Victorian vigilantes: Crazy Old Bat and Spring Heeled Jack

[Vermis]

The next sculpts in this occasional series, kind of a 'twofer' this time. The first concept is of the Gentleman Bat mark 2: older, bigger, angrier.



The sketch on the left shows the actual pose. For a different angle, here's a sketch at a slightly earlier stage of the brainstorming and selection process:



The second concept: the Victorian bogeyman cum penny dreadful star, given a slight steampunk update.



The perspective of the right piston boot is several kinds of borked (I hate drawing mechanical things!), but hopefully the left one helps put across the idea. Also, the head on the main sketch is the 'historical', villainous version. The secondary sketch shows the alternate heroic version that will also be sculpted.

Lastly, for now, progress:

[Elk101]

Great sketches Vermis, I'm looking forward to the Sir Franklyn Miller Gentleman Bat!

Spring heeled Jack looks great too, I love the good guy/ bad guy head options.

[goon3423]

Can't wait!

[Dewbakuk]

Looking good. Is the intention to have the bat taller than the last one?

With the left hand, it doesn't need to be a fist but the fingers need to be together in that position otherwise it'll just rip moulds or not fill. You could do that kind of finger posing but the hand would need to be a seperate part. With the cloak, just make sure it's not too thin (reinforcing with rod wouldn't be a bad idea either). I've had a couple of issues with cloaks/tabards recently, usually where they meet up with the body. They look fine until they've been pressed for production and they've been too thin which means the metal struggles to fit and small holes appear. A cloak of that size, coming back off a single piece cast, needs a bit of heft.

[Elk101]

Useful advice Dean, thanks. Yes, this is. BIG Bat so he will be taller than Young Bat.

[Vermis]

Well, more upright at least, though also with - what was it? - the weight of age. The first bat wasn't so short compared to the Empire of the Dead minis used for scale reference, but the hunched posture meant he couldn't exactly see eye-to-eye with e.g. the grinner.

Ta for the advice, DBK! We'll be keeping it simple - clenched fist from the top sketch; side-blown, mostly-flattened cloak from the lower. It's have much the same bulk as the last bat's cloak.

[SBRPearce]

For Springheeled Jack, it seems to me that the piston-boot arrangement should extend to include the knee joint too. A steam- or electricity-augmented ankle joint doesn't suggest towering leaps to me - more like Steampunk-powered Ass-kicking potential.

Can't wait for the Elder Bat!

[Agis]

Great sketches! I want a Gentleman Bat!

[Steve F]

Lovely design sketches: if you sculpt these as well as the last two, they'll be splendid minis indeed.

I'd keep Jack's mechanical assistance as it is: he's Spring-Heeled Jack, after all, not Spring-Knee'd Jack!

[Eisenfaust]

Very nice. Would love to own a couple. Waiting on an era-appropriate Catwoman, though. (whistles patiently) ...

[FramFramson]

Waiting on an era-appropriate Catwoman, though. (whistles patiently) ...

(whistles wolfishly)

[Elk101]

Very nice. Would love to own a couple. Waiting on an era-appropriate Catwoman, though. (whistles patiently) ...

Funnily enough........

Just out of, you know, idle curiosity, what would you be looking for in a Victoriana Ladycat?

[Agis]

Catwoman or a suitable Robin would be indeed greatly appreciated!

I am already planning the colours for my Crazy Bat, maybe the Thomas Wayne Flashpoint look?

[Eisenfaust]

Just out of, you know, idle curiosity, what would you be looking for in a Victoriana Ladycat?

Goggles. Ears. Sex appeal. Attitude. A whip or a CAT o' nine tails. (See what I did there?) If you're doing her like a cat burglar mid-operation, I think leathers and lots of buckles, even a dynamic and stealthy pose. If you've thinking of Madame Selena Kyle, running a string of soiled doves (from a CATHOUSE!) I want her elegant, attractive, even haughty. Maybe an outfit like she's attending the opera. A lorgnette and elbow-length gloves. And a CAT somewhere, like curling against her leg. Perhaps, in either pose, her wearing or holding and appraising a faceted gem of appreciable size.

Got all that?

[goon3423]

Here's hoping guys, if these two sell well enough maybe we can get another two in the next go-round as well.