ESSENSE Ruki rs Light up a Getting ee EM Ci ane Paints NX: = SS r= Bote) og cy Faas (slay ae S Vz as Lala eaia aid ETA w Ria ee ka he ols TNCs CT412g BM ed ® Add textures and effects to improve your figures using the AMMO Wargaming Universe range of products Se UCU Re CRs Crem ore streaking and many more, discover the entire range in the QR: DO asc ee LORY ee Ren) different textures and details of your figure, Sen eta ds OO BR cnmousALTERNITY MINIATURES Next Generation Brushes Finger Palette atl UPA ig PCE | SE Ree DU eC PCM Cry CTTInside s10 [wee] Coe ES ead SMC: Pac Lath Out of Figures the Fire SCC cy as Penta Co) Colic Reach for Bo) ele Managing Editor: Published by Guidel Dunstable Business Con 92. Blackburn Bedtordshie, e-mail tom@guidelinepublications co.uk fof refuse any advertisements without 9s. Whist every cares taken Magazine Licensing & Syndication: Guideline Publications publishes top quality magazines, books & bookezines, onso Foren Peace, George Diego Guiana and Krzysztof Urban the bona fides of advertisers, fer licensing and repr world, You can fied out more by contacting Tom Foxon This magazine / book shall not wi Warmers ye publshar, be Fantasy Figures International ISSN: so disnosed of by way of 2655-0474 Copyright @ 2024 & Guidelines Lic ‘loine Publications Publications 2024 ‘www.guidelinepublicatons.co.uk 4 FANTASY FIGURES INTERNATIONALand painting elit The best in Pete eee ie ey modeling SLN3LNOD DE) Cov Saku ge | a ea Te Editorial c The Last Selfie on Earth 24 Ginn Sniper Type News and Reviews . So, You Want to Reach for the Stars! * LLebioda bulls a How to easily Weather estroye Warhammer 40,000 “Have a Funny Field Day Today!”EDITORIAL Welcome. David Grummitt ing Editor Pebiatons ‘Tom Foxon Sales and Marketing Director comaguidelrepolesions co.uk "44 (0)7540 155568 Andy Whittaker Design Gu deine Publcatons and@aarkmed ie.com (6 FANTASY FIGURES INTERNATIONAL ne aspect ofthe articles in this magazine that takes a lot of my time as editor is identifying and matching product numbers to the many different paints ow contributors use. Painting is, in many ways, at the heart of our hobby, whichever form that takes for you. Recently, was lucky enough to be sent some samples of the new ATOM paint range by our friends at AMMO and I’ve been using them, alongside my usual Vallejo, Games Workshop and AK Interactive 3rd Gen acrylics, in my own projects, This issie Roberto del Cima also discusses his favourite paints, LifeColor acrylics. Personally, Id always struggled with LifeColor, but I've realised that, while not all paints are equal, they are many very good brands of paint out there and all have slightly different properties that suit different styles and approaches to the hobby. It takes an investment, in both time and money, to adopt a new paint brand, but would urge you to try as many brands and types as you can. Inotice how many of our contributors ~ far better miniature painters than I will ever be - mix and match their brands, using different manufacturers’ paints for their different properties and effects. Using different paints, like trying different techniques or mixing up the subjects on our bench, is all part of the hobby’s rich tapestry. ‘This issue of FFI is packed full of different approaches, subjects and, of course, paints! Our cover story this issue is Javier Molina’s account of how he produced a quirky ‘Cosmic Cat’ vignette, while Polish modeller Rafal Lebioda adds some LED lights to Bandai’s superb Imperial Star Destroyer. Next, the aforementioned Roberto del Cima talks us through painting some futuristic mniniatures with LifeColor aerylies, while Alfonso Florén Paradela provides another painting masterclass with his Japanese- ‘themed fantasy figure ‘Sakura’. Krzysztof Urban returns with another of his stunning post-apocalyptic dioramas, while Arthur Ko presents a Gundam custom build. We've got some strong content this month inspired by the world of Warhammer. Jon Gomez gives a step-by-step account of how he painted a Salamanders legion Leviathan dreadnought, while Diego Quijana has a two-part tutorial on painting and weathering Warhammer 40K vehicles with AMMO products. Olaf Kievit provides an illuminating discussion of how he tackled the problem of properly lighting his workbench, while [finish off my report of last year’s SMC show in the Netherlands. Until next time, enjoy your hobby. David Grummitt, Mansging eaterOakwood have been involved in the making of lise in creating the perfect wooden base to compliment your finished figure. ri ALBION ALLOYS [emcee sopelles NOW DISTRIBUTE SMS Eras ALU 4 + Acrylic Lacquer - Use straight from the bottle Be eo ieee) Sanaa Pec Frey cas SMM Reo PST Made by the Modeller, For the Modeller Ort rer me oan STL eu Conc) OAC Se DISCOUNT CODE: check Out Our HUGE Range of Fantasy & Wargaming Books & Magazines www.aviationbookcentre.com Unie 1 Highfield Re ctheroe, 887 1AQ sales@aviationbookcentre.com + 01200 401468 FANTASY FIGURES INTERNATIONAL 7d Re A= ; SAGAN We review the hottest releases from across the hobby. ‘aro Madelmaker is a small UK-based company specialising in resin bits and accessories to customise the popular ranges of tabletop gaming miniatures. They also stock what is probably the world’s largest range of resin piinths to display your painted minis. Their latest release, however, is something a little different. As James, the man behind the new ‘painting panels’ explains, ‘These have been lurking in my head for some time, and now they are finally here! The idea behind these is t anytime you want to test out a new paint, method, or simply refine those skills and don't want to waste a need them for a future project? Perhaps you run a class. or want to learn a method with friends, or you've seen, something on a YouTube tutorial you want to test out, Hopefully in time these will be a staple of any painter's toolbox he two-sided cast resin painting panels are available in two veriants: Organic and industrial. Each measures 75mm square. The organic variant has six heads repeated decent madel you can grab one of these. Of course, we all have bits boxes full of leftovers but what if you across the panel, allowing for multiple practices and visual improvements. Two of each of the head designs are enlarged for additional practice opportunities. The reverse has a series of 9 panels with common surfaces found on miniatures: mutated flesh, fur, chainmal, izard/dragon skin and one panel with a base texture. The industrial panel has one side covered in all manner of weapons: a barrel, a wheel, tank tracks, plasma coils, shields, gems and chains The iclea is that it covers those things you'd usually find in tabletop wargames, many of which are used in painting classes across the globe. The reverse has simple flat panels with a variety of panel lines, rivets, grates, and varia grooves to test capillary action and graduation. Also, are really useful for testing decal application because even that is an art in itself! The panels have already been very well received by the painting and hobby community. Their potential value for 19 classes, online tutorials, sample panels for testing new paints, and as a way to test schemes before committing to miniature is obvious. They also allow’ for refined practicing of skills for non-metallic metals, eathering techniques and everything else that isin the hobbyist's arsenal. You can browse the store and order online at www:taromodelmaker.com, Our thanks to James for the product information, Subscribe and Save with 6 issues from just £32. Just Visit www.guidelinepublications.co.uk or call +44(0)1582 fads ore S17 1mission painting and tutorials, ner 40K and the Horus Heresy ular. Myles, the man behind the studio, has Warrior of Thunder andl Lightning, This is @ r forged in the crucible of pre-historic tech-barbarisin. A relic of war better forgotten and an echo of Dark Age lore, bring you the Ursus Astra ‘able @wiloh_dlver alm. | jece for us, I can't walt to show off what we've been brewing up for 2024, This piece wil form a core part of our teaching eur has been ly readable | -an surfaces and sto advance your miniature painting. injature Nameplates for Models 26 sizes - 20 fonts - 36 finishes Faeroe RON CNG tics Rees u rine ke (clad Naa SPANNER earn a Cir come ey aR Se ene CREPE SUPT Ea eerie Reg Pau eens While a natural candidate for NMM it explore TMM (True Metallic Metals) reflections, while developing atmosphere in your work and heavy weathering,blockbust franchise is making a shift from the PC the le, based ona of products is Set for a pen: Krzysztof Kobalezyk. The miniatures for the tablet will be heroic 32mm scale, but this one led a little larger (45-50mm) so that Krzysztof's sublime brushwork shi he super the massive rev ne enduring sure this will bi Subscribe and Save with 6 issues from just £32. Just visit www.guidelinepublications.co.uk or call +44(0)1582 668411 To Start Saving Now! TO FANTASY FIGURES INTERNATIONALof plastic bottles. What sets these domestic supplies apart is the inclusion of eye-catching decals, ensuring that when painted, these cartons and bottles truly stand ‘out in your creations. Designed for maximum versatiity, this set perfectly complements the Soft Drink Cans and Boxes (ref. LANG-0412), Water Bottles (ref. LANG- 0415), Milk Cartons (ref. LANG-0417), anc Cool Box (rt LANG-0414). Together they allow you to effortiessly bile a cohesive and realistic environment for your projects. The addition of these finely detailed domestic supplies acids depth and authenticity to both warfare and civilian scenes. As you can, the quality of the 30-printing <| onal these items is ran me foe, | first cass. They are Lenn fe excellent products BR supported by Tyrell seereavirta Models’ equally website David Howell at Tyrell Models is bringing into the UK some The site contains some #UFHIA 3D-Print Mods landprint Tools SoS: interesting lines that will appeal to hobbyists of every handy YouTube-hosted stripe. His latest brand is Chinese firm Liang, who make videos in which David a range of precision tools and high-ouality 3D-printed demonstrates the tools accessories. The Modeller’s Precision Angle Cutter (ref. andi accessories listed LANG-0220) is a piece of 3D-printed wizardry designed on his website - a to cut 30, 45, 60, and 90-degree angles with unmatched wonderful feature. accuracy, providing you with the perfect angles for your Our thanks to David model-buding needs. The Precision Angle Cutting Tool for the review boasts a small and compact design, ensuring easy handling samples www. and storage. Its magnetic base adds an extra layer of tyrelimodels.co.uk) functionality, allowing you to securely store the tool within arm’s reach. In terms of 3D-printed accessories, there isa very useful set of resin handprint stamps contained in the Handprint Tool (ref. LANG-0404). This contains little hanciprints in all the popular modelling scales from, 1/32 to 1/72. These have a wide range of uses for miltary, post-apocalyptic or, in fact, any other facet of the hobby. Ina similar vein, we also have sets of 1/35-scale Modern (ref. LANG-0402) anc World War II Boot Impressions (ref. LANG-0401), Especially useful for post-apocalyptic diorama modellers will be a set Civilian Domestic Suppll (ref. LANG-0410), Each set comes with a variety of items, including waste bins, toilet rolls, and various sizes, www.guidelinepublications.co.uk FANTASY FIGURES INTERNATIONAL JTly ddd Spanish manufacturer AMMO by Mig Jimenez has long been recognised as an innovator in terms of paint and weathering materials. Their atest product line, ATOM Paints, seeks to bring together the best quailties of acrylics and lacquer-based paints in what they dub as a fusion of colour and innovation’ Their own publicity material states that ATOM has developed a water-based formula that is not only safe and non-toxic, but also delivers exceptional results with lacquer-lke performance... ATOM is self levelling, aroviding a smooth and professional finish with every application. ATOM paints are adouriess, so you can enjoy the hobby without worrying about your health or environment. Whether you prefer the precision of a brush or the versatility of an airbrush, ATOM is perfect for your needs. Our high-quality formula guarantees astonishing results with any technique you choose, without the need for dilution. its lacauer-lke design and functionality will effortlessly elevate your projects to their highest level 20m! bottle has a secure, one-handed cap and contains our iconie steel paint stirring ball, ensuring that your colour palette is always 2 source of inspiration’ The pai now available, and I've had a chance to check out their Metallic Colors (ref, ATOM-20702) set. It contains twelve 20m plastic paint bottles, all with a stirring ball. The set has the essential metallic colours - Gold, Silver, Gun Metal, Brass, Steel, Copper and Aluminium - but also some more esoteric ones - Burt Iron, Pink Gold, Metallic Red, Aotake Green and Aotake Blue, As some of you know, I collect a game with 28mm plastic medieval knights, so this was good opportunity to try some of the new metallic ATOM paints, My go-to acrylics were Games Workshop paints and more recently AK interactive 3rd Gen, lout these new ATOM paints are at least their equal and, in terms of airbrushing, superior. They take a little getting used to - they don’t ‘work so wellif thinned with water for brush painting ~ and need a vigorous shaking before they're ready for use. They airbrush superbly with fops of the ATOM acrylic thinner (AMIG-2000). | found | needed to thin it 50/50 with the thinner to obtain a nice, consistent spray pattern. The paint dried quickly to an impressively lustrous finish. !m looking forward to finding out more abo what these paints can do. Check out www. ammo. for the latest news. Subscribe and Save with 6 issues from just £32. RIUIany or call +44(0)1582 12 FANTASY FIGURES INTERNATIONAL sit www.guidelinepublications.co.uk ads 668411 To Start Saving Now! ==There are few stories as well known as that of the legendary fifteenth-century Wallachian (modern-day Romanian) ruler Vlad Ill, more commonly known to us as Viad the Impaler or Count Vlad Dracul Stories of Viac's brutality began to circulate during his lifetime and his reputation inspired Bram Stoker's famous 1897 novel Dracula and a host of other vampire-related films, books and TV series. This new release by Michael Kantraros Collectibles manages to apture both the historical and legendary Dracula. Sculpted by one of the best- known names in miniature sculpting, the American artist John Rosengrant this new bust is base sixteenth-century portal to be based on a contemporary likeness, in Amibras Castle in Austria. The way it has been painted for the boxart (by Rosengrant himself) resses Viad's legendary, vampiric aspect, but ‘could easily finish this as a much more historical likeness, hinting at the monster beneath .. The 1/12-scale bust comes in parts and is flawlessly ca in high-auality resin 7 talian paint manufacturer LifeColor too Sf s overshadowed by Tamiya, unze and the big three Spanish paint makers, but modellers acrass the world swear by then, appreciating the range colours available, their durability, and the fact that they apply eaually well with both an airbrush and a paint rush. As well as individual pots, * came uae wane wae ey sell themed sets of e' colours, The latest Flesh Paints 2 (ref. €EO3) contains colours designed for This is an excellent paint which will certainly help if African and Native American skin tones. They can you wish to paint anything other than Caucasian skin n fact be used to good effect for a range of olive tones. LifeColor paints are available in the UK from skin tones. As you can see from the box art by very the Airbrush Company, who kindly supplied the review talented Roberto del Cima, the results are stunning. sample (www.airbrushes.com) Subscribe and Save with 6 issues from just £32. Just visit www.guidelinepublications.co.uk or call +44(0)1582 668411 To Start Saving Now! FANTASY FIGURES INTERNATIONAL 15x < & & 4 8 o George Phillips looks at the some of the large-scale Cero em men end Cote) colin (OTe COLMAN TT ae OR OLOLO) 1 7 il a hae Pe Ureor almost 40 years, Warhammer 40,000 has been one of the world’s most populer miniature wargames, spawning a wealth of compelling characters, high-octane battle scenarios and eye-catching models. Since its humble beginnings as a UK-based mail-order business praducing figures for fantasy role- playing games, Games Workshop has become a globel phenomenon, selling countless millions of Warhammer branded miniatures and creating what is arguably the most immersive hobby in the world, For Warhammer is as much about assembling and lovingly painting your miniature armies as itis deploying them in battles against those of other hobbyists. Gi Workshop provides its own special paints, inks and washes along with painting tips to help players get the very best from their figures. Fans can visit painting demonstrations in one of the 7000-plus Garnes Workshop retail outlets worldwide and can learn more about the fictional Warhammer universe through its Black Library, an anthology of tie-in fiction that includes hundreds of novels, as well as comics, video games and @ young-adult book series, Legendary Series A popular series of figures and game scenarios was launched by the company in 1987 and in the years since, Warhammer 40,000 - sometimes shortened Warhammer 40k - has become the most played miniature: wargame in the world. The tenth and most current rulebook for the series was introduced in June last year The game's title reflects the timeframe in human history within which it’s set, and its motto - ‘In the grim darkness of the 4Ist millennium, there is only war’ - pai an unapologetic picture of what gamers can expect Ina bleak future, a struggling human civilisation is plagued hy hostile aliens and supernatural creatures. The miniatures employed in the game are members of warring factions which include a mixture of humans, aliens, anal supernatural monsters, The military hardware is amped Up and futuristic, but the supernatural powers wielded by ome characters can be equally destructive. The fictional > FANTASY FIGURES INTERNATIONAL 15narrative for 8 ting the large Black Library As in other miniature wargame: players enai their warri jebicles on a 3-D battlefield in fe Eee Warhammer 4 which includes models Creative influences player ‘onent's fore arithmetic The Imperium of Man is described Prunny ee nt Pou ra: eae) Une nes Rena Cures Cu au Sen et Rey Pee aoe toad the largest catalogue of model eee ena ccay Cee Coca eee Cee h ee’ popular. SU Cee Prem ons Deon e cee) Ce on eeu ey eee carn) Cockney accents. Their culture ee aa rcs Cera Poe ea era Pecan ako Pree ua aay eee au eRe ra) PC Oat ue) CeO ane ae iad eons er Cue Pate te malevolent and depraved entities and demons formed from the base thoughts and emotions of all encase errr’ Dc eo mess On Chaos are twisted in both mind Bore eu aes 16 FANTASY FIGURES INTERNATIONAL s, The outcomes SO eee ais Ree ener kee Pr Rea cued Oe caer Bre eee cue iad PCR ea MCS Ce Ok Bee ouad Cire cence eet ic eee ne aca Derr are tees Ce ruoi ee cog The Necrons are an ancient ee cue Cea cs Re eee Rac flesh-and-blood beings, but then they transferred their minds into android bodies, thereby achieving immortality. Necron units have the ability to rapidly regenerate Ror emcee ry Dee esac as On ed Be re ee Elves of fantasy fiction. Aeldari COC es auc) Se eed Ses BC Rune airy Fem Ree) CN Me ats Pete er sea Nc Pee ane Pe ee ci) Pere esac eis The Tyranids are a mysterious Bee in Scares) influences. Perhay eatures akin the most o} to human upernatural EC a EU cs path. Tyranids are linked by a Pee EM RCue Te cay Pee aren) Semen oe Pen ery eee eres ROC eu uCRcuT was inspired by the art of H. R. Cee Cu Cc Ca race of Tyranids further inspired Ce eerie. cd COs SOCCER LIC ag Piece tet c es OLE Cenc enc Td DO Re uns CoE Cs PO ug DCE unc CT ou eu ec kas pea Se Cae Cee urd call ‘the Greater Good or T’au'va’ SURE cUUE ey Ce eee a CUS! Eee Se ce which are based on the dwarves CaO em ue Pe ceed Ror en cue Cece Pe cer mcd eee cur about using artificial intelligence, Cee Se eee ry‘Space Wolves Welt Guard the lethal Sisters of Silence anall-female order of Imperial Witch Hunters tasked with hunting down rogue ‘asykers’ and other psychic t bear a resemblance to e Bene Gesser the galaxy ~ reer, of which ‘Ork Meganob with Buzzsaw, protagonist Paul Atreides’ mother, Lady Jessica, is @ member, The vision of future, large-scale interspecies war prosecuted by a human ‘world government’ featured in Starship Troopers, the 1959 novel by Robert A, Heinlein, This influential work of science fiction also introduced the elite Mobile Infantry, a unit which has some parallels with the Imperium’s Space Marines. The game has also spawned a large amount of spin-off media. These include board games such as Space Hulk, which is about combat in the narrow corndors of derelict spacecraft, and Battlefleet Gothic, which simulates spaceship combat. Video game spin-offs, such as Dawn of War and the Space Marine series, have also been released, While the pieces for table- top battles are necessarily smaller-scale, leading US fantasy toy maker McFerlane is expanding its range of licensed 7” highly articulated action figures that depict some of the elite warriors of the Warhammer 40,000 universe The first of the new figures to be released in 7 SUM FYNLN4 QNLIATIODCOLLECTING FUTURE WARS @ ork Meganob with 7 esas Cy 2024 is a World Eater Khorne Berzerker, a Chaos Space Marine and one of the Blood God's sacred destroyers who wears his blood-red! armour with pride and is armed with a plasma pistol and chain axe, With 22 moving parts for full motion posing and play, the figure is supplied with alternate hands and a display base, To face the terrifying Beserker is a large-scale Ultramarine ‘erminator, one of the greatest heroes of mankind clad in indomitable Tactical Dreadnought Armour. The right to wed upon a veteran Space Marine. Equipped with teleportat devices, the Terminators can bbe deployedl almost anywher on the galactic battlefield, No foe is safe from their assault! The chunky MeFariane mode! is equipped with a Storm Bolter and comes supplied with a clspiay stand and le art cara up is Space Wolves Wolf Guard, one of an elite wear this suit is the highest honour that can be best 18 FANTASY FIGURES INTERNATIONAL cadire of warriors thet fight alongside each Wolf Lord. These handpicked Battle-Brothers, the bravest and strongest of the Space Wolves Chapter of Space Marines, wield the very deadliest ‘weapons of war while serving as the personal guard of their Lord, The new MeFariane figure 's equinped with a bolt pistol and axe, along with an alternative set of hands and a display base. The attractively boxed set collectible art card, with character art on the front, and a charac! biography on the back. These new releases are superb additions to the existing range, which includes enemies of the Imperium such as an Ork Meganab (leader) armed with a buzzsaw and a terrifying Tyranid Genesteeler. The latter creature is a deadly close combat opponent with lightning-fast reflexes and deadly claws which are capable of ripping through adamantium armour. This alien race has its own brood telepathy enabling its warriors to operate outside of the range of the hive mind, The influence of H.R. Giger is clearly apparent in the design of the six-limbed creature, which is all the more ferocious for i ‘Al Warhammer imagery eopyrigh © Games Workshop isn ome cy FIND OUT MORE For more details on McFarlane’s existing range of Warhammer 40,000 figures as well as the 2024 releases, visit https://mefarlane.com.HO BBY V A AUSTRALIAN MADE Yt p v7 NT 7 —_ SCALEMODELLER.COM.AUGeorge Phillips looks at Godzilla on the silver screen and in miniature the 70 years since he hit the big screen in Ishiro Honda's 1954 cinema classic, Goduzilla has grown into a global cultural icon, inspiring numerous movies, comic books and collectables, In many ways, there was only one culture from which the legendary monster Godzilla could have emerged. While many of us view Japan as the modernist, industrious and tech-savvy country is has undoubtedly become, the Japanese islands boast a rich, millennia-old tradition of folklore which include tales of demons, spirits, monsters and blood-chiling fantastical creatures. Ad 20 FANTASY FIGURES INTERNATIONAL * Godzia minus ‘One, Photo courtesy of Toho Coy ta. TH to that rich mythical tradition the reality of Japan having been the only country to have experienced the horrors ~ and resulting cultural impacts - of attacks on its cities by nuclear weapons, and you have the ingredients for a story that no other country is qualified to tell In the narrative of Ishiré Honda's 1954 movie Godzilla (anglicised from 427 or Gojira), the eponymous creature is revealed as a prehistoric reptilian monster awakened from millions of years of natural stasis and imbued with terrifying powers by the radiation from nuclear weapons tests. The nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki happened just eight years before production of the movie got underway and the Daigo Fukuryu Maru incident of March 1954 - in which the crew of a Japanese fishing boat were contaminated with radiation from the ‘Castle Bravo’ thermonuclear weapons test on Bikini Atoll - wereinal 1954 Japanese fllm pe still very fresh in the Japanese national consciousness. As jestructive power of Godzilla was conceived as a metaphor for nuclear weapons. Other commentators have suggested the monster 's a metaphor for the United States itself an industrial ‘monster’ woken fram its slumber by the December 1941 attacks on Pearl Harbor, that goes on to take terrible revenge on the islands of Japan, he original movie and the Japanese-produced films of the 1960s portrayed Godzilla as a frightening, nuclear- spawned monster and pitted him against the Japanese military or a variety of other mythical monsters or ‘Kaijus including Mothra - a gigantic, moth-like creature with a 250-foot wingspan - and King Kong, the monstrous gorilla ‘who had made his screen debut in 1933. Although these films were produced many decades before the advent of CGI, i's glaringly obvious that the character of Godzilla is portrayed by what a friend of mine described very crisply as “a bloke in a rubber lizard suit.” Such was the appeal of Godzilla in these early cinematic outings that audiences were comfortable turning a blind eye to the rather ropey visual effects. Indeed, some commentators have suggested the creature's obviously humancid appearance and lumbering, uncoordinated movernents endeared it to Japanese audiences, who could relate to it as sympathetic character despite its wrathful, destructive nature! The 1970s saw a proliferation of 'Godazilla vs...” movie titles, with new enemies including the kaijus Gigan, Hedorah and Megalon, and an equally-sized robotic version of Godzilla from ‘outer space called Mechagodzilla, The 1980s saw Godzilla ~ still a bloke in a rubber suit - duke it out with Mechagodzilla once again, along with some new enemies. in the early 1990s, a once-again- besuited Godzilla tackled Spacegodzila but in 1998, audiences were treated to the frst Hollywood-style treatment of the subject, Directed and co-writt by Roland Emmerich and with a cast that included Matthew Broderick and Jean Reno, Godzilla 1998) gave audiences a reimagined, more realistic-looxing monster based on a design by Patrick Tatopoullos, who had also worked on independence Day, and | am Legend, At an early stage of production planning, it had been suggested that motion capture from a human actor could be used to create the movements of the computer- generated Godzilla, The results, however, saw the monster once again looking too much like human in a suit, and the door was open for Tatopoulos’ creation to be rendered in full through CGI Unlike its spongey looking antecedents, the new monster was portrayed as a lean, quana- lke creature that stood on two legs with its back and tail parallel to the ground. | only leamed very recently that the Tatopoulos design incorporated an anatomical feature from a classic animated Disney villain: Shere Khan the Tiger, no less "He had this great chin thing and | always loved it; he looked scary, evil but you respected him," Tatopoulos exolained. | thought, let’s try to give him [Godzilla] a chin and | felt it still looked realistic, but he had this different thing that you hadin't seen before. ‘The production team got the blessing for the new design from Japanese franchise owners Toho Co. Ltd and the film went ahead, Noteworthy in the 1998 version was the lack of Atomic Breath for the creature as its primary weapon. Godzila was little more than a monstrous'y ‘oversized theropod dinosaur with advanced aquatic skill, strong parental instincts and allove of fish. Cor Cea] SYILSNOW FHL JO OND AL ® WdFILM & TV KING OF THE MONSTERS Nevertheless, the film was a modest success hy Hollywood standards and despite performing below expectations in the US, Godzilla (1998) was a profitable worldwide success, grossing nearly three times its budget, Production of Toho-style movies continued in Japan into the 2000s with offerings such as Godzilla: Tokyo S.0.S. (2003) and Goalzila: Final Wars (2004), Hollywood threw its hat into the ring once again in 2014 with the release of Godzila directed by Gareth Edwards. In this movie Godzilla is once again ‘powered up’ with his Atomic Breath ighting capability. It was a good job too as he has t enormous parasitical enemies called MUTOs in defence of city-dwelling humans. Ii 2019, the gargantuan reptile returned in Godzila King of the Monsters, This was another Hollywood reboot directed by Michael Dougherty that pitted him against the Kaiju Redan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah (er Monster Zero), assisted by the moth-like Kaiju, Mothra. Two years later, Godzilla vs Kong, directed by Adam Wingard, brought the two alpha monsters back together on a collision course. The movie performed respectably at the box office and has a 76% positive score on the aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, The evolution of the Goduzila franchise took a fascinating turn in 2023 when Toho Co. Ltd released its highest- budget offering: Godzilla Minus One, This movie has more impressive special effects and tel’s a more coherent story rooted both in Japanese wartime history and the early narrative of the Godzilla legend ‘Set near the end of World War Il, the story follows the actions of a Kamikaze pilot named Kéichi Shikishina Piagued by survivor's guilt, he returns home to find his parents killed in the bombing of Tokyo. The plot revolves around Shikishima’s personal mission to seek revenge against Godzilla, a dinosaur-like creature that he encountered during the war. The film delves into themes of post-war trauma, TY Peron aS tion, andl the == === human characters’ S journeys, with a focus on their emotional struggles against the backdrop f Godzilla's destructive actions. It's very much a throwback to the 1954 Godzilla, with a vintage feel created by the muted tones of the film stock and more resonant human ies compared to recent de movies, which have been weighted more towards special effects, In recognition of its mped up SFX, Godzilla Minus One has been nominated for a Best Visual Effects Oscar at the 96th Academy Awards. Hard-core creature feature fans are licking their lips in anticipation of the latest release in the 70-year-old Godzilla Ce EEL proteus Denver sens rathe mysterie rdinary ntic primate-based creature with an app: ‘0 that of Kong, the Skar King has a ruse Cocos meer end Perry meee pea ne of the most re le sym ie and remains an FANTASY FIGURES INTERNATIONAL 25FILM & TV KING OF THE MONSTERS AE Se Codd In the 1954 original, the sound effects team tried, Pineau eee carric) Peete asec cM tree recs eee er ur enor’ Ree ec nck ns Cea ee eee ume kd produced by a double bass, combined with a eather glove coated in pine-tar resin to create friction. The coated glove would be dragged firmly Peet eee kee acre Re Orne Rea un due ae ae eo De eee CLC EE cd Pur enka eon vocals acted as the low-frequency element of the final roar. The key part of the sound effect is the Cre acute has been massively destructive since its first onscreen, appearance, audiences have generally responded to it positively, because it acts out of rage and living embodiment of what happens when science and technology go horribly wrong As the movie series progressed over the decades, so did the depiction of Godzila who transformed into a less destructive andl mor heroic character. The movie Ghidlorah: The Three- jeadled Monster released in 1964 marked the turning point in Godzilla's transformation from villain 24 FANTASY FIGURES INTERNATIONAL, < ~ AS y Pe thy to hero, by pitting him agai ater threat to humanity. US film critic Roger Ebert cites Godzilla as a notable example of a villain-turned-hero, along with Xing Kons, Jaws (from James Bond), the Terminator and John Rambo. Godzilla is also considered to be the original radioactive superhero due to his accidental radioactive origin story, which predating both Spider Man and the Incredible Hulk who both debuted in 1962. By the 1970s, Godzilla had come to be viewed as a superhero, with the magazine King of the Monsters in 1977 describing Godzilla as ‘Superhero of the 70s, In 1996, Gosizila received the MTV Lifetime Achievernent Award, as well as being given a star on the Hollywood, Walk of Fame in 2004 to celebrate the premiere of the character's 50th anniversary film, Godzilla: Final Wars. And based on the success of the most successful movies in the franchise, the King of the Monsters wan't be abdicating his, throne any time soon With their seismic impact on Japanese pop culture and huge appeal to younger audiences, it's not surprising t Godzilla and his Kau opponents have proved a popular suibject for model and toy companies, Most depictions of Godzilla capture the ‘spongey’ appearance from the original Japanese movies of the 1950s and 1960s as the creatSutMonsterArts Godzilla from Godzilla xKeng: The New Em 71344), also in 1/251 reboxed in 2019 by Polar Lights (ref, 959) to coincide of the fim of the same name vinyl kits in the early 1990s that led to an 1m the mid-195 odzilla models. There a -scale vinyl kts of lla 1964’ in V4oo, ttle damage' fr. or-death strug keaijus. T includes the creature's main al head, TT os Tretieets ard poets FANTASY FIGURES INTERNATIONAL 25iS & iS g is g = Q iS 5 = 3 @ oS So, You Want to Write for FFI. The Editor reveals how to see your work published in these pages? am often asked, “How do | get my work published in FFI nan age when many hobbyists are used to chronic heir miniature painting and modeling journeys on their smartphones and posting their work on social media, you might think this is an easy question with a straightforward solution. Actually, we you come to think about it, writing and being published in 2 magazine like this is very different to posting your work online or even contributing to online magazines or writing a blog, I've been in the holaby magazine writing and editing business for nearly twenty years and, as an academic, my ‘day job’ also involves writing large screeds of text. came to writing for the hobby magazines, first as contributor, then as an editor, as a writer, if you like, and had to learn the skills of photographing models (to mention actually being able to produce models that anyone would want to read about and look at!). The vast majority of our contributors are first and foremost habbyists, who have probably learnt how to phi h models over the years, Few are writers and, for most of our contributors, they are contributing to a magazine published in a foreign language. ‘A good article has to have three ingredients: first, a model or miniature that readlers want to know more about, second, an interesting angle or story t late to that miniature or model; and, last but by ne means least, clear, quality photos that, along with the words, help tell the story. hil But Who Would Want to Read About My Model? Presumably if youre hoping to publish your miniature or model in print, you are reasonably pleased with and te share it with others. Print magazines like this are about constructive criticism. Ultimately, your model/ miniature doesn’t have to be an SMC Gold Medal or Golden Daemon winner, but it does have to something that will make others want to find out more, Perhaps it a new release you want to showcase; maybe it's anew technique you've mastered during the project: or it may simply be a briliant piece that will have that ‘wow’ fac In other words, it must enthuse you and you should be able, in the article, to transmit that enthusiasm to others. I've never accepted the line that you used to hear about modelling magazines being elitist. Who wants to look at 26 FANTASY FIGURES INTERNATIONAL, Doane prone nn @ magazine full of miniatures that are poorly painted, or packed with models that are, frankly, ‘meh’? |, andl | think. most hobbyists, want to see pieces that inspire, descri inarticles that inform, and appeal to the aspirational side that most of us have, What's the Story? This is where print publishing differs from the Internet or a blog, Articles must have an ‘angle, Put simply, the storyWongeftheold) grammar is poor? What do | say? The final question is up to you, but the first two questions are for the editor! | tend to work to about 400-500 wards per page, so a five-page article could have perhaps 2,000 wortis and twelve to fifteen photos. Our longest articles have had around 3,500 wards (and been seven or eight pages) and our shortest just a few hundred (and been two or three pages), ike backinfri4, to think my command of the English language is fairly good, so please don't worry about your style or grammer, It's not a test of your writing skills and all the articles that come in are thoroughly edited, if only to fit them to our house style’, Equally, please don't worry about writing in English; write in your own language. Translations tools are very good knew and often the technical aspects of an article are familiar enough for me to navigate the vagaries of online transiation. Three of the articles in this issue, for example, were transiated by me from the original Spanish oper RYO T ‘Say Cheesi Photography is a key part of the hobby now and crucial to seeing your work published in FFI. Back in Issue 2, we published a short guide to model photography and the same tips hold still good Quick Reference Guide for Great Model Photography In the age of the smartphone and social media, there's no excuse for not sharing your work and we all love to see well-painted miniatures across our news feeds. We want to see your creativity and welcome submissions for sharing on our Facebook page and for possible publication in Fantasy Figures international, Here's our guide to simole, effective model photography. Hopefully, itl help you show your work at its best, whether decumenting work in process or shooting that fully finished masterpiece. RED- TRY AGAIN he words that make the article ~ have to be at least as interesting, if not more so, than the photographs. We can scroll through images of wonderfully painted miniatures fon the Internet all day, but when we sit down to read a magazine the experience is different. | always say to aspiring authors that in FFI we publish lots of different types of articles: interviews, step-by-step tutorials, lengthy more reflective essays and what are, in effect, reviews of new kits. Each one does something slightly (or very) different and in each issue, | strive for a balance between the different formats, Some writers hate the I painted it green, then highlighted it with a lighter green, before adding some darker green shadows’ style, _ Bench elutter: even ‘in progress’ shots need care but it has its place and some of our best articles have rials to show a process are great, but not mess. We taken this approach. Equally, other writers would find want to see your in-progress model or painted miniature n Distracting background: where to look? Keep the it very difficult to pen the sort of reflective essays David Colwell has written for us. For me, the articles that your workbench! describe a hobbyist's struggles and disappointments, attention on your model perhaps with mental health issues or simply with the Top light: hard artificial ight from above, causing heavy challenge of effective Non-Metallic Metals are among the —_ shadows and loss of detai most powerful we have published, In other words, it'sjust_ Peer depth of focus: the image isr’t sharp, andl details as valuable to tell readers how @ model or miniature made have become blurred with distance, ‘Close-ups’ don't you feel, as itis to tell them about the practicalities of necessarily mean having the lens centimetres from the building, painting and weathering subject; most smartphones have cameras good enough to Many, if not mo: ibutors feel daunted by allow you to crop an image for posting on the Internet or writing. How long should it be? What if my English or even for publication > of our cont FANTASY FIGURES INTERNATIONAL 27Plain background: a rall of white or pale paper is perfect Choose black for a more dramatic effect, but lighting is a little more difficuk, Daylight: naturel daylight is fine for many photograohy situations. South facing windows often give the best lig A simple piece of white card can be used to bounce light onto the madel and decrease harsh shadows mba behareey Shaky hands! Always use the camera on a trivod for sharper images ‘Smaller aperture: use ‘Aperture Priority’ if you have it and select M16 or £22 for depth of field and clarity of detai pa Pee GREEN ~ IDEAL Digital SLR, so much the better, Most smartphones shoot at a 72dbi resolution and it’s necessary to have 300 doi for print, This means that smartphone photos are, in effect, smaller than those taken by a DSLR, even if they have the same size measured in pixels. While most of us will compress or shrink phatos for our social media feeds, it's absolutely vital that photos submitted for print are as large as your camera will allow. Hopefully this short article, has given you some pointers anc encouraged you to think about writing for us. !m keen for FFIto include as broad a spectrum of hobbyists as possible, so why not give it a go? i NLA a alee Light Tent: simple folding ight tents can be bought cheaply online and are a good investment Daylight Balanced Lamp: if you con't have a specialist lamp, a cheap 6400X to 6500K ‘daylight’ oulb screwed into any tilting lamp will do just fine. Ensure the model is evenly lit from the front, while the white sides of the tent help ‘il n’ any shadows. Light grey background card: pale grey works very well with the metering of modern cameras. It allows you to photograph darker coloured models without causing flare or white out’ If you have a digital SLR you can usually manually set or measure the correct white balance Smallest possible aperture and tripod: alvays let your equipment take the strain out of photography. You don't need to be a photo-editing master to get your work published in Fantasy Figures International. We prefer shots without strong post-production effects. High-resolution joegs, as they come off the camera, are absolutely fine and any minor improvements or corrections can be handled during the design and production process. Most hobbyists probably used their smartphone cameras to document their work, but if you have access to 28 FANTASY FIGURES INTERNATIONAL,FIGURES THE BEST IN FIGURES, FANTASY AND SCI-FI is the only magazine to bring you Ae inal of historical and fantasy figure modelling and the various genres of Sci-Fi. How to subscribe: pry Online: e £52 USA/CAN & Rest of the World (Our Sci-Fi coverage is second to none, featuring ee eed ee uae ears ‘Our Fantasy painting articles cover classic subjects ‘and post-Apocalyptic modelling. Fantasy Figures Deere ets from complete newcomers to the hobby to award: Cue Fantasy Figures International also brings you the eeu rte wiho are shaping the future of the hobby.EACH FORW. PIS ee mia Star Destroyer is one of the most iconic images of eee a ae oa ey eee Cette oe ees Pee eeen ae cos as Foe eee ar cae ee as Pee Nee a Reg (ae eA et eee nas Reon ee ee ees manufacturer has been regarded as one of the leaders in injection-moulded plastic kits and this model shows why eet ey Denno La lighting circuit. This was a new thing for me, as 'd avoided introducing LEDs into my work before, preferring to concentrate on the more traditional elements of building painting and weathering. | decided to dispense with the ea eee na Peru eaten eT) ee ee ee) examine the kit contents, | focused on the assembly stage of electronic components to understand how best ae " Cone" eA re essere iernr neice poe Ra eI eC Imperial Star Destroyer to proceed with model's construction. At first glance, it Pee eee aa ea the plastic is very good. | removed parts from the sprue Sree eee ea ic to be removed with a knife and a delicate file. Basically, ee cea ek Rca gs cue a Pie eee uet ever toe ana ccaeae See a a aa ne tod Pee eae carats Ree eee cng ee ese but don't let that put you off, this is not a difficult kit to build by any means. | added some reflective self-adhesive aluminium foil to some of the inside parts of the model to enhance the appearance of the LEDs. Pei eet Cara nea nord En eta anne os aos Oe an en ees STO er ia this would make painting and weathering an easier Pewee aa ere od ea ee te ec CRO eee mca on eee ee era the parts, using capillary action to fix them in place, one aa ese Rea Cred « = a = a