Collecting John Pickford: An era has come to an end

Just a short update to let you know that an era is coming to an end. Otherworld Miniatures (OW) is closing.

Back in November 2023, Richard Scott (Funder of Otherworld Miniatures) announced that he would be retiring in the summer of 2024. An era is now ending. 

WORDS OF GRATITUDE

---------------

"For my, OW was the main reason for returning to this hobby of mine. It was with Otherworld I learned about the great talent of Mr. John Pickford (and others) and to be proud of retro-looking, old school miniatures, again.

To my eye, John's job with OW was the job that lifted him from 'just another miniature sculptor' till one of the absolute best fantasy hand sculpting sculptors (if not the best). The combination of Richard Scott's high ambitions and courage and John's enormous talent they have moved the limits of what can/and can not be done, miniature wise. 

So thank you, Richard! Thank you for all the magnificent and beautiful miniatures over the years. It has been such a great pleasure following the growing of Otherworld and to see, how you have evolved into one of the best miniature manufacturers. You've done such a great job for our hobby. You've done an excellent job and many of your miniatures have really made my life a lot happier. 

I'm wishing you all the best for your retirement."

---------------

Collecting John Pickford: If it's black, attack. If it's brown, lay down. If it's white ....

Something huge is coming :)

The Assault Group (TAG) is now live with a new Dwarf Empire Kickstarter bringing you Bear Knights mounted on HUGE bears.

Some might remember the Bear Knights from previously. Back then, they where all mounted on barded ponies, but TAG has now upgraded them and mounted them on more appropriated bears 💗

The Assault Group: Bear Knights on huge bears

Collecting John Pickford: OSM presents Ewal Dvergar

Art by Mustafa Bekir (Spevna Studio) ©Old School Miniatures

This one here, today, is a bit special to me. Some of yAwou are well aware that I had my own little miniature venture into miniature design and manufacturing going. The project has been focused on creating a private army of evil dwarves sculpted by John Pickford - I've called them the Ewal Dvergar.

It was always a private project, but there's been a growing interest in getting these miniatures, a demand I was not capable of fulfilling. So, about a year ago I made a deal with Old Schools Miniatures (OSM) and gave them the license to manufacture and sell all the evil dwarfs sculpted by John Pickford as they complement OSM existing Chaos Dwarfs range very well

OSM is now live on Kickstarter raising money to complete this transfer and put them into full production and to give them a broad availability.

Collecting John Pickford: How to tackle the dragon

Back in the day, when I came to know John, we often talked about interesting subjects for future sculpts. Back then, John was the "monster maker" for Otherworld Miniatures (OW) and very keen on doing  most dungeons and dragons monsters, and John always spoked passionately about a chance of doing a dragon for them.
This never happened, though. As when OW later had the strength to actually do the classic dragons the job went to Andrew May. It sadden John,  I think - and for years I thought that the unreleased Foundry Orc King on Dragon would be the closet we'd ever get having a Pickford Dragon.

Collecting John Pickford: Old School Miniatures new giants (second part)

Let's kick of the new year with some gigantic news 😁

The Old School Miniatures Company (OSM) have made all stretch goal giants from the successful "Fe Fi Fo Fum I smell the blood of a little dwarf" campaign available.

During the Kickstarter campaign 4 goals were reached:

• a big one multi part metal giant (Think Maruder giant size)
• a two headed body - a re-sculpt of one of the bodies to accept 2 heads
• a new fourth body and 2 new heads to take it to 4 bodies and 8 heads in total
• a giant in a cart

And since the campaign ended on 28th March 2021 John has been working bringing these to life.

OSM has regularly updated the campaign with its progress and the stretched goals have now been shipped to backers - and also added them to the OSM online store.

I'm still awaiting my gigantic box of sweets, so you'll have to do with greens and store pictures, for now 😀 

- Happy New Year and please enjoy!

Collecting John Pickford: Dwarfs need protection

Another Kickstarter from the OS Miniatures Company is now live. This one is a: "small, short timed, very limited scope and few if any stretch goals"-Kickstarter.

And what's this one about, then? ....: "Shields, actually 5 new dwarf shields". And John has sculpted the set of five that will fit most old school dwarfs.

The greens:

©OS Miniatures Company

Collecting John Pickford: I am a Giant

.... "Stand up on my shoulders, tell me what you see.... 'Cause I am a giant, uuh!.. We'll be breaking boulders, underneath our feet ... I am, I am, I am, I am, I am, I am a giant" ..... - Okay, I shall stop the singing, now 😁

The Old School Miniatures Company (OS Miniatures) is back with yet another Kickstarter. Again, it's for the release of a new Pickford sculpt (well, it's actually 3 new sculpts). 

Previously we've seen them Kickstart a Daemon Cannon, Alpine Dwafs, the Chaos Dwarf Baggage Train and a lot of Pickford Shields. But this fifth Pickford Kickstarter is "gigantic" cause its all about Giants :) Proper old school Giants that actually fits your gaming table. These giants are the size of old Citadel C28 giants - so something like 2-2½" tall.

Collecting John Pickford: Time of the Orcs

Back in May 2020 Crooked Dice Game Design Studio made it official that they had purchased most of John's Otherworld Miniatures goblinoids (Goblins, Wolf Riders and Ogres) and that they planned a Kickstarter kicking off their new venture into "7TV Fantasy".

Their Kickstarter was called "Time of the Orcs" and went live 1st October 2020. As promised, it gave us a re-release of all of John's goblinoids, but most surprisingly it gave us a brand new range of Orcs designed with the creative geniuses of Dave Needham (Zhu Industries) and John Pickford. And not only did they give us a new wonderful range of Orcs on foot, no - the range included a 85mm tall and 110mm long wolf mounted Warlord called Klagg, too 😍 Included where also some awesome trolls by Iain Colwell and some wonderful human characters by Mark Evans.

But we shall focus a bit on the Orcs on here 😀 - as the full range is now available from Crooked Dice. 

Croocked Dice: Orcs

©Crooked Dice

Collecting John Pickford: Bar Room Brawl - part 3

We are still waiting for The Little Soldier Comapny's  fulfilment of their Bar Room Brawl kickstarter (on target for an early March fulfilment) and while waiting, John Pickford has been busy sculpting.

Firstly, the additional figures from the Kickstarer - the Landlord and Landlady and their hounds (a pair of Westies) and the 3K stretched goal Accessory Sprue but also a coming new release for the diorama set as another two fighting/enraged dwarves will be up on their website once the Kickstarter has been fulfilled.

Last, a Chaotic toilet/mimic. Not really sure that has anything to do with a Bar Room Brawl, but who can be without a chaotic toilet 😆

Bar Room Brawl: Landlord and lady (KS-add on)

Collecting John Pickford: Bar Room Brawl - part 2

Little Soldier Company's Bar Room Brawl Kickstarter is now live and doing well.

Now, that its live I can give you a little insight what to expect from this awesome project, as I've been gifted with an almost complete prototype set, by David Wood.

The Little Soldier Company: Bar Room Brawl Drunks and dog

Collecting John Pickford: Bar Room Brawl

Can't tell you much about, but I can promise you, that it is as good as it looks.

The Little Soldier Company is soon to release a Kickstarter called "Bar Room Brawl - RPG Miniatures for tavern skirmishing!" - about creating a set of Dwarven miniatures to fill your taverns with life.

All miniatures and accessories are sculpted by John Pickford of course - and it's said to be the start of an ongoing range to allow characters and non-player characters to fill your games. Sound good, doesn't it.

Here's a sneak peak of the awesome art by Martin Buck:

And you can follow the campaign progress here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1896378744/bar-room-brawl-rpg-miniatures-for-tavern-skirmishing

Collecting John Pickford: Gigantic news

Back in March 2020 I told you about Crooked Dice and that they are now the proud owner of the old Otherworld Giant. Back in March I couldn't tell you much more than that, but on 16th of April this "Not at Salute sale"-poster showed up on different social medias:

And on April 18th this gigantic monster got released.

I do have an original Otherworld metal giant already in my collection, but by the pictures floating around it looked rather crisp and fine. So with the benefit of a lighter resin version, I jumped at it. Helped along by a introductory price at 'only' £50, that made the deal even sweeter.

A nosey reporter

It's been almost two and a half year since the house move and I'm still struggling finding stuff in the "new" man cave.

A few days ago I started looking for a magazine - the "Wargames Illustrated Paints". Needed a recipe for painting old grey wood I knew where in there. I knew exactly where I've put it in the old house. Right there! On the shelve, above my desk. Here in the new cave those shelves are now filled with organizers and all my miniature basing materials. Whoever made such a decision, I don't remember 😧

So I had to start to look elsewhere. During this raid of shelves, cupboards, boxes etc. I came by a lots of old and forgotten little gems. One of them was a miniatures blister pack of Copplestone Casting 1920s Gangsters.

Happy Easter!

Well, due to the COVID-19 lock down here, Egg hunting had become quite a challenge this year, but I've found someone to play with. I had to paint him first, though - but he's ready now for our little game😀

Miniature is by sculpted by Igor Karpov/Ratnik Miniatures and he is available from Lead Adventure Miniatures (https://www.miniaturicum.de/). The idea of using the Dragon Eggs Raiders for Easter hunting are utterly stollen from good friend, Blue in VT.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Painting Challenge 2020: Green skins

When I dug out the camera, yesterday (taking pictures of the Vikings) I noticed a few 'forgotten' painted miniatures hidden on the memory card. Finished when I got back from my Christmas/New Year's holiday in Løkken, so these to test pieces of doing green skin tones are actually first finished miniatures of 2020.

First one is a fan piece made of a friend of mine. A 2014 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-movie Leonardo. Not a bright cartoon green character but a much more plausible looking humanoid Turtle. Tried to recreate the tone, but did struggle quit a bit ...😕

Leonardo

2020 Painting Challenge: Vikings

And finally ... something painted 😀

Recently, I jointed a FB group called the "2020 Painting Challenge". The Challenge is to finish one mini a week each week for 2020. Can be snotling or a giant. To be called finished the figure must be based and varnished ready for gaming.
Yes, what on earth was I thinking about...! Can't hardly paint a miniature a month .... But I think, it was the: "There is a free mini for everyone who completes 52 minis in the year. I need to talk to John Pickford about it being sculpted" - posted by Jamie Loft on March 23rd. Should be motivation enough and it convinced me to give it a try😊 Yes, I am that easy 😁

So, as I'm 14 weeks behind, I need to think "bulk painting" rather than "paint individuals" - so I've decided adding "elites" to my small Viking-force.

And here they are - 6 miniatures all from Mark Sims' Crusader Miniatures range. Shield transfers are those awesome ones from "little Big Men Studios" (Gripping Beast-range).

Crusader Miniatures: Vikings Hirdmen and Command

Crusader Vikings from: DAV006, DAV011, DAV006, DAV008

Nominus Malus

So, if newly painted miniatures are priority one on here and collecting John Pickford comes second, what would then be third priority? Easy - "Chaos Dwarfs", definitely. And to be exact old-school classic Chaos Dwarfs.

Yesterday, I picked up a small box at the post office. Due to all the new corona virus restrictions here only 3 persons were allowed at the same time in the post office line up, but I waited patiently in safe distance for my turn, cause I had high hope of what it would be. And I wasn't let down, not let down at all. Because it was the little box from the Netherlands I was hoping it to be.

Last 11-12 months my good friend, Sjoerd Trouwee (@https://evillittlebuggers.blogspot.com) has been creating and casting 8 new Chaos Dwarfs in a lovely retro Marauder Miniatures style (You'll find a little background on this here and a lot more on Sjoerd's awesome Evil Buggers-blog). So, yesterday I picked up a fresh set of these beautiful pieces. Don't really brag about my miniature purchases on here, unless it has something to do with my addiction for John Pickford sculpts (wife might be following along, though I doubt it😛) - but I'll make an exception, today - and I'll share them on here. So here they are, in all their glory:

The Nominus Malus by Sjoerd Trouwee

Collecting John Pickford: A giant and some shields

Sadly, I have nothing painted to share, but what's the next best thing .... new Pickford stuff, of course.

Biggest news would be that the old Otherworld Giant (original released by Otherworld Miniatures) has now found a new, good and caring home at Croocked Dice Game Design Studio. It's not released yet, but moulds for a new resin version of the über-cool giant had been made and Karl showed off one of the first succesful casts at Facebook on March 17th.

Still look so fresh and beautiful.... her 15 years after 😀

Crooked Dice: Giant

Lost expedition - and a Kickstarter

A big game will be running over the next 30 days (or so), and I thought I'll chip in and paint a character for this huge game of archetypes, nobles and heroes, villains and thugs. Old enemies will clash but unknown enemies will emerge as well. Alliances will fall, new will be build.  Will the Old Empire, with such great history but blurry future, survive.

I'll call my character Dr. Jazza Bernard or simply "Doc J". The doctor is a humanist and an ideologist with the noble cause of saving the old world from itself. Jazza is a legendary explorer into the unknown and his now marching deep into unrevealed territories in search of a cure. Because the Old Empire is falling apart. The Empire has been infested by a disease that leaves the population confused and in great despair. Management is failing. There's a increasing authority distrust. Hopelessness has flooded the country. Common sense has gone...

Doc J is desperate trying to find a cure. But will he succeed? Will he find it? Will it work and most importantly, will he be in time?

Let the game begin 😁

Doc J is based on a Politico miniature from  Little Soldier Company/Dear Tony Blair-blog. This wonderful miniature is sculpted by Bob Olley.


Little Soldier Company: Corbyn, Bringer of Equality

MM90 Painting Countdown: 7

And the "Paint-a-ton" continues. More shields have arrived and I only got 6 left to do as Red Skull (down here) is now done.

As anticipated, this one here was a real struggle. I adore the Scull Faced Marauder Chaos Dwarf - but only at a distance. I can't say if it's just my copies (got two of them) or it's the MM90/2C miniature in general but close up, this is such a blurry miniature. Both mine suffers from the same faded out/soft details, nasty mould lines and not-existing textures, Impossible to clean and I hate two-dimensional painting on not-existing details 😖

But I don't want to waste anymore time on this dude. Red Skull is now painted, base is finished, shield attached ... done. Not overly happy with the result, but he can take a back-row set - for now ....


Marauder Miniature: MM90/2C Chaos Dwarfs