I am told by Brian Marlow of Les Higgins Miniatures that he intends carrying on with the good work which Les produced and will continue to market his figures for as long as people want them. Les had produced a number of items which have not yet been put into production and Mr. Marlow intends to market them as soon as possible. Although the talent of Les Higgins can never be replaced, it is good to know that his wonderful figures will continue to be available, to serve as a sort of memorial to a figure maker who perhaps, because he never pushed himself forward, did not receive the full credit due to him.
Dick Higgs of Miniature Figurines is now able to devote his complete time to designing figures as he is no longer in the shop. Undoubtedly this will mean that the already fantastic outpouring which has so rapidly taken Minifigs to the top, will be even more noticeable! Every time I go into the shop I am so bemused by the sheer quantity of glistening castings that surround me that perhaps I am unable to give due credit to individual items. But the greatest Of credit is due to this firm for the solid background their vast range of figures gives to wargaming and, perhaps not so noticeable but just as important, to the very fine model ships and their latest lines of 5mm scale World War II and Napoleonic figures. As discussed in an article in this issue, these little figures could revolutionise wargaming.
From Model Figures and Hobbies of Belfast I have received the latest in the S.E.G.O.M. plastic Napoleonic wargames figures. Matching the popular 25mm scale these figures are brilliantly detailed and, when painted up, take a lot of beating. If you have objections to the sheer lightness of plastic figures then I suggest you mount them on strips of sheet lead to give them the weight you desire.
From Warrior Metal Miniatures of 23 Grove Road, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, I have received a selection of their latest 25mm figures - a Greek archer; a Hoplite; a Roman Auxiliary; in wolfskin; a Roman Legionary throwing a pilum; Ancient Indians (from drawings by George Gush); an archer with a bamboo bow and an Indian with a spear and shield and an English Civil War Dragoon, capable of being used dismounted. These figures improve every time I see them and, perhaps because the period is more to my taste, I particularly like the Dragoon and applaud the manner in which he is made to be dismountable. This firm are going rapidly ahead and now have quite an impressive list of Ancients; 13th, 16th and 17th century plus a compact range of Napoleonic figures. The prices are very reasonable, perhaps less than most.
In this month's Scale Modeller there ia an excellent article on building-up houses from some of the printed card sets. This is an excellent way of providing those houses you require for your terrnin and the details of the availability of these excellent cardboard cut-outs as given in this article are most valuable.
I notice in this month's Military Modelling's report on the 23rd International Toy Fair at Nuremberg, details of a Swedish metal figure casting kit which are possibly going to be marketed in this Great Britain later this year. The kits include casting metal, moulds, heating pan and tongs and individual moulds for a host of subjects, including mounted figures, horses, etc. etc., in various periods. There is a photograph of some of the figures reproduced by this means and they would appear to be a half-round (semi-flat) figure of about 40mm in height. They remind me of figures that used to be produced from moulds that could be bought quite cheaply when I was a boy. I believe that now and then some of the magazines such as Exchange and Mart occasionally advertise these metal moulds but do not write to me about it because I have no more information!
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© Copyright 1972 by Donald Featherstone.
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