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Finally think I got this group finished up! I've got a soft spot for the dark pulpy weirdness of the "Hellboy" universe, as we have seen. https://forum.reapermini.com/index.php?/topic/85925-heckfella-wwwoz-lion-80058-and-rafm-hells-harbinger-raf03897 https://forum.reapermini.com/index.php?/topic/86757-bombshells-gillie-as-abbie-sapien The idea got into my head to do up the rest of the BPRD Special Operations crew from equally non-official sources. A few months back I got a set of 20+ very cheap miniatures for some superhero boardgame and got it into my head to use them as guilt-free conversion fodder. One of them was pretty spot-on for a younger, less jaded version of the pyrokinetic Liz Sherman. I just added a ring of flame from a Nolzur's aasimar wizard and painted her up. Sculpt was pretty basic and blobby, but I think it gets the point across. Click for turnaround: Another had a costume that looked like it could be painted as a diver's suit, so SNIP went the head, and SQUISH went the green stuff, and with a mechanical-pencil eraser cap, a jump ring, and some tiny watch parts I turned him into the ectoplasmic medium in a pressure suit, Johann Kraus. Aimed for a compromise between the movie version and the comics version. Turnaround, so you get all sides of that nice, open face: The belt pouches are chunks of sprue metal. And of course who could forget Roger the Homunculus? This was a Nolzur's Clay Golem, and the scale is a bit off, but hey. He's a hulking construct grown from blood and herbs by a deranged alchemist, and the comics are not really consistent about just how big he is. I can overlook it. Again, watch parts and sprues factored into the conversion to make his lightning capacitor chest and...other distinguishing features. I assure you, it's canonical that it looks even worse if he has pants on. You know the drill, But I know what you came here for...ACTION SHOTS! Group photo: BONUS HELLBOY VILLAINS! Waste not! The torso for Kraus lost a head, but a bodiless bald head is perfect for Hermann von Klempt, horrible head-in-a-jar mad scientist. Ape-X makes a good Kriegaffe. And this project finally gave me something to do with the third Grenadier Vile Villain: a good cultish Rasputin ready to summon some Ogdru Hem and/or Ogdru Jahad.

EDIT: link to the live kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/hellboy-the-board-game/description The Hellboy board game will be a co-operative experience in which players face off against some of the comic’s most famous foes. Up to four people take control of iconic BRPD members, such as Hellboy, Abe Sapien and Roger the Homunculus, before exploring gothic locations and uncovering ancient artifacts. Set to make its Kickstarter debut in April 2018, the Hellboy board game will feature stunning, pre-assembled plastic miniatures that accurately capture the look and feel of Mike Mignola’s world famous comic series. “Hellboy has a great cast of characters, diverse locations and legendary monsters from the pages of folklore and myth,” said Ronnie Renton, Mantic CEO. “The comics provide a fantastic foundation on which to build an immersive, fun and fast-paced co-operative board game that will let players experience some of their favorite moments from the series.”

WIP Quick paint spread throughout the day.

I had a bad day and decided to do some painting in between the terrain stuff. I did quick red /brown/blue liner primer coats at 920 and put stuff aside. Then did another 15-20 minutes ruddy leather on belts and boots, intense brown and oiled leather on coat, creamy ivory on shirt, red shadow and carnage red lightened with Ivory and medium. Corporea black for pants.

Painted up the Bones WWWizard of Oz as Hellboy, as so many others have rightly done (for it is an excellent pulp Hellboy sculpt sans tail). Got some good practice with old leather in making that duster; multiple washes and drybrushes in different tones. His skin is Reaper's Cinnamon Red with AP Red Tone and Nuln Oil washes and some AP Chaotic Red touches. Horns and clobberin' hand are mostly Chaotic Red. Movie came out recently to poor reviews, so this is a good time to remind people of Hellboy's comic-book roots: standing in front of poorly-lit Cyclopean carvings from ancient times before encountering a horrendous monster. "The briefing said this temple complex was dedicated to Camazotz. ...what the heck is a camazotz?" "Ah! Christ, you're ugly!" "Okay, bat-face, you wanna dance? Let's dance." The part of the Camazotz is played today by RAFM's "Hell's Harbinger," in their Fantasy Miniatures: Angels of Death collection. A versatile monstrosity that comes with a giant monster-skull base, I've gotten plenty of Cthulhu and pulp mileage out of it. Bonus tableau! "I dunno what you're selling, lady, but I ain't buying any today!"

Am starting to paint up the pieces from the Kickstarter, which arrived yesterday, as otherwise it will sit there for years. At the moment all I have done on these (apart from Abe Sapiens skin) is a basic undercoat with coloured Vallejo primers and then a wash with Army Painter strong tone. Am then picking out white and light details. Am going to try and reference the distinctive black shading in the Mike Mignola comics by using black lining and painting areas in shadow as dark grey. Also will try and use lots of pastels, basic NMM, and those distinctive bright blank eyes.