A curious bit of miniature history: Essex orcs & goblins and Down in the Dungeon

[Hobgoblin]

Does anyone recognise this?



I've just posted a blog on the link between the peculiar 80s book Down in the Dungeon and Essex's Great Scaley [sic] Orcs.

If anyone knows anything more about this, I'd love to hear it. I remember the Great Scaly Orcs very fondly from black-and-white ads in White Dwarf when I was a kid.

[Anselm van Helsing]

That illustration cries Glorantha! for me. I see a Dark Troll and a Tusk Raider, even if the steel armour doesn't fit Glorantha at all.

And reading your blog, I just recognized one mystery miniature in my collection. 

[Hobgoblin]

That illustration cries Glorantha! for me. I see a Dark Troll and a Tusk Raider, even if the steel armour doesn't fit Glorantha at all.

Yes, there's definitely a hint of Uz about those fellows. And the Tusk Riders appear to be the origin of the link between orc-type creatures and boars in gaming.

And reading your blog, I just recognized one mystery miniature in my collection. 

One of the Scaly Orcs? They're a lot of fun - like big, goofy Doctor Who villains. You could imagine swinging a mace at one of those faces only to find papier mache giving way beneath your blow.

[Cubs]

One of the Scaly Orcs? They're a lot of fun - like big, goofy Doctor Who villains. You could imagine swinging a mace at one of those faces only to find papier mache giving way beneath your blow.

For reasons unknown, that's brought to mind a Buffy episode where she is pummelling a defeated snake demon thing on the ground, and its head is wobbling back and forth in latex dynamism. You can image a comedy 'badoooiiing' noise as the orc gets a smack on the muzzle.

[The Dozing Dragon]

The 54mm version are still available from Valiant Enteprises in the States.

https://www.veltd.net/collections/fantasy

[Hobgoblin]

For reasons unknown, that's brought to mind a Buffy episode where she is pummelling a defeated snake demon thing on the ground, and its head is wobbling back and forth in latex dynamism. You can image a comedy 'badoooiiing' noise as the orc gets a smack on the muzzle.

Ha!

Well, if I recall correctly, one of Tolkien's many postulated origins for the orcs was a sort of animated "puppet" ...

The Dozing Dragon,
I'd forgotten about those; I'd seen the Man-Orc soldiers before, but I don't think I knew they made the boar-rider. Do you know how long those have been around?

[The Dozing Dragon]

The Dozing Dragon,
I'd forgotten about those; I'd seen the Man-Orc soldiers before, but I don't think I knew they made the boar-rider. Do you know how long those have been around?

Since the 70s, not sure exactly how long though.