Mrs. Wilhemina Harker, née Murray - LXG

There is something about Smart Max's Miss Ticklenott that would not let me walk away and forget. . .

So what could be done with this enticing Victorian damsel? Well, an East End "Ladybird" was certainly a possibility, but that would remove the piece from its inherent 'alternate reality'. And then it struck me... why not use it as a base for my favourite character in one of my favourite movies (despite all its shortcomings--and there were many!) and comic book series: Mrs. Wilhemina Harker, née Murray from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen!

The figure is now before me (thanks, Chuck!) and it is yet another Smart Max masterpiece! This is essentially a one piece casting: only the biologically mashed-up left arm, the portable "scrubber", and of course the base, are separate. Careful surgery will remove the symbiont creature from the left arm and free the right hand, while the "scrubber" will be relegated to the Steampunk spares. That leaves me to come up with a left hand--or a suitable substitute.

I am not at all certain of how I intend to proceed. Which suits me just fine. . . let the ideas simmer and spice 'em up to taste as needed. . .

To be continued. . .

FOLLOW-UP
The symbiote has been dealt with, and the left arm is about 70% "clean". . . Researching Victorian ladies' fashion has been a real eye opener. . .

Smart Max's Jeremiah Crow--UPDATE (3)

Not too much to report as the tedium of clean-up continues. . .

Since my last posting, the focus has been on fit and fitting. First, I reworked the join of the left hand to the forearm, as the positioning of the spade is critical, and I did not want any surprises down the road. So I dished out the cuff, and drilled a slightly larger attachment hole. Then I extended the wrist of the hand with MS, lubricated the cuff and hole with Vaseline, and plugged the hand into the cuff. Now I have a perfect, positive join with very little play.

Next, I shifted my attention to the mating of the pants to the base of the torso. There was way too much play and freeboard between the two surfaces to suit me, and the resin was critically thin where the tails of the greatcoat joined the torso: a single mishandling could have disastrous results. So I shimmed the internal circumference of the base of the torso with MS, and deliberately pressed the pants into place, paying particularly attention to the lean of the figure. I set it aside to cure, and after carefully loosening the bond, successfully wiggled the greatcoat off the pants. Now I have a positive join that satisfyingly "clicks" into place.

I estimate that I should have the figure ready for priming in 2-3 weeks. . .

Romeo 90mm Úlfhéðinn - REVIEW

Just received the subject kit from Chuck at The Red Lancers.

SUBJECT: Viking Ulfhednar[sic]
PROJECT SUBJECT: Viking Varulv
MANUFACTURER: Romeo Models
ITEM #: RM-90-018
SCALE: 90mm
CASTING MEDIUM: White metal
# of PIECES: 17 + 2(groundwork) + 1(panoply alla Pegaso)
Sculptor: Gianni La Rocca
REFERENCES: 1 page, Ital./Eng. Essentially useless drivel of the type we have become accustomed to from the "parent company"! Surprisingly (is it?!), there is no indication that Ancient Germanic Warriors (Michael P. Speidel; Routledge, 2008) was consulted.

KIT REVIEW: First of all, this sample, in the country less than a week, underscores the "buy as soon as available" imperative: the casting is sublime!

Unfortunately, the kit has been shorted two pieces: I received but 15 pieces, not the anticipated 17. The missing pieces are the two forelegs of the wolfskin that are attached to the arms of the warrior. I will contact Chuck about this immediately (he is at the Gettysburg Show so I don't expect the usual timely reply), but I don't know if I am inclined to return the kit (yes, the casting is that good!) over a couple of pieces that may not have been used in the long run. . . Regardless, as with any kit, open it immediately upon receipt and inspect it carefully!

. . .

Well, I have done all that can be done to this point, so now we wait... As I mentioned in the comments, this is the most frustrating aspect of this unfortunate incident: the weekend is here and I can't set burr, file, and saw to metal! Ah well. . .

Have I mentioned the casting is exquisite? There are the usual nubs and the like that currently prevent a seamless fit, but the dry-fitting is EXTREMELY promising! I don't expect to have to do much filling at all on the stock points of attachment.

For those who are interested in this kit straight OOB, I don't believe you will be disappointed, but here are a few observations. This is one heavily-armed, albeit lean, viking! His panoply is comprised of: 2 swords, 1 seax, 1 medium axe, and a shield. And he is wearing a mail "vambrace" on his right arm. That's about one sword (and axe?) and a shield too many. Another thing you might notice, though it will be hardly noticeable once the kit is assembled and fully kitted, is that there is a pronounced step where his abs meet the waistline of his breeches. I don't know if the torso shrank more than anticipated (the fit is near perfect), or if this was done by some design; regardless, I will be filling out the abs and/or undercutting the waist of the breeches to mitigate the effect.

The rest is about as good as it gets. The wolf's head, cast separately, is amongst the best I've seen done commercially. The base, cast in two pieces, is masterfully done! It is littered with osseous remains: three skulls (one, anachronistically, has a Wisby-an coif; another is helmeted, the latter marginally displaced); a femur; and scattered ribs and pieces of bones. A wonderfully gruesome setting!

Had the kit been complete, I would give this piece a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. It certainly will be a fun kit to paint and/or modify to your heart's content. And it is about as affordable as a white metal 90mm can be these days.

I will start playing with this figure as soon as I hear from Chuck. . .

Smart Max's Jeremiah Crow--UPDATE (2)

Despite an unforeseen setback, progress has been made on all fronts. . .

While allowing some glazing putty to dry, I began to work on the accessory pieces: spade, lamp, sabre, and pistol. The spade cleans up beautifully and quickly. The lamp will be finicky work, but should clean-up nicely.

The sabre, though an easy clean-up, will not be used: it doesn't "work". Instead, I intend to replace it with a kukri.

And now for the setback. Upon close inspection, I noticed that the jaws and the frizzen of the inner lock were missing: these were probably lost upon demolding. I had two options: attempt to restore the missing items; or ignore it and hope that nobody notices, very likely given the scale size of the items in question. You know which option I chose:


The reworked items are in "white". There is still some minor clean-up to be done on the MS, but all-in-all, I am very pleased. And once again the resin proved tougher than it appears!

FOLLOW-UP
Save for the pre-priming once-over, the pistol is now done! In addition to sanding down the remnant of the casting sprue at the butt of the gun and cleaning-up the pommel, I very carefully drilled out both barrels--successfully!

Smart Max's Jeremiah Crow--UPDATE

As you might have read in the Comments in the previous posting, work on this little gem is underway. I would reiterate that the resin used is much harder than I originally surmised: sharp blades and bits are a must! Much of the work is being done 'manually' with an X-acto blade--better control and no chance of overheating.

The legs are now pegged and have been transferred to the working base. Save for the head, the main components of the kit can be dry-assembled simply be carefully snapping and/or pressing into place. Most impressive.

Still formulating the painting strategy, but I can safely say that most of the pieces will be painted prior to assembling. The superb design of the kit, at least of the major components, was obviously devised with this approach in mind.

I am guessing that I am still at least a few weeks away from priming, which is fine by me as I am still working out the colour scheme. One thing I know for sure is that he will not have a Bavarian/sky blue great coat!

More to follow. . .

Smart Max's Jeremiah Crow

A brutal day at work and record-breaking oppressive heat (101°F as I write) were all made right by the arrival of Jeremiah Crow (more images may be seen here). Thanks as always to Chuck Robinson and The Red Lancers for superb service.

This is a small figure: 50mm to the top of the head. Which makes the detail, engineering, and the quality of casting, as you shall see, all the more remarkable. The kit is comprised of 10 pieces plus one groundwork accessory (a VERY pleasant surprise!) plus the base. Most miniaturists appear to prefer the textured cobblestone base, hence why the groundwork accessory was such a surprise: I have never seen it in images of any build-up!

As I mentioned in my introductory posting, these kits are not cheap. Hence the question: is it worth the asking price? And I would have to respond with an unqualified "YES"! My only caveat would be that if you tend to be fumble-fingered and/or ham-fisted, then you might be particularly selective about your choice/s, as most will require a light touch while handling and assembling.

My only reservations are as follows: 1) Packaging. The beautifully-printed sepia tone box is sturdy, but just so. And the contents are bagged in a smallish zip-lock bag which lies loose in the box. Given the thinness of many of the pieces, this is a disappointment looking for a place to happen. Mine arrived with no damage whatsoever, but I have read of instances where the recipient was not quite so lucky.

And, 2) Refsheet. This is definitely a 21st c. product. By that I mean that it is web-based/driven. There is no color guide, no background notes, no assembly guide included with the kit. And there isn't even an image of a built-up kit, painted OR un-, to refer to. The main drawback to this is that a potential patron who is not familiar with the kit will either pass it over; or be compelled to open it and handle it, and this could have unfortunate consequences given the fragility of the pieces.

Aside from that, this is yet another superb kit from Smart Max, and I can't recommend it--or its companions--enough!

Now. . . as promised. . .




The "groundwork accessory" referred to above is the crow on the cruciform headstone.

Notice the textured granite finish on the base. You might notice a tiny pinhole near the rim of the top hat. I have found two other such "flaws" in the kit. Given the type of resin used, and the outstanding overall quality, I can live with these. . . (PS--Filled and finished in less than 15 mins.!)

Smart Max Galleries

For superb galleries of most of the current offerings, see:
Smog 1888
Mauser Earth
Private Commissions

And now for something completely different. . . STEAMPUNK!

A company hailing from a commune in the north-western suburbs of Paris has in little over a year taken the miniatures' world by storm by offering a product line that is not only unequaled in creativity and imagination, but in its production standards and quality. I am talking about Smart Max.

Smart Max offers two lines of resin 1/35th scale figures: Smog 1888 and Mauser Earth (website currently unavailable). Smog 1888 is classic Steampunk: a Victorian alternate reality with a healthy splash of sci-fi à la Jules Verne, et al. in what is the "new" Industrial Revolution--or the "old" one pursued to its unnatural extremes with all the unimaginable unnatural consequences. Mauser Earth is an alternate reality that features the "Forever War": the outcome of "the war to end all wars" is still very much in question as it has been going on for a quarter-century!

The figures are beautifully designed and sculpted, and exquisitely cast in polyvinyl resin. Yes. . . I know. . . not my favorite medium, but one eminently suitable for the task at hand--especially as the thickness of parts can be less than 1mm in many instances! Engineering and design is reminiscent of the best the Japanese masters have to offer: whereas we would sculpt/model a greatcoated figure in one piece, Smart Max provides a hollow greatcoat, a separate cape, a full set of legs!

Regarding scale. Smart Max is a pack-leader in what I can only describe as a new "micro" trend. Until recently, we have seen the scale pendulum of military miniatures ever swinging in the direction of "bigger is better", where the figures are obviously much larger than the professed scale. Smart Max and the likes of Nocturna, et al. are now releasing pieces that are true to scale, if not slightly smaller. Hence, the new scale standard is not 54mm (or 60mm in real measure), but a true 1/35th scale or 50mm.

This is perhaps seen as a compromise scale (note: hardly that, being the mainstay of military modelling since time immemorial!) that will attract the mainstream miniaturist, while still appealing to the wargaming collector, for it is in the latter that these new ventures have their roots. And if I may digress briefly, where the future of our hobby, IMHO, for whatever reasons, lies. Whatever you might think of him or his work, Raúl García Latorre and Enigma have been among the first to "cross-over". While I do not believe many more of the creators will follow--few have his talent in the smaller scales, undoubtedly many of the patrons will follow--if only because of display-ability and cost.

Cost. I remember when 25-30mm were about a buck or so per figure. Of course, I also remember when 54's were under $3.00! One of the major deterrents to a greater following for these new "micros" is cost. This is a case where you are getting less--volume-wise--for more. But what is quality and contextual imagination worth these days? Perhaps the worm has finally turned and artistry is being duly rewarded. . . And they are still cheaper than many of their larger counterparts!

The only other downside to these pieces is physical: how many people have the skills to do them justice? And how many of us old timers can still see well enough to even consider tackling them?? Perhaps they are righting the ship, and steering the hobby back on course. Unfortunately, while not quite ready to be marooned, "iacta alea est". However, until I am faced with the inevitable, I plan to enjoy these to the utmost, and I will be sharing my first venture into 3-d'al Steampunk with you shortly.

Until then. . .

Romeo 90mm Úlfhéðinn

This 90mm rendition of an Úlfhéðinn (pl., Úlfhéðnar), sculpted by Gianni La Rocca, is one of Romeo Models' latest releases (90-018).

The Úlfhéðinn was the "wolf-brother" of the Berserkr, though primary literary reference is somewhat more equivocal in its distinction. Be that as it may, my interests in this figure are more mythological than historical.

"Úlfhéðinn" can be interpreted etymologically as "werewolf", and this is where the perhaps unrealized potential of this figure lies. As a man, the proportions of the piece strike me as a bit 'off'; but as a transmogrifying were' ??? Hmmm. . .

I obviously do not have this figure, but it is one I might consider acquiring in the months to come.

Thoughts? Comments??

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - Wrapping up. . .

so that I might press on. . .

Over the last few days I have all-but-completed the face. Whilst the Web is a great repository of Lincoln iconography, my turn-to reference was Lincoln, Life Size by Philip B. Kunhardt III, et al. (NY: Knopf, 2009)--not perfect, but certainly invaluable, if only as a graphic personal chronology of our 16th President.

There still remains some "wrap-up" work to be done: the collar and tie, and tweaking the face; but the frontal view of the piece will change little in the days leading to priming.

Now for the "other half". . .

I drilled the right hand out when I received the kit in anticipation of having it holding a broad-axe. The problem with this presentation was that the exposed haft threw the figure out of kilter. And given Abe's background, where was the element of supernatural horror? So I decided to add a severed head--with fangs, of course!--that would only be visible when the figure was viewed from the rear. I am still undecided whether to include the axe and his stovepipe hat--the latter with a couple of "martyrs" (Lincoln's term in the book for his homemade Congreve [friction matches--named after, but not invented by, Sir William Congreve] 'flares').

FOLLOW-UP
The face is now just about done--all that is really left to do is the right eye, which then in turn might necessitate a slight rework of the left--depending on how hard I want to "push" the salient asymmetry of Lincoln's face.

I also reduced the size of the buttons somewhat--but not as much as you might think. The buttons appear dramatically oversized in the image, but I assure you they are not. Just needed a slight tweak. . .

UPDATE
The trophy head is now all-but-complete. While there is a bit of minor refining left to do to the hair, this will probably be addressed in situ once the head is permanently mounted, along with the addition of Abe's right thumb, etc.

Save for the right eye, and the final once-over, this figure is essentially done. Not bad for a week and a half of fun at the bench... Unless the addition of the right eye warrants some ip images, the next graphic update will be of the primed figure. . .

UPDATE (2)
With Q2-end looming large, this will probably be my last post until next weekend. . . Abe is now fully-orbed, and all that remains to be done are the lower eyelids on both eyes--I ended-up resculpting the left eye. I still have to give the figure the final once-over, but I am hoping to have it primed in 7-10 days.

FOLLOW-UP
The heads are done and awaiting priming. I decided to resculpt the shoes/boots to provide me with the option to display the figure on a "hard" (finished) surface, or earth; as well as depict a more realistic shoe size--and style. Once the shoes are done, so will the figure be...

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - part 2

With less than five days into the project, I am very pleased with the way things are unfolding, and especially with how loquacious this figure has been (those of you who know me are well familiar with my "theory" that one must "listen" to the figure throughout the process-whether modelling or painting)!

I've just completed the left column of buttons, and with that I can say that save for the shirt, collar, and tie, the figure is all but done. Oh... there is still loads to do, tweaking here, re-defining there; but for practical purposes, we can deem the core work completed. BTW, for those that might be wondering, I have left Abe bare-headed and beardless, dating him ca. 1860, close to the last time he would be clean-shaven.

To recap, so far I have what is, IMHO, a decent portrait of our 16th President. But what of the "other" Abe? I'm considering a 'composite diptych', if you will: viewed from the front, a portrait figure of Abraham Lincoln around the time of his election; viewed from the rear, a faceless vampire-hunter holding a grisly trophy. I am as yet undecided whether to include the axe--and possibly his stovepipe hat.

I should have images up over the weekend. . .

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (54mm)

Upon my return from work, I was welcomed by the arrival of Andrea's 54mm Undertaker, 1880's. Chuck (The Red Lancers) came through once again--no surprise there!

What was surprising, given my usual experiences with this manufacturer, was the overall quality of the casting! At the very worst, I would have to give it a VG+; and if not for some annoying minor mold tears, my sample would earn a well-deserved EXCELLENT!

The kit is comprised of 5 pieces, with the subject a one-piece casting measuring 53mm to the eyes--the only piece in the kit that will probably be used. While I will try to post images over the weekend, I have already begun the preliminary clean-up (usual seam lines--very light) and tweaking the face and the dress. Regarding the former, I have already removed the mustache and begun to "square" the angular Lee Van Cleef-ish look. As to the clothing, I have begun to modify the vest/shirt, coat, and shoes. As of this posting, the only putty work I foresee on the clothing will be the shirt collar, tie, and buttons (relocate three and add five).

The only addition to the kit I foresee making is that of Honest Abe's weapon of choice in his guise as a vampire hunter: a broad axe of the type he would have been more than familiar with as a rail-splitter of note and by trade.

To be continued. . .

FOLLOW-UP
The figure is now pegged and mounted on its working base. . .

As I continued the re-contouring of the face, it struck me that the proportions were a bit off for what I intended. So treating the prospective hunter as one of his prey, I lopped the head off! Now I have ample room to work on the shirt and vest, and I can decide whether to sculpt a new head from scratch, or convert a head from the spare parts bin. And whereas before there was no option--and I would have had to significantly modify the hat, I can now elect to have Abe hatted or not. A~

UPDATE
A quick check of the spare parts bin yielded a perfect base head--1/32nd Airfix--from which to develop my rendition of Lincoln. As of this writing, I have begun to hollow out the cheeks, enhance the chin and the supraorbital ridge, and flesh out the ears. I have also drilled out the neck on the figure, and fitted the head. A~

UPDATE
I would say the head is about 70% done. As the smaller scales (<70mm) are relatively unfamiliar territory, I am not sure how much more there is really left to do. And as the temporal setting remains undecided, I am straddling the fence on whether or not to include the beard. Regardless, progress continues. . .

On more solid ground, I have completed the right column of buttons: the three that were to be relocated--but were resculpted, plus one. Four to go. . .

Catching up. . .

It has been an inordinately long time, which just goes to underscore that one can serve but one master at a time. . . Maybe two. But three?

I have ongoing projects on three forums as I write: steady progress is being reported on two of these. Lamentably, it appears as if I will have to decompress a bit from my immersion into the horror/fantasy genre before I can dive in again.

But dive in I will, and I will be introducing a historical fantasy project within the week to get things rolling again on these pages, and hopefully reward your patience and persistence.

As a sneak preview of what is to come, I am about a third of the way through a most enjoyable read: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith (NY: Grand Central, 2010). I stumbled upon this title while "playing" with a colleague's iPad during one of those all-too-rare lulls at work. The reviews are mixed, running the gamut; and, for me at least, the basic premise seemed "forced". And yet. . .

Well, I finally gave in, and I am very pleased to say that I appear to have been wrong on all counts! Admittedly, two-thirds of any book is more than enough to dash what might turn out to be premature zeal; but to date, this has been an engaging, fun read, if somewhat linear and undemanding.

But this is not a literary blog. And you will find plenty of those that have sunk their teeth into this work--pun intended!--if you are so inclined. What this work has done for me is stoked the cooling embers of creative inspiration.

I originally conceived of a 150-200mm portrait figure of Abe, the Vampire Hunter, based on the dj illustration of the book. And while this is still a viable proposition, I decided upon a more modest prologue to this story: converting Andrea's 54mm Undertaker in their Golden West series (S4-F36) to Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. . .

To be continued. . .