Orko

New year, new project, as Orko is the inaugural mini in what I hope to build as a Masters of the Universe (MotU) Project.

Before continuing I just wanted to apologise to other bloggers for not commenting on your posts in the past couple of months as I have been in something of a hobby slump on the painting side of things.

So a new project eh? Simply put - yes! MotU is one of my grail IPs along with DC Comics, Marvel Comics, G.I. Joe and Star Wars. I see FFG are doing an excellent looking game with Star Wars Legion, but I don't have the appetite for mass-battle painting, so I am passing on that, but recently I have started to look at options for MotU and when more have materialised, a plan was hatched!

This mini is a Halfling Wizard from the excellent Heresy Miniatures. Although not an exact likeness of Orko from the 80's MotU cartoons (and soon after made into an action figure when he became a popular character), he was close enough for my needs. Like most characters made into action figures, Orko's look has evolved over the years, and so I took some hints from a few different versions in painting him. Strangely enough, I probably like the character more than I did as a youngster when he lacked the cool factor of He-Man, Man-At-Arms, Teela et al.

I bought the mini years ago and he sat in the minis pile for far too long. When I finally tackled him, Orko was actually painted quickly by my standards, in a couple of sittings yesterday afternoon. The only change I made to the mini was to snip away the long hair it had at its back. Unfortunately the paint-on varnish came out a bit shiny but I can live with that (weather too poor to use my usual Purity Seal).

I have a few other minis on order to represent other classic MotU characters, and I have already started gaming plans, which has involved writing a game and I think I will find a use for that dungeon terrain I showed in a post a couple of months ago (which could be tunnels beneath Castle Grayskull, Snake Mountain or Castle Eternia).

Van Halfling (Heresy Miniatures)

This mini was painted alongside the Zealot Wizard but finished a few days later. I have had this mini for years, sitting in the pile of unpainted stuff. I don't think I had any particular project in mind when I picked him up, I just thought he looked ace.

When I embarked on my 28mm Fantasy Project I dug Van Halfling out of the pile and set to work on him (meanwhile ordering lots of bits and bobs from across the interwebz - it will be an eclectic project in terms of manufacturers!).

Van Halfling is by Heresy Miniatures and comes with three right arm options including a flaming torch and a scroll. I love the the idea of a Halfling inquisitor/witch-hunter, and that will fit the emerging world populated by the various adventurers of the 28mm Fantasy Project. I imagine that he has been cast out by the organisation he worked for and is now allied with other adventurers as he seeks to redeem himself by hunting the things which lurk in the dark. And witches, no inquisitor can overlook some witch-hunting.