Captain Hunter

A bold astronaut stranded on a world he never made! (Aren't all of us stranded on a world we never made?) 
 

HAL-I-BOT

Why do I call this Star Schlock robot "HAL-I-BOT?" 

Because he seems fishy. 
 

Alien Cyclops

Do the colours clash? If so, it's because aliens care not for human aesthetics. 

Rooftop Poker

I painted eight little poker players! 
 

Don't Shoot the Miniature Piano Player

Tron Tanks

Same technique, different vehicles. I can hear Wendy Carlos's iconic score! 
 

Recognizers

Primed these in matte black and then just dry-brushed the edges red. Not bad! 
 

Skullitor

I painted a fearsome galactic denizen, a spidery skull being. Creepy. 
 

This Island Earl

Here's a Star Schlock miniature inspired by the Metaluna mutant seen in the classic 1955 science fiction film This Island Earth. Alas, Russell Johnson's character didn't live to see this fascinating creature. 
 

Video Store Shelves

I have fond memories of browsing through video stores to rent movies. VHS was a terrible format with low resolution, but for the time video stores made thousands of movies accessible to the masses. Now I have a set of video store shelves in 28mm scale. 

Groin Shot McGhee

This cowboy wears a metal plate over his crotch to protect his genitals. That's a lot of weight to carry around to protect just a small percentage of your body. However, based on the number of dents in the plate, it appears a sensible precaution at that. 
 

Visitor Shuttles Ready for Launch

Here's a pair of Visitor shuttles, one for people (left) and one for cargo (right). Hand-painting the Visitor symbols was the toughest part; as you can see, I was more successful with the cargo version. Still, these are good enough for play. 

Mad Science Desk

 

A Dandy Fop

 

Wizard Encounter

This afternoon, Mom and I were driving down 46 Avenue in Leduc when we spotted a wizard. We were driving quite slowly because there was a line of cars waiting to turn right, so we got a good look at him. He was a bearded white fellow in his 30s wearing black and red robes and a black hooded cloak. He was using a tall gold staff with a large disc at its midpoint, and on his cloaked back were written the words "Love Light." (I didn't see those words myself; Mom observed his retreating form as we completed our right turn.) 

During the encounter the wizard smiled and waved at us as if to reassure us that our eyes had not deceived us. I'm glad Mom was there, otherwise I might have feared I was hallucinating. 

Cletus Yokel and the Taser

Here's another of the prompt tests I ran on Bing Image Generator last night. The prompt is the title of this post--I gave no further direction. And yet Bing zaps Cletus three times out of four. Is Bing suggesting yokels shouldn't be given tasers? Or perhaps Bing is saying they shouldn't be in the proximity of tasers. 
 

Cletus Yokel Buys Some Dynamite

Tonight I was testing the limits of Bing Image Creator's censor. "Cletus Yokel Buys Some Dynamite," I prompted, figuring the phrase would get flagged for harmful stereotypes and violence. And yet, this is what it generated. 
 

Two-Gun Featherstone

He's, rootin', he's tootin', he's rockin' that moustache. 
 

Pirate Treasure

Ugh, terrible. Well, I tried. 
 

Wilhelm von Struttendorf

 

Anniversary 17

Today we planned to celebrate our 17th anniversary with Mom and Sylvia's parents, but I woke up sick today, putting the kibosh on those plans. Nonetheless, Sylvia and I were able to enjoy some nice moments today, expressing our gratitude for our time together. Happy Anniversary, Squishy McMonkey! 
 

Ludmilla von Struttendorf

Decent definition in the face and hands, and the dress looks mostly okay. Not sure about her hair getup, though. 
 

Sven Wentzel

I like the goatee . . . 
 

Outlaw Sausage

The ULTIMATE C.H.A.O.S. agent! Alas, they slipped out before I could catch them. 

Can't
Hardly
Apprehend
Outlaw
Sausage


 

Spouting Nonsense

Urgle burgle gargle slish
Guble buble bloople wish
That's the sound the spigot makes
Spouting watery hot takes
Not stopping 'til the farmer wakes

Out, out, damned spout!
Must you always fart and flout
Your garbled wisdom from the well
Damned cenote from depths of hell
Enchanted pump my ass
 

Old West Upright Piano

I could have painted the stool black to match the piano, but I figured some saloons didn't have the luxury of being really picky about their furniture. I'm so happy that you can discern the black and white keys on the instrument! 
 

Water Trough

 

Poker Tables

 

CAPITOL

 

The Upworthy Crust

A few days ago, I learned of the existence of Big Mama's & Papa's Pizzeria. Edmonton has two locations, and today I visted the BMPP in Windermere. 

I bought the smallest available pizza, the 12-inch medium. This place offers single slices comparable in size to little people and a giant square pizza measuring 54 inches per side. Zounds! 

I was overwhelmed by the variety offered on BMPP's menu. I was sorely tempted by the Mexican, but since this was my first time here, I opted for the Stinkin' Cup and Char
Pepperoni . . .

. . . along with a serving of cheese toast. 

Cheese toast first: it's pretty good, but very, very greasy. It's loaded with garlic butter and cooked to perfection, with crispy-edged bread and cheese slightly stiff but half-melted, just how I like it. The portion size is generous for two people, and fair for four. My only quibble is how they assemble the portions into sandwiches, which results in the cheese slices melting together. This isn't a problem if you eat a portion as a mini-sandwich, but creates issues if you try to share. 

As for the pizza itself, it's scrumptious. The tomato sauce is savoury and slightly spicy--delicious enough that next time I might ask for extra sauce, as my pizza was fairly light on the stuff. This pizza comes with white and red onions, but I hardly noticed them, which makes me wonder if their flavour was overpowered by the pepperoni, the sauce, the seasoned crust, or perhaps some combination of the three. 

Speaking of the pepperoni--the key ingredient of this pie--it's as meaty and pepperoni-spiced as one could hope for. But I think the real star is the crust, which offers a satisfying flaky yet chewy texture and even a little heat thanks to the onion seasoning. 

I really enjoyed my first experience of BMPP, and I look forward to trying it again. 

Dumpsters Three

We're dumpsters three oh me oh my 
With trash we're filled to reach the sky
But never mind, we three
We're useful as can be
In this magic land we all know our cause!