HAMMERSTEIN!

As promised, a hands-on review of DWC's latest, arguably most ambitious, and indisputably one of their most spectacular releases to date. . .

HAMMERSTEIN HAS ARRIVED!

I am reviewing issue number 006 of 100. The kit is comprised of 9 pieces + logo'ed groundwork plinth, and its design is based on Clint Langley's superb artwork of Pat Mills' creation in their collaborative masterpiece, the 4-volume The Volgan War.

The castings are exceptional! It will require some careful seam-work, but nothing that anyone with a few figures under their belt will need to sweat over.

This is your goal if you choose to accept the challenge. . .


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

KSLJ (Bust) -- Prepwork II

Next comes the prepping/fitting of the head. 

Just as a reminder, I selected the largely unrecognized "third" head: the leprous knight. This is an exceptional sculpture that will amply reward thorough research, and deliberate and judicious painting.

Clean-up is fairly straight forward with few surprises and/or pitfalls. Fitting will be less straightfor- ward, as the head is locked in place by the ventail. I recommend proceeding carefully and dryfit- ting often. Once the ventail is fitted, the head should follow in short order. 

BUT. . . before you go attaching anything permanently, a historical note of no mean interest. The kit is provided with a drop-down, bilateral, bib ventail. Which is fine, if somewhat anachronistic. What isn't fine is the fact the the facial opening of the coif is is "closed" as well as edged in sewn leather: "closed" coifs were not used with bib ventails. 

This is what one should be striving for:


This is a fairly straightforward modification, the difficulty of which will largely depend on your "requirements". In my iteration, I will have to resculpt some of the mail to restore the volume lost by removal of the tailored coif.

There may be some issues with the overall length of the ventail, but this may be going too far. . . The options, as I see them, are: 1) perform the above mods; or, 2) delete the ventail altogether.

As a final note, the small matter of the two temporal loops off the edge of the helmet. The maa would lace the ties of the ventail through the loops and tie them off at the back/side of the head. I prefer the more 'direct' option: bilateral ties tied-into the coif itself. To this end, I have already re- moved the loops, and am now deciding on how best to proceed with the ties. Given the location of the helmet straps, you may not have to worry about this. . .

More to follow. . .

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

KSLJ (Bust) -- Prepwork

The appliquéd crosses have been removed in their entirety. With that being done, I took the opportunity to reduce the chest of the mantle to a more acceptable expanse: it could still be reduced quite a bit more, but for now it is acceptable.

The bust has been filled with epoxy-putty, and I have sculpted a pedestal upon which it will rest. Final finishing and polishing remain to be done.

A great start for a bust that a little over 24 hrs. ago was still on the truck!

More to follow. . .

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

KSLJ!!!

After fitting the finalist heads, I have decided to stay "true" and do this as a historical piece! There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with the "zed-head"--in fact, as mentioned earlier, the posted images do NOT do it justice!!! That being said, how often does one get to do a "leper knight"? 

And if I enjoy it sufficiently, I can always get a second kit to do as a revenant knight!

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

KSLJ (Bust) -- Review

The bust is here!!! [Thanks as always to Chuck and his exemplary service!]

A few 'surprises':

• Micro-packaging. Very stylish and--I'm assuming--cost-effective, but the parts are very cramped with little or no support. One of the ties of the ventail arrived broken-off on my sample.
• Multi-media offering. There are three white-metal pieces in the kit: nasal, [bilateral] ventail, and mantle ties.
• Joint effort. I presume the white metal pieces are cast by Pegaso; but the resin pieces are cast by the eponymous YS Masterpieces in Greece. While the overall casting quality is VG, YSM apparently does not pressure-cast, which leaves the castings prone to air-bubbles along the surfaces proximal to the sprues. In short, be prepared to do some filling. . .

The kit is comprised of 8 pieces + a resin mounting post--including three individual faces. NONE of the images available to-date on-line, painted or un-, do these faces justice! These are very good, and I am now hard-pressed to decide what I am going to do with this bust. . .  

The torso is indeed hollow, so filling and finishing is first on the agenda. Or, rather, second, as I have already begun to remove the appliquéd crosses. . .

Whether as a "leper-knight" or a resurrected wight, you will not be disappointed. . . 

RECOMMENDED + + +

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

Judge Death (Bust) - Prepwork

As we have come to expect from DWC, prepwork is minimal. There are seamlines, but you will have to work to find them. Given the nature of the hobby in this day, most people will not bother... Which suggests to me what little respect they have for their canvas--and we, in turn, should have for their work! 

I am anxiously awaiting the release of the return of the Dark Judges in Judge Dredd: Dark Jus- tice later this month, so any serious mods will have to wait until then. In the meantime, however, basic prepwork can be addressed and hopefully completed. . . 

This morning, I have fitted the right pterosaur pauldron to my satisfaction, and permanently at- tached the left arm. As to the latter, save for the left hand, that is as far as I intend to go with pre- assembly, as the fit is seemless, and I have no inclination to compromise the painting. I have also all-but-completed finishing of the helmet and the lower head.

Once the basic prepwork is completed, I will begin work on the coarse lacing that will replace the jumpsuit zipper. . . 

Movin' right along. . .

FOLLOW-UP. . . In order to created a more unique, less derivative look, I decided to reposition the left hand. The final position has yet to be determined, but the wrist socket has been expand- ed and the hand has been pegged (.063" tin solder).

While still very much in a design stage, I am examining the possibility of modding the helmet slightly. DONE!

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

And the bussssttt isssss. . . DEATH!

This year, DWC has ventured into my favorite miniatures' genre--BUSTS! And two of their three offerings to date are in their 2000AD sub-line: Ol' Stony Face himself, Judge Dredd; and his Deadworld nemesis. . . the lisping lich. . . Judge Death!!!

I am in proud possession of both of these gems; but for now, we will concern ourselves with Death. As a brief aside, each bust comes with a finished hardwood display plinth/base by Bespoke Bases! And lest I forget, each bust will be strictly limited to 100 issues worldwide.

This 1/10th scale bust is exquisitely cast in 7 pieces. While both of the 2000AD offerings are "cut-downs" of their 70mm full-figure counterparts (one of the advantages of using CAD to create design prototypes!), they have been significantly re-engineered to complement the larger scale. For example, Death's head is comprised of two-parts: helmet and lower face--PERFECTION!

Before moving on to the project itself, I can only say. . . HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

As with the full-figure, the bust will be an exercise in hue and tonality.  Do I go with a greenish skin, a bluish skin, a deathly flesh tone. . . or a custom mix of all three? The gear--how faded/ worn should it be depicted? Should it be predominantly green or buff. . . or something in-be- tween?  And so on, and so forth. . .  

And as with the full-figure--not surprising given its provenance--this Death is obviously based on the iteration found in the Batman/Dredd crossover, "Die Laughing" (hence the chained badge, etc.). It too will be reverted to canon, and to this end I have already removed the chain and the zipper-tab.

More to follow!!!

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

KSLJ (Bust) -- TDL

I'm starting to very much look forward to the arrival of this piece, even though I have no idea what is in store for me. . . or it!

As is my wont, I have begun the "laundry list" of things to be done:

• The torso appears to be hollow: fill-in, and sculpt pedestal.
• Removal of the stylized crosses.
• Replace the sculpted crosses with Greek or Latin crosses, or crosses pattée.
• Decide on face to be used and enhance/modify accordingly. If I opt for the skeletal extreme, develop a suitable backstory.

And that's about it! Assuming that the casting is up to snuff, this should be on the painting bench before the first nip of Fall is in the air.

Stay tuned!

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

Knight of the Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem (Bust)

June saw Pegaso's return to the Levant and the Crusades with two new offerings: a 200mm bust of a Knight of the Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem (OSLJ), and a 90mm Knight of the Holy Sepulchre. We will concern ourselves with the former.

This is an interesting release in that it includes three--count 'em, 3!--faces: a somewhat unattrac- tive bare face; a rather roughly-sculpted bearded face; and a skeletal face that some have con- cluded represents a zombie! I don't know what the manufacturer intended; but FWIW, I believe Pegaso intended to provide a progression of the disease associated with the Order. The final stage, however, transcends any semblance of reality, and it is easy to see how it is associated with "zeds": it could step-in quite nicely for a 1/9th scale version of [a bust of] a knight from Tombs of the Blind Dead!

Now, two points of reference re: the OSJL. Firstly, they followed first the Benedictine Rule, sub- sequently the Augustinian Rule, and as such would have worn black, not white. There are further arguments to support the use of black, as well as period iconographic evidence. That being said, there is some evidence, largely circumstantial AFAIC, to support the use of white. . .

Secondly, the design of the crosses is extremely stylized! Technically, they do indeed represent a cross pattée, but then again so does a "surfer's cross"--which is what these remind me of! The first order of business will be the removal of the appliquéd crosses, and replacing them with an ordinary cross.

And now for the wait. The bust is on order, and will hopefully be in my hands within the fortnight, give or take. More to follow. . .

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

Hammer time!!!!

For those of you who haven't heard, DWC is now accepting orders for their fully licensed (as are all their 2000AD projects), 70mm to scale (110mm actual height), limited edition (100 worldwide) rendition of the primus inter pares of the ABC Warriors. . . Hammerstein!

More regarding this landmark release that has "classic" written all over it in the weeks to come, and of course, a full hands-on review as soon as it arrives; but not before MAJOR kudos to Rin and David Richardson for making this available to the fans of their work, to say nothing of Pat Mills' and Clint Langley's work.

And if my word isn't good enough, read what the author/co-creator and the artist have to say about this magnificent offering!

More to follow. . .  

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

Bonnie Parker - Prepwork

By way of update, the prep on Bonnie is about 85% done:

• The head has been resculpted (note: cigar has been eliminated).
• The skirt has been lengthened and "re-cut".
• The shoes have been resculpted. And. . . 
• The Colt M1917 has been resculpted. The main issue was the distorted barrel which has been replaced with a length of 22ga. hypodermic tubing.

These are the major issues with the figurine. In addition to the final finishing of the above, there are another 4-5 points of detail that are currently in-progress of being addressed.

I am hoping to have her primed by the end of July, but this is at best a hopeful guess-timate.

UPDATE 20.06.2015. . . The additive putty-work has been concluded. Now comes the final clean-up and detailing, with the attendant touch-ups. . .  

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

Bonnie Parker

I have always been taken with the "Public Enemy Era" of American history. And Bonnie Parker, the gun moll of Clyde Barrow, has always been at the top of my list for any number of reasons. I have at least two major projects "on the list" involving this diminutive Texan, and when Andrea released a figure of Parker in their Gangland America series (Black Hawk Toy Soldier line), I thought it would be the ideal prelude to the more involved projects to follow. 

This figure is a pre-paint. As such, it is not the worst I have seen--but I have seen better. Consi- dering the srp, it provides excellent value--especially if you intend to refinish it yourself.

Casting quality is quite good, and the medium used--a hard, high-tin content pewter--is excellent! On the down side, pre-paint finishing leaves much to be desired, with most of the surface flaws hidden from view by a heavy coat of acrylic primer. Be that as it may, I would rather deal with an unfinished figure than a poorly finished figure with obliterated detail.

The figure is designed in three pieces: the one-piece figure; the display plinth; and the cigar. One- piece, mass-produced castings are inherently limited, and this one is no exception: the revolver, while adequately detailed, follows the contours of the skirt! I have yet to decide whether to work with what was provided, or replace it outright.

The likeness leaves something to be desired, but reworking the nose--as well as losing the cigar butt and reworking the lips!--will address the more obvious issues. Parker did not smoke cigars: the iconic photograph was from an undeveloped roll of film found in Joplin, MO, and it was one of a number of light-hearted "gag" shots taken during a break in the couple's frenetic life.

The other main drawback to the rendition is a somewhat immodest (for the time), relatively short, slide-slit skirt. The only reason for this gross exercise of artistic license is to give the subject a racier aspect. 

Back to the bench!

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

Catching up. . .

First of all, I would like to thank those of you who have written to express concerns over the pro- tracted and uncharacteristic silence of the last 8 weeks on this site. Very kind--and very much appreciated!

By way of recap, work has been the dominant activity in the day-to-day, and will likely remain so in the foreseeable future. While I would rather it be otherwise, it simply is what it is. Spring was also rather demanding in terms of home repairs, and this effectively monopolized what little dis- posable time would have been available.

Hobby-wise, the events of the first quarter of the year--along with the dearth of imagination in 2015 releases and the inexorable rise in prices--eliminated any wiggle room for rationalization: I have finally made my break with figures! At the very least, this is a much needed hiatus from what had become a rather uninspiring routine--and I have enough of those in my life!! Sadly, I haven't missed it; but I am willing to concede that I haven't had time to miss it. 

Since I last posted, I have spent my idle time working on armor. . . No, not armour; but 'armor' as in combat vehicles. It satisfies virtually all of my modelling requirements; and, for the most part, I can still feel a sense of accomplishment with as little as 10-15 minutes per day. Sit down, enjoy, and walk away. In short, a hobby.

That being said, I am a miniaturist, not a scale modeler! And I am very happy to be a miniaturist. What I was not--am not--happy about is the direction my beloved hobby has taken. And thus I decided to get off the bus, as it were. But that does not mean that I have ceased being fascinat- ed by what can be realized in this hobby. Most of my armor projects involve figures, and they are critical to the "snapshot in time" I am attempting to capture in 3-D, not groundwork accessories employed as visual garnish. 

And, yes, I am still working on stand-alone figures. In fact, today I have begun the rework of one of Andrea's latest releases: Bonnie Parker. This figure is a pre-painted "toy soldier" from the company's Black Hawk Toy Soldier line in the latter's Gangland America series. The figure has now been stripped, and preparations for the enhancements have begun: unfortunately, the figure has some serious historicity issues. No surprise there, eh?

Back to the bench! And again, thank you for your concern and interest!!

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