Week #18: An eBay Miniature Rescue

I decided I wanted to try my hand at resucing a mini. I found this lot of Dark Imperium Plague Marines that were caked in...something. I've always loved the Dark Imperium sculpts so I had to pick them up. How could I not?

I have no clue what this model was painted with, but it was a pain in the ass to get off. It must have been some kind of enamel paint because acrylic paint comes off easily with my stripper. Either way I'm really happy with how it turned out in comparison to what it was prior. Once I made it passed whatever the blood effect was the armor coloring seemed to be almost like a darker blue Night Lords style color scheme. Whoever worked on it did a good job. I'm not really sure why they caked on all that blood effect. I wish I could have heard from the person who painted this squad to see what was going on in their head at the time. Maybe there was a plan that just didn't work out like they had thought it would. I know how they feel.

My first ebay rescue, of course it is a rino, it was really fun, al though the gluing on the original model was so bad that some of the parts ended up desintegrating in my big clumsy hands (oops).

I went for a old and beat up look, each piece replaced multiple times and rett visible decay and battle damage remains, because rinos are ancient and clunky dinosaurs, and i think they should look like it too.

Hello, I'm PS. I sometimes paint minis and write fanfic.

I primarily rep the Salamanders, but I also like the Red Corsairs, the Iron Warriors, the Thousand Sons, Vashtorr the Arkifane, my original Dark Mechanicum sect, and several Astartes/Legionary characters from other Chapters/Legions.

Ao3 (Lists: Salamander Oneshots, My OC Squad, Chaos Stories, Imperial Stories.)

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This is (unfortunately) a sideblog, so apologies if it's hard to tell whether we've interacted. If it helps, my main is a very old astronomy-related blog!

Asks are always open! I welcome feedback on my painting and writing. I'm trying my best to improve at both. 😅

Now, come under the cut and I'll tell you a little about myself and all about my favourite guys. [WIP, please forgive the mess.]

About me:

I live in the UK, but I wasn't born or raised here.

I was an archaeologist, but I'm a copy editor now. Cheers, Brexit. 🙄

My major hobby is LARP. I crew and play quite a lot of small and mid-size games.

My first experience with Warhammer 40k was a Dark Heresy TTRPG Campaign campaign where I played a "pilgrim" (scout equivalent) from a rogue Space Marine Chapter who was part of an Inquisitor's retinue. Still one of the best TTRPGs I've ever played.

Fell in love with the Salamanders due to a plot point in that game. Later read the Tome of Fire books, which only deepened my love.

I wanted to start painting then, but after an uncomfortable experience at what was then my local GW store, I didn't feel like it would be a good idea.

My spouse and I painted minis for a few RPGs and Legacy board games together over the years. We sucked, but it was fun.

Last year, I started watching Warhammer videos while painting Frosthaven minis. Finding Ebay Miniature Rescues was what finally got through to me.

Since then, I've been painting and reading when I can. I've played Killteam a few times with my spouse, loved it every time.

I'm neurodivergent and just absolutely horrendous at communication. I have three modes: enthusiasm, anxiety spiral, and complete hermit. All of these can make me difficult to interpret. I've spent years giving myself hell for it and I'm trying not to do that any more, but please understand that it only takes one brief conversation for me to consider us friends. If I forget to reply, I still think you're amazing and I will genuinely be delighted if you nudge me or randomly get in touch months or years later.

Canon Faves:

ALL THE SALAMANDERS - literally all of them. I'm super hung up on Nick Kyme's Rebirth though, so my favourites are Ur'zan Drakgaard (whom I HC as being a dreadnought in current 40k), Adrax Agatone, and the poor little meow meow x feral massive hiss hiss duo of Exor and Zartath (yes, he counts!!). Also, Chaplain Elysius is always 10/10. Sa'kan from Pariah Nexus is also wonderful and I hope we see him again soon.

All the cool humans around the Salamanders - RIP Makato. Issak and Agatone should kiss once. Shoutout to Tsu'gan's brander, he didn't deserve what happened to him. Colonel Redgage is babygirl and I'll always wonder if he survived.

Non-Salamander OCs:

Warsmith Kirakos Neman of the Iron Warriors and Fleet Captain Roscius Sedulius of the Red Corsairs enter into a trade agreement together with personally devastating consequences. You can read more about them (and other characters from their warbands) here!

Kemal Afshar and Setka Radjedef of the Thousand Sons. Technically my spouse's OCs, but they're kind of shared at this point. Despite being on different sides of the Ahriman-Magnus divide, these ancient Terran boys meet often to play sorcerous board games together. You can read more about them here! Also, these lads have minis! Plus, they're in my Thousand Sons Killteam.

Skitarius Escher has been requisitioned from Forgeworld Urum by the Inquisition, serving in a team headed by Interrogator Arion Astraeus under the auspices of Inquisitor Griselda Novaria of the Ordo Hereticus. You can read more about them (and the rest of the team) here!

I also have several techmarines-in-training, though there are no available stories for them yet. So far, I have Irran Alto (Dragonspears), Adathan (Blood Angels), and Ganzorig (White Scar).

(Apologies for the Heroforge pics below, I hope to actually put together my squad's minis this year and then this'll have proper pictures. Or I'll commission some artwork.)

OC squad: Salamanders 6th Company's 3rd Tactical

The 6th's 3rd [name TBA] is a squad of Salamanders currently stationed in the rotating garrison at Clymene. Currently eight men + a Sergeant, though they often deploy with the addition of Lexicanum An'terea, an elderly Astartes who was caught up in the Psychic Awakening at the turn of the millennium.

Brother Lattis (R) describing a creature to Sergeant Te'rien. (L).

Led by Sergeant Benedan Te'rien (~160), a fixture of the 6th. In the forge, Te'rien specialises in fine metalwork. Te'rien has tried to run his squad like a family where he is the paterfamilias, but he's still emotionally compromised after the death of someone he had an intense friendship with in the past. Even though younger Astartes are often seen as more emotional and less detached, Te'rien is an example of how untrue this is. His deep love for the 6th Company stands in contrast with his stubborn refusal to leave Clymene to rejoin the rest of the 6th in Aethonian. Only his current Captain and second-best friend Nehr Ur’Venn knows that his self-imposed exile isn't meant to keep him away from the company, but is based on his need to preserve a status quo that actually died many years ago.

An'terea (L) and Philo (R) reminiscing.

Pe'tar Philo and Carix An'terea go back like 250 years and are absolutely devoted to each other. It's not that they exclude others on purpose, they're just unrelatably old and are the only ones left from an extremely tight knit squad that died many years before. An'terea isn't technically part of the same squad as Philo any more, but he takes advantage of his new Librarian status (thanks, Psychic Awakening) to attach himself to whatever squad Philo is part of. There are several younger Astartes he cares about like Kea'hi and Val'ten, and both Philo and An'terea have grown closer to Sabinus in recent years.

Philo is a brash, avuncular man who cares deeply about the squad. He was a Sergeant in the 5th many years ago and hated being in charge. Since then, he has rejected promotion. He just wants to fight on and spend the calm parts of his life reminiscing with An'terea. Only bothered crossing the Rubicon because An'terea asked him to.

Cor'en (L) scanning Bai'keti (R) after an accident with a malfunctioning power sword.

I don't plan to discuss this further in any of my Salamander stories beyond All-seeing Dawn, but pilot and emergency medic Cor'en (~300, claims 75) is an infiltrator. Not from Alpha Legion, but from a homebrew rogue chapter called the Reavers in Metal. He was meant to infiltrate the Deathwatch, but got stuck with the Salamanders by mistake. He genuinely respects Te'rien. Watching the flawed little Sergeant do his best reminds Cor'en of humanity's tenacity. He's not a big fan of the rest of the squad, though. He misses his old squad. He hopes to leave the Salamanders soon. He just this needs to get his hands on one thing, and then he can “die” on the next battlefield and go home. He's the only Firstborn in the squad at first, though more will arrive as young Primaris marines are promoted and older Firstborn marines transfer to the reserve companies.

Lattis (L) and Keleth (R) having a drink.

Lattis (60s), Keleth(80s), and Kea'hi (~45) are the tight core of the squad. The Themian Lattis thinks he's the ringleader of this group because Te'rien was his Forgefather when he was a child, but it's actually Keleth, a cuddly Hesiodian with many forgechildren of his own. Kea'hi is a bit younger, he is a very normal Salamander. Kea'hi worries that his position might be insecure since he's the youngest in the core and Lattis gives another soldier called Atsen Bai'keti a hard time for being “the baby”, but Kea'hi only thinks that because he doesn't understand what's actually going on between those two. The truth is that Lattis hates people he sees as dishonest, so he saw red when Bai'keti showed up and started swaggering around. Unfortunately, Lattis hasn't noticed that Bai'keti has grown up a lot over the years, so he keeps tormenting him.

Keleth (L) with one of his forgechildren.

Sabinus (R) comforting Bai'keti (L).

Sabinus (~65) used to be part of the core group until Bai'keti showed up. His defense of Bai'keti from Lattis's bullying split him off a little from that group, but only Lattis actually lost respect for him. Everyone else still likes him, and Sabinus, Philo and An'terea have become more friendly since then. Sabinus has a heavy, sullen face, but he's actually calm, perceptive and knows the backgrounds of all his squad mates except Cor’en. He has a big heart and a forgiving nature. He would make a good Sergeant, but he's utterly uninterested in command and doesn't know the rest of the 6th Company well on account of being stuck in Clymene for many decades. He may still be promoted someday. Teased Val'ten a little at first because he found him a bit soft and twee.

Bai'keti (R) discussing his dodgy power sword with Sabinus. (L)

Atsen Bai'keti (~32) was never meant to be in the 6th's 3rd. He was once a special scout, not intended for the companies at all but for Mars. However, he suffered a medical mishap and ended up taking significantly longer than average to ascend, meaning that a different scout who began ascension after him left for Mars in his stead. Unfortunately, all the stress, memory issues, and the fall from star scout to disappointment meant that he was a complete mess when he joined the squad. At first, he acted childishly superior and conceited out of insecurity. He has mellowed over the years, especially now that his body has stabilised. Nevertheless, Lattis still gives him hell. When Sabinus stood up in Bai'keti's defense, this unfortunately created tension in the squad and isolated Bai'keti further. With only two friends and a horrible power sword he is desperately failing to make work, Bai'keti doesn't feel like he's part of the squad. Things will improve tremendously for him once he leaves for Mars and finds that he's older and more experienced than the average Techmarine-in-training. He will probably join the Deathwatch after that and return in his 80's with an actual reason to swagger around.

Val'ten (R) gets a talking-to from Sergeant Te'rien (L).

Dejan Val'ten (~25) is the newest member of the 6th. He was a PDF orphan from Heliosa before he was apprenticed to a Brother there. He's the opposite of Bai'keti, having had a relatively straightforward ascension. Unlike his Brother Salamanders, he isn't particularly gifted in the forge, but what he lacks in technical skills he makes up for with tenacity, diplomacy and a strategic mind. He's overly aware of his youth and inexperience, so he tries hard to fit in. He makes friends quickly with Bai'keti, which makes Kea'hi avoid him by proxy. Lattis and Keleth, however, treat him relatively well. On the flip side, Sabinus makes fun of him sometimes. Val'ten idolizes Sergeant Te'rien at first, but comes to see his human side. They will have been good friends for many years by the time Te'rien dies and Val'ten replaces him as Sergeant.

Dal'ris Moloi (~27) is not a Salamander. He was an aspirant who failed to ascend, and is now Val'ten's brander-priest. He requested to be assigned to Val'ten because Val'ten helped his family while he was a scout. The two become very close, working on a secret project together. Val'ten discovers that he enjoys making Dal'ris happy, Dal'ris thinks Val'ten is hot and is flattered that his Lord Astartes pays so much attention to him. They're falling in love.

Drek'tyr (~300) is a very old firstborn who moves down from a higher company when he realizes everyone around him is Primaris now. He replaces Bai'keti. He has a stupid saurian hat and I love him a lot. A little gremlin of a man. He's literally only here because my spouse gave me a very silly mini of a Salamander with a dinosaur head.

Have you seen eBay Miniatures Rescues on youtube? I randomly came across a video of theirs where they fixed a fucked up Stompa and thought it might be something you’d be interested in

Ebay is my second stop for minis right now after my local game store. I want them to keep the lights on but I want gw to not kill me with price increases

A little change of pace for my miniature painting this weekend. Pets! Or, possibly familiars / animal companions. Recently finished these and got them all up for a nice shot. Two of these actually started out as beads, one is an Ebay rescue from a job lot and one I 3D printed and only painted after it stared at me mournfully for a year. Can you guess which one is which? #3dprinting #3dp #28mm #28mmminiatures #28mmwargaming #tabletoproleplaying #tabletopgames #tabletopgaming #boardgames #boardgamesofinstagram #tabletopgame #wargaming #stargrave #fiveparsecsfromhome #starfinder #fiveklicksfromthezone #skirmishgames #paintedminiatures https://www.instagram.com/p/CkrxAcqrNju/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

DEAD'S MINIATURE BOX, PART 2

MORE MINIATURES [first post can be found here]

Ye Olde Resin Shrike™ back before he got his silly emo primaris makeover. Yes this sculpt is goofy, but I LIKE it. He looks so fucking happy to be killing the enemies of man. GO BIRDMAN GO! MAKE YOUR FATHER PROUD!

Eventually I swear I'll finish a box of minis. Someday. It will happen! This little raven could use some brothers to keep him company.

My Kiavahran Skitarii, who are unfortunately another example of an unfinished box. I've put them off for so long because most of their colors are hand-mixed and I loathe color matching.

The technicolor Termagant friends. I mostly use my 'nids to play with color schemes, they're just fun to paint.

An Ebay rescue who ended up in Red Hunters colors. I love the Inquisition so it had to happen.

[Continued in next post]

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Ko-fi | Redbubble | TeePublic | Ask Box | AO3

Painting a Death Guard Knight: eBay Miniature Rescue eBay Miniature Rescues is back again with another video tutorial, and this time he’s painting a Death Guard Knight with some custom parts! Read More The post Painting a Death Guard Knight: eBay Miniature Rescue appeared first on Spikey Bits . https://spikeybits.com/2021/07/painting-a-death-guard-knight-ebay-miniature-rescue.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=painting-a-death-guard-knight-ebay-miniature-rescue

I often watch mini painting on youtube while I art, it's relaxing and inspirational... this time too much because I absolutely had to draw this conversion+paint of a steampunk 40k Celestine by eBay Miniature Rescues aaaaa I was compelled to draw her :) this color scheme!

You can watch the original video here: https://youtu.be/mKGdQP8CaZE

LEGO won't make modern war machines, but others are picking up the pieces This is a story about a multibillion-dollar international conglomerate, arms manufacturers, a German peace group and renegades who make miniaturized weapons systems out of small shops.Not that those tiny weapons could actually hurt anyone. Well, not unless you stepped on one.The conglomerate is LEGO, with worldwide revenues of $6.2 billion in 2019 from its toys, retail stores, theme parks and even movie rights. Its toy sets -- which are intended to "inspire the builders of tomorrow," according to the company's mission statement -- run the gamut, from skyscrapers to boats, police stations to castles. There's even a kit to make Rome's famous Colosseum. Nothing from the real world, it seems, is off limits. That is, except for anything modeled on today's military. "We have a long-standing policy of not creating sets which feature real military vehicles that are currently in use," Ryan Greenwood, a spokesman for the company, said in an email to CNN.But during the summer, the Danish company released a set for the V-22 Osprey, a tiltrotor aircraft manufactured by Boeing and Bell Helicopter Textron that is only used by the American and Japanese militaries.LEGO pulled its V-22 Osprey amid protests from a German anti-war group. Credit: LEGOThe kit, set to launch under LEGO's vehicle-focused Technic brand, depicted a search and rescue version of the Osprey. But it drew a quick, harsh protest from the German Peace Society -- United War Resisters (DFG-VK in German), an almost 130-year-old anti-war group.The V-22 Osprey, the group said, has been involved in conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Mali, Yemen and Syria. In a press release criticizing LEGO over the model, the DFG-VK then threw the toymaker's own words from a decade earlier right back at it:"The basic aim is to avoid realistic weapons and military equipment that children may recognize from hot spots around the world and to refrain from showing violent or frightening situations when communicating about LEGO products. At the same time, the purpose is for the LEGO brand not to be associated with issues that glorify conflicts and unethical or harmful behavior," the peace group quoted from a 2010 LEGO report.LEGO quickly pulled the motorized aircraft model from its inventory in late July. The few sets that had already hit store shelves made their way into the hands LEGO enthusiasts and onto internet trading sites at prices as high as $1,000 for a set that would've retailed at around $120.US Air Force V-22 Ospreys take off from a base in New Mexico. Credit: U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Markus MaierThe V-22 Osprey LEGO set. Credit: LEGOGreenwood, the company spokesperson, refused to comment further on why LEGO changed its mind on the Osprey model or why it was produced in the first place.But LEGO canceling its Osprey set hasn't stopped fans from creating their own versions. In a video interview from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Dan Siskind pulled up a large model of the aircraft to the camera. Although built from LEGO pieces, this one is bigger and, arguably, even more elaborate and life-like. He spun its tiltrotor propellers in a hand-held simulated flight.Siskind is a former "master builder," the top LEGO designers who assemble the models you find displayed in stores. He is now part of a subculture that unites adult fans of LEGO (or AFOLs as they are known) and military buffs. Through his company, Brickmania Toyworks, the 51-year-old takes the iconic bricks and turns them into custom military building kits spanning eras and multiple wars. An arms bazaar for AFOLs, his inventory includes a US F-16 fighter ($425), a Russian T-80BVM main battle tank ($340) and even a Phalanx close-in weapon system, the rapid-fire Gatling gun the US Navy puts on its warships to knock out incoming threats like missiles or speedboats ($175).There are also historical options, such as a Vietnam War-era Soviet MiG-21 fighter, a World War II Japanese A6M2 Zero or British Spitfire Mk I fighter plane, a US M4A3 Sherman or German Panzer IV Ausf G tank, or a World War I British biplane, all priced around $200.For those with lower budgets, micro military vehicle sets are sold for around $20.The parts are almost all genuine, made with new-condition LEGO bricks. But while the Danish company does not endorse its products being used for these purposes, it tolerates the practice, Siskind said."They've given us some guidelines -- here's how to stay out of trouble."He's nonetheless blunt in describing his job. "It's just stuff we've taken that weren't supposed to be made into military things, (that) we've made into military things," Siskind explained. "Ordinary LEGO bricks just used in a way they were never intended to be used." Because he isn't allowed to purchase bricks directly from LEGO for his military sets, sourcing is "one big, continuous scavenger hunt" that requires his staff to comb through Walmarts, Targets and toy stores for discounts on original sets. The company also uses the website Bricklink, a kind of eBay for LEGO parts, where specific bricks can be bought and sold. The AC-130 Spooky II gunship model, made using LEGO bricks and other aftermarket parts, from Brickmania Toyworks in Minneapolis. Credit: Courtesy Brickmania ToyworksAll the parts are brought to Brickmania's Minneapolis headquarters, where they are broken down and reallocated to the new kits, including its most expensive design: a Lockheed Martin AC-130 "Spooky II" gunship that contains more than 5,200 pieces and sells for $3,755.In real life, an AC-130 gunship is one of the most terrifying aircraft imaginable. Armed with 40mm and 105mm cannons and a 25mm Gatling gun, it can devastate an area in seconds, earning it the nickname the "Angel of Death" in military circles. When the company made the first 25 models available, they sold out in five hours. A second batch then went in the same amount of time, Siskind said. "We have more demand than we can keep up with."While Siskind will sell you a military kit, his company also encourages AFOLs to produce their own creations, sponsoring regular contests at Brickmania's flagship store in Minneapolis. Among the rules: They must be military or war-themed, bear no Nazi symbols, display no excessive gore and are not of the sci-fi or fantasy genres. Global communityPeople entering the competitions should probably be thankful that Ralph Savelsberg lives thousands of miles away in the Netherlands -- because the 45-year-old Dutch builder's portfolio of LEGO-based military creations would likely be easy winners.There's a Vietnam-era US Navy patrol boat, a Cold War-era intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), an Iranian F-14 fighter, an M-21 reconnaissance jet and a massive and stunning recreation of a B-52 bomber, the mainstay of the US Air Force's bomber fleet for more than six decades.Dutch LEGO builder Ralph Savelsberg shows off a model he made of a US Air Force B-52 bomber with a 5-foot wingspan. Credit: Courtesy Ralph SavelsbergSavelsberg, a physicist and assistant professor, said he builds LEGO for love, not money."This is just a hobby. I do get a lot of requests, but I always disappoint them; I have no interest whatsoever in having to deal with customers."Furthermore, making plans or instructions is no fun, so I don't actually have any plans for most of my models," he said in an email.What he does enjoy is getting together with LEGO military builders from around the world at various conventions, where they share creations and even make custom ones to commemorate anniversaries.For this year's Brickfair Virginia, Savelsberg and a few dozen military builders planned a display themed on the Cold War, including his ICBM. The event was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but Savelsberg plans to return next year.LEGO-style military models on display at Brickfest Japan 2019 in Kobe. Credit: Courtesy The Brothers Brick / Edwinder SinghIn 2019, he attended Japan Brickfest, Asia's largest AFOL gathering, which featured a section for military items by some of the 270 builders displaying their work.Those builders, who came from places like Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan as well as Japan, likely represent just a fraction of those pursuing the hobby, Savelsberg said."I suspect that the people who come to events represent the tip of the iceberg. For every builder who is willing and able to travel to events, there might be two dozen teenagers who rarely get out of their bedrooms and share their builds with a group of friends via social media," he said. Justin Chua, who runs LEGO aftermarket store Lioncity Mocs in Singapore, says this 1:100-scale model of a Singaporean littoral mission ship took him more than two months to plan, source parts and assemble. It has more than 2,000 pieces. Credit: Courtesy Justin ChuaA company for kidsIn a way, Savelsberg, Siskind and the other builders of LEGO-based military models are doing what LEGO has always encouraged -- "only the imagination sets the limit to what you can build," the company's profile says."There's nothing that stops me from using dark green elements I get from, say, a LEGO Mini Cooper for a US Navy patrol boat," like this one from the Vietnam era, Dutch builder Ralph Savelsberg said. Credit: Courtesy Ralph SavelsbergLEGO traces its roots back to Denmark in the 1930s, when carpenter Ole Kirk Kristiansen abbreviated the Danish words "Leg Godt," meaning "play well" in English, to brand the wooden toys he was producing. It turned to plastic bricks in 1949.In 1955, Kristiansen's son Godtfred launched LEGO bricks as a system, embracing the idea that the more you have, the more things you can make. "Our idea has been to create a toy that prepares the child for life -- appealing to its imagination and developing the creative urge and joy of creation that are the driving forces in every human being," he said.Over the years, wheels and human figures were introduced in 1962 and 1978 respectively. And in 1989, miniature human figures sporting more facial expressions than the usual slight smile also emerged.LEGO has also been determined to put smiles on the faces of children."As a family-owned company with a long-term mission, the LEGO Group is uniquely placed to deliver a positive impact on children, society and the planet," the company profile says. The 25-page company document mentions the words "child" or "children" nearly 100 times. Still, as LEGO grew over the years, so did the presence of weapons.A 2016 report analyzing the company's products, published on the peer-reviewed scientific investigation journal PLOS One, argues that LEGO sets "are not as innocent as they used to be" and have become increasingly violent over time. Since 1978, when the first weapon bricks -- a sword, a halberd and a lance -- were added to castle-themed LEGO sets, there the amount of weaponry has increased each year, according to the study. It found that by 2014, nearly 30% of sets contained at least one weapon brick.A LEGO James Bond Aston Martin set on the shelf of a Hong Kong store. Credit: Brad Lendon/CNNSome of this increase can be attributed to movie-themed sets. For example, the company's summer 2020 catalog features a model of the Aston Martin, the famous car driven by British spy James Bond. It comes complete with "a wealth of sophisticated details and 007 gadgetry, including rotating license plates, ejector seat, tire scythes and front-wing machine guns."There's also "Star Wars" X-wing fighters and Imperial star destroyers, and sets depicting "Minecraft" battles, with axes, bludgeons and cases of TNT.When it comes to the LEGO's ethical red lines, Siskind sees a disconnect in the company's logic. Is there really a difference between the Death Star or the violence of a galaxy far, far away and the machines that kill people here on Earth?"There's very direct historical connections between the 'Star Wars' world and World War II," he added. Following LEGO's rulesFrom his office in Atlanta, Andrew Roberts, co-owner of Battle Brick Customs, another aftermarket retailer, expresses what he sees as the LEGO dilemma."LEGO has always kind of struggled with filling boys' desires for action and adventure (while) staying true to themselves (by) not doing realistic military things," he said.For a long time, the company even went so far as to avoid gray-colored bricks (the obvious color choice for building military weapons and vehicles), Roberts claimed, saying early castle sets were made from yellow ones. (Siskind, too, recalled some rather colorful medieval builds, saying: "When I was a kid all my castles were red because I had the most of that color.") LEGO's avoidance of modern military themes provided an opening, Roberts added. He turned his college pastime -- messing with his old LEGO sets -- into a full-time job, churning out best-sellers like World War II M4 Sherman tanks and modern Gulf War M1 Abrahms tanks."I don't think they like what I do but at the same time ... They tolerate me because I obey the rules." A US Special Forces team in LEGO-style figures from Battle Brick Customs. Credit: Courtesy Battle Brick CustomsFor instance, Roberts buys minifigures from LEGO, strips them of their paint and markings, and turns them into soldiers, sailors and airmen to stand watch in the military-themed sets he sells. He likens it to how a custom car shop takes a showroom model and turns it into a street racer."If you're a shop selling custom Ford Mustangs, you can do that -- people have to know that this is a Ford Mustang, but it's not an official Ford product," Roberts said. "I took a Ford and I did a bunch of stuff to it."In the case of LEGO parts, he added, "It's a genuine LEGO minifigure that has had a bunch of aftermarket stuff done to it. I bought it, and it's mine. And I'm customizing it, and I'm not pretending they did it."A figure stylized as a US soldier from Battle Brick Customs. Credit: Courtesy Battle Brick CustomsFor much of the fanatic LEGO-building community, the "it's mine" mentality -- a personal stake in what they make -- is what's fun and what fills them with pride. And they're not going to let the company's ethos get in the way of their creations.After the company pulled the Osprey in the summer, The Brothers Brick, an independent, reader-funded website for LEGO enthusiasts, carried several posts about the set's demise. One showed a futuristic olive green vision of an Osprey with orange highlights, created by builder Simon Liu, using LEGO bricks.Brothers Brick contributor, Lino -- a Washington state-based artist and humorist, according to his biography -- drew inspiration from Liu's creation."The point of showing you this is, while LEGO occasionally makes doofus decisions, they provide the pieces so that you can build anything you want. Who needs directions and an official set?" Lino wrote."With LEGO bricks and a bit of imagination, the world is your oyster. Or Osprey."Top image caption: A figurine from Battle Brick Customs of a US soldier emerging from an armored personnel carrier. #lifestyle Read full article: https://expatimes.com/?p=15448&feed_id=22672

Black Legion Bannerman. I wish some of the newer models kept the spiked horn helmet look like this one. Also there is something to be said of a clean miniature with few details.

Not bad for an Ebay rescue, though I am not gonna let on how many times I knocked him over because of the banner.

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As the notoriety of Cheap Node JS Hosting is expanding, there is likewise an increase in force for its facilitating. Exactly, PaaS (Platform as a Service) specialist co-ops, for example, Heroku, Nodejitsu and, Modulus are authoritatively permitting hub arrangements with no impediment.

Intermediary Server to the Rescue

Hub JS a best worker side JavaScript structure, comes as a salvage to intermediary various administrations, which may either be on the grounds that they have distinctive reaction times or for gathering information from different sources.

Supports IoT

96% of IoT organizations lean toward Node JS structure for application improvement. A portion of the normal executions incorporate brilliant homes (like home security, shrewd apparatuses), medical services, and air travel to give some examples.

Makes for Real-Time Web Application

Hoping to assemble ongoing talk and gaming applications? Hub JS has extraordinary highlights that can help you construct ongoing web application at a lightning speed, for example time equivalent to fostering a straightforward blog in PHP.

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Hub JS as an open-source innovation accompanies a common store of dynamic apparatuses and modules. Within excess of 60,000 modules in the Node Package Manager (NPM), it's difficult assists creators with making effective courses of action yet in addition works with engineers to invigorate, share or reuse codes without scarcely making the slightest effort.

Information Streaming

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Taking into account that it's difficult to track down a web engineer nowadays, better pick a web stage that sudden spikes in demand for a well-known programming language like Node JS.

Resolves All Database Queries

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It’s Community Friendly

Hub JS additionally can flaunt a flourishing open source local area. Other than conveying exceptional modules and building applications, it has been amazingly useful and creative, with regards to tackling an issue or push continuous updates.

Present Everywhere

Because of Node JS Server Hosting, you would now be able to discover JavaScript present all over – from the program to the worker. Any place it is, Node JS is adaptable in use and you can discover the code running in a genuinely comparable way.

Empowers Micro-administration Architecture

Item advancement organizations can easily further develop issue confinement, effectively reuse segments and make improvement quicker by utilizing miniature administrations empowered by Node JS.

Vintage pro kit.

I’ve just been given this. It’’s professional quality SVHS/VHS. It was first used at an event covered by BBC and ITV in the 90′s. The owner just blagged his way into the camera area and no one batted an eyelid. I was younger and tagged along ( it was great being beside all those big guys you can never see by definition. Somewhat intimidating cos we had to pretend we knew what we were doing and not lose our cool ). He used it for documentaries, but it was really a hobby. It wasn’t much used.

It was last used 5 years ago, and had developed a fault by apparently sitting doing nothing. Lines appear across the picture on the viewfinder, external monitor and also the tape.

It now has another fault. There’s a tape jammed inside.

I have no idea how to rescue it. I give up. It’s beyond me just now.

I tried a new SVHS 180 min tape and it went in, but didn’t have the oomph to engage, record, play or rewind. I’m thinking dried out internal gubbins like cogs or belts. But it ejected fine so I tried another, shorter tape ( VHS 66 mins The Plank with Eric Sykes). It didn’t like that and there it remains. Ho hum.

BTW I see standard 8mm kit is popular. A  clockwork 1938 cine camera just went for £150 on ebay, being sold by a cinematography student who used it for his course. I can see why standard 8mm survives. It’s just 16mm double perf with twice the perfs along each side. You just punch more holes in the 16mm film stock and bingo! No trouble to make, really as 16mm is still on the go, and always bridged the gap between amateur and pro.  As standard 8, it comes in 25 ft rolls of 16mm and you expose half the width, turn the film over in the dark, use the full take up spool as the feed, expose the other half. It the lab, it’s slit lengthways down the middle and spliced in the middle, making 50 feet of 8mm, giving something like 5 mins at 18fps if you’re lucky.

Super 8mm came in handy 50 ft cartridges, and was introduced about 196(3?) It had smaller perfs, a larger picture and was streets ahead in the home market. So much easier to use! Sound was easier to add too, as you could buy it pre striped with a tiny bit of tape at the the edge of the film, or one each side for stereo. Your sound cartridge had an extra recess for the recording head,  24 frames ahead of the light aperture.

Standard 8 had no sound. It was totally separate and always required a separate recorder, which, for ease, was another person with a tape recorder and the mic. On the film afterwards the stripe was physically added. A tiny spool gave up tape to a bath of cement glue and the tape was then glued to the film edge as the two merged. It was quite possible to make an arse of it and get the tape all over the place! 

The sound head was 40 frames ahead of the gate on the projector as sound equipment wasn’t very miniature back then. Synching during editing gave you oodles of dedicated fun as you had to transfer the sound from the source (cassette or reel to reel tape) and sunch it to the film which, of course had to be kept absolutely in phase viz synched via all sorts of cumbersome skullduggery.

So sound super 8mm cartridges were a blessing. By 1980 you even had optical sound in the mass home movie market. Video hadn’t killed the radio cine star. A polyester based film stock called single 8 came out, about the same time. It was actually super 8mm, but the end product you watched was about 1/3 the thickness and used dyes to replace the light sensitive film grains. For some reason it used a cassette, so the holding device was totally different from the cartridge and required a different camera. It also couldn’t be splice by cement ( glue ). You had to use tape ( clear  adhesive tape, sellotape, NOT audiotape! I thank you for getting this far- just making sure your attention is not overtaxed ;)

The practical upshot was that you could fill a reasonable sized auditorium with a decent sized high resolution picture.

One benefit was that you could get films that were banned. The Exorcist was one for e.g, famously banned for a long time in the video market  yet readily available on super 8mm in various edited reels, say 600 ft, or full length if you were rich. Because of the expense, editing was not only a certification thing, it was also about making a product affordable in a condensed form. Reels were 50, 200, 400, or if your projector was capable, 600 and 1200 feet capacity. You cold have two projectors and show like a pro with changeovers.

One of the greatest benefits was the speed and reverse functions in an auditorium. You’ve never lived till you’ve seen full screen reversed porn. It’s guaranteed to reduce the auditorium to hysterics, especially when you see the bloke wenting or over his partner’s face like frogs up a pump on acid.

Sooo... I’m watching How to Paint Tutorials

I need to up my game in painting miniatures. I basically had to try and balance how much time spent vs. how much I made (a piss poor amount because people on Ebay are cheap. I get that. I’m cheap and look for the best deals on Ebay, too. So I can’t really complain but they want to spend $5 on a paint job that takes 4 hours. That can’t happen when it’s part of how I pay my bills.) I’m hoping to get better and practice so that much like it was with the basic paint jobs I do, I’ll get faster and better quality. It took thousands of figures but what used to take me 8-10 hours of struggling now takes me 2-3. They’re still basically above average table top paint jobs, though, and don’t have the kind of layering/blending which the bar has been raised to be fairly normal now.

So I’m browsing Dr. Faust’s Painting Clinic tutorials. I’ve heard of them and I give it a click. It was about skin tones and going pretty well. Not really the techniques I was looking for, but good for a quick paint job. Until the guy mentions that he forgot to paint the nipples on the male mini. I’ve had to paint ball sacks on Satyrs and centaurs that I didn’t expect to find. You get used to these things, even if they’re perfectly normal fantasy minis which are wearing clothes. The satyr was wearing a loincloth so I’m not sure WHY the ball sack was necessary but I found it while base coating.

I know the guy was just trying to joke but his comment was: “If any female viewers would like to send me reference photos or videos...”

I sighed and turned it off. I’m not easily offended and have a sense of humor. I don’t care if people want to watch 2 men have sex, men want to watch 2 women (just don’t be a douchebag about it and assume all bi women want to be in a 3some with your pathetic self) but hey if you’re watching amateur porn where everyone is adult, consenting and having fun I’m not going to judge. Looking at sexy photos isn’t a problem as far as I’m concerned either, as long as it’s not how the male attitude toward women is shaped. For example I’ve got a friend who loves to collect semi and naked female miniatures. He definitely would stop and look at pin ups or hot nude photos of pretty women.

He’s also a father of a grown daughter who never treated anyone with anything but equality or respect. So no, I honestly have no problem with people who like looking at sexy photography, vids, romp around dressed as Batman rescuing Mr. Peanut from ... okay that got weird.

Anyway, the guy’s comment on the tutorial, no matter how off hand or intended to be humor, made me cringe. It’s the embodiment of the problems females bump into constantly when encroaching on “male territory” like wargaming. Never mind that some of the best painters of our age have emerged to take the top awards any miniature painter can achieve - and have been women. Or that many companies now have women painters who are so outstanding they do it as a job - often giving classes at Cons. Or the fact he didn’t even think that maybe females might be watching this video, too, and not want to hear it.

Sadly, for every 10 videos out there on painting there’s only 1 done by a female. At least the comments have been polite and neutral. So far I haven’t seen any “Ur hot what’s ur #” on them. So there’s hope. Considering it’s YouTube I’m actually impressed. That’s pretty much Troll Central in the comments sections.

Looking elsewhere than that particular set of tutorials, however.

Compact-concept style/”take along toys” month continues with a toyline based around a simple concept, with a tie-in to last week’s featured toyline: if Polly Pocket were a boy, and spiders, Frankenstein, and various other baddies existed in her world, she would be Mighty Max.

I know that sounds a bit strange, but follow me on this one: Polly Pocket inspired a toyline geared at boys.  But it had the further distinction of inspiring a cartoon based on the toyline, and not the other way around.  Yes, Polly Pocket has had cartoons, but Mighty Max had one in the prime of its toy life.

Stick around, and you’ll find out more!

1992

By 1992, the miniature toy phenomenon was well underway.  A girl named Polly Pocket had adventures inside of a souped-up compact-style case.

Including a water slide built for excitement!

In response to this exciting (and very discreet) type of toy phenomenon came Mighty Max, a boy with a baseball cap and a compact case full of adventure.

Boy adventures.

He didn’t have a water slide.

Stop with the disappointment.  I promise this will be interesting!

Anyway, Mighty Max was created by Bluebird Toys, the company behind Polly Pocket, with distribution in the United States under Mattel.  The first toys were rolled out in 1992, and the cases were shaped like “boy stuff” – skulls, Frankenstein, monsters, your brain if it were plastic…

Screenshot: “The Backwards History of Mighty Max: From Toyline to Cartoon to Discarded” (Toy Galaxy, YouTube)

Just kidding.  It’s a representation of a brain, not your brain!

It’s what you want your brain to look like!

Again, kidding!

Anyway, these plastic compacts were gloriously gross, “boy stuff”-looking marvels of toyline awesomeness.

Open them up…

Screenshot: “The Backwards History of Mighty Max: From Toyline to Cartoon to Discarded” (Toy Galaxy, YouTube)

…and inside was a whole world of adventure, ripe for Mighty Max to save the day!

Mighty Max Figure – “Mighty Max Conquers The Temple Of Venom Doom Zone Playset” Image: Ron’s Rescued Treasures

The original toyline originally consisted of “Doom Zones” and “Horror Heads.”  The “Doom Zone” sets were small playsets, with the “Horror Heads” being the more compact, Polly Pocket-esque toys.  There would be many more sets and tie-in merchandise released over Mighty Max’s lifespan (more on that later!).

Max himself is a blonde-haired boy with a backstory, all involving the time he put his cap upon his head and declared “I AM MIGHTY MAX!”

Well, not really, but amazing adventures were bestowed upon him once he placed the magic cap upon his head!

Max’s original backstory.

As the toyline moved in 1993, the world of Mighty Max expanded on to the small screen!

Tie-In Merchandise, Expansions…and a TV Show!

1993 heralded in an animated world for Mighty Max, with Film Roman producing a 40-episode animated series, The Adventures of Mighty Max.  

Upload via Mighty Max Restoration Project

With a new cartoon came new characters and adventures, and with new characters and adventures came new toys!

And, of course, a retconned backstory!

I’m sure it had something to do with selling toys, don’t you think?

The Adventures of Mighty Max aired between September 1993 and December 1994, and had Max, joined by his Protectors on his adventures to save the world from Skullmaster and various other antagonists!  On his adventures, he is tasked with protecting his cap throughout his adventures.

While most plots were lighthearted and comical, the more violent aspects of the series were considered excessive by some.  In the final episode, Virgil and Norman, Max’s protectors, are killed, and Max travels in time back to the events of the first episode, determined to put things right after reading the modified version of Virgil’s letter.

Now that is a hero!

The Toyline

The toyline is divided up into several categories, with the most well-known being Doom Zones and Horror Heads, with three series of Doom Zones, and two series of Horror Heads.  Doom Zones were the medium-sized sets, and the most recognizable of the toyline.  Horror Heads were smaller versions of these sets, with Monster Heads that were even smaller than these sets.

An accessory-type series, Dread Heads, were released as bonuses with Doom Zone playsets.  Shrunken Head sets were based on episodes of the cartoon and original creatures.  Battle Warriors (figures that transformed into playsets, larger playsets, and and Heroes and Villains rounded out the toyline.

Upload via ToyGuruMan

Shrunken Head – Rat Trap (Source: Etsy)

McDonald’s released two Mighty Max-themed toys for their Totally Toy Holiday in 1993 (Yeti) and 1995 (“Ice Monster”).

McDonald’s tie-in from 1993. (Source: Pinterest)

Max also appeared in two handheld video games (one by Systema, the other – you guessed it – by Tiger Electronics), as well as a Sega Genesis/Super Nintendo game (the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive version is on Classic Reload), puzzles, coloring books, watches, clocks, sticker sets, card games, board games, and pencil sets.

Surprise…

Wikipedia has a pretty extensive list of the entire toyline, and even though this list is considered incomplete, it feels extensive to me.

Mighty Max Meets His End

(No, this is not the name of a playset or episode).

In 1996, Mighty Max’s adventures ended, and in 1998, its manufacturer, Bluebird Toys (they were discussed in last week’s Polly Pocket article), was merged into Mattel.  The miniature playset market, once saturated with Max, Polly, and numerous other licensed properties joining the bandwagon, dwindled in popularity by 1998, when even the popular Polly Pocket was discontinued in its original miniature playset form.

Video – The Backwards History of Mighty Max: From Toyline To Cartoon To Discarded

In July 2019, YouTube channel Toy Galaxy’s Dan Larson discussed the history of Mighty Max, from his start as a Boy Polly Pocket, through his cartoon, to his eventual end.  Dan’s delivery, as well as the content, is fun and interesting. I’ve watched this one twice (including yesterday for “research” purposes).

Upload via Toy Galaxy

Did Allison Know Anything About Mighty Max?

McDonald’s tie-in from 1993. (Source: Pinterest)

Short answer: yes.  However, I (nor my brother) owned any Mighty Max toys (I’m still unsure if I owned anything Polly Pocket), nor did I ever play with these.  I don’t even think my brother’s friends or my male cousins owned Mighty Max toys.  I vaguely remember the cartoon.  I would have been 10-11 years old when it was on, but I may have watched it at some point.

The real surprise behind Mighty Max was its ability to skirt around the Children’s Television Act, which aimed to prevent “30-minute toy commercials” disguised as children’s programming (remember, the toy came first), and limit the amount of commercials during children’s programming to twelve minutes.  The educational component used at the end of each episode is nothing new or novel – it had been done during cartoons in the 1980s to secure that “educational” factor (the Public Service Announcements featured at the end of GI Joe: A Real American Hero also fell into that “educating the children” factor).

I just found out over the weekend that the local toy store in my town acquired an impressive collection of Mighty Max toys, including some rare ones, as well as variants from the United Kingdom (see their eBay listing for Mighty Max toys).

Perhaps, like Polly Pocket, Max and his adventures will make a “what’s old is new again” comeback?  Time will tell if the Collective of Likely Forgotten Nostalgia (not an actual organization, just a stream of consciousness and aspect of memory) will release Mighty Max back into the public’s eye?

We shall see!

And Now, You!

By Source, Fair use, Wikipedia

Did you own anything Mighty Max, or watch his cartoon?  Sound off in the comments below, or be social on social media!  As always, I’d love to hear your stories and memories!

Next week, we continue with the compact-concept style/”take along toys” theme, with another portable and discreet toy from about the same era of nostalgia.

Until then, have a great day!

The Mighty One: The Story of Mighty Max - The story Mighty Max, born of a reverse idea: create a toyline and establish a backstory first, produce a cartoon second! Compact-concept style/"take along toys" month continues with a toyline based around a simple concept, with a tie-in to last week's featured toyline: if Polly Pocket were a boy, and spiders, Frankenstein, and various other baddies existed in her world, she would be Mighty Max.

Which Breed Of Pet Is Best For You?

Purchasing property or a home through an eBay auction is a disconcerting principle to some. Many individuals still consider the super-popular auction website as a location to dump their utilized CD collection or get a good deal on an utilized electrical guitar. And who can blame them? The idea of making a significant, life-changing purchase on the same website you utilized to complete your collection of Pokemon cards seems downright unusual when.

Top 5 Dog And Feline Types For 2009

In this incident, an australian shepherd was being strolled by an 11 yr-old girl at an area park. At the very same park was a 7 yr-old kid who decided that he wished to pet the dog.

Caucasian Shepherd - This is a big pet dog and an ancient one. The Russians, Georgians, and Azerbaijanis have valued the Caucasian Shepherd due to the fact that of its usefulness. It secures herds of animals from vicious predators. It prevails for the animals to touch 27 inches at the withers and tip the scales at 110 pounds. These giant canines are not meant for apartment living and warm climates. Bring one home if you can path its energy and independent nature towards helpful work.

What To Look For In A Miniature Australian Shepherd Breeder

Bichon Frise- It's name actually means "curly white small dog" in French. They are a happy-go-lucky ball of white fur. Bichon Frise are obedient, joyful, spirited, faithful, delicate, and affectionate. They get along well with children and other animals within the house.

The Golden needs grooming two times a week and he requires a lot more throughout high shedding times, about twice a year. He needs and gets all of inoculations, though again another side advantage of golden retriever Adoption is that when I selected him up all of that was up to date.

Australian Shepherd Potty Training

We begin with our host, Harrison Forbes. Actually getting here from hosting an event in California, dropping simply for our show and probably right now on a plane.he did not believe twice on accepting assisting us on this event which by the way benefited The french bulldog Rescue Network.

Rule # 4 - Take chew bones or toys. If your pet is used to his chew bones or toys, make sure to take them with you. He may decide your shoe looks respectable if he does not have his own bones to chew on.

Australian Shepherd Potty Training

Bull Pet dog- A very loyal pet dog, the Bull Pet makes a fantastic companion. They are quite low upkeep as they don't require much workout however it is very important to make certain they don't become http://www.pinnaclespcllc.com/activity/p/1323821/ obese. They snore and snort and make a remarkable dog for young kids who will certainly get a laugh out of their adorable scrunched up faces.

DEAD'S MINIATURE BOX, PART 1

It has occurred to me that I've never bothered to post any of my miniatures here, so here's some of my favorites. Apologies for image quality, all I have to work with is my phone camera.

The first of my World Eaters kill team, the as of yet unnamed little 'zerker.

When this guy came out I had to get him. As an Oldhammer enjoyer I love the guitar bolter and crop top armor 👌

My Dark Apostle, AKA the first time I made hair out of greenstuff. The Ultramarine arm on his base was cannibalized from an Ebay rescue I couldn't save.

His companion, an equally shiny Warp Talon. I always use Testors dark red metal flake enamel for my Word Bearers.

[Continued in next post]

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