Thursday, 21 May 2020

The Empire Strikes Back is 40 Today

My Star Wars relationship began with The Empire Strikes Back.



Whilst I am assured that I was taken to see Starwars at the tender age of 4, I don't really have any recollection of the actual trip to the movie.  However, I spent days watching and rewatching a VHS copy of the movie which had been taped from a Yorkshire Television broadcast one christmas, complete with The Two Ronnies advertising the Atari 2600.

The summer holiday highlight that year was going to the cinema in Filey to see the movie.  I had already been primed as a few days earlier I had begged for a copy of the comicbook novel.  I won't go into detail about what a mind blowing experience that was.  Later that year I got a couple of action figures (the only ones I ever owned).

Empire Strikes Back Marvel Comic Novel
Comic Paperback
Empire Strikes Back Han Solo Hoth
Han Solo Hoth

Empire Strikes Back IG-88
IG-88

2000AD Fan Films - Judge Minty, Strontium Dog and Rogue Trooper

Looks like we are going to have to wait a while for the new Mega City TV Show and the Duncan Jones Rogue Trooper movie.

In the meantime we can sit back, relax and watch the following fan made films:

Judge Minty



Search & Destroy - A Strontium Dog Story



Rogue Trooper: The Quartz Massacre

Wednesday, 20 May 2020

Jessie's Prints - Episode 7 - A Gloom Card Box and a 3 x 4 Dias

This week, I are mostly been printing...


Gloom Card Box -https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4377287

If you haven't heard of Gloom it's a very fun little story telling card game with a neat gimmick.  The cards are made of transparent plastic.  The idea is that you stack these cards on top of each other to increase your bonuses and create a winning tableau of cards.  The only issue I have is that it comes in one of those god awful-side-by-side boxes which are no good to man nor beast.  Fortunately there are a few designers on thingiverse who think as I do and have uploaded some alternative boxes.

Domestic 3D printing is still in its infancy and not quite at the Star Trek replicator phase of development.  Sometimes you download a model and ahave to do a bit of work to get it to print satisfactorily.  This was the case when I downloaded MVB01s Gloom Card Box.

Gloom Box with cards that don't fit
If it doesn't fit... don't just quit!!

The model had been designed for a larger print bed than I own, the two parts were aligned on the long axis.  Firing up Sketchup I imported the STL file, exploded the model and reoriented the parts along the short axis.  Export the STL, slice it in Cura and load it into the printer.

It printed fine but was a smidge too small to fit the actual cards and there was no tolerance built in to accommodate the lid and the box sliding together.  They were far too tight to be useable.

I guess you could say that this was my own stupid fault for not checking the dimensions of the print before I commited to 3 hours and a few gramms of plastic.  However, I look upon this failure as an opportunity to upskill and so I went back to the model into Sketchup and redimensioned it to both fit the cards and to have a 1mm tolerance factor.  Second time's a charm as they say.

Gloom Card Box
Now they fit - Download from Thingiverse


I've uploaded this to Thingiverse as a remix of MVB01s original model.


3"x4" Dias - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4376794

I am currently painting tiny plastic furniture as part of my Reaper Bones Marathon and one of those pieces is getting the full LED treatment but I need something to hide the battery.  When you have a 3d printer this is no problem, you just knock something together and hey presto a dias, the underside of which has a cavity just big enough to hide a CR2032 coin battery.

3" x 4" Dias
3" x 4" Dias - Download from Thingiverse

I've uploaded this to thingiverse so you can print one of yourself.  Just remember to like share and tip the designer a few beans if you like the model.

Tuesday, 19 May 2020

Co-VID-55 The Latest Reality TV Show in Mega City One

There's a hot new vid show sweeping the sectors of Mega City One.  

Celebrities on Video (CoVID) is a new idea dreamed up by those crazy folk at Spunko-Pop.  The idea is simple it's a reality Vid show where celebrities are the stars but they don't even know it.

The producers fit every room with a secret hidden camera and you tune into your favourite celebrity and watch the action with hilarious consequences.

It's got everything...

Crime


Watch as your favourite celebs commit crimes all from the comfort of their own home.  How does Starlet O'Hara stay so young looking she's 85!  Well she's got a stookie hidden in a room behind a secret wall and she's glanding that poor alien like tomorrow was yesterday. 

Sex


On screen heartthrob Oscar Weiner is a huge hit with the ladies but behind closed doors he's a pansexual mutie from the Cursed Earth.  This guy can't get enough of it and his particular kink is getting it on with innanimate objects.  You'll be amazed and disgusted with what he gets upto with his partner in adventure Talkie the Talking Toaster.

Murder


It's gonna happen sooner or later.  Your favourite celeb gets offed live on camera.  We don't see the killer but there's plenty to watch in the aftershow spin off show Portrait of a Murderer.  Watch as we follow the Justice Department attempts to track down and get their man (or woman (or robot)).  Think your neighbour did it then call in and rat them out.  Take part in our "shot for shot" crime scene re-enactments. (Disclaimer: participation is done at your own risk and Spunko-Pop do not accept liability for any injuries or death).

Catch it Live


With this much going on its only a matter of time before it gets shutdown by Johnny Law.  Subscribe today for the low low price of 99.95.

Monday, 18 May 2020

Reaper Bones #17 - Some Personalities


The great thing about the Bones Kickstarter was the sheer variety of minis.  The first wave included monsters, sci-fi, modern, undead and of course quite a few player character minis.  This week we have three personalities who could quite easily represent PCs,NPCs or villains.

Autumn Bronzeleaf (Jeff Grace SKU: 77069)

I really like this sculpt and the first Jeff Grace creation I have painted.  The costume is interesting and the pose fierce but regal.  Nice work Jeff.

Reaper Bones Autumn Bronzeleaf

Damien, Hellborn Wizard (Derek Schubert SKU: 77149)

Okay so my mini got a bit of customization.  I needed a special character mini for a special D&D 5e campaign (only The Tomb of Annihilation).  My character was a bit special as well, Wizards of The Coast had just released the Magic The Gathering setting Ravnica for 5e and I opted to play a Vedalkan sucked into Faerûn by some magical contraption.  Vedalkan's don't have tails so Damien lost his and he got a blue paint job.  His Transformation into Kaori the Vedalkan Apprentice Wizard was complete.

Kaori died quite a few times along the way but fortunately was plucked from the clutches of the Soul Monger at the last minute, discovered interesting uses for Mold Earth, worked out that a Transmutation specialist is a bit useless if the dungeon has transmutation anti-magic zones and ultimately survived to reach 9th level.

Reaper Bones Damien, Hellborn Wizard

Ezren, Iconic Wizard (Todd Harris SKU: 89013)

One of the Pathfinder range, Ezren is a pretty cool looking warrior wizard who will just as soon smack you round the chops with his crooked staff than turn you into a toad.

Reaper Bones Ezran, Iconic Wizard

Bones Progress

Reaper Bones: 245 - Painted: 58

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