Sunday 22 November 2020

Ancient Evils

After what's been a difficult week, I wanted to get some easy wins under my belt. And the most straight forward painting I could find to do was this mummy and nefarious henchman.


These are possibly the first additions to 7TV: Pulp project focussing on archaeological expeditions in Egypt and the inevitable disturbance of ancient curses and undead monstrosities.

I don't currently have any terrain for this project, and the only miniatures I have that might get used for it are some plastic British desert infantry from an issue of Wargames Illustrated. Therefore this one is likely to be a slow burner.


The mummy is from Crooked Dice and I picked him up whilst supporting one of their smaller Kickstarter campaigns.

The sculpt is clearly based on Lon Chaney's portrayal in a series of films in the 40s, and one of the things I love about the model is the fact that the bandages are clearly a costume which fits neatly and reveals the actor's face, rather than any attempt to actually look like an ancient corpse.


This is a miniature I have mixed feelings about. It's from Pulp Figures and is part of a set of henchmen I recieved as a Secret Santa gift several years ago.

It's a very characterful sculpt with a cartoony style. Unfortunately, the cartoon in question is probably Tintin, and the miniature repeats some uncomfortable racial stereotypes that were all too common in texts of the pulp genre. 

As a 'pulp' figure, it is undoubtedly based on contemporary representations, but it does beg the question as to whether such representations are just part of history to be understood and engaged with (in the same way that WW2 gamers play as the SS), or whether these kinds of images should be left in the dustbin of history.

Mind you, now I think about it, perhaps having a game where the entitled colonial looters of ancient treasures are presented as 'heroes' is equally problematic? 

This is probably why my first choice for a Pulp setting involved dinosaurs. You always know where you are with a dinosaur...

...on the menu...

Acquired: 217
Painted: 258

2 comments:

  1. Seriously good work on show here. Very impressive sir!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm someone who has lived a life seemingly in the background, I must say this final indignity I have suffered almost too much to endure. You see, I have been sickly and weak since the day I was born and doomed to go through my life weakling. I seemed to have always suffered from one illness or another and could never play with the other children as I so desperately wanted to. Mother always made such a big fuss over me, also, making the situation worse as the other boys teased me mercilessly after they saw it. I was browsing  the internet searching on how I could be transformed into a powerful person when I came across the email of a man named Lord Mark. who was a VAMPIRE so I told him that I has always dreamed of becoming a  VAMPIRES, All i did was just to follow the procedure that i was been told, and i bet you that procedure I took change my entire life to something i ever desire, freedom, sickness free, pains free, fame, influence, connections and even more that i can. Thanks to Lord Mark. Do you want a life full of interesting things? Do you want to have power and influence over others? To be charming and desirable? To have wealth, health, and longevity? contact the vampires creed today via email: Vampirelord7878@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete