Asking for some help :)

[Joek Find all posts View Profile Close Joek]

As some of you may (or may not!) know I've been running JoeK Minis since the beginning of 2010, selling various figures for folk to paint up. Admittedly, as it's more a hobby than a fully fledged GW-beating machine, thing's tend to happen on a very sporadic basis (something not helped by finding myself unemployed last month! Boo!). However, all that aside, I've been busy working out plans for 2012 (and 2013) with regards to what I want to get made up. 2011 has basically been somewhat of a washout so far. The major source of contentment is that I most definitely will get a figure out by the end of the year, and I'm confidently predicting it'll be officially the best figure ever*.

*This is not just me speaking! I've consulted various oracles, slaughtered a number of goats and clobbered hundreds of chickens to come up with the answer. Also, my mum likes it too.

Anyways, over the last few weeks I've been busy thinking of a proper 'range' of figures (and folk here on WAMP have suggested as much - I'm looking at you Shane ;) ) which would be fairly distinct from the one-off figures I've been doing so far. The basic idea is to take the theme of the movie Seven Samurai and it's subsequent western remake The Magnificent Seven and adapt this to a sci-fi setting. Which boils down to Seven 'heroic' characters, which are both unique as individuals but tie up together in one happy bundle too!*

*I then got terribly wild with ideas of enemies for them to face and the prospect of actually working out a game for them too, but all that will be in future! I've got a germ of an idea for it already (as long as I can have a pack of cards in it, I'll be happy!), but as I say, this is for the future. Figures are the priority at the moment!

Anyhoo, what I'm really asking you folk to maybe help with is ideas for the characters themselves. I've got some ideas, but I'd be very grateful to hear from folk about what they think might work as cool figures. Clearly, I'm looking at seven 'heroes', and I guess they should have individual skills and stuff, but if anyone has any burning desires for stuff which might work well (and preferably not really have been done before...much ), then I'm all ears! Currently, I'm busy talking to various concept artists about getting designs ready for sculptors, but I obviously need to give them something to work off. Thought it might be nice to open it up a bit and see if I can cater for various folks' tastes.

As some sort of pay-off if any of the ideas come to fruition, then I'll definitely be sending out freebies of the completed figures to folk for their help! Any ideas are valid - as wild as you want!*

*Although...bare in mind that I'm funding this myself - really big beast are a bit of a no-no for now - but humans, robots, aliens and other vaguely humanoid shapes are positively encouraged!

I open the floor to more imaginative people than I, and thank you enormously! If it weren't for folk like you on WAMP, I'd never have embarked on this (and believe me, there are days when I think I possibly should have spent the money on something more sensible...)!

[Cubster Find all posts View Profile Close Cubster]

Well, a lot of the characters will probably write themselves, mostly because there tend to be ... well perhaps not stereotypes, but perhaps more like easily recognised types of characters. You could do a lot worse than trawl through old 2000AD 'ABC Warriors' stories.


There's the leader, who is strong, reliable, honourable but somehow troubled from their past.
There's the stone cold killer, a sniper or an assassin who rarely speaks or shows emotion.
There's the coward, the traitor, the betrayer, whose skills make them valuable to the team but who cannot be trusted to serve anyone but themselves.
There's the behemoth, loyal to the leader and blessed with huge strength and/or able to soak up and deliver enormous damage, but not much blessed in skill or intellect.
There's the technical expert, whose specialist skills are not necessarily directly combat orientated, but who have vital abilities or knowledge.
There's the impressionable youth possessed of great daring and courage, but lacking in experience and discretion. The story can sometimes be told from their perspective to allow the viewer/reader to learn along with the character.
And then there's the mentally unstable one, truly haunted by their past and trying to escape it, to reinvent themselves and flee from memories that can turn them into a gibbering wreck in the wrong circumstances.

[Darklord Find all posts View Profile Close Darklord]

a madman, someone a bit loopy - kinda like Murdoch from the A Team nut more nuts

[Joek Find all posts View Profile Close Joek]

Well, a lot of the characters will probably write themselves, mostly because there tend to be ... well perhaps not stereotypes, but perhaps more like easily recognised types of characters. You could do a lot worse than trawl through old 2000AD 'ABC Warriors' stories.


There's the leader, who is strong, reliable, honourable but somehow troubled from their past.
There's the stone cold killer, a sniper or an assassin who rarely speaks or shows emotion.
There's the coward, the traitor, the betrayer, whose skills make them valuable to the team but who cannot be trusted to serve anyone but themselves.
There's the behemoth, loyal to the leader and blessed with huge strength and/or able to soak up and deliver enormous damage, but not much blessed in skill or intellect.
There's the technical expert, whose specialist skills are not necessarily directly combat orientated, but who have vital abilities or knowledge.
There's the impressionable youth possessed of great daring and courage, but lacking in experience and discretion. The story can sometimes be told from their perspective to allow the viewer/reader to learn along with the character.
And then there's the mentally unstable one, truly haunted by their past and trying to escape it, to reinvent themselves and flee from memories that can turn them into a gibbering wreck in the wrong circumstances.

Actually, it's one of the reasons why I was looking at films like Seven Samurai and stuff :) . Strangely enough though, you're spot on about 2000ad. This whole thing was actually sparked off by my failed attempt to license an old 2000ad strip - Bad Company. Absolutely boy's own fodder, with completely over the top characters! Would have loved to have made them, but in retrospect working on new stuff is going to be more enjoyable in the end (and probably cheaper :p ).

Of course, I'm now wondering which of these tropes could work as a robot and another as a bird :p .

Anyhoo, thanks for the input Cubster.

More please :) (ideas on guns and weapons would be rather cool too!)

EDIT: You sneaked up on me there Brett :p . A nutter would be a great thing! Wonder if some sort of Jekll/Hyde creation might be possible (oohh! Two figures in one!)

[Cubster Find all posts View Profile Close Cubster]

Well I feel like a complete crib-artist, but for weapons I'd say -

There's the leader - standard assault rifle, skilled with all weapons.
There's the stone cold killer - got to be blades and sniper rifles.
There's the coward, the traitor, the betrayer - tricky, but I'd say close-range firearms and blades, anything that can be concealed.
There's the behemoth - heavy weapons.
There's the technical expert - sidearm.
There's the impressionable youth - assault rifle or automatic weapon.
And then there's the mentally unstable one - auto weapon and explosives.

[shanerozzell Banned Find all posts View Profile Close shanerozzell]

Few that spring to mind for me are the leader and the muscle.

The leader should be a tad older and wiser than the rest, think Hannibal from the A-Team but because of this he would have seen his fair share of combat so maybe a cybernetic arm or leg but not his face becuase he'd have to be hansom and charismatic. Nocturna's "The Gate Keeper"; that kind of face.

The Muscle, this dude could be half alien or have a few cybernetic implants. Big weapons and lots of kit will also help here. He has to look mean but be trusted by the rest of the group, difficult to portray in a miniature but having some continuity in the group should do that, maybe a badge or tattoo or something.

Weapons Expert, this guy should be young; young enough that people underestimate his skill. You could also make his appearance be smart as well. It stands to reason that someone who would be good with weapons is used to looking after their equipment and this carries over to their clothes and appearance. Nice twist would be to have this character female.

Hand to Hand Expert. This guy again should not look like he's supposed to, Think Sammo Hung, over weight and slow looking. The mini would have no shooty weapons but things like throwing stars or daggers.

Will think over the others.

[Gi6ers Find all posts View Profile Close Gi6ers]

I'd love to see a decent cyborg in your style. Sleek implants, some tissue rejection, evidence of burns, scarring, staples, stiches etc.

[Joek Find all posts View Profile Close Joek]

Liking things so far!

An additional question is whether you actually like the premise?

[Gi6ers Find all posts View Profile Close Gi6ers]

Yes, definitely, was reading my Art of Bisley book today, just one of each of the unlicensed stuff from that please :)

[Gi6ers Find all posts View Profile Close Gi6ers]

Sorry for the double post but also thinking of Reifications from Neal Asher's novels (dead bodies reanimated by cybernetics with the mind downloaded onto a crystal storage device)

[Undave Find all posts View Profile Close Undave]

You could always include the comedy robot "Gadget! Gadget!" Maybe have it controled by the geeky tech whiz?

[Cubster Find all posts View Profile Close Cubster]

You could always include the comedy robot "Gadget! Gadget!" Maybe have it controled by the geeky tech whiz?

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[Joek Find all posts View Profile Close Joek]

You could always include the comedy robot "Gadget! Gadget!" Maybe have it controled by the geeky tech whiz?

I'm having an image of Master Blaster from Mad Max now!

[TheProdigalGamer Find all posts View Profile Close TheProdigalGamer]

Remember or read the Spinward Fringe series.

Leader Jonas Valant type charismatic caring cybernetics could fit due to being a framework or you could do human version and framework version

Engineer / expert Ayan beautiful whiz again could do two versions. One bit older suffering things like Gi6ers suggested from genetic experimenting; second younger framework version

Security chief Stephanie guns guns guns

Older monk type also engineer name escapes me hand to hand

Fighter loyal to a fault...behemoth in an exoskeleton?

Young young fix it whiz again name? Under estimated over performing.

I could flesh out the entire list from the main crew. Loads of addon characters
And endless supply of bad guy possibilities not the least of which is Eve and her followers.


No matter where you go with this effort these books are worth the read.
Immortalization in miniature wouldn't hurt either.

[Joek Find all posts View Profile Close Joek]

Just downloading the Origins omnibus now! It seems to be free for ereaders! Yay!