Happy New Year!

2017 already.  Just seems weird.

I've kicked off the year right by working on some more great characters from the MHI world.

First up is Heather Kerkonan.  She's the feisty deputy we first meet in MHI:ALPHA.

SPOILER ALERT (storylines will be discussed below.)

She has quite a trying time in that story, but develops a relationship with Earl Harbinger, who helps her through her new found 'change'.

Heather also becomes conscripted into a secretive Government called Special Task Force: Unicorn (yeah, that acronym is STFU), which was led by probably the coolest bad guy in all the MHI series, Agent Stricken.  I'm still struggling to find a miniature that will fit his odd demeanor, but I've not given up yet.

Here's Heather and her alternate ego, a red haired werewolf.  Since Heather was infected during the Vulkodlak (see earlier blog posts for that), it has somehow imbued her with control over her monstrous form.

I used a Hasslefree miniature for the basis of Heather, and a Reaper miniature for the wolf form. 

Next up, and my 2nd painted miniature of the year, is a character known as Rick Armstrong.  He makes his first appearance in MHI: Legion.  He's the cocksure CEO of a competitive hunter group that calls themselves Paranormal Tactical Consulting.   The rivalry heats up throughout the Legion storyline, and hopefully continues in future installments.

I used a miniature from Fenris Games to help represent the leader.  There's a few more figures I have already painted that I may add to the PT (potato tasters?) crew.   More will follow on this.

The last miniature I painted up today was another Hasslefree miniature.  He is obviously mutating into something else, so I thought I'd use him as a Nemesis soldier.  The Nemesis soldiers are first mentioned in MHI: Nemesis.  It's the novel that tells an Agent Franks story.  In a nutshell, Stricken has began to build slave type troops using Agent Franks' blueprint as a starting point.  Since evil entities are always looking for empty bodies to inhabit, some of the Fallen (as in demons from Hell) have staked their claim on these super soldiers.

Later in the story, the demons gain control and are able to mutate themselves into their more demonic forms...Thus, this mini seems to fit the bill for a generic Nemesis soldier.

For Christmas, I received a very cool rulebook called Fear and Faith.  It's a compact little set of rules that are based off the popular Fantasy skirmish rules called Song of Blades and Heroes. I think I'll use this to try to actually play a game in the MHI setting.

A couple of other cool Christmas gifts that pertain to my hobby.  First is a magnifying visor.

Yes, I look like a complete dork while wearing this, but the fact that I can see the details on the miniatures again will make it all worth it.    I've used reading glasses, and those do help, the these changeable magnifier lenses will make a huge difference.  Add the fact that it has an ultra bright LED headlamp, and this will be a great tool to improve my painting, sculpting, and even just cleaning mold lines off the miniatures.

The next uber cool give is the MHI Limited Edition Leather bound hardcover.  

And, it's signed by the author, Larry Corriea!  At least I think it's signed, it's just kinda a scribble, but the Monster smiley face is all the confirmation I need. 

I'm still working on that HIND from last blog post, and it'll be updated sometime soon.  I think the building part is over, but I got to now paint the beast...Yikes!

Anyhow, thanks for reading my rather lengthy New Years blog post.  I'm hoping to keep this rolling for a while, and would love to hear comments, criticisms, or suggestions for the project.

See you soon.

Earl Harbinger Redo.

Seasons Greetings!

Christmas is quickly moving in on us, but I still found a few spare moments to work on my MHI Project, so I wanted to do a quick update.

From my last post, I had decided to do a reboot of the Earl Harbinger character, using a HeroClix as the basis.  I added a Tommy gun and a cigarette to the mouth.

I think it came out more 'cartoony' than I intended, but it works for me.  I will eventually do a decal for the MHI patch on the back, so for right now it's just a placeholder.

I like this version more than the Hasslefree one I had finished earlier.

And, as I still wait for more Hasslefree minis to show up, I have began to prep and convert some others to represent various characters throughout the series.

In this motely crew is going to be the main character from MHI Memoirs: Grunge, A recurring character (and Earl's favorite gal), a version of the Big Bad from Vendetta, and a couple of side characters from MHI: Nemesis.

I'll share more about these cool characters as I get them worked up.

Thanks for reading, and head over to my 'Super Hero' blog to see some of the other things I've been working on lately.

http://supervikessuperstuff.blogspot.com/

Have a great Holiday season!!

Earl Harbinger and a few others.

As I've mentioned before, I'm using Hasslefree Miniatures' Capt Isseki as Earl Harbinger, CEO of Monster Hunter International.  I've finally finished him, and here's proof!

Yes, that is a werewolf penis.  I didn't have the heart to cut it off.

I've also finally finished Tripp Jones, adding a place for the MHI patch and doing some touchup.  I attached a little blob of putty to make a patch, and have only painted it green so far.  My other freehand attempts at the patch have been poor, so I'm thinking of making a few decals to use.  Earl has the same putty patch on his sleeve, which isn't too obvious in the pics.

Earl and Tripp, coming and going.

Also, I did get my hands on a Heroclix 'Rick Jones' to do a second version of Earl Harbinger.  (really a third if you count the Werewolf).   I think that mini 'fits' better with the description of Earl.  I found a few images online of Earl.  The first is from the book/game called 'The Monster Hunter International Employee Handbook and Role Playing Game"  I'm not really a role player but I did buy the book, mostly for the art and fiction scattered throughout it.  Plus, it has fantastic character descriptions in it, which have been pretty handy for my project.

The second image here is from Larry Corriea himself.  He posted this on his Monster Hunter Nation blog.  Larry likes to model and paint little miniatures (yeah, it's a weird hobby) and he's actually a pretty decent painter.  He's mostly into Infinity and Privateer Press stuff.  Anyhow, this is a GI JOE sized 'action figure' he converted into his version of Earl.  Pretty nifty.

Larry Corriea's Gi Joe converted Earl.

So, as I was saying, I got a Rick Jones Heroclix and began to convert it.  I added a little cigarette butt to the corner of his mouth, and added a tommy gun.  But, then for some weird reason I primed it black.  I hate painting over black, and I'm not entirely sure of what I was thinking.

I see a mini and I want to paint it black.

The details were pretty soft, and I hope I can salvage this with paint.  We'll see, and I'll keep you posted.

The Monster Hunter Memoirs: Sinners is now available for Pre-order at Audible, and much to my delight, Oliver Wyman is back as narrator.  Although the first installment of John Ringo Co-authored story wasn't quite as good as Corriea's solo stuff, I still enjoyed it, and am working on a mini for the lead character, Chad 'Iron Hand' Gardenier.  I'm looking forward to listening/reading the newest effort.

Hopefully, I can stay focused on this project, as I have many other mini related projects cooking right now.  Painting Zombicide minis, assembling a Batmobile, sorting through my Conan Kickstarter.

Lastly, I just wanted to post up the Wolfman from the Monster Squad I had been doing.  It only seems fitting he appears in Earl's post.

Bark at the Moon

As always, thanks very much for taking the time to read this!!  I hope you find some enjoyment out of my ramblings.

And we're back!

My last post was just as we moved the clocks ahead for Spring, it's only fitting that as we move the clocks back, I make another MHI post!

I've been working on a few miniatures here and there, but now as overtime season is coming to an end, I'll hopefully get more time for serious work.

I have been working on a Earl Harbinger, the bossman of MHI.  He's described as a chain smoking, average looking man, wears a leather jacket (made of Minotaur hide) and prefers a .45 Tommy gun.

I chose a Hasslefree miniature for the basis, and have began painting it.

Keep away from full moon

I'm close to finishing it now, and although it 'works' for Earl, I just haven't been real happy with it.

So, like I did with Agent Franks, I think I'll make more than one miniature for him.  I stumbled upon a mini, from the Heroclix ranks, that just looks the part.  And, using ebay, I was able to land two of them for a lowly dollar.  

Rick Jones, soon to be converted to Earl Harbinger.  I figure an addition of a Tommy Gun, a new paint job, and maybe a cigarette in his mouth should do the trick.  I'll keep you posted!!

Heroclix NEVER look anywhere near as good as the renders.

And in other Monster Hunter International news...

Monster Hunter Memoirs: Grunge came out on August 2nd.  I immediately downloaded it via Audible.  

It was mostly written by John Ringo, and although it was still fun and helps build on the Monster Hunter universe, it seriously wasn't up to the same caliber as Correia's solo efforts.

I think the main character, Chad, was just a bit too perfect.  He

never seems to fail, or really have too much of a struggle with anything.  But, it's still worth the read, especially if you are craving more from this universe.

The setting of 1980's America really works well, and just like the MHI books, attention to weaponry is paramount.  Most of the action takes place in Seattle (thus the Grunge) and I really enjoyed the way it intermingled some Japanese Yakuza into the storyline.  And, it made me have serious sushi cravings for a month or so afterwards.  I certainly will be adding some of the characters into my project as I move forward.

I can't stress enough on how cool the Audible versions' are.  The narrator, Oliver Wyman absolutely makes the characters come to life, and it's probably why the MHI setting has captured my imagination so thoroughly.

The second book in this series  Monster Hunter Memoirs: Sinners will be hitting the shelves next month and will continue the 80's scene with Chad moving on to New Orleans.

The Pre-order is available for the hard back over at Amazon, but I've yet to see anything about an Audible version yet.  I'm sure hoping they have kept Wyman as the narrator.

Lastly, in MHI news, is another pre-order from Larry Corriea.  They are re-issuing the MHI series as leatherbound books.   It's also due in December (just in time for Christmas) and I think a bunch of copies are being autographed by Larry, so if that interests you, order now, since it's a limited edition.

I have place a nice sized order for a bunch of minis to help fill out the ranks, and I'll be showing those off as I get them going.

Thanks for reading!  

Owen Pitt, finally finished!

So, it's been a bit since I updated.  I blame most of that on Fallout 4, but also it's been so damn cold here I couldn't spray prime some of the minis I wanted to get working on.  We've had a bit of a heat wave (slightly above freezing) so I took the opportunity to get to the garage, with minis and spray paint in hand.  Usually, I'd do this outside, but still too cold for that, but the garage seemed serviceable.

I'm green!

Now with body armor, but I'm still green

If you remember, I had been working on my version of Owen Z. Pitt, using a liberal amount of putty and a Heroclix Drax as the basis.




Now, that I've slapped some paint on him, he looks much closer to what I had in mind...

I'm not super happy with his gun, and I'll probably readdress that soon.  I tried ot just putty over the existing gun, as I didn't really have anything to use as Abomination (his trusty shotgun/grenade launcher/bayonet).  I've found something now that may work, so I'll have to try and chop it off.  Also, I think I need to darken the facial scars a bit to define them more.  Anyhow, I'm happy with the overall look.   He really looks ready for action.

Point me towards the Monsters.

Also during my down time from painting, I had ordered some Hasslefree minis to fill out the ranks.

First up is Owen's best buddy, and Monster Hunter International's moral compass, Trip Jones.

John Jermaine Jones (Triple J, then shortened to Trip) was a teacher in a small Florida town, when a zombie outbreak decimated most of his students and fellow teachers.  He found himself initiated into the world of monsters, and ended up in the MHI training class with Owen Pitt.  A self proclaimed sci-fi and fantasy geek, he is surprisingly naive , but has a heart of gold and a serious sense of justice.

I used Hasslefree's Giant for this, and sculpted some dreadlocks onto him.  I still have a bit of touchup to do here, add the MHI patch, and maybe work on the base some more.

Last aren't directly in any of the MHI books, but are just some Lovecraftian Interdimensional baddies I had already primed, so I painted 'em up a few weeks ago.  I kind of liked the idea of painting them like human flies.

puppy-monkey-babies

I may try to add some fly wings to complete the effect, but either way, they are going in the army of monsters I have lined up to fight the good guys (or maybe even the bad guys!)

So, I've got a few more in the pipeline, but no pictures just yet.  Soon, I'll have a version of Holly Newcastle, and a human version of Earl Harbinger.

Thanks for reading, and see you next time!

The vulkodlak: Werewolf Armageddon.

Monster Hunter Spoilers will follow...

Werewolves play a prominent part in the MHI mythos.  Owen Pitt savagely fights and beats his newly turned werewolf boss, Cecil Huffman, in the opening chapter.   We learn much later, that's not the only Werewolf boss Owen has.  Earl Harbinger, however, is not just your average werewolf. Harbinger, is the King of the Werewolves, and possibly the best Monster Hunter on the planet.

In the third book of the series, MHI Alpha, we learn much more about Earl and how he operates. We learn how he controls his lycanthropy and why he isn't eligible as a PUFF bounty.  PUFF is the bounty system the American Government uses to pay those that destroy Monsters.  (the Perpetual Unearthly Forces Fund).  Summoned to a upper peninsula Michigan town, Earl finds himself in the middle of a werewolf war.

Conover, Harbinger, and Petrov.  Werewolf family reunions are dangerous affairs.

Also summoned to the town is Nikolai Petrov, a vicious Russian werewolf whom Earl fought in the Viet Nam War.  Turns out that Adam Conover, the stories big bad, is not only an oddly created werewolf, but now has the Amulet of Koschei the Deathless.  This ancient artifact gives incredible power to it wielder, and Conover plans to use it to start the vulkodlak, basically a werewolf apocalypse scenario.

The vulkodlak are after your kibble.

For Conover and Petrov, (see top pic) I used Reaper Miniatures.  Conover is supposed to be a huge, black furred, glowing eyed beast, and the large Reaper figure worked well.  It did have some gauntlets on each wrist that I shave off and resculpted hair onto.  I plan on doing human versions of both.

For Harbinger, I used the excellent werewolf from Fenris Games.  Although Harbinger is still vicious and evil during the full moon,  I wanted to portray him as a bit less beserker, and that mini worked well for that.  I'll need a human version of Earl as well.

The other werewolves are three SOTR minis, and a Darkson Design mini.  I've had a couple of those done for quite a while (the ones w/ black bases), but it was nice to add to the ranks.

The isolated town of Copper Lake, panicky townsfolk, inept MCB agents, a growing werewolf army, some old ones magic, and a pissed off Earl Harbinger not only made a fantastic novel, but should make for some interesting gaming scenarios.

Werewolf?  There wolf.

I'm too sexy for my shirt.

Did you throw a frisbee?

MHI is filled with fantastic characters, and Earl Harbinger is certainly one of
my favorites.  The Alpha book is the first that centered on Earl.  Not only does it add  much more to the current MHI setting, it also fills in plenty of backstory, giving even more gaming ideas (and miniatures to make!).  I've got tons more to work on from this story.

My Name is Earl.

Thanks for reading!!  See you soon.