My latest piece with facial hair, is a real blast from the past, so very few of you are likely to have any clue what I'm on about ( not that I make that much sense normally ! LOL). Back before 40K even started, and Games Workshop and Citadel miniatures had become one, there was an occasional publication called the Citadel Journal or the later named Compendium, in it you would get several pages of new models to look at, there would be some card scenery, and a scenario for use in Warhammer, and you also got a comic strip about a Chaos Warrior called Kaleb Daark, now this warrior was unlike the normal Chaos followers, as he followed the 5th Chaos God Malal, unlike the other four gods that were just evil, Malal would sometimes help the Empire if the needs suited him, and he hates all other Chaos. There were 4 episodes, with Kaleb wandering into the Northern Wastes at the end ( Chaos realm in Warhammer).
When 40K came out I had an idea of having Kaleb and Malal in this realm, which wasn't a huge stretch as the Northern Wastes are a direct link to the Eye of Terror ( Chaos realm in 40K). But what to use for a model of Malal ? I managed to purchase a Golgoth Balrog ( later called Angor) as a starting point.
I left off the wings, and had to resculpt the fur, as it wasn't very good, and while doing it added in some more muscle definition. The face needed to change as well to look more like the artwork, and both hands needed a sixth digit, I left the tail as is, as you never saw the bottom half in the comics. Colour wise I wanted the fur dark, and went for a white skin tone, as his symbol is a skull that's half white and half black.
So that's another entry for Movember done, have a couple more in the works, and who knows one day I may even finish my Kaleb conversion ! LOL So until next time stay safe and have fun !
Cheers Dave
That's a really interesting take on Malal! Those eyes are especially creepy...
ReplyDeleteThank you Dai, if I had started him now, I think I wqould have probably started from scratch, as it would have been the same amount of work ! LOL
DeleteNicely done, Dave! :-) The face has come out really well! So he's really like the fifth Beatle! ;-)
ReplyDeleteThank you John, yes he's the one no one tals about or really remembers ! LOL
DeleteOh, I hadn't seen that particular illustration before, I love how you turned it into an actual mini. Cool conversion and paintjob!!
ReplyDeleteGreat build, I've never seen a model of Malal!
ReplyDeleteI first heard of Malal when I got the Chaos Marauders card game, there was some reference to him in there. Great game by the way, it featured Chaos worshipping greenskins, something you don't see often.
It's a shame that they got rid of Malal, was a very interesting deity. But who knows, maybe he'll return someday - everything seems possible now that Squats have returned, haha :D
Thank you Snapfit, every so often GW throw in a teaser, there were the sons of Malice in a Chaos Codex that were half white and half black on their armour, so maybe one day they will fully reembrace it, but I doubt it ! LOL
DeleteYes Chaos Orks pop up every so often, but they've never really explored that avenue either, with only 1 40K model made in an early Ork release, we can but hope, they make some models down the line, as from what I read on Alex's blog he has Chaos Orc followers in his age of Sigmar force.
Thanks for the tip! I wasn't aware of his blog, I'll definitely check out his Chaos Orcs. It's Leadballooning, right?
DeleteThat's the one, I believe he used the Kruleboys clan for his models, which I've now been looking at for Snakebites, fighting the urge at the moment !LOL
DeleteThis was well before my time in the hobby so I certainly learned something from reading about your latest work. It came out looking like an awesome and creepy looking creature as well. Truthfully, I think GW's sculpts for demons have gone a bit stale. They should go back to their past and try doing some more experimental designs to freshen them up.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jeff, I think Malal is familiar enough in shape to what we know, but different enough to find him unsettling, which is often what works best in horror films, so why shouldn't it work in models ! LOL Agreed a lot now fits into a standard template A or B just with more or less skulls or spikes ! LOL
DeleteGreat piece Dave; I'm always amazed at your conversions, your attention to detail and colouring, but you've surpassed yourself with the crtitter's eyes !
ReplyDeleteThank you Joe, because I went for the white skin, I limited myself on eye colours, but knew it needed pupils to match the artwork, so in the end went with the red, as he is a demon after all ! LOL
DeleteHe really looks the part, especially in the frontal pic. Nice work!
ReplyDeleteThank you Brian, I've actually dug out his follower conversion, so you may see that sooner rather than later, but no guarantees ! LOL
DeleteLovely work mate, would never have thought it was a conversion, which is of course what you were aiming for! 🙄
ReplyDeleteCheers Roger.
Thank you Roger, if it doesn't look like a conversion, I see that as you've done something right ! LOL
DeleteExcellent! Great conversion and painting. Are you running a Movember Challenge?
ReplyDeleteThank you Mark, been a long time to get this finished ! LOL Roger is running the Movember challenge, on his blog Rantings from under the Wargames Table.
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