GRR Martin and a Patiently Waiting Fan

I was thinking hard on what to do for 'The Pit of the Pendulum' theme. This one Adam had developed, and I was stumped at first, but then the 'torture' aspect resonated with me and I had an idea. 

I remembered I had a series of models from Dark Sword Miniatures depicting characters from George RR Martin's 'Game of Thrones' books. My enthusiasm for the figures had soured over the years, matching my growing irritation in waiting for him to finish the series until I finally ignored both.  That is when the idea struck: The torture of a fan waiting for him to finish his work. Perfect.

I used to be a big fan of Martin's series until he transitioned from a writer to essentially a celebrity grifter. I don't want to get into the long story of GRR Martin's inability to deliver the goods, but I'll provide a brief synopsis to explain my entry.

I, along with many other readers, waited for years after Martin's third book ('Storm of Swords') for him to complete the series. Updates on his progress turned into excuses, excuses to obfuscation, and obfuscation to, well, pure fiction, I guess. 

To put this in perspective, his first book was published in 1996, with the following two being published over four years. Pretty good pace, right? But then it took him 11 years to write the next two books (really, it's 1 and a half books). It's now been another 10 years and his suckers for punishment fans are still waiting for the next book in the series. Yep, 25 years for 5 books. Martin says there will be at least two more to complete the series. Riiiight. Suuure there will. I hope his afterlife provides for a typewriter...

As a counterpoint, JRR Tolkien completed 'The Lord of the Rings' over a 13 year span (1937 to 1949) while also working full-time as a university lecturer (and throw in a world war for good measure). Proper work ethic there.

Anyway, as everyone knows, HBO bought the rights to Martin's work and just plowed along to complete the series. They ended up filling-in the yawning gaps (over 3 seasons) which Martin had yet to complete, knowing full well that they couldn't count on him to give them the goods. After this, he has the temerity to say that the HBO ending was not 'faithful' to his vision. Wow, and what vision would that be precisely?! Gee, let's see. Oh, a blank page! So you have no vision Mr. Martin - how shocking... What an egotistical, tone-deaf git. 

So every time I hear about GRR Martin's pathetic excuses for his delays in completing 'Game of Thrones' I just roll my eyes and wonder what new torture he's putting his fans through.

Dark Sword Miniatures did a special vanity vignette depicting Martin as (get this) a Maester writing on some scrolls. *eyeroll*

The irony was just too great, so this is why I've left the sheets of parchment on the table completely blank. It seems fitting.

Oh, and I also did up a cobblestone base with a new roller from Greenstuff World. Fun!

Modeling clay and rolling pin - it's like being in preschool...

...and these ones to still try out...

The gibbet is from Reaper and is a very nice little model (though I almost snapped my crayons getting the rope rigged through the guides and tying it off). My only real criticism is that the bars on the cage are a little too beefy, making it very difficult to see the figure inside. 

The 'fan' is a little ropey, but I like the overall pose. I popped the whole thing on a 60mm base and added some groundwork to blend it in (there's even three skulls tucked away in there Barks!).

Next up: Something for 'The Golem's Haunt'

Thanks for dropping in!

- Curt

From AnneO'L: 28mm Undead Warrior (5 points)

From Anne:

This winter has been a brutal one and my family and we have undergone a great deal of suffering throughout. The temperatures have been well below zero and we have no central heat in our home. When the temperature got down to 40 below zero, our pipes burst and we were without water for over 30 days. Further, my husband is a near invalid and caring for him with a fully function house is difficult at the best of times. As a consequence, it has been a trial for me to make the deadlines for the Themed Bonus Rounds, let alone get anything else done. Things are slowly returning to normal and I am beginning to clear the back log of figures from my painting table.

This is a 28mm figure from Reaper Miniatures and was sculpted by Bobbie Jackson.

I wanted to attempt two new things here. Undead skin and object source lighting from the sword. I'm pleased enough with the skin, but the OSL is dreadful. One of the mistakes I made is attempting this on a dark, saturated colour.

I still find capes to be very difficult. Finding the midpoint in the highlights and making my transitions smooth are still problematic.

I kept the basing very simple as this is intended to be a gaming piece.

Lovely work Anne. I think you did a wonderful job on this chap's marvellously ghoulish skin.His cloak is also quite well done, with appealingly moody transitions with the shadows (and it's nice to see brown used as a primary colour for a character figure). Source lighting is always a tricky effect and you're learning its nuances so there's no shame here at all. A very groovy figure.

This rather dour fellow with the operatic helmet will give Anne 5 points. Great stuff!

From JohnM: 20mm WWII British Engineers & Challenge Desperado (56 points)

From John:

These very nice 20 mm British engineers are from SHQ miniatures, I had understood that these 20 mm figures were smaller then most, but then fit in nicely with the rest of my 20 mm figures from PSC, AB, CPModels, TQD miniatures and Warmodelling (list gets longer and longer).

Some duplicates, but overall nice clean sculpts. Some mine sweepers, flamethrowers, dynamiters are all represented. 

I really like the guy with the dynamite. First attempt at camouflage in the helmets. I still have not decided if these are British or Canadian troops, so no shoulder flashes yet.

Each year, Curt requests that we send in a painted figure that fits with the theme of that year's challenge. He has successfully build up nice armies of skirmishers, I thought he was particularly clever last year to get us to all paint Samurai! This year it is Cowboys; well I have no cowboys, so last weekend when I was at the Hobby Bunker for my fortnightly game of Chain of Command I had a look around. And although I doubt this chappie is a Sam Peckinpah character, I thought he might be cowboy enough.

I believe this easily recognised figure from the Wild West is a Reaper Miniatures figure in their heroic 30mm range. Anyway I do not believe he will go astray in a game of Deadman's Hand.

A couple of years ago Curt was very kind and sent me something I was desperate to get my hands on, I wonder if he remembers. Anyway, a small portion of it is being sent back with this figure!

Great figures here John. I have quite a few SHQ myself and while sometimes fragile they have very good character and detail. Like you John, I quite like the engineer with the dynamite and the detonation cord. Great sculpt.

Also thanks very much for the Challenge Desperado. Great figure! I quite like his green hat, red whiskers and yellow buff leggings. And I must say that his Tentacle Pink scarf is to die for. ;)

These engineers and the dashing rifleman will give John 56 points. Well done and thanks again John!

From JeremyM: 28mm Crazy Cat Lady (15 points)

Jeremy sends in this wonderfully characterful crazy cat lady and her 'lovelies' for us to enjoy.

From Jeremy:

This week I decided to finish a model I had originally intended for the first fortnight challenge, non-combatants. 

Its the Reaper miniatures Cat Lady in 28mm. As with my evil librarian/archivist and book monsters I'm intending to use her and her feisty felines in strange aeons. 

I based them on black cat bases' urban bases, and also included a sprue of their urban rubbish, which includes some fast food packaging which I tried to add McDonalds logos to, some cigarette packets, a newspaper, and a coke can. I know McDonalds isn't exactly the same period that most strange aeons games are set in but couldn't resist trying some freehand.

This is awesome! I love her technicolor outfit, especially the rumpled lime green socks and the fuzzy slippers - brilliant.  We definitely have to dream up some stats for her for use in Strange Aeons, I'm thinking some sort of witch/shaman with extra abilities due to her feline familiars.

The Cat Lady with her pride of cats will will give Jeremy 15 points.  Well done!

From ClintB: Challenge Desperado, Bandito Straggler & Zombie Gunslingers (45 points)

From Clint:

First we have the Last Bandito from the Artizan pack (Bandito's II) that I managed to paint for the villains bonus round. He has been started but was not finished in time for that. Sometimes these things happen. But he will find a home in my Wild West collection and will no doubt get much action on the tabletop.

Then we have 4 Zombie Gunfighters by Foundry. Again these were started for the Villains round but did not get finished in time. Some Weird West zombie games are planned. There is just something so wrong with zombies with guns and yet I could not resist them.

Finally my entry fee to the Challenge. This figures was given to me By Anne O'Leary and is by Reaper Miniatures. I put a yellow stripe down his legs to give the impression that the trousers were from a Confederate Office. Who Knows he may once have been one or he may have gotten them from some less reputable source.

Wonderful work Clint! It's nice that the lone Bandito is rejoining his painted hombres and I love your zombie gunfighters (especially their super spooky eyes!). But my favourite by far is your Challenge Desperado. What better figure to come from you, Clint, than one whose pose virtually screams 'I'm an Eastwood character!'

These fellows of the Wild West fellows will give Clint 45 points. Again, very nice work and thank you!

From AnneO'L: Bombshell, Robot, Evil Warrior & Cyber-Ape (28 points)

Anne has sent in this wonderfully eclectic mix of figures for us to enjoy.

From Anne:

These pieces were all about getting a handle on painting weathered metals. I got into this hobby by following wargamers and no one can weather metal like those guys can.  It took me ages but I finally found a tutorial here that helped me work it out.

The female is a 28mm figure from Bombshell Babes and was sculpted by Patrick Keith and the Robot is from Stonehaven.

Normally one would not think of putting these two figures together, but last year I developed a fondness for Pulp and so it seemed natural for me to do so.  

I included a close up of the metals so that the weathering would be apparent.

The Evil Warrior is a 28mm BONES from Reaper and was sculpted by Bobbie Jackson. The kitten is actually the sidekick for the Bombshell Babe figure in the first set of figures.

I'm known for painting "girly" figures so I thought "Anne, it's time you painted something big, something fierce, something macho" so I settled on this big scary guy. He also had loads of metal for me to practise my weathering on.

After I'd got him done and looked at that pose I thought "He really should be attacking something, moving in for that final kill" 

So here I am with this masculine figure and I just can't leave well enough alone. So I let my true nature have it's way and decided to have him attacking the kitten. It made sense to me.

I knew I wanted to free hand a skull on that shield but I had a hard time coming up with something that would work with the curves at the top of the shield and the spikiness of the bottom. It took me three tries to come up with this modified skull.

This is a 40mm Reaper BONES figure and was sculpted by Jason Wiebe.

I had to fight my girly nature with this guy. My instinct was to paint up a petite female to base him with and call it "Beauty and The Beast", but I resisted that temptation and painted him up alone and based him in a simple manner.

Reaper really dropped the ball when they cast this figure. The face was in terrible shape and the mouth was an utter mess, making it difficult to bring out the personality of this figure. In my opinion what Reaper has done by miscasting figures from talented sculptors is an outrage. When a company destroys the work of sculptors like Patrick Keith, Bob Oily, Jason Wiebe, Bob Ridolfi and Sandra Garrity in order to turn a mass profit, that company is damaging our hobby and they should be ashamed of it.  Some of the BONES figures are great value for money, but if you're looking for quality, look elsewhere.

On the painting table right now is a Cowboy vignette of a Faro game gone awry along with a diorama made up of Foundry Orclings riding dinosaurs. 

This is a great collection of work Anne. I like the rusted metal on the Robot and the Kitten has an expression like it's hiding something that the Evil Warrior has not taken into account. I've not worked with any of the Reaper BONES stuff so I find it troubling that the casts are not living up to the hype. I hope this is something they will troubleshoot and resolve because, as you say, it would be a shame to mare the good work of these talented sculptors.

I'm not quite sure on all a the scales but I'll go out on a limb and assume the Cyper-Ape is a fairly large lad. This wonderfully motley assortment of figures will provide Anne with 28 points including a bit extra for the wry puddy tat and the nice bases.

From FranL: 28mm Fantasy & 15mm Modern (213 points)

From Francis:

28mm Reaper Bones 2 Golem and a present from Anne O'Leary.

Another 28mm Golem I believe from the same pack and outfit also from Anne, quiet big figures!

Foundry Minotaur from when we were at Blog-Con, I've included another picture (top of post) of a 28mm Harpy from Foundry to show the size of the beastie!

5 28mm Harpies also from our time at Blog-Con, no idea why I got them but I remember a scene from the movie "Waiting" and the angry bush!

Next are some 15mm Modern Somali Pirates or African Irregulars from Khurasan Miniatures.....

15mm Modern Us Army Vehicles and armour (10), 3 M1A2 Abrams on the back row, 3 Bradleys in the middle, and 4 Humvees (1 destroyed), they are a mixture of Khurasan, Zvedza and Peter Pig.

15mm Modern US Army Infantry Platoon from Khurasan Miniatures, 37 figures but I believe there should be 38 but I think the fecker is hiding among the US Marines.........

Nearly finished a modern British infantry platoon and have started the bloody bloggers for charity figures plus some 15mm viral zombies.........

Wow, great work Fran! Those golems are very cool, especially the stone one. 

This wide assortment of miniatures will give Francis 213 points, just 13 points shy of his 600 point target and winning the 600 Point Duel. Now, will one of the others pip him at the finish line?

From AnneO'L: 28mm Cowboys & Thief (17 points)

Anne submits her fist non-thematic entry with this brilliant cowboy vignette and an elf thief.

From Anne:

I began painting miniatures a little over a year and a half ago and for me, the greatest part of the Challenge is not the acquisition of points, rather it is to push myself as a painter by doing things I have never done before. 

These are 25mm figures from Knuckleduster and I had a grand time painting them.  They are smaller than the 28mm heroic figures I generally paint and have less detail. Therefor I had to adjust my technique somewhat to accommodate that. They required more contrast than I am used to using and they required the use of washes which is something I never use.  The main shortcoming on these figures is that I did not push the highlights high enough in several places. Hopefully, I will do a better job on the next batch of Knuckleduster figures I submit.

This is a 28mm heroic figure from Reaper Miniatures. It is a metal miniature and was sculpted by Bobby Jackson.  You may notice that the face is a different colour than the hands.  This is an elf thief and Bobby sculpted a highly stylized mask on the face. I chose to paint it in a dark greyscale to emphasize those pronounced features.  I painted the dagger a glowing green as I wanted to try doing Object Source Lighting. You can see this as the green glow that is transmitted from the dagger onto the side of the cloak. I was a bit heavy handed with the technique, which should be more subtle.  On the back of the cloak, I painted some freehand blue flames. While this looks fine on a table top, it is too sloppy for photography. I failed to highlight within the flames and I did not have enough distinction between layers. However, this was a first attempt and I learned something from it.

Wonderful stuff Anne! I always enjoy seeing your work as you have a very vibrant, high-contrast style. Your first attempt at source lighting is quite good, especially as it can be a tricky effect to pull off. As a suggestion, I find 'source lighting' usually works best when the figure is painted in muted 'shadow' tones in order to set up a better context for the chosen light source. I also really like the blue flames on the back of the thief's cloak. I find it reminiscent of  some of the psychedelic album covers of the 70s (as you can tell, I spent way too much time in my parents' basement listening to the hi-fi) - very cool.

These three figures will give Anne as base of 15 points but I'm adding a couple more for the vignette and paint effects. Great stuff Anne and I look forward to your coming entries!

From PaulJ: 28mm Troll

Paul enters his 'blue period' with this excellent troll for his son's Blood Bowl team.

From Paul:

To be honest I thought I would have been generating a lot more historical entries during this competition but the massed ranks of 28mm Brit Paras and their denison smocks is proving to be more confronting than I thought they would be!  So here a Troll player for Blood Bowl instead.

Its a plastic Reaper fig and to be honest it was a bit of a pain to prepare and the mold lines didn't come off completely which was a bit disappointing.

I'm also not convinced that the paint won't crack and fall off when the plastic of the figure flexes underneath either, but we'll see.

He is destined to see the pitch with my son's Underworld Team comprised of Skaven and Goblins. Whether or not he survives his first few matches remains to be seen...

Great work Paul! I am curious as well to see how these new plastic Reaper models hold up. They have some wonderful sculpts but I'm not too crazy on doing repaints.

This Blue-Meanie Troll will give Paul 7 points. Nice stuff!