Unreleased TSR Female Fighter by David C. Sutherland III

In my previous post, I was able to share pictures of an unreleased TSR Draconian, sculpted by David C. Sutherland III. This time around I have pictures of another unreleased TSR miniature, a female fighter also sculpted by Mr. Sutherland. One of these little beauties recently sold for $380 on eBay. The one shown below is not that particular mini, but it was also obtained from The Collector's Trove.

The eBay listing for the female fighter claims that only two dozen copies of this miniature were cast. I don't know where that information originated from, but it seems reasonable for a test casting. The listing also suggests it could be an elf female fighter, but I don't see any pointy ears.

Huge thanks once again to my fellow Acaeum collector Brian Beholder for providing these pictures. It is my personal belief that collectors need to catalog and share their treasures, if for no other reason than to ensure that these miniature labors of love aren't lost and their origins forgotten.

Unreleased TSR Draconian by David C. Sutherland III

In December's Lead Market Report, I noted the sale of an unreleased Draconian, sculpted for TSR by David C. Sutherland III. This particular mini sold for $305, way too rich for me but I'm sure it made the new owner very happy. Recently, a fellow collector on the Acaeum forums disclosed he too acquired a Draconian from The Collector's Trove (who auctioned off the aforementioned $305 mini).

My fellow Acaeumite (Brian Beholder) was kind enough to share some nice close-up pics of the Draconian, so I am happy to be able to share BB's pics with you folks. There wasn't much background info other than the eBay listing claims it bears a TSR 1984 hallmark, same as my unreleased Sutherland ogre. To me, it seems likely these unreleased Sutherland minis (Draconian, female fighter, and ogre) were all sculpted around the same time, and were likely test castings, possibly to try out new alloys. Enjoy the pictures!

David Sutherland's DragonTooth Saurians

It has never been a collecting goal of mine to acquire miniatures painted by other artists. I always figured I would paint minis for myself and for my group, and that was that. And then two years ago, that all changed when I received Asmodai, painted by Ron Saikowski. Having a mini in my collection with a story behind it and a paper trail (or at least electronic trail) makes it interesting, if only to me.

I still wouldn't say that I am actively seeking miniatures painted by others. However, if the right opportunity comes along, I am always willing to consider it. Such is the case with today's feature:

Lean mean fighting machines.

Old-school leadheads will recognize these DragonTooth Saurians (SMC1 Saurian Mounted Champion on Giant Lizard) despite the fact they have been been partially to heavily modified. What's even cooler is that they are products of the skill and imagination of legendary fantasy artist David C. Sutherland III. And it's possible that at least one of this trio is modeled after a rather famous illustration from the Holmes Blue Book seen here:

Colored by yours truly back in the day.

Art imitating art.

It is also possible that the picture was based on the miniature, but I don't know how we could verify that unless someone who knew David was able to chime in. The single horn is unique to the mini, and the rider is sitting in a more upright position. But the polearm and quiver of javelins (complete with skull) are clearly depicted in both print and on lead.

At first glance, they appear to be nicely-painted minis. Upon closer inspection, though, the attention to detail and skill becomes apparent. Each rider carries a unique polearm. Each lizard has a horn or horns sprouting from their heads. Skulls dangle from the horns. The riders hold hand-made reins. Various weapons are slung on the riders and/or their mounts. And there's even some bling in the form of tiny gems here and there. David used drafting pens to accentuate scales to varying degrees on the lizards, as well as on the shields and other bits. You can also see the letter S scribed on a few bits. Is that S for Sutherland, or S for Saurian? I'll go with Sutherland.

It gives me great joy to have these three miniature works of art as the centerpiece(s) of my collection. I hope that David's family would approve that they have passed from one collector to another, and that they will continue to be treasured and cared for.

Do You Recognize This Ogre?

This ogre (if he is indeed an ogre) appears to be an unreleased TSR miniature, most likely sculpted by David C. Sutherland III. It was acquired from a collector who knew and lived near David around 1997, when David lived in Poulsbo, WA and was seeking employment with Wizards of The Coast after they bought TSR. What I'm trying to find out is ANY information with regards to this particular miniature. If you or anyone you know can shed any light on this brute, I would be much obliged.

Was it in fact sculpted by DCS III? If not, then who?

Is it an ogre? If not, then what?

Where was it cast?

Was it intended as a test, an employee-only gift, or for future release?

What line (if any) was it intended for? D&D, AD&D, Dragonlance, Empire of the Petal Throne, etc?

The specs for this miniature are as follows:

Height (top of base to eyes): 1 and 1/2" (38mm)
Height (bottom of base to top of helmet): 1 and 7/8" (47mm)
Height (bottom of base to tip of axe): 2 and 5/8" (66mm)

Weight: 2 ounces (56 grams)

The hallmark on the bottom of the base is clearly stamped/inscribed  © 1984 TSR, Inc.

 Shield front.

Shield back.

The shield is 7/8" high and  5/8" across. There is a peg on the shield arm, but no mounting hole on the back of the shield.

This particular ogre holds a two-bladed axe. The other two variants I have seen hold a single-bladed axe and what looks like a hand axe.

 Posed with the DCS III ogre mage and a DragonTooth innkeeper.

Ogre and innkeeper.

In the pictures, it is shown as I acquired it: mounted on a thin cardboard base and primed. I soaked the base in Simple Green to remove the cardboard and reveal the bottom of the base. The axe is glued/epoxied into the hand. It has now been stripped of primer. Hopefully someone will be able to fill in the blanks for me. Otherwise I guess I need to call in Scooby-Doo and his friends.

Rare & Unreleased Ogre Mage by David C. Sutherland

In the circle of miniatures collecting, the word 'rare' is perhaps one of the most used and abused adjectives that I can think of. Just scour the minis listings on eBay and you'll see what I mean - there are plenty of sellers who tag just about every single model they sell as 'OMG RARE' even when what they are peddling is anything but (this is something that I too am guilty of from time to time, just so all the pots are properly calling all the kettles black).

So a couple of weeks ago, this thread was posted over on the Acaeum.com that showed a painted ogre mage miniature that had been sculpted by David C. Sutherland III, one of the most famous artists from the early days of D&D and AD&D. As a raving miniatures geek, I was of course captivated by it.

The very notion that this miniature was sculpted and cast, but not released to the general public, is the kind of thing that causes some lead junkies to twitch uncontrollably. I'm not sure if this is a multi-part casting or not, but I have been informed by the owner that it does have at least one hallmark on the base: DCS 93. And if it actually was limited to around 100 or so castings, possibly even less, then it really is a miniature worthy of the 'rare,' 'super rare,' or 'ultra-rare' tag.

As if the miniature alone wasn't cool enough, the outstanding diorama seen in the photos was created and wonderfully painted by Angela Imrie, known as SaxonAngel on the Coolminiornot.com site. I've never been ashamed of my own modest painting talents, but artists like SaxonAngel really know how to create a true miniature masterpiece.

Thanks to fellow Acaeum.com members mdr003 for providing additional info on his treasure, and to Blackmoor for starting the thread and posting the pictures.