Tintin au Congo

Another entry from the Colonial Painting Expedition on the Lead Adventure Forum. Can't believe we've had sixty-two entries already. A little tongue-in-cheek representation of one of my childhood comic heroes, depicted here in what was definitely not his finest hour.

The album this was inspired by is "Tintin au Congo." This book was never available in the UK when I was a kid, so my copy is a French language edition I bought while on holiday. Nowadays there is an English language version sold in British bookshops (which is somewhat surprising, as we are much more sensitive about this kind of thing these days than we were back then). It is usually sold with a parental guidance sticker that says what amounts to "Warning: May contain Racism." And well, it does. It was written in 1931 and displays the unfortunate attitudes of its time.

I took the liberty of moving the action a little to the east into Belgian Rwanda/Burundi to give me the excuse to paint some gorgeous Tutsi shields, and had Tintin join the ranks of the brutal Force Publique... well, just because it amused me to do so.

The body of the figure comes from the Woodbine Designs Great War range, with the head of the Copplestone "not Tintin." Milou/Snowy had a little work done on his ears, as the figure as sculpted has floppy ears, whereas Snowy's are always perky and standing up. I also provided the young lad with a bigger quiff than Mr. Copplestone initially gave him, as the original is rather small. That was done with a dab of Greenstuff.

All in all I had a lot of fun making this one.

Death in Dar Fur

Another entry from LAF's Colonial Painting Expedition...

In this most remote of the Great War's theatres, a trooper of the Sudanese Camel Corps comes across a fallen Fur warrior.

Entries from the Colonial Painting Expedition

Over on the Lead Adventure Forum we're currently running one of our 'painting clubs' where everybody paints single figures or small groups based on a particular board's theme until we get to a total of one hundred entries. This time it's the turn of the Colonial Adventures board, which is the board I've been put in charge of. Thought I might as well post a couple of my own entries here on the blog.

The Zulu

Induna, uDloko ibutho, the fight at Jim's House, January 1879.
(Wargames Foundry)

 The Balochi

 Sepoy, 27th Bombay Native Infantry (1st Belooch Regt.), Abyssinia, 1868.
(Mutineer Miniatures/Wargames Foundry conversion)

The Askari

 Sudanese Askari, Uganda Rifles, mid 1890s.

 (Wargames Foundry minor conversion)

Quatermain vs. Cetshwayo

Allan Quatermain, at the Battle of 'Ndondakasuka, Zululand, 1856.
(Perry Miniatures conversion)

Wahehe!

Those troublesome and tenacious foes of colonial Germany in East Africa, the Wahehe.

 

 

These figures are a mix of Wargames Foundry and Copplestone Castings conversions.

 

Most of the shields were scratchbuilt, as I couldn't find anything available commercially that quite did the massive shields sometimes favoured by the Hehe justice.

 These conversions were fun and easy to do, and result in some pretty unique-looking figures (it's always nice to have figures other people haven't got!).

Watuta!

A small warband of Tuta warriors. Figures are Copplestone, Copplestone conversions, and Foundry/Copplestone hybrid conversions.

And some warrior women, Sally Singana and Mafuthi Mtwetwe...

This Open Sore of the World

"All I can add in my solitude is may Heaven’s rich blessings come down to everyone, American, English, or Turk, who will help heal this open sore of the world.” David Livingstone.

Wangwana and Jemadar of a Zanzibari caravan.

This fellow is based on Joseph Thomson's description of a Zanzibari headman in his expedition, who wore Arab garb and carried a large 'zulu-like' shield.

More Angoni Warriors

My Nyasaland Angoni army is getting larger (very slowly).

The Last Cartridge

'Surrounded by greatly superior numbers, their last cartridges gone, they tried to cut their way out, but they were overwhelmed and lost.'

Colonel Plunkett's column comes to grief. Illustrated London News, 23rd May 1903.

The previous scene was inspired by this illustration from The Sphere. Some more pics:

Fearsome Somali Dervishes.

A grisly end.




Plucky British chap meets his fate with grim determination.





The last three sell their lives dearly. Men of the Second Battalion (Central African), King's African Rifles. A long way from their homes on the shores of Lake Nyasa.






"Goodbye, old chum."
Here at the end, there is no longer any need for forbidden love to hide itself away in the shadows.


(Sorry about that, when posing the figures they just ended up like that and I couldn't resist it. He he!)