Soapy's Workshop

Count down to Crossover Part 4: The pitch

2011-12-09T05:01:00.001Z

So here we are at the end of Countdown but hopefully the beginning of something great:

Now whether Crossover comes into being or not is kind of in your hands. As you will have no doubt noticed there are links here to our Kickstarter page where we look to raise the funds to complete the sculpting and casting of our initial release. There are a number of different levels of support with incentives at each level to say thank you to those of you who donate. There's plenty more I could tell you here but as you're going to check out the Kickstarter page you don't need to read it all twice do you?

You are going to check out the Kickstarter page, right? Yeah thought so, cheers.

Help us to bring Crossover to life, this could be the start of something pretty cool.

Soaps.

PS: Here's that link for ya: Crossover Miniatures Superhero range Kickstarter project.

Countdown to Crossover Part 3: The Twist

2011-12-07T06:50:00.001Z

Welcome, reader to out penultimate issue of Countdown to Crossover where our Hero is sent careening across alternate realities and meets eight different versions of himself!

So we've met the Guardian already, stalwart hero of the city and defender of the public good.

The question is though,is there more to our hero than meets the eye? Well of course there is or I'd hardly be asking the question now would I?

So last time I mentioned that Rusti and I had had an idea. It started as a way to get the most out of our goons but never being one to let a random thought just drift off into the ether I suggested that it might be worth trying out the idea on a few of the other figures in the range to give the punters a bit more variety. As ever I kind of went on auto pilot and disappeared for a few days only to next get back to Rusti with the news that now all of the heroes and goons (except for out Hulking Brute Ram Jam) had completely interchangeable heads and that I was doing three different one for each of them (Ram Jams gets three heads too but they would look ridiculous on anyone else, he is quite big). There was a bit of silence then, you could almost hear the nervous sweat beading on his forehead as he wondered just what kind of lunatic he was getting involved with...

...but everything was cool in the end. (Now there is a cop out ending if ever you've read one)

Anyway here for your delight and delectation I present to you our Guardian in eight new guises! Now Guardian was a bit of an experiment and I've tried out something else with him and am working on a separate cloak. This part is still WIP and we don't know if it will see final production but it does offer a few more options for the discerning hero about town. So, without further ado the Guardian becomes:

The Bug, wisecracking member of the Crisis battalion!

The N.S.Agent, government super operative

Mandroid, an artificial hero desperate to understand humanity

Knightline, former sidekick now forging his own heroic legacy

The Prowler, seeking redemption for his past life.

T'Chule, enemy of Atlantis.

Alpha Centurion, galactic defender.

and finally Super Stig! Just coz.

Shown then are a selection of other heads from the characters already created for the range. Some work better than other as they are clearly designed to work on a different style of model all together but they do show the versatility of the range with only a few models under way. Sadly that brings us to the end (almost) of this issue. Next time our story comes to a close as we find out what all of this has been leading up to and how you can get involved, see you next time.

LETTER COLUMN:
In Issue one Superherofigurehunter asked:
Any hints as to what Crossover may entail? A commercial venture by any chance? Or a fan=community venture?

Stay tuned to next issue to find out!

And in Issue two Superherofigurehunter asked:
Are these going to be commercially available?

That's the plan!

If so, if you are casting them up, would you guys consider tabbing instead of integral bases?

Now I know there are a lot of people out there who prefer tabbed bases and I am aware of the arguments for and against but here is were I stand on it (for this project at least). Integrated bases allow you to start playing with your miniature straight away it is, to some extent, table ready. If you are using modelled bases an integrated base is not much harder to remove than a tabbed one although granted it does require a little more care and attention and finally if you have a tabbed base then you are pretty much obliged to provide a slotted base to go with it which is yet another expense for a start up company to find, it also means you are beholden to yet another supplier providing you with their stock before you can even send out your product to gamers. There are also a couple of different styles of slotted base, not to mention sizes and shapes, so which one do you use? Will it put some people off? At least when you have an integrated base you can be sure that if people aren't buying your models it's because of the model itself and not because of the bit of plastic you've had to pay someone else for your customers not to like! :)

Thanks to all those who have offered encouragement and please if you have something to say or a question to ask then leave a comment and I will try to answer as many as I can in the next issue when the countdown to Crossover finally ends and our story moves into new an uncharted territory.

Countdown to Crossover Part 2: The Design process.

2011-12-03T16:22:00.001Z

So last time I waxed lyrical about how the idea for crossover came about this time I am going to take a look at where we went with the idea.

As I was recently reminded a picture is worth a thousand words so I thought it would be easiest for Rusti to show me his ideas in a picture so with that in mind I knocked up a couple of blank body templates for him to sketch over some uniform ideas:

Feel free to use these templates for your own hero sketches, it's fun! I know the woman is all shoulders and no hips but give me a break, it's the first female figure I've drawn in about a decade and for my drawings close enough is close enough!

So anyway, I sent Rusti a copy of the templates for him to rough out his ideas on and pretty soon I had the first one back. A classic, bodysuited, old school hero type. Or at least that's what I assumed it was...

By the looks of things Rusti didn't draw...

...but that was okay because at least I knew what he was after (assuming the eyes were artistic license and not an accurate reflection of his desires). So I adjusted and had a mess around and came back with a couple of versions of a classic bodysuited hero:

The first one had a slightly more modern look with some raised and padded areas to add a bit of something extra whilst the second was a lot truer to the original idea maintaining the stark simplicity and allowing plenty of scope for painters to add their own personality to the figure. Rusti was quite happy for the figure to share the same pose with the sketch template so I even knew how to pose him up. After a few more back and forth's Rusti and I had come up four characters and a 'goon' and I was about ready to get sculpting...

And below you see the fruits of my labour. Here is the first of out new heroes, the torch bearer for Crossover. Being such a simple figure I had to make sure the body shape worked as I wouldn't be able to hide anything under 'stuff'. I'm really pleased how he turned out.

As I said Rusti and I had come up with a number of characters; heroes, villains and goons, and they were all coming along great but then we decided to try something a little different. something risky but we thought it'd be worth the effort.

Tune in to our next thrilling instalment as we reveal the big plot twist and start paving the way to the gripping conclusion of a story that could only be called: Countdown to Crossover!

Countdown to Crossover Part 1: The idea

2011-12-01T22:21:00.000Z

I've been trying to work out when crossover started.

It might have been during the late 80's reading Marvel UK titles like Death's Head, Dragons Claws, Transformers and Action Force.

It might have been back in the early 90's when I walked into the Warner Brothers store in Kingston and they were playing The Batman Adventures on the big screen.

It might have been when BBC radio 1 transmitted the audio dramas of Knightfall and the Death of Superman.

It might have been when I found They Walk Among Us, a fantastic comic shop in Richmond where I bought my first DC comics and ultimately ended up working, some 10 years later, after I left GW.

It's more likely to have started when I discovered the supersystem rules and decided these were exactly what I needed to scratch an itch I didn't even know I had had.

There is a strong chance that it really became an idea once I started sculpting my own superhero miniatures and posting them on the LAF superhero boards.

I know when I stopped being an idea and started to become a reality though. Fergal, fellow poster to the Lead Adventures forum, contacted me and asked if I was interested in sculpting a range of superheroes. I asked him if bears were Catholic and the Pope shits in the woods, damn right I was interested! We both seemed to be on exactly the same wavelength and were finishing each others sentences before the end of our first phone call. It felt a bit like what I imagine the relationship is like between a writer and his artist on a comic book. Russell, for that is Fegal's secret identity (although not so much now I fear), had loads of ideas for characters and I took inspiration from his descriptions and turned them into something we both liked the look of. Suddenly it was real and we both got all exited, manly and reserved naturally, but still excited.

So I suppose that is were it started really. Of course it wasn't Crossover then, it was just the idea. Work has gone on behind the scenes and soon with a bit of luck and some support from the gaming community it may even become a reality. The countdown to Crossover has begun. Watch this space.

I'm not dead yet...

2011-08-23T01:51:00.000+01:00

...and to prove it here are some things I made.

The Christmas project

2011-04-25T03:48:00.001+01:00

Crickey, it's just occurred to me that I didn't post up my Christmas project. That being said, here we go.

So last November I got a message from Lord Ashram who was after a few figures for his good lady for Chrimbletide. Unfortunately I was a bit busy at the time but once I heard what the project was I decided to make the time. I managed to finish up my projects and even got the models finished in plenty of time (or so I thought). Now Lord A lives in the US so two postal services and a bit of snow got in the way of the efficient delivery of the models so Christmas was a bit light at the Lord A homestead but eventually all was well and the models arrived. For the full story, and to see them painted up and in their diorama base check out Lord Ashrams blog (above).

Anyway, here are the models he wanted. Harry, Ron and Hermione. And most enjoyable to do they were too.

Ragnarök

2010-11-26T16:20:00.000Z

ODIN!

Lord of Valhalla, high king of the Æsir.

Odin carries his treasures, the spear Gungnir, the magical ring Draupnir and the head of Mimir which predicts the future. He is accompanied by the ravens, Huginn and Muninn, his wolves Freki and Geri and rides out on Sleipnir the eight legged horse who was fathered by Loki.

At Ragnarök Odin shall ride before the Æsir and the Einherjar wearing a golden helmet and an intricate coat of mail where he shall be swallowed by the great wolf Fenrir and so die.

HRYM

During the end times Hrym shall captain the ship Naglfar, made of the finger and toe nails of the dead, from Jotunheim to Vígríðr bringing the legions of jötnar to the final battle.

Broom Rider girls

2010-08-23T04:42:00.000+01:00

Because you demanded it! (Well one person suggested it actually...)

Will these gals ever go in to production? Will their male counterparts ever join them in a mould? Only intensive perstering of the boys at the Beast will ever get you an answer...

And that's post number 100 done. Only took about 1200 days to get this far. Pretty rubbish really but sounds better if you say 'an average of 1 post every 12 days', no matter how far from the truth that is.

Stay lucky,

Soaps.

Five Oh.

2010-08-15T17:45:00.000+01:00

More bored...

2010-08-14T13:10:00.000+01:00

Maid and Nurse. Terrible, terrible snaps...

Things you do when you're bored...

2010-08-10T21:10:00.003+01:00

I'm still doing stuff...

ANZAC batt com part 4

2010-02-10T14:42:00.000Z

And a weary Sgt Major completes the set.

And for those who've been patiently waiting a selection of new head sprues are now available at the GB site. Go and check now!

Test of concept miniature.

2010-02-07T14:18:00.000Z

So seeing as I had Sunday off I got up at 6am and wondered why the hell I had done it. A quick bowl of cereal and a coffee later and I was trying to decide what to do with my day. Seeing as what I was meant to be doing was well in hand I decided to have a potter about with something for myself so over the next couple of hours I knocked up this little test piece of a WW1 Scot in the Middle East.

Seeing as it was never going to be cast I decided to paint him up and try him out with a selection of different heads from the up coming new selection from TWDC.

A most enjoyable way to spend a morning.

Back to proper work come Monday morning.

If anyone wants to see these types of model in production I can only suggest you bombard GB with a concentrated e-mail, telephone and carrier pidgeon campaign.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

ANZAC batt com part 3

2010-02-05T15:46:00.000Z

Loosely based on Lt Col Malone

And the previous entry was styled on Major General Antill

The first bloke from GB newness I made up, shocking I know...

ANZAC batt com part 2

2010-02-03T03:19:00.000Z

GB newness.

2010-01-31T20:25:00.000Z

And what have I been doing?

You know, stuff.

I missed my birthday!

2010-01-26T18:40:00.001Z

So this old blog of mine rolls into it's third year and I think I can safely say that the year just gone was indeed the terrible twos. What a shockingly small body of work I have to show for the last 12 months. It's been so bad that things in the 'need to finish' pile from last years birthday post are still in it now although progress is being made and I've revisited all of my half done stuff and added at least something to them to bring them nearer to the finish.

Currently on the table are an ANZACs battalion command group and some French Bombers, Officers and NCOs for the Gallipoli range along with the balance of the Indian troops section pack. The sculpting schedule is full of interesting stuff for the next two months with a whole new set of subjects in the offing.

I'll put up some pictures of the new stuff as they are completed but I won't be showing off everything as I'll leave some of the new sculpts to be shown off in the GB newsletter for which you can sign up here (side panel on the right!).

So on to the boring stats, starting with sculpting output.

Full sculpts: 90

Conversions: 81

Heads, bits and accessories: 103

Absolutely awful considering I was aiming at something like 250 as a baseline. Just shows how badly my funk set in this past year. New years resolution, work more.

Blog stats:

18,399 visits from

7,156 unique visitors.

53 Followers and

78 subscribers to my feed

Most visits in 1 day:

299 on Thursday 5th March (TWDC Chaps)

284 on Tuesday 7th July (Broom Riders)

274 on Wednesday 8th July (Broom Riders again)

257 on Thursday 12th February (Combat stress)

Average daily views: 44

Top 5 referring sites:

Gripping Beast 3,585

Musketeer Miniatures 1,419

Lead Adventures Forum 1,253

Frothers 884

Dave Woodwards blog 688

Top 5 viewing nations (including top viewing city):

UK 9,606

(London 4,032)

US 2,422

(Sacramento 197)

Germany 871

(Munich 407)

France 816

(Paris 254)

Australia 762

(Melbourne 342)

Curious search terms that have led people to my blog...:

Deep tissue blister 8

no cointreau for old men 4

soapy sex 4 (lower than I expected)

"harry potter" kojak 3

I lick and take it 1

can I wocha vido of panting 1

elijah wood 1

goodly painted necron lord 1

naked and soapy 1

revenge for cake in the face wedding 1

should my 2 year old play outside in the snow 1

soapy fanny pics 1 (just 1, I'm suprised...)
soapy porn 1 (again...)

what are the layers of the sun and explain what happens in each layer 1

Funny what can take you to a wargamers blog innit?

Anyway, that me for another year so I'll be off to try and make 2010 a bit more entertaining.

Imperial Guard turn counter

2010-01-19T17:26:00.005Z

Started off as just another bugler, albeit a converted one, turned into an objective marker and eventually became a turn/kill point counter.

I really must decide to stop before these things get out of hand...

Bad lighting had made the Dark Green uniform appear black. Bum.

Stay lucky,

Soaps.

Lunchtime challenge.

2010-01-13T20:45:00.002Z

As I had nothing to do for a hour this lunchtime I decided to set my self a challenge, could I convert one of my WW1 French infantrymen into a 4ok Death Korp of Krieg Guardsman. I toddled of for a grilled cheese sandwich (it was lunchtime after all) and a quick think about how to do it. Once I'd decided what I'd do I started the clock and began.

1. Snip barrel of rifle and replace with plastic rod. Cut rod to 'lasgun' angle and run a file around the bottom to create the groove. 2 mins.

2. Cut a small piece of thin plasticard, score and glue to shoulder. 1 min.

3. Stick on French pack (Master casting for upcoming WW1 french) and entrenching tool (that I had lying around). 1 min

4. Take WW1 German helmet with gasmask head (master casting for upcoming head sprue so it was a little large for the figure) trimm off filter, file and drill to accept length of plastic rod for air hose. Glue in place. 6 mins.

5. Bulk out collar and cuffs, add eagle and central vane to helmet and tidy up face mask and shoulder pad all using green stuff. 8 mins.

6. Stick to GW base. 1 min.

7. Flat colours paint job. 28 mins.

8. Devlan mud wash all over. 4 mins.

9. Sand the base. 2 mins.

10. Ink the base. 2 mins.

I came back to it at tea time and drybrushed and flocked the base.

So there you go, a passable approximation of a Death Korp of Krieg guardsman from casting to colour in just under an hour. It's kinda rough and there are a few things I'd adjust or take more care over if I were to do any more but at least I know it sort of works. I'd been wanting to scratch this itch for a while now and I'm pretty pleased with the results.

Stay lucky,

Soaps.

Are you hardcore?

2010-01-10T05:09:00.001Z

If you are at the Cold Steel event then, congratulations, you are!

God I hate the cold...

New Year's resolution.

2010-01-06T11:57:00.005Z

Stay away from dressing up box.

FAIL.

Normal service will resume shortly.

Enter the loop here.

2009-12-18T11:57:00.002Z

Wocha,

Well it's all been a bit quiet around here this year hasn't it? As most of you will know I had a right old moody earlier in the year and just forgot how to enjoy sculpting. I started out 2009 in a pretty good place, cracking on and producing loads of goodies. Unfortunately I burned myself out good and proper and started way more models that I could reasonably expect to finish, reasonably by my usual standards anyway. After Salute, yes it was that long ago, I decided to have a bit of a breather and relax for a while, then I kicked back for a while longer and then I decided to paint an army or two. Months later and the new stuff I started before Salute was still sitting there on my desk, their little tin eyes staring at me. Okay the figures were all headless but I'd started loads of new WW1 heads and they were all staring at me, accusing, waiting and slowly making me hate them.

After a couple of months I was really resenting them for still being on my table. Somewhere around August I managed to get the heads finished up and sent off so at least it was just a bunch of headless dudes accusing me now. Bastards.

Sculpting was now a bit of a chore as I knew I couldn't do anything new until I finished the chaps that were waiting and so I did nothing, for ages.

Then I did my sci-fi nonsense and suddenly it was almost okay again. I hid the half finished figures and did something else out of left field. Morris dancers. I know, right? I think it did the trick though coz then I did some armed Morris men (pics from the Beast soon) and some character packs for the Woodbine Brits and Turks and then I revisited the balance of the French section pack and finished them in one sitting! All of the above are with, or in transit to, the Beasty boys and should be making an appearance sometime in the not too distant. The sculpting schedule is full and I even have plans for some more 'Lord S 1930s madness' packs that I will have to fit in somewhere without Darren finding out until they are done. That and the extra pack of sci fi oddness that I've been working on on and off since the last lot came out, but again, don't tell Darren.

So anyway having rehashed the contents of my last eight months of blogs and provided you with absolutely zero proof that anything I've said is true I'm going to get back to work. I may even dig out the half finished balance of the Indian section pack whilst I'm on a finish what you started kick. That would mean I'd have to sideline the ANZAC battalion command pack that I'm doing this week. Hmmm, decisions decisions...

Stay lucky and don't eat yellow snow,
Soaps.

Morris

2009-11-15T01:52:00.002Z

More fun in Lord S' world of the 1930s.

Go here to see the whole set.

By Toutatis!

2009-10-23T05:35:00.001+01:00

Asterix is 50 this week, so raise a glass to the plucky Gaul.

Oh yeah, I aitn't dead...

I lost the joy.

2009-08-18T15:14:00.007+01:00

Wocha,

Last week I lost the joy, sculpting started to feel like a real chore. Now the blog, of late, may suggest that I have been idle since before Salute but I have in fact been ploughing on with my tasks. In the works I have:

French Infantry

French Bombers

French NCOs

Indian Infantry

Indian Bombers

Indian NCOs

Brits in KD Infantry

Brits in serge HMG team

Loads of new heads including:

Aussie slouch hats (flap up)

Aussie Light horse slouch hat with plume

Wolesley helmets with sun shades

Brody helmet with neck flap

Soft cap with havelock

Cap comforters and balaclavas

Bare and wounded heads

Various Scots head dress

Chasseur Alpine beret

Asien corp Seabattalion style helmet

German helmet and gasmask

German helmet

So yeah, I've been busy. Along with all of that I'm juggling projects from three or four other interested parties and actually having to act almost as if I'm really in bussiness.

And then on Saturday I lost the joy and really couldn't face the putty. I sat and stared at all of the 'in progress' stuff on the desk and realised that I have absolutely no interest in finishing any of them, I'm just not interested. So I gave up. Sod it, it was the weekend after all. I took, as men in these days so often do, to the internet and started browsing around for something to interest me. Now, this is not some subtle way of telling you that I spend the day browsing for porn, if I had then believe me, I'd tell you. I have no shame. No, instead I was looking at my favorite miniatures and action figure sites and enjoying the various paintjobs, conversions and customs that had been put up for consideration. It was quite a good morning actually, I had fun and started to feel the urge to sculpt, not do any work of course just to sculpt something for fun. So I did.

I might even find a production slot for these badboys at some point in the future. If you recognise the inspiration for my Saturdays afternoon of entertainment (okay, Saturday afternoon and most of Sunday morning) then rejoice! If not then you are too old/young/mentally stable.

I think I've found the joy again now and I may even rouse myself to a bit of work this week. Maybe.

Stay lucky,

Soaps.

Broom Riders

2009-07-07T16:05:00.005+01:00

The question is do I cast them up or just paint them for myself?

Now added, girls!

TWDC Lord S' Hunting chaps for Salute

2009-03-05T08:22:00.005Z

With a bit of luck these should be ready for Salute.

Back when TWDC started Lord S demanded that I get to work on a set of chaps for his personal collection. A year later and the first set are finally ready...

Chaps at the Hunt.

Toff in (Natty) Alpine hat

Toff at the Grouse

Ted

Baxter and Bess

TWDC WW1 stuff for Salute

2009-03-05T08:13:00.007Z

With a bit of luck these bit should be ready for Salute.

French Infantry preview pack.

Adrian Helmets

Kepi

Zouave/Tirailleurs

Senegalese

Tropical service helmet
Indian Infantry Preview pack

Indian Infantry Heads sets

Ottoman Arab Officers

Ottoman Arab NCOs

Ottoman Arab Bombers

GB Stuff for Salute

2009-03-05T08:04:00.003Z

With a bit of luck these bits should be out for Salute.

Frankish unit deal

Penda Vignette set.

Combat Stress charity miniature.

2009-02-12T02:53:00.000Z

Wocha,

Now that the official announcement has been made I feel comfortable releasing a few pictures of this miniature.

I was pleased to be asked to produce a miniature to support Holybush House, The ex-serives mental welfare society. Seeing as it fitted in with what I'm doing at the moment I was asked to produce a miniature for the world war one era. Of course back then there was no such term as combat stress, the common term being shell shock. Diagnosis was by no means frequent and the condition was somewhat brushed under the table, many sufferers being sent back to the front with little or no support. It is well known these days that many sufferers were unable to cope with the relentless pressures of the conflict and the reaction of their peers and superiors would be seen today as ruthless and unconcionable. Today the recognition and support available for those suffering is far greater than that available to the fighting man of 90 years ago but there is always more we can do.

The miniature.
As well as a fundraising piece to aid the assistance of current sufferers I chose to make the WW1 model a memorial to those who's condition was unregognised and whose actions called into question. I hope I've managed to pull it off.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

New WW1 bits

2009-02-12T02:17:00.004Z

Wocha,

Officers, NCOs and bombers for the Brits and Ottomans in full uniform have been sent off for casting. I managed to misplace the flashdrive with most of the pictures on it so you'll have to make do with these few until the Beasty boys can come up with something.

(Photos show some random heads I had lying around, they look a bit silly without them...)

Sorry, didn't I mention there were Lewis gunner teams? Well there are, two of them.

These are the last WW1 bits before Salute as I have some other bits and bobs to get done in time for that show, there after I want to get a good chunk of the French done as I want to use them in the GB campaign day that I am running at the end of June. What? NO, surely I've mentioned this already? NO? Ah...

Lets just say for now, back end of June, late war western front, one day multi-player campaign day at Beast HQ. I'll gloss over the rest for now but lets pretend you all know the details already and that it will come as no suprise when the details are posted here or on the Beast website.

Anyway I'm off for now.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

Local travel...

2009-02-02T09:39:00.003Z

Snowboard, cunning.

Nice bit of snow innit?

2009-02-02T03:49:00.002Z

Stayed up to watch Pittsburgh win number 6 and watch the snow fall sideways. Nice.

I am 2

2009-01-23T08:52:00.004Z

Well here it is, the start of another blogging year and lets hope it's a bit more active than last year huh?

Thanks as always to all of those who visit, be it on a regular basis or just the once, and thanks to those that comment and boost my oh so fragile ego.

Now for the bit that no-one has been waiting for, the statistical breakdown for the year:

Total blog visits last year: 16,673
Of which unique visitors were: 5,929
Usual daily visit total: 54

Most views in a day: 324
Of which unique visitors were: 304
(This was the announcement of the WW1 separate head system for woodbine.)

Top 10 (of 125) referring sites:
Gripping Beast: 5,850
Musketeer Miniatures: 1,318
Dave Woodwoodwoodwoodwood's Blog: 1,311
Lead Adventures forum: 542
Mawdslio's Blog: 511
Blogger.com: 486
GuitarheroAndy's blog: 430
Tabletop gaming news: 390
Wargames butterfly: 365
TMP: 276

Top 10 (of 65) viewing nations:
UK: 10,012
US: 2,245
Germany: 611
Australia: 590
Sweden: 405
France: 363
Canada: 351
Finland: 309
Poland: 241
Netherlands: 233

So it all seems to be going swimmingly, look how many people I disappoint on a daily basis by not updating more frequently! Lets see if we can't rectify that in the year to come. I doubt it, but lets see...

Next up we have my sculpting out put for the year. Now I haven't totaled this yet and I will see it for the first time as I type it. I'm guessing I won't have hit last years production target and imagine I will be well down on even last years poor numbers. Right here we go...

155 figures or 2.9 a week (last year 173 figures or 3.3 a week)
91 swaps and individual parts made or 1.75 a week (last year 402 head swaps or 7.7 a week)
28 conversions or 0.57 a week (last year 30 conversions or 0.57 a week)

Target set last year 260 so well short! At least the headswap total is well down. Just think how high it would be if we hadn't decided to go with seperate heads for the WW1 stuff.

I think this gives me an idea of my level. Three figures a week on average is pretty poor but with a bit of actual work discipline (more than an hour or two a day as it is now) I might be able to bump that up a bit. Lets be a bit more sensible and go for 200 before the next birthday post.

Of course this year I have slacked off mightily and spent far too much time making models for my lunatic projects like my ever expanding Daemon army and my pet Action Force project. Both of those contain plenty of conversions and scratch builds, not to mention all of the good work hours spent painting and photographing them for my other blogs. Now that the Daemons are all but finished (as they have been three times before I might add, I just keep adding new stuff) and the Action Force anniversary project is out of my system for a bit I should be able to knuckle down and get rocking.

Or maybe not, I am notoriously lazy after all...

A bunch of headless chaps on the workbench are all but done now and will be photographed and posted soon, in fact there are so many partially complete models on the bench at the moment that when they are all finished I'll be a third of the way to my new target. Maybe I can afford that slacking off time after all.

Ta ta for now and see you soon.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

HATMAN

2008-11-27T01:56:00.002Z

Post a comment here if you voted 'other' in the WW1 head sprue poll and state your preference. You can vote for up to three options.

Enjoy.

Now, lets see if we can make Scott Pasha's head explode...

2008-11-26T20:26:00.004Z

Don't you hate it when....

2008-11-21T18:00:00.004Z

...your goo runs out whilst you've got 70 odd figures on the go?
I bloomin' well do!

If you can identify all of these upcoming TWDC pack then award yourself a small break.

Can you tell?

2008-11-18T16:08:00.003Z

Turk with platoon cooking pan.

Great pack and bayonet removed.

Bayonet removed for variety.

I can't.

More news as it happens...

And the winner is...

2008-11-12T20:16:00.007Z

So the poll is closed and the results are in and it would seem that stiff caps beat out Gor blimey's by the slimmest of slim margins. The results were pretty much tied for the entire duration of the poll and it would seem that either:

A) A good number of people out there are keen for both types of headgear to be produced.

OR

B) People will tend to vote so that the poll remains tied.

Or maybe even a bit of both, either way it got me thinking. After about 30 votes (which was frankly 25 more than I was was expecting) it occurred that however the additional figures were equipped someone out there would be disappointed. Add to that Paul's comment about an Aussie bush hat pack for conversion purposes and I started to consider the options. Thinking back a few years I realised that I had exactly the same problem when I sculpted the Falklands range for MoFo, I wanted maximum variety without having to sculpt essentially the same figure dozens of times and without having to make loads and loads of moulds. So with that in mind I decided to take exactly the same action and use the same solution, separate heads it is.

I'll just give you a few moments to get all angry and stuff so I'll sit quietly until you're done.

Better? Right so shall we have a little look at what you can expect from the next wave of releases from TWDC? Okay then.

First up are some of the Turkish and British bodies.

And now a selection of the heads that will be available with the first release.

Okay so clearly that last one isn't a head but I thought it might be nice to add in the great pack for the Brits for those that fancy the full kit look. So when you put them together how do they look? Pretty good I reckon but I'll leave you to judge for yourselves.

RND cap

Wolesley helmet and pack (I snipped the bayonet off for a bit of a change)
Slouch hat
Lemon squeezer
BEF cap and packTurks in fezes

Turks in Enver Pashas
Turks in stormtrooper helmets
The heads in the first set of releases will be, for the Brits:
BEF cap
Soft cap (The BEF cap with the stiffening wire removed)
Gor Blimey caps
Brody Helmet (Tin hat)
Slouch hats
Lemon squeezer slouch hats
RND naval cap
Wolesley helmet
Mixed head wear (mainly for officers)
and the great pack

and for the Turks:
Enver Pashas
Fezes
Coal scuttle helmets
and a mixture of officers headgear.

So there we have it, loads of choice when it comes to head gear so that you can use your TWDC models as all sorts of troops in all sorts of theatres. As we add to the model range to add 1914 and 1903 pattern equipment the amount of choice for the Brits goes through the roof. Those of you waiting for the Turks in Arab headgear, never fear they are on the way. Unfortunately it's not the kind of thing you can do convincingly with a separate head system so they will be released with the good old fashioned cast on heads. And whilst we're at it for those of you like Paul who want to convert existing models we will be making the head sprues available separately so with a bit of luck it's good news all round.

Keep your eyes peeled over at the GB site for some painted examples in due course along with news of the release schedule. Once I'm finished here I'll be getting back to the NCOs, bombers and officers to round out the infantry for this next wave and then I'll be looking at a Brit HMG team in full kit and maybe a few new bits before getting on with some Beast stuff and then starting the WW1 French. So it's all go here which means that, naturally, I'm going to be spending more time than I ought to slacking off.

Post a reply if you have any comments about the separate heads and I'll attempt to answer any questions.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

BOOM!

2008-09-26T06:09:00.004+01:00

Coming soon:

British artillery crew. (18lb gun by Great War miniatures used with permission)

Ottoman artillery crew. (Krupp by TWDC designed by Tim Adcock)

Don't forget to vote for your hat preference the first of our TWDC 'have your say' polls. (See right hand panel)

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

Messing around...

2008-09-22T13:47:00.009+01:00

Wocha,

Now I've been trying to cobble together some form of coherent narrative but the days have all been blurring a bit lately and thoughts are occouring randomly, so that's how i'll be writing them down! Enjoy, and do try to keep up...

Well as usual there is plenty to do so I have been doing something else. The first distraction came in the form of a couple of sniper bases for our Games Day table. We wanted to playtest some sniper rules with an eye to the forthcoming WHW Great War in the East suppliment (I can't wait until they decide on a name cos that takes ages to type...) and Darren was too busy e-mailing all his chums and generally Lording it up in the Eveish country seat whilst Lord S was in London being under the weather and considering the benefits of castration (for his cat you understand not himself).

As an aside do you remember Robin of Sherwood, the 80's TV show? Remember how Guy of Guisbourne used to be all La-de-da and high and mighty when the boss wasn't around and then fall into place as soon as D'renou turned up? Yeah, it's like that down at the Beast...;>)

Anyhow, so Darren is 'busy' and he askes me to paint up 3 snipers for the game at Games Day so long story short (or apparently not as the case may be) I did. Here you go.
Turk riflemen with the bayonets snipped off. If nothing else it gave me a use for those old Dryad bits I had lying around.

Apart from the fact that I had cracked a tooth and so was on some marvelous painkillers and antibiotics, Games Day went well. As ever, when you are running a demo, Games Day became 12' square with a baked potato in the middle but was enjoyable none the less. Although my demands made to the Black Library staff to the effect that Dan Abnett come over to the table and sign my books fell on deaf ears the day went well. Plenty of Historical games were on show and details (well, pictures) can be found here and here and I'm sure there were lots of other things going on but I didn't really get a chance to look. I took a few photos but they were mostly of the Gallipoli game and some of the old Battle Honours WW1 stuff I did as my first ever sculpting job way back when. With a decent paint job they didn't look half bad either.

Gallipoli from the ANZAC side
Man down!
Turk High command converted by Musketeer BillThe Turkish defences.The Turkish trench line.Mons. Battle Honours figures. Yes there was a whole game to look at but I tunnel visioned...
So home from Games Day and I settle down to do some proper work. Then the Beasty boys send me a parcel containing all the castings of my new 'bits' and the test spins of the master mould for the first batch of Brits in Wolesley Helmets and Turks on full kit. Woo Hoo! I lost no time in breaking out all of the goodies I had received and having a little play, despite the fact that there are a couple of artillery crews that want finishing...

First off I had a play with the castings. I wanted to see if GW ogre flesh spray would work for the Brits. The conclusion was, not really, but they didn't turn out too bad.
Next I got out my saw and had a silly five minutes. Now I should explain a few things first. When I make a range of figures that will be uniformed I tend to make up a number of standard parts and get them cast. It saves trying to make the same hat, torso, weapon, whatever over and over again and keeps things consistant. Now this is hardly a revolutionary technique and will be common to almost all comercial sculptors out there but I wanted to clue you in, if for no other reason than when I start talking about these bits you all know that they are a mid stage production tool rather than something comercially available. Right so that's that out of the way, so...

I grabbed my new sprue of British and Empire heads and decided to try some simple conversions with the new Brits. I present to you a taste of thing possibly to come from the WDC:
Royal Naval DivisionMid war Brit in Tin 'at.

I also couldn't resist having a play with some bits for my personal favourite selection from the up coming ranges:
Those baggy panted loons the French Zouaves and Tirralieurs! I can't wait to crack on with these fellas.

I've got loads of bits to play with now including, but not limited to:
Seikh heads
Gurkah heads
Indian heads
Cavalry torsos

French Adrien helmets
French kepi
French colonial troops heads
French tropical helmet
French uniform torso

German pickelhaub
German and Turk stormtrooper helmets

And all sorts of other goodies. Now just because a bit appears on that list don't expect to neccessarily see packs added to the range. Some of those bit (but I'm not telling which) were added to fill up the mould and so that I had a bunch of stuff ready if I want to do any quick conversions.

Well, those artillerymen won't sculpt themselves so I'll be getting back to work now.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

Coming soon...

2008-08-13T20:44:00.003+01:00

But I'm not telling you when.

Coz I don't know when myself. New Brits in Wolsley helmets and Ottomans in full kit.

Stay lucky,
Soaps

Big up yourself part II: Revenge of the wedding cake!

2008-08-12T19:30:00.006+01:00

Wocha!

In a break from the norm I'm back and bloggin' again as my dull existance rolls ever onwards into tedium while the wife jets about having a whale of a time.

So second year of medical school is over and the wife is now a third year med student (bravo wife and all that). Seeing as it's the summer holidays she has decided that a bit of gadding about is in order and so has been flitting around our islands nearest neighbours. First off she went for a week of work over Jersey way. She seemed to enjoy herself and by the look of things a further week of freedom will ensue for me later in the month. Last weekend she was away to Ireland for a bit of Shammrock hunting with her relatives and despite a distressing afternoon visiting an elderly relative in a hospice she and her folks all seemed to enjoyed themselves. The unfortunate byproduct of the trip is that she got a top up at the old Blarney stone and so is now at the hight of her gasbagging powers. Frankly I can't wait for her to get back to school and it seems she can't either. Having looked at the clinical expectations for the end of year 3 she has discovered that, thanks to her stint as an ITU nurse she has all the skills already. It seems she is looking forward to a bit of payback from those science geeks who mocked her through years 1+2. Now is the time of the clinician! Bwa ha ha ha ha!

So the other week the wife dragged me along to yet another bloody wedding and once more it meant that I would miss the annual trip to Lord S's Scottish retreat. With all due dread and expectation the wife and I boarded the train and wound our way down to Baker street. Not only was I a +1 at this do but, once again I was providing the cake toppers. I was instructed by the wife ages ago that I was to be providing this service but didn't actually bother to start the job until the week before. The planning stage in these things is of course long and complex. That and I'm lazy...

I decided to go for something a bit more realistic this time and attempted to drag myself away from 28mm proportions (which shouldn't be any different from true proportions but in practice are). It all ended up getting a bit epic and the figures finished up being about 150mm tall. As you can see I'm still in big hand land but overall they came out okay.
Pat and Faye, medical student and nurse, and yes those are real specs.
Here's Pat's to do list. Even at 1mm high my penmanship is atrocious...

Everyone seemed happy with the figures although as ever I balls-ed up the wifes face. I'm going to have to have a bit more practice with lady shapes. At least she doesn't have too wacky a body shape which makes a nice change for a female model I've made. The wedding went off without a hitch and it looks like Pat will be able to tick off box 4. Congratulations you two.

Fortunately there are no photos on my camera of me dancing but it seems that somewhere on facebook there are shots of me throwing shapes and 'aving it large. Apparently. It seems though that I was caught on camera enjoying a hand held light show courtesy of this young lady. Ahhh bless.

And that's about it. Despite accumulating yet another cake topper commission (unrelated to the wedding) life proceeds at my usual less that break neck pace with the only event on the horizon being a jumbo 40k apocalypse blow out on the bank holiday.

For those of you that are here for the business business keep your eyes peeled soon for previews of the new WW1 Brits and Turks and maybe even a gun crew or two. If you're good.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

Somebody asked so...

2008-07-24T19:08:00.007+01:00

The latest batch of figures for the WDC WWI range include a number of pieces based on photographs and in one case a war memorial. Although I have a bit to say I will hold off for another post and just show you the models and their inspiration.

More posting soon. Next: Big up yourself part II

WW1, Finishing touches to wave one.

2008-06-18T15:08:00.009+01:00

Wocha,

Not much to say this time round just a bunch of pictures of stuff I'm doing this week.

British and Empire trench catapult.

Ottoman trench catapult. Both of these sets are now finished and dispatched for moulding but I never got round to photographing the finished sets, D'oh!

Ottoman HMG, all done and sent off for casting.

British and Empire HMG also sent off.

Ottoman casualty sets, already a bit further along.

British and Empire casualty sets also a bit further along.

Right, I'll get back to it.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

New WW1 stuff

2008-06-09T13:58:00.005+01:00

This, having ten working fingers lark is great. Here is what I have managed this week.

WIP British and Empire HMG

WIP Ottoman HMG
The sharp eyed amongst you may well recognise the HMGs used in these two sets and before you ask yes, they are the same ones as Great War miniatures. Used with kind permission of Messers Dave Andrews and Aly Morrison, and very fine chaps they are too.

ANZACs in Lemon Squeezers

Some additional Ottoman riflemen

A WIP trench catapult.

This is clearly far to much work for a single week so I think I'll hold off on completing the support weapons for a month or two otherwise the Beasties will expect it every week...

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

It's been quiet around here hasn't it?

2008-05-30T17:16:00.006+01:00

Wocha,

well, I've had an interesting few weeks since Salute. Not really sure where to start and you've got no hope of getting it in chronological (or indeed and kind of logical) order but here goes anyway.

On the home front the wife and I (alright, just the wife really) are looking into renegotiating the mortgage. What a nightmare! You'd think people would be falling over themselves to take a big chunk of wonga off of us each month but no. Apparently a few random scrawling on the back of a fag packet doesn't count as full and accurate accounts for the last three years, who knew. Anyway it seems that the wife, as a student with an average income of six shirt buttons and a student loan is a more attractive financial proposition alone than when sharing the mortgage with an upwardly mobile dynamic and motivated independent businessman. Yes, I do mean me, cheeky. It seems we will be sticking with our current provider so all the faffing about and meetings I have had to go to has been so much wasted time. Just another example of the wifes sense of humour I assume.

Speaking of the wife and financial woes (as I so often do) she has finally been reimbursed for the ID theft back in March. She finally has the £1500 back in her account and so has decided we will go to New York at new year to celebrate the mother in laws **landmark birthday, age withheld to prevent a sound thrashing**. So she books the holiday package (which we really can't afford but who listens to be money wise...) and then there is some kind of website based cock up and suddenly the flights are canceled and the hotel in non refundable. Once again we piss away a butt load of money on phone calls before we get a full refund. I swear that the wife is jinxed. Every time she tries to sort out anything financial it goes screwy. Maybe I should actually get off my arse and contribute to the running of the household? Then again if it was down to me there would be no outrageous expenditures on sure fripperies as holidays. The very idea of it...

Right thats the regular gripe about the wife over and done with. It cleanses the soul you know, especially after unloading another fistfull of cash down at Tiffanys for her anniversary present (two years on Tuesday, who'd've thought we'd make it even this far).

And so to me. Now some of you (quite a few judging by the number of people who asked about it at Partizan last weekend) may have read on the GB website that I had a bit of a shower based incident. For those who care (and so that I don't have to keep telling the oh so embarrassing story) here is the run down.
Whilst enjoying an invigorating shower I had just lathered up my hair and as I stepped in to rinse I missed the shower mat and slipped over. Opening my eyes as I fell (I don't like getting shampoo in my eyes, okay...) I noticed the sink coming towards my head at high speed so naturally I put my hands out to avoid a concussion. Lying now on the bathroom floor, soapy, wet and butt arse naked don't forget, I took stock and realised that I had caught my shins a right crack on the side of the bath as I fell out and for a brief second I thought that was all there was to it. Then I looked down at my hand. Oh. My. God. My right index finger (also known as my sculpting finger) was bent backwards at 90 degrees at the second knuckle. Yeah, that hurt a bit. So there I was all naked and sudsy with a finger pointing in the wrong direction. Not being much of a stortsman I'd never done anything like this before and didn't really know how to react. So I swore very loudly and had a bit of a cry. After my moment of complete wimpyness I decided to get my ass down the hospital. Unfortunately my ass was still naked. And soapy. After possibly the most uncomfortable rinse off and disasterous drying I eventually found something to wear and got myself down to casualty. So it transpired that I has dislocated my finger but luckily not caused any ligament damage or damaged any of the bones. I was sent on my way by an unsympathetic nurse and told not to fiddle with it and leave it strapped up for a week or two.

Four weeks on and everything is pretty much back up and running. Everything bends and gripping is fine (the biggest fear being that I wouldn't be able to hold on to my sculpting tools). I get a bit of a twinge when I put too much weight on it, like carrying racks of figures when setting up the stand at shows or the missionary possition, but all in all I seem to have got away without any lasting effects. Thanks to everyone for their support and kind words during my trauma (drama queen alert!)

As I said I am now back in the saddle and have managed to finish the figures that I started a month ago and even get started on something new. Wanna see? Okay.

And some very early WIPs of upcoming stuff:

I might even try to blog a bit more often now that I can type properly again.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

Meet Woody

2008-04-11T04:13:00.006+01:00

Wocha,

You wouldn't know it from the amount I've been blogging but I have in fact been quite busy.

With little else going on I thought I'd give you an overview how the special Woodbine Design giveaway miniature 'Woody' came into being.

So it was a Saturday lunchtime and I was, of course, in bed. The phone starts ringing and it's Darren (remember him?)
Yeah, that's the one. Well he'd rung up to tell me that he had received the photos of the Gallipoli officers packs and wanted a couple of quick changes made. As we discussed what needed doing before I posted them on the Monday he asked if I had any thoughts on what we could do for a promotional figure to accompany the first release. To be honest I was still mostly asleep and burbled something positive whilst considering what I needed to do to the officers. Anyway I got up (eventually) and after a strengthening coffee and a fag or two I set about chopping up the officers and making the required changes. By the time Dr Who started I was all finished and settled in for an evenings rest and relaxation.

What? The officers? Yeah they got finished, why? Oh you want to see them? Fair enough.

So Sunday rolls around and I'm up in time for a Sunday pub lunch to celebrate the nan in law's birthday. Rolling home full of roast and cider I get ready for nothing most strenuous that a little light smoking and an evening of telly. About nine-ish I get an e-mail from the Beast letting me know that the pictures of the woodbine greens are up on the site. Suprised that the chaps are at work so late on a Sunday I decide to give them a ring. Damn fool...

So whilst we are chatting, and if I'm honest the main reason I rang was to get another ego stroke, Darren asks if I've managed to come up with a promotional figure. I explain about the pub lunch and apologise (half heartedly) for not coming up with anything. Then it starts, Darren and M'Lord Sherwell start laying it on thick about how I've let them down and what a disappointment I've been. The bleeding cheek. Then they lay down the gauntlet.
"C'mon theres 18 hours until the post office closes tommorow and even with eight hours sleep thats a good 10 hours sculpting time. Surely a sculptor of your calibre can come up with something in that time."
Now I wasn't going to fall for that load of old flannel so I gave them a mouthful of the old Anglo Saxon and hung up.

Well needless to say after only a few minutes my guilt circuits went into over load and I rang back to see if they had any ideas for a figure. M'lord Sherwell was inclined to a 'medical inspection' vignette but this was quickly glossed over and moved way down the list although, to nobody's suprise, not off of it. Darren suggested a figure based on a Mike Chappell illustration, which itself was based on a contemporary cartoon, showing an Austrailian soldier sitting on a crate playing 'two up'. The figure was just in shorts but Darren said I could chuck a vest on it to save having to sculpt the torso anatomy. Naturally I took this as a challenge. I started spangling together a wire armature and after skinning it with a quick layer of Procreate I shoved him in the oven to speed up the drying time and went off to my 'office' for a sit down. Upon my return from the smallest room I find the oven door fully shut and the temperature wacked up to full! Disaster. Bellowing for the wife I open up the oven and fear the worst. My fears are confirmed. Sitting in my bestest baking tray are a small pile of blobby goo and metal. It seems the wife had fancied a late night pie (which explains the chubby knees if you ask me...) and so came out and pre-heated the oven without checking inside. There was no reason for her to have done so as I have a strict policy of not storing the grill pan or baking trays in the oven and I almost never 'cook' miniatures, especially when she is at home. I gave the wife an undeserved bollocking then became utterly ashamed of myself and escorted her to the boudoir to make ammends. If you know what I'm saying. Whilst she prepared to receive boarders I sent a quick text to the Beast to let them know that I had just melted the figure and that I wasn't going to get the job done.

A will leave out the details of the next 86 seconds of action as it really has no bearing on the narrative...

Duty done a repaired to the balcony for a smoke (as you do) and noticed that there was a message waiting from Lord S.
"Del says stop doing a Sherwell you've still got 15 hours"
Flipping cheek! So I'm standing there on the balcony smoking and incensed determined not rise to their bait. And failing.

I returned to my desk and for the second time that evening knock up an armature. By this time it's eleven o'clock and I determine to get the armature done, flesh it out a bit and then go to bed and finish it in the morning. Somehow this doesn't happen. I get started and then just sort of keep going. Before I know it it's half four in the morning and I'm done! Five and a half hours from wire to finished figure. Frankly I was stunned but actually quite happy with the result. I snapped off a couple of quick shots and e-mailed them to the Beast along with a request for a 1pm alarm call and went off to bed.

So at 1300 Monday afternoon the phone wakes me up and Lord S give me a hearty verbal pat on the back. Darren's on next equally pleased. Quite a nice way to woken up, but probably only second best. And then Darren (never satisfied if you ask me) pipes up with 'Did you decide not to bother with the fag in his hand then?'

Balls! We had discussed putting a cigarette or packet of smokes somewhere on the miniature (well it was for the Woodbine design company after all). Determined to get it just right I got up and straight to work. Twenty minutes with a bit of wire and some goo and Woody was finished, fag in mouth and packet of smokes by his side. A further photo shoot to get final approval and he was given a quick blast under a lightbulb (he wasn't going anywhere near the oven even if the wife was out) and despatched to the GPO.

So there it is, the tale of Woody the Digger, quickest sculpt I've ever done and one that I'm very pleased with indeed.

Huh? You want to see him too? Okay, only fair I suppose.

Meet Woody.
Yes it is a stock head but come on I was on a clock and you know how I hate doing faces...

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

I quit!

2008-04-01T13:46:00.000+01:00

Screw this sculpting lark. I'm out.

Somebody stole my wife and some other nonsense.

2008-03-23T21:47:00.002Z

Wocha,

Now I'm feeling a bit low at the moment so this may turn into a great long session of wailing and gnashing of teeth so don't expect too much...

So last entry I declaired that I was off to pastures new and leaving the Beast to do their funky thang without me. That didn't turn out so good. Suffice to say I ran back to the chaps with my tail firmly between my legs and got cracking banging out the old WW1 stuff. I'm saving my new projects until after Salute when I can breath a bit easier and the pressure is off a bit.

Ottomans and ANZACs are well underway and the Salute releases are pretty much done and dusted. 16 Turks and 16 Aussies will be winging their way to the Beast after the bank holiday with a pack of officers each to follow soon after. If I get comments from 8 different people by wednesday then I'll put up some pictures, otherwise it can stay a nice suprise until Salute day.

Other than that I've done bugger all since my last post. A trip to Triples is about as exciting as it gets. Very little in the way of domestic entertainment (for me anyway, more later), no Old Bill raids, no floods not even a zombie apocalypse to brighten a dull afternoon. I'm so very very bored.

The wife on the other hand has been up to all sorts. As I can't fail to have mentioned she is a medical studend and working hard to attain a lifestyle to which I hope to soon become accustomed. In the course of her education she has been up to all sorts including *white out* Infant autopsies *white out ends* and a stint with the spit, snot and earwax doctors. During her ENT placement she has ended up meeting various premiership football players (all of whom are hacked appart by the surgeon she is studying with) and is, as I speak enjoying a drink or two, post Chelsea match, with Hugh Grant and Jamie Redknapp! I rather wish I was making this up as upon her return home I'm going to have to sit through yet another account of how Mr D (the surgeon) managed to embarrase her by strolling up to some famous chap with the wife on tow, shoving her forward and saying " She loves you" and then melting back into the crowd while the wife hobs and (I fear) nobs for all she is worth...

It's not all film stars and footballers though, the other week she had her identity stolen and £1500 drained from her account. The real shitter (appart from mortgage payment fears) was that the £1000 she got as compo for her accident was taken. The bank are apparently going to sort it all out for her so no harm done but it was a traumatic few days for her which led to a butt load of nursing shifts to try and ensure the cash was there to pay the bills. Clearly I was to be of no help what so ever during the crisis. She's all better now and a trip to Monkey world yesterday seems to have purked her up a bit and I'm sure 10 minutes face time with Hugh Grant this evening with get her back to full sail.

I'm going to go back to work now. Told you not to expect too much...

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

End of an Ear'ole

2008-02-12T14:14:00.000Z

Greetings,

The Saxon cavalry are done. They've been sculpted, packed and delivered but sadly not photographed, I'm afraid you will have to wait for a Beasty advert or the website to see what they look like.

And so, with the completion of the Saxons I now have no further projects for the Beast. All future projects have been suspended for the time being and I'm off to pastures new for a few months. Now don't go reading anything into this, take it at face value. The work is done, I'm sculpting for someone else for a bit, that's all there is to it. I am still, and always will be one of the Beasty boys but like any number of pop stars over the years I'm indulging in a solo career for a bit.

Anyhoo, I got me some work to be getting on with so I'm off. Lets hope these new fellas are as relaxed about deadlines as the Beasty boys!

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

Last year I was mostly sculpting...

2008-01-24T12:30:00.000Z

173 figures or 3.3 a week
402 head swaps or 7.7 a week
30 conversions or 0.57 a week

This I'm sure you will agree is pretty shocking performance so new years resolution 2008:

260 figures or 5 a week

Not a massive weekly jump and, I think perfectly attainable assuming I actually apply myself.

I'd better get started...

Soaps.

My first year of bloggage

2008-01-23T13:30:00.000Z

Yes indeedy the blog is a year old today! Looking back I'm suprised that I managed an average of a post a week as I was fairly certain it would die a death after about a fortnight.

Back in October I set up a bit of tracking on the site to see if anyone was reading it and was fairly surprised to find out that I get an average of 1500 hits a month with about 500 of those from unique visitors. The daily average is about 40 odd people with most linking in from Dave, BillT, Andy and Chris's blogs as well as a huge chunk from the Beast.

Most visitors are from the UK and US with the next most popular nation of origin for readers being Sweden! Thanks to everyone out there supporting the blog in 36 countries as far afield as Russia, Jamaica and Chile.

Anyway on with the news. Now that I have opted out of the rat race once more I am finding it hard to re-adjust to life in doors. With nothing to get me out of the house except the weekly trip to the gaming club on a Monday night I'm becoming prone to bouts of cabin fever and the joys of the sculpting table are starting to pall. This is not helped by the fact that I'm doing sodding cavalry again. One day some clever historian is going to find out that man and horse do not, and have never, had a special bond and the Bayeux tapestry and all those illuminated texts were in fact 'what ifs' of how battle would have gone if only man had domesticated equines. God I hate doing cavalry...

Not to worry they are nearly done now and I am underway with the preparations for the first new range this year. I'm still keeping it under wraps for now (unless I've let it slip in a previous post I can't remember) but I'm really rather looking forward to getting my teeth into it. Problem is I've not been communicating particularly well. Being alone in the house starts to become a habit and if you're not careful you can start to resent other people ringing up or coming round and invading your space. I may have some issues to work through in this regard...

Anyway back to the communication problems. Darren, you remember him?
Yeah that's the one, anyway I think he's got the hump with me. Due to my self imposed isolation (bit like North Korea) I think he's got the idea that I'm slacking off and am going to miss my deadline. Now I have to tell you that I object to this most strenuously! I have never missed a deadline in my life. Wooly fuzzy potential finish dates, yeah, all the time, but never a deadline. Okay maybe once of twice...

Anyway I wish to announce to Darren and indeed the bloggin' world (including Chile) that I will complete the project on time and under budget! (The 'under budget' bit is just something I hear people say I, in fact, have no intention of sticking to the budget in the slightest). Now that I have foolishly put that rash bit of propaganda into the public domain I have to stick to it, either that or come back later and edit the post and then deny all knowledge. So if anyone would like to help keep my pecker up and ensure my motivation and drive stay at maximum then feel free to drop me a heartening pep talk e-mail on any morning you have time and I'll publish the most go getting-est on the blog.

So, anyone going to Penarth this weekend? Cracking little show that Lord S and I tend to fly solo on most years, with the only real problem being the lack of a good cup of coffee. If any of you are going or, indeed, are locals then a flask of warming java will go down a treat first thing and at regular intervals throughout the day. I may even see my way clear to some goodies for anyone being so kind... Anyway grovelling over see you Saturday if you're coming.

First weekend in February is Vapanatak in York. This is another show I'm being dragged along to (same thing goes re coffee) so if you can't make it to deepest Wales then stop by and say hello at York.

Right, must go and put the final florish to those damn cavalry.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

And to wind down the Christmas season...

2008-01-03T00:59:00.000Z

The true spirit of Christmas. Or not...

Happy New Year.

Ho Ho Ho etc...

2007-12-23T16:24:00.001Z

Wocha,

Bloody Christmas.

As I was making him I got the impression that was exactly the thought going through the head of the Mounted Saxon Wiglera, it was certainly going through mine. Anyway, here is the first of a set of pictures of the Mounted Saxon characters.

Enjoy Christmas.....or whatever.

Humbug.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

I pinched the same test Bill did...

2007-12-08T19:50:00.000Z

...and I got my dream result too! Have a go here.

SG-1 (Stargate)

100%

Enterprise D (Star Trek)

88%

Heart of Gold (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)

75%

Moya (Farscape)

69%

Andromeda Ascendant (Andromeda)

63%

Galactica (Battlestar: Galactica)

63%

Babylon 5 (Babylon 5)

63%

Deep Space Nine (Star Trek)

63%

FBI's X-Files Division (The X-Files)

56%

Millennium Falcon (Star Wars)

50%

Serenity (Firefly)

50%

Nebuchadnezzar (The Matrix)

50%

Bebop (Cowboy Bebop)

25%

More bum filler but it filled 20 minutes.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

Too much time...

2007-12-03T14:00:00.000Z

Wocha,

You may recall me mentioning about my 'real world' job conducting public first aid exams and the fact that it was all going a bit Pete Tong, well I quit. Couldn't be arsed with it any more and when looking back over the last eighteen months or so I noticed how massively it has eaten into my productivity. From December 15th I am going to once again be a full time sculptor earning my crust from nothing but the putty pushing. Needless to say, the wife is not amused but I'm sure she'll get over it. She's resilient.

I think her main bone of contention is that her dream job involves getting up really early, long shifts and masses of responsibility whereas mine involves getting up really late, shifts as long as I want and bugger all responsibility. I think she's hoping that she'll win on the letters after her name, community prestige, general respect front but she seems blissfully unaware that I withdrew all troops from that theater years ago and indeed revel in the fact that I am a complete (once more) bum! I may even, if I'm feeling particularly rotten, send off to one of those internet universities and get a doctorate for something during the week she graduates just to steal her thunder. It's these kind of petty wars and foolishnesses that keep the relationship fresh...

Anyway, what with my exam hours being greatly reduced over the last couple of weeks I've had plenty of time to get used to sculpting all day again. I haven't of course. The unexpected freedom has led to an increased amount of time wandering around in my pants, playing on the interweb and painting toy. I think though I am reaching a level of freetime overload and massive boredom is starting to set in so with a bit of luck I'll be back on track and in to a good working rythmn just in time for it to b derailed by the Crimbletide festivities and the distraction of new toys to play with. Damn.

Mounted Saxons are coming along nicely and given a couple of days I may even be able to show you some. I tell you going back to having nothing to do but sculpt when there are cavalry on the table was most unfortunate timing. I hate cavalry. Really hate it.

The other problem of no longer having anything to do but sit around the house all day is that nothing happens thats worth blogging about so until I actually produce something worthwhile I can see it being a bit quiet around here, luckily Davy Dubbya has plenty going on, go read his blog.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

Desperate filler

2007-11-20T19:28:00.000Z

Absolutely nothing to report at the moment (this is in fact a whopper but you don't need to know that) so here is a picture of my blog rendered as a diagram. Pretty innit. Don't know what it means but there you go.

See you soon for a proper blog with ranting, changes of lifestyle and pictures of greens and ting, promise.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

At the going down of the sun....

2007-11-11T03:00:00.000Z

And so there we are, in Arras in November. We managed to make the drive over with only minor deviation and even found ourselves somewhere willing to stay open and serve us a mixed grill. Incidentally the French seem to have no concept of medium rare so it's either cooked but a bit pink or completely raw. After our tucker we turned in and I was forced to endure the stereo snoring of the Beast, although apparently this is a figment of my imagination as nether of the chaps have ever heard themselves snoring. Go figure.

Sunday morning dawned crisp and bright and after a leisurely breakfast we set off on a tour of WW1 museums and places of interest. Now I must admit that for a lot of the time I wasn't paying any attention to where the hell we were being ably guided (for the most part, more on this later) by Dave Bodley of Grand Manner. All that mattered was that there was a museum and loads of cool WW1 stuff to look at. The first anonymous stop was a corker and I'd love to recommend it to you but I really don't know where we were. It looked like this though.
Built in what appears to be an old castle it was a beautifully laid out museum with loads of examples of uniforms and equipment of all the forces that fought in the area throughout the war. In my enthusiasm to take a few photographs of the exhibits I even managed to set of a couple of alarms. The uniforms were laid out in sunken displays in the floor with no annoying glass to get in the way of photography and each was surrounded by brass 'nobbles' in the floor a bit like the paving stones at pedestrian crossings so that the blind know where to cross the road. Well I took these to be an aid for the visually impared and so recklessly went tramping all over them to get in close on the uniforms. The alarms were ceiling mounted and I had assumed, as it was early sunday morning that they were doing a fire alarm test. I was soon corrected by the jolly and rotund curator who dashed out and explained in not too broken English the error of my ways. Which gave everyone in the nearby tour group a good laugh.
Here is one of my ill gotten photographs.

After having our fill of the museum and rampaging through the book shop we decided it was high time we moved on.
This display was in the final hall and was just a collection of stuff some old guy had dug up and kept in his loft for years. Nothing particularly special about it except that I think it makes a cracking photograph.

Our next stop was the South African National Memorial at Deville wood. When we arrived there was no-one else around and so the whole place seemed to have a far grander and more moving feel to it than anywhere I had visited before. There is something about being alone at a place that can make it seem more... well, just more. The memorial itself is a wonderful looking building laid out like a star fort with the lines of the local trench system left as open and perfectly mown lawns threading through the surrounding woods with a small obelisk marking each intersection. We briefly toured the museum and observed a brief moment at the accompanying cemetary before moving on.The exterior of the monument
The view down 'Rotten row' one of the trenches on the site.The South African's cemetary.

With lunchtime fast approaching we decided to move on and see what was to be the highlight of the day, the preserved trenches at Beaumont Hamel. As it was on the way Dave suggested we stop at Thiepval on the way. Seemed like a plan so we jumped back into the vans, blazed up a stinky Galious cigarette as stormed off once more in pursuit of our ancestors.

As we drove towards or destination I noticed, across the rolling hills a small brick and stone tower. After a few more minutes driving, and as more of the countryside was revealed to us this 'small tower' proved to be merely the tip of a huge monument standing proud of the woodland around it almost twice the hight of the trees. When you pull up in the car park the Thiepval monument disappears from view and once you've seen the visitors center you go out the other side and follow a gravel path into the trees. Almost without warning the monument to the missing is simply there, dominating everything once more. From a distance it looks like brick and smooth white stone but as you get closer and finally enter the massive arch itself you see that almost every surface of stone is inscribed with the names of those with no known graves. Once more we were the only ones there and spent quite some time simply reading the names on the memorial or spending a quiet moment in the cemetery of commonwealth and French soldiers.The memorial at Thiepval.
The names of the missing.

Once more time was ticking on and so we moved on to out main target for the afternoon Beaumont Hamel and the fantastic trenches and Newfoundlanders memorial. Much fun was had by all as we zigged and zagged up and down the trenches and as we strolled the German lines marveled at the courage it must have taken to cross no mans land to attempt to take them. Later that evening, in Ypres we met some Canadian chaps who told us that at Beaumont Hamel 900 odd Canadians lost there lives in less that 15 minutes during one of their assaults. Unbelievable courage.The Canadian forward trenches.
Lord S, CoS and Neil Fawcett advance along a Canadian communication trench as they head to the front.
View from the Canadian rear towards the German lines invisible but just before the tree line. The Canadian front line is crossed by the path in center frame. At there closest these trenches are not much more than 100 feet apart.

We finished our tour at another town who's name I have forgotten. I do remember that it had a very famous church spire which stayed up even when the church fell and it was said would fall only at the wars end. It fell a bit early but the old wives were pretty bang on the money. The museum here was below the church and consisted of little more that a 300 yard long stone tunnel filled to bursting with stuff. Not bad at all and somewhere I could have easily spent a lot longer.

As we piled into the van to find out overnight lodgings we all agreed what a fine day we had had. We were due to stay in Ypres that evening and planned to go to the Menin Gate to see the Last post ceremony. After a series of unfortunate miss turns it looked like there was no hope of making the ceremony and Dave seemed to be steering us towards somewhere called leper. Of course where we were actually going was Ieper. Apparently we in the Beast wagon had missed the moment the signs changed from French to Belgian. Monkeys. Anyway we made the last post and even managed to find a couple of book shops to blow yet more of the weekends taking in.

We were due back in the Chunnel on Monday evening and so had to be a bit more careful with our timings than we had been on Sunday. As we were in Ieper (Ypres or, even, Wipers) we started off at Cloth Hall and the In Flanders Fields museum. Another inovatively layed out space within the reconstructed Hall featuring a number of exhibits concerning Ieper, it's history and it's part in the war. We then went off on one of Dave's magical mystery tours and stopped off at hills 61 and 62. Unfortunately my camera had died by this point and I only managed a couple of photos. Hill 62 also had extant trenches at the site but unlike Beaumont Hamel they were not prettily turfed. Desolate looking mud filled runs surrounded by shell holes full of stagnant water and the blasted stumps of demolished trees. If not for the new trees allowed to grow freely across the site it would have felt exactly as you imagine a WW1 environment to feel. We were thankful for the school party that were there. If we had visited this place alone again it would have been just a little bit too creepy. Apparently 'they' are right about the laughter of children.

At Hill 62

Hill 61 was the site of two massive mine explosions and there effect on the landscape is clear to see and frankly boggles the mind.

Our final stop was to be at Tyne Cot cemetery the biggest commonwealth war grave in the world. Now I thought it was a great place. At least one of the other guys found it deeply depressing but I though the way they presented the visitors centre was exceptional. As you approach you become aware of a voice. It seems to be a young girl talking gently to herself. Getting nearer hidden speakers in the grounds allow you to hear what she is saying. Slowly and evenly she recited the names and ages of the lost. Its kinda creepy at first but you sort of get used to it. As you enter the visitors center her voice continues but is now accompanied by photographs projected onto the wall. The exhibits are mainly concerned with the cemetery and showing personal effect of some of it's residents but there are a fantastic set of comparative aerial photographs giving a before and after of the area involved in the third battle of Ypres, better known as Passchendale. The difference is startling. Where one shows green fields with some few remaining hedgerows and roads the second is truly a wasteland. It looks like a photograph of the most despised moon ever, covered as it is with shell craters. The area is huge and there is nowhere, and I mean nowhere that is undamaged. It's insane.

The final thing I noticed was a computer terminal giving access to the Commonwealth War graves Commission's Debt of Honour page. Here you can type in a name and find out where they are memorialized. As you do I typed in my family name, expecting nothing and got back 34 returns. Even more surprising was that there were some memorialized at Tyne Cot. I scrolled through and made a note of the panels on which their names were recorded and set off into the cemetery to find them. The cemetery is truly vast and by the time I got to the memorial wall I had forgotten one of the locations. I found two others though. I believe these names were put here to be read and so I made a brief pilgrimage to see that they were. I doubt I am related to any of them but I have determined to look into my family history and find out.

Having found them I set off back to the van to head for home with a vague feeling of disappointment that I hadn't found the other fella. Lord S was 'resting his eyes' in the cab when I got there but CoS was nowhere to be seen. As it was getting on for leaving time I left Lord S to do the preflight checks and trotted off to find Darren. I jogged up the path towards the visitors center in case he had come back the long way but he was nowhere to be seen. As I headed back to the car park the disembodied voice of a young girl softly said 'Dormer W. C. age unknown' and I gotta tell you it gave me the willys. The name I hadn't found and she goes and speaks it at me. Freaked me out. Anyway, after that I needed a fag and joined Lord S for a cheeky cigarillo while we waited for Darren to turn up. After that it was pretty much back home for tea and medals.

I thoroughly enjoyed by time in France and Belgium and look forward to going back and revisiting some of those sites as well as finding some new ones. It has certainly kept these words at the front of my mind throughout the week.

They shall not grow old
as we who are left grow old.
Age shall not weary then
nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun
and in the morning,
We will remember them.

From The Fallen by Laurence Binyon.

Stay lucky and never forget,
Soaps.

The Gripping Beast Expeditionary force in Belgium.

2007-11-06T19:42:00.000Z

Wocha,

This weekend the Beast traveled to the continent for the Crisis show in Antwerp. As ever we set off at 'Oh Christ' hundred hours and began the first leg of the journey down to Folkstone and the Chunnel. Within five minutes Darren had set up his usual listening watch and was alert to any potential road hazards and remained at high alert until we got to the seaside.

We got to the coast and had a little wobble about where we were supposed to be going but the good people at highways signage cleared it up for us.

Under the sea for 35 minutes and we popped up in France. Flat innit? For a city boy like me it's a little disconcerting to see the sky going all the way down to the ground. Anyway, in due course we arrived in Antwerp and prepared to set up the stand. Whilst we waited for the hyper efficient loading crew to swing into action I whipped out the camera to take a few snaps of the venue when I caught Lord S striking a pose. You can just feel the breeding oozing out of the frame can't you.

With the stand set up we joined up with the usual suspects and headed out for a meal. One plate of continental nosh each later we adjourned to the hotel bar for a nightcap. As is the way with such things this evolved into a couple of nightcaps and then a few nightcaps and then suddenly people were sampling the bottles of sticky drinks on the top shelf...

Assembly in the bar before dinner

A few beers later and everyone seems to be doing Tommy Cooper impressions.

I'm making a number of emphatic points but god knows what they are and Hicksy seems to have glazed over so they can't have been that interesting...
As the evening goes on the jokes start getting funnier and the sampling of the sticky drinks begins

Around 2am, with the prospect of a busy show tomorrow, Lord S retired to his suite and I took the opportunity to slink off to bed as well, the bar was still full when we left...

Come Saturday morning we headed down for breakfast where one or two traders were conspicuous by their absence. I'll mention no names but the 'I forgot to change the alarm clock to continental time' excuse was heard once or twice. Eventually all the traders emerged, some still an interesting shade of green, and at 10am the doors opened and the world flooded in. The show was great and our new stand went down well.

Despite the venue getting very hot very quickly it was a fun day and a waffle mid morning gave us all the sugar rush we needed to keep going. It was good to see so many of our European customers again and we had a brief and entertaining visit from longtime customer Daniel. Check the video out but you might want to turn the volume down if you're at work.

After a long days trading we packed up the stand loaded the van and headed to Arras to begin part two of our continental adventure.

Next entry will cover the following few days we spent in Belgium and France.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

For you Monday morning types...

2007-10-29T03:47:00.000Z

Welcome to the working week. I'm more than likely still in bed so if you could give me a ring I should probably be up and doing, cheers.

Enjoy these whilst you dial.

Wiglera

A character designed by CoS

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

Really?

2007-10-27T14:59:00.000+01:00

No-one is suspicious of large areas of open space in a blog post? Okay.

Anyway keep your eyes open for some Saxon character previews after the weekend.

No-one? Really? Must just be me then...

Stay curious,
Soaps.

Catholic sex

2007-10-23T00:32:00.000+01:00

Much like the husband in the above scenario I am going to have to pull out at the last minute.

Unfortunately I'm not going to make it to the Warhammer historicals weekend so everyone that was looking forward to seeing the Welsh Lord green get ritually crushed in the car park will be sadly disappointed. Yes, once again poor old Darrel's high standards have beaten him and he's not going to have his Welsh ready for the weekend. Bad luck mate. Still it'll be good in the long run as you'll end up with a cracking army to play with (eventually!). ;>)

Sculpting has been slow going this last week as I've been required to make up a bucket load of hours in my 'other job' to meet my contractual obligation. Apparently they couldn't see this coming so between now and the end of the year I have to work flat out doing more dull admin. I believe this to be the cunning plan of the boss. The word is that he wants to cut my contract by 50% and if I don't fullfill the hours (that they have failed to assign me I might add) then he seems to think he has a perfect excuse. So lets hope I make it. If not then the wife is going to have to quit med school and go back to full time nursing so we can pay the mortgage, either that or I give up the sculpting as anything other than an occassional hobby and get a real job. Of course there is always option three where we sell the flat and move back in with the parents. Time will tell but if there is anyone out there who fancies donating £750 a month to a worthy cause...

Being, as I am, a juvenile fool I have been drawn once again into the world of 40k. I must admit it is one of my all time favourite games despite its many detractors. The thing that has tempted me back to the dark side (not that I'd strayed that far in the first place) is the release of Apocolypse. The chance to just grab everything off the shelf and go at it is tempting indeed and I am already discussing games with a few like minded down at the club.
***I have just read this bit back and it's a bit of a pointless rant. You have been warned***
The fact that it's being played so much at the club has caused a few of the old hands to remember our year long flirtation with Warhammer Panzer Battles (a now defunct WWII version of 40k) a few years ago and even consider a revisitation. Now of course I'm all up for this as it is one of the few games that I have actually finished painting the army for. The one thing that always seems to come up though is the old chestnut of the rules not having a 'flavour of the period'. This is a term I've never understood. Surely the fact that you have British paras and German SS (inevitably) on the table instead of Tau and Space Marines (inevitably) IS the flavour of the period isn't it? If it was 'gooks and Gi's' it would have a flavour of Vietnam and if it was 'Tommies and Jerries' (ha ha, I've only just got that...) then it would have the flavour of WWI surely? I've never really understood the need to make a set of rules (or more specifically an adaptation of a set of rules) fit a period. As long as guns go bang (where appropriate) and sharp pointy things through the chest put paid to the opposition then job jobbed. The flavour comes from the army lists and the miniatures doesn't it? A case in point is weapons ranges, whenever we play a historical version of a game we are farmiliar with somebody is destined to pipe up with this old chestnut. Now of course everyone knows that weapons in real life can shoot much further than 'wargames range' but there are some people that just can't seem to get past this. 'Why can't my machine guns do X, why didn't my tank shell destroy Y they never had shell type Z in those guns'. Fine, I DON'T CARE! It seems to me that there are loads of people out there who have an interest in a period but never ever get to game it because they are forever searching for that holy grail of the ultimate set of rules. I, on the other hand, take a different approach. I like to find a set of rules that every one knows and use the figures from the period I like. If I want to research a period it'll be to find out which unit fought where, what facing colours that regiment had, what cool units had that bit of kit etc etc. My studies will very rarely lead me to investigate the penetrative properties of their munitions, ranges of small arm A compared to its piers or angle of deflection on armour plates and resulting numbers of casualties from spalling (if that doesn't make sense it's because I just used words that I have heard other people use without any idea what they really mean ;>)). These things don't really matter to me. Just because I know every bit of technical data relating to a period doesn't mean I'll be able to make a good game of it but knowing how to turn off my pedantry synapse and just enjoy playing with my toys will. When it comes to wargames it's all down to the dice. Whether rules mechanic A is historically representative doesn't matter that much does it? Just because there isn't a rule called 'crouching behind a bush trying to pull yourself together whilst voiding your bowels in terror' doesn't mean the situation isn't covered in the game. Yes it may have been abstracted down into a simple dice roll followed by a random move but it's there. I can't get on board with people trying to litigate for every possible occourance and set in stone the exact events that will take place as a result. WAB is a prime example of this kind of thing. There are forever people who want to make it more historical and more realistic and to them I say BALLS! And I say it loudly too. Why do you need it to be realistic? Isn't it a game? People have been playing Monopoly for generations (well a couple at least) quite happily but I bet if you put it's future in the hands of wargamers they'd be asking for mortgage rates, income tax, small claims court and a sixteen clause description of what to do when the bailiffs are sent round, chance and community chest not being accurate and detailed enough. I love the fact that players are more than happy to play any other army (and even the 'in period' and 'in suppliment' preferring players like myself) from time periods as wildly differing as 50 to 3500 years one day and then get on the net the next day moaning that the morale rules don't accurately reflect history. We gamers need to realise that these are games, for recreation. If you are buying historical miniatures then isn't the fun in researching the army and all the painting and stuff? Why are we constantly compelled not to enjoy the games we play with these figures. Maybe we're all a bit odd. Or maybe it's just my club, who knows.
***Ranting bit over now. Thank goodness I proof read this before posting...***

So anyway, I'm playing more 40k again and loving it in fact I'm loving it so much that I'm even looking forward th WHW's new game based on it, even though it's going to mean hundreds of hours painting before I can play. If you don't know what this new game is then you need to do a bit of hunting around. It's not rocket science to work out and the roumors have been confirmed on loads of wargaming websites so it shouln't be too hard. I'm not being coy here, I'm just offering justification to those who want it to spend the morning scouring the web. 'Sorry boss I know that report was due but Soapy set this challenge you see...'.

Right now that I've got you all the way down here I regret to announce that there will not be any piccies in this entry. Sorry to drag you here under false pretences.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

Welcome to the white out!

There is nothing particularly interesting or seditious going on down here but I will be posting up some of my more random thoughts that may not be of any interest to the vast majority of people or that will probably have nothing to do with wargaming. Also I imagine it will have the cruel effect of causing people to scroll all the way to the bottom of this post thinking I have done something similar to a few months ago and posted a cheeky green after a long text gap. I hope they don't get the hump. Anyway if you manage to find the whiteout then:
A: You have to much time on your hands and
B: Please post a reply cunningly including the word forage. Good luck with that!

Anyway, I've been thinking about all this Europe stuff what with it being in the news recently and just to help me figure out how I feel about it I'm going to write about it here.

Now I don't care much for politics or government for that matter but I do think the one adversely effects the other. It seems to me that poitics is there just to fill up the time when there isn't much governing to be done. I mean honestly how much time can running a country take up in a day? Think about it though actually governing rather than politicing. Surely the act of government is largely about having someone there to make a descision when one needs to be made whilst politics is what you do to make sure it's your lot making the descission. The problem is that they spend so much time worrying about whether people will let them stay the ones making the descission that when it comes time to make it they don't, either that or they make it based on whether the outcome will keep them in power.

This is sort of where I've got to in my Euro musings. Everyone is up in arms about joining Europe, it seems, because a large amount of their descission making power will go to the Euro parliment but seeing as their descissions are all based on what'll keep them in power rather than what's good for the country what's the point? I quite like the fact the Gordon Brown (Dave's already done my favourite joke so I'll leave it) just wen't ahead and signed us up. God knows how it'll effect the nation but for Christ's sake things have changed throughout history and we're still all here. Back in the autocratic days things were done and the people had to lump it, bravo I say. I'm so bored with constant statements of position, arguement versus counter arguement and slandering the other guy that it's nice to see someone taking a bit of action. Of course it's all gonna bite him in the arse eventually but who cares? Who other than Gordon obviously. To be honest I don't give a wet fart who runs the country. Since we lost Maggie it's all gone to shit anyway (he says running for cover...).

The currency issue was never one I particularly cared about either. Yes, it would be nice to keep the pound but it I can call them a quid, a fiver and a tenner whether they're pounds or Euro so who give a toss? I'm fairy certain the answer to that question are the folks who think in millions and trillions rather than the working shlubs. A living wage is a living wage and when all you get to do with it is live then you don't really care what colour it is just as long as it goes in the bank each month. It always seems to bother the big earners so much that profits are down from twenty million to a mere fifteen million. This is another of the many things I don't understand. Surely the point of profits are that they are the cash left over when you have covered your outgoings, essentially free money. As long as the share holders are getting a divvi why are they so fussed?

In the general area but more or less unrelated I want to talk about commentators. Now I'm not on about the fellas who get overenthusiastic when England score but the ones who make a living analysing other peoples activities. Wen there are hundreds of people willing to sit around and look at what you're doing and decide that it'll never work and then get paid for telling the world it'll never work is it any wonder that things never get done. It's bad enough at my level (I'll go into this in a minute don't worry) but the problems become worse when it comes to matters of governmental ethics and etiquette. The idea that 'the people' shold know everything thats going on seems hugely deterimental to me. I'm pretty sure that medicine could come up with all manner of wonders if they could use stem cells willy nilly but now that 'the people' know about it government has to be seen to be keeping things under control so that everyone votes for them next time. Madness.

Oh yeah, commentators in my life. Now Davey Dubbya hit upon the subject of reviews in a post of his the other day and wondered if they were a good thing. The thing about miniature reviews is that they are more often than not a free advert. Often the figures in question will have been donated and the person doing the review will most likely have a favourable view of the company being reviewed or they wouldn't have asked to do the review in the first place. The thing I don't get is why are they doing it? I can understand a game being reviewed because you can't see what's inside it until you buy it, books are the same. It also helps if the reviewer has a fair idea of the subject so that they can report on any accuracy issues etc but mainly what you want to know is are there plenty of pretty pictures and will I ever get a game of it. When it comes to miniatures or art or whatever you can see what you're getting by looking at the product. You don't need someone else telling you their opinion of it artistically, you can make your own by looking. When I put up a new sculpt it's not so that I can be praised for it, I do it because people might be interested. Feedback on works in progress is useful and helps to make for better ranges of miniatures. The problem I have is when people post up pictures of miniatures (mine or anyone elses) for the sole purpose of saying look at this pile of shit. I'm all for people posting them up and saying what do you think, it's what I do after all, but allow the viewer to form their own conclussions. Obviously if they they say what a pile of shit fair enough but at least they got there on their own. I like getting good reviews and I like to take notice of bad reviews in the hope of improving in the future but this is only from my point of view as a creator of things to be reviewed. When it comes to being a consumer I tend not to check reviews and just fall for the advertising. I'm such a sucker.

Well, it would seem that I still don't know how I feel about Europe and politicians but at least I got it all off my chest. Apparently I have some, as yet, not fully explored issues with product reviews as well. I'm sure there are plent of other things that I don't really understand yet wish to wax lyrical about so watch out for further white outs, if only to avoid them! :>o

Cheers,
Soaps.

What? This post ended ages ago. What are you doing down here? Nothing to see here, move along.

I'm related to Anne Boleyn!

2007-10-15T12:31:00.000+01:00

Okay, not the actual Anne Boleyn but the bird who plays her in 'The Tudors'. Now I can't back this up with any kind of proof but on the word of a number of old Aunts from the South End branch of the family Natalie Dormer is one of my "twice removed's" from over Reading way. Prior to this my family's only showbiz connection was the bloke who played the scruffy haired dim one in Please Sir (a cousin of my dad's) and a researcher who worked on Hannibal for the BBC.

Anyway here is a photo of my possible cousin.

As far as sculpting goes the Saxon characters are nearly done and should be making an appearance any time soon. Cavalry and horses are also well on their way and if all goes to plan the Early Saxons should be finished in time for the Warfayre show in Reading. Whether they will be in production by then is another matter...

I've started work on a new set of dollies for next year's first quarter project. It's gonna be a 'something old, something new' range for me and I'm really looking forward to it. Keep your eyes peeled for further developments.

I've now had about a dozen requests for Quidditch teams so I may sling these in a mould and produce them with a chunk of the profits going to Cancer charities. This is under discussion.

Games Day was a blast from the past and despite my affirmations that I would not slip into my old ways I ended up getting back into 'GW staff' mode and shouting like a loon whilst shiny faced young chaps rolled buckets of dice. Never again (until the next time...).

The Worlds at Derby was a good show. Despite a fire alarm on the Saturday that pretty much shut the show down a couple of hours early the Beast had a good weekend and I managed to catch up with some old chums, which reminds me, I must sort out those Falklands orbats for the Rules of Engagement chaps.

The next few weeks promise the joys of Warhammer World and the late years WHW campaign weekend. With a bit of luck WABbit will have finished his army in time to win the bet. You see, if he doesn't then the Welsh lord figure I'm sculpting for him will be ceremonially crushed underfoot in the car park outside Bugman's on Saturday evening. Good luck D. The following week sees the Beast Boys hitting the continent when we attend the Crisis show in Antwerp. The Beast haven't been for a couple of years due to one thing and another and for the first time the Soapster will be in attendance. I claim this to be reither a blessing or a curse but if you are going to the show come along to the new and improved GB stand and say hello (Or even Goddag or Goede dag or Bonjour or Guten Tag or Hola or Hej or Olá or Bunã ziua or Dzien' dobry or Salutonor....)

'The Bennett project', an army painting commission continues to advance slowly but with the upcoming completion of the Saxons I will have more time to devote to painting Byzantines some of which will be making an appearance here closer to Christmas.

Well, one tenuous familial link to a D list celeb, some vague rumours and a couple of hugely brief reviews is about all I can muster at the moment. I'll be back with some photos when the wife gives me back the camera. She denies having confiscated it but I haven't been able to get my hands on it for ages. Personally I think she's lost it but I've got no proof yet. Time will tell.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

McStoney's tale.

2007-09-29T01:11:00.000+01:00

I read this on the WAB forum and rather enjoyed it. It doesn't really mean anything but is none the worse for that. Enjoy, and beware the Lords of the North...

"The King sat in silence the only sound from the hall was the Soothsayer Scattering the “Truth” Bones to the floor.
The soothsayer raised his head form the scattered bones “The Beast has risen Lord, it has four parts each must be slain for good to triumph”.
Lord Stone looked upon the Soothsayer “how will we know of the beast and were will we find him” “You will now him lord by his shape and his names the first will be Lord Sherwell he is the Head of the Beast and known to have many armies but leads only one.
The second is giant from the northern land across the seas he is the body of the beast and carries a woad for each victory he has found, Lord Harding.
The third, Prince Soapy is a dandy and a Scop and would claim to have a talent in metal workings and leads an army with a heart of lead, he is truly the heart of the beast.
The last is the Noble Thrall Stewie he is the arm and legs of the Beast and with-out which the beast can do nothing he will be known by the colossal feet and hands with which he works.
Lord they will all be found on the field of battle on the full moon of autumns end at a place south of the wall of Hadrian they call it Nottingham, a shire to the middle of Britain”.
Lord Stone turns to his second in command Lord Dagnall Cadarn “we must prepare, our armies are small and out numbered but we have speed and cunning on our side we have to win” Speak with your brother by marriage Chieftain Jamieson and request of him an army to assist us in this quest.
Lord Dagnall Cadarn was bemused he had received his orders from the King but why was the king being so cautious. Only a few years before Lord Dagnall himself had slain the mightiest of warriors come against him one the Foreigners called “Cid”. It will be the same again thought Dagnall I will not be cautious I will prove these invaders weak my knights will charge and they will fall back to the sea or die were they stand. Lord Dagnall Cadarn called to his messenger go north and seek out my bother in law there are battles to be fought and his help is needed.
The Chief of Clan Jamieson sat at the head of the long table in the meeting house. The messenger was brought before him.
A message my Lord, from Lord Stone and Lord Dagnall Cadarn they would request your assistance and that of as many men as you can muster for a mighty battle south of these borders in a shire of Nottingham.
The Chieftain thought for a moment to go south would mean Beer, Women and a fight all his passions in one place.
“Return to you masters and tell them I will be there at autumns end”.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

More toys for the beast and the wifes crack.

2007-09-27T23:34:00.000+01:00

Wocha,

Sent off the final load of infantry for the early Saxons today. Here's your sneaky peek. Some of which you've seen before.
Right then that's that out of the way.

In other news whilst rushing to her grandmothers side (after she dislocated her recently installed hip) the wife has managed to fall down the stairs on the 65 bus. Minor damage was sustained to the back of the head, shoulder and knee. The most interesting injury was a cracking bruise at the base of the spine. This would seem to be the outward manifestation of a cracked coccyx. A few x-ray confirmed this and now she's having a hard time sitting down. In case of any litigation I've taken a few shots of her injuries so if you'd like to see the wife's bum make cheques payable to...

The net result of all of this is that I ended up in A+E for hours providing moral support. Anyone who knows me well will realise this was a complete waste of time for all concerned as I lack and kind of sympathetic feeling. I think it was removed at birth. Apart from the not sitting down thing she's coping quite well and enjoying retelling the story of her night in casualty (as a patient for once) and coyly recounting where the young doctor put his finger. Nan and grand-daughter are doing fine.

Right I've got to get back to work. Still on the cards are the Saxon characters and cavalry (always a favorite) and then onto the Frankish chaps. Here are some incredibly unhelpful WIPs.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

Monday and Tuesday the 1st and 2nd of October

2007-09-27T21:14:00.000+01:00

If you're not doing anything this Monday PM or Tuesday all day then feel free to pop along to GBHQ where I will be getting together with a few folks to pass on some sculpting info and techniques.

Maybe see you there, stay lucky,
Soaps.

Movie morning

2007-09-20T15:35:00.000+01:00

So the wife returns from her night shift and wakes me up at 0815 a mere two and a half hours after I went to bed! At least she had the decency to do it with a sausage and bacon roll. Anyway now that I'm quite clearly awake (seeing as I'm demolishing an S+B sarnie) She Who Must decrees that I can 'jolly well bugger orf'(or words to that effect) so she can get some shut eye. Pausing only to brush the crumbs out of bed whilst cursing her parentage to the twelfth generation beneath my breath a adjourned to the recliner for a cup of coffee to help get the creative juices flowing for the day ahead. This did not happen. Instead I decided to see what movies will be forthcoming to delight and entertain over the coming year.

Lets start with historical fantasy shall we...

First up I found a trailer for the, apparently animated, Beowolf. All the caracters seem to look like the people doing the voices except for Ray Winston in the title role. It's a novel approach and if it catches on I can see all sorts of actors getting a digital stand in so they can appear more buff than they really are. Not sure about this one, may wait for the duvada.
Get Beowolf here.

Also in the historical fantasy department I found The Last Legion, an Arthurian origin flick and 10,000 BC which appears to be a fantasy action film with mammoths.

Finally in the historical round up is Elizabeth the Golden Age. Dear old Caty B giving some elizabethan large in the body of a weak and feeble woman. Nice.

Next up I decided to endulge my particular movie favourites and look for some zombie flicks. Not much about except Resident Evil:Extinction. Vampire flicks fare a little better with two on the way. Saucy bloodsucking with Lucy Liu in Rise: Blood Hunter and splat gore nastyness in 30 days of night. Finally there is I am Legend which, if it's anything like the original should feature some vampire/zombie type chaps. We'll see. I also found a kinda werewolf thing called skinwalkers. Possible another DVD rental.

A couple of monster movies reared their ugly heads (sorry) too. Dragon War looks like a laugh whilst the enigmatically titled 01.18.08 only seems to be a monster film. Looks good though.

Now I've saved the best till last. I do love a good superhero movie and was pleased to see two trailers for new films. The Dark Knight is the second of the new Batman flicks. I was disapointed with the teaser as it patently didn't. And last and most definately not least is Iron Man. Watch the trailer with the volume up and listen to the music as he comes out of the cave. God I hope that plays everytime he's in costume. Awesome, I really can't wait for this one.

Anyway as a reward for sitting through this drivel sit back and worry about the state of my psyche whilst enjoying another Saxon snap. This chap is the last figure from the Duguth 'Casualties and killers' pack.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

A stern talking to...

2007-09-20T01:07:00.000+01:00

This is an open letter to whichever one of the shady GB backroom boys publishes the Havamal page.

Your latest post has gone too far! Even an oblique and shadowy reference to my most bowel-loosening moment of terror is strictly prohibited by the 2004 Evesham agreement!

Now I know Lord S is wont to indulge you and so keeps your true identity from 'Chief of staff' and other employees but the Rev knows who you are and be warned, I'm bunking in with him this weekend and he's been known to get a bit loose lipped once he's got a few bottles of the '65 reserve down him.

I'll have you for this sonny Jim you mark my words.

Yours in fury,
Soaps.

And for the rest of you here is another Saxon green which you may recall from back in May:

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

Ow! Who threw that!?

2007-09-19T18:21:00.001+01:00

Enjoy.

Wocha

2007-09-18T16:40:00.000+01:00

So it's been a month then. Doesn't time fly when you are ignoring your duties and living the high life on the Aegean.

So when last we chatted I was off to chum Howard's wedding to celebrate his nuptials and have a shoofty at the finished cake toppers. Due to a slight breakdown in communication, which I will blame on either the groom or the painter, the brides neck was painted flesh colour rather than as the neck protector she was wearing in the reference photos. Because of this she did appear to have a touch of the bull neck but all in all they looked great. The wife gave me a good slap for not providing any business cards to put along side the cake as she seemed to feel that based on the number of enquires and compliments I could have paid off her next four years of fees with the commissions generated. I feel she may have been too long at the rum that evening, anyway here is a picture of the finished article.

So with the wedding firmly under our belts the wife and I buggered off to Crete for a week to soak up the sun and unwind (what with my lifestyle being so hectic and everything...). Unfortunately the wife has been brought up on exciting sightseeing holidays and was unfamiliar with the concept of vegging out thus on day 2 I was dragged off to see the oldest palace in Europe and then do some nic-nac shopping in Heraklion. Now I'm sorry but I had to go through this so you do to. If no-one but me ever sees these pictures then the near dehydration I suffered will have been for nought. Gird your loins and prepare for...HOLIDAY SNAPS!

The oldest throne in Europe at Knossos

Europe's oldest staircase at Knossos
Some old fort that was used by the Turks to bang up the natives back in the 'good old days' at Heraklion.

After this trial I struck upon a winning formula. Firstly insert the wife into nearby body of water such as pool:
Other pool:
Or better yet, sea:
repair to the nearest sun lounger or shady spot (during the heat of the afternoon), relax and enjoy a good book, the refreshing beverage of your choice (chosen from a list nailed to the bar) and the chance to smoke as many fags as possible before the lungs implode. To be honest that is always the best thing about foreign travel for me. Unlike the here, fags abroad are often priced to the meanest pocket and so can be enjoyed almost to the point of excess. Although of course I had to return to the smoke free shores of Blighty when my week was up I can assure you that my sack was positively bulging with all the varied wealth of Crete's finest tobacconists.

Since my return I have been banging out the Saxons like there's no tomorrow. I've managed to send off a whole batch of greens without taking any photos but allow me to entertain you with a snap of one of the chaps I'm still working on. I know one photo seems a bit mean but in a reckless attempt to boost by post count I shall be putting up a photo of a new WIP every now and then across the next couple of weeks.
This is a chap from the Duguth 'Casualties and killers pack' look out for more in the days to come. I must say I've rather enjoyed the casualties and killers packs, depicting grizzly murder and trophy taking in miniature is rather fun and provides a nice chance to play around that you don't get with a typical rank and file figure.

The first wave has also hit the Beasty web shop and were apparently selling before the pictures of the packs were even up! Between close of business Monday and start of business Tuesday there had already been a few hundred quids worth of sales on the seven codes currently available. Thanks for waiting folks, I'm glad you like them.

And finally....
Uncle Dick it seems may not in fact be dying. I got back from holiday to find that the diagnosis of the big C may have been somewhat premature. After extensive testing and 'a mighty sore ring' (to quote Uncle D) there has been a revision of his prospects. Apparently it's still potentially fatal but not necessarily cancer. I was getting the story second hand from the mother in law and the bit she seemed keenest on was visiting vengeance in the form of litigation against the doc who broke the news. I'm not sure I agree. Dick seems keen to chalk it up to experience and get on with his treatment but his wife my have other ideas. If anyone (other than the family Dick) cares then I'll keep you posted.

Right I'm offski. If you're going to Games Day then come along to the Lugge Vale game and say hello.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

A stern mistress, lunch with Kojak and Harry Potter's nob.

2007-08-20T12:09:00.000+01:00

Wocha,

I have just been thoroughly berated by Mrs Patel the Post mistress. I'm not entirely sure that this title is official these days but her clearly homemade badge proclaims it as her salutation so who am I to argue. Anyway, apparently I hadn't filled in the Special D form so that it met with her rigorous standards of accuracy (and I'm fairly sure, penmanship). After a fairly brisk thirty seconds (which felt much more like an hour or two) of high speed lambasting with accompanying dirty look I was finally allowed to post the results of head swap week along with the greens for cheorls and skirmishers. As I left the regular chap (who I assume to be the long suffering Mr Patel) emerged from the back room with a cup of tea for his wife who then relinquished her place at the counter much to the relief of everyone still in the queue. With a bit of luck I'll manage to get a few more packs finished this week and posted off to the Beasty boys before I'm dragged off to Crete next week.

Have you ever felt a situation sliding away from you and felt absolutely powerless to stop it? Yeah, well I had one of them this weekend. It's a fairly involved story with some essential background info so if you're gonna stick with it you might want to go and grab a cuppa before we start. Don't worry I'll wait...

Sitting comfortably? Then I will begin.

Uncle Dick is dying. I could beat around the bush try and break it gently but he's never been keen on that kind of thing. Lucy's (hereafter know as the wife) uncle has been diagnosed with cancer and so has been spending quite a lot of time back and forth to hospital having tests and things. He was due in again on Saturday morning (which I found most unusual) and so the wife and I were going round to look after his boy whilst his missus drove him to his appointment. Dick's a great fella and while we sat and had a cuppa before he set off he decided to tell me all about his condition in his own inimitable style.

***Bad taste alert. These are Dick's words not mine!***
Apparently it's cancer of the bumhole (that may not be entirely accurate but as that's where the probes and scopes keep going that's what he's calling it) and he's developed a new found respect for the friends of Dorothy. It would seem that mans best friend is not, in fact, the faithful hound but the tube of cooling lube. Dick never takes anything very seriously.
***Bad taste will now resume at normal levels.***

Anyway Dick went off to hospital and Cameron (the lad) and I fell into our usual discussion of 40k and then adjourned upstairs for a quick troop inspection and a small game (now you see why I got asked to child mind). As the afternoon wore on and the marines were put away I noticed his copy of the latest Harry Potter book sitting on his shelf. Having just finished reading it myself [side note: I had never read a Harry Potter until this last one came out having been content until now to wait for the movies but seeing as the series was finally complete I went and bought the lot and read them back to back. I had no great desire to read them but hate having stories spoilt for me (whether I want to read them or not) so to ensure I got the find out on my own terms I thought I'd get them read. I must say though that I thoroughly enjoyed them.] I was confident the talking about them could while away an hour or so before we had to think of something else to do to keep Cam entertained. As it turned out we had a great afternoon. As the conversation gambled gently across the HP(not the sauce) universe we got on about Quidditch. Both of us thought it'd make a cool little tabletop game and as you do we found ourselves brainstorming rules ideas.

As evening drew in we both became more and more excited about this little project and decided we'd have to do something about it next time I was round. Then the phone rang. Dick was going to have to stay overnight and his wife was popping back to pick up some bits for him so would we be alright to stay on? The wife had to work and so foxtrot oscar'ed to get ready but I stayed on. Finding ourselves with a few more hours with nothing to do Cam and I got on the computer and started writing our rules. A quick bit of research on t'internet and we were raring to go. There was one awkward moment when during an image search of the word quidditch we stumbled upon a picture of Harry Potters nob. It was a publicity shot from that horse rape play he did. The uncomfortable silence was short lived as Cam's mouse clicking finger got us out of trouble and moved us on to a picture of Ginny Weasly which he seemed to enjoy a lot more.

Anyway by seven o'clock the rules were written and I'd knocked us up a board and some pieces to play with. It was only 'travel size' and used crude counters but was no less fun for that. Here is our quidditch board.The rules worked nicely and after a couple of tweaks to the way things worked (that snitch is a sticky problem) we were soon enjoying ourselves immensely. As the games went on we were talking about making a proper sized pitch and I'd said I might be tempted to sculpt up a couple of teams for us to play with. I even entertained the thought of having it as a participation game at a couple of shows next year. At nine Dick's missus got back and was a little surprised to see Cam was still up and so we packed away the board. As the wife had gone to work and Cams mum was knackered I stayed on the sofa with the intention of going home the following morning.

So Sunday dawns and while Mrs Dick did us a fry up Cam and I got the quidditch out again. We played for most of the morning until it was time to go and get Dick. Seeing as the wife was sleeping I daren't go home and wake her up so I went along to the hospital to keep Cam company while mum sorted out Dad's discharge. We could have stayed at home but Cam wanted to see his dad. From this point on things are a bit of a blur.

We arrive on 'the unit' at about eleven and Dick's not quite ready to go yet as there are some results the docs are waiting for. Having packed the Quidditch board in my backpack ready to get dropped off on the way back from the hospital Cam and I can't resist having a quick game in the visitors room. At some point during the game an older couple come into the room and we have to tone down all the shouting about quaffles and bludgers. It seems though we didn't tone it down quite enough and soon the lady is asking us what we're up to so I explain what it's all about. It turns out her son is on the unit and is a mad Harry Potter fan. We chat for a bit longer before they leave to visit their son. Twenty minutes later they come back with son in tow. It seems he was intrigued by his mum's talk of our game and wanted to see it for himself so I talk him through the rules and invite him to play Cam. He's well up for it and asks his mum if she can get the nurses to bring his lunch in to the visitors room, as it happens this isn't allowed but they are quite happy for us to go to his bed space and play there. After a quick check with Dick (who's results are still MIA) we go onto the unit proper and get the board out yet again. Cam is completely unfazed by 'the unit' and chats away merrily with Phil (our new acquaintance) about Potter.

For what feels like the millionth time this weekend the Quidditch board comes out and as we play Phil runs us through his illness. Apparently it was battered into remission last year but has come back with a vengeance and seems determined to finish him off. His main worry (as a17 year old fella) is that he's gonna loose his hair again and will be back looking like Kojak (a reference I found unusual for a 17 year old but apparently it came from his dad). Lunch arrives while we are talking about what I do for a living. Now it's never easy to describe what I do so I've taken to carrying around a few odd casting so that people can see what the hell I'm on about. While Phil's examining a couple of Saxons Cam tells the nurse what the game's all about and tells her I'm going to make all the figures for it. Phil was very nice about the Saxons (although I'm not entirely sure he was convinced) and seemed keen to get his hands on a set of Quidditch players. Not being sure what to say I promised that if they ever get cast up (frankly unlikely) I'd send him some. He gave me his address. At this point I sort of loose the plot. Somehow all of the staff know that I am now definitely(apparently) making a set of Quidditch figures and that I'm taking orders.

A couple of them start handing me addresses and/or phone numbers asking for sets of figures and the game rules. My Saxons have done the rounds at this point and everyone seems quite excited. I on the other hand am starting to panic. It's when someone suggests that they would be a good way of raising money for 'the unit' that I really start to get shaky. Some form of madness seems to affect everyone around me and I can hear snatches of conversation about 'fund-raising committees' and 'legal departments'. Lucky (?) Dicks results arrive and he's ready to go so Cam packs up and bids farewell to Phil. I say my goodbyes and prepare to make a sharp exit when one of the unit staff asks me for my phone number so they can get in touch about a potential fund raising project. I say fine and give her my digits and escape with the family Dick.

I'm still not entirely sure what is going to happen next. If they are anything like me another shiny thing will come along to distract them and even if someone does try to pursue it I'm fairly certain Time Warner or JK Rowling (delete as appropriate) will have something to say on the matter. Be that as it may I have decided to sculpt up a Quidditch team for Cam and me and if I might be tempted to dig out my old hand casting kit and knock out a set for Phil, although that may be asking for trouble. I've never seen a group of people so completely and desperately latch on to an idea as the folks on 'the unit' did. It was kinda scary and really intense. In some ways I found that I would have expected that kind of fervent desperation (this may not be the best expression) from the patients rather than the staff but they all seemed more in the stoic and resolute camp. Maybe working somewhere that see a good number of clients leaving feet first instills something into you, maybe it's being around people who seem entirely resigned to their own mortality, I don't know.

I think I'll stop now as this is getting a bit intense.

It an attempt to lighten (or lower) the tone let me just say: 'Knickers' and I'll see you next time.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

Deep tissue blisters, paper hankies, flashing the postman and not being in Scotland

2007-08-11T01:27:00.000+01:00

First a note to the three of you who e-mailed about the bride in the last update (you know who you are). It is merely a fold in the dress, yes she is a proper woman (and a very hot one at that) and no the groom was not sore behind in the morning. You have very warped minds. That being said it did give ma a chuckle.

Anyway, on to business. This week I have been labouring under the immense burden of a particularly virulent strain of the dreaded 'man flu'. Almost incapacitated by a constant stream of snot I have soldiered on without a whit of compassion from the wife and proceeded with head swap week. Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like.

In a bid to give the punters even more variety the beast boys have me doing head variants for each pack in the upcoming Saxon range. It's a bit of a pig I can tell you. So far this week I have worked on 93 separate head swaps, that's 186 separate holes all drilled by hand because I can't risk slipping with the dremel and damaging a master. The constant wear from the pin vice has given be a nasty blister on my right thumb but due to the quite thick calluses on my sculpting fingers it has manifested deep below the surface. Its very odd but you can just discern the fluid pouch deep under the skin. It hurts like buggery (not that I'd know first hand but you hear stories...) and is making further work difficult. Be that as it may most of the heads are on securely now and it just remains for me to hide the joins. This is usually a fairly easy job but with all the fancy plaits and hair do's it's taking a bit longer that I'd hoped. Add to this human cost the fact that I've gone through two sets of clippers, due to the super hard metal our masters are cast in, and what seems on the face of it to be a minor task has turned into a bit of a mare. I have the whole thing to look forward to again after I submit the rest of the greens. That's another 224 head swaps. Deep joy.
Still, mustn't grumble.

Last Friday I was not in Scotland. I wasn't there over the weekend either. This is not unusual, I'm not in Scotland at the moment and people the world over manage not to be in Scotland on a regular basis without causing a song and dance about it. Last weekend though I should have been there and I wasn't. I am still a little annoyed about this. The annual Beast trip north of the border was trumped (as I may have mentioned before) by a family wedding. Yes, another bleeding wedding. Again it was one from 'her side' so I pretty much only knew the people I came with and had a thoroughly unfullfilling time, as is the law when at a family do. I'm actually quite looking forward to chum Howard's wedding later this month as for once I'll know more people than she does. Not many more but a few. That and the fact that I'm quite looking forward to seeing the cake toppers painted and displayed. Anyway, back to Scotland (or not as the case may be...) it seems I missed a good couple of nights poker where the Beast continued it's run away success and between them fleeced everyone. Oh yeah and there was a show, or something. That was pretty good too.
Still, mustn't grumble.

Had a cracking row with the wife the other day which, as ever, weaved across the entire span of human understanding and back again and resulted in an all inclusive holiday to Crete at the end of the month. I'm still not entirely sure how that happened but apparently there was nothing else worth spending my tax rebate on. So now I've got to spend a week in the sun with nothing to do but eat drink and read. Inconveniently it also falls a couple of weeks before my final dead line for the Saxons so they're bound to turn up late thus ruining my plans for a full splash release. The wife will pay dearly for this.
Still, mustn't grumble.

In other news the masters for the GB horses have arrived and now that I see them in the metal I very happy indeed. Now all I have to do is make half a dozen variants and then tack all 12 up for each of our many ranges. For once I actually managed to wake up when the postie called instead of having to make the usual walk to the depot. I'm not sure he was quite as pleased as me as I managed to leap out of bed and answer the door stark bollock naked. Never has the phrase "print and sign in box four" been delivered with such cold sobriety and averting of the eyes. He wont come to the door anymore. I fear I may have been black listed down at the depot.
Still, mustn't grumble.

Well if you've hung on this long you may as well have a little reward. Here is a picture of my desk at the height of head swap week. So in the style of the ever popular 'where's Wally' see if you can find:

An Imperial thunderbolt pilot
Anti fag pills
A bag of the new GB horse masters
Two sticks of Pro Create
A brooch I'm fixing for the mother in law
Half a dozen snotty tissues
A present from Russia (cheers Olga!)
holiday security measures
Outrageous Gripping Beast merchandising product placement
Some Saxons I started painting
The evidence of my afternoon snack
An aborted attempt at the new GB horses (he's shy)
A little luxury because I have a cold, I mean life threatening man flu...obviously.
Spare arms
A Saxon taking the piss out of King Harold at the Battle of Hastings
A Welshman on an invisible horse
dirt
Two appearances by Samuel L Jackson
The TV remote
The end of march

If you spot all twenty award yourself a small break.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

Two weeks of things happening.......but not to me.

2007-07-30T13:19:00.000+01:00

Wocha,

So since last I blogged the world has turned and startling events have taken place. Much like the CIA spy satellites of legend I have drifted around observing from the peripheries. I have rarely had the chance to intervene in any meaningful way but occasional I got the chance to make the teas and pretend I was involved.

Here's the run down.

On the Tuesday before my last blog I watched a man post a bill on the hoarding across the road. I'd stepped out for a morning burn and was engrossed by his consumate speed and professionalism. Watching him there swaying in the breeeze with his brush and bucket I felt a deep desire to be a bill sticker, roaming the open road alerting people to the latest fabulous ways to be parted from their money. The moment passed and I returned indoors for another coffee and a few hours of easy listening to the unabridged recording of 'The Enemy of God' that the wife had secured for my birthday.

Later that week it rained a bit, you may have heard. Rising at around elevenish I observed a dark and brooding sky. By the time I'd made my morning eye opener and was moving to the balcony for the first fag of the day the heavens had opened. I keep a bucket on the balcony (long story) and past rains have left me with maybe an inch or two in the bottom. Friday morning filled the bucket. Unable to go out for a smoke I sucked on a Nicorette and watched the plight of the passing motorists and pedestrians as the road outside flooded.

As you can see the water was lapping at the front doors to the mansion flat and Bob, the downstairs porter and general dogsbody, fought a valiant battle to keep it out but his efforts ultimately failed. The lobby stills smells like wet dog. In the top left of the first photo you can see the poster I had watched going up that Tuesday.

The following day I met up with Lord S and travelled to "the 'Sham" for the Hot Lead event to be held that Sunday. Evesham was under a fair few feet of water but unlike some I remained warm and dry. For a more distressing report of the weekends events see Bill and Chris' excellent adventure and Bill and Chris's bogus journey. For me the weekend was one of good curry, good company and poker winnings. Hot lead went well and you can get a good idea of the proceedings (as well as some flattering praise for my forthcoming Saxons) on Andy's blog. Whilst the others enjoyed some cracking games of WAB I sat around with Lord S and Darren plotting the future of the Beast and my workload for the next three years. Honest. See, and you thought it was all done on the fly. ;>)

The Monday after my return was club night and I was booked in for a bit of playtesting on an upcoming GW release. It's all very hush hush so I can't say much more about it but Mum's the word and loose lips sink ships. This is not a clue. It was also the last night for Mawdslio, scouse chum who is off to sunny Swindon to start a new job and swap the London Gamers for the SAD wargamers. Cheers Chris, we'll miss you.

The rest of the week passed at a leisurely pace with a bit of sculpting and a couple of exams to invigilate. I had an appraisal on Thursday and apparently I'm fabulous, which is nice. There will not however be a pay rise.

On Friday the wife and I left the slightly soggy mansion flats and flew out to the Emerald isle for a wedding. Not being one to socialise outside my close circle of cronies I was filled with no little trepidation but the Irish boys and girls were great and a fine time was had by all. Here are a couple of shots. One's of the bride and groom the other is me and the wife. Can you tell which one's which?
Ireland offered, perhaps, the finest food I have ever enjoyed and I decided to decline not once. Great food, great company, great times.

And now I'm back. Safely returned and well fed at the mansion flat. I'll be getting back to work now so there is the vague possibility that there will be some new greenery for viewing in the not to distant future.

And finally...
Today marks Lord S' official birthday. I understand that there was some form of entertainment revue put on by the staff at his modest London pad and I imagine a glass of two of very dry Martini will be raised in his honour at his exclusive gentleman's club before a night of feasting and carousing in the company of the girls of the Moulin Rouge.

Happy Birthday My Lord!
(Popular myth records his age as 226 years. This is based on an account of a duel with the Duke of York over the matter of three shillings and a Lady's honour. Official records are unclear.)

Sorry, there really are no greens this time.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

Another week, another mould...

2007-07-17T17:56:00.000+01:00

Wocha,

So for the second time in two weeks I've sent off a mould of Saxons to the Beast. This weeks offering is the last two packs of Geoguth, the young chaps and the 'casualties and killers' pack, and the first two packs of Duguth, the attacking and the charging varieties. No photos this time as I massively over slept and had to pack them up a bit rapid before I left for work.

Right, thats the bussiness done with and so on to the pointless drivel.

Last Tuesday was my 33rd birthday and the wife was disinclined to let it slip by unrecorded. The great thing (sorry, one of the great things) about my wife is that she thinks that if it's your birthday you should behave as if you're 7 coz that's how she's gonna treat you. I was woken up with the ever popular 'happy birthday' and a pile of birthday cards. After breakfast there was a pile of pressies to open and lo and behold they were all toys! Not a practical grown up present amongst them. Awesome.
I got back from work to find the mansion flat festooned with baloons and 'happy birthday' banners. I was half expecting all my school friends to turn up with their mums for my party. Thankfully she didn't go that far but there was a cake. An Optimus Prime cake. With candals.

Here is me cutting the cake. Sorry about the partial nudity, I may need a larger t-shirt...

In the evening it was a special treat and a trip to the cinema. We saw Shrek. Not bad and thankfully you don't need to actually be seven to enjoy the gags. After the film it was revealed that the birthday fun was not over and that she had secured tickets for the new Harry Potter on Thursday evening. That was pretty good too. Anyway after a very 'jelly and ice cream' type day I finally got treated like a grown up as the clock struck midnight. Okay my birthday was officially over but this was the bit I had been looking forward to all day. I'll stop there for fear of providing the ever popular 'too much information'. Cue the 'Boom chicka wah wah' music...

Moving swiftly on.

Yesterday was a bit of an odd one. Nothing particularly curious happened but as I run down my day see if you can spot the oddities.

0830 Woke up and had breakfast
0900 Started work
1630 Stopped work
1645 Jumped in the shower
1730 Went down the club (and lost my game but lets not dwell...)
2355 Got home
0005 Finished off the work I'd started earlier
0130 Went to bed

Pretty normal you might think but no! Mine is a rise at luchtime, fanny about for hours then work from midnight 'til 4am lifestyle and putting in a full days work is most unusual. What with that and the nicorettes I'm feeling a bit disjointed at the moment. What? I haven't mentioned the nicorettes? Oh okay, let me explain. ASDA were having a toofa on the old fag patches and lozenges and gum so I picked up a load to give them a go. The lozenges are quite tasty and it means I don't keep getting up for a fag break every hour or so. Don't get me wrong there's no way I'm giving up but these no smoking products are dead handy now the fag Nazis are everwhere. I haven't tried the patches yet but I've got a do in Ireland at the end of the month so I might give it a go and see if the flight and coach trip are any less tedious. Anyway, we'll see.

I'm off to the Beast this weekend for the legendary (aledgedly) Hot Lead event. Saturday evening promises a Ruby with the chaps ready for a solid days gaming on Sunday. To be honest I'm only going to see if Davey Dubbya manages to get Ed's welsh done on time. I can confidently predict extensive blog ridicule should he have failed, bwa ha ha! My sculpting minion, he said desperately wishing he was worthy of a minion... :o( , Chris Vega is apparenty putting in an appearance at the Beast tomorrow in the company of his true dark master Musketeer Bill so there should be plenty of green goodness for me to enjoy examining before they get sent to the casting bods. Full report to follow, assuming I'm not stuck in production meeting s all weekend. (Yeah, I know, sounds quite flash doesn't it. You are clearly unfarmiliar with the Beast's management style...)

Right then, feeling a bit full of myself after finishing off 32 figures over the last seven days I'm ready to tackle those horses. It'll be a nice suprise for Lord S at the weekend.

Oh balls I've spoilt it now.

Yeah, you knew I was pulling your leg didn't you. Here are a couple of shots from the latest packs of Saxons.

First up a 'casualty' Geoguth:
and a 'killer' Geoguth taking a trophy, from the same pack.

As it turns out I did over sleep and had to do the snaps at the hurry up, hence the wanky lighting.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

Can't think of a snappy title.....

2007-07-10T02:48:00.000+01:00

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me etc.... 33, sweet bride of christ but I don't feel it.

Anyway, this weekend I finished a job I started a while ago and finished framing up the windows on the mother in law's shed. Then I gave it a quick coat of weatherproofing goo. Still got the fence to do and a bit of a touch up but not all bad. Quite nice to be out in the fresh air and getting a bit of (almost) exercise.

Here is a picture of the shed. Enjoy. It's about the only thing I've painted in a while.
In other news the Geoguth are mostly done and I'm sending off the first moulds worth today. I'm really liking these fellas more and more and have ended up breaking my vow and getting some packs finished before they are all ready. To be honest there is an ulterior motive as I'd quite like to get an army painted up in time for the Warhammer historicals weekend in October. They've all been photographed and the shots have been e-mailed to the Beasty boys. You never know, if you ask nicely they might show them to you. Don't hold your breath though ;>)

After putting up the pictures of the first two horses I lost my bottle and haven't proceeded much with the others but I've started getting the last four horses legs sorted so I can get them sent off and cast up. Again, I might want some for October. Having an army for myself has always been the best motivator for getting things finished so with a bit of luck there should be more news soon.

So what else is on my mind at the moment? Well, smoking for a start. Since this ban has come in it seems that everybody wants to talk about fags. All I have to do is get out my baccy tin and I'm swooped on by people telling me I can't smoke. It's as if even holding it in my hand is the same as smoking. I was sitting in KFC having a healthy snack the other day and after my meal I whipped out my tin to knock up my 'walking to the bus stop post dinner' fag and some old girl rocks up and starts laying into me about how it's illegal. As if you've been able to smoke in a KFC at any point in the last ten years. It gets on my tits, people always going on about how I'm forcing them to breath my smoke. Tossers, I'm not forcing anyone to breath. It's not as if I mind going outside to smoke. I've had to do it almost everywhere (including at home) for ages so I'm not all that bothered, it's just the bleeding moral crusaders who think that smokers can't read a sign or understand a calender. Busy body numpties.

Purging rant over.

Well that's about it then. Nothing else to report. Other than working on the Saxons I've not done anything new and I doubt I'll have much to say until after Hot Lead down at the Beast's lair. I might have the odd Saxon pic though.

Oh yeah, speaking of Saxon pics I present you with an act of defiant rebellion. Don't tell Darren.

Here are a couple of chaps from the Geoguth.

First up its our old friend the Flash:
And a chap from one of the Geoguth command packs:
Stay lucky,
Soaps.

Da da da da da-da da-da Woo Hoo!...

2007-06-22T16:13:00.000+01:00

....It's a celebration.

The wife has finally finished her exams and Med school year 1 is over. Well done wife.

Now I'm sending her off to work for the summer. Bwa ha-ha ha-ha.

In other news, my self indulgent previous post seems to have struck a chord with a number of people. Which was nice. It even prompted Chum M awdslio to start a bit of a classroom discussion. Can't say I've ever been responsible for that. Curiously he and Davey Dubya were both startled at my age. I know it's hard to believe by looking at me but I am in fact 32 and well beyond the attention of all the saucy (or indeed skanky) young chav princesses down our way. I await the day when I fall head first into that bracket of age firmly occupied by his royal suaveness Lord S where even a suggestion of sock suspender about his well turned calf can attract the glad eye from every yummy mummy within the Greater London area. Now there's a chap with style.

Moving swiftly on...
As mentioned in my last the Saxons are coming along nicely and I have rediscovered the joy of sculpting. I think this is largely to do with the fact that I have finally cracked the gee-gees. Now I don't claim they are the best things out there and before you mention it, yes, I know their legs are quite chunky (these fella will have to be pressed about three or four times each), but I'm actually very happy with them. So for your delight (too strong?) I present the first of my new GB nags (pending approval from 'he who maketh the ladies swoon')

Please give it up for gallopy nags A...
... and B

And here they are beside an up coming Saxon and one of the GB ponies to give you an idea of size.
I really want to post up some pictures of finished Saxons but if I start finishing packs to soon then M'Lord will send round the bruisers and want things released. So to save him from himself I'll keep them close to my chest for a while yet. The unfortunate by product of all this hype is that they are bound to disappoint when I finally show them off. Ah well, them's the breaks.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

The sound of silence.

2007-06-20T01:15:00.000+01:00

One hand clapping. A tree falling in the wood (but only if no-one is ther to hear it). Soapy's workshop.

All of these things are quiet. And for two minutes each day, silent.

I've finished off the wedding toppers and the happy couple are, well, happy with them (at least the groom is, the bride is being kept in the dark). The Saxons are coming along quite nicely thank you but as I am working on all seventy odd at once getting a finished pack to show you is some way off. As far as I am aware these chaps are going to be a splash release when they are all finished, apaprently to dramatic effect. I'm doing all of them tiny stage by tiny stage otherwise there would be packs finished here and there which I would be tempted, cajouled and finally bullied into sending to the Beasty Boys who would end up trickling them out in dribs and drabs. Not there fault really. Due to my eratic progress, caused by distraction by shiny things etc, the last few releases have been : chunk, chunk, dribble when the effect we want is CHUNK!

I'm sure you followed that...

All that being said it's final exams for the wife this week and so I'm keeping my head down and staying out of her way. It would seem that the sound of little bits of brass rod pingging off the walls as they escape from my clippers and my constant clicking and clacking of sculpting tools is driving her potty and preventing her from correctly assimilating the location and function of the facial nerves (among other things). Add to that the fact that I have finally managed to set up our home network and my frequent cheers as I manage to get my antique laptop to print out some inane message on the living room PC or discover another long forgotten techno gadget to install/connect or network has finally got to her as well. The fact that I can now wake up and go online without crawling out of bed appears not to impress her much and I'm sure that when she practices her clinical skills on me (no sniggering at the back) she hits me much harder than neccessary with that damn reflex hammer. Due to this understandable ( I am told) sense of humourn failure I am reduced to sneaking in a cheeky sculpt whenever shes out or, as now, in the wee small hours.

Apart from the saxons I'm back on the horses and do you know I think I've got it this time. No promises but I may even have something I'd be willing to admit to to show you soon.

So thats my working situation at the minute. Luckily I will be reducing my risk of piles if nothing else {Cheers Dave ;>) }

In other news I've been doing a lot of reading on the Falklands these last few weeks. Now I've always been 'into' the Falklands in a kind of fuzzy, general way. I even went so far as to sculpt a range of figures a few years back and with the 25th anniversary commemorations this last month or so I been drawn back to it.

The Falklands was the war I grew up with. I was seven when it happened and it was the first time I remember watching the news. I can't say I really knew what was going on and all the political stuff when well over my head but all the stuff with soldiers was, to my mind back then, really cool. There was always stuff on the telly about Afganistan and Iran-Iraq not to mention Northern Ireland but they seemed to have always been there and didn't capture my diddy kiddy brain like the Falklands did. I remember all the stuff with Hanrahan and 'counting them all out and counting them back in again' and being sad and angry when the guards were bombed. Names like Goose Green, Tumbledown, Wireless Ridge, Two Sister and Port Stanley were bunred onto my memory.

Most of all though I remember my dad. Back in those days he was in the TA. Not a proper soldier to lots of people but to me he was. I loved it when he came back from weekends, trecking across the green in front of our house, still in his combats and covered in cam-creme. So did all the other kids. I'd rush in and go rummagging through his Bergen to find his 24 hour ration packs and see if he'd saved me some sticky boiled sweets, bicuits AB or even better, AB-fruit. During the Falklands was the first time I saw my dad cry. Not in a girly way but in that proud, comradely way of a man who is sharing the pain of a coleague. I couldn't understand it really. We'd won and my dad was crying. For me, outside playing with my mates, when someone got shot they fell down (with all appropriate drama) counted to ten to give the others a chance to get away, and then get up and start shooting again. War was fun, soldiers were cool and my dad was crying.

I think I get it now.

The Falklands has also, I think, shaped the way I like to wargame. There were never any tanks about and I'm really not that into armour. There was lots of stuff with planes and boats but they were far away, shaky pictures. What you saw lots of was soldiers. Infantrymen, like my dad, marching miles and miles in the cold. Fighting for hours and liberating the islanders. It was an infantrymans war (for the most part), the only war I really acknowledged growing up and the way my mind has told me wars are fought ever since. Add to that that I could never grow up to be a tank or a plane but I could grow up to be an infantryman. I didn't obviously. I became a lazy bum who makes toy soldiers for a living and reads books about infantrymen. And sometimes regrets the things I didn't do...

So in this week of rememberance I'll set aside a few moments each day to think about the infantrymen and the job they did. Well done chaps, well done.

Soaps.

Largin'it!

2007-06-04T15:36:00.000+01:00

Wocha,

This week I will be finishing off a commission piece I'm doing for a friend. It's odd but the only private work I seem to get offered these days is completely unrelated to wargaming. It may have something to do with the Beasty boys general threat of leg breaking should anyone else try to hire me but that is pure conjecture...

Anyhow, a good chum of mine is getting wed this year and has asked me to do the figures for the top of the cake. Unconventional as they are the happy couple wanted to appear as they would on a normal day so the groom is to be in slacks and rugby shirt nursing a pint of beer whilst the bride is wearing field hockey goalie kit! I have had the project on the go for months now working on and off between other projects and this week I will be finishing it off so I thought I'd post up a few of the stage by stage shots I have been doing at various points.

Here is a shot of the early stages. I tend not to base these large scale figures on a wire armature preferring to use a plasticard silhouette. I bulk this out with putty as normal to give a basic body shape.

You can see the silhouette clearly on the bride and make out it's edges on the groom.

Here are the basic shapes now fully bulked out.

Now that the basic shapes are done I start adding the clothing and equipment over the top.

And this is where we are at the moment. By the end of the week they should be finished but I wont be posting any of the finished figures until I get a shot of them painted and on top of the cake!
This isn't the first large scale commission I have been given. I've done a few large scale historicals and fantasy style figures for local collectors but my favorite was a piece commissioned by the mother-in-law for my brother-in-law's birthday present. As it's the only one I can still get hold of I borrowed it back for a quick photo. So here he is:- Asterix the Gaul!

And to give you an idea of the size of these pieces:

And in other news.....

Obviously, the Saxons are on hold for the week, or at least until I finish the cake folk, but all of the dollies are now posed and most have their tunics on and I'm working through the laborious task of putting the putties and leg bindings on them. Once this tedious job is done I can move forward with finishing some full packs so there is something to show you.

I am having a curious yearning to do something with pirates. I have yet to explore this.

My tournament bug has now passed thanks to a proper spanking at the WPS club challenge. Let's talk of this no further.

I quite fancy doing a secret project of some kind but always end up blabbing. So I wont.

This weekend the wife and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary. Quite frankly neither of us thought anyone would remember but loads of people did, which was nice.

That's your lot. See ya.

Soaps.

Well, you asked for it...

2007-05-22T18:19:00.000+01:00

So here you go, a picture of a couple of the saxon dollies. Can you guess what it is yet?
That'll teach you to rush me! I promise there will be a more saxony picture as soon as it's ready.

While you wait please enjoy a picture of the illusive Lord S (he's missing presumed sozzled, you know) and Mr Martin Gibbins doing a bit of cha work at the recent Clildsplay Flames of War event.
Right, I'm off to build more dollies. 26 down, 50 to go. Oh yeah and 24 cavalry...oh god.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

Just a quickie...

2007-05-21T16:36:00.000+01:00

...as the actress said to the Bishop. (F'nar f'nar)

I've started work on the Saxons. They're just dollies so far but even so they look very sexy (if I do say so myself). Charging, attacking and command look lovely but 'the other pack', well, that's something else. Lets hope the putty pushing does the dollies justice...

Maybe I'll even put a piccie or two up a bit later. If you're good.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.