McEwan Miniatures, Starguard, Stan Johansen and the Baralizar!

 

 I got my first McEwan miniatures back in the later 70's when Games Workshop imported them... they were very much 25mm and proper scale as opposed to the exaggerated sculpts we were becoming used to. He had a great mix of minis and they have stood the test of time as still available once again today! Stan Johansen had a massive range of varied subjects including the original Space Marines... GW anyone? Rich Brown has set himself the awesome task of getting a lot of old ranges some new life. He is also stocking those pesky rabbits, the Baralizar, from my own Little Soldier Company and incorporating them into the Star Armor rules... He is currently building up the following lines; McEwan Minis, Fictioneers (including the 'not John Carter' Sitan Giants), Star Armor and WWII Allies & Axis. He has a plethora of other items up as well so go visit him...

https://rrb-minis-more.square.site/

Whilst Rich is getting everything set up and running, there are always the Lost Minis WIKI pages to peek at. 

http://www.miniatures-workshop.com/lostminiswiki/index.php?title=Stan_Johansen_Miniatures

http://www.miniatures-workshop.com/lostminiswiki/index.php?title=McEwan_Miniatures

The few pics below are c/o Rich and used with his permission. Only a small selection, the first being the category listing from the website.

And a favourite of mine...

Not forgetting the Baralizar... it's great to have them more easily available overseas with the crazy postage prices we have these days for sending from the UK.

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McEwan miniatures have returned...........

John McEwan has finally given in to popular demand and re-released his old role playing miniatures. These are gems that I picked up via Games Workshop mail order back in the 70s. I couldn't afford many but still have a wonderful dungeon double doorway that was, until recently, available from Alternative Armies. The sculpts are true 25mm so not too compatible with modern minis however you owe it to yourself to pick at least a few up! The images below are off John's site and remain his copyright, only borrowed here to push this old school loveliness!

http://tin-soldier.com/

  

A pic of my AS-26 Gates of the Dungeon; Minifigs and Citadel parts added to the base.

A pic off Lost Minis of the unpainted parts.....courtesy of a good hobby friend Vincent.

I am looking forward to ordering a bunch of his old Acheron Legion minis....shades of Robert E.Howard of course. I do have a few of these, some of which are pictured below...

More pics here on the Lost Minis WIKI.

enquiries@deartonyblair.co.uk

Short post.... Asgard Miniatures X2 - 3 Armed Robot.........

Can't remember where I scanned this advert from but McEwan miniatures imported Asgard into the States back in the day.....haven't seen this mini advertised in the UK before......my example is pictured on an earlier post....(minus the top piece) here. Somewhere I have some more but they are well hidden so I have no idea if I have all of the top bit......grrrrrrrr. Apparently this is a conversion of a Cyborg sculpted by Stan Pochron who came over from the States working with Bryan Ansell all those years ago. More info if I find any!

Edit; just been through my files and it was from September 1978. Jeez, I was approaching my 17th birthday.....

As always; enquiries@deartonyblair.co.uk

Little Wars Magazine Ads and other bits.....

I am now missing just 2 Little Wars Magazines - Volumes 1 and 2, number 3. Please email me if you have them spare or know anyone who does! These are all from the late 70s.

An interesting ripping apart of the UK micro scale armour scene by then managing editor Mr T.J Kask.......unfortunately I agree with the comments! Contacting companies in those days was an interesting feat of endurance......

Pics under the ads of the very few I have of my own.

Never seen any of these in the flesh and am not sure who the designer was.....possibly George Freeman but I could be a long way off.

Most of these ancients, if not all, are now available again from Iron Wind Metals .....standing the test of time after 35 years.

 Classic Jack Scruby ad....

  

I didn't even know John McEwan had done cowboys!

I picked up these old minis a while back. Firedraek Exotic Miniatures, manufactured by Classic Miniatures of Nevada. I did see a small review ad in an old issue of Fantasy Modelling in the 80s but have no other information about the line at all. Help!

ELD-1 Jharud Nir Centaur

ELD-2 Gurathi Minotaur

....and joy of joys I have managed to track down the old Archive Miniatures Yosemite Sam the Samurai Dwarf. He came packaged with Conan the Duck.....

Slight mis cast on his wakizashi (the smaller of the two swords carried by these old Japanese Knights) so I have now mixed putty and applied with trepidation......pic from before the putty.

Archive did a nice range of Runequest minis which I assume is where the duck references came from....

Small WIP update on the Heresy Miniatures conversion of their Sharclon Trooper to a Medieval Sontaran...so much more stuff on the painting table.....

Also came across an oldish blister for Zap Designs...designed by Paul Henni. I believe these are still available from The Baggage Train but a lack of photos has kept me away for now. I have had some nice alien type er...well, aliens from him before...pics under the blisters.....must dig them out and well....look at them some more. They were distributed by Fantasy Forge who went bankrupt then rose from the ashes then went bankrupt etc. Not 100% sure where the Zap minis are if not at TBT.

Edit - had an email off Stephen Oates who runs The Baggage Train;

Yep these are mine, I think I also have all the  old Zap range too. Yes I must make time and get some photo's done for my site. Will you be going to phalanx? I will have them with me.

Phalanx show is on Saturday 15th June at the Sutton Community Centre in St Helens, UK. Contact Stephen directly with queries via his website but please mention my name as I am trying to promote them a little!

Finally a bargain Gormeti 3D Puzzle toy from Home Bargains here in the UK. £1 for a plastic kit and box - the box looks great for VSF / Pulp jungle ruins etc. The figure possibly for superhero gaming??? Anyway, there are a few variants and I am told the Pound Shop also has them. 

As always; enquiries@deartonyblair.co.uk