Here are some photos of VC/NVA figures I recently painted. This is the first model-painting I have done since highschool, which is over a decade ago… I learned a lot working on these anyway.

These figures are undercoated in white, but after starting these I read speed-painting 20mm Vietnam plastics and have the same set of US soldiers from the article. In that guide, the chap uses a black undercoat, so I am trying the same thing for the next figures I’m painting. I haven’t finished the second set yet, but already I think they look a lot less pastel coloured than the ones in the photos below.

The last few photos are me playing with the Halftone app for iPhone. Given my painting is not great, it’s a nice touch, I think.

The Plastic Soldier Review website is proving very useful to me as I get into wargaming again (I’m starting with Two Hour Wargames stuff).

For such a quality resource, I am surprised there is so little in the way of credits on the site.

So far I have purchased the following kits from my local hobby shop:

• Vietnamese Army / Vietcong
• American Special Forces
• Gangsters

As you can see, the two Vietnam War ones are much higher quality than the mobsters. Good to know as I bought the mobsters first and really struggled to tidy them up. I’m amazed at how much cleaner and shaper the Vietnam figures are.

(For the Vietnam figures I actually got the Italeri-branded re-issued version but the figures are identical.)

Basically the book is a casually racist Sherlock Holmes or James Bond adventure, and a lot of fun if you ignore the racism. The book follows two loyal servants of the British Empire trying to stop a super-villain agent (Dr Fu) of the impending ‘Yellow Peril‘. What amused me about the whole ‘fearing the mysterious East’ thing is Germany is described as an ally against the East for its involvement in the Boxer Rebellion. Too bad the book was published in 1913, a year before Germany starts the First World War. Talk about misplaced fears!

There are several sequels, starting with The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu, which I’m starting on now.

This is both a chance to test out WordPress and share a photo I love from the Pulp Figures website. My favourite thing about this model is how real the people in the background look, just going about their day. The cars are great too. As explained:

The vehicles are Matchbox toys. The wheels have been replaced with better model kit wheels but otherwise they have simply been primed and painted.

As a result, I find myself looking at Matchbox cars whenever I pass them, seeing if they have any older cars. I assume anyone who notices me will think I’m buying toys for a younger relative.