Martian Paint scheme

Gadzooks! I've found it! At long, long last!

Astoundingly, I believe I have finally developed a paint scheme that I actually like for my Black Hat Martians. I have fretted for months over the color of their reddish flesh, and finally have found something I like for it: Ceramcote Terra Cotta. Highlight with a touch of Vallejo Medium Flesh mixed into it, then Kel's Magic in brown (Now it's Didi's Magic, I hear. Way to go Didi! And thanks for helping my son out at Paint N Take back at Historicon, by the by.).

So finally I can really get moving on that project. I'm rather backlogged with the askaris and the Imperial Guard types. I have yet to get any regular Imperial Martians, though I have requested some for Christmas.

Another Martian project is one step closer to fruition as well: I have purchased 7 large Stingray toys with which to make the deadly Martian Flying Devil Ray. One or two will be left in a wild state, the remainder shall be transformed into one of many forms of flying cavalry. I obtained the idea through careful reconaissance of the VSF games at Historicon '07.

Other projects on the boil, and at least partially purchased include many Mage Knight critters being used as mounts for other nations: chatte du vapeur for the French, some dragonflies and both steam horses and rams (the beast, not the siege weapon, though usable as such!).

Well, that's it for tonight. I will do my best to finally update the photos on the Photobucket as well.

Remember, they call it golf because all of the other four letter words were already taken.

Colonel Sir Mimsey Popinjay, III

   Having noticed the rather lifeless (not to say dull!) nature of the posts to this journal as of late, I have decided to include today a catalog of names I frequently have found in use on my table when VSF'ing or colonial wargaming. I do hope that this entry meets with higher approval than the last few, or we shall simply have to have the copywriter sacked [ulp!]. Or perhaps put to the question as to why his efforts seem so lackluster and then sacked [double ulp!]. His writing has become about as exciting as an Amish Kama Sutra.

   Nothing against the Amish, naturally, but then, those Luddites would almost assuredly never know I said anything derogatory about their love lives in this format. At any rate, on with the names:

   Popinjay is the main British officer, used many times. Somehow, he has survived repeated military disasters and not been cashiered for incompetence! Influence at the Horse Guards, I am sure.

   He is often bedeviled in the dry hills of Afghanistan and the Northwestern Frontier by the wily Pathan leader Chief Wherda Hecawee, or his twin brother, Hooda.

   Herr Kolonel Waldo von Grossnarbe leads the Imperial Germans.

   Capitaine l'Phideaux leads the French usually.

   Finally tonight, a request of you, my good friends and faithful readers of this sad little chronicle. I am in need of a good Martian name or two and some Venusian names as well for those leaders. Martians are red men as Master Burroughs indicated in his excellent works about the life of his 'uncle,' John Carter. Yet I hate to merely repeat names from those novels. The Venusian lizardman chieftain [GW Saurus on Cold One] needs a grand but lizard-y sounding name. I thought Slee Stak might be good, but haven't decided. I also need a better name for the leader of my yet-to-be-assembled Venusian Highland Parrotmen than P'all Ewannacr'ka.