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| Don't think I've ever posted these pictures before - some JohnBee Egyptians I got off ebay years ago. |
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| The fact that JohnBee figures were basically Airfix conversions is pretty obvious in these photos... |
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| However, the main use purpose of this post is an id question. I'd always thought that the Egyptian infantry in the Ancient War Game were themselves direct Airfix conversions. Now I'm wondering if some of them were actually JohnBee figures... |
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| At the very least, this lot are based on Airfix. Are they JohnBee? Don't know - poor quality picture, some may (may!) be carrying another javelin in their left hand but... So don't know, but seems reasonable. |
On other things, starting a Shem army. The S&S Range figure don't quite fit the description of Shem soldiers but the Assyrian Range does. So I'm painting up a 24 figure unit of 25mm Garrison Assyrians - and it's slow work! Glad it's not a 48 figure unit.
Next, re Black Tree - after the figures arrived I sent a 'figures have arrived Email and asked, well, actually 'Hi John Figures arrived safely today thanks. Should I order more
figures, what would the normal expected delivery time be? Thanks'. Guess what? Two weeks later, still no reply. I won't be ordering any more figures from them until I get a reply. Might send another follow up email, they have a lot of figures I would like but...
Interesting - which Airfix figures do you think were involved? I am guessing maybe from the Robin Hood set? And Shem as in Hyboria? Do please show them when they are done..
ReplyDeleteMostly Robin Hood set. I have a lot of my own Airfix conversions lying around from those days. Might put a few on here - just remnants of the past though. The Shem will appear - painting shields at the moment. This lot takes time!
DeleteThose Egyptians are surprisingly good figures.
ReplyDeleteI have it in my head that Howard described the Shem as Blue bearded.
I haven't looked up anything other than the description of them in HoTT (swarthy, hook nosed and with curled black beards) but something in my mind keeps screamin that Tony Bath used Assyrians... must try and find my copy of 'Armies of the Hyborian Age'...
DeleteInteresting looking figures Rob…
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of JohnBee before… every day is a school day… or should that be old school day 😁
All the best. Aly
For more on JohnBee, couple of posts on Harry's Parum Pugna blog: http://parumpugna.blogspot.com/2013/01/jonbee-20mm-listing.html http://parumpugna.blogspot.com/2013/01/jonbeezantines.html
DeleteA new one on me too. Looking at the amount of conversion work per figure, I would think it quite possible that CG's figures are actual bought metal ones. He seems to have had the resources to buy armies of metal figures and I don't remember many (if any) Airfix conversions appearing in his articles and books.
ReplyDeleteNot as much work as you'd think. Archers you just need to cut the hood off the back of the Robin Hood archers, spearmen bit more cutting but mainly just adding spear and shield. They're very easy to work with! Think the likes of Bob O'Brien pretty much tied up Robin Hood conversions in Airfix magazine.
DeleteJust dug out Roman Friends and foes - actually by Barry O'Brien. It was a 9 part article - Egyptians weren't mentioned but it was pretty comprehensive!
DeleteIf you look, the base figure is actually the cloaked swordsman. Not the obvious one to me to have started from, I have to say. Creating a bare chested figures from any of that set took some skill, so credit there. I mainly stuck to simple stuff, like Greek javelinmen from the shooting longbowman.
ReplyDeleteThe JohnBee Egyptian archers certainly seem to be; probably the Ancient Wargames unit is too - but the picture is too low definition to be certain (think it is) and I can't tell whether the Ancient War Game figures are bare chested or wearing tunics. It gets very frustratng sometimes!
DeleteIs a refight of Apocryphal Well on the cards?
ReplyDeleteAlways a possibilty, except Assyrian armies without chariots seems wrong.
DeleteStill curious, I had a look at the other picture in Ancient Wargame where these figures (Grant identifies them as javelinmen) occur on p.42. No more detail, but does clarify the contrast between chest and kilt, suggesting bare chests, and that some do have an additional javelin in their left hands.
ReplyDeleteI'd forgotten about that picture! What I'm really most interested in are the chariots...
ReplyDeleteThat guy at Black Tree seems to have the worst customer service level ever - he sounds like the Basil Fawlty of Wargame manufacturers!
ReplyDeleteThe odd hiccup, fine. When you spend at least 5 years building up a poor reputation... well, not much more you can say. Pity, because they have a lot of figures I would like.
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