PTS VI: Mojo Reacquisition

Just a short post to prove that I'm still actively involved in painting miniatures (or prepping and priming them at any rate). I was really in the groove during October hobby-wise. Zomtober was a blast and I was unusually productive both painting and blogging.

That all came to a screeching halt with November and the revelation that Center Stage Miniature's Tome of Horrors Kickstarters were little more than a ponzi scheme. All the smart kids are now of the opinion that funds from those campaigns were diverted to fulfilling the earlier Demons and Devils Kickstarter (LINK).

I'm not a smart kid. I'm just a dope who got swindled.

This concludes the "woe is me" portion of the program.

The bottom line is that my brushes sat idle all month as my heart really wasn't into painting. Hopefully I'm emerging from this fraud-induced funk. Time will tell. If nothing else, there are a few items now on the table awaiting paint.

The Otherworld pack-bearer is part of The Helping Hand Challenge and should be done on time. I also have two minis (not shown) in the works for Naval November, the creation of Roy Williamson over at R.W.'s Hobby Blog.

A sinister form glides behind the unsuspecting pack-bearer.

Boondoggle

The CSM Express is now departing.

Very disheartening news on the Kickstarter front. One may quibble over semantics, but it seems that Center Stage Miniature's Tome of Horrors One and Two projects, and CSM itself, stand on the verge of collapse. A third party (Mortal Arrow LLC, established by a backer of the same name) is in negotiations to acquire the company's assets. Under the terms of one proposed resolution backers would then get to buy the minis at reduced cost (a 2 for 1 credit essentially).

Hardly what I signed on for.

I left the following in the TOH1 comment section earlier today:

___________________________

I've been watching this slow-motion train-wreck and withholding comment until I had something constructive to contribute. While that hasn't happened, I'll comment anyway.

@Ruth Philips: I shared your friends' misgivings re TOH2 but ignored the red flags and pledged anyway. In fact, I'm in deeper on TOH 2 than TOH1. Hindsight being 20/20, I now see that I was guilty of willful ignorance. I have no one to blame but myself for my involvement in TOH2.

I apologize to anyone whose backing of TOH2 was substantially influenced by my enthusiastic support of the project here, in the TOH2 comment section, and elsewhere.

It occurs to me that Matt might actually be paying the lawyer MA mentions with funds from TOH1&2. All that to negotiate a deal detrimental to those projects' backers. How's that for irony?

I fully expect that I'm wrong on the above point, but given the complete breakdown in communications one is left to speculation. There's nothing like being played for a chump to lead ones mind down dark and unexpected paths.

As for any resolution that leaves Matt obligated to fulfill TOH1&2 commitments, what can be said? I'm sure he'll take such obligations as seriously as he has taken others to date.

I apologize further if the above seems disjointed or excessively caustic. I've not commented in a while and felt the need to vent a bit.

@Mortal Arrow: Thank you for becoming involved. I see you've been accused of being a capitalist. You should wear that as a badge of honor. Had a certain unnamed party gone into this endeavor with more of a capitalistic impulse we might not be in our current predicament.

As you might imagine, I'm not enthusiastic about paying again for something I've already paid for. (and yes, I appreciate that Kickstarters are inherently speculative in nature, not merely pre-order schemes.) That said, my enthusiasm isn't especially relevant here. What is at issue is what can be salvaged from this sorry situation.

Bottom line: I'm inclined to think that your 2 for 1 credit proposal is acceptable assuming that it may be applied to TOH1&2 minis and that said minis will become available in short order.

I'll reserve further comment until a certain unnamed party deigns to descend from Mount Olympus and treat with mere mortals.

___________________________ 

Someday my flumphs will come... or not

I used this blog as a platform to promote both projects and apologize to anyone persuaded to support either or both as a result. This applies especially to TOH2, where my enthusiasm for the project caused me to ignore the little voice in my head urging that all was not well.

In retrospect, one should NEVER back a project created by someone who has yet to fulfill one or more other projects. Lesson learned... at considerable expense.