Two Additional EKO 1/87 Vehicles

This model is just like the other I had previously made a post, but this one without its windows.

I was rummaging through a box of unfinished 1/87 scale vehicles and came upon these two EKO HO scale models. EKO is a Spanish company, the maker of a full line of 1/87 scale vehicles. EKO’s models are not high quality, but they do have a charm all their own.

Not sure what the make of this one is. I can’t seem to find picture of it in the current sales materials. A fellow blogger has indentifiyed this model as a Ford Continental.

EKO models have the EKO logo molded into the floor board on the front end of their models.

Even though these models can cost up towards $10.30 USD it seems that they are very popular for many of those listed, on an online retailer that I occasionally make purchases, are currently out of stock.

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Additional Resource

Small Scale World EKO Post

Post Script

This will my last post for this year and I wanted to wish everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year. See you shortly...

Another Redwall Meal

There for a while I had been tracking meals that were mentioned within my readings. I thought how unique and natural a subject to be mentioned within a text. For some reason, this practice fell out of use.

Up to this point, all the meals mentioned in the Redwall series sounded scrumptious. Here is a very simple mention:

Fresh summer salad
Cold cider
Gooesberry crumble with nutmeg cream

(Mattimeo)

Merry Christmas from Et le Pere Noel, the Mice of Redwall, & Google

The 1/72 Et le Pere Noel miniature is from Ykreol and is part of their Nativity set. The miniature was fun to paint, albeit it has become a tad frustrating. On two occasions paint peeled of the miniature and I was stuck having to touch the old gent up with a dab of paint.

The Christmas miniature with the mice and tree are not really the mice of Redwall. I only imagined the mice of the Abbey being so employed decorating their Christmas tree in this fashion. The miniature is actually from my wife collections of ceramic pieces, something she puts out during the Christmas season.

Google is featuring a set of Christmas Doodles. This set offers several holiday themed paper-craft toys. At the time of of this writing Google has published two Holidays 2015 Christmas goodies doodles.

Quote From Chapter 16, Mattimeo

“Seek the Founder in the stones where the little folk go.”
(Mattimeo, 122)

Preiser Miniature with Classic Matchbox Dump-Truck

The miniature is from Preiser’s #10036 their Standing Truck drivers. The figures are in 1/87 scale and I am not sure what scale the Dump Truck is, if it is in scale at all.

My Winter Reading List

I haven’t listed links to these epubs, however I download these titles from either Feed Books or Project Guntenberg.

Stolen Treasure, Howard Pyle

A General History of the Pirates, The Life, Adventures & Piracies of the Famous Captain Singleton, From London to Land's End, & A Journal of the Plague Year, Daniel Defoe

The Door in the Wall and Other Stories, H.G. Wells

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson

The Phantom Ship, Fredrick Marryat

New Collection: Disembodied Spirits

"A mad world, my masters. A crazy world! But the end is not!"

The Land of Mist, Arthur Conan Doyle

The addition to my ever growing list of labels is my Disembodied Spirits collection. The collection will encompass textual descriptions of disembodied spirits, images of ghosts and spirits, and the added characteristics and properties for spirit miniatures. For a starting point I will go back and pick-out occurrences from within the following texts:

• House on the Border Land
• Ghost Pirates
• The Land of Mist
• The Boats of the "Glen Carrig"
• The Phantom Ship

So far I have identified two sources of spirit miniatures:

1. Reaper has a few spirit miniatures to choose from
2. Brigade Games has one, a female spirit

The Ghost of Captain Goldsack

High Resolution Image Can Be found here (Wikipedia Commons)

“There Cap’n Goldsack goes, creeping, creeping, creeping, looking for his treasure down below”.

Howard Pyle’s Book of Pirates, Blue Skin the Pirate

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I have added two new subjects to my collection of labels. They are clockwork devices and Disembodied Spirits. I am not worried about the later, but let’s hope I can do justice to the former.

10 Novels that Feature Pirates

The listed ten novels take you on voyages around the world with some dashing and notorious pirate captains and characters. Out of the ten, the only title that I know of that has been adapted into a miniatures game is Treasure Island.

Some of the stories in Pyle's Book of Pirates would make great game scenarios. Ghost Pirates, as well as other of William Hope Hodgson’s work would make great game plots. In addition, I believe Captain Blood and the Pirate would make great adaptations for slash-buckling game play.

1. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
2. The Missing Merchantmen, Harry Collingwood
3. Captain Blood, Rafael Sabatini
4. The Sea-Hawk, Rafael Sabatini
5. The Coral Island, R.M. Ballantyne
6. Ghost Pirates, William Hope Hodgson
7. Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates
8. The Pirate, Frederick Marryat
9. The Pirate Island, Harry Collingwood
10. The Red Rover, James Fenimore Cooper

Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates

The image on the front cover of this epub edition is presumably of one Captain Keitt, the father of the lovely damsel, the inherited owner of the legendary and infamous Ruby of Kishmoor.

Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates: Fiction, Fact & Fancy concerning the Buccaneers & Marooners of the Spanish Main

Included Chapters:

Chapter I Buccaneers and Marooners of the Spanish Main
Chapter II The Ghost Of Captain Brand
Chapter III With The Buccaneers
Chapter IV Tom Chist And The Treasure Box
Chapter V Jack Ballister's Fortunes
Chapter VI Blueskin The Pirate
Chapter VII   Captain Scarfield

Although the online HTML version does not include images, if this formats suits your device, I highly recommend that you download the epub version with images. Although the text is written for the young reader I found, with its mix of fact and fiction, the text a quite enjoyable read. In addition there are many illustrations included within the text including, line drawings and full color plates of some of the characters depicted in the book.

A Host of Characters-Quote from Professor Challenger

“Challenger looked in my direction with his coldest and most supercilious stare. It was a most petrifying experience. ‘The flippancy of the half-educated is more obstructive to science than the obtuseness of the ignorant.’”‘

The Poison Belt, Arthur Conan Doyle

A Host of Characters-Professor Challenger

Professor Challenger is a large burly man and although highly educated and gifted he has a tendency to act pompously and quite brutish at times. At the least provocation Professor Challenger is often driven into a rage where he on more than one occasion has physically assaulted people.

I believe Professor Challenger would make an excellent character in a miniatures game; now, just to find the right miniature.

The Professor Challenger character can be found in the following of Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels and short stories:

• The Lost World
• The Poison Belt
• The Disentegration Machine
• When the World Screamed
• The Land of Mist

More of the Pirates of the South China Sea

Some time ago I made a post on the Red Flag Fleet (squadron). There were six large squadrons in all, with the red fleet being larger than all the other fleets combined. The other fleets include the yellow, green, blue, black, and the white.

Each of these fleets was assigned a commander and particular area of operation. Many of the flagged fleets had smaller squadrons acting under their direction. A deputy commander commanded these sub-squadrons.

Here is a list of squadrons, their commanders, and deputy commanders:

Woo Che Tsing, whose nickname was the Scourge of the Eastern Sea, was the commander of the yellow flag squadron and his deputy was Le Tsing Hoo.

Meih Yew Kim and Necioushih, which were otherwise known as the Bird and the Stone were the commanders of the blue flag squadron. Their deputies were Meih’s relatives: Yew Kivel and Yew Kee.

Ping Yung Ta was the commander of the black squadron and Ping Yung Ta and Chang Jih Keaore and Otsew were his deputies.

Leang Paou, otherwise called “The Jewel of the whole crew”, was the commander of the white squadron.

Le Shag Tsing, nicknamed “Frog Meal” was the commander of green and Ching Jih commanded the red.

The History of the Pirates who invested the China Sea from 1807 to 1810

Sheriff Woody

Sheriff Woody Propped Up Against a (Plastic) Wooden Block

The R is for revealing. (Sorry Hugh) Woody was so intoxicated I couldn’t get him to stand-up straight and had to prop him up against a letter block. The block just happened to be the letter R.

Woody is from a small cache of toys I recently found that had been packed away. The few toys, that are left, somehow missed being donated or tossed out. My grandchildren don’t play with these toys any more and I have decided to hold on to them for the sake of nostalgia.

Histroifig Classic Fantasy Figures a Trip Down Memory Lane

Histroifig Classic Fantasy Figures are the same miniatures that were once cast by Jack Scruby back in the seventies. At the time Scruby miniatures were the only alternative to the Minifigs ME range. The Classic Fantasy Figures collection includes seventeen miniatures. The miniatures vary in size from 20mm to 54mm tall.

One Scruby miniature fan made the comment that "Scruby miniatures are so ugly they are cute." I will add that the few that I own look very anemic, but for nostalgic sake I do intend to add a few more of these miniatures to my collection. Scruby miniatures grow on you.

Classic Fantasy Figures

F-1          Troll, Advancing with tree trunk - 54mm tall        

F-2          Living Tree, without stretched branches - 54mm tall       

F-3          Hero, chainmail with long sword - 40mm tall       

F-4          Wizard on rearing horse - 30mm              

F-5          Elve, Firing longbow - 28mm tall               

F-6          Giant Orc, Shield, curved sword - 30mm tall        

F-7          Orc, Charging with Spear - 25mm tall      

F-8          Orc, Charging with Sword - 25mm tall     

F-10       Goblin, in Morion, with pole-axe - 20mm tall      

F-10a     Goblin, in Morion, with spear/short pike - 20mm tall      

F-12       Hobbit, with sword - 20mm tall 

F-13       Wizard, with staff - 40mm tall    

F-14       Dwarf, with axe - 25mm tall        

F-14a     Dwarf, with sword - 25mm tall  

F-14b     Dwarf, with axe - 25mm tall        

F-15       Evil Wizard - 40mm tall  

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Additional Links

• Painted Jack Scruby fantasy figures
  Includes images of most the collection of unpainted miniatures.
• Jack Scruby Painted Figures Photo Bucket

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The Choice of a Hobbit

At the start of the Hobbit Gandalf visits Bilbo Baggins and suggests that Bilbo accompany a party on an adventure. Bilbo rejects the offer and goes back into his home leaving Gandalf standing outside. Not having given up on Bilbo, and before leaving, Gandalf marks Bilbo’s door for the Dwarfs that have been instructed to meet here, by Gandalf.

Little did Bilbo know that Gandalf had previously met with Thorin Oakenshield, and a few other Dwarfs, to discuss an upcoming expedition to the Lonely Mountain. Gandalf thought that Bilbo would be a good addition to their troop; however Thorin and the other Dwarfs had to be persuaded. All was left to the meeting at Bilbo’s home. Their goal was to retake the mountain kingdom from Smaug the dragon

The Hobbit & Unfinished Tales, J.R.R. Tolkien

Historifigs 20mm Hobbit

This is not the first Histroifigs miniature I have purchased or have completed. I own of three of Histroifigs, Classic Fantasy Figures. Formally I had completed a Histroifigs Elf firing a long bow.

In my reading I have learned a few things about this line of miniatures and had not realized the complete significance of these miniatures. I will have to make another post or two about this line of miniatures explaining their significance to the gaming community.

In order to complete a scene, I have in mind; I would like to pair the Hobbit up with the Histroifig wizard on a rearing horse.

The Fabulous Clockwork and Steam Contraptions in the Gold Compass

Although I am looking forward to reading the Gold Compass trilogy (His Dark Materials), outside of the Steampunk aesthetic with all of its wonderful contraptions, I was a little let down by the rendition of the text. I also felt that the story had very little plot and the acting was dreadful.

Horseless Hansom Cab

I am not sure what propels this vehicle in this alternative universe, as you see is doesn’t seem to be steam.

Golden Compass (alethiometer)

Move the two hands to an appropriate position and right person can tell the future. Interesting contraption.

Clockwork Spy Wasps

These clockwork devices are kind of like hound dogs. Put them on the trail of someone and they will fly towards the ends of the earth until the person is found.

Dirigibles

There are two dirigibles featured within. The first, a very elegant designed dirigible owned by a very elegant lady (Kidman). The second a more practical design powered by hydrogen. Can’t say whether the other was thus powered, however this one was disassembled, transported by ship and carried to location and reassembled.

Steam Paddled Ship

I have include a couple images of this ship. She has such nice lines. This ship was one of few low-tech items featured in the movie or is she?

Elegant Launch

Histroifigs 18mm Monsters

Why 18mm miniatures?

1). It is about time that I add a few monsters to my collection.

2). Monsters can be played as wild cards, creatures that show up randomly throughout play.

3). 18mm is not too much smaller than 20mm, the size of miniatures that I am planning on playing them against.

Histroifigs, TI-03, Monsters (bag of 3 mixed), contains three different monsters, which I will do my best to describe.

One the miniature is winged, the winged piece will need to be attached, to what looks like a furry body with a tail. This creature is standing on its hind legs and has long sharp claws on its feet. The creatures face is hidden behind one of its two front paws that look like crab or lobster claws.

The second creature resembles a crouching bear. It has its snout sticking straight up in the air. I mentioned that the creature seems to resemble a bear, but its legs seem too long for a bear and also the way it is crouching doesn’t remind me of a position a bear could put itself. 

The last miniature is most troubling out of the three. The creature looks more like a plant than an animal. It has what resembles two legs. Its face, if you want to call it that looks an ill formed flower or perhaps a mouth of an octopus. It has two arms, or are they branches, that are interwoven with vines? At the top of one branch there is a large Venus fly trap and the other with many interwoven creepers. In addition to these features, there are also clumps of growths and has interwoven creepers on its legs and torso. 

Projects for December

Although I might add a project or two I will strive to keep the list short this month.

HistoriFigs, #I-03, 3-18mm Monsters

I have wanted to add a few monsters to my collection of war-gaming miniatures. These types of characters can add some random havoc to some dungeon crawl or other game scenario. I am not quite sure how I am going to proceed with the painting, but I do plan on making a slight modification to one of the miniatures in the set.