I was quite excited to pick up MWAN #40 from the printer as I was anxious to see what it would look like having used my new computer for a certain percentage of it and I must admit to being very pleased with the outcome. What also helps greatly is the assistance tendered by the ten typists (their names are listed on the contents section) I have had several large packets arrive at here during the last few days filled with numerous articles and looking very good! I would like to thank those kind people at this time for their efforts. It sure makes putting out 108 pages of MWAN much easier for me to handle. I am sure you, the readership, are as appreciative as I am!
During the last two months, I hit a lull in my hobby activities. Anne's softball and other spring/summer activities have managed to put a dent in my painting time and I am just beginning to work up the motivation to head for the basement and the painting table. My wife and kids are planning a two or three week vacation in Upper Michigan, where we are from, with our families and I will be staying here. I am hoping to take advantage of the situation by painting myself silly; I've spent the last four or so hours gluing ACW 25mm cavalry and dismounted cavalry to 3/4's" washers in preparation and hope to get out today and buy some spray paint for priming. Perhaps I can break all my painting records set in the past; "let's see, if I do twenty figures a night during the week and aim for, sixty on each of the weekend days, I'll have...."
Exciting to think about anyway: I'll move the portable T.V. in the basement and place it on my wargaming table; put all those primed figures in rows on my painting table; make sure that we have enough coffee, bread, and peanut butter; turn the phone off and disconnect the doorbell; try to get MWAN #41 80% finished prior to the family leaving; place several large figure orders hoping they'll arrive before I'm ready to start painting; and I'll be all ready!
Appreciate the letters and comments you've been sending along with your resubscription. Everyday when I call home from work (after the mail arrives!), my wife has to go through my mail for me and tell me who I received letters from that day. Then I can't wait to get home and sit down with a cup of coffee and read what everyone has to say. One of the real advantages of publishing a newsletter is that one receives mail everyday and I really enjoy that!
I even enjoy responding to people who write though many times it requires a simple postcard - I should purchase stock in postcard manufacturers - I guess this all emphasizes that a great deal of enjoyment and satisfaction can be obtained from inter-relating with other people in this hobby.
Being a "numbers" person, I am always fascinated by numbers denoting certain things; i.e. in professional baseball, which I used to follow, 20 wins, 20 homers, 100 RBI's or runs scored, etc. In wargaming, it is reaching the number of painted figures to put another entire regiment or battalion on the wargames table; MWAN or some other wargaming publication achieving say 50, 100, or 200 issues (I recall when Donald Featherstone's WARGAMER'S NEWSLETTER reached the lofty number of 150 he had to be reminded in a subsequent issue that he had achieved somewhat of a milestone!) and although MWAN is a little short of 50 issues (sometime in 1991), it would be nice, I think, to do something a little special when it does occur. Perhaps someone has an idea on what that could consist of - if so, please drop me a line on its
You will have noted, within the last six issues or so, more new names producing articles for MWAN. I am very pleased with this as the majority of them are writing their first article for any wargaming publication. Many of these submissions are prefaced with the author's expression that "if it's not good enough for publication, there's no problem", a feeling I used to have about my own writing efforts for the hobby. I strongly suspect that they have found that their efforts have been enjoyed by others and very helpful to us all and it is with a great amount of satisfaction that I see individuals, whose first writing efforts appeared in MWAN, having their work published in other wargaming publications. Again, I think that anyone can publish articles in any wargaming publication. Afterall, there are not too many wargamers out there who do not enjoy reading about what other people are doing in the hobby and their approach to it. I've often said that I patterned MWAN after WARGAMER'S NEWSLETTER but I have also stolen ideas from other publications as well. MWAN's "Letters" section idea was taken from THE LONE WARRIOR, as it was always my favorite section to read. So, if you do not feel up to writing an article for MWAN, please consider writing something in letter form outlining your activities.
I did not have room to run the wargames photos last issue but hope to include them in this issue. It's getting pretty bad when I can't include everything I want to within 108 pages. There have been a few moments of temporary madness when I've considered adding additional pages, on a regular basis, to MWAN, but thus far, I've managed to resume some degree of rational thought before going ahead and doing its
It has been awhile since I have acknowledged the considerable contributions of John Butler of THE LEGIONARY, a mail-order book facility (see advertisement in this issue) who maintains a list of MWAN subscribers on his computer and sends mailing labels to me each issue. You may wish to check out his book listings. Thanks, Johns
Yesterday I cut out several movement stands for my 25mm ACW figures (figures are mounted on 3/4's" washers). Since having individually mounted figures may require a considerable amount of time as regards movement of such units (65 infantry figures to a regiment), I am going to see how transporting them about the wargames table on movement stands, each containing a company of 12 figures, will work. Each company movement stand is 2" x 5" while the command stand (mounted officer, foot officer, drummer, and two flag bearers) is 2" x 2 & a half inches. I attached two long pieces of magnetic strips to the 12-figure stands in two ranks and three pieces for the 5-figures stands; painted the magnetic strips Geo-Hex Green and let them dry; then painted the movement stand itself and dropped static grass over it. Thus, the magnetic strips do not have grass on them. I just went down to the basement and put the figures on the stands and I must admit that they look good. Wonder how they will hold up/function in a game?
My mail regarding my decision to not print letters/articles which I consider controversial in nature due to the danger of law suits has been 100% supportive of this decision. Even those individuals who rightfully should be allowed to counter respond were understanding of the situation and I greatly appreciate this support. It is amazing to me that some can take such a serious view of an activity in which all we do is play with toy soldiers!
This issue, as you can tell from the cover photo, honors "Duke" Seifried for his considerable contributions to the hobby of historical miniatures wargaming and Duke, in my, opinion, is highly deserving of such recognition. It is amazing how many technical contributions he has made to the hobby and the amount of time and energy he expanded in attempting to make our hobby grow here in the U.S. Duke joins Donald Featherstone and Fred Vietmeyer as MWAN Honorees and in 1989, Dick Bryant (of THE COURIER) will also join this group.
It is no secret in the wargaming world that we, as hobbyists, do not honor those individuals who have given of themselves although in recent years, this situation seems to be changing. • In the United States, and perhaps all over the world, we seem to have the habit of finding things wrong with those people who are in the limelight and I know the same is true for the small portion of us involved in this hobby. We are all guilty of it at one time or another and I do not leave myself out of this. What we forget is the efforts of these individuals; efforts which have resulted in increased enjoyment for us as a whole. It is only right that we recognize their contributions and I am proud to do so with Duke in this issue. Thanks to those who penned their thoughts on Duke and, most of all, thanks to you, Duke, for your efforts!
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© Copyright 1989 Hal Thinglum
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