Heroes of Armageddon - Weekly Drawing

This week we will be holding our second weekly drawing as a way of saying thanks to all of you for your support..

Winners will be selected from the folks who have donated to the Heroes of Armageddon Project, these weekly prizes are bonus prizes and winning one will not take you out of the running for the Grand Prize Drawing at the projects end.

This Sunday we are drawing 2 winners, each will receive a $25 voucher to be spent at Secret Weapon Miniatures.

With Secret Weapon's low prices these will go a long way towards resin bases, weathering powders, washes, and conversion bits.

Justin was a big supporter in last years Storm Wardens Project, donating all the bases for the army and additional prizes and we are happy to have him back on board this year with even more rolling in to the Heroes of Armageddon Project.

Make sure to get your contributions in to be included in the drawing Sunday, and you might be the winner of one of these vouchers, and even if we don't draw your name, be sure to check out Secret Weapon Miniatures   ever expanding line of hobby goodies, let them know you appreciate them supporting us and tell Justin we sent you, so he knows his generosity was not wasted.

John

First Winners of Heroes of Armageddon

We have drawn the first winners in the Heroes of Armageddon Charity Drive! The two prizes were two beautiful 12x16 Metal Prints, donated by the company I work for, www.bayphoto.com. Before I announce the winners, have a look at the metal prints:

All rightie, here are the two winners:

Aslak Skadsem

Oslo, Norway

Shannon Wade

Houston, Texas

The two winners will have the responsibility to email me with a confirmation, so we can send off the prints. Just making sure you all know, only people that have donated so far are eligible for the weekly prizes. They are also eligible for the main prize! So if you want to take a shot at the next weekly prize, make sure to DONATE for the cause. Let's make all us gamers and modelers proud and do our bit to make this world a little better!

thanks

Mike

Heroes of Armageddon: Meet the Artist and his Art

We started the Heroes of Armageddon last week and the response has been overwhelming. Not only have lots of generous people donated, countless blogs have also added links and talked about it and I have received so many emails with offers of help or other donations. Thanks all.

This week will feature the first prize of this drive. On Thursday we will give away two METAL 12x16 prints of the amazing artwork. The prints, valued at 80 dollars each will be TWO of TWO and will not be made available publicly anymore. Shipping to anywhere will be included. This wonderful donation comes from the company that I work for: www.bayphoto.com, the best photolab in the country. 

But before we get to the prize drawing this Thursday, I want you all to meet the amazing artist who created the art! Here is an interview I did with Chris Miller, the one talent who doesn't work in the art department of GW.

When we asked you for the Armageddon artwork, what was your first response?

Originally I had been requested to do some artwork for the Storm Wardens project by my good friend Mik over at Mik's Minis and I was more than eager to do further work for another great cause. I just hoped that I could provide the look and feel that was being asked for.

 

What material did you use for your research?

I gathered a pile of imagery of both Yarrick and Ghazghkull for use as reference while I sketched out the original rough copy. I pulled out my copy of the Ork codex for some green-skinned inspiration.

How do you make this artwork?

I sketch the image in a 11x14 sketchbook using a blue prismacolor pencil (a habit I picked up from my animation courses). Then I will scan it into Photoshop and go over the original sketch using a Wacom tablet. From here I will overlay a clean line drawing and color it in.

(here's Chris's first shot at the artwork, we revised it together to get to the final art)

Dayjob? Wife? Kids? Education in the arts or self taught?

Actually I am currently planning for my wedding in July to my lovely fiancé of five years. We are sans-children at this time, unless you count our two dogs. We met while in college; I graduated from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Animation. I also have a degree in Graphic Design. My current job does not make use of my degrees but I definitely do not let that stop me from having an outlet for myself artistically. It is rare to see me without one of many sketchbooks in hand or the thought of my next project in mind.

 

Have you done artwork for other sites?

I have been commissioned for a number of pieces for other sites over the past year, hugely in part to the encouragement of my friends from Minions of the Monster Master -Thanks Guys- I am always trying to get some artwork completed for the Minions Blogcast. Recently I did the banner piece for the blog My Dice Hate Me! (mydicehateme.blogspot.com). I did the logo for the Barter Bucket at Santa Cruz Warhammer.

Do you play 40k yourself?

I have actually only played a few games of official 40k tabletop war gaming. However I have amassed quite a few models from Games Workshop’s miniatures wargames. When I do play, I favor the Space Orks of the 41^st Millenium, I find an insurmountable amount of charm in playing the primitive minded, destruction craving, and dakka-wielding greenies of the future. I enjoy the aspect of playing them so much so that I am looking to get some Gorkamorka mobs tableside in the near future. Additionally I have had quite a bit of fun playing in the 40k universe via the Fantasy Flight Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader, and Deathwatch RPGs with the gang over at Minions of the Monster Master.

 

Do you paint your own models?

Of course! At the moment I’ve got a sizable queue of paint jobs awaiting me for the summer ranging from 40K to Fantasy, we’ll see how far I get…

Where can people hire you and are you expensive?

I can most easily be commissioned via email at cmgillustrations@gmail.com or through the Minions Blogcast. I encourage anyone to go check it out; again, a lot of my work is available for viewing. I believe I offer fair rates and I am more than willing to work with a deadline or any special formatting needs.

There you have it, friends. If you want to get in on a chance to have ONE of TWO metal prints of the artwork, contribute to the Heroes of Armageddon. PayPal link on the top right. Do it!

Mike

  

Heroes of Armageddon

Friends,

In the last 4 months our world has seen some extraordinary disasters, both natural and manmade. The people in the Middle East and Africa have been battling their governments and each other for a different and hopefully better future. Many people are dying and being injured today in Lybia, the Ivory Coast, Syria and in many other places as well.

The tsunami that hit Japan...seeing the footage of that wave gave me the chills and I have not been able to revisit it, realizing how much carnage and hardship this wave caused...

Storm Wardens

We cannot change any of these things by ourselves. But we can help support organizations that go to Africa and Japan and the whole world to help people in need, people that risk their own lives to better the life of a stranger. One of these groups is Doctor without Borders. An amazing organization you can check out their news feed here.

DWB go to places that most organizations have left behind and try against odds to fulfill their oath: to help people in need.

And they need money. And thats where we come in...last year with your help the Storm Wardens Project raised over 16,000 dollars for this amazing charity. Here's the link, the page is still up.

This was all YOUR success. We just opened up a PayPal account and built 2500 points of models, you all showed that our community can come together and do something amazing.

2011

Well, this year the world seems way worse off and we have decided to do another Charity Project:

Heroes of Armageddon

John and I thought it better to raise the stakes and create a much larger project: we're giving away FOUR 3000 point armies. We hope that you will all pitch in and let your heart speak. This is the change we all can make, instead of ignoring the news.

How does it work?

Every dollar of your support gives you a chance to be one of the lucky four new army winners at the end of this drive.10 dollar contribution =10 chances to win. 100 dollars = 100 chances...you get the idea.

At the end of the drive, in July, we will choose the winners.

Then, the armies will travel to Games Day in Chicago, where they will be displayed. After that the winners can take their army home or we send it off.

In short: the more you contribute, the better your chances. More importantly, the more you contribute, the more you  help to make the world a better place.

Heroes of Armageddon

Our Games Day Diorama will depict the 3rd battle of Armageddon with 4 armies: Steel Legion, Blood Angels, Ork Hordes and Speed Freaks.

We have expanded the all star build team from last year with a handful of Golden Demon winners and we also hope to go bigger and better by reaching out to more of you and the industry and collecting even more than we did last year for Doctors Without Borders.

Here are the team leaders for the 4 army projects

Dave Taylor: Steel Legion

Jawaballs: Blood Angels

Man Boy Genius (Spikey Bits): Ork Hordes

Goatboy (BOLS): Speed Freaks

These four Team Leaders have commited to finishing up these armies to the highest standards. We have also been able to lock down some Golden Demon winners to paint the centerpieces of the armies and have created a larger build team, all of which are great artists who have donated their time and effort to this cause. 

Our project blog will display finished units and more info at http://heroesofarmageddon.blogspot.com

Wait, there's more.

Just like last year, as our way of saying thanks for your help, we will also have some weekly prize drawings along the way so yet another way win something great for your trouble. Everyone who has supported the project up to that point will be eligible to win. Expect great prizes.

What can you do?

Put this button on your page with the link above. click here for info 

You can help spread the word and link to the Project site.
You can create a special blogroll with all the builders blog project updates.

You can hold a local event to raise money or just post some flyers at your favorite gaming spots.

You can send in prize or model donations and be part of the many sponsors that help us out.

You can talk to family and friends and have them make a contribution on your behalf.

You can even send us models that we then distribute to the teams that need them. A list will go up soon with requests.

Last Years winner

Last year's Army winner Jacob, watch a video of him at Games Day receiving the Storm Wardens Army Grand Prize.

Are you ready to make a difference?

Are you ready for 4 awesome armies?

Are you ready for Armageddon?

John & Mike

Ghaz's Horde

  

The Goff Horde Army, led by Ghazgkhull Thraka was almost completely donated by Rob Baer from FTW Games and painted by John Dickerman and Mike de Boer with help from the Santa Cruz Warhammer Gaming group.

The main model is Ghaz himself and he is painted by world famous Mathieu Fontaine.

84 boyz and 4 nobz, painted by Mike de Boer and Tess Church

6 Killa Kans, painted by Scott Silveira and Michael Dunsmore

5 Nobz, donated by Michael Dunsmore and painted by John Dickerman

Defdred, painted by Rob Baer

5 meganobz,  painted by Mike de Boer and John Dickerman.

Stompa, donated by Game A Lot in Santa Cruz and painted by John Dickerman

Battle wagon, painted by John Dickerman

Battle Wagon, painted by John Dickerman

3 Trukks, one with wrecking ball, painted by Mike de Boer

3 deffkoptas, painted by Tony Townsend

Battle Foam 1520XL with custom foam loadout.

 Purity Seal / Icon with litanies master sculpted by Rob Ellis II aka -Q- and donated by The Bolter and Chainsword.

a dozen Custom Dice from Chessex.

Gale Force Nine one of a kind Custom Templates

Custom token set by Silver Compass Designs

The Blood Angels

The Blood Angels Army was speaheaded by Chris "Jawaballs" Dubuque and he was helped by very talented group of modelers and painters. Let's start with the Highest ranking Blood Angel on the battlefield

Lord Dante, painted by Tom Schadle

Tycho by Tim Williamson

Tycho in Death Company, painted by Joe Johnson

Banner Bearer, painted by Ron Saikowski

Corbulo, painted by Jawaballs

Lemartes, painted by Jawaballs

Sanguinary Priest, painted by Jawaballs

Sanguinary Honor Guard, painted by Tim Williamson

Death Company, painted by Joe Johnson

Scouts, painted by Tim Williamson

Assault Squad, painted by Mike Cho 

Terminator Squad, painted by Jawaballs

Death Company Dreadnought, painted by Matt McClannahan

Furioso, painted by Mike Cho

Death Company Dreadnought, painted by John Dickerman

Death Company Rhino, painted by Tim Williamson

Baal Predator, painted by John Dickerman

Landraider, painted by Jawaballs

Storm Raven, painted by Mike Cho

Death Company Storm Raven, painted by Mike de Boer

Storm Raven, painted by Tim Williamson

  Battle Foam 1520XL with custom foam loadout.

 Purity Seal / Icon with litanies master sculpted by Rob Ellis II aka -Q- and donated by The Bolter and Chainsword.

Dozen Custom Dice by Chessex
Gale Force Nine one of a kind custom templates

Custom token set by Silver Compass Designs 

Life size 8 foot army banner by Jawaballs

Custom blood drop dice from The Bolter and Chainsword, 10 of each color!

Blood Angels HoA team Tshirt.