Salute 2019......it's that time of year again......

Well, time to dust off the holdall and my little suitcase as London is calling once more. Hotel and train booked and a frantic attempt to finish 28 miniatures for a Frothers Unite' game based on Brexit.....I kid you not. 

This guy....could be a former mayor of London or a member of Parliament.....hopefully available on the day from Fenris Games.

My contribution awaiting varnish..........

Fenris do the dice as well..........

Ben Brownlie and Anthony Waddington have excelled themselves.......

Anthony Waddington has the cards sorted....along with some wonderful scenery........

A note of warning for those travelling - Custom House station on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is closed so you'll need to get off at either Royal Victoria or Prince Regent but it's not too long a walk. Plan your journey here. Also, the weather is somewhat colder than usual which is a pain.....wrap up accordingly.

As always there will be a freebie show mini......pic below shamelessly borrowed off the South London Warlords' site for their publicity only.....I've been tasked with finding 3 more copies so if anyone doesn't want theirs and would consider swapping for Politicos etc let me know!

Full details on the South London Warlords site here and lots more posts from previous Salutes here.

enquiries@deartonyblair.co.uk

Miniature Figurines in the old days....

A wonderful video has surfaced showing Minifigs back in the day...including the genius Dick Higgs sculpting using solder......

It's fantastic to watch something like this, a real window into the past. 

Thanks to Dave Ryan of Caliver Books for unearthing this. Don't forget, he is slowly re-releasing Minifigs old fantasy ranges......check them out here.

enquiries@deartonyblair.co.uk

The Dead God awakens......................

Well, back into the hobby with a bit of a splash. I'm working with the most wonderful Philip Page of Slug Industries on a very secret project.....so secret in fact that I can only show a few work in progress shots that I've been allowed to paint. The Dead God is a resin casting via Chris at Macrocosm designed by Kev Adams who is responsible for all of the current Tenoch range. The dias and throne are by Phil. So much more to come.......

enquiries@deartonyblair.co.uk

A Merry Nogmass One & All..............

Well, it's almost that time again so here's wishing you all a wonderfully festive Noggin the Nogmas and a Happy New Year! This will be my first Xmas without my mum so it will be strange not to be travelling to her house on the day for a traditional Christmas dinner with the children.

The Noggin Kickstarter will be getting fulfilled early January now due to her recent passing. Hopefully the New Year will see more projects as well with Noggin, the Tenoch, Politicos and a couple of secret ones in the works......

A picture taken by my brother towards the end of October.....a couple of days later she had no memory of going out.......she deteriorated so quickly during November it was a real shock to us all. I will miss her forever. Love you my mummy.

David

A vanity Noggin the Nog sculpt now cast up.....vanity we tells you!

Some years back, Pete Brown of The Mouldmaker mentioned his love of Noggin the Nog in a Facebook (I think) conversation and I got to thinking that there were no sculpts for this immortal series.......sooooooooooo.....I threw caution to the wind and sculpted one out of epoxy putty......the results were certainly not earth shattering ('I've seen worse' said Pete very diplomatically) however when the latest Noggin master mould was being made up there was space for my own piece........pure vanity and not a commercial release for obvious reasons!

Nog cavalry and new crows painted by the marvelous Andy Hides.... 

Masters of the Woodsman and Miner - note that the Miner can be used without the larger base on Nick Cases' boardgame 'Tales of the Northlands'.....

Poor pic of both versions of the flying machine and the Kickstarter badge painted again by Andy....

More soon!

enquiries@deartonyblair.co.uk

Lest we forget......

Dulce et Decorum Est, by Wilfred Owen

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,

Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,

Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs

And towards our distant rest began to trudge.

Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots

But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;

Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots

Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.

Gas! GAS! Quick, boys! - An ecstasy of fumbling,

Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;

But someone still was yelling out and stumbling

And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime ...

Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,

As under I green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,

He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace

Behind the wagon that we flung him in,

And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,

His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;

If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood

Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,

Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud

Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, --

My friend, you would not tell with such high zest

To children ardent for some desperate glory,

The old lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori.

Noggin the Nog Kickstarter coming to an end.......

Well, just under 3 days left......would certainly appreciate a share or two! So many minis to be produced!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1896378744/noggin-the-nog-the-return-of-the-miniatures

The Miner and Woodcutter greens have been added now....

Peter Firmin's illustrations from Nick Case' game 'Tales of the Northlands'.

Noggin's Army is a personal favourite on mine.....

enquiries@thelittlesoldiercompany.co.uk