems!
Personally, I'm impatient for Sea Devils!
Gratuitous Sarah-Jane Picture
Tuesday, 27 December 2016
The Post of The Beast
Just to explain the title, this is the 666th post on this blog. Thanks to all of you who've kept it going so long and kept me company along the way.
Now, for those of you who didn't stick with the Alexandrov Ensemble concert in yesterday's post long enough to see the dancing sailors, here are some from The Andrew (BRNC to be precise)...
And Prince Charles joining in...
The Alexandrov Ensemble
I am very far from being a supporter of the old Soviet Union, or of the direction of Russian politics in the years since the fall of the USSR, but I've always had a respect for the Red Army.
That of course is based on the Soviet sacrifices of the Great Patriotic War, but I suppose I am a sucker for the propaganda image of the worker-soldier, grim in battle, but ready to relax with a glass of vodka and a rousing song (let's not talk of the rape of German women or the oppression of the majority of Eastern Europe). One of the great projectors of that propaganda image was the the Red Army Choir - now the Alexandrov Ensemble (properly the Academic Ensemble of Song and Dance of the Russian Army named after A. V. Alexandrov).
The crash of the Russian Defence Ministry's Tupolev Tu-154 is of course a tragedy, and would have been whoever it was on board and whenever it happened. But the fact that it happened on Christmas Day (as we celebrate it in the West) and that 64 of the 96 killed were members of the choir does tug at the heartstrings somewhat.
So, ignore the uniforms and the lyrics if they upset you, but sit back and enjoy some rousing music.
That of course is based on the Soviet sacrifices of the Great Patriotic War, but I suppose I am a sucker for the propaganda image of the worker-soldier, grim in battle, but ready to relax with a glass of vodka and a rousing song (let's not talk of the rape of German women or the oppression of the majority of Eastern Europe). One of the great projectors of that propaganda image was the the Red Army Choir - now the Alexandrov Ensemble (properly the Academic Ensemble of Song and Dance of the Russian Army named after A. V. Alexandrov).
The crash of the Russian Defence Ministry's Tupolev Tu-154 is of course a tragedy, and would have been whoever it was on board and whenever it happened. But the fact that it happened on Christmas Day (as we celebrate it in the West) and that 64 of the 96 killed were members of the choir does tug at the heartstrings somewhat.
So, ignore the uniforms and the lyrics if they upset you, but sit back and enjoy some rousing music.
Tuesday, 6 December 2016
Terrain Tuesday #20
It's been a little while since I did a round-up of purchases from charity shops. So here goes...
First up is a bottle of stuff I picked up a couple of months ago. I'm sure it'll come in for basing (or I may have to make a pile of coal a la 'Railway Children')
The next I picked up last week. I don't know if they're ornaments or the remains of a chess set, but with a little dry-brushing they will make monumental statuary.
And last Friday I hit the Pulp jackpot when the shop I went into had a half a shelf devoted to Egyptian bits and pieces!
And while we're on Pulp, how about the greatest Pulp Hero of all time? Not terrain, but it came from a charity shop.
| Where can I get Snowy in a space suit? |
And not from a charity shop, but terrain, are these skull beads which came from China via eBay and arrived just before Halloween. They're a tad out of scale for normal use - but what is Pulp and Lost World without giants and giant apes?! Thanks to Martin Cooke for the tip (he got the red ones and put them to good use).
Wednesday, 23 November 2016
Dr Who Wednesday #17
By a pleasing coincidence this Dr Who Wednesday falls on the 53rd anniversary of the first broadcast of the show.
I should have something interesting and erudite to say about it all, but frankly I haven't the energy to write anything sensible. Instead, I'll point you to BBCAmerica Doctor Who's-Day round-up - a blatant rip-our of our own dear Dr Who Wednesday.
Shiny!
After last week's lament that Crooked Dice's Not-Doctor-Who range had be pull from the shelves before I'd managed to stock up, I managed to pick up three of the companions.
Now, I know a couple of my readers don't approve of Capt Jack or the Paternoster Gang for introducing sexuality to the programme, but that ship sailed once they started allowing snogging in the TARDIS. Personally, I find Capt Jack a great character. I enjoyed Torchwood greatly before it got too dark in the last two seasons. I have my reservations about how Sontarans are now portrayed as comedy characters rather than menacing ones, but I must admit that Strax is written and acted very amusingly.
| Gratuitous Sarah-Jane Smith photo |
Monday, 21 November 2016
The News We've Been Waiting For
A little later than in previous years, the Seventh AHPC has been announced: it will be running from 20 Dec to 20 Mar. For full details see here.
This is one of the highlights of my hobby year, and although I'm not a very productive or particularly talented painter, I find it very enjoyable and great fun.
I'm probably going to stick with my usual plan of looking at the lead pile - so more Doctor Who, some Pulp, and perhaps some Frostgrave characters.
The theme this year is "Camaraderie and Teamwork" and in a unusual twist Curt is asking us to do just that: to pair up for the Curtgeld. Do any of you want to partner me? I'm open to suggestions as to theme, etc, bust ask that you remember my limitations! Get in touch at diplomatist2 AT gmail DOT com.
Equally, anyone up for a Doctor Who side challenge?
Friday, 18 November 2016
A Few KickStarters
A few Kickstarters to share with you...
First up is Bad Squiddo Games' Ghosts of Gaia.
The likelihood is that you don't need to be told of this, given that it's 733% funded. In fact, when I first visited 15mins after the launch it was 115% funded. Post-Apoc isn't really my cup of tea, but as I'm a supporter of Annie's efforts and know the great service she provides, I present it for your consideration.
Secondly, is a Kickstarter that started earlier today. It's from Midlam Miniatures and is the Cultists of the Kraken Lord. Some of you will remember that I subscribed for their apprentice wizards (which are now available for pre-order on their website) and which arrived dot on time in fine order.
First up is Bad Squiddo Games' Ghosts of Gaia.
The likelihood is that you don't need to be told of this, given that it's 733% funded. In fact, when I first visited 15mins after the launch it was 115% funded. Post-Apoc isn't really my cup of tea, but as I'm a supporter of Annie's efforts and know the great service she provides, I present it for your consideration.
Secondly, is a Kickstarter that started earlier today. It's from Midlam Miniatures and is the Cultists of the Kraken Lord. Some of you will remember that I subscribed for their apprentice wizards (which are now available for pre-order on their website) and which arrived dot on time in fine order.
Now tentacly cultists! That is down my street! So I've signed up.
And having done that, Kickstarter directed me to Mushimen Attack! by Toad King Castings. This looks intriguing, but I think I'll leave it for now.
Wednesday, 16 November 2016
Dr Who Wednesday #16
Shinies
Last week Annie from Bad Squiddo Games announced in her FaceBook group that she wasn't going to include the Not-Doctor Who figures on her new website, and she was thus selling off her existing stock,
I picked up these two - a Crooked Dice Not-River Song and a Heresy Not-Amy Lake.
Being a little dim, I didn't twig that Crooked Dice and Heresy had each removed their Dr Who lookie-likies from their sites. I should have stocked up as soon as I realised that there were likely to be Cease and Desist letters! I notice however, that Heresy have kept their "Emily Lake" with the simple expedient of changing her name and colour of hair. I must stock up on Not-Firefly and Not-Blake's7 figures...
Spotted on the Web
As suspected, news from Warlord Games is coming thick and fast as Christmas approaches.
The Silents have been released in sets of three lead figures for £11.99. And we've had a a teaser pic of plastic Cybermen.
These leave me a little cold, but then I'm not a great fan of the 'new' Cybermen.
| Gratuitous Sarah Jane picture |
| Gratuitous Sweep picture |
Friday, 4 November 2016
Dr Who Wednesday #15 (On a Friday)
I'm doing this special edition of Dr Who Wednesday because people keep asking what I make of the Warlord Games releases.
Let's get two, much-mentioned, points out of the way first
- they're larger than most of the figures that people have been using to date (being close to 32mm)
- the cost (which is more than I at least generally pay for figures)
As to the first, well, that's the way it is. We'll have to get used to it. The same can be said for the second point. Honestly, the ones released so for aren't that much dearer than Crooked Dice. That will be alright for the 'character' figures. We've not yet seen the release of any of the plastics, which should be more reasonable sonic screwdriver fodder.
Releases and news are coming out now, presumably in time for Christmas.
Already we have
- 10th Doctor and Companions (5 metal for £19.99)
- 12th Doctor and Companions (5 metal for £19.99)
- Judoon (3 metal for £11.99)
- Zygons (2 metal for £7.99)
I've shown pictures of the Doctor sets before and mentioned that some have criticised the sculpts, both for the non-dynamic poses and the likenesses. Personally, I don't think them too bad and that there's a lot of 'nay-saying' involved in these criticisms (I should declare I left the Doctor Who Miniatures Facebook group because of the negativity).
The choice of subjects has been criticised by some who like "Classic" Who - but we shouldn't forget that the Zygons first appeared in 1975 with Tom Baker. Judoon, I can take or leave - they seem merely act as spear-carriers.
| 'Free' magazine Daleks |
This week's big news has been the teaser photos of the Daleks. Now, here Warlord are on a bit of a loser, as we've been spoiled by the 'free' Daleks that have appeared with the magazines - ropey perhaps, but they paint up nicely. If were going to be expected to pay money, we want something better!
Well, they're certainly better than the 'free' ones, but as we don't yet know the price, we'll have to wait and see if they're worth it.
The spru pic has had some people worried. These are three-part no-glue-required models. Because the skirts, collars and heads are all together there will be no choice in pose. Daleks aren't the most dynamic of beasties, but sticking to the fore-and-aft look is a little limiting. It's also been pointed out that this choice means that one can't interchange heads, skirts, etc to make different Dalek varients.
In summary, I'm still firmly in the 'wait and see' camp (especially wait and see what comes in plastic and what in metal). I see nothing wrong in what Warlord has done, and welcome the arrival of a new range of Who miniatures.
Warlord has a dedicated website for the range. If your interested in the latest news, check there.
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