Goblinaid

If you're not aware Kevin Adams (the miniatures sculptor) was attacked in a viscous assault and robbed in his own home a few nights ago. For more information go to the Goblinaid facebook page.

It really makes one sad and angry, but this blog isn't really the place for me to vent such things...

Instead let's wind the clock back to 1985, where "Best Diorama" at the Citadel Open Day - which would eventually grow into the Golden Demon painting competition - was won by a young Kevin Adams, which would be reported in the June issue of White Dwarf (#66) by wargaming and miniatures stalwarts Joe Dever and Gary Chalks regular miniatures column Tabletop Heroes, which was eagerly devoured by the young Zhu. This is the first  appearance of the Adams work in print, and it is the attention to detail in the piece and the naturalism of the vegetation both being given duly high praise by Messrs. Dever & Chalk - and rightly so - it oozes pastoral charm, a rural idyll broken only by the squeal of hogs, the clanking of wheels and the maniacal laughter of goblins! 

Tabletop Heroes

Forgive the camraphone photo of a printed magazine page from the 80s. It's rather blurry, so here are some better photos of the model (sculpted by the Perry's in the 1970s) if not the award winning diorama itself:

Gnoll Kings Chariot - Perry Bros -1979 | via

And after that, Kev evidently got a job sculpting orcs and goblins at Citadel Miniatures and painting them green, doing his own version of the Goblin Kings Chariot, some amazing snotlings, several war machines, and earning himself the title "Goblinmaster".

Goblin Kings Chariot / Kevin Adams

I'd go as far as saying the contemporary orc as seen in World of Warcraft, etc. is largely the invention of Kevs during this period, and has only in the last decade had any serious contenders (being Jacksons LotR versions). After some time he left Citadel and sculpted all manner of things, including orcs and goblins for a whole host of miniatures companies too (see here for a list and links), including these little beauties sometime in the mid-late 00s:

Pig Faced Orcs  sculpted by Kevin Adams

This year otherworld released the first of a series of dungeon adventurers,  including the DAB1 boxed set, entirely sculpted by Kevin Adams, and featuring packaging design by me, which is something the Tabletop Heroes reading Zhu of 1985 would have been as thoroughly chuffed about as much as the Zhu of 2013 is.

Otherworld DAB1 sculpted by Kevin Adams

Various luminaries in the wargaming community have banded together to raise funds to help Kev get through this under the banner of Goblinaid which is fantastic, and also typical of the family spirit of the gaming community. Kev, you're a legend, don't let the bastards get you down.