Wednesday 27 February 2019

"Would you like a Jelly Baby?"

Tom Baker, as the fourth incarnation of the alien Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, was my Doctor. His tenure, lasting longer than any other, ran from 1974 - 1981, was just when young Master Awdry was starting to take an interest in all things Science Fiction. Whilst I wouldn't call myself the most die hard of Whovians, the series did, and still does, hold a special place in my heart. So when it came to conjuring up ideas for the 'Childhood' round, of the 'VIII Annual Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge', I found myself instantly transported back in space and time.
There is a misconception that we spent the 70s hiding behind the settee, fearful of the monsters that sprang fourth from our television sets, but not I, I would rather be sat, front and centre, best placed to deal with whatever befell the Doctor and I.  This was the premise that I built my submission around and fortunately I had been quietly taking advantage of 'Black Tree Designs' regular sales to build up a small collection of Time Lords. 
With the Doctor and his robotic companion K-9 completed my attention turned to the most iconic of the Time Lord's adversaries, the Daleks!  Relatively simple in principle, I had been advised that using a small tube dipped into paint would speed the process up no end.  Sadly for me, the innards of a Bic biro proved just a little too wide in diameter, but some styrene tubing proved more suitable and so the initial setback was soon forgotten as I raced on to the Cybermen. 
I knew that I wanted to allude to this being an important moment in my childhood and eventually hit upon the idea of having the Time Lord beaming into the front room from the television set.  Ready made doll's house furniture was proving a dead end, either too expensive or just not the right style, but fortunately I happened upon Jane Harrop's retro kits.  I chose a couple of pieces of furniture and an iconic Decca television in 1/24 scale to 'sell' the idea that the miniatures had emanated from the screen.  
The kits themselves are exquisite in their detail and the materials used, a real treat to assemble although fiddly in places - I even had to glue the buttons on to the television!
Once completed the miniatures were suitably arranged on a 'Warbases' disc that I had covered in strips of felt to add to the lurid colour scheme of the decade and all was set, just in time, to sit back and enjoy another piece of surgery confectionary!
"Would you like a Jelly Baby?"
I am claiming a square on my Bingo card with this post: 'Paint a model for an army that you don't already collect and play'.
Also added to the 'Command Stand' page.

74 comments:

  1. Absolutely fantastic Michael, what an evocative piece that instantly takes you back to a less complicated time

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    1. Thank you so much Dave, I hoped that you would like it.

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  2. I love it. Did you include the test-pattern on the TV or did it come with the kit? Nice touch all the same.

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    1. Thank you so much, the test screen was already printed, as you say a really nice touch.

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  3. Fantastic work Michael! I'd completely forgotten about this entry :)

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    1. Thank you Tamsin, this was perhaps my favourite piece of work last year.

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  4. Lovely work, the doctor of my childhood too!
    Best Iain

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    1. Thank you Iain, I suspected that we might be of a similar generation.

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  5. An excellent effort, although Jon Pertwee was `my' Dr, Tom Baker did and still does audio books and is nothing to be sneezed at.

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    1. Thank you Phil. Now Jon Pertwee was certainly a fine Dr. too, wonderful actor.

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  6. An excellent setting for the very recognisable Mr Baker; your attention to detail is quite astounding (I'm thinking here of his scarf).
    Lovely trip down memory lane.

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    1. Thank you so much Joe, one of my favourite pieces from last year, glad to finally see it on the blog.

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  7. Yes I would love a jelly baby!
    Brilliant stuff. Jelly babies all round I say! (may I have a blackcurrant one?

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    1. I shall makes sure i save those for you Clint and thank you.

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  8. A lovely piece of TV history. Very well done, Michael.

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    1. Thank you so much Stefan, greatly appreciated.

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  9. Fabulous character figs - love the colorful scarf.

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    1. Thank you Dean, the scarf probably took the longest to paint!

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  10. Excellent. Painting the dots on the daleks...a pain in the proverbial eh?
    The title...add a , and it has an Austin Powers tone to it...

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    1. and now I have Mike Myers running round my addled brain, but thank you Paul. ;)

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  11. Excellent brushwork, I remember this entry Sir M, how come it took so long to post it?

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    1. Thank you Ray, I had started a draft and then when the 'real life' issues kicked in it obviously got pushed down the list in favour of more recent projects. Expect a couple more 'discoveries' in the coming months. :)

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    2. I shall look forward to your past exploits!

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  12. Fantastic Michael! You just took me back to the time that I too started watching Doctor Who! Yes Tom Baker was the Doctor of the time. Once he acquired K-9, they became some of my favorite stories. Also the time of Davros & Leeta (wanting to stab everything). Good memories!. Odd is that I have now got my wife watching & we are started way back with the first episodes, spending an hour or 2 each Friday night taking in a couple episodes. Finally learned the original story of the Daleks!

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    1. I am delighted that you liked it Terry. Great to hear that you are both enjoying the catch ups.

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  13. Delightfully done, Michael! Yes, Tom is the favourite of my wife and I. My first Doctor was Troughton. She first saw Tom on public TV in Texas and has been a Whovian ever since.

    I like the premise of the characters coming out of the TV, and it's close to an anecdote Tom Baker tells.

    Back when Tom was The Doctor he was in Blackpool one Saturday afternoon. He made it a point of watching each episode as it aired, and realised he wouldn't make it back to his hotel in time. So, being Tom Baker, he went up to the nearest house and rang the doorbell.

    The householder answered the door, put his finger to his lips and gestured for Tom to come in. The chap led the way to the sitting room where a boy of about 10 sat in front of the TV set where Doctor Who had just started. Tom was invited to sit down. The boy was vaguely aware of someone in the room. After a bit he glanced round at the newcomer - then did a classic double-take to where Tom was that moment also on the screen. A lovely moment. But then, he's a Time Lord! :)

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    1. Thank you so much A.J. and what an amazing story, I can't imagine how that young boy must have felt.

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  14. I have both the Tom Baker 4th Doctor and the K9. I was never happy with my Doctor's scarf, and now... I may be able to fix it.

    Ace work as always, Michael.

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    1. Thank you and thrilled I may have been of help.

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  15. Stunning job Michael....with wonderful colors!

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  16. Fantastic diorama, the picture with the Jelly Bean bears says it all.

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  17. I wasn't expecting that from you!
    Brilliant job as always

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    1. I like to keep you guessing Mike, but thank you.

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  18. Wonderful stuff Michael, my fave doctor

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  19. Outstanding stuff, Michael. Well worth a trip back in time to the era of Tom Baker :-)

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    1. Thank you so much Simon, so glad you approve.

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  20. I'd say something about great minds Micheal but mine isn't that great :D . Tom Baker was my favorite Doctor and the one that defined the character for me as well. I didn't catch the original broadcasts but watched them in the mid eighties because when my folks got cable American PBS broadcast Who every Saturday. Funnily enough I just picked up some Doctor models for Warlord's Exterminate game. My first acquisition was the 4th Doctor and I'm even more excited to get at him now that I have seen your diorama. Amazing work! I like the new figures but hope they broaden the range to include more figures from Tom's tenure. While I'm psyched to paint some Daleks I would love to paint Taren Capel and his, "Robots of Death". Reason enough to envy the Black Tree minis.

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    1. So pleased you like them. I have been toying with the Exterminate game myself, it does seem pretty good and the range is definitely expanding.

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  21. I’ve come out from behind the settee long enough to say great paint jobs on some iconic models!

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    1. Thank you, now time to get back to safety. :)

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  22. Simply excellent work. Looks fantastic!

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  23. Outstanding, Michael. Your dioramas are a joy to behold. This one is no exception. The "lurid" color scheme suits it perfectly.

    Even at this scale, the mini's face is a spot-on likeness of Tom Baker.

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    1. Thank you so much Mr. Finch, that is very kind of you.

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  24. In answer to your question Michael - yes please, in fact I'm going to grab a bag on the next shop-pain trip now I've seen them in the photo ;-)
    Jelly Babies aside, what an absolute corker of a diorama!
    Fantastic concept, and your modelling and painting has carried it off to a T. Love it!!

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    1. You are so very kind and I am definitely going to use 'shop-pain' from now on, that us genius!

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  25. thank you
    http://www.ju.edu.jo

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  26. Beautiful work as always Michael, Tom Baker was Doctor Who, all the others were actors playing the part!!!

    Cheers Roger.

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