Tomorrow's technology, today.

I was looking up the up coming movie Elysium staring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster (Hello Clarice), when I saw an add for the Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC) by Lockheed Martain.  If there will ever be a power armor initiative in our time, this has to be it.  Terminator armor in Warhammer 40K had to begin somewhere, what if it started like this? 

The Broadside Bash

I visited the Kingdom-Con, Broadside Bash event located inside the Crown Plaza Hotel in San Diego, CA this weekend.  I arrived late in the afternoon on the last day of the event, not looking to participate.  My adjenda was to meet up with Blake of Life After the Cover Save fame and see what he's been up to.  To my surprise I wasn't charged an entry fee to the event, all I had to pay for was $3.00 for parking. I was able to walk around for a while and see the end of the 40K tournament.  I found Blake, just in time to see him win 2nd place in a Malifaux tournament.  Blake received a sweet prize, the Relic Hunters box set.  It was good to see Blake again, as I am quite interested in hearing what he has to say.  We had lunch and on our way out, I was able to snag a fist full of bitz from the kit bashing conversion table contest.  I scored a bunch of bitz for my terminiators, enough arms to swap out some of my assault terminator for regular stormbolter terminators.  I had a good time at the Broadside Bash, and will have to attened it next year. 

Bitz

I like buying bitz to customize my armies from small independent companies, and from bitz sellers.

My favorite site at the moment is Anvil Industry, run by Joel Pitt out of London, UK.  I wrote to Joel months ago asking him to make some combi weapons.  He delivered by making some magnetised combination weapons for his miniature range.  I'm sure he's had plenty of requests for the items before I came along, but it felt like he really listened to me.  I want to add that the quality of Joel's products are excellent and well cast.  I've picked up some bitz from him in the past, and continue to look forward to what his company will be putting out in the future. 

 

 

I'm dusting off my Tau army now since it's the flavor of the month.  I turned to Paulson Games a company located in Downers Grove, IL for extra bitz to customize my character miniatures, and to add a little flavor to the rank and file.  The quality of the products are good with no heavy mold lines or miss casts. 

 



West Coast Podcast Alliance T-shirts were shipped out.

I'm a fan of three 40K hobby podcasts that operate out of Southern California.  The shows are Life After the Cover Save (LAtCS), Imperial Vox Cast (IVC), and The Independent Characters (ICs).  The three shows belong to the West Coast Podcast Alliance (WCPA).  I wanted to support the three podcasts and help spread the word by making some WCPA T-shirts and offering other listeners a chance to pick one up for themselves.  Unfortunately for me the T-shirts weren't popular, and I wasn't able to generate much interest in them from the three WCPA forums.  I did get a break when the hosts of IVC and ICs agreed to help me out by picking up some shirts, especially Tor of IVC fame who picked up two shirts for himself.  With the help of two other courageous fans out there Adan 'Blacksword' from the ICs forum, and Philip 'Gazpacho Soup' from the LAtCS forum, I was able to complete the order with Uberprints.

In order to complete the T-shirt order I had to buy three shirts for myself.  I only needed one, so I donated two of them.  One went to Carl at the ICs, in hopes that he will use it in a WCPA contest, and the second went to Robo Ed at LAtCS, as a gift for all his work in keeping the show going after one of the show's founding cast members left the podcast. 

Shirts are in 

 

A picture of Blake, Carl and Bill at At Ease Games located in Poway, CA. 

Last Month I was busy taking care of things at work, that my hobby blog was neglected.  I did get around to do some hobby work for the Independent Characters podcast for their Hobby Progress Challenge.  Last, I attended the LA Battle Bunker (RIP) the week it was down sized by Games Workshop.

 



With the economy being in such bad shape, it was only a matter of time before Games Workshop started to close its Battle Bunkers around the country.  I managed to get in a game with Blake 'Big Nasty B' of Life After the Cover Save fame, before the Bunker was closed down for good. Blake just so happens to stand as tall as a Space Marine in full power armor, interesting.