Art of War T-Shirts

I don't often endorse products on this blog but I've had my arm twisted (in a good way) and felt it was high time I mentioned Art of War Shirts. I've been buying shirts from Art of War for a while now, regularly picking up one or two every time I visit a show, and it suddenly dawned on me that the majority of my current t-shirt collection are from this company. I bought another two shirts on Monday when I visited Military Odyssey, including the new and rather amazing Rorke’s Drift design.

The shirts come in a wide range of sizes suitable for the smallest to the largest of wargamers. Crucially they are made in 100% pre-shrunk cotton so they retain their shape even after several washes. And for a 'large' fella like me I like the fact these are longer than most T-shirts. Typical shirts are too short and leave the belly peaking out the bottom edge (most definitely not a good look!).

 

Like I said I don't often endorse a product but over the years I have got through a LOT of T-Shirts and I usually struggle to find designs I like in my size and when I do the quality often doesn't match the price tag. I'm glad to say that thus far I haven't been disappointed by any of the T's I have from Art of War Shirts and given the quality I think they are very reasonably priced indeed. Take a gander at their online shop and if you like what you see Like their facebook page to keep up to date with all the latest news and releases. 

New Series : Wartime Posters

A while back my good friend and fellow blogger Derek gave me an excellent book of Wartime posters form the Imperial War Museum. Fit Men Wanted includes 64 full page reproduction posters along with some details on the back of each. These are fantastic early examples of what would now be called 'public information announcements' although today we would recognise them as outright propaganda. I have lots of these type of posters, both in books and as real and reproduction examples in the Newlyn Collection. So I thought I'd share some examples here on BLMA as part of an occasional series. I have used some of these scans, shrunk down and printed to an appropriate scale, on models of wartime buildings.

The first one is a picture I featured here way back in 2009. I have since bought a reproduction copy of this poster (although it is available in the Public Domain) because for me its one of the best examples of allied propaganda. As well as conveying an important message to workers it also ridicules and belittles the enemy at the same time. This one was designed by an unknown artist for the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors Corporation and no doubt gave munitions workers a few laughs. 

Happy 4th July

Wishing all of my American readers a very Happy 4th of July!

Ronald Reagan Riding a Velociraptor 
(by *SharpWriter on deviantART)

I'm not a Reagan/Republican fan myself but then I'm a Brit and maybe I just don't 'get' his appeal. But what the hell! It has a machine gun wielding US president riding a dinosaur, which makes this picture disturbing and fricking awesome in equal measure !!! 

Revisiting Warhammer Fantasy Battles

I try to keep all the main rulebooks I buy, even after I stop playing a particular rule set. I don't keep the supplements and additional rulebooks but I do like to keep the original core rulebooks. This is the case with Warhammer Fantasy Battles. I played this when I was still a student (back when my mates and I still had time/money on our side) and kept the book long after we moved on to other games.

My copy of the rulebook was bought for me by my future wife for Christmas 1989 (that's what the inscription says inside the cover). I knew I was onto a winner with this girl because she bought presents I actually wanted for Christmas - as opposed to cloths that didn't fit or were so ugly they frightened small children and animals. Twenty Two years later and she's still buying me toys so I guess I'm pretty lucky.

As far as I know I have only one picture from those early days of wargaming and now I look back and curse myself for not taking more photos. This picture shows a clash between my Undead Army and a Dwarven Army. We used green carpet tiles as our game surface, and played on the floor because we didn't have a big enough table. There's a distinct lack of terrain being used and what little I can see seems to be around the edges for some strange reason. Looking back on these games I don't feel so bad about the standard and amount of terrain I'm using today.

Scanning through the rulebook I found myself immersed in the artwork once again. Much of its not quite up to the standard and presentation of rulebooks today but even so it's evocative and exciting and I can easily understand why we were all hooked on these rules for years. Sadly we moved away from WHFB. One of the reasons was the lack of space and the fact that none of us could paint fast enough to field a whole army. So we eventually moved on to Warhammer 40K Epic and 6mm wargaming. The terrain got better, a greater percentage of our forces were painted and we were able to move the game off the floor and onto a table. Heady days indeed!

Even Epic eventually got left behind. Finding the time and the money to field large armies proved too much and as a group we moved on to other games before going full circle and restarted playing D&D, the game that made gamers of us all. Now of course I have resumed wargaming, collecting and painting my Flames of War forces and playing other rules systems and scales with Posties Rejects. Maybe I can get the Dagenham Dungeon Delvers back into wargaming as well. Only this time I'll be supplying all the painted miniatures, the terrain will be much much better and we won't be playing on the floor like a bunch of middle aged Rugrats!

Blackfriars Webcomic

I've written about my enjoyment of Webcomics several times on this blog. I've never been a big reader of the traditional printed version (except as a kid) but I have enjoyed following several on the Internet over the years. Now Dave Stokes of the Dagenham Dungeon Delvers has started his own Webcomic called Blackfriars. The first two pages of a prologue story are now available to view and so far I think its looking pretty good indeed.

Here's the lowdown in Dave's own words. "It’s a contemporary fantasy story set in present day London about three unlikely heroes, an ancient threat from Britain's mythic past, Magick as a secret resource of the British Government, all converging on a long-lost gateway to the Fey realm situated in the tunnels of the London Underground beneath St. Paul’s Cathedral... As if rush hour wasn’t bad enough."

Dave did a lot of research before starting on this project and this clearly shows in his work. At last years British International Comic Show he was able to pick the brains of professionals like 2000AD artist PJ Holden. His advice helped convince him to get started on his own comic. Dave claims to be no good at drawing architecture, but I think you'll agree these first few pages are excellent.

You can see more of Dave's amazing artwork on his other site, Dave Stokes Sketch Blog.

No coal in my stocking

I must have been a good boy this year because I got a lot of nice new toys for Christmas. I also have my Christmas List handy to buy anything that I didn't get.

I got a new Camera Bag and Tripod, both of which are sorely needed. The Tripod in particular as my old one broke a few months ago and I used it primarily for photographing miniatures at home. I don't as a rule take tripods with me to conventions or living history displays, partly because I hate lugging the weight around and partly because a tripod just gets in the way of other people. I much prefer a Mono pod for show photography.

Another much awaited present is the new Kevin Dallimore Master Class book. I like his style of painting and his previous book (and articles on the Foundry website) have lots of useful tips and suggestions. I picked this book up at SELWG back in October for my wife. The lovely woman had given me express instructions to buy something for myself for Christmas, and who was I to argue?!

My daughter bought me a porcelain mixing pallet which is something I've been looking to buy for a while now. I can buy cheap plastic ones for a few pounds but they are horrible to clean, especially when scratched. The porcelain pallet should be a lot easier to wipe clean and wash, saving a lot of time and swearing!



I also received the usual clutch of DVDs but amongst them was a surprise from my in-laws that played to my weakness for Tanks. A 6 DVD set of programmes looking at the Tank Battles of WWII. That's five hours of programming to keep me quiet and keep me happy. 

Now all that remains is for me to mop up and buy some of the items missing from my list. I've already put in an order for a couple of books on Amazon (must get in before the VAT increases on January 4th!) and I'm hunting around the Internet for a bargain or two in the sales. Its a bumper Christmas for me.

The Amazing Mr Stokes

Harwood Hobbies have just realsed a new range of miniatures for their Sinbad Fantasy range... and my mate and fellow member of the Dagenham Dungeon Delvers did the concept art for some of the figures. I have featured the artwork of Dave Stokes here several times and it was one such article that linked Harwood Miniatures up with the talented Mr Stokes.

This is one of my favorites, Zokoura the Sorceror. Sculpted by Sebastian Archer and painted by Adam Skinner it is 32/33mm and cast in metal. I'm currently working on a version of this myself but I keep getting sidetracked. Rest assured I will eventually post some pictures!

I really like this range (I know, I'm biased) and especially its 'utility'. Many of the figures would be just at home as character models for a D&D game or in a skirmish wargame. They are also very dynamic in their poses, outfits and general design and as such are an enjoyable challenge to paint.

Big Picture : Dorkmaster

One of the things I love about attending conventions is the people you meet. In 2004 I was lucky enough to chat with one of my favourite webcomic artics, John Kovalic of Dorktower fame.

As well as being a very talented artist he was also a very funny guy to chat to... and he drew me a personalised cartoon in one of his books I'd bought. I'm proud to call myself a member of his Army of Dorkness. 

Mi-go dreams

My youngest daughter drew me some pictures yesterday. Most were the usual sort of thing you would expect from a 5 year old; pictures of the family standing outside the house; images of flowers and animals; a nice seaside picture... and then there was this.

Its a great drawing with lots of colour and a big helping of imagination. But is anyone else a little freaked out by the passing resemblance to a Mi-Go from the Cthulhu Mythos? I may be stretching the resemblance a bit but that was the first thing I thought of when I pulled this picture out of the pile. It sent a palpable shiver down my spine. Maybe I'm reading too much H.P.Lovecraft at the moment...

Talking of which I recently read an article that suggests that James Cameron is set to collaborate on a movie version of At the Mountains of Madness. Apparently Guollermo del Toro is teaming up with the Aliens and Abyss director to make what will arguable be a very challenging film adaption. Whatever you think of their previous work (and I'm thinking of Titanic Mr Cameron...shudder) its good to see Lovecraft's work given such a high profile.

Game Sketch

I've mentioned before that my gaming group (the Dagenham Dungeon Delvers) are a multi-talented lot. The group artist, Dave Stokes has had some artwork featured here before and here's his latest doodle.
He knocked this character sketch up while we played. Its my PC, the Dragonborn Warlord. Uthek Van'tar. Uthek didn't have a good evening, spending a large part of it unconscious and bleeding on the ground while the battle raged around him. Damn Zombies!

RIP Frank Frazetta

The Los Angeles Times announced today that Frank Frazetta has died at the age of 82. Frazetta was a prolific artist who started out working on comics like The Shining Knight and Ghost Rider. However it is his later work on the Conan paperbacks of the 60's that made him famous amongst fans of the fantasy genre and later still amongst players of games like D&D.

Frazetta once claimed that he never read any of the Conan stories, yet somehow he perfectly captured the essence of the rugged barbarian from the north. His covers have become synonymous with Robert Howard's greatest character and the two will forever be inextricably linked in the minds of many readers.

Bill Mauldin - Wartime Cartoonist

I've just discovered for myself the work of Bill Mauldin. Mauldin served with the US 45th Infantry Division and saw action in Sicily and throughout the Italian Campaign. His cartoons - and in particular his characters Willie & Joe - first appeared in the units newspaper and later in Stars & Stripes.

"Able Fox Five to Able Fox. I got a target but ya gotta be patient."

Mauldin's cartoons often irritated his senior commanders, including General Pattern who accused him of "spreading dissent". But his work was universally popular amongst the fighting men of the US army and after the war his work was recognised with a Pulitzer Prize.

What I like about the Willie & Joe cartoons is the gritty realism that shows through the often black humour. Mauldin was a combat soldier himself - he was awarded a Purple Heart for wounds received at Anzio - and his experiences show clearly in his work.

Art Sale

My good friend and talented artist Dave Stokes is selling some of his original artwork on Ebay. He is starting with two items of comic art and depending on response has several other items available for sale at a later date. The first two items for sale are:

X-Men Mystique Ink Sketch
Original artwork of on and off X-Man, Mystique. This is an A4 size (210 × 297mm) in waterproof India ink drawn on Bristol board with pen and ink. It is signed.

Nightcrawler Ink Sketch
Original artwork of X-Men fan favourite Nightcrawler. This is an A4 size (210 × 297mm) in waterproof India ink drawn on Bristol board with pen and ink. It is signed.

Dredded Workload

A busy work day equals a picture cop-out instead of a proper post... Here's a little Dredd to fill your day. I'm not a dedicated comic collector by any stretch of the imagination but I did like 2000 AD when I was a kid, and Judge Dredd was one of my favourite characters along with Rogue Trooper.
I remember enjoying the stories a lot but it was the artwork that really caught my imagination.

Naughty or Nice

My good friend Dave Stokes sent me a special Christmas Card. He also posted it on his blog and I thought It would be appropriate to re post it here. He clearly has too much time on his hands, the Naughty boy.

Scary Pictures

This is 'The Croglin Vampire' painted by Les Edwards and its probably one of the scariest vampire pictures I have ever seen. I was first acquainted with this picture from the pages of the Call of Cthulhu RPG (2nd edition I think) and it gave me the creeps just as much back then as it does now. Like many great pieces of art there is a story behind this work.

The Vampire of Croglin Grange is one of the best known vampire stories in England and first appeared in print in a book by Augustus Hare in 1896. The story goes that just after the English Civil War (about 1650 ish) the Grange was let to 2 brothers and a sister (the Cranswells) and at first they loved their new home. However during the hot summer the sister took to sleeping with her shuttered window open, whereupon she was attacked and bitten by the Vampire. Her screams roused her brothers who chased the apparition away.

The next summer the incident was repeated and this time one of the brothers shot the creature in the leg and then tracked it back to a crypt in a nearby churchyard. Upon investigation a single undisturbed coffin was found to contain a corpse with a fresh bullet wound to the leg! The body was duly buried and the incident never repeated.

The story bears an uncanny resemblance to the first chapter of Varney the Vampyre the popular story by Montague Summers and originally published in 1847. Its possible that Hare 'borrowed' the story from the earlier work by Summers but as is the way with these things the story of the Croglin vampire has become woven into local myth and folklore. Either way it makes a good story and proved the inspiration for one of Les Edwards scariest paintings.

Wanna borrow an Axe?

My good friend, Dave (member of the now infamous Dagenham Dungeon Delvers) has just updated his blog with an excellent sketch of a Dwarven Slayer. I'll be getting my Axe down from the wall and lobbing it over to him as soon as I get home....

Pop over and check out his work, I'm not exaggerating when I say it's excellent.

Dave Stokes Sketchbook

Time for me to shamelessly plug the Blog of a good friend of mine, and fellow member of the Dagenham Dungeon Delvers, Dave Stokes. He describes himself as a "starving artist" which is probably true... 18hrs straight at World of Warcraft will do that. Dave recently published his first book, Digital Divas to much acclaim. His work is simply awesome and featuring a showcase of his art here at BigLee's Miniature Adventures is long overdue.

Here's a WoW Dwarven Priest that Dave did for a friend back in June 2008.

This is an Eladrin Swordmage that I suspect is based on Dave's 4e character, Cealathalas.

This is a Wardancer and another favorite picture of mine.

Like many artists Dave is his harshest critic and he wasn't very complimentary about this picture of a Sorceress. However, for my money, this is one of his best fantasy pictures.

Anyway I hope you liked this little taster of Dave's work and please pop over to his blog to check out his other creations. You won't be disappointed.

Digital Divas

Fellow blogger and good friend Dave Stokes has produced a book of his artwork. I had the privilege of getting a sneak peek and I do not exaggerate when I say this is very, VERY impressive stuff. I don't have full details of how to purchase it yet but when I get a link I will post it here.
Dave's artwork is made of awesome and this book includes some of his best work. You can see some of his other pictures at his blog http://stokesbook.blogspot.com/

Edit: You can now Purchase a Copy of his book at the Blurb Bookstore. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Inspiration from Frank Frazetta

Most of the miniatures I paint are fantasy rather than historical or sci-fi in theme. One of my favorite painters in this genre, and therefore one of my biggest influences when thinking about colour schemes, is Frank Frazetta. Born in 1928 in Brooklyn, New York City his artistic skills were recognised at an early age. At 16 he was earning a living drawing for various comic books and his career included album covers, movie poster and most significantly (for me) covers to the the sword-and-sorcery Conan collection of stories by Robert E. Howard.
It was covers like the one above that drew me into the world of fantasy and adventure. And from there it was a small step into D&D and Miniatures painting. The work of Frank Frazetta continues to inspire my imagination and I often turn to my old Conan covers when thinking about paint schemes. So who inspires you when you pick up a brush?