On the second day of Advent, the WoffBoot brought to me ... Two Gaulish Ladies!
Read on to discover an ingenious method of getting around copyright...
This pair of Armorican Gauls came from Hasslefree Miniatures, which seems to be a single sculptor operation that specialises in metal 'characterful' pieces.
And to think I only went there for a pot of Ink.
The short one is 'Rennie' (shrewd, cunning, the hero of these adventures) and the attention to detail is great - right down to the straps on the gourd of magic potion.
I went with brighter colours that usual - because if there's ever a place for to use cartoon colours, it's here. Hence the Mephiston Red trousers. I thought I'd gone very yellow with the hair, but the Averland Sunset + Agrax Earthshade seems to have brought it into a more realistic tone.
The larger of the two is Tilda (who may work in menhir logistics), and was my favourite of the two to paint.
(In fact, in hindsight, I've realised Obelix was the best character of the series - he certainly seemed to have more fun than the frequently pensive Asterix)
The figure comes with a hammer, rather than a menhir (probably too large) or a dog (probably too small). I added a helmet to the base, to show the character's predilection for collecting them. Not having any Roman helmets to hand, I improvised with a Gripping Beast Anglo-Saxon, which at least had cheek pieces, and a short crest of hair at the back to serve as a neck-guard.
As with Rennie, I gave emphasis to bold colours (although I did have to tone down the vivid red hair to something feasible). The trousers were Calgar Blue and Ulthuan Grey (which is my new favourite not-quite-white colour).
And if you're interested in the sexual politics of Asterix, I'd suggest you buy a copy of Asterix and the Secret Weapon. And then never read it. Seriously, it's worse than Asterix And Spartacus Visit Atlantis or Asterix And The Space Aliens (by the last few books, the death of the writing half of the partnership was really starting to show).
And now let's end with a banquet!
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| Uptown Gaul |
The short one is 'Rennie' (shrewd, cunning, the hero of these adventures) and the attention to detail is great - right down to the straps on the gourd of magic potion.
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| Just A Gaul |
I went with brighter colours that usual - because if there's ever a place for to use cartoon colours, it's here. Hence the Mephiston Red trousers. I thought I'd gone very yellow with the hair, but the Averland Sunset + Agrax Earthshade seems to have brought it into a more realistic tone.
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| Big Gauls Don't Cry |
The larger of the two is Tilda (who may work in menhir logistics), and was my favourite of the two to paint.
(In fact, in hindsight, I've realised Obelix was the best character of the series - he certainly seemed to have more fun than the frequently pensive Asterix)
The figure comes with a hammer, rather than a menhir (probably too large) or a dog (probably too small). I added a helmet to the base, to show the character's predilection for collecting them. Not having any Roman helmets to hand, I improvised with a Gripping Beast Anglo-Saxon, which at least had cheek pieces, and a short crest of hair at the back to serve as a neck-guard.
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| Material Gaul |
As with Rennie, I gave emphasis to bold colours (although I did have to tone down the vivid red hair to something feasible). The trousers were Calgar Blue and Ulthuan Grey (which is my new favourite not-quite-white colour).
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| Gauls Just Wanna Have Fun |
And if you're interested in the sexual politics of Asterix, I'd suggest you buy a copy of Asterix and the Secret Weapon. And then never read it. Seriously, it's worse than Asterix And Spartacus Visit Atlantis or Asterix And The Space Aliens (by the last few books, the death of the writing half of the partnership was really starting to show).
And now let's end with a banquet!
I thought the sexual politics of Asterix were that if someone kissed him on the nose, he rose into the air as his helmet wings flapped? Was there more to it?
ReplyDeleteIt's best that you retain that impression. Asterix and the Secret Weapon was the one where they jumped the shark, even without the aid of magic potion.
DeleteThe last one I read was Asterix and the Magic Carpet. Not a classic, although not terrible. Did you have a favourite? Asterix the Gladiator was mine.
DeleteThe early ones are stylistically interesting, but I think the duo found their stride, visually and narratively, from Asterix in Britain all the way to Asterix in Belgium. Magic Carpet was the last of the decent ones, although this has now spurred me to read the one by the new writers to whom they passed 'la baton'.
DeleteI have many favourites: off the top of my head, I'll go with Asterix and the Cauldron, because they're so hilariously out of their depth. Asterix and the Laurel Wreath is pretty good too, because the plot relies on most of the cast being consistently drunk. Asterix and the Great Crossing has a unique insight into Obelix's view of food (forced to abandon half an apple, spends the rest of the adventure regretting it) that I can identify with.
Beats the hell out of Tintin anyway...
DeleteI liked early Tintin, actually. Good straightforward adventure stuff. The Seven Crystal Balls and the Aztecs, for example, or Red Rackham's Treasure. Oddly, the later stuff gets into UFOs as well, and is the worse for it.
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