Rom the Space Knight

 Story time. 

When I was a kid my favorite superhero wasn't Superman, or Spider-Man, or Thor, like a normal person. No, my favorite superhero was Rom, the Space Knight! 

A tie-in to a Japanese robot toy, Rom was a way better comic than it needed to be, written by the tragic Bill Mantlo (who also wrote my other favorite comic, Micronauts, which as it happens was the other big Japanese toy/Marvel collab - but that's another story). Rom was a story of genuine heroism and sacrifice, and of stalwart determination against all odds. 

Because it was a toy tie-in, Marvel didn't own the rights to Rom, and so the chances I'd ever see him in a movie or game are slim. But ever since Marvel Crisis Protocol first came out in 2020, I've been bugging all of the Marvel fan-sculptor studios to do a sculpt for him, and after years of begging one of them took pity on me. So here he is! 

That thing in his hand is a Neutralizer, an energy weapon that he uses to banish the evil, shapeshifting Dire Wraiths to their home dimension. Unfortunately, to humans, when a Wraith is human form, it looks a lot like a big robot shooting a regular human with a human-disintegrating ray gun. Oops. Let's just say that ol' Rom had some 'splainin' to do, but if you wanna find out what happens, you're gonna have to read his book yourselves. 

Anyway, I used a helpful MCP website to do a card for him, so I can use him as a Beta Ray Bill proxy. It's not a perfect replication of his powers, but it'll do for now. 

I can't wait to get him on the tabletop to zap some aliens! 

Even Bigger Caravanserai, Now With People!

I've added a sawmill to the lumberyard, and a gated courtyard to the caravanserai. I've also scattered about a party of European adventurers, amazed at the 'cleverness' that 'these Asiatics' can get up to sometimes. 

Architectural sketches

Lumber yard, front view

Lumber yard, rear view 

Caravanserai with courtyard

14" x 16". I know you were wondering. 

The Caravanserai. You must be weary, traveler! Stop in for a rest.

 

Caravanserai courtyard

The "Caravanserai" (lit. "Caravan Palace") was an old timey motel for long distance travelers, particularly but not exclusively along the Silk Road. It's where the name of the city of Sarajevo comes from, for example. 

A combination inn, stable, tavern and waystation, Caravanserai were essential infrastructure for overland travel in the good old days, providing food, shelter and safety for weary pilgrims and merchants alike. 

My pal Al kindly provided me these buildings from a Turkish design studio, 4d printed in fdm. I am over the moon with them - I think you could play whole scenarios just using the caravanserai itself! 

Also featured are a guest house for wealthy travelers, and a sawmill that represents some sort of local industry. (The sawmill attaches to a carpenter's home that I am still painting). I painted the guest house some time ago, but was trying something out and found the final result eye-wateringly garish, so have gone back to my comfortable desaturated greys and browns for these. I am very pleased with the terracotta "marbling" effect I achieved, and really think these buildings pop as a result! 

My only problem is how the heck I'm gonna store them. The main building is literally too big for any of my shelves... 

Guest House

The Hotel

Sawmill

The Grotto

Some progress shots of my collection of rocks and mushrooms. Lots more to go! This is on a 2x2 board, I should be able to fill a 3x3 by the time I'm done. 

From stls by Loot Studios and some gifts from Al. 

What do we think of the fluorescent mushrooms? Too much? Too aquarium-y? Or just right?