Final “Retro Raygun” Logos

                               

I just received the final color versions of the “Retro Raygun” logos from the talented graphic designer Leigh Shaw. The logos were designed with transparent backgrounds so I can place them on any image. I did two tests with the logos on some space backgrounds. I really love these logos—-You rock, Leigh!

Retro Raygun: More Robot Goodness

                            

I’ve started a new robot sculpt for the “Retro Raygun” range. This sculpt is slightly larger than a human and would probably be 7 feet tall in real life. For this figure, I’m using classic ’50s robot proportions: long skinny limbs, large head and a bulky body. The robot is sculpted from a mixture of brown and green kneadatite. The armature (skeleton) is made from copper wire and the ball joints are hematite beads. When using organic rubber molds, all parts of the master model must be made from materials that can withstand 325 degrees F. However, you can use plastic and other materials in the newer vulcanizable silicone molds.

For this figure, I plan to have 2-3 poses. I also want to create two different heads and possibly two different rayguns.

Other News:

I recived quite a few e-mails wondering if I would be sculpting new poses for the herbivore (protosaur) spearman. Good News—last night I also started the herbivore spearman conversions. I’ll post photos of the protosaur conversion sculpts when finished.

Galacteers to the rescue!!

Today I’ve decided to post photos of two more miniatures for the “Retro Raygun” range. These figures are based on some 1950’s space cadets toys I found at a garage sale. They represent two of the five main space patrolmen characters known as the Galacteers. The photo shows the “greens” for the main female heroine and the large, oafish second-in-command.

These figures are larger than the typical 28mm wargaming figure with the female space trooper standing 33mm tall and the large male trooper standing 39mm tall. However, these miniatures mix perfectly with the wonderful figures from Wargames Supply Dump’s “Dirk Garrison” range. In addition, my figures should mix well with an excellent new range of Pulp Sci-Fi figures from a new company called Killer B Games (no website at the time of this post.) Killer B is making a range of figures with a hero called Captain Gamma and his team will be fighting the Mecha Men. Although the concept sounds similar to mine, the robots are extremely different and very cool.

                             

These Galacteer sculpts are 90% finished but some minor areas need to be completed. I am still not very good at human faces, so I used pre-cast heads from Hasslefree Miniatures instead. These heads are “open source” and can be used commercially. I eventually intend to work on improving my face sculpting, but I wanted to focus my time on sculpting creatures, robots and other critters. In addition, the heavy raygun carried by the “brick” was created from metal conversion parts for O-scale model railroads. Did you recognize the brass train horns used for the muzzle of the raygun?

Future miniatures from the Galacteer range will include Capt. Ace McGuire, a yet to be named pot bellied scientist/tinkerer, and their space monkey companion Comet. I also plan to sculpt 3-5 Junior Galacteers to serve as rank and file “red shirts.” I’ll post photos as they near completion.

New Pulp Logo Concepts

I just received some logo concept art for my pulp sci-fi “Retro Raygun” range. The logos from a graphic designer named Leigh whom I met on The Miniatures Page (TMP). He is an avid Sci-Fi gamer and lives in the UK.

I really like all of his logo concepts, but haven’t settled on one yet. I’m really curious to see what you all have to say about them. Click on the thumbnails to view the full images:
 

I like Logo #1 quite a bit—it captures the pulp flavor. Maybe the raygun should be a black silhouette and the lightning bolt should be a lighter color.

Logo #3 is also a strong contender. I feel the font on Logo #3 is very exciting and I really like the graphic raygun. The only problem is the size and position of the raygun. Maybe the raygun in #3 could be on an angle, reduced in size, and placed in an oval frame.

Logo #2 is my least favorite, but it is still strong–the logo looks like it could be a patch on the uniform of a ’50’s space cadet.

For the final color version, I think the most appropriate pulp colors are red, yellow, black and silver metallic.

All these logo concept images are very cool, but I’d love to hear some other opinions. Go ahead and post a comment or e-mail me at Artbeau@aol.com.

Destroy all Humans!!!

I’m not just interested in prehisoric fantasy warfare. My other range of figures is called “Retro Raygun.” This range of pulp sci-fi miniatures are based on the books, comics, movies and toys of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. I intend to release the miniatures in sets or episodes. The first wave or “episode” will be entitled “Ace McGuire and the Legions of the Robot Queen.”

The robot pictured below is still a work in progress. It still needs more refining—panel lines, metal trim, and rivets. It is sculpted from a mixture of brown and green kneadatite–these are the best putties for making hard-edged sculpts. The sculpt stands 70mm tall and is inspired by the robots in “Sky Captain” and one of my son Adam’s favorite movies “The Iron Giant.” I’ve only sculpted one arm since it is universal and will be “cloned” in the master mold. I’d love to see the finshed casting painted in a brushed steel non-metallic metal (NMM) technique.  I’m thinking about a variant kit that may include a jet pack, arms with fists, and various heads.

Bugs!

Today we have another batch of photos of painted examples of figures that I plan to release through my company Hydra Miniatures. These photos show a huge version of a Kithix hunter for my prehistoric-fantasy game tentatively titled “Primal Instinct.” The Kithix are a race of bipedal warrior bugs that use weapons fashioned from wood, chitin, and bone. The Kithix hunters are the largest, most fearsome bugs of the tribe and their limbs end in deadly bladelike tips, similar to a mantis or an assassin bug.

The miniature stands 45mm high from the feet to the top of the carapace. This lead-free pewter miniature has a cast-on, integral base and consists of 6 pieces. Ball joints allow the pose to be altered slightly during assembly.

Behold the Kithix hunter:

 

Herbivore spearmen production molds

Last weekend I had the opportunity to make a production mold with my new friend Andy from Dark Platypus Studios (www.dark-platypus.com.) Andy has a great moldmaking tutorial on his website. The production mold is made from organic rubber discs. Trenches are cut in the rubber for metal master castings and the mold halves are placed together into a vulcanizer. The mold is heated to over 300 degrees and 3,000 pounds of pressure are applied for 90 minutes. The organic rubber liquefies and flows into the crevasses, picking up every detail. Once the mold has cooled, vents and pouring gates are cut into the rubber. The mold is loaded into the spin caster and molten pewter is poured into the mold as it is spun. After a few minutes, the mold halves are separated and the metal castings are removed. Since the mold has 10 cavities, we had over 50 figures in less than 15 minutes. Andy is a great teacher and it was cool to participate in the moldmaking and casting process. Thanks a lot for the great learning experience, Andy.
Here are some photos:

Both halves of the production mold

Mold half–notice the pouring gates and air vents

Finshed castings of the herbivore spearmen.

Here are some painted versions of the herbivore spearman for my upcoming prehistoric-fantasy game “Primal Instinct.” The carnivorous saurian race called the Rog use the herbivore slave soldiers as expendable troops. They are herded out by cruel herd masters en mass with their spears to meet almost certain death. When the herbivores are not being used in combat, they are fattened-up for use as food by the carnivorous Rog tribesmen. Just consider them “battle cattle.”

Final version of Hydra Miniatures logo

 

I finally decided on a new font for the Hydra Miniatures logo. I showed a variety of test logos to my friends and other artists, and this is the one that everyone like best. Now we have to make the color versions for the website and print.

The Origin of an Obsession

When I purchased my first box of Grenadier AD&D figures over 25 years ago, I had no idea how these lead miniatures were created. As I gleefully slopped paint onto my orcs, knights, and skeleton warriors, it never occured to me that an artist actually sculpted prototype models of them at actual size. During the D&D years, I just continued buying more figures from now-defunct manufacturers such as Hertitage, Grenadier, Ral Partha, Dragontooth, Broadsword, and Superior.

In 1987, I saw an ad in Dragon Magazine for new sci-fi figures. Photos of beak-headed humans in dark blue power armor and bilious green orcs with machine guns captured my imagination. I had always loved miniatures, but considered myself to be a roleplayer. However, my gaming group had disbanded, but my passion for miniatures persisted. When I saw the Warhammer 40k ad, I knew I had been hooked into a new hobby–miniature wargaming. I began to collect both Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40K figures. I loved reading White Dwarf and was fascinated by the painting and modelling articles. When I finally saw photos of upcoming “greens”, it finally occurred to me that artists were responsible for sculpting them and I wanted to learn how to do it too.

Years later at Gen Con in the mid 90’s, I met many of the artists who had sculpted the same miniatures I had been painting. These sculptors were all eager to share their techniques with me and I began to sculpt my own miniatures. At first, my pieces were pretty crude, but my skills improved.

In 2001, I was hooked on a new wargame called Slaughterloo from Alternative Armies. I decided to sculpt some troops that were not yet produced. Although the troops were initially intended for personal use, I realized that AA might actually be interested in producing them. I sent AA an e-mail with some photos of my figs and I went on to sculpt nearly 50 figures for their Flintloque/Slaughterloo range. After freelancing for AA, I eventually sculpted figures for two of my other favorite games–Warzone and Chronopia.

However, I’ve always wanted to sculpt my own unique designs instead of creating figs based on other people’s images and concepts. I’ve been working on and off for the past few years on my own pieces, and feel now is the time to finally launch my own company–Hydra Miniatures.

Why did I choose the name Hydra Miniatures?

The name Hydra is easy to spell, easy to remember, and is very evocative. It easily conjures images of a serpentine mythical beast or a species of multi-headed alien invaders. However, the name also has another connotation. Just as the mythical Hydra has many heads, my mind is filled with many different ideas for miniature ranges—fantasy, sci-fi, and even historical. However, I made a pledge to myself that I would only create figure ranges that interested me. If I wanted to make a quick buck, I could always sculpt another Geiger alien knockoff, another rampaging orc, or another Roman legionnaire, but what’s the point? These subjects are overdone, played-out, and cliche’. We are living in the Golden Age of miniatures, and it’s my time to make my own unique contribution to it.

This blog will document the creative process for designing, sculpting and manufacturing metal wargaming miniatures. I will also give a insiders view into the business of running a miniature company and will share my successes and my failures with you as they occur. Finally, I will share my views on art, culture and politics as they relate to miniature gaming.

It’s going to be an exciting ride as I approach the launch date of Hydra Miniatures and I hope you’ll find it interesting as well.

Welcome to the Hydra’s Lair!