"The Black Major Carries Out Baron Ironblood's Orders Without Question."

"Wipe out the Americans! Raise the Black Flag! No quarter, and no prisoners!"

This 28mm scale metal model of Commander Kuro is produced by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" and was sculpted by Ari Níelsson as part of the company's range of figures set in an alternative 1985 where Britain has been "occupied by a communist eastern power bloc." However, the miniature is also a dead likeness of the "Action Force" villain Black Major, so will resultantly portray the "brilliant military commander and tactician" on my "G.I. Joe" tabletop.

Undercoated using a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Warlord Games" Pitch Black, the figure was heavily dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal and then had his boots layered with "Citadel" Abaddon Black. I next applied a little "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna to his belt pouches so as to break up the dastardly fiend's dark palette and shaded them with some "Citadel" Nuln Oil."

"Stop right there! Sea Devil."

I also applied a dollop of "Vallejo" Gunmetal to the "totally emotionless" evil-doer's belt buckle and cap badge. I was going to additionally use this colour on the Major's twin pistols. But in the end went with some "Scalecolor" Thrash Metal instead. All of these areas, along with the former Royal Marine's uniform, were subsequently well and truly sploshed in "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

As a final(ish) touch I 'picked out' the model's shoulder-pads, epaulettes and cap with a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, before gently giving them a careful dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red. I must confess the fellow's right eye probably took as long to 'get right' as the rest of the miniature, due to the sculpt's pose. The villain's outstretched arm made it incredibly difficult to get my brush-tip precisely where it needed to be so as to dab in a pupil (and at the right angle), so it took me an eternity before I was semi-satisfied with how he looked.

"Since when do Sea-Devils have a ship --"

Alongside the first in what is bound to become a rather distracting "G.I. Joe" side-project, I have also completed a couple of old "Doctor Who" figures by "Black Tree Design", which I found loitering around one of the wooden drawers which sit upon my painting desk. To be honest, this particular drawer is absolutely packed full of partially-painted models, so whenever I feel the need for some spontaneous inspiration I'm bound to take a peek inside.

The two 28mm Sea Devils form part of the DW1015 Sea Devils boxed set, and were primed in "Vallejo" Verdigris, washed with "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade, and then roughly highlighted back up with (more) "Vallejo" Verdigris. Their webbed feet, arms and heads were later given a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, before their belts received a little "Two Thin Coats" White Star and "Vallejo" Pale Grey.