Light at the End of the Tunnel

 Fishmonger

Yes gentle readers there is light at the end of the tunnel and I expect normal hobby time to resume this weekend or next. I've just began a new 9 to 5  on Monday this job change is the last of the major real life issues disrupting hobby time.

So what's next?
 Zombie Incident of 1888
More Zombie Incident of 1888 astute readers will note some new Zombie Incident of 1888 pages on the blog; ZI protagonists and Zi Endorsements. The endorsements page are comments valued readers have made which have spurred me on with this project. The ZI Protagonists page is a list of characters I've created for the Zombie Incident of 1888. Since I first thought of this project in May 2013 I've thought of so many bit players in this drama that I'm beginning to have trouble keeping them all straight in my head.  This page is a WIP list of these characters it is by no means complete nor do I think it ever will be so long as I'm working on this project. This page will be updated monthly so drop by every now and again as will the original ZI page.

Reaper Bones
I've acquired half a dozen of these plastic figures from Reaper (they are all over the place here in the US) and I will eventually post a guide on how to paint them once I've found the best method.

Star Wars
I've placed a new job celebratory miniatures order of OOP Wizards of the Coast WOTC pre-painted plastic collectible Star Wars figures. 33 will arrive by the end of this week.

Contest  
There will be another contest sometime in September. Last year I decided to hold a giveaway contest once the blog generates 50,000 hits. I expect to reach that point in early Fall. In anticipation of this I have set aside a few KS backers only EOTD figures and I'm looking for some more interesting giveaway prizes. This contest will be a little different (astute readers will note I'm incapable doing things the usual way) only current followers will be eligible, i.e. people who became followers before we hit the 50,000 hits mark. Once the 50,000 hits mark is reached I'll post the prizes and randomly generate the winning numbers so if you want in follow before the 50,000 hits mark. 

Two Year Anniversary!

I wished to mention on the last day of November that this month (November) marks the second anniversary for Fiends in Waistcoats! Its now two years and 29,581 views later, but this would not be possible if not for the very kind comments left by many of you readers so thank you one and all! Without your kind comments I would have never kept up with this blog. Speaking of readers there are two new gentlemen following with Google +; Jimmy Fernades of Middle Earth Minis and Gordon Richards of I Have Wrought My Simple Plan I must say I love that title! Please use the links provided to check out their wonderful blogs.

The above picture best illustrations my image of the storied British Wargames Club well dressed Gentlemen and the occasional Lady whiling away their leisure time in well appointed parlous served by dinner jacketed waiters. I suspect a gathering of the Rejects would closely resemble the above image. 

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone!

New Members!

Figures just primed with highlights using rattle(spray) cans. Photo taken with my phone.

I want to take a moment to say welcome to all the new people who have joined the blog or started following me on Goggle Plus. Most of you are noted bloggers far more established than I, I will add your blogs to mine once I have overcome my Blogger Blog Roll limit.

Welcome-

New Members:

Google Plus

CJ KIlbride, Shay O’Shea. Juan Carlos LLop LLopez, Oakes Spalding, Pendragon Without. Christopher Moody, Javier Aparicio of Kensai Miniatures, Matt Eastwood, WoldStand, 

Spielecafe & Kuchen, Kevin Downs, Wil Jacobson, Bryan Scott, Tom Candlin, Ken Reilly,

Congtan huynh, Julia morgan, Paul of the ManCave, Clint Burnett, Tom P., Christian Templin,

Ashley etchell, r.a.e. gingerbhoy.

Blog Members:

Matt, Commissarmoody, Will Jacobson, Nimrod, Foss1066.

As slow as a shambler

Work on the horde and associated characters for The Zombie Incident of 1888 is moving slower than a shambler but there is some small progress. As you may have noticed I'm trying to clean up, convert & based  all the figures I've got earmarked for this project so far that's 40+. Hopefully things will start speeding up (or at least look like they are) once I've gotten some of these ready for priming. And I'm going to need to get a move on as I've just placed an order for the Warlord Games Plastic box set.

24 more figures for use in zombie conversions and some as anti-zombie forces which will need to be cleaned up, converted & based!!!!

 

This is the bride from the Studio Miniatures "Till Death Us Do Part" set she is getting her dress Victorianized (Yup made a new word.) the bustle is beginning to shape up, I need to do something with the veil though maybe give her one of those tiny hats? Well what do you think of the progress?

 

Mr Cross in the back is by the irrepressible scallywags of Lead Bones he's a modern vicar get the joke?  I think with a slight re-sculpt of the collar I can paint him up as a laborer (no offense Padre).

Zombie Nun also by Lead Bones no conversion needed.

Little boy zombie from the same Studio Miniatures "Till Death Us Do Part" set. You can never have enough zombie children in a horde.

The "Hopper" is a leftover from a long defunct project he is a "Hanged Man" ghost(?) figure from Wyrd Miniatures originally he was floating above the earth but I bent the feet so that he's now hopping along as it where. He is all tied up and still has a noose around his neck maybe someone took the law into their own hands and tried to end his life before they realized he was all ready dead? There is a story in it somewhere when I find it I'll let you know. Stay tuned for more progress next Sunday.

This blog isn't even 2 years old yet but its now over 20,000 hits this is due entirely to all you nice people following my miscue efforts. This blog would have most certainly been abandoned were it not for those of you who post comments so thank you. And speaking of thank yous I'd like to give a warm thank very much to all these Google Plus followers who I haven't thanked before:
Julia Morgan, Congtan Huynh, CJ Kilbride, Tom Candlin, Matt Eastwood, Kevon Downs, Fred Jackson, James Baldwin, Stephan K, Bullcher Feb, Ken Reilly, Mark G, Danny Jeurissen, Shay O'Shea, Uber Toten, Alexander Noorlander and Thrym of Thrym's Table now on the blog roll her at Feinds in Waistcoats.  I suspect that even with this new list I've overlooked someone if that is the case I'm sorry.

Tiny Work Table update

Some hasty shots of some of the things I've been working on this weekend. More to come next Sunday.

New Member
I would like to welcome Evan Hughes the editor of the next issue of WBQ (Wargame Bloggers Quarterly) to the blog.
Correction Dave Docherty will be the QBW editor for the November issue not Evan. 

Its Here... Wargame Bloggers Quarterly

 

What?! You didn't know you were waiting for something with baited breath? We take it from me you were. You were waiting for Wargame Bloggers Quarterly the brain child of Michael "Millsy" Mills. That's right a free wargaming PDF periodical featuring articles from the big names in wargame blogging like Loki, The Big Red Bat, Dave Docherty, Michael Awdry and mere dabblers like myself. So pop on over to Millsy's Blog to download a copy.

Another New Member
Welcome Ken Reilly of Yarkshire Gamer following on that Google thing.

Also I've added many of the great blogs of you guys me readers to my blog roll so many if fact  I don't remember which ones have just been added.

The Past Becomes The Future

 Zombies from the West Wind EOTD Zombie Box Set painted by me.

Let me tell a story from the past; it was 2009 as many of you recall Zombie Apocalypse gaming was all the rage that's when I first began to check out wargaming blogs on blogger. I started following a then little know blog called vampifans world of the undead where I found out about WWG printable card buildings and a zombie wargame that could be played cooperatively or even solo called All Things Zombie (ATZ) by an American company called 2Hour Wargames. I played this game using die cast cars and printed card buildings just the way you see Bryan playing it on his blog above it was a blast!

When West Wind Miniatures put out there box set of Victorian Zombies naturally I had to have them. (You can get them too direct from West Wind here.) I purchased one along with the other EOTD boxes sets as soon as they became available. The boxed set was for EOTD to represent the 10 model Zombie Mob that some factions could purchase in the game. This notion of Victorian Zombies stated rattling around in my head I'd bang my head against the wall in an effort to dislodge it but I just couldn't get this idea out of my head. The name of a Victorian Zombie project popped out of my head "The Zombie Incident of 1888" I blogged about it and even came up with a survivor concept you can see here. But these were just fragments really a vague notion that I would add random zombies to my EOTD games. That wasn't the idea rattling around in my head I can't contain it any longer I'm just going to let it out and act on it. The idea in my head is a full on Victorian Zombie Apocalypse.


PS I've added Colgar6's fine blog to my roll I don't know how I missed it.

New Member and a Return to the Past

 Let me give a  warm welcome and a gratuitous period photograph to our newest member Will Mays.

I've added a few new blogs to my reading list; Ray's Don't Throw a 1, The Dark Templar, Cianty's Tabletop Wargames Blog, Der Feldmarschall and Mr. Sheets' Brass & Blood great name that one. In an effort to prevent a blog roll implosion I'm deleting blogs that become inactive for more than three months so if you want to remain on it post at least once a month. Even with this careful blog roll gardening I suspect I'll have trouble keeping up with every post on every blog but I'll try my best.

 

 Astute readers may notice a new section to the blog called "Games" below "Who I Read" in this section I list the game systems I'll be focusing on in this blog over the coming months.
And yes I'm laying aside the summer fling of Pirates (Pirates are always a summer fling for me, I have a seasonal aspect to my gaming) away until next summer to try an get ahead on this years Halloween project. More on that next post.

Off t'Club Ste is having a competion!

 

Ste Haran proprietor of the engaging blog Off t'Club is having a competition and it doesn't even have rules! Well none that would prevent anyone from participating. I think its a right generous offer. You can read all about it here offtclub.blogspot.com

In Fiends in Waistcoats news I've added my blog post labels so you guys can intelligently browse the blog. I realize earlier in the week that I've been very cavalier in labeling posts I had 109 labels at on point! That ridiculous situation has been sorted.  

A Curious Award and a Cumbrous Response

I have had the curious honor of being awarded the Liebster Award by Simon Quinton of brummies wargaming blog. The Liebster Award seems to be both an honor and a bit of a curse as its very much like a old school chain letter. After much laborious thought I've come to the conclusion that I can go so far as to answer Simon's curious questions. They are as follows:

1) What is your worst habit?

Following social conventions, I have manners and I'm polite but...

2)  What is your favorite food?

Pasta, you can make a different meal with it every night.

3) Name a book you have read more than once and why? 

The Silmarillion the why is self explanatory.

 

4)  What is your best wargaming moment?

This happened in a game of LOHS I had bought the Foundry Treasure Island set which came with a lovely figure of "young Jim Hawkins" sculpted by the Perry Bros. I decided to use him as a midshipman in my Royal Naval crew. Lunatic R. conceived an irrational hatred of this figure dubbed "Young Jim" he took every opportunity to due poor "Young Jim" an injury but every effort in that regard failed. During "Young Jim's" 5th adventure I moved him past a stone tower packed with cutthroats I though I had the cutthroats pinned down by several marines who had been firing on them. But as soon as they saw Young Jim they burst out of the tower to attack him. No less than 4 vile cutthroats ran up towards Jim, formed a ragged skirmish line and fired their pistols at him. Surprisingly Jim survived this without a wound so he ran for cover on a rocky hill with the cutthroats in hot pursuit. The marines who thought they had the cutthroats pinned ran to Young Jim's rescue a mighty melee ensued where Young Jim armed with a single pistol dispatched a Cutthroat. He then survived 3 furious rounds of hand to hand with the cutthroats, the marines supported him with their bayonets. Young Jim survived and managed to drive of the Pirates.

5) What is your worst wargaming moment?

First time I played Infinity I had a 10 model unit and I wanted to move to cover in the middle of the table but I had to cross an open are to get there.  The enemy had only one model who could cover that open space so I figured if I charged 5 models in a rush he would get them all. Wrong! He gave all his orders to that one model and wiped out have my force in the first turn!

6) Who is your book/movie/game character and why?

This is rather difficult but I would have to say Solomon Kane. The elemental fury of Conan wrapped in a English Puritanical shell that's what I like.

7) If you were trapped on an desert island if you could have one companion who would it be?

This seems to be something people actually think about or at least ask in long lists of questions. I'll never actually given this any thought even in passing.

8) What is your all time favorite movie?

Bladerunner

9)  If there was any activity you've always wanted to do but never got around to doing what would it be? 

At one point Iaido.

10)  Where is your favorite holiday destination?

London

11)  What is your favorite color?

Black, and yes 11 is one too many questions.

Do not fear gentle Bloggers I have no intention of creating 11 questions and then inflicting them upon 11 bloggers. What is with the number 11 anyway? It has no symbolic significance that I know of.

Nice questions Simon.

Most Imperssive Victorian Building Near Me

This is a belated reply to Solo Wargaming's challenge (the challenge can be found here, and Legatus' reply can be found here.) to show the most impressive Victorian building near you. I have chosen my favorite museum the Metropolitan Museum of Art known to locals as "the Met". The Met is the largest art museum in American and the 10th largest in the world.

From the balcony in the main entrance foyer. 

The sculpture garden, this is a latter edition to the building you can see the original buildings exterior wall on the left.

 Part of the main exhibit hall at night despite the picture the museum is well lit at night it loses at 10pm 6 days a week.

The Arms & Armor wing holds the largest collection of medieval arms in America and the largest collection of samurai swords of anywhere in the world outside of Japan.

American works of art like this gold inlay-ed colt revolver from 1857 are well represented in the Met's collecion.

11,000 Views!

Fiends in Waistcoats has over 11,000 views! When I first began this on a whim I never though it would last but here we are at the first of hopefully may milestones to come. I must thank everyone who has commented on the blog you are the reason this blog exists without your input I suspect I would have abandoned this long ago. For that I thank you.

Possibly Paint table Saturday?

Well not really I haven't yet had time to put paint to brush let alone brush to miniature. I was however successful in using google hangout to tech my friend how to use the macro settings on his camera to take clear pictures of the Swamp Monster pictured above. That's the last we'll see of that beastie ladies and gentlemen.

I've been having some trouble with my computer running hot I thought I had issues with my cooling fans, but that was not the case the power supply is on its way out. Now I have well I suppose you can call it an antique custom built PC gamers tower from 2000. The guts are really more 2009 as I've replaced everything, these old school towers are so big that even my huge hands have work room. I removed the cooling fans cleaned & oiled them then put them back. I've order a new power supply from China and everything should be good when I get it next week. I'd like to take a moment to point out that my 4 yrd DVD/CDROM drive died on me, I reconnect the one that originally came with the tower and after 14 years it works fine. There are no words suitable for mixed company to describe the cheapness of today's computer parts.

Lunatic R has been building a Victorian corner store from foamcore I hope to have in progress shots up tomorrow.

Please stand by regularly scheduled Blogging will resume shortly.

Sorry for the recent intermission to your regularly scheduled blogging. I was forced spend the past two weekends attending mandatory classes to get a new work related license. Sadly because of this all hobby related activities including following all my favorite blogs came to a crashing halt. I will get a free weekend again at the end of this week so I expect to resume regularly scheduled blogging again Sunday.

Above is a snap shot of the Privateer Press Hordes Swamp Monster conversion I undertook for a friend. I understand he's been terrify opponents all ready. Sorry for the picture quality apparently the beastie refused to sit still for his photo. I hope to get some proper photos in the future. 

Introducing Slumming in Goblintown

 

I've created a new blog to chronicle my miniatures exploits in a new period, well if the Lord of the Rings can be considered a period.  To bolster this period claim I'll add some Dark Ages history, literature and myth articles. After all that's what inspired the great author himself. I’ve been a long time miniatures gamer and fan of Lord of the Rings I’ve been collecting the GW LOTR figures since they first came out in 2001 in conjunction with the first LOTR film. I enjoy the game and have played a number of games after a new years clean up I’ve discovered that I have 100+ figures earmarked for my LOTR project yet not a single one is painted! 

 You can find it here.

Sorry Ste the wargaming community is much larger on Blogger. 

I hope I can keep up with you Mr. Bowmen.

Experiencing Technical Difficulties Please Stand By

Google's new One account All of Google concept has forced its way into every product Google now owns including Blogger. This has caused numerous problems for many users, myself included, that Blogger help has not helped. Google's idea is to use their product Chrome.

This chart of my viewers shows that people are moving to Chrome out of exasperation most likely. Fortunately I've overcome the obstacles Google has placed in a poor bloggers path.

Googleusercontent.com is the culprit behind everyone's picture posting and writing issues. Google is now casing static data, things they don't expect to change like the write new post window on this site Gooleusercontent.com so your browser will need to enable this 3rd party cookie in order to post on Blogger. Fun wasn't that!?

Normal posting should commence shortly.

On another not I've taken a page from some of the blogs I follow and I'll be starting a new blog to cover a new period. Well if LOTR was a period it will be covered in the new blog called Slumming in Goblintown. More on that in a future post.

 

Feinds in Waistcoats appears on twitter!

Well Ladies and Gentlemen we all knew it would happen, a reference to my little blog has made it on twitter curtsey of Kenneth Hite the author of the Osprey Publications book NAZI OCCULT.
tweet
Now that I've been tweeted about must I open at twitter account?

New Pages

I've update the blog with additional blog pages you can find them just under the title picture. HOME is the main blog page, ZOMBIE INCIDENT OF 1888 this page is a gallery of figures for the zombie apocalypse EotD hybrid I'm working on, and finally GOALS & TALLIES a self explanatory page outlining the goals of this blog and my unpainted backlog.

ZOMBIE INCIDENT OF 1888

The Zombie Incident of 1888 began one foggy morning in May. Was it a demonic plague? An Infernum experiment gone awry? Or necromancy of the foulest kind? The origins of this incident are unknown, what is known is that the dead now stalk the living in London town.

These Lead Bones zombies will represent the fearless ecclesiastics who attempted to halt the zombie horde. These are the Lead Bones advert pics I'll post up my based and painted figure when they are done.

  The Zombie Incident will need special survivor bands (not the normal factions) I have three more or less planed out so far. THE QUEEN'S DINNER PARTY Queen Vic with a man portable Gatling gun and the survivors of her diner party, the WOMAN'S AUXILIARY YACHTING CLUB which will be composed of Hinderland's beautiful sailor girls; these plucky women could not allow their husbands to be dragged from their clubs, whiskey tumblers in their hands, by a mob of corpses so they liberated the contents of a Royal Naval arms locker.

 

And finally the little know FRATERNAL ORDER OF ANGRY MEN or FOAM.

(Further story updates will follow in the coming months.)
(The finger is healing nicely expect and update on the progress of Top Hat and Mr. Spectacles this weekend.)

A Shocking Crime, A Grown Man in Tears..

This is the situation which confronted me earlier this evening when I received a frantic call from Lunatic R.  He awoke on a train with his backpack open and his brand new EotD Special Branch 666 faction set missing!!! Good God man everyone on both shores know that public transport is swarming with scurrilous villains desperate for West Winds new KS miniatures.

 

Fortunately this story has a happy ending, the miniatures where not in the picked back back pocket but another. I can report that they are safe, but this incident illustrates how important it is to keep you KS miniatures safe.

I haven't forgotten Zomtober, I've been painting away as conditions permit. I'll be uploading Lady Zombie belatedly in the morning and Lord Zombie will be posted on Sunday. For my readers who may have forgotten my current flat conditions here is a visual reminder.

You can learn more about this here.