Wild!

Trying to get back on the horse after being off it for a couple of weeks can be difficult, but still rewarding.  Today I sat down to paint up some of my Gamers miniatures I got from the Hands Of Fate Kickstarter.  Specifically the male and female Luster pieces:



One thing I've noticed about all the Gamers miniatures is that the sculpts are on the simple side.  This isn't a bad thing in my own opinion.  So many miniatures nowadays have an incredible amount of detail that they are both stunning and intimidating.  Finding miniatures that have a simple but straightforward sculpt is very refreshing, and makes for fun painting.



There was pretty much three stages to this pair.  Flesh, hair/eyes, and the red.  Painting flesh can be interesting in regards to shading and highlights.  Usually the more sculpted the flesh the easier it is to paint, which is the case with this pair.  I'm happy with how the flesh came out on these pair, and feel it works pretty well.



Painting anything close to platinum blonde can be quite annoying.  I want to reach for my yellows, but platinum blonde is closer to white, and thus requires really bright shades of white.  I ended up settling for something a bit closer, going for more of an idealized blonde.  The other rough part was painting up the eyes.  Eyes on miniatures is always difficult as they're small, and I had to take several shots at these sets.  I think they turned out ok though, but not my best work.



Finally was the red (and their gold sash).  I usually lay down dark layers and go up from there, but the first layer I put down was more of a mid layer, and the highlight was too close.  The solution was to go back with the darker layer and again layer up.  It ended up working out, and I smoothed things over with a red wash at the end.  All in all this pair was pretty simple to paint up, and was both relaxing and casual to paint up.

Gen Con 2013 part 3

The final post about my Gen Con experience this year is a special one.  Since I was only going to have one day to get in the same amount of fun as I would normally do across four days my Gen Con would have to focus on a specific thing.  The big reason I went this year was to reconnect with friends from across the country.  I got to see my friends from Zombie Orpheus Entertainment, and Athena Hollow:






I also got to meet a bunch of new friends like Sarah Moore and Amanda Maul of Gamer Chick, and Lola Hart:




Being around other gamers is probably the biggest highlight for me each year at Gen Con.  So many gamers of so many different styles coming together for four days of camaraderie and having a great time.  That's why I made the drive out to Indianapolis Indiana, and spent an incredible day running all over the convention center.  The people.  My friends.  I'm already looking forward to seeing them all again next year!

Gen Con 2013 Part 2

Continuing from my last post I plan to reveal more of my Gen Con adventures.  This post WAS supposed to go up last week, but in an attempt to feed my narcissism (and that it was free), I snagged a free hair transplant to try and ward off my thinning hair.  The result looks like it'll be good, but has left me feeling kinda of out of it in the head.  Ok, enough of that and onto the costumes!



The above pic is a group of friends dressed up as the main characters from Journey Quest.  You've probably heard me talk about it before, and I still recommend giving it a watch!  I took that pic when the group arrived at the Zombie Orpheus Entertainment booth.  Christian Doyle, the actor who plays Perf, was a bit incredulous at this would-be imposter:



Which one is which I couldn't say.  I actually caught two of them earlier one while I was standing in line for my Robotech exclusives.



Speaking of line shots I snagged a great pic of a Stormtrooper who looks like he had been pulled from Tattooine in order to do some line/aisle control.



I was stuck in line and didn't get a chance to ask him questions, but I'm betting he belongs to the 501st.

I was pretty zonked out on Saturday.  There was so much to do, and looking back I don't think I was fully aware of how overwhelmed I was.  For example this Little Bo Peep costume:



Was not actually Little Bo Peep, but Kaylee from the series Firefly in her dress from the episode, "Shindig."  I felt so bad at having missed the obvious reference, and the dress was so very well put together.

In my wanderings I headed over to the Cool Mini Or Not booth, because if I go to a gaming con I have to spend time with/around miniatures.  Word on the floor had it that there were three cosplayers for their Relic Knights line, which I helped kickstart the plastics for, but only one was there.



While I was there I decided to snap some pics of their studio paint jobs starting with the Shattered Swords faction:


Doctrine:
 

and Cercei Speed Circuit:


While wandering around the event hall I came across a terrific pair of cosplayers sporting costumes from the War Machine miniatures game!



That would be Grand Scrutator Severius and Taryn di la Rovissi you see standing there.  They were very nice, but Severius got upset when I told him that I played Khador.



I managed to flee far enough away from certain doom and damnation that I encountered a Game of Thrones cosplay for Melisandre, priestess of light:



This was a great looking costume!  All red velvet/crushed velvet, and very regal looking.  You can't see it as well in the picture because of the raised hood, but the hair was also a wine-burgundy.  I was assured that this is the book version and not the TV version.  Gotta love attention to detail.

The last costume pic I have for today is of a fierce barbarian!



I really liked this costume, and I'm glad I stopped to take a picture.  It's a cosplay of the person's barbarian character which is always awesome to see!  People put a lot of love and life into their tabletop characters, and seeing them come to life is pretty exciting.  Nearly the entire costume was homemade, and the little accents like the face paint, hair coloring, and feathered jewelry really made this one stand out.  I even managed to get a random passerby to stand still long enough to capture all that fierceness together with me.



After all that I was out of juice, and this had only been about three and a half hours!  I think that next year when I go I need to set a day aside where I can go around and take pictures, talk to the cosplayers, and learn so much more about them!

Gen Con 2013 part 1

My original intent had been to make a post shortly after getting back from Gen Con, but it turns out I needed a little more time to recuperate.

I left Friday after getting off of work, and got to Gen Con about 9pm.  Throw in getting parked and to my hotel room, and I didn't find food until 10pm.  Got to try the Steel Soul Red at the Ram, but otherwise I hadn't really broken into Gen Con by this point.

Got up early and out the door, and ended up getting to the dealers room early.  There was a set of exclusive Robotech miniatures that were being sold at the Palladium booth in limited quantities, and since people hadn't started lining up yet I decided to snag a good position.  By the time the dealers room was ready to open things had gotten pretty crowded:



From there it was a mad dash to get my exclusives.  Which I did.  I then spent the day shopping for myself and friends who couldn't attend, meeting up with friends from across the nation, and getting a look at some awesome costumes!

Here's a few highlights from the show.  The biggest one is the reaction I got from Scott C. Brown, the actor who played Flynn the Fine on The Gamers: Dorkness Rising, when I gave him the painted Pile of Dead Bards:



There is something wonderful about getting such a strong reaction from such a simple gift.  The rest of the ZOE crew were also rather impressed with the piece, and I received much glowing praise.  It was both humbly and inspiring.

I ended up meeting with Howard Taylor, author and artist for Schlock Mercenary.  It's been one of my favorite webcomics for years, and Howard has been attending Gen Con for quite some time.  Over the past several years I've gone by to pick up his latest print collection, and to get a sketch in the back.  This year I asked to be drawn in the Schlock-verse.



I was asked how I wanted him to approach the subject of my hairline, and I replied that he should be as generous or harsh as he sees fit.  While I look much older in the pic I think he made up for it by giving me a better weight profile:



There was so much to do at Gen Con that this year's priority was on friends.  As a result I didn't really get any gaming in, except for a bit of a life-sized version of Elk Fest. 



It was a fun shuffle-board romp.  The idea was to use the discs to make a path for your elk to cross, but you could also use them to knock your opponents disk (and their elk) out of place.  I didn't do very well, and my Elk got splooshed:



I had a lot of fun for the short time that I was there, and I've already started looking forward to next year!

The Gamers: Hands of Fate (Review!)

So being a backer to the latest Gamers movie means I got a chance to see the film a day early!  Woot!  Short version:  The movie is great.  Go watch it.  It's free for a couple of weeks!  Go here: http://watchthegamers.com/

If you're having trouble with the above link try it on Vimeo



Ok extended review time.  After watching this movie I've found myself invested on two different levels. There's the level of the plot itself, which is fun and whimsy, and then there's the subplot of women in gaming, which has become a larger issue in the gaming community.

If you liked The Gamers: Dorkness Rising then you're going to love The Gamers: Hands of Fate.  Matt Vancil weaves another wonderful plot involving the world of gamers and their struggles.  This time around the focus is on the realm of Collectible Card Game (CCG) players, and the fictional game of Romance of the 9 Empires.  The movie makes use of some scenes in green-screen to help create a representation of the fictional world of Countermay, which is the setting of R9E.  Rather than use the world of Countermay for gags and jokes it actually gives the fictional characters their own subplot.  It delivers exposition in the form of a small vignette that gives the audience a deeper connection to the setting of the game, and helps them to understand the level of passion the players for R9E feel.


Half of the movie occurs at Gen Con, the best four days in gaming!  Most of these scenes were filmed at Gen Con 2012, and for me it was quite a rush to see a place that I am quite familiar with as I have been attending Gen Con since it came to Indianapolis in 2003.  A film about gamers that goes to the biggest convention for gamers, and uses the environment to its advantage?  Brilliant!  It really blends the background into the movie seamlessly.  Steven Wolbrecht's music helps to add a layer of emotion to the plot and subplots as they unfold around the characters.  Overall it doesn't dominate, but you would notice if it was missing; which to me is the sign of a great score.

The acting was beautiful.  Each of the actors did an amazing job bringing their characters to life, and you can see the story/struggle being told in their expressions and body language just as much as the dialog and setting.  To my personal delight there were several crossovers and allusions to other productions from Zombie Orpheus Entertainment, including a couple of very hardcore cosplayers speaking in Orcish!  There is so much fun in this movie that it's another must-see for all gamers!

The main plot of the movie could best be described as: Cas (Brian Lewis) attempting to earn the attention of Natalie (Trin Miller) who has zero interest in just another gamer guy.  This might seem like a classic love story at first glance, but the reality is much different.  Cas seems to be completely unaware of the conflict that Natalie faces as a gamer.  Through the events in the movie he gains an understanding of a different group of gamers as well as being a vehicle for showcasing the conflicts that all female gamers face.  The dialog is very natural, but a bit harsh at points.  Matt Vancil and Nathan Rice chose to tackle the issue of women in gaming head on rather than tiptoe around it, and the entirety of the film is stronger because of it.  There may be some parts that are uncomfortable to watch, but it shines a light into a darker area of the gaming culture that needs to be looked at.  There is a lot to take away from this film, and it is definitely worth your time to watch whether you are a gamer or know gamers.

There's a lot more I'd like to address, but I'd like to wait a few weeks before doing a more in-depth look in order to give others time to explore it and discover what lies within.  I head out for Gen Con soon, and my next post will have more pics from me onsite.

Gen Con 2012! Part 1

So I've been home about two days so far, and I think I'll be spending the rest of the week recovering.  That being said, it was totally worth it!  I worked the tournament hall for Wyrd Miniatures judging some of their Malifaux tournaments for most of the weekend, but Friday was my big day.  I'm getting ahead of myself though.

It started on Thursday, and I had one hour to explore the dealers hall before I had to be at the event hall to judge the first Malifaux tournament of Gen Con.  I had two big choices on my list.  The first was Wyrd Miniatures cause even though I'd be getting credit I wanted to make sure I could grab the stuff for Malifaux that I was really wanting.  I ended up going with my other option which was to hit up the Paizo booth and get my DVD's of The Gamers: Dorkness Rising, and Journey Quest Season 1 signed by the fine folks over at Zombie Orpheus Entertainment.



I'm a huge fan of Zombie Orpheus Entertainment, and getting a chance to meet them in person was very exciting!  They were all very friendly, and they were all gamers.  What more could one ask for?  How about a group pic?



After that it was a quick trip to the event hall where I began judging tournaments.  I love playing Malifaux, and it's always a pleasure to interact with the community that's been building up around it.  I will say that the tournaments all weekend went by very smoothly with little to no drama, and with everyone working together to keep the rules clear.




So then Friday rolls along.  The big day.  This was my only day off the whole con so I would have to do my shopping and get stuff signed!  I swung by the Paizo booth again to pick up my Kickstarter items for The Mask of Death Kickstarter.  I got a color print version of the module, which was then promptly signed by the guys from Zombie Orpheus Entertainment, as well as the Mound of Dead Bards miniature.  One thing I snagged was the next print book for Schlock Mercenary.  Howard Taylor has been attending Gen Con for several years now, and while I have been a fan of his comic for a long time I hadn't read through the archives (which is a very daunting task).  I started working through the backlog by picking up the print versions at Gen Con, and Howard has always been gracious enough to draw your favorite character in the back of each copy.  Having gotten my fav characters drawn previously I asked for my favorite ship, The Post Dated Check Loan.  Howard has mentioned on occasion that drawing the ship is a bit difficult.  I asked nicely and he was happy to do so.



It was a bit hurried (there were other people waiting), but I was happy.  When I asked him if he minded my showing the picture on my blog his response was, "Yes, the world must know how badly I've drawn this!"



That's one of my favorite pics from the whole convention.

I picked up some stuff from Wyrd, including the latest book for Malifaux.  My miniatures addiction knows no bounds! 

The real thing I've been waiting for was The Gamers Live.  I had picked up a front row seat, and was very excited to be so up close I could make out facial expressions.  While I was a bit to the side of the stage (I had gotten there with only a few seconds to spare), I still managed to get some good shots.




There was even some audience participation.



Following that was filming for the next Gamers movie, The Hand of Fate.  They managed to successfully film eight minutes of footage in an hour!  There may even be a shot of me in the audience somewhere.  There's a kickstarter going on to help fund the movie right now, and if you liked the original Gamers movies I highly recommend helping out!

My Friday has been an incredible ride by this point, and the exhaustion is starting to peak it's way through the high.  However there was one more thing to do before I could call it a day.  I was already leaning towards going to the after party following The Gamers Live, but a friend's urging helped to ensure I went.  I owe him for that.



That's me with writer and producer Matt Vancil.  I had already seen him a number of times, and talked with him as well.  He was getting to know me by sight at this point, but he wasn't the only one I got a picture of myself with:

Trin Miller


Jen Page


Ben Dobyns


Steven Wolbrecht


Connor Marx


 It was an incredible honor, and really amazing to just hang out and chat with all of them.  True gamers each and every one!

I still have more to talk about, but for now I'll leave you with the pic of swag I grabbed from the con

Gen Con Friday Teaser

So after wrangling real life job stuff I ended up spending most of the day uploading and editing photos.  I had some issues getting my Friday photos up on imgur, and didn't get them uploaded and edited until later on in the evening.  So here's a few teaser pics from Friday.

First up is me together with Matt Vancil at the after party following The Gamers Live.



I had a great time both at the after party as well as The Gamers Live.  There was a real thrill seeing my favorite actors performing in person, and then getting to meet them afterwards was icing on the cake!

Here's a pic I took during The Gamers Live



The portion of the show that was the actual "Live," part involved an impromptu gaming session where Nathan Rice (playing the part of Kevin Lodge) would take audience input on what to do for his game session.  That was how the macguffin item ended up being a vorpal blender of Mordor.  Kitchen wares is serious business.

Last for tonight is a slightly blurry photo from the after party with a lot of the cast and crew from Zombie Orpheus Entertainment celebrating the fact that they got 8 minutes of film shot in one hour (which is quite an accomplishment).  More on that after I've had a chance to sleep.

Gen Con 2012 Thursday

So it's a bit obvious by now that I didn't quite finish that last squad of Frazi Heavy Fighters.  As it turns out things have been pretty busy since Tuesday morning!  I've done running around, visiting friends (one of whom is only in town for a few days before going away to another state for a year), packing, travelling, meeting, and greeting.  Then Thursday began.

I haven't been sleeping well the past few nights due to a combination of nerves and excitement.  In spite of this I was still outside the dealers hall 45 minutes before it opened.  Why was I there?  Because I wanted to meet the cast of The Gamers: Dorkness Rising, and Journey Quest.  Besides having some DVD's I wanted signed I've been looking forward to meeting the cast of these favorite series since I first watched them.  I think they were ok with meeting me.



Going to do a quick roll call here.  First up is Matt Vancil, writer and director of The Gamers: Dorkness Rising, Journey Quest, and many others.  He has been patiently putting up with my messages since I started donating to the Journey Quest Season 2 Kickstarter.



Up next is Jen Page, the beautiful and darling actress who plays the female half of the character Luster from Dorkness Rising.



The other half of Luster, as well as the star of Journey Quest, is Christian Doyle.



It was really odd being surrounded by the actors, and hearing them talk normally.  It felt like being in the movie while still in real life.  There was definitely a lot of enthusiasm from the cast along with plenty of excitement at being at Gen Con.

Continuing the roll we have Brian Lewis Carrol, who portrays the infamous Cass (Scourge of GM's) in Dorkness Rising, and the sagely Carrow in Journey Quest..



Brian is a very humble actor who has a great ability to portray multiple styles in different roles.  As you can tell from the picture he was quite astounded by all the attention from his fans.

 Not to be forgotten is Scott C. Brown, who has the distinction of playing Flynn the Fine, irresistible Bard extraordinaire!  Scott was having a great time even before he got to the booth!



Also at the booth was Nathan Rice, actor for the role of Kevin Lodge in Dorkness Rising, and Roderick the Gargoyle from Journey Quest.



Just looking at the faces you can see how much fun they were all having.  They were really getting into it, and since they're at Gen Con to film parts for the next Gamers movie there seems to be an extra spark of excitement in the air.

I couldn't forget to include Steve Wolbrecht, the composer for Dorkness Rising (as well as portraying Nodwick the Henchman).

 

That was only the first part of my morning!  I only had a little bit of time before I had to report to the miniatures/ccg event hall to help get things ready for the first Malifaux tournament of the convention.  I'm here with Wyrd Miniatures, and a lot of my time will be spent judging their big tournaments.  The first tournament to kick off the convention (for Malifaux anyways) was a story encounter called "The First Into The Breech."



Lots of fun was had by the attendees, and we had enough players show up on time to fill up all but a few tables!  I don't have too many more pictures except these.  I saw this display near the Wizards of the Coast area in the tournament hall and had to snap a shot.



During the downtime between adjudicating the rules I was tasked with assembling some scenery for a tournament to occur on Friday.



I was exhausted and hungry by the time I was done such that I started saying to all who showed an interest, "I Speak for the trees!"  It definitely got some good laughs.  Once I was done helping out I got some food and came back to the room to rest and recuperate.  Tomorrow I'll have a free day to wander the dealer room, as well as attending The Gamers Live.