I've started taking an interest in 2000AD characters recently. By and large Dredd, Johnny Alpha et al passed me by in the 1980s. For a long time though, I've been interested in Citadel's 2000AD figures, selectively repurposing them for use in Rogue Trader.
Some gaming buddies have suggested that I start taking a look at some of the comic strips, and I'm currently working my way through volume one of the Search/Destroy Agency Files, featuring none other than mutant bounty hunter, Johnny Alpha. Painting up Citadel's Strontium Dog figures is a nice refreshing linked mini-project. They are a discrete trio who give me a chance to play with brighter comic-book colour schemes. And there's the added bonus that I could in theory use them on the table in a game of Warlord's Strontium Dog.
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| Wulf Sternhammer, Johnny Alpha and the Gronk. |
I chose to paint all three based on classic colour schemes. I found Wulf the hardest- Google threw up images of Wulf with blonde hair and red, green suits and red, wooden-hafted hammers and metal. In the end, I sought some expert advice before settling on the bright orange-red suit with the camo-green accessories.
Johnny was a little simpler - every image I found had the same colour scheme of green bodysuit and yellow accessories. The appearance and format of the accessories seems to vary from image to image though, and I couldn't find a single piece of artwork that matched the Citadel sculpt. In retrospect I'd have liked to have given Johnny a darker green bodysuit, but he'll do!
The Gronk was the simplest paint job of the three, with the eyes being the most tricky part - hopefully my placement of the pupils captures the terrified, pleading look that the Gronk usually has!
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| Time for a time bomb? |
You have done the comic strip and the figures justice, I like them.
ReplyDeleteThanks Phil! It's not often I paint figures in order to match a set colour scheme. Glad to hear these hit the mark.
DeleteVery cool! I also am a big SD fan, and in hindsight, it is very obvious were the original WH40K did get its inspiration from. My Warlord starter box is also waiting to get painted ... sadly I don't have the Citadel figures, but I did participate in Mongoose's Rogue Trooper kickstarter for additional figures.
ReplyDeleteRogue Trader owes a huge amount to 2000AD, no doubt. The Warlord figures are nice enough, but these clunky Citadel sculpts fit better with the rest of my figures :)
DeleteA project of 3 cool models that lets you tie your own setting with the broader 2000AD universe ? Hell yes.
ReplyDeleteI've got dozens of suitable criminals, aliens and muties for Johnny and the gang to take on. It's even been suggested that we run them as bounty hunters in our Necromunda campaign!
DeleteColor scheme isn't my cup of tea but they're spot on for the subject matter at hand. And I agree with you that while darker could've been better, these will do.
ReplyDeleteThere's no doubt that if I was unaware of the comics, I wouldn't have chosen these colours! I wonder if dark and brooding versions would work?
DeleteI'm always on the lookout for cheap or damaged 2000AD minis, then it's out with the jeweler's saw and on with a head-swap in most cases. I find that the abundance of chunky shoulder, elbow and knee pads make for very good scummy bottom-feeders and those with rather unpleasant yet necessary jobs in a sci-fi setting.
ReplyDeleteThey're pretty cross compatible with 40k really. I tend to use the ones with less characterised faces without adaptation - they work fine!
DeleteGood stuff, I like those old models. I was aware of Judge Dredd, but never read the comics.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you Sean. I've been aware of 2000AD characters for an age, but only starting reading a few recently. The Citadel minis are worth a look.
DeleteNice job getting the whole trio painted. I got excited to see Wulf in your previous post.
ReplyDeleteWhen I painted my Wulf I chilled out and told myself that he changes outfit like you or me, and that in the far future there's a Wulf painting a mini of me looking through all the old photos of me getting frustrated that my shirt is sometimes different colours. As long as you do the gronk skin in white it's cool – though if you do it in brown it's easy to justify as just him wearing a different pelt.
(Why did you struggle with the Gronk's eyeballs? They're sculpted on?!)
You're right, I'm sure Wulf changes his socks and shirts with regularity. Getting the right look even so is important.
DeleteYour Gronk has sculpted pupils? Mine didn't. There's a possibility that they could have been smoothed by the stripping and scrubbing process. Or it could be a production oddity.
That makes sense. Yeah. my Gronk's pupils were sculpted on as discs. It was straight out the blister, so in amazing nick. I've never seen that protruding approach to pupils before – though I've seen the pupils sculpted on as recesses in the eye before. I wonder if it was a production variant – difficult to prove unless I can find one in the blister without the eyeballs.
DeleteGood luck tracking down that mythical blister! I've only seen recessed eyeballs too. Having them in relief would seem to be a nightmare to sculpt.
DeleteThese are bang on, unmistakable.
ReplyDeleteYou should *definitely* get them hunting in Hive Primus.
I really enjoyed painting them - much more than I was expecting. Going for a brighter, crisper colour scheme than usual was fun.
DeleteI've had some thoughts about how I might stat them up - It's definitely viable using Necromunda rules.