Jimbo's 1/12th ABC Warriors (and friends)

[Dark Jimbo]

Turns out I just could not stop tinkering! So here's Mongrol 2: Time for a stogie...

After all the work I'd done on the big lad's arms, I couldn't help but want to add a little something to his torso, too - so I masked off the chest plate and broke out the paint box.



Since the Warriors returned to Mars, Mongrol hasn't really been Mongrol without a cigar clamped in his mouth, so this was the final little touch to rectify.



And then he really was finished!

[TordelBack]

I didn't think 3A Mongrol could be improved upon, but there you go: fantastic work.

[teckno viking]

Beautiful Job indeed

[Mardroid]

As the 3a Sam Slade has a spare stogie I was thinking of giving it to Mongrol....
....
....

Yeah, I know. I'll just leave that ridiculous mental image with you.


Lovely work Jimbo. What did you make the cigar from?

I don't plan on doing much in the way of customization, since

A) I pretty much like it as it is, although I sometimes think 3a overdo the weathering. Even if it wasn't 100% how I liked it, the fact that so much effort had gone into it would make me loathe to tinker with it, unless money were no object, and I could get another one.* So one the 3a original droid, and the second the Mardroid re-engineered, Dr, droid, if you like.

B) I wouldn't trust myself not to botch it up.

One thing I would like to have done, if I had the skill and patience: a mouth gun, which pops up and out when you open his mouth. I don't think that would be too difficult, although it would be extremely fiddly. I.e. a bit of tubing for the gun barrel, fixed to a spring mechanism.

I'd kind of want it detachable though so it would be an optional thing as you wouldn't always want to see it when his mouth is open.

*This is not a criticism of your efforts or work jimbo. It's really impressive.

[Dark Jimbo]

Lovely work Jimbo. What did you make the cigar from?

Epoxy putty, same stuff I enlarged his jaw with - it's a bit like working with plasticence, except that it then dries rock-hard.

One thing I would like to have done, if I had the skill and patience: a mouth gun, which pops up and out when you open his mouth. I don't think that would be too difficult, although it would be extremely fiddly. I.e. a bit of tubing for the gun barrel, fixed to a spring mechanism.

D'you know I have thought about that! It's probably the one thing I would try and do if I ever went back to tinkering with him.

[Dark Jimbo]

Mek-Quake's a long-term, ongoing build, and it's nice to have smaller projects in-between bouts on the killdozer to break things up a bit and keep my interest. There was little doubt in my mind who the first of these would be – the moral and emotional backbone of the ABC Warriors, that fan-favourite mainstay who kept you reading through the dark days of the 90s; the myth, the legend, I'm talking, of course, about... Spike!

I ask you, who could resist a bulldog with exhaust ports?! It's mad and ridiculous and oh-so-2000AD and I just had to try to bring him to life.

The bulk of Spike was simply modelled by hand from epoxy putty, based closely on Kev's brilliant design. Every time I worked on Mongrol or Mek-Quake and had some putty left over, it got moulded onto a ball rather than chucked away. This ball soon developed legs and a head, and that was what first sparked the idea to make Spike.



The hoops on his head and collar were small picture hooks half-buried in the putty; his tail was a paperclip, straightened and re-bent then over-sculpted; the shoulder gizmos were bits I found in my DIY odds-and-sods box.





Once he was sculpted, he was primed...



...then I started laying down some base coats. You might see I started tinkering again around this point and sculpting some more little details here and there!



Then inks and details!






And he was done! Here he is with the big fella for a sense of scale.



I borrowed some links from Mongrol's chain to give Spike a wee lead. All he needs now is his master Blackblood, to take him for walkies. Are you listening, 3A...?

[teckno viking]

Jimbo the photos are not working mate

[Dark Jimbo]

Working now...?

Photobucket's a mystery to me. Linked pictures seem to come and go at will, and this is one of the only boards I know where you can't modify posts to fiddle with links!

[maryanddavid]

Jimbo, I know little of models apart from badly painting a few Citadel Mins in the eighties, but Spike is frankly incredible. Do you do this professionally?  Wow.

[teckno viking]

Working now and DAMN Jimbo that is some serious sculpting

beautiful job my friend.

[Jim_Campbell]

...!

Amazing.

Cheers

Jim

[Steve Green]

Fantastic job!

[TordelBack]

Ay caramba! Send pics to Kev immediately!

[Dark Jimbo]

Thanks as always, folks! Very much not a professional, MaryandDavid! Just an inspired dabbler.

I love how Spike turned out. My only regret is that he doesn't have any moving parts - he's more of a sculpture than a figure. Since finishing Spike some months ago I've started work on another three Millsverse characters (besides ongoing work on the killdozer) and they've got a bit more going on.

Now where's my Blackblood figure?! Spike needs walkies...

[Colin YNWA]

I have to be honest I didn't remember Spike (until you mentioned Blackblood then it all fell back into place) but by God when I see a figure/sculpt as cool as that I do wonder why the hell not. That's pretty bloody astonishing!