Nominated for a Liebster Award.............

Well, pyramid selling is one thing but this surely takes the biscuit, as the expression now goes in our household after my wife made it up. We are still grinning about it years later.... I was nominated by the 'no longer wonderful' Carsten (Clam) of Clamshells and Sea Horses. 

I now have to answer 11 truths about myself, answer 11 questions posed by Clam and then nominate a further 11 blogs to keep the pyramid going....I then get to pose 11 questions of my own....mwhahahhaha....

The 11 truths unfold............

1. I am also known as The Dozing Dragon (and have been for many years) across forums. Google it, it's quite amusing to see how many people now use my name...grrrrrrr.

2. I am married with 4 children who are growing up far too fast.

On a rating of 1 - 10 those are pretty poor huh? Must try harder.............

3. I played guitar and then bass in bands from around 1982 through to first child arriving on the scene in 1995. In all truth my time had come anyway.......varying degrees of success although unfortunately none of them financial. If anyone is head of A&R anywhere please contact me for the next best selling summer song ever.....honestly....would I lie?

4. I rarely lie.

5. I thoroughly enjoy watching 'chick flicks' with my family (A Good Year, It's a Wonderful Life, 17 Again etc)

This is getting difficult.....

6. When I was much younger I collected sugar sachets...the sort you get in restaurants etc. Surprisingly wide variety out there back in the 70s. My dad, God bless him, was a salesman and travelled the UK and Europe and brought them back. Ended up using them for their actual purpose after I got bored with them. Shame really as there were probably some interesting oop pieces there........

7. My wife is German.

8. I have a strong belief in the Realm of Faerie.

9. I currently work night shifts as a manager in a call centre......1 team to manage, 1 security guard for 2 buildings and myself in charge.....a recipe for disaster....

10. I have a recurring dream once or twice a year about a small room hidden in the attic of the house that I grew in. 

11. I am pretty certain I suffer from autism from the way I am so addicted to this hobby.....tests say not but I think I know best.....

There, that wasn't so difficult was it??

Now for the 11 questions from Clam.............

1. Sci-fi or fantasy? Ancient or Modern warfare? And why?

As I only collect minis and don't game I can't give a complete preference...besides a plethora of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, I have recently acquired Empress moderns, TAG SWAT teams, Foundry Street Violence, Foundry Vikings, Old Glory Pirates...the list is endless. At the end of the day it is all fantasy anyway.....

2. How did you first get into the miniature/war-gaming hobby?

Airfix soldiers in the late 60s. I remember seeing a large amount of painted toy soldiers in a shop in France in the 60s whilst on holiday with my folks. It was a Sunday so the shop was closed and we never went back. I'd love to revisit that memory. Started getting Airfix magazine in the 70s and noticed an advertisement for Skytrex 1/300 tanks...I sent a postal order off and received a blob I think was meant to be a Brummbar..put me off for a while before discovering Heroics & Ros, C in C and GHQ. From then I found Military Modelling magazine with a far wider range of adverts.....I was lost to the dark side from that point on....

3. What's the latest hobby-related book you've read?

Osprey Publishing 'The Berlin Wall' and 'A Fistful of Kung Fu'. Yes, I know that's 2 but who's counting?

4. What's your latest game you've played (tabletop/boardgame)?

Pirates boardgame with the children...posh version of Waddington's Buccaneer. Picked it up at a show recently so it fits the bill.

5. Would you say you are more a collector, painter or gamer and why?

Collector, definitely. My gaming group went to university back in 1979 and I was left holding the miniatures, so to speak. Played with a few groups over the years but miniatures have always held my interest. 

6. Who is your favourite miniature sculptor? 

Very difficult to answer really as I love so many different styles. For proper old school it would one of Nevile Stocken (Archive Miniatures), Tom Loback (Dragontooth Miniatures) or Tony Yates (Heroes Miniatures amongst others including some very nice recent pieces....). Other than that it is too difficult to choose as there are so many. Kev Adams, Tom Meier, Nick Bibby (moved to bronze nowadays, totally wow stuff out of my pocket range though unfortunately), Bob Murch, Perry twins....the list could go on. New kids on the block such as Will Hannah (where are you Will?), John Pickford, Andrew May, George Fairlamb, Paul Gargon at Mad Clown Miniatures....the list will go on. The new wave of digital sculptors are improving the computer medium beyond belief.....

So no, I haven't answered the question...............

7. Who is your favourite rule-book/source-book - illustrator/artist and/or writer?

Illustrator would go to the 2 Tonys - Tony Yates and Tony Ackland. Both old school and new school alike.

8. Who is your all time favourite miniatures producing company? 

Too difficult to answer. Citadel would probably be the closest to a favorite due to the vast richness of their sculpting talent over the years.

9. What's you favourite miniatures game/rule producer?

I don't game so can't answer that with any degree of accuracy. I see the posts Tony (Yates) makes on his Shadowkings blog about In Her Majesty's Name and I think that is where I would go if I were to start gaming....

10. What's your dearest item in you collection - and why?

Hmmm...dearest as in 'most expensive' or 'most precious'. Possibly the most expensive one I bought off ebay when rather drunk was a mint sealed copy of a Dragontooth City of Magic set 'The Magic Shop'. I think I paid about $200 for that. The most valuable would probably be either a M16 Female Ranger by Mithril (although missing her sword and a slight dent to her nose) or a Heinrich Kemmler by Citadel. Value always depends on what people are willing to pay so you never know....The most precious to me? A handful of figures painted by my children.

11. What recent hobby purchase do you most regret (if any)?

Most regret? Not too sure. There are times when I wish someone would offer to buy my collection and I could start afresh. Looking around the hobby room (read bedroom, a fact not unnoticed by my long suffering wife) I cannot honestly say there are many regrets. Occasionally I have paid over the odds on ebay or received what is obviously a mis cast or recast. I bought some WW2 Brits the other day 2nd hand thinking they were Crusader Miniatures which I am after.....didn't look properly in the bags and looking carefully they are most definitely not Crusader. Look somewhat like recasts (only due to the casting quality though) but not sure whose they are. Except for being mine now.

Is that it? Is that all you have to ask?

Good.

I now need to nominate 11 blogs to continue the tradition. I like this. It is good to push miniature bloggers to the world. We are a largely unappreciated minority.......

http://shadowking-shadowkings.blogspot.co.uk/

http://reallifesabugger.blogspot.co.uk/

http://eldritchepistles.blogspot.co.uk/

http://stonecoldlead.blogspot.co.uk/

http://unfashionablyshiny.blogspot.co.uk/

http://theleaddragon.blogspot.co.uk/

http://chirinesworkbench.blogspot.co.uk/

http://insosworld.blogspot.co.uk/

http://bleaseworld.blogspot.co.uk/

http://belchedfromthedepths.blogspot.co.uk/

http://roebeast.blogspot.co.uk/

and the 11 questions they have to answer...................

1. You are marooned on a desert island with a large set of paints and brushes but only 1 miniature.....which miniature would you choose?

2. On that desert island you later discover a shop...they happen to sell one hobby accessory..which one?

3. Said shop is run by a hobby related individual, past or present. Who are they?

4. You have been rescued by Superman and brought back home. Your entire collection has been sold by family / friends / the taxman etc. You still have your paints.....what is the first figure you will buy?

5. If you could have any past miniature range in its entirety, which would it be?

6. A miniatures manufacturer you don't think should have ever existed.....

7. Your likeness in miniature - sculpted by whom and in what clothing?

8. A complete range sculpted by your favorite sculptor? Choose the range and sculptor....

9. You get the chance to interview anyone for your blog. Who do you choose....living or dead but hobby related and must be different to number 3 above....you may wish to change that answer...

10. You are elected head of Games Workshop by shareholders tired of the current board.....what is your next move?

11. The Grim Reaper finally comes to you in your dotage and says you are to be resurrected. Choose a year and country / region in which to be reborn. Sorry, but you don't get to choose who you will be though, that's in the lap of the Gods......

anything I've missed..... enquiries@deartonyblair.co.uk