Sunday, January 3, 2016

'Nostalgia' From TamsinP - Millsy the GIMP

I've been keeping my work on this project super-high-top secret as I wanted it to be a big surprise.

So, Nostalgia. Of course, I could have submitted my Mad Max and Terminator Arnie figures, but it didn't actually occur to me until far too late. But enough of this digression.

My first thought when I saw the theme was that perhaps I could dig out an old Citadel figure and paint that up as a reminiscence of my formative gaming years. Nah; scrap that idea - I'm sure other people will be doing that.

My thoughts then drifted off in a lateral direction; towards a pin-prick of light (it turned out that I had actually drifted off and the light was one of the stars caused by my head falling forward onto my desk). When I came to, there was a thought and a plan forming in my twisted mind.

Although I wasn't involved in the first Challenge (nor the second, except as a follower) I was aware that it originally began life as a group of Napoleonic gamers/painters painting up their Nappy lead piles. Of course, the Challenge has expanded hugely since then and a great community has developed among the various participants. This community spirit encompasses friendly rivalries and mickey-taking (errmm, yes, "Guilty as charged m'Lud") along with some points bombs that even Maccy Ds would be hard-pressed to supersize.


So, how to combine my mickey-taking with some form of Nostalgia? Read on for the answer!

After last year's Challenge, Miles did a statistical roundup and made an award to his great rival, Millsy. The award in question was the Greatest Improvement in Miniature Painting, or GIMP for short, and called on us all to repeat after him:


I had been inspired after that to find a suitable figure and paint it up as a mickey-taking opening submission for this year, until I saw the theme round and realised it would fit in perfectly for my burgeoning plan.

However, I was going to need something more to make it a real "nostalgia" exercise - a reminiscence of a comment made nine months or so ago doesn't really count. So, I had to somehow include some Napoleonics in honour of the incipience of Curt's annual bout of madness. A quick bit of internet shopping later and I was all set to go.

But that's quite enough blather from me, you want eye candy - I present Millsy the GIMP putting the finishing touches to a record breaking points bomb of 720 Napoleonic French infantry in 120mm (painted to a fairly basic wargames standard *grin*)









The GIMP is a 28mm figure from Foundry; the French Nappies are 2mm blocks from Irregular.

I had good fun making the scene for this entry, and some frustration when applying the tissue paper "sheets".

A few pics taken before putting everything together:

GIMP Millsy:





The Nappies:



The Scene:




Now, let us see how well I've encompassed my various intentions for this entry:

Reminiscence of the first Challenge - check

GIMP reference - check

Portrayal of a points bomb - check

Mickey-taking - check


I hope you all appreciate my efforts.


And don't forget to include in your comments "Millsy is a GIMP!"

Muwahahahaha!!!

55 comments:

  1. Excellent entry Tamsin-unique, creative, fun and well executed. So glad you decided to participate in the Theme rounds this year.

    Mlllsy is a GIMP!

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    1. Thanks Anne! :)

      I only skipped the theme rounds last year because I wanted to see how much I could do on "pure" points

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  2. I'd like to be a fly on the wall when Millsy sees this! Though any fly at Chez Millsy would probably die instantly from the ever-present fug of Dullcote which hangs in the air during the summer months... Meteorologists are baffled by this localised climatic phenomenon!

    Great work on this tribute to my friend and blolleague, a man hailed by the worldwide painting fraternity as "The GIMP"!

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    1. Drat - I should have forewarned you so that you could install a hidden camera and post the footage! ;)

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  3. Great work and wonderfully creative. Cheers PD

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  4. Very clever idea :D

    Millsy is definitely...

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    1. Cheers Paul - I have no clue as to how I managed to come up wit a clever idea though :)

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  5. A wonderful entry, I wonder what Millsy will come up with as revenge???

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    1. Cheers Ray! I'm sure he'll think of something :o

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  6. Oh man - just hilarious. Millsy has never looked so good...

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    1. Glad you enjoyed my twisted sense of humour Greg :)

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  7. I only ever wore the gimp mask outside once. That's nothing to do with privacy and everything to do with the weather. Black vinyl and 40C temps are a bad mix I can tell you... [ahem]

    This is however otherwise disturbingly close to the truth. I *do* spray large volumes of troops in the back yard...
    http://canisterandgrape.blogspot.com.au/2015/11/catachan-xxvii-regiment-aka-gator-bait.html

    PS. Surely every utterance of "Millsy is a GIMP" should be worth an extra 10 points for me??? My lawyers assure me that's a more than equitable settlement for liable or slander or whatever... :-)

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    1. Oh my, what have I done.....

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    2. Damn! If I'd remembered that post, I'd have done a garden bench instead of a fence!

      So, it's just the black vinyl garter belt, stockings and thong and purple vinyl gloves and boots you normally wear outside then? ;)

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    3. As for you getting 10 points every time someone uses that phrase, fair's fair - I'll go along with that so long as those points are evenly split with Miles as the originator and myself as the publicist ;)

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    4. Oh go on then... You can deduct 10 pets from my current score... "Millsy is a GIMP"

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    5. "So, it's just the black vinyl garter belt, stockings and thong and purple vinyl gloves and boots you normally wear outside then?"

      Sounds like you already have a camera installed somewhere if you have access to that kind if detail...

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  8. You are a strange and gifted woman.

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  9. This post had me laughing out loud for real, hilarious!

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    1. Well, I hope there was nobody around then; otherwise you'd have been getting some very funny looks :)

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  10. Nice.. can see some of the intermixing of combatants happening here :) Great stuff!

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  11. Anyway Millsy you do get +10 points from me for being a good sport. But given the current exchange rate that is only +4.88 in English points but converting from Canadian points makes +10.02 Points. So Close enough.

    Funny Tamsin, funny. And thanks for showing the 2mm Naps.

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  12. Wonderful entry and so true to life - almost photographic in it's realism

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  13. "My first thought when I saw the theme was that perhaps I could dig out an old Citadel figure and paint that up as a reminiscence of my formative gaming years. Nah; scrap that idea - I'm sure other people will be doing that. " Me to interseting take on Nostalgia :)

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  14. A wonderful insight into the mind of Miss Piper! Genius idea and execution Tamsin.

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  15. Lol! That's hilarious! Seems to me your trying to suggest something! Very well done!:-)

    Christopher

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  16. Excellent composition and idea! Wondeful!

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  17. A top bit of work there Tamsin - a like it.

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  18. Funny idea and a great installment.
    Splendid!

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  19. I have a confession - I snuck a peek at this one. And I'll say that it's just as good second time. You have a relent for composition and wicked jokes. Extremely well executed all round - bravo!

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  20. Well, I had been planning to reply individually to each comment, but Blogger seems to suspect me of being a spambot and asks me to do picture verification every time now.

    So, the rest of my replies will be done in aggregated batches.

    @ Kyle - intermixing of combatants? Do you mean GIMPs and Frogs or the various bloggers? ;)

    @ Clint - there's actually been a massive play on the points market and Millsy in fact owes you +10 points now ;)
    Glad you enjoyed my warped sense of humour [and the 2mm Naps] :)

    @ Miles - cheers! The agents in my antipodean cell did provide me with some useful surveillance photos for this project :)

    @ Adam - thanks! I thought it was an interesting interpretation of the theme,but didn't push the boundaries as much as some people have in the past :)

    @ Lord Michael - thank you! I hope that those insights haven't left you permanently scarred! :)

    @ Christopher - trying to suggest something? I thought I was pretty darned blatant about it! :)

    @ Chasseur - thank you! :)

    @ Dannoc - cheers! :)

    @ Stefan - thanks! :)

    @ Phil - cheers! I'm glad you enjoyed it second time around. I take it "relent" should be "talent" as "je ne relent rien!" :)
    [dons pedant cap] that should be "brava!" not "bravo!" ;)

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  21. Replies
    1. Glad you like it Dave! I thought it would amuse you.

      However, now I'm kicking myself for not including a bottle of "Millsbegone" bleach :(

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    2. Sounds like a "defensive terrain" entry to me!

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  22. Late to the party (that I threw no less!).

    Amazing and amazingly cheeky work Tamsin. There was a lot of thought and effort behind this. Well done!

    Oh, and I turned off the word verification thingy. Sorry about that...

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    1. Are you going to send this to Millsy for his private collection?

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    2. Thanks Curt! I thought that people would enjoy this product of my offbeat, yes let's call it offbeat, sense of humour :)

      I was going to suggest that you (as host), Miles (for creating the GIMP award) and Millsy duke it out to see who it gets sent to :)

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  23. The thought, effort and skill that went into this is amazing! A brilliant diorama!

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  24. Brilliant Tamsin! This made me laugh a lot.

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  25. @ Steve - thanks! All these lovely comments make the effort worthwhile :)

    @ Dux - cheers! It's made a lot of people laugh, which was my intention :)

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  26. Fantastic, Tamsin - really brilliant. That's an amazing entry. I absolutely love it!!

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  27. Great Entry Tamsin! Horrific in accuracy too, but you did miss the dreaded handbag-(shudder)
    Millsy is a Gimp, Millsy is a Gimp,...

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  28. Dead sexy! I totally missed this entry. I'm glad you made me aware of it.

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  29. Now this is how I pictured some of the Warhammer fantasy players responding to AOS but rather than rather large air brush I assumed that it was a flame thrower.

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  30. Humour and some of the history of the challenge, thanks Tamsin.

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  31. Just tabulating the bonus points and thought I have to get in here before the round closes. Inspired stuff Tamsin. Completely mad, but inspired and very funny. Bravo to you!

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