Then Wayne and I had reconnected, and I had helped get some of his shirts here for Oldhammer USA, and art prints that he sent based on his new gobbo artwork. He was talking about getting them made into miniatures (Earl and the gobbos would have been incredible!). He was kind enough to send me some original artwork, and I was thinking of taking the new minis, painting them up and making a cool triptych with two pieces of art and a box with glass for the extra unit.
When we all heard the news that Wayne had passed, I wanted to do a tribute unit, painted like his WD 135 unit. I thought that could take place of the Earl minis that I had planned to use. He had confided in me that he had sold that unit off to someone at the studio (or at GW I believe, and I don't think he remembered who), and regretted it. When the Old World Army Challenge came up, it was perfect because after a year, thanks to Brian Kirkell, I had finally assembled the entire unit.