Highway to hell

I actually planned painting this for the OSM-Kickstarter announcement earlier this month but a battery change got in the way as my neuro-stimulator system was running out of power. But I am on the flip side and I have just finished what I had begun back in October - the Chaos Dwarf Baggage Train.

Such a fun piece doing. A lovely sculpt with lots of cool little details - and the casting quality is superb. Such a pleasure doing. But hey, that's what to be expected coming from Jamie and John, right?

So without further ado, here it is ... my take on the OS Miniatures Company Chaos Dwarf Baggage Train, sculpted by John Pickford

OSM: Chaos Dwarf Baggage train

Collecting John Pickford: Chaos Dwarf Baggage Train by OSM

What's a 'Chaos Dwarf Baggage Train', you might ask. Well, back in the early days of Warhammer - back in 3rd edition - there where rules for including baggage in your army and rules for protecting/capturing it.

Armies need provisions of food, clothing, equipment and ammunition and therefore would be acquiring camp-followers (sutlers, drivers and womenfolk with children etc). This is represented by a 'baggage train'. When a army enters battle, all the unnecessary personal gear is sent to the rear with the army's wagons, tents and camp-followers - aka 'the baggage'. The baggage is then protected by a rough circle of wagons and defended by those civilians, women and disabled troopers found in there.
To represent this a baggage train consisting of a wagon and 5 civilians where allowed  for each 1000 point in your army.

Game-vice attacks on the baggage influenced your game play and could have huge effect on the final result - and to many Oldhammers a fantasy army ain't complete without a colourful array of camp followers and baggage trains.

There wasn't any official release for these trains but in the early 90s trains could be found for Empire, Orc&Goblins, Dwarfs, Elves, Bretonnians, Chaos, Slann and Skaven - but non for Chaos Dwarfs :(

So, when the idea popped up in our little private corner of the inter-web in 2017 Jamie (of OS Miniatures Company) wasn't late to pick up the idea - and soon a concept was ready: 'A daemon bound cart with driver and crew'.

Collecting John Pickford: Hmm, Otherworld....?

Usually, this Collecting John Pickford-section of the blog has been dedicated to write about new Pickford pieces, lost gems found and other additions to my collection.

Today's story is a bit different, as it's more about stuff that has disappeared, in risk of disappearing or has or will shift hands.
Today's post is about John's Otherworld range. A range I'm very passionate about as it's the one range that started my journey into Pickford collecting. I knew of John's early Foundry works, but it was the characterful and beautiful Otherworld Miniatures that convinced me of John's great talent - and started a hobby I wouldn't do without.

One of my all time favourite OW miniature

So what's this all about?

Collecting John Pickford: Hell's Minions on Kickstarter

Devil Inside Productions are back.

After a couple of successfully funded "Hell Awaits..."  - Kickstarter Campaigns - bring us a weird and wonderful little range of denizens of Hell (for horror or fantasy miniature games and RPGs), Devil Inside is now back, trying to fund a new range of figures, this time for Fantasy Football (*cough*Blood Bowl*cough*).

They are branded as "halflings" - but if you look closely at the tiny little players, you'll see another range demonic minions

©Devil Inside Productions

 - because, just like the campaign says, Satan has decided to send his minions to battle on the fantasy football fields around the Earth! The Hell's Minions - A Demonic Fantasy Football Team! will enter the pitch :)

Now, why is this interesting for a non-sports-gamer like me, well ...? .... I guess it piqued my interest  because of the two big guys in the back.

Collecting John Pickford: Perv, the dwarf beast handler

Yes, it's been to waaay to quite in here, I know and I do apologise :(
- but I shall spare you all the poor little excuses for not painting or bringing you news.

However, I shall try make up for it over the coming weeks, as I've got quite a few Pickford gems and news to show and share.

This one, today, is a special one - and probably the most exciting one of them, cause I guess most of you (just like me) probably didn't even know of it's existence.

But back in 2010, around the time where John did til Artisan Dwarf for the CCM-Yahoo-Community, one of the members commissioned John doing him a dwarf beast handler with two beasts.

I haven't noticed this being made nor has John told me about it. He do enlighten me about his earlier works, but its all based on "memory" and an old online email inbox - both are close to be put out of service, hi hi :)

But back in August, a good collector-friend of mine, Threadbare, sent me a link:

http://www.collecting-citadel-miniatures.com/wiki/index.php/Pervs_Collection#.22Perv.22_Miniature_-_Sculpted_by_John_PoshGoblin_Pickford_-_Painted_by_atacam

I was all over the moon, because at the very end of this link a little gem is hidden - a "Perv" Miniature, sculpted by John "PoshGoblin" Pickford and painted by "Atacam".

Sculpted by John "PoshGoblin" Pickford ?? Those 5 words are sweet music in my ear :)

Mr. Big Button and his sidekick Rocket Man

On this day in history:

According to Fox News, the two dictators - Mr. Big Button and Rocket Man - will be having a meeting at the Pirate Port of Santosa, in a few hours.

Dear Tony Blair: DTB7 - Leaders of the 'Almost' Free World

Apparently, their meeting is about non of them are having fun with the games they have been playing. And trust me, those of us watching haven't had any fun either.

So here's my piece of advice for you guys: "if the game you are playing, ain't fun, don't bend the rules to try making them fun (cause you both failed, miserably). Put the war games aside and try out a different game". Maybe you should try out Carcassonne. Wife, kids and I are having lots of fun with Carcassonne. Always makes a good laugh. And I'm sure you would have fun, too.

Collecting John Pickford: Devil Inside Productions

Devil Inside Productions is a new company with a mission of creating a range of 28mm classic demons and other denizens of Hell ready to be summon into your homes and eventually bring out a board game to support their line of Demons & Denizens. Eventually, we might also see some of their sculpts entering the fantasy football scene, as there are planed Fantasy Football variants for some of them, too.

The company ran their first (wave 1) successful "Hell Awaits..."-Kickstarter campaign back in September 2017.

A second wave ran successfully in February 2018. This time it included a Kali, Goddess sculpted by John Pickford.

Commands for the Ewal Crossbowmen

These have been sitting here for months in a half-painted stage. All conversions made out of existing Ewal Dvergar to make a unique looking command for a unit of  Ewal Dvergar Crossbowmen.

The leader has been sitting here painted for almost a year, but without a base. The leader is a Ewal Dvergr Johann fig, with a 5th edt Warhammer Chaos Warrior head swap (these warriors are some of my favourite plastics from GW) and some custom details (beard, bow hand, quiver) - turned out like this:

The standard bearer is pretty much a straight out of the box Ewal Dvergr Warrior from set 2 with a standard from the command pack and then a sallet from the original Crossbowmen and a custom made beard. Body armour was painted 12 months ago, but then put aside ... probably because I didn't really like the colours. Still don't - but I've finished the standard, beard/face and base. Ended up looking like this:

Also began doing a Musician. Again a pretty straight forward job with a simple head swap. These warriors has separate heads so it was quite easy replacing it a Crossbowman sallat and the do a new beard I never started painting him because I lost him, shortly after doing the conversion. But he turned up again during the house move, behind a pile of books, so with the current painting mojo - I paid this guy some attention:

I just love the face on the drum. sadly its hidden when he is standing.
Maybe a should do a causality marker :) 

MM90 Painting Countdown: Next challenge

Well, it's seems like Mr. Slow-hands actually do paint, he's just not going to blog about it or tell me! But he told fellow members at Chaos Dwarfs Online about it - but if he can't blog about it himself, I'll do it- so here it is, Sjoerd's take at the MM90/3d

©EvilLittleBuggers

Awesome job. Real like the tone of the orange and horns are really nicely done. Excellent job, Sjoerd.

So, we are on for the next one. I'm half way there so it's time for do the first one from the MM90/1 blister. So, Mr. Trouwee - how about we do the MM90/1d

On your mark, get set, go .....

Update 12th May 2018:

Hmm, it seems like Sjoerd don't have the 1D with him in Abu Dhabi, so we shall do 1B instead.

MM90 Painting Countdown: 13

Still waiting for Sjoerd to finish the latest challenge (the MM90/3d), but apparently his boss thinks he is need elsewhere rather that at the painting station...? What? I'll get a different boss, if that where me :)

It's actually to hot for painting up here - as we have had a record warm May (warmest and most sunny, May ever) - so paint almost dried instantly, when it drops out of the bottle.

But I have had a few sessions, so while waiting I've painted some other stuff, but also painted one of those MM90s Sjoerd will struggle doing, as his copy needs a repair or rather it needs "a missing bit" - cause yes, I've have painted the only two-parted miniature in the MM90 range - the mysterious and ever so sort after "Crossbowman".

Marauder Miniatures: MM90/5b "Crossbowman"

Half way there, now ... :)

MM90 Painting Countdown: 14

I've already presented this to Sjoerd on Chaos Dwarfs Online (CDO), Sunday - but I'll give him a proper blog-update on here as well, though, I'm not 100% happy with him. My copy shows age. Lots of the sharp edges are gone - and flash/mould lines made the horns rather difficult working with - and then add to that how much I struggle painting blues ... So a rather difficult piece doing - and a real challenge he was

But here he is, Mr. Blue - the:

Marauder Miniatures: MM90/3d

And I know Sjoerd is struggling with this one too, but when he is done, I'm to call the new one. And it will be 12th one painted - so we are nearly half way now. Now how would have thought that ... :)

MM90 Painting Countdown: 15

This one today, is a bit of a bonus piece, as Sjoerd forgot to bring his copy with him, back into the desert. And therefore, I couldn't call him and I went with the MM90/2a (as posted yesterday), but I felt an urge to paint Mr. Umbrella (the MM90/2b) up. And he might be the reason for falling behind in the latest challenge, who knows?

But it will not happen again, and I'll be focusing on painting the MM90/3d - which Sjoerd has called  next.

 - but my poor old "Arabian" friend didn't check the national calendar. If he had, he'd had known that Friday after Ascension Day is a holiday for most, here in Denmark. So I'm on top of this one ... - but don't tell him and let him sweat a bit :-D

And back on topic. Here's Mr. Red, the

Marauder Miniatures: MM90/2b

I just love this pose here. And must have been a challenge for Aly Morrison sculpting. Difficult to get these dynamic poses right on stunty little dwarfs with short arms and no knees. But this one here is just perfect, IMO.

So, here's the Umbrella-dwarf - the MM90/2b

MM90 Marauder Countdown: 16

After the horrible MM90/6c experience  I've put brushes on lots of unfinished stuff, but besides the Gnoll on Boar, nothing to a finale stage, yet.

But my detour from the MM90 Countdown Challenge was immediately exploit by Sjoerd and he posted this,Tuesday:

Darn, I thought I had all the time in the world to finish first, but apparently he was bluffing when he told stories about his son coming to Abu Dhabi and all ... Probably bought the kid Overwatch or Fornite and a stack of loot-boxes, so he could focus on just painting.

But I can feel the pressure, and I will need to focus - so Sjoerd, call the next one - cause I'm done, too - and here's my take on Quasimodo

Marauder Miniatures: MM90/2a 

Gnoll Anti-Hero on Boar

Luckily, during that terrible experience of painting the Marauder Miniature MM90/9c - and not to lose my sanity,  I've had something way more interesting to paint. So while washes and glazes were drying I spend time working on this awesome miniature here:

Gnoll (anti) hero on Boar

This Gnoll anti-hero is a private commissioned miniature - sculpted by John Pickford and is based on  an original Russ Nicholson art piece. James D., who has commissioned this awesome piece, has been a great fan of the Citadel Gnolls/Goblins FTG Fantasy Tribe range for years - and after a few chats with Russ Nicholson, Russ has produced a drawing of a Gnoll Anti-Hero on a boar mush close in style whit the old FTG-line.

In 2016 James then commissioned John to turn it into a miniature - and John did a fantastic job. An incredible piece with lots of curled little details, all over.

And by generosity of James D. I have in my possession one of a very few casts ever made. It's been sitting in the Wiki for documentation in a few months, but due to the house move, I just haven't had the time painting this awesome piece. But I made up for it during the awful experience it was paint the MM90/6c. Thank you Russ, John and James for keep me sane.

I haven't succeed finding the publication of the original art but by the courtesy of James D. I's been given the permission of showing it in here. I think John did a spectacular job and stayed very true to the original art work.

Lovely art and a spectacular miniature it is and it certainly got that wonderful Russ Nicholson feel to it.