Sunday, February 21, 2010

Workbench Update: Dollar Store Horror

If you're married this little scenario will ring true with you. All men, in every country around the world, are used to spending time in shops waiting for their wives to do whatever it is that they are doing. Today, I was lucky enough to have a very brief wait on my hands while we were at Dollarama (a Canadian dollar store) and I came upon a few goodies.

I stumbled upon these very Gothic-ish statues for $1.00 each. I realize that they are a little large (I threw in a 28mm ghost for scale), but I thought for three bucks I'll lay them out as some long forgotten monument in Eastern Europe.


I was also looking at all of these various wooden boxes for $1.25 each. I was in the store stacking them and arranging them next to each other (much to the suspicion of fellow shoppers) when I had a brainstorm.


After an hour of sawing, cutting, and cackling in the basement, here's the basic idea I've come up with. when the finish work and the painting is done I think it will stand in nicely as Grunberg's Lunatic Asylum for the Criminally Insane. Furthermore, since I'm currently painting some escaped asylum inmates for my werewolf warband, I thought that it would only be fitting to have somewhere for them to escape from.


I plan on using one of the leftover box lids to make another mausoleum to add to the Old Graveyard (which is all done now incidentally). After that, I'll probably calm down on the terrain. Then again, I may not. I tend to be like a dog with a bone when I get at these projects.

As a final aside (and in a desperate cry for attention), I am very excited to announce that I've had my first article published in a geek-worthy journal. My article, Medieval Mercenaries: Free Companies in Impetus was published in issue #40 of Dadi & Piombo, Italy's premiere wargaming magazine. The article provides a brief overview of the Free Companies and discusses the painting and playing of a Free Company article in Impetus. Even more exciting, the official Free Company army list is rolled out at the end of the article.

Hopefully I'll have the opportunity to submit more articles to such magazines in the future. For me, writing (as well as blogging for you fine folks) is a part of this hobby that I find just as enjoyable as modelling, painting, and gaming.

Thanks for reading,
JET

4 comments:

Bob Barnetson said...

Congrats on the magazine pub! You might also try Henry and Battlegames (little fantasy content--a horror painting article might be neat to see) and Andrew at Miniature Wargames.

jmilesr said...

Congrats on your article. How was the Italian translation process?

I like the wooden box / asylum idea - very creative. I find cake decorating departments in larger cooking stores to be equally fun in finding cheap terrain gems

JET (aka Jason) said...

The Italian translation process was effortless on my part. I believe the editor sent one email to clarify my English, but other than that it was all handled on their end.

Forge said...

Congrats on the article! I've been reading "The Devil's Broker" a bio of Hawkwood and just started building a Free Copmany army in 1/72. So count me in on the Free Company bandwagon. I'll have to pick a copy of D&P #40!