Monday 13 June 2016

Forgotten Heroes - Purgatori & Vampirella 02

Here I present my four finished conversions for the Forgotten Heroes project. As I explained last time, the heroes I wanted to create were the vampire characters of Purgatori and Vampirella, who both appear in comics produced by Dynamite Entertainment. I mentioned that I'd be making two versions of each of them - a normal 28mm scale version and a 28mm scale Chibi version. Here they are.
For my normal version of Purgatori, I decided to base her on an old Citadel Dark Elf Harpie (typical of Games Workshop, she is now out of production). A copy of the Harpie I used is at the far left of my two photos. I remodelled her hair, and added plastic horns taken from a GW Skeletons sprue to her head. I added bone shoulder pads and gave her long fingerless gloves and a bra made of Milliput. I added thigh length boots and remodelled her feet. The Harpie had longer legs and feet, so I hid her taloned feet by surrounding them with a pile of decapitated heads from my spare parts box. She stands on a 25mm diameter MDF base, which is textured with sand. Overall, I'm very pleased with my conversion. There are no official or unofficial versions of Purgatori, which makes my figure unique.
For my figure of Vampirella I chose a Marvel Heroclix figure of a Con Artist from the old Xplosion expansion set as the basis for my conversion. The Heroclix Con Artist appears at the far right of my two photos. It was probably not the most obvious figure to choose but I thought she had potential. Her arms and legs were almost perfect. I remodelled her two bracelets and added extra upper arm bracelets as well. Her body needed extensive reworking and her hair obviously needed lengthening. Cutting off her clothes was not an easy task but a very sharp craft knife helped and I knew if I cut too deeply I could always repair her with modelling putty. Once I had removed all of the extraneous plastic (working with plastic made my life a lot easier!) I then went to work with the modelling putty and remade her bum and boobs and added her iconic costume. Finally, I added her long length hair, based her and textured the base. I'm reasonably happy with her. I think it's a decent effort but I'll be the first to admit that some of the unofficial versions of Vampirella are a lot better than my version. Still, once again, I have a unique figure to add to my collection.
Moving onto the two Chibi versions of Purgatori and Vampirella I must admit that these were a lot easier to convert and more fun to do. Both conversions are based on the same figure - Succubus Vandella from Soda Pop Miniatures' game Super Dungeon Explore. She's at the far left of these two photos. Vandella can be either an evil Mini-Boss or a Hero, depending upon which version you choose for her. She was also the perfect figure for me to convert into Purgatori and Vampirella.
For Purgatori, I first cut off Vandella's pigtails and tail. I snipped the ends off a wooden cocktail stick to use as her horns and glued them to the front of her head. I know they should be curved but this was the best solution I could come up with. I added her left eye with modelling putty as I wanted her to have both eyes open. Then I remodelled her hair and costume with Milliput. All in all, a relatively simple conversion.

For my conversion of Vampirella the first thing I did was to cut her head off (!). This was to make it easier to remove Vandella's wings. It is a fact that Vampirella can fly. In the original black and white Warren series she used to transform into a bat but more recently she spouts wings from her back when she wants to fly. However, because she rarely ever flies I decided to model her without the wings. Once again, I cut off Vandella's pigtails and tail and also her two wings. I cut away the flame from her candle. I repainted the candle so that it is now a scroll holder. I added Vampirella's white collar to her neck, which was made from Milliput. Then I drilled and pinned her head back in place and added her left eye and remodelled her long hair. She was a slightly more complex conversion than Purgatori but in no way a difficult conversion for me.
I have to admit that I absolutely love my Chibi conversions of Purgatori and Vampirella. I think I have captured the look and personality of them both just perfectly. I am now working on ideas on how to incorporate them in a game. Do I stick with Super Dungeon Explore or shall I try out Chibi World? Do I have them in an unlikely team up (with superheroes any team up is possible) or do I have them on opposing sides? I have lots of ideas spinning in my head.
I'd just like to end by saying this project was great fun and I thoroughly enjoyed taking part. A big thank you to Jez and Roger for bringing it to fruition and for allowing me to participate. Here's hoping the project continues next year.

33 comments:

  1. First Part:

    Very nice Bryan, I especially like the red chibi Purgatori, shes nice and thematic, which is a word we use a lot round here and describes how this household likes its games to be. She is rather staggeringly nice actually, and I find my mind thinking of lots of game in which I would uses her. But chibi Vampirella is also only a fingernail behind my initial gasp of pleasure at seeing Purgi. Both are very lovely Bryan.

    Your non chibi conversions were interesting to see. I believe in this house (me and Stevie) actually have every single scrap and piece you used to make your alterations. The Harpy (I thought it was the Mage Knight Gargoyle at first, but either would have done nicely). The Con Artist made me shudder to think of her snipped off her base. I want this Clix mini so bad (I do have this figure, but like you, she got snipped off her base and cannibalised for another game, many long years ago: and I`ve never stopped kicking myself since). All in all, very nice Bryan.. but I do admit, it is to the chibis my eyes wander the most. I adore them both and keep thinking how MUCH I covert them for our own games hehe.

    Super Dungeons Explore or Chibi World, Hmmmm, that is a tough one. Let me try and give you a little unbiased thought on that.

    Super Dungeon Explore comes with those super cards, which when put in nice plastic sleeves to keep them safe, really does add a beautiful aesthetic value to the game. Me personally, I think this modern trend of using cards for every game invented nowadays, is a card that is rather overplayed, and it only getting worse (Company says at its board meetings: “to its what can we put in a box that we can give the customer a feeling of `getting a lot` for his money, but in fact is just pretty colour printed thick paper and costs us little to mass produce?”), but in Super Dungeon Explore I really do think the cards are very lovely. The whole thing, all the components of Super Dungeon Explore are highly attractive; let’s face it, everything is really catches the eye, whatever your feelings may be about chibis.

    But here I think the game possibly stops being king of the castle: except for two categories of people 1) groups of friends just after a fun immersive game, and 2) solo players who do not intend to share their solitary fun with anyone else, especially not on line!! Simply put, the game plays great, BUT does it look good as a blog/website battle report.. no! It would consist of endless photos of practically the same thing, because the game moves at a snail’s pace, and you can literally play an entire evenings session and not even progress to a new room, as you yawningly try and slog it across a single chamber. Yaaaay, go you.. if you actually DO make it to another room in an evening’s play.

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    1. Fantastic comments, Hil. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. By the way, I used a swap of the Rookie Con Artist for my conversion. That Veteran version shown in my photos was not harmed in any way, you'll be pleased to know.

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  2. Second Part

    Chibi World takes an entirely different approach. Encourages you to bend the rules, make up new rules, interpret the existing rules to suit your own needs, and rejoices in the idea that you won’t just play with the monsters and heroes `suggested` and included `by default` within the rules book itself: but actively encourages you to make the game yours own. A game of Chibi World, made into a battle report with lots of photos and narrative would be a much more dynamic experience I fear than a game of Super Dungeon Explore could ever hope to be.

    Which do I prefer? Actually.. neither! Both have merit in my mind, and both leave room for future improvement. If I wanted to play a game on my own for an evening’s entertainment (if say, Stevie were away for a night), I would probably pull out Super Dungeon Explore. Same too if I wanted to WOW myself for a game played against a devout Anime/Manga fanatic: simply because of the cool components, which really feels like stepping into an full immersive anime experience, Super Dungeon Explore does that part very well indeed. Note that I say anime, not chibi. Chibi is a word to describe a type of animated character, but never the less, chibis simply are characters within “animation” as a whole.. or as they say in Japan, Anime. So really, the game is firmly an anime game, to my mind.

    Chibi World is a generic set of rules that allows you to play fantasy dungeon crawl type games, using anime miniatures (like the superb miniatures from the great rpg “Anima”) and chibi miniatures from Super Dungeon Explore, Ninja All Stars, Rail Raiders, and Impact Miniatures, etc. The game moves at a faster pace, and makes for more thematic and exciting game play: especially if you want to record your adventures and take photos for blogs and websites.

    Both are great games, but both play very differently from one another.

    Hil

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    1. I'm in a quandary over which game would showcase these two figures to the best advantage. At the moment, I'm edging more towards "Chibi World" for all the reasons you mention. But I don't want to dismiss SDE out of hand. I have very high hopes SDE:Legends changing the game for the better when it is released next year. It is meant to add so much that is missing from the game at present - character development, campaign play, role-playing opportunities, shorter quests. If they get it right (I really hope they do) then anything is possible. As it stands at the present, I'm just happy to have these choices and there's no real hurry to choose or any reason for stopping me trying both. Many thanks for your input, Hil.

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  3. Stunning work Sir, you have nailed this Bryan and in good time too!

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    1. Thanks, Michael. I have worked very hard to get my entries completed in time. The fact that I have time to spare is a big bonus.

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  4. Replies
    1. Cheers, Clint. Coming from you that means a lot to me.

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  5. Bryan, I'm not going to go into as much detail as the lovely Hil but this is some cracking work! I personally prefer the 28mm not being much of a chibi fan and I think these figs lend themselves to the genre better BUT I have to conced the Chibis do look brilliant - well done!

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    1. Thanks, Andy, and don't worry, I fully understand. I know that not everyone appreciates Chibi miniatures but I'm such a big fan of them and once Jez put the idea of making a Chibi Vampirella in my head I had to make her. That led directly into wanting to make both versions of Purgatori as well. Really, it has all worked out very well for me. :-)

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  6. Really cool beans Bryan, I`m loving Succubus Vandella, and Purgatori and Vampirella are simply yummy in their chib chib form. Niiiiiiice bit of conversion there mate. I think Purgi wins my heart (Purgi.... hahaha, nice nick-name there Hils, that's it "Stamp of Approval!" that sticks)

    Interesting conversions for the other standard mini Forgotten Heroes. I`m liking "Miss Red" the best, there`s just something about this babe that does it for me. Maybe its the wicked glint in those oh so white eyes.

    Okayyyyyyy!!!! I would have written one of my long ones but this ruddy great big parcel has just turned up at the door from Posty. Now I wonder what this is *winks, and looks accusingly at Bryan*

    Okay, as Scott would have said: "I may be gone some time" okay here goes.... I....I`m.. I`m going in!

    Steve :)) aka Mr.Happy.

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    1. Many thanks for the comments and kind words. As always, they are greatly appreciated.

      I have never heard Purgatori called Purgi before. But the name fits as well as Vampi does for Vampirella. Yeah, I like it!

      The parcel has arrived! Oh boy, are you in for some fun! Smiles knowingly!

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  7. Wow...just wow. Bryan, you have excelled yourself - these are awesome! I may have put the idea in your head initially and given you an excuse (like you needed one...) to do this, but the results are amazing. I think the Chibi versions edge out the other two just - in fact I think I prefer your conversions to the figure you used as a base. Of course, you now need a Lady Death Chibi...don't you? ;-)

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    1. Thanks, Jez. This really was a labour of love for me so I gave it my all and had a load of fun in the process. I, too, prefer my Chibi versions. Of course, you're right, I now need a Chibi Lady Death. Food for thought for Forgotten Heroes 2017, perhaps?

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  8. HAHHAHA, yesssssss, Lady Death.

    O M GGGGGGG I`m STILL not through this box yet haahahaha.


    but WOOOOW is all I can say!!!!!!!!


    (letter to come)

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    1. Yes, yes, yes, to Lady Death. I HAVE to make her, don't I?

      I've read your letter and sent you a quick reply. A longer reply will come later. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW, is just what I expected you to say, mate!

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  9. These are very very very very very very good Bryan. I`m dead impressed. No need to guess which are my favourites, right?

    yep you guessed it..

    ALL OF THEM.

    The chibis though are mmmmmmmmmm, VERY nice.


    Tarot

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    1. Hi Tarot! So nice to hear from you and I'm so pleased you like them all. Of course I love them all, but for me, the Chibi versions just edge out the others. But as Hil said to me, it's only by the slimmest of margins.

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  10. Stunning work Bryan and so quick too, you put me to shame sir! Just to be different I really like your Chibi's but my fav is the Vampi conversion of the con artist, I repainted one of them last year and was amazed at what a nice figure lurked beneath the awful original paintjob on mine, but you've taken her to a whole new level. I think she is one of the best Vampi models I've seen!

    I'm so glad this isn't a competition.

    Cheers Roger.

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    1. Kind words, indeed, Roger. Thank you. I'm actually very thrilled that someone likes my "normal" Vampirella conversion. The Con Artist is indeed a nice figure once you get past her distinctly average paint job.

      I'm glad this wasn't a competition either, because whoever had to judge it would have a very difficult task. So many great entries for those taking part. I think everyone is raising their game, which I find very heartening.

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  11. I know you've been doing this bogging lark for a few years now Bryan, and I'm not overly familiar with some of your earlier postings (though I do try and catch-up from time to time). but this surely is your best year yet for innovative conversions and stunning paint-jobs. These are all great imho but Vampirella is especially eye-catching. Bravo, my good sir, Bravo. As for 'Forgotten Heroes' 2017 I'd have thought some chibi versions of Gerry Lane, Segen and Captain Speke would have foremost on your list ;-)

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    1. I have to agree with you, Simon, this has been a great year for me. My mojo is sky high, as is my enthusiasm. My health is good and I have excellent vision. I do worry that things are going too well, but hey, I'm happy with my life so why not enjoy it to the max?

      I'm sorry, Simon, but I'm not familiar with these three people you speak of. Are they superheroes? Should I know them? Who are they? And more importantly, can they possibly compare with the magnificent Lady Death, who tops my "to do" list, if you get my drift?

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    2. Ah Bryan, you do like your little japes with your followers don't you ;-) Of course despite your protestations I know you are very familiar with the lead characters for your fave zed movie "World War Z" :-P

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    3. Nope, I'm sorry, Simon. I'm still drawing a blank. You say there's a movie called "World War Z?" Is it a superhero movie? I have no recollection of ever seeing such a movie you describe. Should I buy it, rent it or even watch it? I've been searching through my DVD library and such a film just does not exist in it. I think you must be mistaken about it, my friend. ;-)

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    4. S'all right Bryan, Simon has a spare he could send you no doubt. You'll love it, the story is intricate and masterfully written, the heroes believable and deep, the zombies intelligent and cooperative.........

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    5. Well, in that case, Andy, I'm all agog! And it's about zombies, you say? Hmm...........

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  12. Replies
    1. Don't you just love a bit of friendly banter? :-)

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  13. "All of you, look deep into my eyes and repeat after me...There is no World War Z, no film exists with this title, Brad Pitt has never appeared on a zombie movie...good, good...now should you EVER see something that appears to be this movie, you will immediately want to watch Fido with Billy Connolly instead..."

    You're welcome.

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    1. Wise words, Jez. Please, please, please direct them to Simon's blog. For some reason the poor misguided fool seems obsessed with World War Z and has this delusion that its my favourite film. It's all very sad. Now, as for "Fido" - there's a film worthy of praise!

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  14. I don't share your enthusiasm for Vampirella, Bryan (I suspect that you know this already) and I've never heard of Purgatori before. However, I can appreciate the skill and effort that has gone into these conversions; they look good!

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    1. No problems, Hugh. I certainly did know you were not a Vampirella fan and it does not surprise me that you don't know who Purgatori is either. Thanks for the comments anyway.

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