Interstate 10 Back Cover Copy

Years ago, Jeff wrote about the time his Uncle Thad mailed him a copy of the hard-to-find pulp novel Interstate 10. The book's cover art is as madcap as the novel itself is purported to be, and at the time I wondered if the back cover blurb might be as crazy as the ones found on the works of Howard Rheingold. Alas, Jeff's blog post didn't include a photo of the back cover, so I took it upon myself to write my own version. Jeff never told me how close I came to matching the real copy for Interstate 10, so I figure enough years have passed that he won't mind if I share it here. 

FREEWAYS ABLAZE!

First came BILLY JACK...! 

Then DIRTY HARRY...! 

Now comes the toughest, slickest urban vigilante with or without a badge…`

JAKE CALIFORNIA…! In his first bloody-knuckled road rampage of hot wheels and hard justice. 

Once he rode supercycles through flaming hoops and leapt from crashing cars for Hollywood’s big-budget spectaculars. But then came that mysterious note in the Classifieds: “WANTED – TEST DRIVER. Daytona Beach to New York via Interstate 10 in one-of-a-kind set of wheels. Serious inquiries only.” 

With stunt work drying up and his stash of dough drying up even faster, Jake takes the job and sets out on the most blistering, red-hot romantic road trip ever, juggling the washed-up love for his old flame with the chance of all-new, all-intriguing encounters with an exotic Oriental flower who’s as quick with a blade as Jake is behind a steering wheel. And this time the steering wheel belongs to OS-CAR*, a souped-up VW Beetle with a lust for the road and street justice rivaling Jake’s own lusty passions. Herbie has nothing on OS-CAR! 

Lose yourself in Jake California’s world – a world of simmering blacktop mirages, sudden death meted out by gorillas with guns, kinky action between the sheets and in back seats – and where every mile offers new thrills…and new dangers. 

*OPerating System--CAR

The Ghoul

Here's the Fallout: Wasteland Warfare version of The Ghoul, played by Walton Goggins in the Fallout television show. For once, I'm completely happy with a face; it's just as gruesome and mottled as Goggins' makeup. 

Octopussy and Hugo Drax

It strikes me that with few exceptions (Blofeld, Jaws) not many of Bond's villains recurred, mostly because they were killed in their first appearance. I would have liked to see Doctor No or Octopussy, or example, return to vex Bond again. 

What about the paint jobs? Well . . . I'm still having trouble with skin, as you can see. But for the first time I managed to apply eye makeup to a figure, and she also has pretty good hair and eyebrows. Too much lipstick, but it's less evident to the naked eye. 

Drax, well, I was going for Earth tones and I guess I achieved that, but his outfit looks rather muddy. 
 

Xenia Onatopp

She loves her work, and I'm pretty happy with the green shades of her outfit. 
 

Occult Science Squad Sacrificial Lamb

Imagine going to Antarctica in search of the Old Ones and other horrors armed with nothing but a flashbulb. 
 

Ape Officers

 

Some More Visitors

The Visitors said they came in peace. They really came for our water--and for us, as food! 
 

The Inevitable Compleat Star Trek Do-Over

1. Human civilization is likely to reach a level of technological maturity such that creative individuals will be capable of using generative AI and other software tools to create brand new episodes of Star Trek independently. 
2. Given the number of Star Trek fans obsessed with canon, some number of Star Trek fans will re-create selected episodes of the show(s), changing them only to correct continuity errors. 
3. A subset of these creative, technologically savvy Star Trek fans will be obsessed enough with visual continuity that they will redo visual effects and create virtual sets, costumes, props, and actors such that shows originally produced during different decades of the 20th and 21st centuries will be completely recreated so that shows produced decades apart but set within the same fictional time period (for example, Star Trek and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds) will be remade to be completely visually consistent, from exterior starship shots to costume designs to actor appearances.  
4. Given the rate of advances in computing power and generative AI capabilities, we can expect to see a Compleat Star Trek free of continuity errors before the end of the 21st century, extending from prequel Star Trek: Enterprise to the upcoming Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and all the shows in between (and forthcoming). 
   

The question of whether or not this is a good thing is left as an exercise to the reader. 

Manta Ray 5 Submarine

My whites are getting better, but producing even coats remains a challenge. Overall, however, I think this little minisub looks pretty good. 
 

Guardians of the Grid

ZOUNDS but these were PAINFUL to paint, but I prevailed. All those tiny tiny lines on the suits! 

I used tape to mask off the bases, which allowed me to paint perfectly straight lines to evoke the neon grid lines of Tron. 
 

Head Thing

Ewwwwwww but I love how the mouth and eyestalks came out. 
 

Vecna

Oh my gosh! Colours fading into each other! And it wasn't even that hard once I put my mind to the task. 
 

A Miniature Team

 

A Man and His KITT KARR

Here we have Michael Knight, painted using some of Jeff's tips from the past few days (though not all, as sometimes I'll have painted figures, like this one, before Jeff generously offers updated advice). I'm happy with the clothes and very pleased with small details such as his belt buckle, jacket zipper, and eyebrows. The skin is smoother than usual, and while I couldn't quite create a convincing set of lips, you can see a hint of smirk nonetheless. 

I painted KITT some time ago, but now, at last, he has a pal and partner. 
 

A Pair of Zayces

Here are two versions of Doctor Zayce, one of the leaders of the simian faction in the Star Schlock skirmish game. No reason to be unhappy with these; the skin tones look good, the hair looks good, you can see the fine detail in the vests, and everything looks pretty clean. The exceptions might be their doomsday devices, which don't look quite as neat. 
 

Rod Roebuck Leads the Charge

This cements it: I'll no longer be adding Reikland Fleshshade to my minis. I need another strategy for creating shadows on skin. 

Creepy Critters

These critters look okay--I especially like the hint of tongue seen at the back of two mouths--but I might touch these up by choosing a paler colour for the talons and adding a very, very thin line of slightly darker pink down the middle of the protruding tongue at far left. 
 

Chucky and Lydia

This is the first time I've attempted to paint a flesh-toned minifigure using Jeff's most recent tips. I underpainted the hands and face with the thinnest coat of light red I could, then added very thin layers of flesh tone. The result is certainly better than typical for me; I shot the figure in two different places to try it out under different lighting conditions.

Note, however, that I did not add an ink wash to Chucky's flesh. This becomes relevant below.

Here are two photos of Lydia, Diana's conniving rival in the television series V. I painted this model the same way I painted Chucky, with one exception: I added an ink wash, typically recommended for miniatures to make small details like the shadows between fingers distinct. 

Lydia still looks better than a lot of my human figures, but the ink wash has given her a ruddy look; I was hoping for something paler to better approximate Lydia's actor, June Chadwick. 

I'm using Reikland Fleshshade for ink wash, but I wonder if perhaps there's a lighter shade I could use to avoid this muddy/ruddy effect. Or I could forego a wash altogether; Chucky seems fine without it. 

A Slice of Humour

What do you call a pizza large enough to feed a rebellion? 

The pizza de la resistance. 

McGinty

Red wrench in one hand, red toolbox in the other, McGinty is ready to repair whatever needs repairing. Pretty happy with this one. 
 

Maisy the Maid

Let me tell you, I was hesitant to post this one because the motherly black maid is such an overwhelmingly overused stereotype. But then I thought about actress Hattie McDaniel, the first African American to win an Oscar, and how much I've enjoyed her performances over the years--often, yes, as a maid, but she was unfailingly excellent and often the most empathetic and sympathetic character in her films. 

I have not figured out how to convincingly highlight Black skin. Poor Maisy's features are indistinguishable in this photo thanks that that very problem, although she looks okay on the table. 

I'm pretty happy with my attempt to add some colourful flowers to her apron. 
 

Mrs Pike

A surly chef, knife in hand, butchered bird in the other hand. Maybe I should have dabbed some blood on the knife and apron. 

And bird, and floor . . . 
 

Max the Chauffeur

Not bad! 
 

Chesterfield

This is from the "Surly Servants" collection at Pulp Figures. He does look a bit surly, perhaps because he's one of five mid-20th century pop culture stereotypes found in the set. 
 

Books Patterson

Books Patterson is Boss McCoy's accountant. Whoever paints for the Pulp Figures website gave this guy a pinstriped suit--far too ambitious for me! I'm happy I managed eyebrows.