Right. Well, for the longest time, I've been a huge fan of Gerry Anderson's UFO series. As a kid, I've only ever seen a couple of partial episodes, but it left quite an impression with me. So much, that I immediately recognized the premise when UFO: Enemy Unknown (or X-COM) was released back in the nineties. (I mean: secret international organisation to stop alien invaders, hidden underground base, funding problems, top of the line interceptors, equipment and personnel, psionic powers, alien autopsies?)
Anyway; I own the series on DVD and have watched it several times already. And it was when watching the series that I realized that the entire setting would make for one cracking skirmish game! And when Crooked Dice released their not-Ed Straker (better known as the 'Man from 2000', although technically, UFO was set in 1980
), I realized I could not postpone it any longer. So I began sourcing the elements I would be needing.
I had Ed Straker, but then what? Once again, Crooked Dice proved to be the go-to: A squad of rifle armed Henchmen will be SHADO operatives in the field. I might need more than these initial four though. The CD Astronauts seemed perfect for use as the nefarious aliens, but once again, I might need more before I'm done.
As an aside, since I also picked up three not-Fembots this year at Crisis, I will probably need even more for use as SHADO astronauts, should I ever get to do up the Moonbase. (Hey, come on; you and I both know I will have to...
)
Ainsty makes some really nice drivers to go with their utility vehicles, but they're also useable as SHADO Mobile drivers and even Interceptor pilots! So I got me a bunch of those too.
On the to-get list are still a bunch of unarmed civilians, dressed in what was considered futuristic clothing back in the late sixties. That, of course, means nehru jackets and mini skirts! But I'm also still trying to source the right minis to model Paul Foster, Virginia Lake and doctor Jackson.
I already found a suitable mini to use as a baseis for Alec Freeman; one of Copplestone's KKBB KGB Men. I removed the lapels of the jacket, taking care to model the collar correctly, creating a fashionable nehru jacket for him. I then remodelled the hair, transforming the Russian blockhead hairdo into the somewhat rakish curls of colonel Freeman, paying extra attention to the copious sideburns. Adding a longer barrel to the gun and removing the sights turned the PPK(ish) pistol into a SHADO Accoustic Gun (whatever that was
).
But enough babble, on to the pictures.
First, I have for you a collection of bare metals. These are all the miniatures I mentioned before. If you're wondering about the interceptor in the upper right corner; I won that on Ebay a couple of years ago (yes; I've been gathering the essentials for several years now, and have only started up the actual project last week...). It was made by
Comet Miniatures in the eighties.
They only made the Interceptor, Skydiver and the Lunar Module, and not in the same scale either! But at the time, owning a 'proper' Interceptor model was too tempting to let it pass. I've not seen one being offered since. Should I ever decide (which I very well might do
) to cover this or that space combat game with a UFO layer, this little guy will be an excellent starting point. (of course I might then be forced to make several, ehm, back-ups of it, in order to get the required three to make a full flight...)
Then, here are the well known Dinky models of Straker's car and the Interceptor. I've also found a very cheap other sports car, which I will try to convert into what has become known as Foster's car (the pink one). Both of the UFO Dinkies are pretty dang expensive to get by the way; a decent looking Straker car (like this one actually; all the visible damage has been inflicted by me
I cut out the rear window, removed the wind up mechanism and engraved the gull-wing doors on the roof) can fetch as high as GBP 150,-!
I was lucky and found this one in an on-line store for 'only' GBP 25,-. Things to do are; lowering it to fit its real life stance, source the correct wheels, add an interior and paint the whole thing a chocolate brown metallic...
The Interceptors are easier to get, but here too, I waited till I could score one for cheap. I got this one, on a Dutch auction site, for EUR 10,-. (the trigger mechanism still works like a charm; I tried it once, it careened off two walls and two days later, my wife found the tip of the missile, which had come off. I'm talking full fletched NERF power here in a diecast toy!)
Here are the contents of the box of UFO model kits I've been hoarding so far. There are two Mobiles and a Sky-1 in there. Plus cutesy little versions of Straker's Car, a Mobile and 2x Sky-1, which came with the kits. One of the Mobiles is brand new, still on the sprue, but the other one, and Sky-1 (both in the same buy) were (badly) glued together in the past. Luckily not with styrene cement, so all parts popped loose with a bit of flexing and bending. If you notice the one (previously) assembled MObile to be green, you're correct. It was not painted though, that's the bare plastic. It has discoloured, probably in the sun. My guess is, it was previously based on some boy's window sill...
In other threads, I've seen concerns raised about the scale of the Imai and Product Enterprise Mobiles, with most people thinking they are too large. Mobiles were supposed to be pretty dang large vehicles though, capable of carrying a command center or a combat squad of troops, plus its crew. Here you can see the original driver form the Imai model I disassembled, next to an Ainsty driver. Perfect match I'd say!
And finally, the moment you've all been waiting for, ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you, Ed Straker and his good friend, Colonel Freeman!
I'm pretty happy with the way they came out. Especially Straker's face; some lucky brush strokes added to Crooked Dice's sculpt and actually captured the essence of Ed Bishop's Straker!
Well, to my eye at least... I'm also quite chuffed with the buttons and holes on Freeman's jacket; those are all painted on. Ignore Freeman's base btw; it still requires finishing. Also, he is still shy of a good coat of matt varnish, so he's a bit too shiny for his own good right now...
Next up will be some of the aliens I guess, followed by some SHADO operatives. Then it's on to some of the vehicles.
One thing I'm still unsure about though, are the actual UFOs! I suppose I will have to scratchbuild them, as models are either insanely expensive (S.H.E.D.; I'm looking at you!) or not scaled correctly. They are also never properly referenced in the series in regard to actual size; they could measure anywhere from 5 to 20 meters in diameter. We never were able to see, thanks to mr. Anderson's clever filming techniques...
I have a friend who has just started a new job with a laser cutting company, so that might be worth exploiting. But what to use for the clear parts? Plastic bottles? Snow globes? I'll be back on that one...