'Childhood' from TomM: Tijl Uilenspiegel

A bit of a special set of figures for this round, as it is the limited edition entry set from the past Crisis wargame show we organised at TSA. 

And it is a character that has a great influence on school children of my generation...

The models, sculpted by Paul Hicks, where available in two different manners on the event.  Tijl was the model that was in the goodie bag, and at the event you could buy the remaining two in a special commerative box with a printed scenic base.

Originally a trickster figure from German medieval folklore, later versions set him in the days of the Dutch Revolt against Spain.

Born in Damme near Bruges, Tijl joins the Dutch cause against the Habsburg rulers together with his girlfriend Nele and his best friend Lamme Goedzak.

At first a goodhearted prankster playing jokes on the Spanish, over time he becomes a hero and symbol of the Revolt.  he even cheats death, rising from the grave before his grieving friends, promising them more adventures to come as they embody the spirit of the Low Countries.

This folkloric figure was the inspiration for a series of graphic books, named "De geuzen" (though the names where changed a little) and even a cartoons series in the early 80s, though there he was more a green dressed, flying, magic wielding leprechaun then a symbol of revolution... but yes, together with his actual book, he was seemingly everywhere in the 80s and 90s... which, as I am from 1978, is full on in my childhood, hence why I picked him.

'Childhood' from TeemuL: Lunar Trooper

This is probably the toughest bonus round this year, it was really difficult to pick something to paint. I almost started a 1:72 scale model, but then I realized I couldn't assemble it (nor paint!) that in the given time. Finally I decided that my childhood entry would be similar model, which was the very first I bought and among the very firsts that I ever painted.

So let me present you a Lunar Trooper from Ral Partha. He is from Lunar Empire, Genertela continent, world of Glorantha from the games RuneQuest/HeroWars/HeroQuest.

Small model and quick to paint. I did put some extra attention to the cloak and gave a very soft blue wash on armored parts to pick up the sculpted details. I left him on the original base, because it is very unlikely he will see any gaming action.

The new in the middle, two very old on the flanks

Simple model, simple story to childhood (or to teenage) and simple 5 points.

'Childhood' from SidneyR: Ada the Goose-Girl of Laarden

My entry for the “Childhood” themed round is, for me, very nostalgic. Growing up in the 1980s, I was a keen player of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. I remember many amazing hours with like-minded school friends exploring The Keep on the Borderlands, or wandering through The Village of Hommlet. And I am more than sure that many fellow Challengers, and readers, will have done that as well. 

I collected miniature to use for AD&D, and still have lots of the miniatures from companies like Citadel (before and after being purchased by Games Workshop), Marauder and Chronicle. Some of my favourites were the Citadel C46 Villagers - for no better reason as they’d easily double up for both AD&D and convenient eye candy in 25mm Medieval skirmish games using the 'Lamming Medieval Rules' (oh gosh, that was a while ago!).

One of my favourite Citadel C46 Villager miniatures was called ‘Ada the Goose Girl’, a wonderful whimsical casting of a young woman and her goose. For anyone who has even attempted to hold a goose, you will realise they are not a bird which sits easily under the arm - unless I’ve been doing it wrong. I had an 'Ada' in the 1980s, and early 1990s, and then lost her somewhere - no doubt exploring with my chums in Hommlet, Bogenhafen, Middelheim or Nuln. I have missed her greatly ever since, particular since I started collecting civilian figures for Laarden.

So, for the “Childhood” themed round, here’s Ada - or ‘new Ada’, complete with perhaps less tame geese, which are waddling around her feet in some Laarden allotment or Sint-Vaalben farm. She’s a Midlam Miniatures casting - which are fantastic, flash-free and very nicely proportioned miniatures.

The geese are from Hovels and Magister Militum, with the Magister Militia geese being particularly characterful. Although, I admit, ‘New Ada” slightly lacks the charm of the Citadel original, I'm hoping she’ll be perfect until I can try and find one of the C46 originals...  

'Childhood' from SteveM: Baby Panda from the Zoo

scale: 28mm
mfg: Dark Sword Miniatures
product: DSM-8015 Happy Baby Panda


Hello happy panda. As a child I remember seeing the pandas at the zoo. Very cute.

'Childhood' from StephenS: Zulu

This was such a fantastic theme round, I tossed around so many ideas. Originally, I went down the path of revisiting a model or game from my first forays into the hobby (when I was about 14). However, reflecting on it further, my passion for miniature gaming was probably first kindled much earlier. Growing over many lazy Sunday afternoons watching old war movies with my dad as a kid. It is these sort of iconic films, whether watched when released at the cinema or as a TV re-run, that so many of us try to recreate on the tabletops.

Without a doubt, a favourite of ours was the movie 'Zulu', I still remember my dad afterwards getting me a biography of Michael Cain's early years for me to read (this was the early 90's). I have never gamed the Anglo-Zulu wars, but here is my ode to that movie and old films from my childhood in general.

The figures are all 25-28 mm models from Warlords Games, the Zulus are plastic and our British heroes are metal. The barricade is a resin piece, also from Warlords (it fills half a 6 cm cube). The uniforms are painted as per stills from the film so blame them if I've gotten anything wrong ;)

Lieutenant Bromhead and Colour-Sergeant Bourne

It was a real blast to put together, so many great memories, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Cheers,

Steve

'Childhood' from SebastianR: Child with Crowbar

Leaping over the rooftops of Gotham, hero to child and manchild alike, it's Batman!

Ok seriously, this is the last time I'll make this joke. Well... maybe one more time. Jokes aside, maybe it's time to re-asses the grimdark nature of modern portrayals of the caped crusader,

In any case, here's my real submission, a small child with a crowbar.

As painting continued, I realised he looked a little bit like Donald Trump... I decided this wasn't entirely inapropriate.

For scale, here are two repainted dogs. I really wasn't happy with two from a previous submission, and I found the original manufacturers page (for those who were asking) along with a much better paint scheme.

Turns out one of them was supposed to be a German shepherd...

The above is for scale, I'm not sure if re-paints are worth points, if they are, I suppose this submission becomes a boy and his dogs?

'Childhood' from: SanderS: I love it when a plan comes together!

Hoi there,

Some time ago I posted on my blog that I had been honoured to be asked to be a Minion, Iannick then said that was cool and he could guess what I would enter in this Theme round. Well I think he was under the impression it was going to be more GIJoe, so therefore I reckon he did not see this one coming!

Being born in 1980 means I got on the wrong side of the 80's since the 90's had not properly started yet and everyone had a fresh 80's trauma to get over with. The Dutch television networks were always behind the trends so many an American 80's cartoon was released over here late in the 90's and that's were all this comes from.

So let's see what figures have originated from TV series have taken my fancy ok? First up are my regular Mystery Inc. crew. The figures are from Hasslefree and I already have painted their Post-Apoc versions earlier.

These figures I bought on a whim and have been lying in wait for some time. This theme round seemed what I needed to get them done.

What's next? Well, another awesome series that I viewed in the 90's was the A-Team and since the Germans had commercial networks before us and therefore had more money they could afford to buy and air it. That said they do German voice-overs making the guys in the series sound mighty dumb...

The figures are Wargames Foundry's B-Team and I must say while they get the dress down pretty good, the faces are a really bad likeness to the real actors. A further problem was the miscasting of Face, look at his frontal picture to see what I mean.

The bases for all the Mystery Inc and A-team figures are TTCombat resin scenic bases.

All of those are great but my absolute favourite of this batch are the following six figures, now you surely know what they are based upon right?

Yes that's right He-Man and the Masters of the Universe! Have you seen the "Toys that made us" series on Netflix?It has an episode on both GIJoe and He-man and how these were created, I just loved it. He-man has something downright cool, even if he's far ahead in fashion style.

 

These figures have Renedra plastic bases, except for Skeletor whose feet were too far apart and so I had to get a resin one.

When painting these I have watched the new 2002 series and that is basically what you would have wanted the older series to have been but I like both. Must be nostalgia, I bought the miniatures off an Etsy shop and don't believe they are available elsewhere. 

For some more 80's love:

Since there are so many nostalgic female heroes in there: Daphne, Velma, Amy, Teela and Evil Lynn, I think I would like to put this post up for Sarah's Choice.

So that's me done for this bonus round, I am off to finally get some 1:72 Napoleonics done.