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?


Well, in September 2017 on the Lead Adventure Forum (LAF), I spotted the "disturbing" announcement that Otherworld were parting with some of their ranges. The post were even accompanied by pictures of some of John's OW Goblins and Ogres. To quote:

"Over the last few years, our range of 28mm fantasy gaming miniatures has grown quickly.  We've now reached the point where it has become increasingly difficult to keep everything fully stocked at all times.  So, I have made the decision to reduce the size of our range.

Over the next few months, I plan to make some ranges available for sale to existing companies, or possibly to individuals who may be interested in setting up in the miniatures business.  We will be selling batches of models which will include the original sculptors' greens (although in some cases these have been damaged in the mould-making process), some master-castings, a small number of production castings, the painted display models featured in the photos in our web-store, and full production rights for the models.  We will not be including moulds, as these are often shared with models which are not for sale."

See the thread here: http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=103779

6 months later they started to reorganise their miniature ranges and internet store - and during Summer some significant changes has been made.

And as foreseen, the reorganisation has involved several of John Pickford codes in their huge selection.

I'm not fully aware of what's sold off, what might have gone out of production or what's still in a reorganising stages but quite a significant part has disappeared or can only be found in an un-categorised section by doing "searches". Also, a few codes has been replaced by newer sculpts by other sculptors.

I'll try and walk you through the changes - and keep this post up-to-date.

Un-categorised miniatures: (and therefor not in any "Product Categories"- but still searchable, if you know what you are looking for)

• DM8b - Purple Worm v2
• DM23a – Eye of Terror I
• DM23b – Eye of Terror II
• DM23c - Eye of the Deep Conversion kit

Disappeared miniatures:

• BS5 - The Otherworld Giant
• GB - Goblins (all codes gone)
• OG1 and OG2 Ogres Warrior I and II are now replace by new sculpts by Paul Muller and renamed HT7a and HT7b.
• OG3 - Ogre warrior III
• OG4 - Ogre Chieftain
• OG5 - Ogress
• OG7 - Ogre Mage
• WE22 - Landshark
• WE30 - Stag Beetle (incl. the flying conversion kit)

• DM18 - Rust Monsters, but the DM18 Rust Monster code is replaced with a new sculpt by Paul Muller
• DM20 - Roper, but the DM20 Roper code is replaced with a new sculpt by Paul Muller 
• DM21a - Carcass Scavenger  and DM21b - Carcass Scavenger II, but the DM21 code is replaced by a DM21 Carrion Worm by Paul Muller
• DM22 - Otyugh, but the DM22 code is replaced by a DM22 – Neo-otyugh by Paul Muller
• DM26 - Aspis, replaced by DM27a and DM27b Aspis Drone I and II by Paul Muller
• DV6a Giant worker ants
• DV6b Giant warrior ants

So, what's still there? Well, let me see:

• DM31- Mongrelmen - found in the BM Series - Official Barrowmaze Miniatures
• DM23a and DM23b Eyes of Terror - but renamed Eye Tyrants and with the note "This model was hand-sculpted by John Pickford (body) and Paul Muller (tentacles)" to both of them.
• DM35 – Xorn
• KB - Kobolds - renamed HT1a-HT1e and found in the HT Series - Humanoid Tribes-section
• WE10a-WE10d - Spiders, all of them
• WE11 – Shambling Mound
• WE13 – Treant
• WE20 – Giant Scorpion
• WE24 - Hydra
• DV5 - Leeches, but renamed WE30 – Giant Leeches and now found in WE Series - Wilderness Encounters

Saddens me a bit, especially if they are disappearing, but fingers crossed that most of them will find a new home.

So if you've spotted any of them being picked up by others, do let me know, please.

New owners: (with live updates)

• DV6a and DV6b Giant worker ants and Giant warrior ants. The Ants are now with Crocked Dice and were part of their current 7TV:Apocalypse-kickstater 
• OG4 Ogre Chieftain. Crooked Dice announced on Facebook that they are the new owner of this miniature. And in the 7TV:Apocalypse Kickstarter a Post-apocalyptic Ogre Conversion can be seen (done by Ernst Veingart) - hopefully the fantasy version will get re-released as well.
  
  
• DM18 - Rust Monsters are with Dark Fable Miniatures as F33 Rust Monsters (2)
• DM20 - Roper. In the "coming soon" section on the Dark Fable Miniatures web-site the OW Roper is showed as a coming soon miniature. Update March 2020: Released as F20 Roper
• Mimics. The two Mimics were never an official release, but if you look closely on the Dark Fable-website you'll spot the Otherworld Mimics are coming out too ;) Update March 2020: Released as F16 Mimic Treasure Chests.

• Update April 2020: BS5: The Otherworld Giant have found a new caring and loving home at Crooked Dice Games Design Studio - guess we shall now call it "The Crooked Dice Giant" 😊

• Update May 2020: WE22 - Landshark and DM22 - Otyugh are now with Dragon Bait Miniatures and part of their "The Boxer Rebellion, Nine Kung-fu style Turtle Adventurers!" Kickstarter.

• Update 18th May 2020: Crooked Dice has - on Facebook - just posted all the GB - Goblins on foot as a new cover photo. In a comment Karl Perrotten announced that he's also got the Goblin Wolf Riders and most Ogres (OG1-OG5). Probably all for a Kickstarter later summer 2020. On 19th May Karl also confirmed, that the two Carcass Scavengers is with Crooked Dice as well.

• Update 15th December 2020: After a successful Kickstarter. John's Goblins, Goblin Wolf Riders and Ogres got released from Crooked Dice.
• Update 3rd March 2021: New release announcement. Today, the Carcass Scavengers were released from Crooked Dice as Corpse Scavenger 1 and Corpse Scavenger 2.

I'll also try and keep this Wikia-page up-to-date about new ownerships.