Judge Fear returns. . . and he is not alone!

As the year draws to a close, it is time to start thinking about what I might want to do in 2016. As we all know, I am not one to stick to a "game plan" --when it comes to figure projects, that is--but we all have to start somewhere. . .

Aside from the Lawmaster project, I definitely want to tick-off [at least] one more Dark Judge off the list. While Mortis is just about ready to move from the workbench, I'm just not feeling him at the moment. Fear on the other hand. . .

During the 2000AD Painting Competition sponsored by DWC earlier this year, this was one of the winners, garnering Third Place for Eric Moore. I was very taken with the concept of the "vignette", and kudos to Mr. Moore for recognizing the interactive potential of two stand-alone stock pieces!

Dredd's whereabouts, as you might recall, are currently unknown as he is on his 'Long Walk' into the Cursed Earth (i.e., retired and OOP). But I managed to track him down, and he is currently resting on my workbench (thanks, Chuck!). Thus, with the missing half of the projected twosome in hand, I can begin to plan my first vignette in 35 years!

Fear is well underway, and I will soon resume work on the more involved half of the project. Dredd will be the simpler of the two, if scratchbuilding a Lawgiver MK2 can be considered "simple". Re- gardless, that is the extent of the modifications to "Old Stony Face" planned to date. UPDATE 16.12.15. . . I may reconsider the MK2: in the source story, Dredd and Anderson are equipped with MK1a's. The verdict is still out. . .

Really looking forward to this one. . . especially the refresher research to be done!   

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Judge Fear - Prepwork: First Steps (cont. #2)

The padlock has been relocated and all undercut areas have now been filled and remodeled. The right arm joint seam has been filled and faired. I have also begun working on the left gin trap.

Movin' right along. . . 

UPDATE 03.07.2014. . . Phase 1 of the left gin trap is finally behind me. "Finally" because I quit counting how many times I had dropped the @#$! jaws after the fourth time! Though there are undoubtedly easier modelling approaches to these contraptions, I wanted to see how it would be to model/sculpt one from MS, and it is just the thing! Most of the detail work still remains to be done, but at least the basic framework is behind me. . .

Judge Fear - Prepwork: First Steps (cont.)

I have relocated the two shrunken heads (center buckle and right hip), and filled in the areas undercut during removal. I also reworked the removed padlock, and once the putty has cured, I will relocate it (left of the buckle), and refill the undercut area.

More to follow. . . !

UPDATE 01.07.2014. . . The padlock has been pegged and fitted. I need to do some additional putty-work as the last go-round didn't quite take. . .  

Judge Fear - Prepwork: Intro & First Steps

As much as I am less-than-thrilled about the work-intensive month that lies before me, there are a few positives to look forward to. One of these is paring away at the to-do list of pieces on the bench. . .

As some of you might recall, I mentioned that there are some interesting/curious deviations from canon on this figure that require evaluation: 

• Belt buckle: Fear does not normally wear the usual winged, fanged skull belt buckle-variant adopted by the Dark Judges. Instead, his buckle was a shrunken head. How- ever, in the must-read Batman/Dredd crossover, "Die Laughing" (sequel to "Judg- ment on Gotham"), Fear does in fact wear the very thing. As a sidebar note, the shrunken head is revealed to be an explosive weapon (grenade) in "Die Laughing".
• This iteration of Fear does not have knee pads. AFAIK, the only depiction of Fear without the de rigeur knee pads is in "Die Laughing".
• Fear usually carries a gin trap on either side of his belt buckle. These are curiously absent in the kit (NOTE: There is a chained, set/un-tripped trap molded onto the base. . . perchance a nod to "Die Laughing"?).

All the evidence suggests that this is in fact the Judge Fear from "Die Laughing"; however, this is not "my" Judge Fear. So for starters, I have removed two of the three shrunken heads, and one of the padlocks. . .

More to follow. . .

DWC's 70mm Judge Fear

The Lord of War has survived the perilous trans-Atlantic voyage and has made it to his new home none the worse for wear. . . Judge Fear isssss here!

In a dream trifecta, Judge Fear is the ninth release in Dark World Creations' 70mm 2000AD line. As with the rest of the line, its design was in the most capable hands of 3-D sculptor, David Richardson: if it ain't broke', don't fix it; and David's creations for DWC are as far as you can get from broke'! And in keeping with what has become a brilliant single-player game of one-upman- ship, David has outdone himself once again with this latest release. . .

The figure is close to 80mm in overall height: it may very well be the largest of the Dark Judges to date, but just. The kit is comprised of 9 exquisitely cast pieces + the logo-ed base: the casting is on a par with Mortis; i.e., perfect, as best I can tell! 

There are some interesting/curious deviations from canon that I will comment upon in a week or so after completing my research. In the meantime, preliminary clean-up will commence this weekend. . .

Stay tuned! Definitely more to follow!!

UPDATE 07.06.2014. . . Fear has been pegged and mounted on its work base. . . As with Death, a word of caution: proceed slowly and very carefully with a preferably new bit. There is hardly any freeboard on those legs: and the legs are slightly thinner than Death's! 

UPDATE 08.06.2014. . . The head, cloak, arms (right arm has been permanently attached), and right pauldron have been fitted--more or less. There is still some tweaking to do before the fit is finalized, but I believe most of the anticipated adjustments will prove needless once clean-up is finished. 

"Gazzze into the ffacce of ffFear. . . "

This is very much on the QT, but it looks like Dark Judge #3, Judge Fear, will be DWC's next release in their 2000AD line. And he/it? looks AWESOME!!!  Rin and the team continue to raise the bar with their Dark Judges. . . and with that in mind, my only questions now are: What do they have planned for the Fiery fourth? And, can we look forward to the Sisters of Death??

UPDATE 23.05.2014. . . The Lord of War is now available -- and ON ORDER!!!