evl hmr
Member
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2015
- Messages
- 57
Introduction:
Firstly a little about me. I’m fairly new to the whole miniature painting scene, apart from some time in my long distant past when you could buy little metal minis from all kinds of independent toyshops, I’d say around 6 years ago I started to throw paint onto miniatures with the sole purpose of painting, albeit some overpriced, over produced mass market minis. Since those follies, I have grown into a fan of both fantasy and historical miniatures, especially the 54mm to 70mm scales. Which leads me into this. I will be completely honest before I start this unboxing review; I am a HUGE Latorre fan. I mean to the point of obsession, seriously, if it’s sculpted by the great man, I want it. No, I need it, would be more apt.
So here we go the rebirth of Latorre Models, with the unboxing of the 70mm miniature of Little John, Sherwood Forest.
This new model is resin, to match the Mproyec fantasy miniatures by Raul, and as such he comes in the same sturdy square cardboard box rather than the well known softer yellow boxes from the original metal sculpts.
Contents of box:
As I pre-ordered (I always do, I have to own them all) my box contains both the bare head and pre-order only hooded head. The mini comes in 3 different bags and a few packing peanuts, and he arrived in perfect condition, even the two part quarterstaff doesn’t need a warm water bath to straighten.
Historical Folklore:
John Little (Robin Hood changed his name into Little John) is a legendary fellow outlaw of Robin Hood. He is said to be Robin's chief lieutenant and second-in-command of the Merry Men. The sobriquet "Little" is a form of irony, as he is usually depicted as a gigantic, seven-foot-tall warrior of the British forests, skilled with bow and quarterstaff.
Despite a lack of historical evidence for his existence, Little John is reputed to be buried in a churchyard in the village of Hathersage, Derbyshire. A modern tombstone marks the supposed location of his grave, which lies under an old yew tree. This grave was owned by the Nailor (Naylor) family, and sometimes some variation of "Nailer" is given as John's surname. In other versions of the legends his name is given as John Little, enhancing the irony of his nickname.
Miniature detail
This miniature depicts Little John in fairly relaxed pose, quarter staff resting on his shoulder, other hand gripping his belt. The base is a somewhat generic ‘rocky’ ground, but comes with two foot holes so the mini can easily be glued onto the base with minimum fuss or effort. Personally, I think he should be on a log, as in the famous fight scene between him and Robin Hood, but maybe that’s just me nit picking.
The face is of course the highlight of the miniature. My love for all things Latorre stems from the way Raul manages to create a soul within his miniatures, and Little John is no exception. The clothes are both simple and accurate for the times, everything fits together seamlessly, the option of hooded or non hooded head really makes the final assembly the toughest part as it will be a shame one of them is forever hidden away. The quarterstaff comes in two pieces; one attached the right hand, the other the part just above his shoulder. The great thing is there is already a hole and stem to securely attach the two parts together. It really is a simple to put together 4 part kit.
The only gripe I have, and believe me I really went over the miniature trying to find something so as not to be too gushing, is the slight seem lines on the outside of his legs. For me this is always a pain to clean, but the more experienced/better hobbyist will easily clean up.
So, my opinion? Well, it’s a Latorre, it’s the first of hopefully a lot of new sculpts from this company and it’s an amazing miniature, buy him and enjoy the return of a legend.
Firstly a little about me. I’m fairly new to the whole miniature painting scene, apart from some time in my long distant past when you could buy little metal minis from all kinds of independent toyshops, I’d say around 6 years ago I started to throw paint onto miniatures with the sole purpose of painting, albeit some overpriced, over produced mass market minis. Since those follies, I have grown into a fan of both fantasy and historical miniatures, especially the 54mm to 70mm scales. Which leads me into this. I will be completely honest before I start this unboxing review; I am a HUGE Latorre fan. I mean to the point of obsession, seriously, if it’s sculpted by the great man, I want it. No, I need it, would be more apt.
So here we go the rebirth of Latorre Models, with the unboxing of the 70mm miniature of Little John, Sherwood Forest.
This new model is resin, to match the Mproyec fantasy miniatures by Raul, and as such he comes in the same sturdy square cardboard box rather than the well known softer yellow boxes from the original metal sculpts.
Contents of box:
As I pre-ordered (I always do, I have to own them all) my box contains both the bare head and pre-order only hooded head. The mini comes in 3 different bags and a few packing peanuts, and he arrived in perfect condition, even the two part quarterstaff doesn’t need a warm water bath to straighten.
Historical Folklore:
John Little (Robin Hood changed his name into Little John) is a legendary fellow outlaw of Robin Hood. He is said to be Robin's chief lieutenant and second-in-command of the Merry Men. The sobriquet "Little" is a form of irony, as he is usually depicted as a gigantic, seven-foot-tall warrior of the British forests, skilled with bow and quarterstaff.
Despite a lack of historical evidence for his existence, Little John is reputed to be buried in a churchyard in the village of Hathersage, Derbyshire. A modern tombstone marks the supposed location of his grave, which lies under an old yew tree. This grave was owned by the Nailor (Naylor) family, and sometimes some variation of "Nailer" is given as John's surname. In other versions of the legends his name is given as John Little, enhancing the irony of his nickname.
Miniature detail
This miniature depicts Little John in fairly relaxed pose, quarter staff resting on his shoulder, other hand gripping his belt. The base is a somewhat generic ‘rocky’ ground, but comes with two foot holes so the mini can easily be glued onto the base with minimum fuss or effort. Personally, I think he should be on a log, as in the famous fight scene between him and Robin Hood, but maybe that’s just me nit picking.
The face is of course the highlight of the miniature. My love for all things Latorre stems from the way Raul manages to create a soul within his miniatures, and Little John is no exception. The clothes are both simple and accurate for the times, everything fits together seamlessly, the option of hooded or non hooded head really makes the final assembly the toughest part as it will be a shame one of them is forever hidden away. The quarterstaff comes in two pieces; one attached the right hand, the other the part just above his shoulder. The great thing is there is already a hole and stem to securely attach the two parts together. It really is a simple to put together 4 part kit.
The only gripe I have, and believe me I really went over the miniature trying to find something so as not to be too gushing, is the slight seem lines on the outside of his legs. For me this is always a pain to clean, but the more experienced/better hobbyist will easily clean up.
So, my opinion? Well, it’s a Latorre, it’s the first of hopefully a lot of new sculpts from this company and it’s an amazing miniature, buy him and enjoy the return of a legend.
