Friday Follies Phantasmical Taking the Reigns

And now, as I bask by the fire here in balmy California, ambiant temperature a whopping 45° (that's 7.22222°C for those of you of the metric persuasion), with a spot of red wine and some poor defenseless vegetables, I bring you the inaugural edition of 

The Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge Friday Follies

Compared to the august ranks of his other vassals, I am but a callow youth, first putting paint to brush in the heady days of 1998, when Napoleon's Battles was all the rage, the Internet was just beginning, and the great sculptors of our age worked for Games Workshop, and have painted everything since. It a fit of folly, Our Beloved Snowlord, may he bask upon his multitudes of fluffy whiteness, has handed control over to me, Friday Follies Phastasmical, for 1/7 of the two-odd months remaining before the Mad Minute of finishing.

And so, we shall embark on a tour through things French, and more things French, and things . . . not French; we may even find ourselves a supervillain or two. All throughout, if you find yourself lost or confused, merely look to the bottom of the post, and find solace in my rapier-like italicized wit, giving you the recap.

But first, as I stock up on the latest sandbags and budgies for the Squirrel challenge (is that an Italian army on my doorstep? Why yes it is!), I give you an image from our sponsors:

It's not safe out here. It's wondrous, with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross. But it's not for the timid

 Let the Friday Follies Commence!