"Didn't you say we are on friendly territory, Mrs. Winterbottom ..."

[Michi]

Be careful, you could be killed for that. Or kidnapped and urged into slavery as a painter of napoleonic Highlanders for Waterloo games...

I will try to copy that and will find out whether you sold your soul for it or not.

[silvana]

Absolutely brilliant.    Your skills are truly outstanding!!

[Mancha]

Wow, this is reminding me of something very similar I did some time ago.  It had the same two Foundry females, based on a sort of cracked-mud base, with a Games Workshop Dark Eldar demon-dog thingie at their feet.  The caption said "I say Mrs. Broadbottom, you don't suppose there's a mate about?!"  Very similar idea (and hilarious that we both felt compelled to call one of the minis, I think we all know which one, "Mrs. _________bottom" ), although yours is much better executed.

[Azzarc]

Sweet!  I like the painting on the dresses too.

[Sangennaru]

that's clever... I love it!

[Admiral Benbow]

Wow, this is reminding me of something very similar I did some time ago.  It had the same two Foundry females, based on a sort of cracked-mud base, with a Games Workshop Dark Eldar demon-dog thingie at their feet.  The caption said "I say Mrs. Broadbottom, you don't suppose there's a mate about?!"  Very similar idea (and hilarious that we both felt compelled to call one of the minis, I think we all know which one, "Mrs. _________bottom" ), although yours is much better executed.

Mancha, that is alarming! Did you show your work on the net or anywhere else? I've looked at so many things figure-wise in the last decades that I can't rule out any influences from whatever sources ... Maybe I've saved that idea at my nearly full local harddrive (brain) and it came to the surface recently as my own ...!?  I had the general concept, miniatures and even the base laying around for a couple of years, and went for painting and finishing during Christmas, so I can't really say where and when this concept came into being.

Anyway, the name Winterbottom is one of my standard character names for playing tabletop or RPG-games, and comes from the "Dinner for One"-sketch with Freddie Frinton; this sketch is a standard on german New Years Eve TV and is broadcasted every year since 1963. The imaginary four gentlemen dining together with Miss Sophie are "Sir Toby, Admiral von Schneider, Mr. Pommeroy and Mr. Winterbottom". 

[Galloping Major]

That IS gorgeous 

[Mancha]

Mancha, that is alarming! Did you show your work on the net or anywhere else? I've looked at so many things figure-wise in the last decades that I can't rule out any influences from whatever sources ... Maybe I've saved that idea at my nearly full local harddrive (brain) and it came to the surface recently as my own ...!?  I had the general concept, miniatures and even the base laying around for a couple of years, and went for painting and finishing during Christmas, so I can't really say where and when this concept came into being.

I used to have the image on the 'Net, although it's long gone.  In fact, your presentation sent me on a search through my old computer, hoping for an image, but I couldn't find a picture of the whole diorama.  I may dust it off and take one tonight, but as I haven't been able to load an old version of Photoshop on my new computer, I may not be able to do much with the image.  Anyway, as I said, your presentation, although the same general idea, is MUCH better, both in terms of paintjob and base.

What intrigues me is that this seems to be one of those reminders, which I occasionally encounter, that NOTHING is completely new.  What may have seemed to you (and certainly seemed to me, when I did my little diorama years ago) to be a completely original and brilliant idea, turns out to have been a reinvention of my old idea (although you probably never even encountered my old idea).  And my old idea was most likely a reinvention of someone else's old idea.  Sad, really, as I was sort of proud of my supposed genius all those years ago.   

(Edit: I should add, while it sounds like I'm trying to denigrate your creation, I'm actually intending to comment only on my own creations.  No disrespect intended.)

[Admiral Benbow]

Mancha, no problem at all with you mentioning your creation; I feel myself very confused about our similar ideas and would much like to see a pic of your way to handle this idea. Maybe when I see it I can remember if I encountered it somewhere in the past ...
 

[Mancha]

Here's a crappy pic of my version of this idea:

[former user]

well gentlemen, You are definetely calling for it, so please don't complain afterwards 

[Sangennaru]

that's amazing... did you never compare your ideas before? is it just an accident?

[Admiral Benbow]

Mancha, thanks for posting your pic. Never saw it before. That's an exceptional coincidence, isn't it? You even choose a green jacket for Mrs. ___bottom!?
Must be some kind of magic involved ...

[Mancha]

Again, what I think is interesting (and kind of sad  ) is that what I thought was such an original idea was and will be reinvented (and then done better!) by others.

Or the-glass-is-half-full way of thinking about it: Great minds think alike.