7TV Tokens

The film cans and the VHS cassettes turned out all right, but the clappers aren't great. Serviceable enough for the game, though. 
 

Captain Atom Calls for a Lift

"Sue? Nate here...uh, listen...I need you to come pick me up...no, I can't just fly back to the embassy, and I'll explain why..."

"Whatever you do, DON'T TELL BEETLE!"

Universal Soldiers

25 Years of Wedded Bliss for Jeff and Susan

Earlier this evening, two of my oldest friends, Jeff and Susan, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary (following an eight-year engagement)! Sylvia and I were delighted to attend the celebration, reconnecting with some old friends over a scrumptious catered Ukrainian dinner. 

We were delighted to see that our old friends Michael and Naomi showed up for the party, too. 

Squeaky chicken party favours for the win!

Two happy couples!

Three happy couples! (Context: I met Susan, Jeff, and Michael back in 1987 via the University of Alberta Star Trek Club.) 

We also got to meet Susan's lovely Aunt Mary, who we picked up on the way to the event. Plenty of Jeff and Susan's loved ones were there, and we reconnected with Korch, who Sylvia and I met independently before we'd actually met each other. It's a small world after all . . .  

Thanks, Jeff and Susan, for inviting us to this lovely affair, and Sylvia and I both hope that you'll enjoy many, many more loving and happy years together. 

7TV Trash Objective

Well, this one didn't really turn out. This close-up reveals I missed spots, painted the wrong colour in some spots, and generally made a mess of things. Ay, me. 
 

Obective: Film Cans

 

7TV Condition Rings

When your character miniature is scared, dominated, distracted, etc., simply place the relevant condition ring around the mini to keep track of any conditions it's currently suffering. These are pretty simple paint jobs, so I tried to add a little flair by choosing colour combinations that reflect each condition. 
 

A Straight Crooked Ruler

This afternoon I painted a ruler for use with the 7TV miniature skirmish game from Crooked Dice. I used 1970s earth tones to reflect the game's mood, style, and setting. I think this one turned out all right. 
 

Autumnal Geekquinox 2023: The Barbenheimer Affair

"I am become Chef, creator of Worlds . . . of flavour." 

Pete could have said this, but instead he lived these words by preparing a multi-course meal inspired by two of this year's biggest critical and commercial film hits, Barbie and Oppenheimer. 

To begin with, just look at that menu. Not only is he a creative culinary force, he's also a damn fine writer and graphic designer. 

Enough fawning, on to the food and friendship: 
 

Sylvia loved her Barbies as a child, so she was well equipped to doll herself up (pun intended) for the event. The best I could do was to don my only pink shirt (a holdover from Gaming & Guinness created by Steve) to serve as a sort of bargain-basement Ken. 

Here's "Pink just looks so good on toast," a savoury concoction that burst on the palate when consumed. There's lox, capers, tomato, and avocado in there. Oof! Chef's kiss. 

I haven't seen Oppenheimer yet, but this juicy rosemary chicken breast is so named for a nude scene in the film. I'll understand the context eventually, but yesterday the flavour was far more important than the reference. The chicken may look unassuming in this photo, but it was irresistible. 

"It's so ($#&%*# good!" 

The atomic turds were hot, hot, hot, but I managed to eat two anyway. Bacon, cream cheese, jalapeno, and sausage, all wrapped up in one explosive package! 

"Is that going to be too hot too handle?"

I hate mushrooms. But I have a self-imposed rule about Geekquinox: If it's on the menu, I must AT LEAST try it. I devoured two of these thanks to the generous heaps of garlic-infused cheese Pete stuffed into these Mushroom Clouds. That's more than enough juicy flavour to overcome my distaste for mushrooms.

"Surprised you, huh?"

Call Them Trinity . . . fondant potatoes stuffed to overflowing with a trio of cheeses. A delectable accompaniment for the main meat course . . .

"MORE MEAT . . ."

No, not another serving of atomic turds, though they would have been welcome. This is Oppenheimer's Vision--pork belly burnt ends. Melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and palate-pleasing flavour in every bite.

"I am become Chef . . . wait, you already used that joke." Pete as Barbenheimer himself! 

Barbie herself dropped in to present the Barbieland Cloud, made from scratch, just like everything else on the menu. It was moist beyond belief. 

"We can't eat another bite! Look, Pete's passing out." 

"Hey Steve, did you know you can read all about this event on your blog?" 

"Yes, Earl, because I WROTE IT." 

The four Barbie girls that graced our Barbie world on Saturday. 

And of course, Ellen's traditional group photo. 

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I have the best friends. Thanks to Pete and Ellen for another fantastic gathering, and to the rest of you fine folks for coming out and sharing another evening of loving laughter. 

Prelude to Geekquinox

Yesterday, Sylvia and I joined our friends for this years autumnal Geekquinox dinner. Why are we dressed in pink? Tune in tomorrow . . . 
 

7TV TV

7TV is a skirmish game based on old genre television of the 1970s and early 1980s, so I chose a colour scheme I thought suitable for the period. 
 

Interceptor Cargo

 If you dont' glue down the hatchback, Crooked Dice's Interceptor models can accommodate cargo. Here are the cargo options I've painted: 

Black Interceptor

I kitbashed this one a little bit to give it a rough, home-brewed, asymmetrical look. I may add some rust and grime effects later. 

Pristine Interceptor

Just to try something different, I painted this interceptor model with a small selection of metallic speed paints. These act more like washes than paints, somehow making application easier and paradoxically more exacting at the same time. As you can see here, I'm having a little trouble keeping the paints looking smooth, even though it's so very thin. Some parts of the model look better than others, though, which leads me to think I just haven't been patient enough; maybe some spots need a few more thin coats to even out those rough patches. 
 

A Day at the Planet

I wrote the news today, oh boy

Young Jimmy Olsen shot some pics for me

While Lois Lane shared the byline

And Perry edited

He liked Jim's photograph

Basebrownbeating

My tin cup runneth over
The brown baseball
Saving the base runner
From a cleat gouging
At the hands (feet) of a first baseman
With an irrational grudge
No rhyme, no reason, no meter, no bathos
Or is there? 
 

Gong Soldier, or: I Heard the Gongman Call My Name

Having consistently failed to apply Cauciasian skin tones with any sense of artistry, I've turned my hand to other varieties. This gong-ringer turned out darker than I had hoped, so perhaps he's South Asian rather than East Asian.