Zhu Industries
@zhuindustries
LVL 25 INK SLINGER Making things:
Prototyping the Amböl Ûlk paper miniatures. Cleanse, fold and manipulate. Vintage 1990s Swann Morton Scalpel Handle #3 with Swann Morton 10a blade. Steel ruler. About to be glued (PVA) and pressed under a large number of ttrpg and wargaming books. #osr #dnd #papercraft
Test print of Vlätkrig Special Edition: Amböl Ûlks. Laser toner on A4 80gsm paper. Walter Benjamin probably has something to say about the shift from the original object to reproduction object. #paperminiatures #dnd #osr
Inking Amböl Ûlks and herder. Khaös mutant undead insectoids. Inspired by the Umber Hulk of #dnd, the Ambull of #40k and the Garthim of #TheDarkCrystal. Old School art means old school tools - Berol Handwriting Pens on Rhino A4 5mm grid paper. #osr #oldhammer #ttrpg #papermini
Work in progress on the pencils for the Amböl Ûlk Herder - khaös mutant insectoid necro-shaman. Pencils of rank and file Beetlefolk army marching behind him. Steadtler Tradition HB Pencil on Rhino A4 5mm grid paper. #osr #ttrpg #papermini
This is very relevant to my interests. The intersection of nostalgia, ecology, fantasy and toys is central to the Vlätkrig project. Hoping there's a little low carbon-footprint cardboard cut out Riolta Snow by John Blanche in there...
Work in progress on the pencils for the Amböl Ûlks - a pair of monsterous khaös mutant undead insectoid creatures inspired by Stag Beetles, the Umber Hulk of #dnd, the Ambull of #40k and Fiddler Crabs. Steadtler Tradition HB Pencil on Rhino A4 5mm grid paper. #osr #oldhammer #ttrpg #papermini
In the case of Vlätkrig - the use of literal 'old school' equipment - Berol Handwriting pens, Staedtler pencils, 5mm Grid paper, not just an image of a Forgotten Future/Folklore, but engagement with Abandoned Processes and Lost Materials.
The space between the original antique paper doll, and the scanned, laser printed copy speaks to me. Like machine tooling a Babbages Difference Engine or 3D printing one. A 'Design Fiction' that is a 'Materials Archaeology Experiment' seems significant in a time of gravity-less digital AI.
Some dirty thumbnail roughs, working out a Necro-Shamanic Amböl Ûlk Herder, loosely based on the Noble Chafer, along with some options for small objective markers - log piles, menhir and over-ripened fruits. #osr #ttrpg #papermini #dnd
The Müller-Brockmann Phase. Layout before art. Was thinking just a single creature, but that would leave a lot of 'waste' so a mating pair of 'Königlich Amböl Ûlks' and an objective marker or handler? DIN A4, print area to fit ANSI A. Adobe Illustrator. #papermini #rpg #osr #design
Quick thumbnail sketches exploring the forthcoming Untitled Khaos Undead Insect Monster Paper Miniature - perhaps a "Greater Amböl Ûlk" to celebrate the #d&d to #40k inspiration? Rotring 0.5mm HB Mechanical Pencil on Seawhite A5 sketchbook. #osr #oldhammer #ttrpg #papermini #dnd
Loose inspo board for Untitled Khaos Undead Insect Paper Miniature Monster. Antique Fauna Engravings, alongside works by Dave Sutherland, Tony Ackland, Brian Froud and Christos Achilléos. #osr #oldhammer #ttrpg #papermini #dnd
These charmingly daemonic snake weilding pyromaniac Wood Sprites from Skelt's #toytheatre of The Wood Daemon (1835) are fantastic. Some of the earliest #fantasy #paperminis I know of, and a nice little ready-to-go set of #skirmish figures! #osr #ttrpg
More awesome retrofuture #paperminis / #standees If H.G. Wells 'Little Wars' (1913) was the first figure based hobby wargame, Warren Paper Products Co. 'Buck Rogers Combat Game' (1936) was probably the first science fiction wargame. Images from Hakes / Mel Birnkrant
The utterly fabulous science fiction paper theatre figures from "The Buck Rogers Cut Out Adventure Book." (1933) which was actually a #papertheater, designed to be played with while listening to the radio serial. Probably the earliest sci-fi #paperminis #standees I'm aware of. #retrofuturism
If your taste goes to retro-rocket, sword and planet, Alex Raymond did some fantastic paper dolls for Flash Gordon.
Great to see the old Otherworld Wood Elves back in stock at Fenris Games. Expertly sculpted by Paul Muller, based on my concept art.
Amazing to see the Demonqueen of Spiders finally going into production. Remember sitting in the shed drawing the original concept art for Richard at Otherworld over a bank holiday weekend just over 12 years ago. #osr #dnd #darkelves #miniature
Four Djinn models based on my design drawings. Inspired by the AD&D Monster Manual and classic Sindbad movies. Sculpted by John Pickford, painted by Andrew Taylor, available from Crooked Dice: crooked-dice.co.uk/search?q=djinn
Did you know... That if you have Vlätkrig Sets One Two and Three, you have exactly the right number and type of figures to play the classic Warhammer 1st Edition scenario The Ziggurat of Doom?
Thinking about it... even Marvels A-list Spider-man character couldn't carry his own comic in the UK and by 1986 had to share a masthead with ZOIDS, the giant dinosaur mech toyline that turns up in both the late 80s Warhammers.
Yvesko Chimaja huntress of the northern Centaurfolk. Burtstöng winged lance, heavy leather belt and panniers. #papermini #standee #osr #ttrpg #wargaming #dnd
The best thing about the Ro-Bear Berbils from Thundercats is they answer the eternal question of what if Muffet II the Daggit from Battlestar Galactica had babies with an Ewok from Star Wars.
Valsano Ye Drakkynja. Draconic centaur armed with dæmonic bearded war axe and venomous telson, wearing Khaös blessed plate armour.
Forever - has it been that long already? Glad you like the fishy sub, I did design work on that one!
Rhödda Thraysia. Unicorn centaur, dual wielded cavalry sabres, highland sash and kilt.
Rashaja Themisis. Temple dancer of the Griskynne Gymkhana. Kalkan round shield, dao scymitar.