"Information About Doop's Origins..."

"...As with anything else about him, is difficult to verify."

This 40mm scale model of Doop is manufactured by "CoolMiniOrNot", and was unlocked during the company's highly successful April 2021 Kickstarter for "Marvel United: X-Men" when it achieved an incredible $5,988,089 in funding. Created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred, "everyone's favourite talking blob" (and his hero cards) can be found in the boardgame's Season Two Promo Box.

Produced in a light blue hard plastic, the X-Force's official videographer was primed using a mixture of "Citadel" Abaddon Black and Ethereal Green by "Two Thin Coats". The artificial being's rubble-strewn base was then layered in "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and finally dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey.

"CoolMiniOrNot"WIPs - Korg is being painted from the base upwards

I then began working on the sculpt's camera equipment by patiently picking out all its metallic components with a smidgeon or two of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and a splash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil. In addition, I managed to get a dollop of "Vallejo" Heavy Red onto the actual shutter button, and later darken it with a bit of "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. 

Doop himself was washed using plenty of "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green, before being dry-brushed with (more) Ethereal Green by "Two Thin Coats". The ally of Howard the Duck's X-Symbol was subsequently carefully traced out with some "Citadel" Abaddon Black. I did consider adding a little dark green to the emblem - as seen in a couple of the comic books. But in the end decided to leave it plain - which seemed to be the predominant canon colour scheme. However, I was convinced to add a little "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson" to the Krakoan's eyes, as well as dot the pupils with "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

"Atomic Mass Games" WIPs - Count Dooku is almost finished

Sticking with my plan to paint a number of these Marvel United gaming pieces to use with the Marvel Multiverse RPG, I have set to work on Korg. The Kronan gladiator is one of the first allies encountered in the MMRPG's Escape From Planet Hulk Starter Set, so before I dive into that beginner's adventure I thought I'd better get him tabletop ready.

Furthermore, I've managed to make a little more progress on my aspiration to paint several of the figures from Star Wars: Shatterpoint by "Atomic Mass Games". To begin with I plan to simply focus upon a few of my favourite characters from the Prequel Trilogy, starting with Sir Christopher Lee's Count Dooku. I really don't know how many of these rather expensive plastic 40mm miniatures I'll get finished. But I currently own eight of the multi-part models, so would certainly like to get them done before I purchase any more...

"It's Never Felt So Good..."

"...To feel so angry."

This 40mm scale model of Red Hulk was produced by "CoolMiniOrNot", and unlocked during the company's highly successful January 2023 Kickstarter for "Marvel United: Multiverse" when it achieved an incredible $4,787,626 in funding. Created by Joseph Loeb and Ed McGuiness, the anti-hero figure (and his respective hero/villain cards) can be found in the boardgame's Season Three Promo Box.

Produced in purple hard plastic, Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross's alter-ego was primed using a mixture of "Citadel" Abaddon Black and "Vallejo" Heavy Red. The former US military general's trousers were then dry-brushed with some "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal, before the entire miniature was drenched in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. As a final step to this stage, I later carefully dry-brushed all of the model's flesh with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - Doop now just needs a little tidying up before being finished

With the basics now finished, I set about 'picking out' some of the sculpt's details. As a result, the figure's eyes were first dotted with a little "White Star" by "Two Thin Coats", and subsequently spotted with a smidgeon of Skulker Yellow and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade. Furthermore, the Red Hulk's hair and moustache were given a lick of "Vallejo" Neutral Grey (so as to provide a little contrast to his "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey base), and sploshed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Lastly, these areas were patiently dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Neutral Grey.

I did consider giving the super-strong brute's fingernails a quick layer of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, just like I did way back in 2019 on my "Heroclix" Red Hulk. However, there was some disconcerting 'flash' covering these details on my miniature, so I felt leaving things alone would be the wisest (and sanest) course of action on this occasion. Instead, I simply plonked a little "Vallejo" Dark Vermillion over Thunderbolt's tongue, and darkened it down with a dash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Atomic Mass Games" WIPs - Count Dooku is being painted from the boots up

Alongside the General, I have also made some more progress on the co-operative boardgame's figure of Doop. The actual X-Force videographer himself is a pretty straightforward project, albeit I'm not a fan of the comic book incarceration's red eyes - preferring them to be plain black. But there is a ton of detail on the quirky-looking character's camera which I've been patiently working through.

Furthermore, I've finally decided to take a little leap into the world of Star Wars: Shatterpoint by "Atomic Mass Games". I don't actually own the core set, nor have any intention of doing so. However, as Sir Christopher Lee's Count Dooku is by far my favourite villain from "a galaxy far, far away". I simply couldn't resist picking Darth Tyranus up...

"Ripley, We Have To Talk."

 "We've lost contact with the colony on LV-426."

This trio of 10mm scale metal Xenomorphs are sold by “Pendraken Miniatures” as either a pack of five single-pose sculpts under the code SFC2 Medium Creature Type 2, or as part of their SFC-AP Alien Creatures Army Pack. However, the sculpts are much closer to 15mm scale (from head to tail-tip) than 1/150th scale, so will rather conveniently mingle alongside my growing collection of deadly extra-terrestrials by "Ground Zero Games" rather than form part of a separately sized nest of the space "serpents".

In addition, I actually began working on these models a good few weeks ago, so they would contribute to last month's Monster May(hem) Challenge over on the "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog, as H.R. Giger's creation for the 1979 film "Alien" is still widely regarded as the most famous science-fiction monster of all time. However, an unexpected and rather disconcerting disinterest in any painting whatsoever completely ruined that cunning plan, so I figured I would simply just get the three xenomorphs tabletop ready now instead.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - The Red Hulk, Spider-Man (Miles Morales) and Korg

The miniatures themselves were understandably dead simple to pigment, thanks largely to the heavy-lifting being achieved via an undercoat of "Citadel" Abaddon Black. The aliens were then dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, liberally sploshed in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and later had their domed-heads touched up with a smidgeon (more) of Abaddon Black, so as to make them slightly stand out from the rest of each horrifying creature.

So straightforward a paint-job has also given me plenty more time to work on some of the "CoolMiniOr Not" figures I want to use for my foray into the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game (MMRPG). I have been desperately trying to stick to five of the six central super-heroes found in the rule-set's Escape From Planet Hulk Starter Set - namely Captain America, Black Panther, Storm, Spider-Man (Miles Morales), and Wolverine (Laura Kinney), with these "Marvel United" gaming pieces. But frankly, still haven't been able to resist working on a few of my favourite comic book characters as well.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - Doop has been primed, shaded and dry-brushed

Resultantly, I've dug out a load of the figures from the board-game's various expansion boxes, with such notable luminaries as Red Hulk, Sauron, The Thing, Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau), Groot, Sasquatch and Doctor Doom all unhelpfully littering my hobby table. I have also found my model of Korg. The Kronan gladiator plays a 'big' role in the MMRPG opening adventure I plan to play, so will need some tender loving care with my paintbrush if I wish to have him join the protagonists as an ally.

In addition, along with the "Enter Hydra" adventure, some maps, FAQ and Errata, I've found some free MMRPG character sheets online - one of which is for the X-Force videographer Doop. I know absolutely nothing about this extra-dimensional being, so thought it might be fun to have him as a possible team-member (or random encounter) for a future scenario should the opportunity arise...

"We're The United States Of America."

"We only team with winners."

This 40mm scale model of Nicholas Fury (Earth-1610) was produced by "CoolMiniOrNot", and unlocked during the company's highly successful February 2020 Kickstarter for "Marvel United" when it achieved an incredible $2,866,168 in funding. Co-created by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Allred, as well as based upon both the physical likeness and demeanour of actor Samuel L. Jackson, the figure (and his twelve cards) can be found in the boardgame's Season One Promo Box.

Produced in a bright, light blue hard plastic, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. was undercoated with a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Warlord Games" Pitch Black, before being completely layered in "Citadel" Abaddon Black. I then applied some Sword Hilt Burgundy by "Two Thin Coats" to his trousers, sploshed them with "Citadel" Nuln Oil and finally dry-brushed them with (more) "Two Thin Coats" Sword Hilt Burgundy.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - The Black Panther, Storm and the Red Hulk

Admittedly, this colour combination made the tech-savvy, super-spy's pants a little more red than I had intended, having decided to use Adam Kubert's cover artwork for the August 2023 issue of "Fury" by "Marvel Worldwide" as the basis for my palette. But it also really helped break-up the predominantly dark look of the ensemble, so I decided to stick with it. In addition, I pigmented Nick's leg-holster and flesh with "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, and shaded both areas with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

Fury's base was treated to a brush-load or two of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and later dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey. I also picked out the crate the sculpt is standing on with some "Scale 75" Cobalt Alchemy, and a smidgeon (more) "Citadel" Nuln Oil. To be honest I was thinking of leaving the stand at that, as I don't like them to clash too much with the 'main' paint-job. However, as it had a partially-buried S.H.I.E.L.D. emblem on it, I felt it would be a shame if I didn't give it a touch of "Vallejo" Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - X-23, Spider-Man (Miles Morales) and the Black Panther

With the first of this month's planned "Marvel United" boardgame pieces completed, and having received my copy of the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game (MMRPG) Escape From Planet Hulk Starter Set, I've found myself rather enthused to get cracking on several more of the "CoolMiniOrNot" figures - selecting those super-heroes and villains whose statistics can be found inside the MMRPG game box. To that end I've been priming and applying a few base layers to the likes of Black Panther, Spider-Man, Storm, and Wolverine (Laura Kinney).

As ever though, I have found myself a little distracted by some of the other great "Marvel United" models I own, such as Sauron, Red Hulk, Doop and a spare Tyrannosaurus Rex (a.k.a. Devil Dinosaur). Resultantly, these too have been added to my factory-like painting queue, in the hope that I can also get them completed before my current enthusiasm for the project inevitably wanes...  

"Straw Bears May Be Derived From The Medieval Carnival Figure Of The Wild Man."

"They were also interpreted by early folklorists as personifications of Winter."

This 28mm scale metal model of a Strawbear is manufactured by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought individually as MINI 466 from their Folk Horror range. However, the single-cast piece can also be purchased as part of the Lincolnshire-based company's four-figure DEAL 148 Mummer Procession, along with a Hobby Horse, Accordionist and Drummer.

Spookily, having previously purchased a number of these Andrew May sculpts separately, I stumbled upon this particular miniature whilst rummaging through my rewards from the May 2018 "Children of the Fields - Folk Horror 28mm Miniatures" Kickstarter, as it was unlocked as the campaign's £22,000 stretch goal. I therefore decided to quickly add it to my growing Strohbären as I use them as 'generic' Revenants for my games of "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games", and at the time had hoped to use it as an entry into Angry Piper's "Monster May(hem)" monthly challenge over on the "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - Sauron, Baron Zemo and Squirrel Girl

The model was primed using a couple of coats of “Vallejo” Dark Yellow and liberally drenched in “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade. It was then heavily dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” Dark Yellow and a little (lighter-coloured) Buff, before being sporadically splotched using some “Citadel” Reikland Fleshshade and Biel-Tan Green. Finally, all of these colours were blended together with a second dry-brush of (more) “Vallejo” Buff.

With such a straightforward paint-job finished, I have also been able to get cracking on a number of the "CoolMiniOrNot" 40mm plastic super-heroes and villains I plan to pigment this month from their Marvel United boardgame. I was originally planning on using these rather cartoony-looking sculpts for some four-figure-a-side punch-ups based upon "The Silver Bayonet" rule-set by "Osprey Games" (with some homebrew tweaks). However, having spotted the recent release of the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game (MMRPG) Escape From Planet Hulk Starter Set I've had a bit of a rethink.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - Red Hulk, Spider-Man (Miles Morales) and Venom

Indeed, having been a major fan of the 1984 Marvel Super Heroes (MSH) role playing game published by "TSR", I've actually ordered the box. Yet rather than fork out for the Deluxe Edition, which I understand contains some 2D acrylic standees of the six main characters, I thought I'd use my Marvel United miniatures instead - so have dug out Captain America, Spider-Man (Miles Morales), Wolverine, (Laura Kinney), Storm, and Black Panther.

Furthermore, I figured I might as well try to do something similar for my MSH starter scenario too - "Day of the Octopus". Those followers with a long memory will recall I actually somewhat successfully attempted to do this using some "Heroclix" sculpts by "Wizkids" a good while back - and might actually carry that project forwards in the future. However for now, I have plonked Marvel United models of The Thing, Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau) and Spider-Man (Peter Parker) on my painting table to see just where this plan takes me...

"Active Military Service Lasted Ten Years."

"After which began the Reserve duty (Reservedienstpflicht) till the age of forty."

This 28mm scale metal model is sold by “Wargames Foundry", and can be found inside blister AN038 Jaegers 1805-15 Running. The sculpt is one of eight identical Napoleonic marksmen crafted by Michael and Alan Perry, and slightly surprisingly come in two separate pieces - the actual Austrian Light Infantryman with an open right hand, and his firearm.

Due to owning ten of this self-same miniature, following a successful bid on "eBay" late last year, I plan to use the soldier to form an initial, tiny (four-figure) unit of sharpshooters for "Black Powder" by "Warlord Games". I therefore primed him with plenty of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, washed his limbs with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and roughly highlighted them with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, before setting about to replicate the rest of the palette I used upon a test piece early last month.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - Nick Fury is being progressed from the base upwards

After 'blocking out' all the chap's numerous straps with plenty of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, I began tackling the Austrian's rifle, backpack, moustache and hair with a coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna. These areas were subsequently shaded "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I also slowly worked my way through the marksman's cuffs, collar, straps, fancy shoulder ribbon and hat plume using a combination of Wyvern Green by "Two Thin Coats" and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

For the final steps, I applied a few licks of "Two Thin Coats" Cold Corpse Blue on the Jaeger's sleeping bag, and some well-placed dollops of "Vallejo" Gunmetal upon both his gun barrel and drinking canteen. All of these areas were later washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Lastly, I applied a smidgeon of "Vallejo" Gold to the soldier's coat buttons, sabre handle and hat crest, before darkening down the metallic paint's vibrancy with a dash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIP - This Tyrannosaurus Rex's stand has been base-layered and shaded 

I had actually been hoping to get at least one or two more of this particular sculpt completed by now. But have found my enthusiasm for the miniature (and my Napoleonic project in general) to have been severely dampened by an issue with my "Vallejo" Matt Varnish. For some reason the damn product covered the infantryman with very visible white speckles, which meant I had to repaint much of the model before I could base him. This left a very unpleasant taste in my mouth, and essentially killed my desire to get the remaining two sharpshooters finished in the short term.

Fortunately, I have found my hobby mojo to have slightly returned thanks to working on a couple of 40mm plastic super-heroes by "CoolMiniOrNot". These models are supposed to be for the board-game "Marvel United". But I have other plans for Nick Fury and the (not Devil) Dinosaur involving "The Silver Bayonet" rule-set by "Osprey Games" and some homebrew amendments...

(Lead) Mountain Musings - "CoolMiniOrNot" June 2025

"In Marvel United, players must work together to stop the plans of an evil Super-villain."

After a pretty miserable May where I frankly painted next to nothing, I thought I'd try to remotivate myself by tackling a number of half-finished 40mm plastic super-heroes and villains by "CoolMiniOrNot". This will certainly help clear a little space on my hobby table as I rather embarrassingly own a fair few of these Marvel United gaming pieces, having decided to 'invest' in the range rather than purchase any more "Heroclix" figures, or those outrageously expensive models produced by "Atomic Mass Games" for Marvel Crisis Protocol.

Furthermore, I aim to complete all the various creatures by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" I began assembling and priming for Angry Piper's "Monster May(hem)" monthly challenge over on the "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog. Obviously that particular event is now over. However, as I only managed to pigment a single entry for it, I thought I should at least conclude what I started - as opposed to my usual tactic of just sticking the things in a drawer, or plonking them on a shelf simply to gather dust.

"The United Nations called upon Argentina and the United Kingdom to reach a settlement of the sovereignty dispute."

With this mental attitude in mind, I have also finished five more 10mm metal British soldiers by "Pendraken Miniatures" which form part of the company's Falklands British Army Pack. Consisting of a single figure from the following codes: FLB20 - Advancing with SLR, helmet, FLB21 - Advancing under fire, helmet, FLB22 - Kneeling, firing SLR, helmet, FLB23 - Standing, firing SLR, helmet, and FLB24 - Standing, firing SMG, helmet, the quintet were super-glued onto a 30mm x 40mm plastic base.

The models were all undercoated with a couple of layers of "Vallejo" Heavy Grey, and drowned in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I then dry-brushed them with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Grey, and patiently 'picked out' all their boots, hands, faces and weapons using "Citadel" Abaddon Black. For the troopers' skin I applied a little drop of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone, followed this up with a dash of "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade, and ended the process with a small highlight of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone. 

May 2025 - "Athena Miniatures" joins "Black Tree Design" as my favourite current manufacturer

Lastly, the soldiers' guns were simply given some "Vallejo" Gunmetal and splashed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Whilst I applied a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to any visible rifle butts, and any visible rear ammunition belts or backpacks.

Despite the disappointing output of last month, this humble blog did receive its one millionth visit, which is definitely one milestone I never thought I'd reach. Whether such a landmark will help me break the current funk I'm suffering with I don't know. But it has already caused me to pick up my brushes for a few hours, so I'm increasingly hopeful I'll have a fair few miniatures to post about over the forthcoming weeks.