"Well... Not Bad!"

"At least the mask should spare me any personal embarrassment."

This 28mm scale pre-painted plastic model of Monica Rambeau was produced by “Wizkids” and is miniature number 210 from their Marvel “Heroclix” Sinister range. Able to convert her body mass into any form of energy of the electromagnetic spectrum, Captain Marvel was created by Roger Stern, John Romita Junior for the August 1982 Annual of "Amazing Spider-Man" by "Marvel Comics".

Mercilessly clipped from the figure's 'clicky' base and super-glued upon a plastic 25mm circular base, the harbor patrol officer was given a couple of licks of "Vallejo" White and splash of some heavily watered-down of Carchardon Grey by Two Thin Coats”. She was then enthusiastically dry-brushed with "Two Thin Coats" White Star, before having her black leggings and hair 'picked out' with "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

"Big Mr Tong" WIPs - This Laputian Robot Trooper has been primed, base-layered and shaded

I also attempted to apply a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to her lower face, as well as give the Avenger's former chairwoman some eyes with a little "Citadel" Abaddon Black. However, despite trying to make my acrylic coats thin, the figure's thick pre-paint job had already decimated any trace of detail on the super-hero's head; including her eye sockets. Indeed, to my alarm I actually noticed some of my layers starting to crack and flake over the top of the model's original goopy pigmentation.

I therefore decided to simply leave well enough alone, and focus upon placing a small black star from US-112 US Armour Stars w/Stencilled & Solid Circles by "Decal Details" on Monica's chest. This wasn't quite the emblem Captain Marvel usually sported. But I hoped due to the sculpt's overshadowing pose, that it would suffice - and that perhaps at some point in the future I might attempt to improve upon it with a few thin lines of "Citadel" Abaddon Black. Disappointingly though, there was no way I could apply the transfer in the right place without it disintegrating, so for the second time I gave up upon a notion for Monica's miniature in order to retain my sanity.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - These Space Marines have been primed and shaded

Overall, this has to be one of the most frustrating models I've ever put my brush-tip too, and having initially been seen as a 'quick win' to help get my hobby mojo back, has actually turned out to have caused me to lose even more enthusiasm. If I can source a second copy of the miniature I may well try again at some point, as Rambeau is one of my favourite comic book characters from the Eighties, even if the New York City-based publisher has desperately attempted to retcon her origin story so as to better suit her modern-day exploits as the woeful Photon.

Thankfully, my aforementioned trials and tribulations haven't completed eradicated my hobby time, as I have made some progress on a pair of 28mm scale Laputian Robot Troopers by "Big Mr Tong". Furthermore, I've found a little time to dilly-dally with some more Sons Of Horus Space Marines by "Games Workshop" for my Horus Heresy traitor's legion...

(Lead) Mountain Musings - Monster May(hem) 2024

'A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, and mythology.'

As I'm currently struggling with my hobby mojo somewhat, I felt it might be prudent to forgo trying to focus upon one (or two) specific manufacturers this month, and simply join the colossal carnage which is the Angry Piper's annual "Monster May(hem)" challenge over on his marvellously titled "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog. This will hopefully help recharge my ailing batteries and potentially make some big circular base-shaped holes on my painting table.

In addition, the move may jump-start my flagging interest in 3D printing, which has perhaps unsurprisingly stalled on account of all the STL (Standard Triangle Language) files I currently collect monthly from the various subscription services I support on both "Patreon" and "Tribes". Obviously as mere digital sculpts my backlog is effectively 'out of sight and out of mind' - at least until I visit my library on "MyMiniFactory". But I also have a few boxes stacked full of grey-coloured cured resin ready for a lick from my brush-tip as well - a visible deterrent if ever there was one for producing anything more.

"Big Mr Tong" WIPs - This Laputian Robot Trooper has been primed, base-layered and shaded

As a result I have already hooked out a few big beasties to pigment over the next four weeks. The rules for the challenge are quite simple in that "any monster will do", regardless of it being a non-fantasy figure or sized at any particular scale. To begin with I therefore thought I might see how quickly I can progress a couple more 28mm scale Laputian Robot Troopers by "Big Mr Tong". I first printed/painted one of these mechanical monstrosities back in November 2023, and have frankly been itching to get some more tabletop ready ever since.

I actually own various variants of the giant automatons which featured in Hayao Miyazaki's 1986 Japanese animated fantasy adventure film "Laputa: Castle in the Sky", so certainly wouldn't be adverse to working my through the rest of the range if, in the long run, it actually helps build up my motivation to chip away at my perilously tall pile of potential. Likewise, I have a thriving menagerie of creatures previously produced from the STL stalls of "Artisan Guild" and "Titan Forge Miniatures", which I aim to at least pick away at whenever the fancy takes me too.

April 2024 - "Black Tree Design" continues to dominant due to my interest in "Doctor Who"

To be fair April has traditionally always been a time of low productivity in my personal hobbying, as I've usually only just come off the back of a tiring three-month battle to attain my target tally in the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC). However, as I left that event much earlier than usual this time round, I had hoped that there might have been a bit more air still left in my sails to finally finish off a few long-lingering projects, or at least get a couple more Napoleonics completed.

As for the future I don't sadly see anything particularly grabbing my attention and sending me into a furious paint-brush wielding frenzy. I have rather naughtily picked up some reinforcements for my "Horus Heresy" army, as well as a few more miniatures from the seemingly relentless figure factory known as "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio". But all these models have been 'safely packed away' so they don't impinge upon the long line of "Games Workshop" and "7TV" inspired miniatures I already have snaking their way across my hobby table.