From GeoffreyT: A shimmy of Elvis Impersonators and some Dr Who Swampies (Retro) (70 points)

Hello Challengers,

We leave behind Glen the Space Octopus in the Sci-Fi studio, and head south to the Retro studio.  However, the glitter of Rhinestones and Sequins has followed us, as much as we tried to evade it.

These eight 28mm miniature Elvis Impersonators are from Slave2Gaming, a tiny Australian miniature manufacturer with a small but interesting range.  These particular pieces are sculpted by Mike Broadbent who also sculpts for Eureka Miniatures.  They are cast in white metal with slotta bases.

I have no idea what the correct collective noun for Elvis Impersonators is.  I am sure there is one, if anyone knows feel free to enlighten me.

Elvis impersonators are the epitome of retro, people who revel in the jumpsuits of the past.

Elvis had them in many colours, the most iconic being white.  The white was preferred as it made him easier to view when on stage.

Most of the effort in this work went into painting the bases.  I wanted to double-down on the retro vibe, so did the Elvii (is that the right plural?) dancing up a storm on a brightly lit disco floor.

I toned down the amount of contrast I used on the clothes and skin, in hope that they may photograph up better.  I prefer big contrast as it really pops out on the gaming tables of a dimly lit beer hall, but this doesn't always translate well to a good photo.

It is a little known fact that not everything that is retro is brightly coloured.

Below we have two muted coloured Dr Who "monsters" from Harlequin Miniatures.  These guys are called Swampies.

Swampies appeared in the 1978 serial "The Power of Kroll", which is widely regarded by experts as being a bit lame.  

The Swampies were actors painted with a green waterproof paint.   A waterproof colour was needed as it was filmed in a swamp.  I read that the colour arrived in time for the filming, but the solvent to remove it did not, and the green was later removed from the actors with great difficulty.

So there we have two types of retro pieces.  This is also the fourth green studio I have completed (Under Construction, Black and White, Sci-Fi and Retro).  This opens up access to the coveted blue zone.

Points tally:

10 x 28mm miniatures (5 points each) = 50 points

1 x bonus for Retro Studio = 20 points

Net = 70 points.

GT

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Haha! Those are some fabulous dancin' Elvi, Geoff. I really like how you've painted all their various costumes and the lit dance floor is truly inspired. The Doctor Who Swampies are, well, rather swamptastic, and I quite enjoyed the historical footnote on their tenacious body paint. It reminds me of the green-skinned Orion girl in the original Star Trek pilot in which the post production film guys repeatedly tried to colour correct back to pink human fletsh, not understanding she was supposed to be green. :)

Great work Geoff!

- Curt