Tommy Arashikage, Code Name: Storm Shadow (G.I. Joe Project)

So it was probably about time I got some more done with my G.I. Joe project. For some time I have been working a bit on and off with everything, but the G.I. Joe project was  never forgotten, it has just been a bit dormant lately.

I have been buying a few new miniatures which I wanted to use, some didn't fit in, while other will need a little work.

The latest miniature I painted was Storm Shadow. Storm Shadow is another of my favourite characters from the comic book series. Some times he works for Cobra, other times for the Joes and most of the times probably for his own clandestine agenda.

I had some trouble finding a miniature I liked to represent him. There was the ninja from Reaper Miniatures, but I was never really sure about that one. So one day when I looked at the old Citadel ninja range I decided to get one of them for my Storm Shadow. it took some time, but I got him and when he arrived in the mail I quickly decided he was just too small in scale and with his crouching pose he looked even smaller compared to the Perry Miniatures ninjas.

Eventually I decided to try and put him on a taller base and I really think it worked out well. I decided to paint him in the V2 camouflage suit. I always liked a ninja in camouflage and in this carnation he could work with the Joes.

Storm Shadow and Jinx is ambushed by their renegade ninja clan.

Storm Shadow vs Red Ninja Leader.

I still think he looks a bit small, but he is Japanese after all, so it is ok and putting him on the scenic base really helped out. For now he is my G.I. Joe version of Storm Shadow. Later I will probably add a Cobra version, but for now he even out the odds with Jinx and Storm Shadow on the Joe side and five Arashikage ninjas on the Cobra side.

Some W.I.P. and scale shot.

Other than that I am also working on a Scarlett and Timber. Both are from Reaper Miniatures. I have filed and sculpted a bit on Scarlett. When she is done I will do a blog post about her.

My version of Scarlett is inspired by one on the Mini-Ventures Blog, a blog with loads of great stuff if you are into G.I. Joe. I plan to take a lot more of the ideas from there and use them on my own project. After all imitation is the sincerest form of flattery (I hope).

Super Heroes and Not So Super Heroes

Last summer I was so fortunate to try some games of Super System from Four Colour Studios and I was instantly hooked. It really felt like a great set of rules, very free and open for anything you want to do. Cars were thrown, houses blown up and generally the entire city was devastated in the battle of Super Heroes against Super Villains.

So this year we are again doing some extraordinary mayhem with the Super System, so I have been painting a bit for the project and re-used some already painted models.

I must apologise for the strange colours on my photos, but I used a different lamp than usual when I took the photos, so they ended up looking strangely yellow all of them.

A mix of strange super heroes.

First up I already had Dr. Brain from Black Cat Bases and Mr. Muscle from Reaper (The two guys on the right of the photo above).

Then I found an old McDonalds toy, from Kung-Fu Panda, in a second hand store and after some greenstuff and paint I thought he would make a great super hero too.

My latest addition was the Golden Oldie super hero from Black Hat Miniatures, I decided to make him kind of senile, so I sculpted a strap for his cape and drilled a belly bottom for him, so he looks like he forgot to put on most of his costume. I think he ended up rather spiffy.

Dr. Brain, Golden Oldie, mr. Mucle.

Master Monkey.

I haven't settled on any names or super powers for any of these guys, so background and such is all work in progress, but the models are finished and ready to rumble.

Next up I thought I could use my Arashikage Ninjas, from my ongoing G.I. Joe project, as henchmen (I promise I will get back to my G.I. Joe project again soon).

Arashikage.

I have more super heroes, villains and henchmen in the making, among them is some Nazi villains and their henchmen of werewolves, kriegaffen and gasmasked troopers and I am almost done with my RAFM Cthulhu and his deep one henchmen.

On another note I was made aware that I was actually nominated for not two but three Liebster Awards. Suber from Old School Workshop also nominated me some time ago and I will get back to that later.

For now I am just happy that it seems like my blogging is back on track.

Kim Arashikage WIP (G.I. Joe Project)

So my G.I. Joe adventures continue. I was so lucky to get a couple of Hasslefree miniatures as an early Christmas gift from my wife.

The miniatures I got was Oko, which I wanted to turn into Kim Arashikage, codename Jinx and I got Oakley, who obviously is Ash from the Evil Dead movies. I don't know what Ash will be used for, but for now I found a use for his spare katana.

My converted Jinx size up well with the Perry Miniatures ninjas.

A katana had to do when I didn't have a nakinata.

Comparison shot of the original vs. my converted model.

The photo seems to have been taken from a not so good angle, I actually think my conversion work on the hood looks better in real life. But I have no doubt that once painted red no one will doubt who she is.

Maybe I will try and do a black dragon on her chest, but I can't promise that it will be good.

Arashikage Ninjas (G.I. Joe Project)

I guess it was just a matter of time before I would start a G.I. Joe project. As a kid my favourite toys was always G.I. Joe (or Action Force, as it was called in Denmark to begin with). I still love G.I. Joe and I still have a pretty large collection of the toys and I have bought the re-released comic books.

The most exciting characters for me was and is the ninjas and during the original run of the comic they kind of took over a lot of the stories. So it was natural for me to start there and I have had some ninjas lying around for a couple of years now.

So to start off I painted some Perry Miniatures ninjas as Arashikage ninjas. The red mercenary ninjas which most of the time work for Cobra, sometimes through Storm Shadown, other times through Firefly and so forth.

Perry Ninjas painted as Arashikage.

I converted one of them to have an uzi, since they are modern ninjas and often are seen pictured with uzi throughout the stories they participate in.

Scarlet, Jinx and Snake Eyes encounter the red ninjas.

The first time they appear is in the classic silent story, where they work for Storm Shadow. But up against Snake Eyes they don't stand a chance.

That is all the models I have for now, but hopefully I will get some more for Christmas or else I will buy some more next year.

So far I have plans for Firefly. Originally he was not a ninja, but in the later stories he turns out to be the Faceless Master, an outsider who was allowed to study the arts with the Arashikage clan.

I think the RAFM USX Modern Ronin is perfect for Firefly. I have seen others use him too and since that model has an uzi too it fits well with the saboteur past of Firefly.

RAFM USX Modern Ronin

Then I will need a Storm Shadow. I don't know yet what side he will be on, but the classic set up would make him a Cobra ninja. Which of course is not really correct all the time, but I guess that is what most people think of him.

I think the Reaper Dragon Clan Ninja will be a good Storm Shadow. But I guess almost any ninja painted white would do fine. But I consider painting him in one of his later camo ninja suits.

  

Another ninja I will need is Kim Arashikage, code name Jinx. She is most famously pictured as a red ninja and it would fit well with her Arashikage heritage.

 

I had a kind of hard time finding a female ninja with the hood on, but eventually I decided that Oko from Hasslefree would be great for the job.

Hasslefree Oko

I will probably try and sculpt a bit on the hood, to make it pointy like in the comic book. And i might consider painting her white, since that is how she looks the first time we meet her or I could go with the bold Tiger Force green and orange.

Of course I will also need a Snake Eyes, but so far I have not found a model I like. I know about the Reaper one, but he is no good for me.

I would really want the old classic looks.

I guess it should be possible to find a model, but no luck so far, so I am open to suggestions.