The Courier Interviews Glenn Kidd - December 1980

Taken from Volume 1, No.4 of the Courier magazine. An interview with the then President of Ral Partha, Glenn Kidd. Quite amusing to look at it with the hindsight of 32 years later.....

Photo by Desmond

Courier - Tell me Glenn, what aspect of the hobby interests you the most?

Glenn - The comradeship of the hobby-most of the close friends I have now I've met through the hobby. I've developed many years of friendship with 20 or 30 different people I've met in the hobby .

Courier - What do you like least about the hobby?

Glenn - I dislike the people who take the hobby too seriously to the point of when they loose they get all upset. I dislike the petty bickering . I think as a hobby, it should be fun. I hate to see people "cry" and argue that this rule is not "real" or isn't " fair". I like to play wargames , I like to have a good time, I like to laugh . I don't like being very intense about it.

Courier - If there was anything you could change about the hobby, what would it be?

Glenn - Well , I think I would change the things I just  mentioned . I would try to make the people realize it was just fun. I'd try and make them realize that just because they lost a battle or a game the world isn't ending . They' re only cardboard counters or lead figures and it doesn't really matter.

Courier - Do you think Americans, Canadians or Europeans are the most serious about the hobby?

Glenn - I'm not qualified to answer that. If I were guessing I would say the English are the most serious about the hobby. I think the Americans are the most paranoid about the hobby.

Courier - How did you start your company Glenn?

Glenn - Well , four years ago, Tom Meier, myself and a fella by the name of Rich Smethurst got together, and put up a certain amount of money-we found it wasn 't enough so we got three other people to join us: Marc Rubin, Jack Hesselbrock and Chuck Crain. After we bought all our equipment, we found we had a very small amount of operating capital , so we ran the company out of my basement for a year and a half.

Courier - How high a price do you think wargamers will pay for a 25mm figure?

Glenn - Well , I think right now the price is about 50<): .With continuing inflation it 's going to go higher and higher, I think it's all wrong. In 1970 I paid about 20<): or a quarter a piece and that seemed a bit on the high side then but people are paying 50<): now. I have no doubt that the price will eventually go to 75<): or even a dollar and 75Q: or a dollar will only be worth 50<): then, so I think it's all relative .

Courier - Do you think the trend is turning towards using 15mm figures exclusively?

Glenn - Not exclusively . I think the trend will go more and more towards 15mm's because of the cost. But there are some miniatures games where you don' t need hundreds of figures and 25mm's are quite suitable . There are a lot of people who don't want to try to paint 15mm's who are very happy with 25mm' s. I think there ' ll be a place for a long time for 25mm' s.

Courier - What new historical lines will you be producing and when do you plan to release them?

Glenn - Well we' re doing a complete Renaissance line, that's armies of the 1500' s, right now. We' re planning on doing 100 different figures of that line. We've got a 25mm Napoleonic line that's on hold right now and we' ll be finishing that up within the next few months . It will consist of the armies that fought at Waterloo; the Prussians, the French, the British and the British allies . We' re considering doing a 15mm line next winter and we've haven 't decided as yet what it will be . It might be a 15mm Ancients line, it might be a 15mm Musket and Pike and it might be both . We' re just researching the matter now.

Courier - Would you ever consider doing a Napoleon-in-Egypt line?

Glenn - I don't think so. We might consider adding it on to the 15mm Napoleonic line we have have now, but it seems a bit obscure. I don' t think there' s a really big market for that .

Courier - What set of Historical rules has made the most impact on the hobby?

Glenn - Wargamers' Research Ancient Rules.

Courier - Why, because it's the most popular?

Glenn - It's the most popular and they were probably the first out that everybody accepted.

Courier - How popular in general do you think wargaming will become in the United States?

Glenn - It's becoming more and more accepted every day. I doubt it will ever be on the level of bowling, tennis or golf but I think it 's coming of age. Nineteen years ago it was very rare that you ever heard of anybody that gamed. Now you can read about it in newspapers, magazines , it 's more open. It's still rare but not so rare that you' ll never hear about it.

Courier - What do you think about women in wargaming?

Glenn - The same thing I think of women in anything. If they want to do it fine .

Courier - Do you think wargaming can ever be viewed as an art form?

Glenn - No .

Courier - Even when you consider all the creativity in figure painting?

Glenn - That's not wargaming. The painting of figures is definitely an art form . The game itself is just a game by definition and I don't think a game can ever be viewed as an art from .

Courier - Do you think the hobby has grown in the last few years?

Glenn - Oh it has grown enormously, probably in the neighborhood of 500 to 1,000% in the last few years .

Courier - What do you think was the most significant reason for this growth?

Glenn - Fantasy . The emergence of fantasy wargaming and role playing .

Courier - Then obviously you don't think fantasy is just a fad that will die out .

Glenn - No. It's too open ended . Fantasy is wherever your imagination will take you . It might cool off but I don 't think it's a fad . It seems like it 's growing in geometric proportions and I don' t know how long it will keep up . I think fantasy is here to stay .

Courier - Thank you Glenn, I appreciate your comments

May 1980 The Courier (Magazine) interviews Duke Seigried

Duke Seifried founded Custom Cast in 1974 and started releasing their 'Fantastiques' fantasy range. In 1977 Custom Cast merged with Heritage Models creating Heritage Models Inc. This interview is taken from the pages of Courier Magazine Volume 1 No.6 for May 1980.....


THE COURIER INTERVIEWS-DUKE SEIFRIED

by GLORIA MICELI

Courier: What aspect of the hobby interests you the most?

Duke: Well, I must confess that the concept of adventure gaming is what intrigues me the most. Adventure gaming is of course " role-playing " , you lead your little band of adventurers on a quest', command an army in a mighty battle and encounter the forces of nature , aliens or enemies. You make decisions that change the course of history! Adventure gaming with  miniatures is like putting the player into a movie. The concept of adventure gaming includes what we typically describe as wargaming; it involves role-playing and the latest thing that we've come up with, which we try to describe as 'obligation' 'national duty' and such personal interests and desires as greed, etc., are all those good things that make a "soap opera" drama involving.

Courier: What do you like least about the hobby?

Duke: For me personally, long hours, sixty-thousand miles of travel across this great country and while I really enjoy working with people, I'd like to have a Iittle personal Iife now and then .

Courier: How long have you been involved in wargaming?

Duke: Thirty-five years. May we call it adventure gaming?

Courier: How did you first become interested in the hobby?

Duke: Many years ago, obviously, since I'm in my (ahem) middle to late forties; I had an               opportunity to acquire some of the molds made for the semi-round figurines of the thirties. My father was a 54mm collector and dioramist. He put the goodly stuff in a big black (locked) box and I had to learn to pick the lock to get at it. I guess I have always had an interest in history, games theory and the pagentry or miniatures.

Courier: Do you think the days of the 25mm figure are limited and that we will eventually go to either 15mm or 20mm exclusively?

Duke: Well, I’ll describe it in this way: Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Medieval games plus other developing adventure type games will be in 25mm for some time to come because of the personality detail of the figurine and because of the handle-ability of that particular size piece. However, I personally believe historical games will be going to 15mm as you can probably see reflected by what we' re doing currently with our lines of figurines.

Courier: Speaking of your lines, are you planning any new historical lines in the near future?

Duke: At the present time , the historical era is obviously secondary in sales to Fantasy and Science Fiction. At this point we have only a few more Historical lines in mind. Our greatest emphasis must be on that area where the general public's interest lies.

Courier: Do you think Fantasy is just a flash-in-the-pan and will die out?

Duke: Absolutely not, ma'am. Fantasy is the kingpin! It's the area that draws the young people and that is the secret to this hobby! You see, it's like an iceberg with only the tip on the surface. Those young people develop their interest and become our buyers. We're selling primarily to a young market. The demographics are as follows: Primary market is between 14 to 30 years old ; secondary market 10 - 14 with the tertiary market 30 years and older (a very small area) . The 10 - 30 age bracket being male 75% and female about 25 %, whereas the 30-year-olds and over are strictly male.

Courier: What set of rules has made the most impact on the hobby?

Duke: That is a very loaded question, because you see there have been a number of 'milestone' rules sets. I think the Napoleonic period has been the keystone builder of rules in America and if I were to describe them in a kind of chronological order, I would say that Melee, Frappe, Napoleonique, Le Guerre and Empire have been the rules sets that have had the most effect upon gaming in this country. Column, Line & Square was an extraction of Melee. Courier How popular do you think wargaming or as you call it adventure gaming will become in this country?

Duke: The penetration of the most popular hobby-sport, bowling is 20%. I believe that it is feasibly possible through the medium of adventure gaming; not just "wargaming" or just role-playing or anyone area by itself; but the total combination which is ADVENTURE GAMING to achieve a 10 to 12% penetration .

Courier: How do you explain this to people who are not familiar with the hobby?

Duke: Well, as you are well aware, "Uncle Duke" puts on shows and I have a well established pattern that's somewhat like selling a "veg-a-matic". Really, I explain what it is and how it works . Let me describe it simply this way. We must attract the imagination of the individual, we must reach him or her from the standpoint of: " How can I get involved in this?" Every person has a "hot button". Consequently, what we must do is to reach the button that rings the bell for them .

Courier: Thank you, Duke.