Linear-A Jason and the Argonauts

Linear-A has just released a couple of kits based on the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts, best known for the visual effects created by Ray Harryhausen.

The recent 3D printed Linear-A sets have been expensive, and these are no exception. The Hydra, Golden Fleece, and Skeleton Army set (LA136) runs about US$45, while the Talos and Crew set (LA121) runs a whopping US$70.

I went ahead and bought the Hydra set because of the skeletons, but passed on the Talos set due to the price.

I've seen some talk claiming the high prices are due to licensing, but I doubt that is the case. I see no markings on the packaging crediting the Ray Harryhausen Film Library or Columbia Pictures.

In addition, similar products such as the Oxus Civilization and Jesus Story sets released at the same time are similarly priced.

With regard to the Talos set, it includes two multi-part Talos models, but it's not clear how big they are.

In any event, options for sofubi and polystone Talos figures exist from X-Plus, and come in 8", 12", and even 20" sizes.

The 20" Star Ace version is prohibitively expensive for most people, but the smaller figures can be found for around the same price as the Linear-A set.

The box for these sets are quite large compared to their normal boxes.

The largely empty box makes the contents seem rather meager though, given the price.

You can actually fit four of the regular sized Linear-A boxes inside, with room to spare.

Anyway, the two human figures in the set are King Aeetes with his basket of Hydra teeth, and Jason poised to fight the Hydra or Spartoi.

I feel that the figures are actually better scaled than the previous Linear-A sets that I have reviewed, which I felt were on the big and bulky side (particularly for people of antiquity).

The Hydra from the set is a faithful representation of the creature from the film, and the size is quite reasonable.

The other figure on the left is a Mage Knight Hydra, which I wrote about along with other Hydra miniatures in another post.

The Golden Fleece is also quite reminescent of the one from the movie, although the tree is on the bulky side.

The painted Golden Fleece on the left is produced by Crocodile Games.

Jason v. Hydra clip

Of course in actual Greek mythology, it was the Colchian Dragon guarding the Golden Fleece (which I have written about here), instead of the Hydra.

Last up are the skeletons (or Children of the Hydra's Teeth) which are printed in green resin, and quite faithful to their appearance in the movie.

The skeletons may seem frail if you are used to metal or injection plastic skeletons, but they are accurately proportioned. My main peeve though, is that they count the skeletons rising from the ground as three separate poses.

Star Ace Children of the Hydra's Teeth
(Statue, singular)

Argonauts v. Skeletons clip

Overall, I'm satisfied with the set I purchased. I'm not sure if I will buy a lot of these 3D printed Linear-A sets in the future, but we'll see.

Walrus Giganticus

The giant walrus encountered by Sinbad in the far northern land of Hyperborea in the 1977 film Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger was another creature animated by Ray Harryhausen.

A model was sold by X-Plus as part of their Ray Harryhausen Film Library line of resin figures.

The model consists of the walrus and a separate base with two figures that are roughly 1/72 scale attached to it.

I like the model, but I'd be hesitant about using it for gaming because it is made of polystone resin. If you need something for gaming, plastic figures from Safari Ltd or Schleich would be a better choice.

These figures are probably larger than the X-Plus model, but there's always a bit of leeway with movie monsters, since their relative size to humans is not always consistent on film.

Archelon

Archelon ischyros

Archelon was a giant sea turtle of the Late Cretaceous period. The first fossil of the creature was unearthed by G.R. Wieland, who shares a somewhat dubious reputation like his two mentors, E.D. Cope and O.C. Marsh. Archelon is probably not the most exciting of creatures, but it did make an appearance in the 1966 film One Million Years B.C.

Some liberties were taken with the movie version of Archelon, the most obvious being that it is portrayed as being five time bigger than the actual creature, but I guess nobody claimed that the film was scientifically accurate.

Two models of Archelon are made by Kaiyodo. One is part of the Capsule Q Museum series (left), while the other is from series 3 of the UHA Dinotales line (right).

The Capsule Q turtle is billed as being 1/72 scale, and has multiple ridges on its back similar to a leatherback turtle. The UHA turtle has a smooth shell with a central ridge like more typical depictions of Archelon found in dinosaur art. The UHA turtle is also about 10% larger than the Capsule Q turtle, but can still represent a larger specimen of Archelon.

Harryhausen's design is based on the green sea turtle.

Cyclopes

The cyclopes of Greek myth can be divided into two lineages – the first group were the three (or sometimes seven) Elder Cyclopes, who Hesiod listed as Brontes, Steropes, and Arges (who was replaced with Acmonides or Pyracmon by other authors). The names of the four alternates were Euryalos, Elatreus, Trachios, and Halimedes. These were immortal giants who were of the same generation as the Olympians, and worked with Hephaestus at his forge.

The other group of cyclopes were the Younger Cyclopes of Hypereia (identified with Sicily by the ancient Greeks). Among them was Polyphemos, who stood out from the rest of his tribe in size and strength, and was encountered by Odysseus and his shore party on a visit to the island of the cyclopes.

"Oh my God, He killed Kenny! You Bastard!"

Modern renditions of the cyclops are more influenced by films, and include Ray Harryhausen's iconic design for The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad (in literature, Sinbad's encounter with a man-eating giant actually occurs during his third voyage, and is a retelling of Odysseus' encounter with Polyphemos).

Given the oriental flavor of the Sinbad movies and the lack of horned and hoofed cyclopes in classical art, I originally thought that this particular type of cyclops could also represent the Turkish monster Tepegöz, as rendered in the following picture.

Then I realized what I thought was a horn on his head was actually a ladle that he was holding in his hand.

In any event, the following are the various cyclops miniatures that I have in my collection.

The first two miniatures represent the Harryhausen monster. The larger one is a resin X-Plus Cyclops that was part of the Ray Harryhausen Film Collection (Chess Set 1), while the smaller one is from Ral Partha (Children of the Night 13-020). The Ral Partha miniature is undersized, and would probably go better with 15mm figures.

There is also a two-horned version by X-Plus which represents the cyclops that fights the dragon at the end of The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad which I'm still trying to find at a reasonable price.

The next group of cyclopes bear some traces of the Harryhausen design, but also retain elements of classical cyclopes. The large cyclopes are from the D&D CMG, and include the Cyclops Crusher (Dangerous Delves #13), and the Skeletal Cyclops (Savage Encounters #33). These cyclopes have a bony armored head and scaly skin somewhat resembling the Harryhausen cyclops. The smaller cyclops is from the Age of Mythology game by Eagle Games, and it has the goat-like legs of the Harryhausen cyclops.

Next are some more classical cyclopes. The plastic figures to the left are the Pathfinder Cyclops (Skull & Shackles #34), and a cyclops from the Arcane Legions CMG. To the right are some metal figures – the Reaper Cyclops (Dark Heaven Legends 02953), and a Grenadier Cyclops from the Mythological Creatures box set (Action Art 8003).

More metal figures include the three Ral Partha Cyclops-Kin (AD&D Monsters 11-453), a Grenadier Psyclops (Monster Manuscript Vol.VIII 1508, MM68), and a Grenadier Klynops (Monster Manuscript Vol.V 1505, MM41).

I think of cyclopes as having beards and a full head of hair, but for some reason, many of these figures are bald, and any beards are rather short. I'd like to find a miniature of a cyclops with a big full beard, but will probably end up having to add them  using Kneadatite myself.

Last are the Grenadier Undead Giant Cyclops (Fantasy Lords 011), a Citadel Cyclops (Fiend Factory FF14), and a Heritage Masena (John Carter, Warlord of Mars 1523).

The Masena is described in ERB's Swords of Mars as a Cat-man from the Thurian Moon. I don't quite seen anything cat-like about it. It is described in the novel as having two mouths, one eye, and the ability to change colors to blend in with its surroundings. However, it does purr and meow which I guess counts for something.

Grumpy Old Stoners

Petrifaction is a process by which matter composing a [once] living creature is replaced with minerals, resulting in a change from organic material to stone. In the fantasy genre, the power of petrifaction has been instantaneous and lethal, but NetHack had an interesting variation where under certain circumstances, "stiffening" would occur over a period of time before the victim would fully transform to stone.

                        "But his wife looked back from behind him,
                        and she became a pillar of salt."

                        – Genesis 19:26

The myths and stories are never very specific as to what type of stone victims were turned into, but I can envision a Hargravian petrification spell table that details all the different types of minerals the enterprising sorcerer could change his victim into.

Dammit Edmund... They're minerals!
With regard to monsters that possess the ability to petrify their victims by gaze or with a touch, there are three main mythological creatures that have all been used in D&D and other FRPGs. Note that details about these creatures vary with the story being told, and some interpretations are of modern invention.

A. The Gorgon was depicted by the ancient Greeks with serpents for hair, wings, boars tusks, scaly skin, and a protruding tongue. Its visage was so terrible to behold, that the sight of its face would turn the viewer to stone. Somewhere along the line, the Gorgon turned into a triad of sisters – Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale.

                  "Near them their sisters three, the Gorgons, winged;
                  With snakes for hair – hated of mortal man"

                  – Prometheus Bound

By the fifth century B.C., writers started becoming more sympathetic to the Gorgons, describing them as both beautiful and terrifying.

Gorgons today, are commonly referred to as Medusae, and are most often depicted as having snake-like bodies due to the influence of Ray Harryhausen's work in the 1981 version of Clash of the Titans. This form is more reminiscent of Echidna, another serpent bodied female who is also said to have been depicted with snakes for hair (though I have yet to see any such images). Another recent invention is the depiction of Medusa's petrifaction ability as originating from her gaze, but from what I understand of the myth, it was always the other way around. It was not being looked at, or meeting her gaze that turned the viewer to stone, but it was rather seeing her horrible visage that did this.

Anyway, just as Echidna was known as the Mother of All Monsters, Medusa was similarly the progenitor of Pegasus, Chrysaor, Amphisbaena, and the poisonous vipers of the Sahara Desert.

As far as miniatures go, both humanoid and serpentine forms of the Gorgon exist, though I don't think I've ever seen a winged version as depicted on Greek vases. The two humanoid Gorgons below are from the Ral Partha Female Creatures blister (Personalities and Things that go Bump in the Night 01-087), and the Grenadier Monsters of Mythology box set (Fantasy Lords 6004).

The next miniatures are a Mage Knight Gorgon (Pyramid #041), and two Ral Partha Gorgons (Crucible 91-506). The Mage Knight Gorgon had a severed head in her right hand, but I removed it as superfluous.

Two smaller serpentine versions are the Grenadier Medusa (Monster Manuscript Vol.VI 1506, MM49), and the Citadel Medusa (C18 Night Horrors).

B. The Basilisk was first described by Pliny as a small snake that seemed to be made up of one part horned viper, one part cobra, and three parts fantasy. The appearance of the Basilisk evolved over time, and has given rise to a number of creatures with the ability to either poison or petrify their victims.

"It is a native of the province of Cyrenaica, not more than 12 inches long, and adorned with a bright white marking on the head like a sort of diadem. It routs all snakes with its hiss, and does not move its body forward in manifold coils like other snakes but advancing with its middle raised high. It kills bushes not only by its touch but also by its breath, scorches up grass and bursts rocks. Its effect on other animals is disastrous: it is believed that once one was killed with a spear by a man on horseback and the infection rising through the spear killed not only the rider but also the horse. Yet to a creature so marvellous as this - indeed kings have often wished to see a specimen when safely dead - the venom of weasels is fatal: so fixed is the decree of nature that nothing shall be without its match. They throw the Basilisks into weasels' holes, which are easily known by the foulness of the ground, and the weasels kill them by their stench and die themselves at the same time, and nature's battle is accomplished."

– Natural History

Pliny's assertion that the Basilisk was a native of Cyrenaica is particularly interesting, because it is the location of the Libyan Sahara, where the drops of Medusa's blood were said to have spawned the poisonous vipers of that region. It could be interpreted from this, that the Basilisk is descended from Medusa.

The snake-form of the Basilisk is now largely ignored, and I propose using the term Asphynx (from SLASH'EM, a NetHack variant), or perhaps Ouraion (from the Hieroglyphica by Horapollo) to refer to snake-like creatures with the ability to petrify its victims.

The snake-form of the Basilisk was often portrayed with a crown on its head, demonstrating that there is a fine artistic tradition of illustrating monsters based on literal description that has been passed down from generation to generation.

Medieval sources describe the Basilisk as being hatched by a cockerel from the egg of a serpent or toad. Its glare had the ability to petrify a victim, and its breath was poisonous. This development lead to the next evolution of the Basilisk's appearance as a creature that was half rooster, half serpent. I would just call this particular creature a Cockatrice, and leave it at that.


For the final evolution of the Basilisk, we have to give credit to Ulisse Aldrovandi who provided an illustration of a Basilisk in his Monstrorum historia.


Aldrovandi's scaly eight-legged reptile ultimately gave rise to David Trampier's iconic Basilisk from the AD&D Monster Manual.



Two larger miniatures that can represent Greater Basilisks are the Grenadier Basilisk (Monster Manuscript Vol.I 1501, MM4), and the Reaper Basilisk (Dark Heaven Legends 02567).

For more standard sized Basilisks, there is the classic Grenadier Basilisk from the Denizens of the Swamp boxed set (AD&D 2010). Two different versions exist - one with a lifted foreleg, and the other resting on a rock. Next is a Heartbreaker Miniatures Thicket Basilisk (Magic: The Gathering 9135), and finally a Reaper baby basilisk from the Familiars II blister (Warlord 14087).

C. The Cockatrice was often mixed up in the Medieval mind with the Basilisk. The Cockatrice was said to have been hatched from a cockerel's egg incubated by a serpent or toad. It could either kill (through poison) or petrify its victims by its glare, touch (peck), or breath.



In any event, I think the common consensus is that the Cockatrice is half rooster, half serpent, and for gaming purposes retains a separate identity from the Basilisk.

One of the things that is difficult about the Cockatrice for scale comparisons, is how to interpret how big the thing is. In the Monster Manual, it is just listed as small. I have found other sources claiming Cockatrice are 3' high. Various Medieval illustrations indicate people envisioned Cockatrice as being fairly large. I'll stick with this interpretation, but obviously it can be whatever you want.

Two larger miniatures are the Citadel Cockatrice (C29 Large Monsters), and the Grenadier Cockatrice (Monster Manuscript Vol.II 1502, MM13). The Citadel miniature is a beautiful sculpt, though the wings were awful. I just wish that it was about half the size that it actually is.

Next are three smaller miniatures that look closer in size to how Cockatrice are depicted in medieval manuscripts. The first one is from Grim Reaper Casting (Nasteez 1105) now produced by Perth Pewter (N105). The second is from Reaper (Dark Heaven Legends 02631), and the final one is from Ral Partha (All Things Dark and Dangerous 02-962).