lazyschnauzer

I want to acknowledge my friend Ulrich Biroth for sending me the photo that started this vignette. He really has been the font of some amazing German Great War photos! Thanks again, Ulrich! This is a Landwehr in the light grey M1900 Litewka tunic, trousers and feldmutze. I think it is the M1900 only because I cannot see the long cuffs which would have indicated an M1915 tunic. Wouldn't be too unusual for him to wear an outmoded service coat, but can't be 100% sure. He is carrying a metal pail of food on rations detail. The dog is a German short-haired pointer, the "company dog", also doing his bit. I dotted the ground work with just a few of the autumn leaves I'm making. There will be lots more on the final version. I used an autumnal backdrop which I think helped the photos a bit. The figures are MS except for bits of MS and kneadatite. The boots and head come from a casting of one of my figures, but both were re-worked to fit the scene. Pretty simple piece. Hope you like it! As I mentioned on the FFL post, either Vic Wong or Charles Duckworth will be painting this vignette. All the best, Dan

Thanks Lorenzo! Figure sculpting keeps me out of saloons, off the streets and away from wayward women. Well...almost. All the best, Dan

Lorenzo - I think you've asked a kinda philosophical, existential question. I have friends who are collectors who insist that buying original miniatures is the only way to appreciate military figure miniatures. I have other friends who enjoy painting the resin cast kits and treasure them just as much. So - I think that is a subject open to dispute. Me - I just like the sculpting. So - it's your choice my friend! As far as possibly selling this master to you, the masters are retained by the caster. Molds only last for maybe 30 or 40 castings and then they have to be re-done using the master. If you want to commission me to do another Man's Best Friend or some other subject and get it painted for you, I'd certainly consider it. Let me know via e-mail at dpzpmorton@cox.net. Note that it does take time. I spend months of mostly weekends working on a single figure and then I send it to a painter, who can take an equally long time. I have other figures in the works - a French Chasseur Alpins corporal from the Great War, which will be my first French figure for The Old Contemptibles as well as another figure for a collector - a French Foreign Legionnaire of the 1880s -1890s. Both of the heads and hats and other bits are finished and I'll post them as WIP as soon as I can get decent pictures. All the best, Dan

This figure won't be available for about 2 months. I've got two masters ready for casting, but my friend John McNenney won't be able to get to it any sooner. If you'd like to wait for the box art before purchasing, it will be a bit longer. Tony Dawe, an Aussie friend and fine painter, will be doing the honors. The Old Contemptibles products will be sold online thru Military Miniatures Warehouse, John's company. http://www.milminwh.com/theoldcontemptibles.htm All the best, Dan

Thanks Lorenzo! It was fun to build! The kit should be cast in about 3 weeks and then the painter will do the box art. If you don't want to wait for the box art, you could place an order for the kit now. The box art will typically take about 2 or 3 months, depending on whether the painter uses oils or acrylics. Acrylics and enamels are much faster drying. All the best, Dan

Hope you like it! All the best, Dan

This little vignette is based on Stanley Wood's illustration, Man's Best Friend, which appeared in the British newspaper, The War Illustrated, on 2 June 1917. The dog is a Jack Russell terrier and the soldier is a Royal East Kent regiment (Buffs) private writing home to loved ones far away. This will be cast as the fourth of The Old Contemptibles kits. The kit will have everything you see in the photos except for the rifle sling and maybe one or two belts. It will be cast by my good friend, John McNenney and painted by Tony Dawe, a good friend from Australia, a fine, accomplished painter and recently very successful (!!) sculptor. This will take a few posts. Hope you like it! All the best, Dan

Very nice dioramas! Thanks for sharing all of them! All the best, Dan

You're most kind, Lorenzo! All the best, Dan

Thanks Lorenzo! I've been working on revisions to this last weekend. Some revisions related to being able to cast it properly and little changes to the dog and figure because I wasn't satisfied with either. More later. All the best, Dan

And the last...

And more pics...

This is a little vignette based on Stanley Wood's wartime illustration. The dog is a Jack Russell terrier and the soldier is a Royal East Kent (Buffs) private writing to his loved ones. Hope you like it! All the best, Dan

And the last... Hope you like it! All the best, Dan

More photos...

John McNenney and I are very glad to announce that the second of The Old Contemptibles kits will be available this weekend from http://www.milminwh.com/theoldcontemptibles.htm. John has completed the castings and they look superb! Roger Newsome has just completed the box art and I think he's done his usual outstanding job! Two heads are included ? the Seaforth is wearing a Tam O?Shanter bonnet with the Seaforth cap badge and the Black Watch is wearing a Glengarry with the Black Watch cap badge ? Small canvas haversack for carrying anti-gas PH helmets; Khaki. ? M1914 leather field harness and ammo pouches and belt; Brown leather. ? Canvas haversacks. Khaki ? M1902 khaki putties and brown or blackened leather half boots ? M1908 khaki haversacks and entrenching tool helves; Natural wood. ? M1908 entrenching tool head in carrier; Brown leather. ? 2 pint water bottle covered with khaki cloth and leather webbing ? Wooden crate ? Leather cobbler?s tool satchel ? 15 cobbler?s tools for cutting, shaping, binding, making holes in and stitching boot leather; Metal tools with wooden handles. I hope you like it! Some additional photos in next post... All the best, Dan

John McNenney and I are very glad to announce that the second of The Old Contemptibles kits will be available this weekend from http://www.milminwh.com/theoldcontemptibles.htm. John has completed the castings and they look superb! Roger Newsome has just completed the box art and I think he's done his usual outstanding job! Two heads are included ? the Seaforth is wearing a Tam O?Shanter bonnet with the Seaforth cap badge and the Black Watch is wearing a Glengarry with the Black Watch cap badge ? Small canvas haversack for carrying anti-gas PH helmets; Khaki. ? M1914 leather field harness and ammo pouches and belt; Brown leather. ? Canvas haversacks. Khaki ? M1902 khaki putties and brown or blackened leather half boots ? M1908 khaki haversacks and entrenching tool helves; Natural wood. ? M1908 entrenching tool head in carrier; Brown leather. ? 2 pint water bottle covered with khaki cloth and leather webbing ? Wooden crate ? Leather cobbler?s tool satchel ? 15 cobbler?s tools for cutting, shaping, binding, making holes in and stitching boot leather; Metal tools with wooden handles. I hope you like it! Some additional photos in next post... All the best, Dan

That's an absolute masterpiece! All the best, Dan

Well done Gordon! That's an incredible amount of detail for 1:350th! Congratulations! All the best, Dan

Lorenzo - Your comments are most kind! As soon as John has cast the entire piece, he'll send it to my good friend, Ulrich Biroth, who will be painting the cover art. Hopefully I'll be able to show you a painted example and tell you of its' availability on the TOC web page. All the best, Dan

Lorenzo, Herr and Charles: Many thanks for your kind comments (and jokes ) ! The Landsturm is about to go off to John McNenney (Military Miniatures Warehouse) to be cast. It will be the third kit in The Old Contemptibles product line. http://www.milminwh.com/theoldcontemptibles.htm During our online discussions about the casting process, John recommended removing the apples and the "cloth" to cover the viewing slot. These were part of the trench wall. I separated them successfully and now we should be good to go for casting. The apples will be cast and the "cloth" will be a piece of lead foil. The kit will be resin mostly, but the trench bits may be plaster of paris to reduce the cost. All the best, Dan

Sadly the painter is in the throes of a serious family illness and there will be an extended delay. Life has its way of getting in the way of modeling sometimes. In all seriousness, I've urged him to paint the vignette only when he is ready... All the best, Dan

The Mauser 1888 rifle and a head-basher - wooden with metal studs. All the best, Dan