"Check Out My (Alien) HUEVOS!!!" Topic

They are green!!!

link

CC
TMP link

Please let me know what you think.

Thanks.

CC

Very nice. Did you make them out of Green Stuff or paint them that colour?

Nice work CC.

Thanks.

Definitely Greenstuff.

CC

Those look awesome! Any plans to cast em up? I need Alien eggs!

Pretty good C.C

I'm green with envy.

Very nice!

Very Nice!

Very nice, but where's the ham? You can't have green eggs without ham…

Said Sam I Am….

They look pretty cool…

Trojan Bunny: "Any plans to cast em up? I need Alien eggs!"

I'd have to leave the casting to someone else. It is not my forte.

CC

CC you are the anti-BME!

"CC you are the anti-BME!"

What do you mean?

CC

Awesome I must say.

AQ

CC,

You actually sculpt, but say you can't.

Great job on those.

Great job.

Very nice!

Awesome…they look like "real" ones.

CC, they look great.

I like 'em!

Ooo.

Nice texturing. It's the details that make the dif.

Howinhell'd you DO that?

Howinhell'd you DO that?

Well first, CC got the queen Alien "in the mood" by playing "Bad Moon Rising" by CCR.

As to "what" exactly mates with the Alien Queen, I'm not sure that they have revealed who does the "deed"; I'd guess it was a lucky drone. Maybe he even becomes a snack ala the Black Widow method (that'd be cool).

kewlio

there are many theories some go with the biggest of the praetorian guard doing the deed and some go with a completely asexual method

Looking very good. As for casting: I'd love to see them cast up. IP issues perhaps…?

nice sculpts CC! But then again, I loved your 'graboid-ish' worm-thing too!

What folks really don't seem to 'grasp' is how expensive and involved MASS production/molding/casting CAN be…(let alone IP issues, etc).

I've got a batch of 'one-off' figures and 'greens/masters' that I've done or had done for me…that are still waiting for time/money etc…to have them go from 'greens/master epoxy' to final product.

Almost a year ago, Jay Miller did some 'Plutonian flyer' type bugoids for me. In addition to the cost of the greens themselves, it took time to have wax injection molds made…then brass masters made from multiple waxes (so a whole 'set' of figures could be molded at once) and then the actual 'spincast mold' vulcanized…etc.

With the costs of 'resins/plastics'…(which are affected by oil/gas prices one way or another) and metal prices, (because of China 'eating up' the tin supply, many casters are having to go BACK to more 'lead' as an ingredient in their metal mixes vs 'straight pewter'. There are ALWAYS 'trade offs'.

I should be getting the first 'run' of 20 'sets' of the bug-builders sets this next week from Bronze Age Miniatures and 15 of the sets will be going to ebay for 'test marketing'.

I of course need to send a set to Jay, (the original sculptor) and want a set for myself and to have painted up for display/advertising, etc… (and a couple 'spares')…

Right now, I'm waiting on sample castings from four figures we sold/liscensed to RATTRAP as an 'experiment' in trying to get MORE figures out, faster.

Two Hour Wargames has liscensed one set of 'future armored soldiers' (which they've renamed Symons) for 5150 game, but sales have not been 'stellar' from reorder history to date…and I still have a SECOND, different configuration of the future soldiers with alt weapons and poses still to have waxed and brassed for 'down the road'…if there is enough interest.

I have other pulp figures from Brad Shier, (50's spaceman, Brain-sucker alien, captive princess in chains, female marine with flamer…) among several others Jay Miller and others have done for me.

I've been working on multiple poses from the three 'Titanians' that Brian Cooke did for me…for a possible 'set' with weapons and 'ray cannon' for 2008. I have a 'simpler' version of 'tentaliens' I'm starting for another project/potential producer I can't really talk about now…among other things.

Plus I have projects I'm doing 'just for myself/to share with friends' like a 'trekish' set originally done by Brian Cooke for Matakishi (and Brian's doing another 'secret' figure for me to add to that ltd ed set 8-)

Simon Frasier has been doing some 'alien-grey types' and other one of a kinds for me, which I hope to show more of on my displaced miniature site in near future.

I think I've shown enough stuff, both of my own and of others that have done projects for me, I don't have to worry about the 'bme-ish syndrome'….(show me the MINI!) but ya never know!

I STILL have stuff I need to send out to several TMP friends, that I'm way behind on…but I haven't forgotten, just incredibly 'slow' getting to/out. *sigh*

I'm HOPEING, now that we're just about 'moved into' our new, REAL home here in Williamstown WV, I can actually start getting some stuff OUT as well as have room to set up my workshop for REAL over the winter months! (and a terrain /gaming table!! 8-)

At least I've got 'room' to actually 'sort' stuff out now and space to set projects out so I can work on them and maybe that means I can finish and MAIL some out!!!

What a concept!
*slish*

Just wondering . . .

Since other people already make different alien egg types . . .
TMP link

. . . would there still be any demand for casts of the sculpts I made?

CC

Those look excellent, simply excellent CC.

Thanks!

CC

Detailed Casting Products,

They are on their way to you now (went out yesterday afternoon).

Please let me know when you get them. Seeing the photos is one thing, but I'm curious what you may say once you see them in person.

I really want to know if they will work for you as a mould for resin casting.

Thanks.

CC

I'll be looking for them! I just hope that they aren't looking for me; you know what I mean???

LOL. Just make sure to lock them away at night!!!

CC

OK, I've got the box. I'm opening it now. There are four sealed bubble wrapped items. Well, it looks like one of them is open on the end. Hmm, something moved. No, that was my imagination, surely. No, there it is again! In the corner, under some bubble wrap. Well, you sure are a cute little guy, aren't you? Oh look, it wrapped itself around the end of my finger. How cute. Wait, there is another movement. While I was distracted by the second movement I lost track of the first little critter.

Anyway, I'll try and get this under control and see if I can make more of these things, CC. Somehow, I have the feeling that if I can't they will figure out a method…

well, at least they aren't 'OOMPAH LOOMPAHS'…..so you won't have to be worried about drowning in a chocolate river or something like that….*slish*

Thanks DWW. I think I'll sell these as "chocolate-coated" eggs. I've already thought up an item tag if these work out-

"One dozen eggs, size AAAgghhh!!!"

"One dozen eggs, size AAAgghhh!!!"

I love it!

A full dozen of these will sure look intimidating:

link

CC

Yuppers, a veritable organic minefield.

P R O G R E S S   R E P O R T

I've got the first molds made, and I've cast a few for review purposes. Before these can be sold at all, I've got to think about IP issues. Regardless, CC will get a pile of these no matter what I end up doing. Well, do you guys want to see what some of the possibilities might be for CC's creations? As to naming them, I've come up with xenohuevos, giving a nod to CC's "(Alien) Huevos" topic here.

First, I've used my recent modular game board as a background. Then I dropped in a patrol of Mongoose infantry figures from the Starship Troopers miniatures game. This is the first painted models of the xenohuevos that I've done up, cast only yesterday. It's a double set of CC's masters, totalling (of course) a dozen eggs.

picture

Next, I thought I'd photograph them in a starship or base setting, so I used my foamcore corridor sections that I made last year for close quarters line of sight "urban" combat. Let me (and CC!) know what you think of how they're looking. As for paint, I used water based latex and vinyl acrylic (Cel-Vinyl). Then I washed the figures with a diluted ink solution. Finally, because on some models using matte finish is just the wrong choice (this being one of those times), I used a Krylon gloss finish.

picture
picture

Oh CC, a thing that I noticed that I liked very much was that the bases fit very nicely on 1" squares (ala "hulks in space"). You can see in the corridor section pictures what I mean. So regardless of whether you meant to do that, nonetheless it works very well, lol.

WOW!!!

I've been so caught up with home repairs and painting the inside and outside of the house, that I did not catch the progress report until now.

After working on the greens with a magnifying visor for so long, it seems so weird to see them in a color other than the bright GreenStuff green. I really like the color scheme you chose.

As for the size of the pieces in relation to 1" floor squares, honestly that was semi intentional. I was trying to make the pieces fit either the round or the square 25mm GW bases I had, just in case anyone wanted to mount them on bases (though I think they look better resting directly on the floor/ground surface). For the 3-piece cluster, I just had to take a guess.

"Xenohuevos", hmm. I dunno if anything with "huevos" in the name would be that appealing. LOL.

I really love them. But I think that my feelings are very biased on the subject, much like the love only a mother can give (and I'm not suggesting that I'm the Alien Queen here!).

So, what does everyone else here think about them so far?

CC

Those look pretty darn good to me. DCP putting them into production?

Hundvig:
"DCP putting them into production?"

DCP:
"Anyway, I'll try and get this under control and see if I can make more of these things, CC."
"Thanks DWW. I think I'll sell these as "chocolate-coated" eggs. I've already thought up an item tag if these work out – 'One dozen eggs, size AAAgghhh!!!'"
"Before these can be sold at all, I've got to think about IP issues."

Fingers crossed.

CC

They look even better painted up!

I'm still giving this some thought and it's not due to any lack of skill on CC's part. It's the other consideration.

The fact that other companies making figures similar to these have (so far) not been "spanked" for selling them does not really say to me that the "coast is clear" for me to jump in.

There is the fact going for them that they are not a figure of an "adult" sci-fi creature (which would have an undeniable distinctiveness to it). The fact that a splitting "pod" either opens into either 3, 4, or maybe 5 "fingers" is not lost on nature (or sci-fi for that matter).

Consider the maw of a Sandworm (similar shape), the maw (again) of a Grabboid, or even the exposed stomach of a Stargate Jaffa. While these are similar in overall appearance in how they open up, they are from three distinct sci-fi genres. Thus, I don't know just how "different" you'd be forced into making these figures if you said you wanted 28mm scale (or thereabouts) ground-fixed, opening pods. Do we have any TMP members that are copyright lawyers?

In thinking more about this and with recent input being received, I'm very open to an expanded "theme", possibly calling the collection any or all of the following, based upon classic movies like Little Shop of Horrors and Invasion of the Body Snatchers-

Attack of the Savage Garden
The Organic Minefield
XenoPods: I TOLD you not to walk on the grass!!
Cthulhu's green thumb review: Spring Special Edition
The Vegetarian's Nightmare
The Carnivore's Nightmare (heh)

and last but not least,

Don't Worry About Copying us, Because We'll be Copying YOU!

I'm off to have some peanuts and to cast more Xenopods. Let's hope I don't get mixed up between the two. I'd better stick with plain nuts, as the Butter Toffee nuts are just a bit too close of a match, heh.

New potential name for this grouping might be-

Hazardous Terrain

I used this term for a model that I reworked from a "toy" jellyfish. It eats a player's infantry units that stray too close. I guess this is my first organic minefield idea.

The unique rules that were designed into the Starship Troopers Miniatures game allowed for what was termed as "flinching". A surviving unit was moved backwards from the direction of the attack on it by 2". By designing these "Neutral but Nasty" nonmobile units, any of the players (either Arachnid or Human) could be flanked and backed up against these by a cagey player. Thus if a normal attack killed the enemy unit, so be it.

However, if it survived it might have to flinch 2" backwards and then need to unentangle itself from the stinging root-feelers, tough tri-arms and ultimately the octopus-like beak at the base of the arms. During digestion, the "Bug Traps" glowed brightly, fully displaying the breakdown of the meal to any who watched it from the "outside".

OK, here's the deal. While CC did a spanking good job on them, they (thankfully) are not copies of anyone's movie props and thusly I don't feel violate IP. Heck, there are just too many things in nature that are close to these and last time I checked, Mother Nature cannot be copyrighted. As far as I'm concerned, these scale gaming figures are based upon a pecan husk. Here is a reference link-

picture

Thus, these are just sci-fi "xenopods", based upon sitting several ripened pecan nuts in a bed of bean sprouts for anyone's inspiration-

picture

I'll try to get these figures added to my very humble webstore (yuck, it's baaad).

CC, I'll get your cast "pecans" headed out to you, so you too can have some painted to your liking. I hope that you feel justly compensated for giving the sculpts to me. Let this be the start of CC's "15 years of fame" (yes, I changed the rules, as Andy Warhol kept changing the meaning anyway).

DCP,

I can't wait to see those casts now!!!

By the way, could you post your webstore link again?

CC