Tag / La Maupin

by badsquiddogames

Wave One has Shipped!

It’s true! It is such a good feeling that these are out in the wild, and already arriving!

Look, proof!

Also, if you’re not in our FACEBOOK GROUP, then where you at?

You can buy the minis here.

The cards were the last part to get sorted, and I am so glad I took a bit longer with them, same as Julie D’Aubigny’s face. I went with Print Co. in the end, my office neighbours! They kindly gave me a tour of all their facilities, and I was very excited by their mega corner punch. I even touched all the different types of paper like a connoisseur until I decided on what I deemed perfection. You’ll notice they are so nice and soft! On collecting, they will make a lovely deck.

REMEMBER the really cool Collector Cards are only included in the first 100 orders. There are still [at the time of writing] some left!

THANK YOU to everybody who has supported this project, primarily through all the slow bits when I’ve been juggling a bunch of other things. Now we have some momentum, I’m hoping it can really ramp up now, and the space between voting the figure and it being in your hands will be smaller.

I’m putting the following rambles in an FAQ form, enjoy!

Which minis have shipped?

The first six. Julie D’Aubigny, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Ching Shih, Black Agnes, Zenobia and Harriet Tubman. All shipped!

What about the next four?

Ada Lovelace, Audrey Hepburn, Joan D’Arc and Mary Fields are considered Wave 2. They were first aimed to be shipped in December, but it’s now looking like late January/February due to sculptor and caster timelines. As well as me, I still need to design the next three – but we have Alan Marsh booked in for December so I will have to have the designs ready by then! Eep!

Why has my Wave One pre-order not shipped?

It’s probably because you have Wave Two minis in it. If you’ve changed your mind and want the first wave before the second, pop me an email and we can sort it, you will need to pay a second load of shipping though (unless you pop a new order in and ask for them to be added into that)

I ordered from both waves at once, I’m happy to wait until Wave Two is shipped, but I am worried about the collector cards for my Wave One, will I still get them?

You will! You have a box in the office with your order number and I have picked your minis and cards.

How do I know when ordering if there are collector cards left?

I’ll make a note in the product description, so far we have cards left for all.

Nooo I missed the cards

It’s ok! The minis are still lovely and the full colour packaging with John Morris and Andrew Taylor’s painting on are also lovely. The cards are an extra bonus to help get the minis out there sooner.

Can I get these from retailers?

Yes! It’ll be a bit longer than other usual releases, and they won’t have the cards, but they will have the Community Minis. It’s taken a while to figure out the best way to do this as I want to support the retailers but not make it EVEN MORE confusing, so them having the “standard” version works best, as the cards won’t be all over the world like a Willy Wonka quest. So the first 100 sold DIRECT will be the only way to get the cards.

When are we voting for minis 11, 12 and 13?

Maybe over Christmas! The designs for 7, 8, 9 and 10 will be ready then, so we can use the Christmas break to think about the next bunch. I’m gonna change the voting AGAIN as well. I haven’t 100% decided yet but one aspect I am considering is limiting each person to ONE nomination.

Can I give you money for future minis?

I can’t stop you, but I am advising against it until the new year, as I want to be caught up so we can “relaunch” the project more streamlined and less confusing… I hope. If you have a subscription and are happy to keep it going, that’s super cool, but it’s also ok if you want to pause it. I hope this makes sense, it may feel counterintuitive but I want it to get back to being vote, then pay, rather than pay, then vote. It makes sense to me! I want us to vote for only one or two minis at a time too. TLDR: Wait and all will be clear!

I want some of these minis but haven’t contributed to any voting or pre-payment or anything, can I…. have some?

You can! They are for everyone! You can buy them through the shop as you would any other mini. I am hoping with the “relaunch” it will be less confusing. This has been very much a project of figuring it out as we go along, hence why I am extra chuffed you’ve been so supportive.

by badsquiddogames

Minis 1-6 are now available to pre-order!

That’s right, you heard it – they’re available – woohoo! It feels so good to be making some solid progress now, it’ll be even more exciting once they’re in your hands. Here are the minis below, and YOU CAN GET THEM HERE. Well, you can pre-order them, they’re nearly ready though (more info below).

Thank you to John Morris and Andrew Taylor for painting these, John is just finishing the last two!

There are two ways to get these, both simple!

What is NOT simple is how I originally set up this project, so the next post will be some FAQs and updates on the project as a whole (all good, just making it easier), but this post will just focus on these six minis.

If you backed the “Ko-Fi”, read this:

Anyone who supported via Ko-Fi to pre fund these minis, firstly – thank you! We wouldn’t be here without you. You will need to check your email, the one you use for Paypal, and there will be an email from me, it might be in junk (silly email providers!). It will have all the information you need to get your minis, mostly a long thanks from me, and a coupon you can exchange via the website. Please do check, as it was [embarrassingly] quite a long time since we set this up, so you may have forgotten, I wouldn’t want anyone paying twice. In a nutshell, you put them in your basket on the website, then add the coupon underneath and it’ll minus your amount. Pretty much just like a Kickstarter Pledge Manager. Any questions or uncertainty please contact me.

If you didn’t back the “Ko-Fi” (or know what that means), read this:

Don’t worry – you too can have the miniatures! Also head to this part of the website and buy as you would anything else. Just note they’re pre orders so won’t ship immediately.

FAQS

Can I order with other things?

You sure can, anything you like! This makes sense especially if you are overseas and want to combine with other items to balance out shipping. As with all pre orders, anything else ordered with community minis will be held and shipped at the same time as them, same as our Kickstarters.

When do we get them?

September.. probably! If not, then October, but I am hopeful.

What are these question mark thingies?

Ah ha! These are minis 7, 8, 9 and 10. I’ve popped them there in case anyone who is certain they’ll have them before they’ve even seen a sketch can pre-order THE NEXT BATCH! They’re aiming to be ready in December.

Do I have a time limit on using my coupon or pre-ordering?

Not…really! Currently, it is absolutely whenever you like, I really wanted people to not be stuck having to get one mini shipped at a time, so it’s built around you popping them in other orders.

There MAY end up being something introduced down the line that would be limited, like perhaps the art cards or the price. For now, especially while we’re in the early stages, it is super chill. If you’re a couponer who was planning on using it much later on, could you reply to the email just to let me know you’ve received it, to alleviate my worry!

Of course I’d love it if you can do it now, as the more interest and minis in hands should boost excitement for the next ones. But no stress.

What happens after the pre-orders?

Once the pre orders are all shipped, the minis will stay in their Community Minis section of the website, as well as be put into relevant categories, and treated as any other mini in the range.

What are you waiting for?

I actually have a bunch of casts ready now! We just need the last two minis to be painted and shipped so I can photograph them, as I want them to come with the painted photo from the get go, as well as the art from the collectable art card that you will also get. That is due around the end of the month, and will be drawn by the excellent Martin Whitmore. Basically an updated sketch of the figure, that includes any changes from concept to sculpt, and will be consistent throughout. Just something to make it extra special.

IMPORTANT

The next blog update will have information on the future of the project, changes, and clarity. I am very aware it’s got very complicated, which is a product of it’s success (woohoo!) so I want to address a few bits and hopefully iron out some creases. I’m in this for the long haul!

Thanks for all your support!

Annie

by badsquiddogames

The First SIX Sculpts

There’s lots to show, I am *SO* Happy with these sculpts. They have actually been moulded already and some have already been painted, so stay tuned for upcoming updates to see that! Today though, we are talking sculpts! Let’s have a look at each of them, shall we. These have all been hand sculpted by the wonderfully talented Alan Marsh.

Eleanor of Aquitaine

Hooray, she came out just as the sketch! It looks regal whilst also maintaining some simplicity. I can’t wait to see her with some paint on.

Septimia Zenobia

This has a special place in my heart, I think as she was the first we designed. I noticed that the staff in my sketch was not long enough as I had used a reference picture of a broken statue (doh!) so that’s the only part that needed changing pre-sculpt.

Agnes Randolph

We changed the arm position from the sketch to make it more dynamic, and it really has worked, by making the tippets dangle from the movement, Alan’s sculpting solved the concern of casting them hanging straight down. This looks way better too!

Julie D’Aubigny

La Maupin! We thickened the sword but not enough to look strange or clunky, and that small tab is to be chopped off when you’re prepping the mini, it protects it from bending when being packed and shipped.

Ching Shih

It was pointed out that her sword was in the left hand, so I’ve swapped it to the right hand which would have been more likely & the community confirmed the scabbard was hanging correctly, so only some minor adjustments. I love the hair!

Harriet Tubman

There was a discussion on where her left arm would be as held far back did seem a bit unnatural, so Alan adjusted to this which feels more like she’s walking ahead cautiously. It’s brilliant.

Squee, it’s happening! Stay tuned for pics of them painted, and information on how you can get some or all of these minis. Thank you for supporting this, it’s exciting to see it actually happening,

Annie

by badsquiddogames

Sculpting Begins!

Hooray, it begins!

Alan has begun work on the first four, and you can see a peek into how sculpts are born.

L-R Harriet Tubman, Zenobia, Julie D’Aubigny, Black Agnes – work in progress sculpts by Alan Marsh.

How cool are they? Sculptors all have different ways of going about things. Some sculpt the body then add clothes, some do it bit by bit, which is what Alan is doing here. The wire underframe gives support and strength while sculpting, as well as helping it survive the intense heat and pressure of the moulding process.

Alan uses a mixture of “greenstuff” and milliput, as greenstuff is a strong and popular medium, but can sometimes be a bit…springy. This means after sculpting, edges can soften without constant rework. The milliput combats this making it easier to work with, and a side bonus is that it’s easier to photograph! It’s not shiny. Everyone has their own little favourite methods and materials, I am a big fan of this as Alan’s models are always brilliant to cast. There are some putties more prone to crumbling or other issues which luckily none of our current sculptors use.

See how the wire on Julie (3rd across) goes straight through the arm and sword, this really strengthens it. The little tab at the bottom is going to be what attaches to the puddle base to help the metal flow in casting, then give it strength before it reaches the customer once cast – then you just clip it off.

Eleanor of Aquitaine and Ching Shi

These two ladies are the last that need their posts up and design sketch. I have a long draft saved of Eleanor as I got very into the research so haven’t finished yet, though she is pretty much designed in my head! She’s a figure I was originally not that excited by…. BUT NOW. Oh lawd. Her story is incredible. I haven’t started on Ching Shi yet but hoping to have the research started and wrapped up by the end of the week.

by badsquiddogames

Designing Julie d’Aubigny

Who was she?

La Maupin, L’Heroine
Cover page of the French magazine “Le Matin,” 1910s

I’m back! We have a wild character today who I’ve been wanting an excuse to make a miniature of for so long, so her being chosen is excellent, hooray! Julie d’Aubigny was also know as “La Maupin”, that was her opera stage name. She was here from 1670 – 1707 though records vary and as we will come to see, her story is somewhat muddled into legend! Much like Mad Max (also always wanted to start a sentance with that) tales of her would have been spread by word and almost certainly been embellished or added to, crossed over with other events. For example “Did you hear they’re saying the boat was blown up by Mad Max I mean, La Maupin?” when she might have just been sat at home watching a painting.

However! Her story is cool enough that it warrents telling, and I’d like to think every single detail is accurate as it makes for a tale of awesome proportions.

Julie is known for being the sword fighting, opera singing, law breaking bisexual temporary nun. What a title. Taught to fence early on by her father, she was a handful from the beginning, and after a failed matchmake because the chap was too boring, she ran away and began her life of scandal. She made money basically by busking around with a mix of operatic singing and swordfighting demonstrations, which was of course a delightful spectacle for the public with her being a woman, so probably raked in some decent coin.

For most of her life, Julie dressed in men’s clothes, it’s impossible (probably) to know exactly why, as with many historical characters it could be for practicality and getting around town easier, it could be she had a different gender to that assigned at birth. The book “Female Husbands” by Jen Manion covers this topic really well. I’ll be referring to her as she/her as there is nothing to say the contrary.

Her story is a whirlwind of romance, stabbings and a very short attention span! She was pardoned by King Louis XIV TWICE. Once for burning down a convent (after romancing a woman who was sent to a nunnery as punishment then Julie joined the nunnery to continue the romance) and second for stabbing (some accounts say killing) a bunch of chaps at a Royal Ball. The first due to her dad’s status, the second because Louis just thought it was very entertaining.

Designing the Sculpt

To be honest, I was so tempted to phone this one in. I think partly because I spent so long on Harriet Tubman, it’s 6pm at time of writing, and I wanted to get all 6 done today (ha, sweet summer child) but I’m not too disappointed as I am really enjoying this, and starting was most of the battle. By “phoning it in”, the image above, at first, I thought was perfect! Very rarely do we just make a painting into 3D, but it being public domain and “would make a cracking figure” was very temping.

HOWEVER. Then I got down the rabbit hole of 17th century fashion! What a rabbit hole indeed. So first I looked up images of her, how other people had represented. Many were in skirts, which would make for great miniatures, but if she dressed as a man her whole life, it’s inaccurate. I will do some sword fighty dress ladies at some point though don’t worry.

This made the research all about late 17th Century Men’s Fashion. Which the more I looked, became more and more of a minefield. This was very peak “fashion” time. The wealthy were changing their minds every decade pretty much on what the look was going to be. Big boots to small shoes, big flappy trousers, tight ones, ruffs, cravats, everything!

These were the closest I could find for around 1685-95 when a lot of the scandal was occurring! It really does change that quickly. The musketeer boots had gone out of fashion and the little red heels made popular by Louis XIV are just darling, so they’re going in. Justaucorps had replace the tighter doublet (of the first image), they were longer coats with a cinched waist. It was all less “flouncy” that a decade before, though still very elaborate compared to today’s tracksuits. The breaches no longer were as poofy and ribboned, as the coat covered them anyway.

Of course, all this fashion is for those of high society. I decided to dress Julie in the gear of a high society man due to her upbringing status, and the fact she was documented socialising at a Louis XIV Royal Ball. I figured with her other criminal activity, she may have done the odd theft to make sure she had enough to keep up with the times in a fashionable suit, and I get the impression she would have been quite proud of her appearance.

Ok it’s time for the reveal of my next terrible sketch. I am leaning into the terrible sketches now. Of course to the sculptor, this is accompanied with lots of descriptions and reference!

The pose is the same as the first image from the article. I think it’s great and suits the character. The clothes are a mixture of largely two of the clothing above, largely that of the khaki suit (which is part of the V&A collection) but with the actual justaucorps being from the one in red as you can’t see the other from under the cape. Leaving that undone to the belly button area I think will help with the shape, and it was a common way of wearing it.

Casting Concerns

I’m slightly concerned about the sword, even though it will touch the base making it stronger, I don’t know if it will be a liability, so I’ll discuss this with the caster and sculptor before we go ahead. It will be thicker than “at scale” as it would be needle thin, but I don’t want it to look like a big stick either! A workaround could be changing the wind so the cloak is floating behind the sword, a pose I am sure you are familiar with across many ranges! We shall see!

That’s all for now, I’m sure there will be an update on how we’ve adapted from the “first draft”. I am thinking of doing the Black Agnes write up next, but I’m going to have my tea and a walk first, before my eyes fall out. – Annie

by badsquiddogames

Community Mini #5 and #6 decided!

Congratulations to Ching Shih and Harriet Tubman!

YAY! These two will make cracking minis!

I have a bunch of ideas for how they will look but will set up their own threads in Baggy’s Cave. Thanks for being patient, I am currently juggling a whole bunch of Bad Squiddo work, including some brand new releases (they’ll pop up here!)

The next blog update should have links to all 6 of the minis so far where we can discuss and refine their design.

While Harriet is unlocked as mini #6, no sculpting can begin until the current target is hit, so go on – you know what to do!

Catch you soon!

Anniiie!

by badsquiddogames

Community Mini #3 and #4 decided!

Congratulations to Julie d’Aubigny and Black Agnes!

YAY! These two will make cracking minis!

I’ll set up some dedicated threads for both of them and we can start chatting about how the minis should look.

I won’t do that just yet as I am SUPER TIRED from just building this site, so I aim to get the starting threads for both posted up in Baggy’s Cave tomorrow as well as the next round of voting!


I decided to add a lot more to the starting poll as I noticed those added early on got a bit of an unfair advantage, so I’ll copy in a bunch of the ones you added in the last poll.
Thanks a bunch, see you tomorrow 10am on Youtube!

Anniiie!