The Asylum event was great fun.

Time Bomb Comics had a great time at this year's Asylum steampunk event in Lincoln.

It was my first time in a few years due to Covid and then a health issue that I had all on my own, so this one was all the more special for me.

A great chance to catch up with old friends, and that's how we feel about the people at the Asylum events. Customers and fellow creators/stall holders, they all feel like friends.

This was the first time that I had the Kingdom figure on the table and he drew plenty of interest.

It made me laugh that Steve, having never painted a figure himself, just thought I'd used a silver paint spray can. Assuming that it had taken me mere minutes to 'paint'. I explained the true process and whilst I'm not convinced that he believed me he did take this photo of me with the collected Stephenson's Robot graphic novel and Kingdom.

It was really nice that people snapped up copies of the Graphic Novel, which they'd been following in comic format up to issue 5. The book collects the remastered issues, with additional pages, and has been completed with what would have been issues 6 and 7. A nice little package with the addition of the original short story from our ROBOTS anthology, coloured by myself, and some design sketches for the characters from El Indio! All wrapped up by a wonderful cover design from Andy Bloor.

Kingdom seemed to enjoy the day, especially when the belly dancers did their display.

We had a really enjoyable Bank Holiday weekend, I should be fully recovered by Saturday.

Looking forward to next year.

The Kingdom Figure

Well, it's finished.

It's been quite a while since I've painted anything like this. I used to paint figures to play D&D with but haven't done so for many years.

I'm quite happy with how it came out.

Well worth the time and effort.

I still need to glue it all together and then varnish it.

I'll try a few varnish samples first though as I seem to remember never being overly happy with the effect varnish has on a figure.

If you're at next weekend's Asylum Steampunk event in Lincoln then you'll be able to have a look at it in person.

Kingdom Figure - The Arms and Wrench

Which just leaves the arms. 

I used the same silver / gun metal variation as I did with his legs.

I wanted to make the wrench appear as if it was made by someone else, at a different time, and so I added some dark blue to it to give it a different feel.

And that's it then.

The next post will be the completed figure.

Kingdom Figure - The Legs

 Ok, so the arms and legs are much easier. Much less detail on them.

I decided to paint the joints and sole of his boot a more silver colour.. but then put some black washes on to darken them a bit.

All the while trying to make sure that the metallic colour was consistent.

Looks ok.

Just the arms left then.

Almost there.

Oh yeah, and his wrench.

Kingdom Figure - The Body

 Ok.

Colour scheme sorted, and it's pretty much all gun metals.

Now to try to get the same colour, or close enough, for the body.

Once again I started with the fire glow through the vents.

And then it was just a matter of laying on the metal colour and plenty of washes.

and of course, those pesky dials.

I quite liked that the figure had little flaws.

Little pitted holes, maybe where bullets had hit him.

I'm pleased with how it progressed.

And once the upper body was nice and dry I could focus on his lower body.

I like the way the red dial displays stand out.

And all that left is to see how it works with his head on his shoulders.

Yes. I'm very happy with that.

Kingdom Figure - The Head

I couldn't put it off any longer.

I tried a few samples with these news washes (they call them 'contrast' and 'technical' paints, which I don't really understand) and I decided to go back to the way I had always painted my figures, back when I painted them for Dungeons and Dragons.

Again the head started that grey colour and the first thing was to paint in his fire glowing eyes.

It's quite daunting when you start. 

You have an image in your head as to what you want it to look like...

and then you start putting on the paint and layer of washes.

trying to get it to come out something close to that.

All in all I'm quite pleased, it's good start.

Now for the torso.

It has plenty of detail and needs to fit with the colours and effects of the head.

Kingdom Figure - the base

 In the background we've been playing with producing a figure of Stephenson's Robot himself.

Jon Ayre, co-writer on some of the Stephenson's Robot back stories and the martian sequence (to be collected in Book 2) has modelled him and Gary Crutchley's son Jason has printed one off for me to paint.

I've started with the base.

It comes in two pieces. One is the rock formation and one a plaque with the Stephenson's Robot logo, designed by Andy Bloor.

I decided to paint this a a basic grey, to keep it boring looking, so as not to distract from the robot himself.

Quite pleased how it came out.

Just need to work on the robot now.

Wish me luck.

Kingdom - The Model

Well Jon Ayre has completed his modelling of Kingdom and this is the pose that we'll be looking to print. It's all very new to me so I've no idea how much this will cost and whether it'll make sense financially but I need to see these on the table at Cons across the country. 

Jon has offered to see if he can find somewhere that will print it off.

I can't wait to get one myself and paint it up.

Kingdom looks fabulous

 Just came across this on Twitter.

Jon has finished adding all the little details and 'Wow'.. doesn't he look fabulous.

Now we just need to work out how best we can produce some for sale.

Kingdom Comes

I can't believe how good this is looking.

It's a prototype of the Kingdom 3D figure I've been wanting to produce for years. 

Sadly I don't have the time (read technical ability) to do such a thing myself but very fortunately I know a man who does.

Jon Ayre, the co-writer on my Stephenson's Robot Companion titles is still busy at work modelling and printing this off of his own 3D printer. 

The plan is the then pick a pose for him and see if we can get a mould made somewhere so we can then produce a batch of them for people to purchase and paint.

I'm still smiling at how good this looks.

Kingdom model

 I caught up with Jon Ayre, and old work friend and also co-writer of the Stephenson's Robot back stories, at the recent Northwich Comic Con an he offered to have a go at making a 3D model of Kingdom himself.

This is an early version of the model, yet to have any details added. Looking great so far.

And it looks like things have progressed really well as the next photo I got from Jon is...

Looking very cool isn't it.

Portsmouth Comic Con

I've a lot of catching up to do, things have been very busy, the day job, life and comics all competing for attention.
May was very very busy for Accent UK, with 3 Cons, which unbalanced my usual balance.
It all started with the second Portsmouth Comic Con.
A Con where I fly solo.
Driving there and back to my flat each day to drive (sorry) down costs.
Last year's event was had all the right signs of this Con growing into something quite special.

And signs were good in that's when I arrived, with about an hour until doors opened, there was already a queue building.

I was happier with my position this year, being in a smaller hall with more independent comic people, rather than the main hall where there were more comic shop and Lego dealers.
There was an extra 'hall' this year, outside in a marquee, which I feared might have a negative effect on sales, but chances were that the Con would attract more visitors, following the good feedback on last year's event, so I kept positive.
Saturday was fairly good. My table was next to Soaring Penguin and it was nice to chat to Tim Pilcher for the first time. Between chats we had plenty of browsers and customers, for me a number of returning customers who picked up issues 5 to 8 of WesterNoir, having bought the TPB last year.
Despite decent sales, the highlight for me was catching up with sculptor Alan Longmore. At least ear's event we had discussed him taking on making a model of Kingdom. I'd not been in touch over the last few months as I don't like to pressure people so imagine my surprise at seeing...

He'd done the job, and brilliantly.
I love his version of Kingdom. A little leaner than Indio! draws him, so its very much Alan's artistic version but having all the ingredients. I love that.

We're looking to get this 3D printed if possible, so if anyone knows a 3D scanner company who aren't too expensive then please let me know.
Saturday night, despite the drive home, was spent chatting comics over a burger and beer, ginger beer as I was driving. I met Chris Sides for the first time that night and spent a nice evening with him, Steve Tanner and Dave Morris.
Sunday was actually pretty much a repeat of Saturday.
Sure the quiet periods were longer but overall sales were pretty much the same and the chat with browsers just as much fun.
Will I go back next year?
I've already sent in my request : o )

A Kingdom table display for the Conventions.

When I was at the C2E2 event this year in cold and windy Chicago I came across a stall that sold the basic shapes for you to paint your own superhero on.

Now I've always wanted something to put on the table at Conventions.
Something with some height.
Something that would attract the casual passer by.
I'd had some success with my customised Lego figures but always struggled with the fact that people wanted to buy them and could understand why I had them on the table if they weren't for sale.
So, if I could make a Kingdom from Stephenson's Robot then that could be the answer to my problems.
It shouldn't be too difficult.
Fast forward a few months and I decided that I'd spend a weekend and do it.
I actually bought two figures, the idea being to use one on the Convention table and maybe to put the other one on Kickstarter as a reward tier.
I decided to use SuperSculpey as a means to adding the structural parts to the figure, which was recommended to me by a great scratch building modeller at the Portsmouth Convention (it's great what you can pick up at these events).

The shaping and positioning seemed to go ok.
I had to drill a hole in the head to insert the cigar, as I didn't want it breaking off later, but apart from that all was good.
I did the two and put them in the oven. I decided to bake at each stage to stop me messing the boys I'd made up when I was fiddling elsewhere.
15 mins in the oven...
was too hot for the plastic.
The arms and legs melted a bit.
Yes, I realised afterwards than I hadn't needed to put their arms and legs in in order to cook their faces.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Luckily, the box of figures came with two sets of arms and legs. The second set being shorter and thicker.
Actually it made the thing feel like it was an Animated cartoon version of Kingdom, which I quite liked.
I carried on.

Building up the major bits.
I realised that it was taking a while and that I'd been concentrating on one of them and not the two.
I decided to just make one of them.
Once I'd added the major pieces I gave it a nice black undercoat and then a nice silver.
Very shiny.
Too shiny.
I'd need to sort that out later with the varnish.

The thing about paint is that you can do a number of nice things.
Dry brushing and black washes bring it all together.

And before you know it he's taking shape and looking OK.

Painting straight lines is really difficult, but I argued with myself that when he was built it was unlikely that every line would be perfect so as long as it was pretty straight and with the same thickness of line then that'd be ok.
Then it was a matter of attaching some lego chains and other bits and bobs, painting them and then giving the whole thing a nice matt varnish.

Painting little gauges and clock hands at the end of the chains to to add detail.

All I all, it was a bit of a challenge but I'm please with how it came out.

I'm almost tempted to have a go at a Wolfboy one, but it would be a lot of clay and I'm not sure the frame would take the heat. Tempting though.

It's funny but as I look at him I'm reminded of the figures in Trumpton and Camberwick Green. Maybe a crossover is called for.
If you want to have a go yourself then you can buy them through www.umakeitcc.com.

Getting ready for Thought Bubble.

Next weekend Accent UK will have a table at Thought Bubble, our last convention of the year.
I've been busy doing some Stephenson's Robot sketches for a limited number of sketch packs and painting some of Gary's great WesterNoir sketches and as is the always the way, time is fast running out so there won't be a whole lot of either...

Where does the time go ?