Lobsterpot - part 1

I spend a lot of time trawling Instagram looking for cool new projects I want to riff on. This is how I found Max Fitzgerald's Turnip28, and a number of other settings and scenes that have sparked my imagination. Lobsterpot is no different.

Concieved by Samuel Allan, the Lobsterpot world appears to be cursed. In the aftermath of a great witch purge, the land and its people have become warped, growing strange appendages and deformities to reflect the horrors these mutants harbor within.

There is very little text to accompany Allan's menagerie of monsters, but the abundance of haunting visuals is storytelling enough. On his instagram, tired souls bear their sins in flesh, dragging themselves and their corruption through the trappings of everyday life. There's just enough information to extrapolate from, and that is exactly the breeding ground I thrive in.

Yes, this will be a post with miniatures and putty and glue in abundance, but I want to quickly walk you through the inspiration I took from projects I felt shared the spirit of Lobsterpot. Namely my favorite out of print grim adventure, Guy Davis's The Marquis.

Its the story of a man within the aristocracy of a land not unlike18th century France, who discovers an invasion from hell infiltrating his city. Davis, who's creature designs have been used in Crimson Peak, Pacific Rim, Paranorman, Steven Universe, and many others, leaves no stone unturned in depicting gruesome and monsterous demons for his graphic novel series, making for some of the most compelling horror I've ever had the pleasure of reading.

On top of that, I absolutely love his inks. As someone who devoured his run in Hellboy B.P.R.D, its so amazing to see how effectively he translates these nightmares in both the familiar cartooned method, as well as in these highly rendered images for a cinematic adventure in his Marquis universe (shelved as I understand it, but impressive nonetheless.)

I was very fortunate that while discovering Lobsterpot, I also stumbled across Badger Games and their offering of Outpost Wargames Services' miniatures. The Highwaymen line fit rather well with the hat-sthetic I was going for, and offered models of multiple genders and stations, and so I scooped up a dozen or so to begin my playset.

I began with some local color, with a crabclaw brigand and a barnacle faced robber. These early conversions are quite modest, since I wanted to keep my little range understated. They were quickly joined by a barmaid with wandering eyes and a receding hairline.

Since my collection can explore whatever I wish, I opted to have some animal-skulled friends. Their faces are taken from the Glaivewraith Stalker kit from GW, with powdered wigs and hats added to keep up appearances.

I wanted to make sure we had some mounted representation, or a bigger boss for any rising heroes to face, and so I converted a mounted dragoon to be a starfish-faced bastard. This is also the point where I landed on a basing style that will become more evident in later photos.

None of my collection had deep lipped bases, and I had accidentally amassed more than a handful. Luckily the smaller ones were just wide enough to accomodate this tentacle-armed lady, who reminds me fiercely of Stuart Gordon's Dagon. Also, I felt the need to make an analog for The Marquis' protagonist Vol de Galle, who I've begun calling "The Man of the Moon."

And ha, here's The Count, a fella somewhat reminiscent of the Gut Wig. I wanted to use my last skeeter from my ill-fated Malifaux venture, and so popped a large pompous head where it's own brain used to be, and gave it some very lush legs. 

 

The legs are very important, since I was trying to channel King Louis XIV and his glamorous gams (think Hyacinthe Rigaud 1701.)

Lastly, the birdfolk of Lobsterpot needed representation. These are based on the same models from my Salvatore28 Inquisitorial Warband, and I don't actually know who they're made by. They've got Perry arms though, and plenty of putty to blend them in a bit better. However, one of the heads didn't quite sit well with me, so I had to find it a new home.

Thanks for tuning in folx! Catch you later alligator!