King Arthur's Court in 90mm

There are no Connecticut Yankees in this king's court...

Here's the next installment in my Superior Models 90mm series (I kicked things off with Elfquest back in July). Pictured in the group shot above are 5 of the 6 personalities available - I am currently missing FA-32 Morgan le Fay. Please note that the names are spelled as per the Superior catalog designations, so bear with me in that regard.

King Arthur


Everything about this Ray Lamb sculpt smacks of royalty, from the dragon on his helm down to the spurs on his feet. Arthur is clad in head-to-toe chainmail, has Excalibur strapped to his left side, and carries a large shield (not pictured). The shield has a beautiful relief of the Virgin Mary (I think), but the previous owner of mine seems to have filed or routed off 95% of the image. Bummer. The detail on his tunic is quite nice, including the three crowns on his chest and the border at the bottom of the tunic.

Merlin


Merlin stands with his arms folded, owl perched on his shoulder, wearing robes and a pointy wizard's hat covered in mystic runes and symbols. He has a component pouch (?) on the right side of his belt, and a sheathed dagger to the left. I would call this sculpt the iconic Merlin, as opposed to Excalibur's Merlin.

Guinevere


This lovely lady is wearing a simple dress, crown, and cross around her neck. There is a lot of fine detail on her sleeves and chest. I imagine it would look awesome to paint this as sheer fabric, so I might need to practice that technique if I ever have a go at painting her so. The delicate belt should be a challenge as well.

Lancelot


Lancelot has something of a faraway look in his eyes - the sort of look that comes from being torn between loyalty and love, I suppose. He embodies the look of a knight of the court, wearing a mix of chain and plate. The devil is in the details, of course, from the unicorn and fleur-de-lis on his tunic to the ultra-fine detail on his scabbard. I'll need to hone my NMM skills to do his armor justice.

Mordrid


OK, yes, his helmet makes him look like the silly French knights from MP&THG. Other than that, I think Lamb captured the subtle sneer that one pictures etched on Mordrid/Mordred's face (including the man-child Mordred from Excalibur). I'm rather fond of the griffin/eagle on his chest, and like the fact he's armed with both a mace and a sword.

The four male miniatures all have flagstone bases, so it's not hard to imagine them in or around Camelot. All in all, they are five wonderfully sculpted miniatures, each one rich with detail yet the balance between simple and gaudy is spot on. Until next time, happy collecting!

Cutter & Leetah in 90mm

I must admit, I'm not an Elfquest fan by any stretch of the imagination. But as I pursue my collection of Superior Models minis, I find myself investigating some of the subjects that comprise both the 25mm and 90mm product lines. Elfquest, of course, is a long-running and well-regarded fantasy world, as are the creators, Wendy and Richard Pini.

For several years now, Elfquest collectors have thwarted my efforts to acquire this pair of beautiful Ron Spicer sculpts. I was finally able to snag this set because they were not labeled properly in the auction I won, which was great for me as I picked them up for a lot less than they typically sell for (usually in the $20-30+ range, if not higher).

After removing the old paint (not a bad job, just kind of old and glossy), the picture above shows Cutter and Leetah in all their 90mm glory. They top out at just under 3" tall (70mm), still on the short side compared to human-sized 90mm minis. I love the detail and expression captured by Spicer in these sculpts. For comparison, the 25mm Wizards & Lizards versions of Cutter and Leetah are just under 1" tall. I should post a side-by-side comparison picture. The minis are almost identical, save that the 25mm Cutter has a bow slung across his back.

I'll be posting more of Superior's 90mm Fantasy line in the future so you can enjoy Conan, John Carter, King Arthur, and Lord of the Rings personalities in 90mm.