Sticky Pseudo-Mummy

The Fiend Folio Project has gained another member. This time out it's an adherer... the oft disparaged sticky mummy.

Your mother was a lint roller and your father resembled Boris Karloff.

Basically this guy's gig consists of hanging out looking just like a mummy until encountered, after which it becomes evident that A) he's not a mummy, B) he's not even undead, and C) everything (and I do mean everything) sticks to him as if he were covered in super-strength flypaper. (For more on the adherer's checkered past and uncertain present, check out Bogleech* and the recent offering from Patch at The Daily Bestiary.)
 * The source of this post's title, in fact.

I've come close to doing this conversion before. What could be easier than slapping a sword onto a mummy's chest, after all. The deal-breaker was my fear that the result would look like a mummy with a sword slapped on its chest.

That changed with the recent release of FGCW16 - Undead by Fenris Games. Clearly this is a mummy of sorts, but with numerous atypical features (elongated tongue, tentacles, grotesquely enlarged left arm). Just the thing for a monster that looks like a mummy but isn't.

The actual conversion was easy enough. I filed a groove into the left shoulder, nestled a sword from my spare parts box among the various sores and writhing tendrils, and used green stuff to extend one of the wrappings over the blade. Hopefully that last part conveys the sense that the wrappings are themselves animate and actively involved in the adhesion process. If nothing else, it makes the sword look like a proper part of the mini as opposed to a clumsy "bolt-on" by yours truly.

The FF entry mentions the adherer's affinity for spiders so the base topper by Otherworld seemed fitting.

Painting followed the mode of some of my recent greyed-out undead, only this time with a green fleshtone as opposed to blue or purple. The tips of the tentacles wound up bright pink as I really wanted them to stand out. The sword is my attempt at NMM bronze following the advice found at Sprocket's Small World.

I've Googled "Adherer Miniature" to no avail so this may well be an internet first. You're welcome, internet. While I sit here feeling extremely pleased with myself, do enjoy the following:

PTS IV: Up to my Old Tricks Again

Table? Check. Saturday? Check. Paint? Negatory.

What I "should" currently be working on are an Otherworld Miniatures' halfling fighter and his anthropomorphized badger sidekick (a 15mm mini from Splintered Light). They're based and ready for paint... have been for a while.

Are we ever gettin' a coat of paint, or what?

Instead, I find myself distracted by a couple shiny new geegaws with Fiend Folio Project written all over them. The first is a cerepod from Otherworld which conveniently looks just like Russ Nicholson's FF grell illustration. Eleven parts, all of which need to be pinned. (That's 20 holes that need to be drilled by my reckoning.) This might take a while.

Caution: carpel tunnel syndrome ahead

The second is a new release from Fenris. A little conversion work will be involved. A gold star goes to the first person to correctly identify the FF monster I'm shooting for based on the picture below.

A sword. A lovecraftesque mummy. A base with spiders.

Feathers, Fur, and the Force

Happy Star Wars Day to one and all.  May the fourth be with you.

While today's subject might feel at home on the forest-moon of Endor hunting ewoks (annoying little creatures), it boasts a different pedigree altogether. Classic D&D monsters don't get more classic than the owlbear; a Gary Gygax creation that goes back to the game's begining. Many miniature representations of the beast have been produced over the decades. Otherworld Miniatures' version, sculpted by Paul Muller, stands head and shoulders above the rest.

There's never an owlbear around when you need one.

MM illustration & Muller interpretation

In the past, painting fur has given me more trouble than it probably should. Here I first treated the furry bits as though they were smooth by glazing on some pronounced shadows and highlights. Only then did I highlight the individual hairs. I'm pleased with how it turned out.

Glazing and pin washes laid the foundation for the feathers. Lots (and lots) of very small unblended highlights provided the rest.

The classic owlbear mullet

Reaper's olive skin triad was used on the beak and claws. The tongue and eyes (which I must confess are rather beady and unowlish) wound up as the only splashes of bright color.

Zoological mix-and-match... the reason wizards should never be left unsupervised

Back when this guy was being sculpted, I advocated on the Otherworld forums that he be tailless. Monster Manual illustration notwithstanding, why should a cross between a bear and an owl have a kangaroo's tail? I was wrong. It fits perfectly. Only goes to show the perils of logic when applied to monster design. To atone for my error, I drew attention to the tail by painting its tip white.

And now... more pictures:

At this point you should be convinced that the owlbear is quintessentially awesome. Just in case my powers of persuasion have fallen short, I now present the inestimable Dungeon Bastard. Take it away, Bastard...

Fiend Folio Update

The Fiend Folio Project rolls on with the completion of two Fenris gorilla bears.

Painting their faces was thoroughly enjoyable but concerns over whether their fur looked too bland caused some agita for me. Ultimately I convinced myself that the fur looked fine and moved on.

 A verdant forest/jungle look was the goal so everything but the kitchen sink (including some scavenged aquarium plant bits) went onto the bases. The purple flower is from a model railroad store. 

Elsewhere, Center Stage miniatures revealed the first of two Dire Corby greens as part of their Tome of Horrors Kickstarter. Sculptor Drew Williams did an outstanding job. As a project backer I'm in line for this and other forgotten FF classics. (Sadly, the flumph is still under wraps.)

Because my lead-pile isn't nearly vast enough (yeah, right), I picked up a couple items with Fiend Folio potential. Chief among these is a Wyrd jackalope with "al'miraj" written all over it. I ask you, what miniature collection could be called complete without at least one  killer-unicorn-bunny?

A Successful Failure

"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."
Winston Churchill 

I have crashed and burned in my efforts to finish the three minis intended for Otherworld's September painting challenge on time. Not the first time something like this has happened, nor will it be the last.

I'm not going to hang my head over it though. The minis are looking good and I'm enjoying myself. I call that success.

The two gorilla-bears are just about done while the owl-bear needs a fair amount of work:

Painting fur gives me trouble and I spent way too much time on it in this case. Painting faces seems to be something I'm pretty good at and I spent way too much time on it as I was having way too much fun. (Not to mention the hope that well executed faces might divert attention from large expanses of unremarkable fur.)

Without really meaning to, I drifted into jack-o-bear territory as the flesh-tones used come across as a bit orange. I steadfastly refused to complete the effect with glowing eyes and instead used actual gorilla eyes as my inspiration.

Gorilla My Dreams

 

The Fiend Folio Project stands to gain two new members; a pair of gorilla bears to be precise. The manufacturer (Fenris Games) calls them pumpkin-head-bears . In other words, they're meant as Rune Quest jack-o-bear analogs. The miniatures blend ape and bear features and if I avoid painting their heads like jack-o-lanterns they should meet my needs quite nicely.

I'm trying to finish these two and an Otherworld owlbear before month's end so I'll keep this brief and to the point.

Some pictures:

Parts breakdown

Assembled minis

Grey plumber's putty used to elevate part of base

Base after a good deal of sanding

Basing grit added

Some putty-work on the owlbear

Primed and ready

Possible reference