I picked up the Kal Jericho omnibus novel collection and a pack of Kal and Scabs figures (the older metal ones) - not because I was planning to pick up Necromunda at any point in the immediate future (though it has been on the "Maybe Someday" Wishlist for some time), but because I was getting fired up to play Wrath & Glory and I thought the book might give me some background and inspiration and the figures might give me a couple more not-so-military 40k types to play with.
I have to admit, since the new edition of Necromunda came out, I've been tempted to jump in. But for one reason or another... haven't... so far... First I was playing Shadow War: Armageddon... Then I was deep into Kill Team... Since the hardcover rulebooks were released late last year, that temptation has grown even more - it would be cheaper having to buy the core box set and a half dozen Gang War books to get all the rules (and, hopefully, the collected rules incorporates all errata, rule changes and FAQs so far)... I already have plenty of figures I could use as gangers...
Now a couple of local guys are all picking up gangs and the rules and threatening to play... So I though I'd start reading the book and paint up Kal and Scabs (and I might just pick up those rule books...)
Kal Jericho and Scabs - characters from the Games Workshop/Black Library series set in the hive world of Necromunda.
I also started reading the Kal Jericho omnibus this past week. I'm about half way through the first novel collected in the omnibus and it's been a fun romp. I do like the pacing - cutting back and forth between what different groups of characters. It's kept me turning the pages.
One thing I noted about 40 pages in was of the 20 characters introduced so far, only two were women and both had been described as "buxom" - at least once (one had been described thusly twice). A third female character was introduced on page 53 and her "leather vest was pulled taunt around the gangers's ample bosom..." Is there something in the water in Necromunda? Why do they all have huge tits? I guess these were all written about 15 years ago - back when GW assumed it's entire audience consisted of adolescent boys (and were reprinted in this collection to coincide with the re-release of Necromunda), and they were maybe just trying to write stuff they'd dig... or maybe the authors (Messrs McDermott and Rennie) are huge fans of old pulp novels and were trying to make a tongue-in-cheek homage to those tales of old... let's go with that.
Lack of not-so-large-breasted female representation aside, I am quite enjoying the novel so far... and looking forward to seeing Kal and Scabs on the tabletop.
(I'll have to find an appropriate Yolanda figure to join them though!)
Coming Soon to Tim's Miniature Wargaming Blog:
Drukhari Hellions.
No, really..
Nice work mate!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Millsy!
DeleteYou never fail to surprise with awesome looking minis. These two are top notch.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
DeleteNice painting! They could work for generic non-military sci-fi types, too, ala Firefly or other space opera/space westerns.
ReplyDeleteCheers!
DeleteOh, of course! They could totally fit into all sorts of near to far future sci-fi or even post apocalyptic settings!
Great work on the figures, Tim! Your work is so distinctive, I bet I could pick your figures out of a line-up.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jonathan. Ha! I'm not sure if that's a testament to any sort of special skill or simply a stubborn refusal to try anything new and rigidly insisting on keeping with my own way of doing things that I've developed over the last 30 years. I think it's more of the latter! I have, however, been trying to test out new techniques this past year - I've even started using washes on some things! (which I haven't done in over 25 years!)
DeleteThe former, my friend! I love your style.
DeleteClassics! Looking great!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Michal!
DeleteUseful figures, and well painted too.
ReplyDeleteCheers!
DeleteLovely looking figures,I remember reading the Kal Jericho strip in Warhammer magazine/comic when it came out, the strip before was a sisters of battle story,so maybe all the female characters were used up?! I actually thought it was a pretty tongue in cheek strip when I read it so I can go for that!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
I have a few "graphic novels" that collect some of the comics that were originally released as strips in Warhammer Monthly. I tired to track down the collection of the Sisters of Battle book (Demonifuge?) but it had gone out of print and the only ones available people wanted hundreds of dollars for! Probably for the best - collected strips aren't always the best reads. They always have to spend the first few panels summing up what's happened in the past (because people could be reading the magazine for the first time and would be lost otherwise) so it gets a little repetitive and sometimes wrecks the pacing of the story. At least that's the story I'm telling myself. Sour grapes and all!
DeleteI do like Blood Royale so far. The interplay between Kal and Scabbs is fun. It reminds me a little of Blackadder and Baldric... or maybe Holmes and Watson...? I like that Kal isn't totally on top of things all the time - though he pretends to be - and would be, literally, utterly lost without Scabbs.