Massacring Mendicant

Groo the Wanderer
25mm

I loved Groo comics when I was a kid.  I didn't own many but the public library, always mindful of of literary demand, stocked a decent supply. The combination of Sergio Aragonés' distinctive art, murderous slapstick, and ridiculous storylines about the adventures of a total idiot really hit the spot for adolescent me.

I have no idea where I got this figure.  It was presumably either a trade, or I found it in the miscellaneous figures box at my local FLGS (or as they tended then, "smelly nerd cave").  I don't remember ever seeing any of the other Dark Horse Miniatures figures in person... They're all worth a lot of money now, so I'm unlikely to try and expand my collection.

Rufferto, Groo, Chakaal, Sage, Minstrel.  This set would probably
cost a couple of hundred dollars... if anyone would sell it.

"Did you just call Groo a... MENDICANT?!"

Inspector Deck

Cyberspace Operator
15 mm

I move through the third world
my third eye's the guiding light
Invite the fight, we all die tonight

Whether they're carrying out a mission on the mean streets or moving through the world of the 'Net, an operator has to be a lightning-fast expert at fighting and hacking.  Their skills with a cyberspace deck and advanced weaponry are the difference between executing reconnaissance, theft, or delivery without a trace... and being just another dead console cowboy.

The Operator is a minor conversion of Duxis Drone Pilot from The Ion Age.

"Streets are like a jungle, can't let my cypher crumble..."

Barbarian Guardian of Eternia

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
28 mm

I'm the master of the world I have no fear of man or beast
Born inside the soul of the world
Riding hard breaking bone with steel and stone
Eternal might I was born to wield.

He-Man! Eternia's greatest hero! Is he a wandering tribesman who was imbued with the power of Castle Greyskull, or is he a noble prince who assumes a secret identity to defend his kingdom?  Only his most trusted companions know for sure...

"Go Herc! Go Herc!"
"Wrong cartoon, buddy, but I appreciate the vote of confidence!"

He-Man is a Quest Miniatures figure.  His base is a custom addition I made, inspired by collectible statuettes like this. I felt that, like Skeletor, his hunched pose needed a height boost so he wasn't crouching below the other characters. I think the result is suitably heroic!

I think this is easily the most ambitious 28mm painting project I've ever undertaken: a group of figures all painted to the highest standard I could manage.  It's been a real challenge, and a satisfying one to finally complete. And definitely a nostalgia trip...

Scruffy sleuth

Harry Salami, PI
15 mm

End of the Road
A Harry Salami Mystery
By Burt Hardcastle
Harry Salami's back, in a gripping new mystery from the author of  the bestselling "Cat's Game".  A millionaire land tycoon's wife has gone missing, and though the police have dropped the case, her sister believes she's no runaway bride.  It's up to Harry to find the truth, in a town where truth is scarcer than a stiff drink. Can he survive a web of intrigue that leads... all the way to the top?

"Harry Salami" is a name my kids came up with once, which I spun into a rambling mystery tale told on a dull car trip. Naturally I made him a noir detective, complete with jaded monologue and dubious business practices.  They still don't know why the name is so funny... :)

Harry is a lightly-converted Khurasan figure.

At an old factory outside of town, Harry hears a faint voice: "Is.. someone there? Help!"

Murphy's Law

RoboCop
15 mm

"My program will not allow me to act against an officer of this company".

Another Khurasan figure painted as a favour.  I tried for a subtle purple ambient light effect as requested, but it's hard to see.  Maybe the reflection of red/blue police lights?

"No sense of humour, huh Pinocchio?"

Big City Clown

The Joker
15mm

"It's not about the money... it's about sending a message."

I painted the "clown prince of crime" in Gotham city for an online friend... The figure is a Khurasan gangster.

"This town needs an enema!"

A Touch of Evil

Evil-Lyn
28 mm

Without warning you're here
Like magic you appear
I taste the fear

If Skeletor is the magical brawn among Eternia's villains, Evil-Lyn is the brains.  Though a lesser sorcerer in terms of raw power, she's nevertheless much more intelligent than Skeletor, and is more than willing to work on her own or even secretly against him to further her own self-interest.  Her staff allows her to channel her dark magic into powerful energy blasts.

Evil-Lyn is a Quest Miniatures figure.

"You know, hero, if we set aside our differences, we could get something we both want..."
"Uh... Pockets?"
"Pockets!"

Gaslands Power Trip

Gaslands electrical van
approx. 20mm scale

Danger, danger
High voltage
When we touch, when we kiss
Danger, danger
High voltage
When we touch, when we kiss, when we touch

All sorts of vehicles end up on the dangerous roads of Gaslands... this one seems to be a common utility van that's been armed with a potent but experimental Arc Lighting Projector! Stranger things have happened...

(Yes, it's absolutely based on the government van that Eleven flips over in "Stranger Things" S1).  Stuff I like about this project: its weapon is a Zoids part that has literally sat in my bitz box for 30 years :) Stuff I don't like so much: my terrible freehand lettering skills are on full display... :(

I also dug into my stash of printed materials and whipped up a basic gasoline storage tank terrain piece or objective marker (I actually have no idea if Gaslands uses these).

Petit painter

Centaur archer
28mm

In a fit of anti-materialism I asked for nothing for Christmas, so Painting Agency won't be featuring the popular "seasonal haul" type post.  But... this happened!

She asked for some "little men", and we got her two Nolzur's minis and her own #2 brush.  To say I'm proud is an understatement :D

Gaslands Jet Set

Gaslands cars
approx. 20mm scale

Raise the sights, the city lights are calling
We're hot tonight, the time is right, there's nitro in the air
In the street is where we'll meet, we're warning
On the beat, we won't retreat, beware

Thousands of cars and a million guitars
Screaming with power in the air
We've found the place where the decibels race
This army of rock will be there

"Go Fasta"

"Hornet":

I don't play Gaslands, but a few things came together and prompted me to have a go at this thrifty flavour of post-apocalyptic modeling.  Over at Sho3box, he's been Gasland-ing the entire Hot Wheels holiday calendar one day at a time... couple that with me being out toy shopping for Christmas, and it was pretty much inevitable.

To try and have a bit of a theme, I picked up two cars with a little... extra in the propulsion department: the "Custom El Camino" and the "2 Jet Z". Sho3box's quick and surprisingly effective conversion protocol leaves the original paintjob intact and adds weathering, but since both these cars lacked colour, I primed and totally repainted them.  Weapons and other additions are from my bitz box (though conversion sprues are available). Results: very satisfactory.  Ready to go hunting in the wastelands!

We have the apocalypse in Ontario, too ;D

(The road signs are from the Ontario government Driver's Handbook website, printed to suitable size. So easy!)

Spectral Sidekick

Orko
28 mm scale

While his magical abilities are notoriously inept, the Trollan creature known as Orko does often aid Eternia's defenders with his bravery, and by producing a shocking array of useful items from beneath his mysterious hat.

Orko was a surprise bonus figure included in my order from Quest Miniatures.  I gave him a bit of a mysterious "Jawa" look here :)

Festive Freebooters

Holiday smugglers
15 mm

Sandy "Claus" Klosowicz and her colleague "Elf" are some of the best smugglers in human space.  While they do work for profit, some of their most legendary runs have been humanitarian missions on behalf of aid and relief organizations.  Their delivery of tons of military-grade peptide bars and medical nanites is believed to have saved thousands during the pirate blockade of Hydra 357 Prime.  Many children, and their parents, at struggling bare-bones colony outposts dream of seeing these folk heroes' freighter landing one day, bringing supplies, food and even small luxuries from the core worlds.

Sandy and Elf are Ion Age figures from Alternative Armies.

Some dropoffs can get a bit hairy...

Harry Cryptid

Bigfoot
28mm scale*

Bigfoot, or the sasquatch, is one of the best-known North American "cryptids" or animals that are claimed but not proven to exist.  Almost everyone has probably seen the classic photo, which is a still from the "Patterson-Gimlin film" supposedly showing a large ape-like bipedal creature walking along a river gorge.

Totally not a guy in a rented gorilla suit.

The creature is an American icon, appearing in countless media and with statues showing up in countless parks, businesses, and tourist attractions. It's even made forays into politics.  As for whether it truly exists or not, according to well-known primatologist Jane Goodall, "maybe they don't exist, but I want them to"... which is good enough for me.

"They told me you were all right, Jane."

This Bears Head Miniatures figure is a great version, nicely combining the loping gait of the classic imagery with a slightly more human-like "Harry and the Hendersons" style face and hands. 

(* At 55mm tall, its scale may depend on exactly how BIG you think Bigfoot should be...)

Ossuary Overlord

Skeletor
28 mm

Dust rise, right on over my time
Empty fossil of the new scene
I feel so alone
Gonna end up a big ole pile of them bones

Skeletor... The most villainous, if not the most competent, villain in all of Eternia!  Is he a lich?  A necromancer?  A demon?  A guy wearing a mask?  Nobody knows for sure... But he will not stop his evil plotting until the most potent magic of all - the power of Castle Greyskull - is his to command!

Skeletor is a Quest Miniatures MOTU figure. I modified his booted feet to bare ones, and gave him bracers to reinforce a somewhat sketchy pinning job on his left wrist.

"Uh... I guess you've been going to the gym."

There's so much I could say about this guy... but really, he speaks for himself...