Wave One has Shipped!

It’s true! It is such a good feeling that these are out in the wild, and already arriving!

Look, proof!

Also, if you’re not in our FACEBOOK GROUP, then where you at?

You can buy the minis here.

The cards were the last part to get sorted, and I am so glad I took a bit longer with them, same as Julie D’Aubigny’s face. I went with Print Co. in the end, my office neighbours! They kindly gave me a tour of all their facilities, and I was very excited by their mega corner punch. I even touched all the different types of paper like a connoisseur until I decided on what I deemed perfection. You’ll notice they are so nice and soft! On collecting, they will make a lovely deck.

REMEMBER the really cool Collector Cards are only included in the first 100 orders. There are still [at the time of writing] some left!

THANK YOU to everybody who has supported this project, primarily through all the slow bits when I’ve been juggling a bunch of other things. Now we have some momentum, I’m hoping it can really ramp up now, and the space between voting the figure and it being in your hands will be smaller.

I’m putting the following rambles in an FAQ form, enjoy!

Which minis have shipped?

The first six. Julie D’Aubigny, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Ching Shih, Black Agnes, Zenobia and Harriet Tubman. All shipped!

What about the next four?

Ada Lovelace, Audrey Hepburn, Joan D’Arc and Mary Fields are considered Wave 2. They were first aimed to be shipped in December, but it’s now looking like late January/February due to sculptor and caster timelines. As well as me, I still need to design the next three – but we have Alan Marsh booked in for December so I will have to have the designs ready by then! Eep!

Why has my Wave One pre-order not shipped?

It’s probably because you have Wave Two minis in it. If you’ve changed your mind and want the first wave before the second, pop me an email and we can sort it, you will need to pay a second load of shipping though (unless you pop a new order in and ask for them to be added into that)

I ordered from both waves at once, I’m happy to wait until Wave Two is shipped, but I am worried about the collector cards for my Wave One, will I still get them?

You will! You have a box in the office with your order number and I have picked your minis and cards.

How do I know when ordering if there are collector cards left?

I’ll make a note in the product description, so far we have cards left for all.

Nooo I missed the cards

It’s ok! The minis are still lovely and the full colour packaging with John Morris and Andrew Taylor’s painting on are also lovely. The cards are an extra bonus to help get the minis out there sooner.

Can I get these from retailers?

Yes! It’ll be a bit longer than other usual releases, and they won’t have the cards, but they will have the Community Minis. It’s taken a while to figure out the best way to do this as I want to support the retailers but not make it EVEN MORE confusing, so them having the “standard” version works best, as the cards won’t be all over the world like a Willy Wonka quest. So the first 100 sold DIRECT will be the only way to get the cards.

When are we voting for minis 11, 12 and 13?

Maybe over Christmas! The designs for 7, 8, 9 and 10 will be ready then, so we can use the Christmas break to think about the next bunch. I’m gonna change the voting AGAIN as well. I haven’t 100% decided yet but one aspect I am considering is limiting each person to ONE nomination.

Can I give you money for future minis?

I can’t stop you, but I am advising against it until the new year, as I want to be caught up so we can “relaunch” the project more streamlined and less confusing… I hope. If you have a subscription and are happy to keep it going, that’s super cool, but it’s also ok if you want to pause it. I hope this makes sense, it may feel counterintuitive but I want it to get back to being vote, then pay, rather than pay, then vote. It makes sense to me! I want us to vote for only one or two minis at a time too. TLDR: Wait and all will be clear!

I want some of these minis but haven’t contributed to any voting or pre-payment or anything, can I…. have some?

You can! They are for everyone! You can buy them through the shop as you would any other mini. I am hoping with the “relaunch” it will be less confusing. This has been very much a project of figuring it out as we go along, hence why I am extra chuffed you’ve been so supportive.

Minis 1-6 are now available to pre-order!

That’s right, you heard it – they’re available – woohoo! It feels so good to be making some solid progress now, it’ll be even more exciting once they’re in your hands. Here are the minis below, and YOU CAN GET THEM HERE. Well, you can pre-order them, they’re nearly ready though (more info below).

Thank you to John Morris and Andrew Taylor for painting these, John is just finishing the last two!

There are two ways to get these, both simple!

What is NOT simple is how I originally set up this project, so the next post will be some FAQs and updates on the project as a whole (all good, just making it easier), but this post will just focus on these six minis.

If you backed the “Ko-Fi”, read this:

Anyone who supported via Ko-Fi to pre fund these minis, firstly – thank you! We wouldn’t be here without you. You will need to check your email, the one you use for Paypal, and there will be an email from me, it might be in junk (silly email providers!). It will have all the information you need to get your minis, mostly a long thanks from me, and a coupon you can exchange via the website. Please do check, as it was [embarrassingly] quite a long time since we set this up, so you may have forgotten, I wouldn’t want anyone paying twice. In a nutshell, you put them in your basket on the website, then add the coupon underneath and it’ll minus your amount. Pretty much just like a Kickstarter Pledge Manager. Any questions or uncertainty please contact me.

If you didn’t back the “Ko-Fi” (or know what that means), read this:

Don’t worry – you too can have the miniatures! Also head to this part of the website and buy as you would anything else. Just note they’re pre orders so won’t ship immediately.

FAQS

Can I order with other things?

You sure can, anything you like! This makes sense especially if you are overseas and want to combine with other items to balance out shipping. As with all pre orders, anything else ordered with community minis will be held and shipped at the same time as them, same as our Kickstarters.

When do we get them?

September.. probably! If not, then October, but I am hopeful.

What are these question mark thingies?

Ah ha! These are minis 7, 8, 9 and 10. I’ve popped them there in case anyone who is certain they’ll have them before they’ve even seen a sketch can pre-order THE NEXT BATCH! They’re aiming to be ready in December.

Do I have a time limit on using my coupon or pre-ordering?

Not…really! Currently, it is absolutely whenever you like, I really wanted people to not be stuck having to get one mini shipped at a time, so it’s built around you popping them in other orders.

There MAY end up being something introduced down the line that would be limited, like perhaps the art cards or the price. For now, especially while we’re in the early stages, it is super chill. If you’re a couponer who was planning on using it much later on, could you reply to the email just to let me know you’ve received it, to alleviate my worry!

Of course I’d love it if you can do it now, as the more interest and minis in hands should boost excitement for the next ones. But no stress.

What happens after the pre-orders?

Once the pre orders are all shipped, the minis will stay in their Community Minis section of the website, as well as be put into relevant categories, and treated as any other mini in the range.

What are you waiting for?

I actually have a bunch of casts ready now! We just need the last two minis to be painted and shipped so I can photograph them, as I want them to come with the painted photo from the get go, as well as the art from the collectable art card that you will also get. That is due around the end of the month, and will be drawn by the excellent Martin Whitmore. Basically an updated sketch of the figure, that includes any changes from concept to sculpt, and will be consistent throughout. Just something to make it extra special.

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IMPORTANT

The next blog update will have information on the future of the project, changes, and clarity. I am very aware it’s got very complicated, which is a product of it’s success (woohoo!) so I want to address a few bits and hopefully iron out some creases. I’m in this for the long haul!

Thanks for all your support!

Annie

The First SIX Sculpts

There’s lots to show, I am *SO* Happy with these sculpts. They have actually been moulded already and some have already been painted, so stay tuned for upcoming updates to see that! Today though, we are talking sculpts! Let’s have a look at each of them, shall we. These have all been hand sculpted by the wonderfully talented Alan Marsh.

Eleanor of Aquitaine

Hooray, she came out just as the sketch! It looks regal whilst also maintaining some simplicity. I can’t wait to see her with some paint on.

Septimia Zenobia

This has a special place in my heart, I think as she was the first we designed. I noticed that the staff in my sketch was not long enough as I had used a reference picture of a broken statue (doh!) so that’s the only part that needed changing pre-sculpt.

Agnes Randolph

We changed the arm position from the sketch to make it more dynamic, and it really has worked, by making the tippets dangle from the movement, Alan’s sculpting solved the concern of casting them hanging straight down. This looks way better too!

Julie D’Aubigny

La Maupin! We thickened the sword but not enough to look strange or clunky, and that small tab is to be chopped off when you’re prepping the mini, it protects it from bending when being packed and shipped.

Ching Shih

It was pointed out that her sword was in the left hand, so I’ve swapped it to the right hand which would have been more likely & the community confirmed the scabbard was hanging correctly, so only some minor adjustments. I love the hair!

Harriet Tubman

There was a discussion on where her left arm would be as held far back did seem a bit unnatural, so Alan adjusted to this which feels more like she’s walking ahead cautiously. It’s brilliant.

Squee, it’s happening! Stay tuned for pics of them painted, and information on how you can get some or all of these minis. Thank you for supporting this, it’s exciting to see it actually happening,

Annie

Designing Eleanor of Aquitaine

Living a long life from 1122 to 1204, Eleanor managed to reign as Queen of both France and England and is known as a fierce forward striking intellect, as well gentle lover of the arts. I have absorbed so much information on her life and influences during my research that it will be hard to keep short! Also apologies if this isn’t written as well as the others, I wrote a huge chunk, time passed, then came back and edited it heavily once I had learnt much more.

As with many women around this period in history, she is often noted for the men she was connected to, especially her husbands and sons, which can make research frustrating for wanting to find out about her in agency as her own person. The books I have found the best for this research as those by Alison Weir and Sara Cockerill.

She was married to Louis VII of France and then Henry II of England, with her sons Richard and John later becoming Kings of England (and her other EIGHT children basically all being high up somewhere or other!). The first two lumps of power being by marriage and the third by motherhood, she also came with her own inherited wealth. This made Eleanor very sought after as a bride, as well as victim to various plots and rumours to discredit what was an incredibly powerful and influential woman.

Indeed most of her actions of influence seemed to be based around this knowledge and skill of networking to build allies, therefore making herself and her descendants stronger. This is while her male counterparts were doing the more visible (therefore praised) work. For example, Richard I is known for being one of the greatest kings of England but in his 10 year reign was in this country for no more than six months. The country mysteriously ran itself. Oh no wait, there was a woman! Queen Eleanor!

Later in history she started getting the recognition she deserved, though like many of the women we cover, it’s never to the same extent, which is a large reason why we do this. Many will know the name, but not the deeds or legacy. Even 16 years imprisonment by her own husband (Henry II) didn’t stop her ambition. There are also a lot of myths around Eleanor to romanticize her, which can take away credit sometimes of the things she actually did do – like riding through the Pyrenees to escort Berengaria of Navarre to Sicily to marry her son, King Richard I….AGED 70.

My eyes twinkled when I read Niketas Choniates accounts of her riding to the Second Crusade in a golden dress with handmaidens dressed in men’s armour, but Sara Cockerill took the joy away by basically debunking it as non contemporary with no other mentions, and not referring to her by name. Boo. However, this again shows how we view the literal front line battle fighting as such a huge glory, which has definitely been hammered in through patriarchal history, whereas often it is though who never drew a blade who had the most impact.

Meeting Eleanor!

That’s me there, on the right!

Much like Eleanor, I have many skills, including the ability to build a time machine – which I did, to go back in time and meet her! Thanks so much to the Queen herself for showing me around some of her vast lands, unlike her rubbish son John Lackland (literally, lacking lands)

We had a lovely stroll where I got to ask her lots of questions and admire Sherwood Forest and it’s many ancient oaks. I also found out plenty about the history of the forest itself and the time of the Robin Hood tales – what was happening in England at that time. Of course the stories intertwine as Eleanor is indeed mum of both John and Richard – the former renowned for rising taxes to restore the money frittered away by the latter! I also learnt that if there was a Robin Hood, then he wouldn’t have been a fox. Dagnammit.

Designing the Miniature

Effigy of Eleanor of Aquitaine in the church of Fontevraud Abbey [photo by Adam Bishop]

This took much longer than I imagined, because I got so fascinated with the history, and the back and forthing between rumour, myth and reality. While I know some were keen for a fighting Eleanor a la Angus Mcbride, storming to battle, I wanted to represent her more realistically, and to her strengths.

Of course the pre raphaelites adored the romanticisation of this era and she has been portrayed very much in a flowing locks fantasy princess sort of manner. I’m now getting quite good at medieval fashion, so drew on the information I already knew from researching Black Agnes, though different as she is earlier on. No tippets, for example!

Victorian depiction of Eleanor, which looked like it’s based off the tomb effigy.

In the Agnes post I was unsure on whether I had designed her in a wimple or gorget, and I can confirm it’s wimple for Agnes, Gorget for Eleanor! I wasn’t sure of the difference but get it now. The gorget is a bit like a helmet strap, not covering the rest of the neck. A chin strap.

A good likeness of Eleanor is her tomb effigy, which she commissioned in life, and shows her reading. I’m not sure whether this is a representation of her love of knowledge and literature, or The Bible, or both! But you know how attached I get to the people I research – if she wanted herself shown with a book, then heck yes I will grant her that! So the mini needs a book.

What else to ramp up her royalty? She’s sometimes shown with a falcon, and we love a good bird-on-arm pose right. So then I got into researching medieval falconry. As one does. The gyrfalcon was reserved for royalty, so definitely one of those. They’re also BIG, which helps for a mini, so it’s not just a lil hard to see thing, you won’t miss this.

Figure Design (c) Annie Norman 2023

A falcon and a book, what more could a gal want? A crown I guess a cape, and a cool dress, though I speak only for myself. And Eleanor! For the clothes design I have gone pretty much straight off the funeral effigy as it’s accurate. I found the cape fastening interesting as it’s very wide.

Regarding the pose, this took me the longest. Also to note: I can’t show you all the references used as I’m not sure 100% on a commercial blog what can be used, so I’m playing it safe. I looked up gyrfalcons of course, and found great photos of people holding them, and how they sit on a hand.

Controversially…. I didn’t want to put a glove on her. But you would really need one, those things puncture! I didn’t want her to be in the process of hawking, more posing with it as a status symbol, as if I was painting her portrait, which is kind of how I’m treating this project. I’ve chosen a perch which she is holding, so her hands are safe, it looks cool, and she doesn’t have a big distracting glove on.

Gyrfalcon

I had my housemate Andy pose in various different ways with the book, as we both walked around the living room holding books and walking looking totally normal to anybody passing by. Acting natural is hard! As with the effigy, I want it to be either representing The Bible or just something else she holds dear to her heart, so she would be holding it carefully and well…. dear to her heart. Nice symbolism Annie. Thanks, Me.

As with all my scribbles, the details are saved for reference pictures to the sculptor, so some aren’t needed, it’s more an idea of the final figure. I’m sure Alan will do something cool with the cloak and dress, so I don’t need to draw exactly where the folds are, for example.

I could keep typing forever but it’s been a long day! And I promised myself I wouldn’t go to bed til this is done, so sleep is winning. I also haven’t proofread this back so apologies if it’s inane ramble.

The sketches are getting better I think, that’s a good thing! Getting the hang of drawing on the tablet (ie directly on the screen) and prefer it to paper now.

What do you think? I wanted to keep this fairly classical but not be boring. As for wargaming figures, she will make a great leader character or on a shared base perhaps with King Louis in the Second Crusade, or King Richard in the third. Or just a cool queeny model.

Donor portrait in a 12th-century psalter in the Royal Library of the Netherlands, thought to depict an older Eleanor.

Night night!

Edit: I didn’t want her to be reading the book as I didn’t want it to look like the tomb effigy had creepily just rose up to vertical!

Community Mini #1 and #2 decided!

Congratulations to Zenobia and Eleanor of Aquitaine!These two will be the first two made. Their totals have already been reached so they will definitely be sculpted, Alan Marsh will doing it.

We are near the total for mini #3 which is exciting too!

I will start the poll for that over the weekend, it will be a fresh one, and I’ll made sure to put the other finalists straight in there.I’ll set up some dedicated threads for both of them and we can start chatting about how the minis should look.