"Anyone remember the VCs" Topic

It was a shamless ripoff of Starship Troopers but Heck so was space Above and Beyond anyway,, I toyed with the idea of doing some ships to use in Fullthrust.

The Viet Cong?

No sorry the Vacuum Cleaners.

Well it recently got a new chapter (book) written by Dan Abbnett.

Then I remembered I made some minis for a Traveler game which I never finished…
and dug them out of my unfinshed projects box 15 years later.

link

I made the Bird of prey too and planned to Engrave it but one I painted one it looked ok

So I don't know do I mold the old models or make totally new ones?

The USS Enterprise is the old some what poor GW Version long since OOP I used some of them to make molds to make my Trek fleets.

wait, space above and beyond, which was on tv in 1995, was a shameless ripoff of starship troopers, which came out in 1997???

The ST novel came out in the late 50's?? I think and that maybe the "ripoff" aspects to which AL is referring

The fighting VC's…2000ad, humans versus bug "gooks" yep, so Abnett has written a book about them eh? might be worth a go. I don't know if you remember "All quiet on the eastern front" basicaly German vampires fighting the Russians but it got "novelized" too.

Yeah, top quality retro sci-fi action!

Can't see the 'Starship Troopers' inspiration.
Many points of similarity to the movie, maybe… but the strip was written 18 years before the movie came out.
Much less similarity with the original novel – although 'Geeks' and 'Skinnies' share some traits.

'The V.C.'s was unashamedly 'Vietnam in Space': Culturally US-analogous human drop-troopers versus oriental-influenced aliens, using guerilla tactics, in the jungle environment of the alien's homeworld.

Well ahead of the trend in terms of being a 'hard', purely military sci-fi story, as opposed to space opera.
Same writer did 'Rogue Trooper' a couple of years later, IIRC.

I really enjoyed the series when it ran in 2000AD comic. I may have to drag them out for a re-read.

'You're hit you're dead'. Good stuff.

For those not as Ancient as me (I think I read a first printing of Starship Troopers) Robert A. Heinlein link

Wrote Starship Troopers and Many other Fab Sci-fi books I believe Starship Troopers drew some influence from his war career in WWII in the Marines during the Pacific Campaign.

Not all his books were about war Starbeast tell's the tale of Lumox a pet bough home by a star faring dad of a human child that well sprouts hands one Day, and well basicaly Phones home for Mum and dad to come for it after being previously thought to be non sentient (and probably inspired ET)Human Criteria seem to reguared "Beasts" with No Hands as Dumb non sentients in Lumoxs case the hands dont develop until it becomes an Adolescent.

Avalon Hill box art for The 1970-80's game link

Intrestingly the term Gook, Geek and Carlie were all slang name used by the Marines for the Japanese, North Korean's and VietCong.

So I stick by my belief about its origins … Oh and Dan Abbnetts book is a Graphic Novel . it was also released in parts in 2000AD! maybe 2000AD Needs a name change to 3000ad! Lol.

Also the Space Marines (they even call themselves Starship Troopers)are Multi cultural them selves having a distinct dislike for Earthworm's as they all come from off earth colonies.

So who would like to see a range of VC's Miniatures?

That would be nice, may have to tone the "ears" on the armoured suits though… the gooks would come in handy as well.

Mr. Lawton,

Robert A. Heinlein was a US Navy officer, not a Marine. He served *before* war broke out after graduating from Annapolis in 1929. Heinlein was given a medical discharge in 1934 when he became ill with tuberculosis.

There is no doubt IMHO that Heinlein's brief career in the U.S. Navy *did* influence his writings, as perhaps did that of his brother Lawrence who served in the U.S. Army during the same period. Lawrence Heinlein went on to rise to flag officer rank in the Missouri National Guard after serving first in the Army and then later in the U.S. Air Force). Robert A. Heinlein was most assuredly a product of his life and times, and his later political shift to the hard right of the body politic during the Cold War era was a part of that total life experience.

As for a line of "VC" minis, if they're in 15mm, and powered armor troopers with jump jets and y-racks that are armored space suits (NOT mechs!!!) that look like they could rip a bank vault door off its hinges with one hand, you have my attention.

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

Yeah, the 'colonial' grunts… resenting the Terran superpower for using them to fight it's war, yet having to fight like it or not, because their colonies were on the front line?
I always read that as an ARVN analogy.

Correct me if I'm Wrong Mr Erickson thanks I missed the Bit about Heinlein's Early career in the US Navy, Were he Later had experiance with the Marines During Landing's in the WWII Island hoping campaign 1944-45 ,I believe he based some of the Military Assault concepts in Starship Troopers upon those experiances.. Now I'm sure this will raise a few Eyebrows But arn't the Marines part of the Navy… After all a Marine needs a ship to land from and is usually stationed aboard a Navy warship!.

Anyway its not Discussion about the Exact Career@s I'm Talking about. It's to gauge the Idea as to how popular a Game/Range of Miniatures based upon The VC's Would be??.

I think it would be Great well at least a Range Of Mini's after all Stargrunt/Dirtside and FullThrust by GzG work well enough for most games I play From Aliens to Star trek and BSG.

Have several 2000AD mags, but this is news to me. I'll have to look for some images to gauge my interest.

Doug

I think that GZG's Phalons are pretty close to use as Geeks (both in 15mm and 25mm)

I don't think I've seen any really close proxies for the VC drop suits

Mr. Lawton,

regarding Robert A. Heinlein's military service, to the best of my knowledge he did not serve in the U.S. Marine Corps, and his contact with U.S. Marines during WW2 was minimal if at all:

"Due to illness and disability, during the last year of his military career, he spent time in military hospitals, in San Diego and at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Denver, Colorado and California, then went to Los Angeles, California in 1934, purchasing his house at 8777 Lookout Mountain Avenue in 1935. This house is still standing, and the current owner invited members of the Heinlein Society to tour the house, where many of Heinlein's improvements were still identifiable. See Tim Morgan's illustrated article. "A Visit to 8777 Lookout Mountain Avenue" in The Heinlein Journal issue no. 21 issued in 2010.

During World War II, Heinlein lived in Lansdowne, a suburb of Philadelphia., and then at 311 S. Hicks in downtown Philadelphia."

Source: link

Yes, I am quite aware that the U.S. Marine Corps is a part of the U.S. Navy; besides studying the subject of war and the discipline of war since childhood, I am the son of a WW2 U.S. Marine Corps veteran who went on after honorable discharge in 1946 to serve as a civilian specialist for the U.S. Navy for 35 years. While our neighbor's had copies of Time or Newsweek magazine on their coffee tables when I was growing up, we had the U.S. Naval Institute's Proceedings on ours.

Now all that cleared up regarding Robert A. Heinlein's service, there is little doubt that living when and where he did and working as a *civilian* for the U.S. Navy during the war, Heinlein would indeed have been aware of the amphibious operations in the PTO, and that no doubt influenced his ideas to some degree or another.

Now, does anyone have any images of the VC drop suits they're care to share?

Give.

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

Edit: followed your link, Mr. Lawton. Suits seem rather scrawny for Starship Troopers Marauders. I like my suits more big, menacing, and steel gorilla in styling:

link

The V.C.'s armour and equipment was once the subject of a centrefold feature in 2000AD with schematics and specs.

(I know… it's deeply sad that I recall this.)

Their armour is non-powered 'carapace' type. It's smooth surface covers a kind of honeycomb structure. Can't remember what material it's supposed to be.

Hi again Mr Erickson Nice Pictures,I like them not as OTT as many ideas of Power armour, Many of the Pictures originally penned make the power Armour look more like a medeval Knights Suit,

Like me then you are an army Brat as I am the son Of A Grenadier Guardsman WO1 (that His Final rank which was RSM) of 22 years service My dad served all over the world in many Hot zones as a Technical adviser to Iranian army back before the Shar got deposed by The Iatola (probably spelt wrong) we moved to most of his posing with him except Iran I grew up in Europe and Gibraltar, I spent 5 Years of my early Twenties attached to the RAF Myself, I wanted to be a Jet Fighter pilot but AT 6FT 10" was to tall(the Cockpits back then were Quite small apparently).

Intresting to know about Mr Heinlein, My Source's recon he was a Navy Comms officer who co-ordinated Marine Landing's Lol. still some get it wrong I suppose.

Anyway what I'm Thinkig=ng of is looking into making a range Of VC's Miniatures I think they would cross over to SST well too.

Look at the artwork for VC armour in the prior liknks

That would be nice, may have to tone the "ears" on the armoured suits though… the gooks would come in handy as well.

While the horns do remind me of something else, I don't think they'd get traction with a lot of folk. Make them optional?

Doug

Edit: If it's any consolation, I thought RAH had an OSS connection, rather than projects attempting to bring science fiction concepts into practical use. Going to have to find that 'Profits of Science Fiction' series again.

Part Deux: If you want ripoff discussions, start with a certain Evil Empire[tm] marrying Troopers, and Sardaukar in an anti-cyber dystopia, then trying to claim 'Space Marine' as IP… *puke*

Mr. Lawton,

actually, some of the earliest cover art for SST the novel had the suits looking like militarized 1950s/early 60s concept art space suits. As I prefer my powered armor suits to look more armored gorilla covered in ordinance than scrawny dolled up medieval knight with a blaster, I'll stick to the Old School styling of the artists' renderings I linked to above.

As for you being an Army brat, I am a bit jealous, as you got to travel far more than I ever did, as my Dad was a civilian by the time I came along, and we lived in the same damn house every damn year, year after year except when we went on holiday. As for you being a veteran, alas, when I told my Dad I as I was turning 18 that I wanted to joint the USMC the way he had in 1942, the Old Man went ballistic, and threatened to kill me himself if I didn't first go to college, and yes, he meant it!

By the time I got out of college it was already established that the USMC wouldn't have taken me anyway, as during the interim it was discovered that I suffered from a nasty inflammatory immunodeficiency that included reducing my laryngal airway to 60% of normal, so it was no Marine Corps for you, citizen! Back in line! So I settled for the next best thing as it were, working private loss prevention and studying military history like a fiend, a habit I will continue until I shed my mortal coils…

Concerning RAH, I would trust a primary source over a secondary or tertiary, but then again I've just managed to survive a graduate studies curricula-from-Hell that included Advanced Analytical Methods, so forgive me if I'm a bit obsessed with source evaluation and demonstrable reliability.

I looked at the VC armor, and it is interesting in and of itself (just lose the horns!). Their ship is also quite nice, actually, and I could see to adding a half dozen or more to my collection depending on the size of the model (and whether I could use them for Full Thrust or Silent Death depending upon where they'd the best fit).

Cheers!

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

Leland , Mr Erickson

The VC ship is about the size of a Frigate, say for the US Something like the OH Perry class so not massive, on my Flicker above you will see my mockup from years ago, the other ships were the Colonial transport, A Geek attack cruiser (the Hoover like model (lol) and the Geek attack Fighter, I made the originals to fit in with My old Fasa Models . Like the Bird of prey , So the VC cruiser is about 2" long the Geek Fighter 1/2"

My thoughts are these would fit in there roles about right, The VC ship was the Biggest ship the Earthfleet built! No super Cruisers Like NCC1701 in fact the Admirals ship was two Strung together.

Have a look here I've added a few more pic's

link

Mr. Lawton,

interesting pix; thank you for sharing them, as I suspect that like myself a number of us on this side of the pond were not aware of the VC until now.

Any pix of the Geeks themselves?

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

Geek.

Actually, the whole thread is worth a look. Lots of sketches from comic artists such as Bolland, Dillon etc.
link