The Perry Twins early GW and Citadel sketches

 

This week (commencing 15th June 2026) Michael and Alan posted some wonderful sketches from their time at Citadel and then GW. This is all borrowed (with permission) from Alan and Michael Perry posting on their Facebook page. All images are theirs and should only be used with their express permission etc. Links at the bottom.

******************************************

**First post***

And now for something a bit different!

A long time ago in a galaxy far away we worked for a small company called Citadel Miniatures which was the figure producing side of Games Workshop. We started as freelancers back in 1978, while we were still at school. We worked from home, in Hertfordshire, for the first nine years before heading up to live in Nottingham. In those nine years we would travel every couple of weeks to either Dalling Road, Hammersmith, (where the GW office was above the first shop) where we meet up with Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson to show what we had made and haggle over the price, or later to Newark where Citadel was based. Later still, it moved to Nottingham. From 1978 until into the late 80’s we would normally do our own concept art and then later alongside other actual concept artists. We would be particularly involved if they were human troops, even more so if there was an historical slant we could exploit.

A little while ago we came across our old sketch books dating back to 1978 in some cases and thought some people might be interested in seeing some of them. These will be a random posts and in no order. First up, Empire troops. If you like these there are plenty more to put up.

***2nd post***

Well, that went well! We can't believe the fantastic response!  Here's the next batch, quite a random group. The first four are early (1978-79?), showing the old red orcs as well as the beginnings of the long armed orcs which over the decades became more beefed up but originally were quite skinny. These, in turn, were actually based on the orcs in a painting Michael did (before we even joined GW) of the Battle of Pelennor fields; the death of Theoden. Speaking of which there a few pics of the small LOTR range we made in the late 1970's (?) on the same page.

**************

Nothing extra from me barring that I've been a fan since they appeared under Citadel's banner.

The only picture of me with them was from Salute 2008 or, more accurately, the Premier Inn nearby.

Their Facebook page is here;

https://www.facebook.com/perryminiatures

The Perry Miniatures site here;

https://www.perry-miniatures.com/

Do pop over and join the page and buy their minis of course! Tell them I sent you :)

enquiries@deartonyblair.co.uk

John Carter of Mars... Grenadier Models late 1970's limited range

‘I do not believe that I am made of the stuff which constitutes heroes, because, in all of the hundreds of instances that my voluntary acts have placed me face to face with death, I cannot recall a single one where any alternative step to that I took occurred to me until many hours later’

So spoke the man who would shortly be catapulted across space and time in one of pulp literature’s arguably most fantastic adventures... John Carter of Mars.

Towards the end of 1976 (74 or 75?), Grenadier released a short-lived ‘John Carter Warlord Of Mars’ series – this was quickly discontinued after failing to get the licence or possibly realising there was a licence fee to pay! I've just recieved some extra minis from the range and they have GM74 (I think) on the bases (see bottom pics)... I don't think the others had anything to be seen under the base... the mystery deepens a little. Some of the figures were repackaged into two pack of the Gamma World line as G9 Knights of Purity, Cryptic Alliance and G14 Tribesmen: Humans - I haven't noticed any other potential JC minis amongst the range although there are too few decent images of the blister contents... if you have them please help out! It would also be a joy to find the original card artwork if there was any! I've only even seen 9 different foot figures so far plus, of course, Terence's Plant Man.

In Terence Gunn's 2003 'The Fantastic worlds of Grenadier' he states '

...an eighteen title series based upon the characters and creations in Edgar Rice Burrough's John Carter Warlord of Mars series, sculpted 'mainly for fun' by (Andrew) Chernak. Unfortunately, due to a licensing agreement the miniatures company Heritage already had with the John Carter Warlord of Mars series, Grenadier had to withdraw its line.

In the 2016 new edition he removes any mention of the 'eighteen title series' although he does add some images. I have borrowed his image of the Plant Man from the book which is for imformative purposes only and retains his copywrite etc. I no longer have a working email for him so if there is any objection I will obviously remove the image.

Pics are the minis are either mine or US friend Joel's. 

Plant Man next to (I would say) John Carter... if anyone has this mini please let me know! Here he is missing his tail.

All below are different angles of the above. 

If you, like me, enjoys the adventures of John Carter then there are lots more post under his tab;

http://www.deartonyblair.co.uk/search/label/John%20Carter%20Warlord%20of%20Mars

More later I assume!

enquiries@deartonyblair.co.uk