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[Alxbates]

Someone on TMP asked for specific dimensions on the tents, so here they are:

Tent #1 is roughly oval in shape, 3 1/8 inches long at its longest point, 2
1/2 inches wide at its widest point, and 1" tall at its tallest point.

Tent #2 is roughly triangular in shape, 3 3/8" long, 2" wide, and 1 1/2" tall at the tallest point.

Tent #3 is roughly rectangular on its base, 3 1/2" long, 2 1/2" wide, and 1 3/8" tall.

Tent #4 is roughly triangular, 4" long, 2 1/2" wide at the widest point, and 1 1/2" tall at the tallest point.

That might be more helpful than pics of the tents standing next to minis (I really should have put a ruler there next to them...)

-Alex

[Alpha]

The work is really nice....and it's very cool what you are doing.

I know I'll probably hate myself for broaching this topic, but I have to ask. Can you give a ballpark figure (no obligations) as to how much you'd charge to commission a sculpt (28mm Human)?

[Alxbates]

I wouldn't accept your commission, because I'm not a sculptor!  I know a few sculptors, and they're doing work for hire for me, but I'm just an organizer.

I come up with an idea that I think is cool, then I find a sculptor who I think can do a good job turning my idea into a miniature, then I pay them to do it.

The hide tents were more of an inspired moment - I saw them online as sculpts, and offered to buy them from the sculptor (TMP's Cacique Caribe), and he agreed to sell them to me. 

Sandra Garrity sculpted the Peac ocks.

-Alex

[Glenn M]

I have a bunch of various things I'd like to see sculpted some day, my Dragonkin concept (See my avatar), my natasguri, my Emitters (Radioactive Sci-Fi . . .thingies), my earthkin, damn, I need money.  If you want Alex, I can post pictures of all of those,  Though I am certain your head is overflowing as well with concepts.

[Alxbates]

I'm happy to look at any concepts that people have for figures they'd like to see turned into real miniatures - even if it's not something that I'd use, Joshuaslater or Manic_Miner might be interested in them.  I have very little interest in Sci-Fi (other than pulp Sci-Fi like John Carter of Mars or post-Apocalyptic fantasy/sci-fi like Thundarr), or in historicals past the invention of gunpowder, for that matter.

Nearly everything I'll be doing is going to be in an ancient "low" fantasy setting, inspired mostly by Conan and Tarzan stories, or 1970's-80's fantasy cartoons (Heavy Metal, He-Man, Thundarr, Blackstar, the Fire and Ice film, anything by Ralph Bakshi).  J. Allen St.John, Vaugn Bode, Art Suydam, Alex Toth, Richard Corben and Frank Frazetta are all artists that I admire.

Not that I'm any kind of artist myself, but that's the sort of aesthetic mix I'll be going for.

Another thing that I want to do is get all of my favorite sculptors from my teen years to do a sculpt or two for me - I remember when I first started to buy Ral Partha "AD&D" minis, and it was so cool to see names on the blisterpacks - "sculpted by S. Garrity", Julie Guthrie, Bob Olley, Tom Meier, and so on.  It's a real treat to have an original Sandra Garrity green in my hands! I couldn't stop grinning for about a whole day after I got the peac ocks in the mail.

(and I think it's hilarious that I have to separate the bird name into two words to escape the profanity filter... )

I have plans for at least two or three years worth of releases, maybe more than that (especially if I'm only doing this in my free time with my limited discretionary income!), which is what I kind of expect this to be.  I'll be shocked if I ever make enough money doing this to quit working a day job.

I can also now say that Kev White will be doing a character sculpt for me after Christmas, I just got confirmation from MrsHasslefree.

I've also got some thoughts for dice and T-shirt designs, which I may slip in between miniatures releases, as they'll be less costly for me to produce.  If they're profitable, I'll keep doing them.

-Alex

[Glenn M]

NOTE: This post contains some of my concepts, not stuff that Alex is working on.

I'll just lay them out here for you as there is they have all been posted to public eyes before.

Natsaguri are oriental themed elves, not tied to any specific branch, they are a gereric-ish themed army.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g213/Biokanan/NatsaguriSwordsmen.jpg

The Coautl Tribes are Mayan Dragonkin, created in the image of their patron diety.  (Note that in the fluff of the world these are from, their patron diety is also a diety of Natsaguri, they just don't know it, Quetzalcoautl being one the Natsaguri's Dragon Sun God).  They bear long hair like feathers along their heads, back and fore arms.  They use very little equipment, though it is not unheard of.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g213/Biokanan/dragonkin.jpg
This one has been colored to give a vibe of how I had imagined them, they each have bright and vibrant feather colors, despite a muted body tone.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g213/Biokanan/Avatar.jpg

The Earthkin are actually a plant elemental that fuses and imparts it's soul to earth.  It burrows into stone and animates it to work with it.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g213/Biokanan/earthkin002.jpg

These are called Emitters, a Sci-Fi race, they are from a o-G environment with no atmosphere and such, they feed off of radiation that was emitted by their star.  Naturally their bodies waste is also radiation, they also communicate and function using a combination of radiation and magnetism, the base of each foot is a magnetic center that can be activated at will.  They have a unique cellular function though, their cells are all stem cells essentially, and can alter their functions instantly, so if you shoot off the main "brain" area, cells will adapt to perform that function, etc.  When visiting other worlds they have constructed a form of portable star.  It creates a tremendous amount of energy, but most of it is wasted as they only built it for the raw radiation that they feed upon.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g213/Biokanan/Game001.jpg

Gutang, from Teddy Ruxpin, I can't help it, they are awesome.  I would totally buy a whole army, and never use a Goblin in D&D again for these.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g213/Biokanan/Fantasy%20Figures/gutang.gif

Later,
Glenn

[Alxbates]

You've got some cool ideas there, Glenn, but nothing that quite fits in with what I've got planned.

Maybe someone else would be interested in producing them?  The samurai elves, in particular, I think might have some broad commercial appeal.

-Alex

[Alxbates]

And the finished tent castings have arrived!  45 complete sets!





I made a huge mess in my living room unpacking them.    And I suppose technically it's only 44 sets, since I've already sold a set through email (he wanted them NOW, not to wail till I've got a store set up!).

I've settled on a price of $8.50 per tent, or $32 for a set of all four.

Now I just need to get started on that website with a store, calculating weight and international postage, then *maybe* some kind of actual packaging for them...

-Alex

[Manic _Miner]

 Great Alex.I have sent you a message.You are way ahead of me now.I should have something to show soon  .

 Glenn your concepts are very cool.I like the Dragonkin idea's.It would be nice to see them as miniatures.What weapons do you see them using?

[Glenn M]

None for the most part.  Otherwise think Mayan and Aztecan levels.  Ranged attacks would all be Atl Atl's.  Primary caste is Clawfighters.  There is a sub species called Tail Strikers, these have Ankyosaur style tails that are some 10' long, double the length of their body, as they are rarer amongst the Dragonkin they are treated very carefully as their tails are hard to maintain.

[Alxbates]

I suppose I should mention that if anyone really wants the tents *now*, I'd be happy to sell them to you - I don't have a site or a store set up yet, but send me an email to Alxbates AT yahoo DOT com (or a PM here) and I'll set up a Paypal invoice for them + shipping to you.  $32.00 for a set of all four tents, or $8.50 each.  Kind of an odd number, I know, but it's the price I need to sell them at for this to be worth my while (and I'm paying myself WAY less than minimum wage for my time).

-Alex

[Alxbates]

My friend Rob in the UK has shamed me by painting his tents faster than I've painted mine!  They're done in natural-fur type colors, and flocked with snow to match his winter-themed (Wendigo) gaming table.  Here's the first painted fur tent pics, ever!











-Alex

[Nighthawk]

VERY nice! The only thing missing now is a squad of Hussars sitting around a campfire. 

[Alxbates]

Well, they're not Hussars, but how about some Wendigo? (Again, painted by Rob Phipps - Thunderlord)





-Alex

[joshuaslater]

It looks like we'll have to step up and buy some, paint'em, then post pics of them next to the SOK, and those Hussars.

Way to go Alex.