Chapter 1 - The Lighthouse - Post Apocalyptic Radio Station - From the World of the Radio Kings

absolutely phenomenal work !
I am blown away by all the thought out details you've included in it !
So much eye candy and looking forward to seeing more !

Theboo-bomb wrote:Looks amazing, I really like that desk and all the stuff on it.

Thank you Boo-bomb!  All the little details are always the most fun part.

ThePhotogsBlog wrote:All I can say is "Wow!"  If I was amazed by your previous diorama's this one just blows me away to somewhere I'm never coming back from. It just bloody-well awesome. The detail is fabulous.  

Thanks so much PhotogsBlog!  This was one of my favorites to do too.  The Radio station is so central to this world, so I had to do it right.  I was looking for parts to work with for so long, and stumbled on this insane old Japanese model kit with a bunch components like the tape deck and reel to reel.  Just those pieces took most of a weekend to build, but did a lot to pull this thing together.

Pontiacivan wrote:Hands down, you do the BEST Post Apocalyptic props and diorama building ever!
You tell a damn fine story too, which is fuel for the fire.
Always happy when you post new stuff, it makes me smile!

Ah, thank you Pontiacivan!! Man, my heart just swells hearing that.  Love that you're enjoying the story and everything else!  

skywalkersaga wrote:

ReverendSpooky wrote:

skywalkersaga wrote:

ReverendSpooky wrote:And yeah, there NEEDED to be some Mark Lanegan represented.  I love that Rhys Cooper poster so much too, and would love to have in 1:1.  All his concert posters are just so killer. but that Lanegan one is a favorite.  I still want to do a 1/6 Blues Funeral record, and when I finally get around to it, I definitely owe you one.

Ahh, indeed. Mark Lanegan might not be the most well-known musician of his era in terms of mainstream awareness, but damn... he is certainly one of the most prolific. Everything from his bands, to his solo stuff, to his myriad collaborations over the years... it's fascinating. So yeah, he most certainly deserves his place amongst the pantheon of music gods in the Radio Kings world. :')

And my eventual 1/6 mini-me would be OVER THE MOON to have Blues Funeral on 'vinyl', lol.

Re: Rhys Cooper -- completely agree with you, love that poster, and pretty much all his posters in general! Absolutely stunning work. It'd be awesome to have that particular print in 1:1 for sure, but it's been hard to find. Though this past summer I miraculously scored this one:


Not Mark Lanegan *Band*, but Mark Lanegan himself....  :hearteyes:

Lanegan is so underrated!  And yeah so insanely prolific.  I was just listening to that XX cover that he did with Massive Attack and Warpaint this morning.  If you have't run across it, it's incredible.

https://soundcloud.com/bianca-marchetti/crystalised-martina-topley

And the poster you got is GORGEOUS! So fitting for him too.  So jealous!

Sooo sorry for my delayed response! Been a long week. ;p

The poster was one of those fluke occurrences where you find an ebay auction at the last minute that no one is bidding on but you! :'D

Finally got a chance to listen to that cover you rec'd.... awesome!  I hadn't heard it before -- Lanegan really is THAT prolific that it's easy to find out you've missed this or that guest vocal or collaboration of his. Admittedly, I came to his work relatively 'late' and through a roundabout way -- I think the first of his stuff I really listened to was his collaboration with Isobel Campbell, and then just fell head over heels and went through as much of the rest of his discography as I could find from there on out. I was never into grunge style music (I'm much more of a classic rock, folk, and metal person, lol), so I guess I probably had overlooked his earlier stuff because of the association with that, even though of COURSE he's always been sooo much more than that, even back then. Anyhooo, thanks for the link to the song, absolutely loved it of course! I could listen to his husky raspy voice for eternity and never get tired.

skywalkersaga wrote:ETA: Meant to add that, like Stryker, I'm beyond excited to see all TWELVE of your Radio Kings characters in action! Congrats on getting so many finished, that must be a wonderful feeling!

God, it really is.  I've been so focused on the figures themselves, I can finally let the the dust clear, and and focus on what needs to be done next to get them online.  Which is mainly writing and backdrops.  Full speed ahead!

I'm ridiculously excited for what you have in store!!! Need MOARRR.


Btw, I was looking back through the pics, and had a few questions -- first of all, for the ceiling lights, are those one of those LED light strips??? If so, brilliant use of it! Also that plus the radio itself begs the question, which I'm still somewhat unsure about... what is the electricity source(s), both in terms of this scene specifically, but also in your 'verse in general? I'm sure you must have mentioned before in your other Radio Kings posts, so forgive my poor memory atm...

Secondly, what is the figure/figurine on the desk? I tried to squint but it was hard to make out, and I'm super curious...

No worries on the delayed response!  I wish I could get on here more often too, but work seems intent on killing me, and as soon as I get a few free moments, I get wrapped up in more of my own projects.  

And damn, that is such a score on that poster.  eBay is all about those perfect deals.  And I actually discovered Lanegan way late too, and I still haven't nearly worked my way through his whole catalog.  He really does just put out that much work.  But that track is particularly killer, and yeah, I will listen to ANYTHING he's associated with.  

Man, I just want to share everything I've been working on.  But I get so hung up on setting the perfect scene to introduce new characters, and backgrounds I want to build.  And the next one (if I can be patient and keep focused on it) is gonna be big and insane, and worth the wait.

So, the ceiling lights are actually Ikea LED light strips:

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/ledberg-led-light-strip-white-80430826/

But then I built light covers out of clear plastic, matte spray, some paint for grime, and some random plastic pieces to seal the ends.  I think I may have even harvested the plastic from the lights' packaging.  

The figure is a DC Bombshells Catwoman Heroclix gamepiece!



I love the Bombshells retro-pinup art take on the characters, and this just seemed... fitting.  I actually have a little Heroclix pile just because the game pieces are the perfect 1/6 scale figures for my 1/6 scale figures.  I have a House of Seasons character I could totally imagine would have a toy collection, and eventually want to use them for a diorama with him.  

Which brings us to power.  I have a lot of thoughts on this, but nothing solid enough that I want to commit to as cannon for the story.  Yet.  I'm leaning towards the idea that the town sprung up around an old hydro-electric power station that they managed to get working.  Once Kit arrives there, she'll introduce some alternative energy sources as well, like wind and solar.  Wind generators seem like they'd be a great option in a post apocalyptic world (especially combined with other sources) and I've read some crazy stuff about how solar cells could be made from all sorts of scrap.  I actually know some people with a farm in upstate New York who power the entire place with waste from their cows, so I'm kinda fascinated with how things like that could be applied to a post apocalyptic setting.  Since a big theme of Radio Kings is how we made the planet barely habitable, I really want to explore how we'd survive under those conditions.  I've also seen some amazing stuff on hydroponic farming, and with the introduction of more science/tech savvy characters, this is what will allow allow Transmission Hold to grow and maintain as a community.  But I want to do a lot more research to ground this as much as I can.

Allotropos wrote:absolutely phenomenal work !
I am blown away by all the thought out details you've included in it !
So much eye candy and looking forward to seeing more !

Thank you Allotropos!!!  This really was one of the most fun builds to do, and I'm so happy that comes through!  Can't wait to share the next chapter.

I can't help think of the Phrase 'I Still believe'. Was it inspired from The Lost Boys?

MerylAkiba wrote:I can't help think of the Phrase 'I Still believe'. Was it inspired from The Lost Boys?

I'd totally forgotten about that song in The Lost Boys!!!

It's actually a nod to the Frank Turner song of the same name.



When I started on this, I really wanted to do some post apocalyptic figures, but I was trying to find my own approach to the genre, a way to put my own spin on it.  I was listening to this song, and it all just started to gel.  

Now who'd have thought that after all,
Something as simple as rock 'n' roll would save us all.
Now who'd have thought that after all, it was rock 'n' roll.

And I still believe (I still believe) in the saints.
Yeah, in Jerry Lee and in Johnny and all the greats.
And I still believe (I still believe) in the sound,
That has the power to raise a temple and tear it down.

And I still believe (I still believe) in the need,
For guitars and drums and desperate poetry.
And I still believe (I still believe) that everyone,
Can find a song for every time they've lost and every time they've won.

So just remember folks we not just saving lives, we're saving souls,
And we're having fun.

And I still believe.

And that was the piece oh the puzzle I was looking for.  The whole idea of the old legends of rock and roll becoming the new saints, that rock and roll would save us all, became the seed of the whole Radio Kings mythos.  That rock and roll spirit as salvation.  

If there was ever a Radio Kings movie, this would be the end credits song.

ReverendSpooky wrote:If there was ever a Radio Kings movie, this would be the end credits song.

Never thought of rock music as a form of salvation. I wonder if religious factions would form or separate ?

MerylAkiba wrote:

ReverendSpooky wrote:If there was ever a Radio Kings movie, this would be the end credits song.

Never thought of rock music as a form of salvation. I wonder if religious factions would form or separate ?

You'll just have to stay tuned to the world of the Radio Kings to see how it plays out

ReverendSpooky wrote:You'll just have to stay tuned to the world of the Radio Kings to see how it plays out

and that's exactly what I intend to do!

sorry for being late to the party,

this is beyond awesome. i'm a sucker for dystopian city ruins. something eerily relaxing about sitting atop a skyscraper watching the devastated landscape below in listening to the quite wind blowing through the concrete husks.
very well done and absolutely inspiring, hope there'll be more of the same setting sometime.
cheers tjolnir

GregT wrote:

ReverendSpooky wrote:You'll just have to stay tuned to the world of the Radio Kings to see how it plays out

and that's exactly what I intend to do!

I'm counting on it

Tjolnir wrote:sorry for being late to the party,

this is beyond awesome. i'm a sucker for dystopian city ruins. something eerily relaxing about sitting atop a skyscraper watching the devastated landscape below in listening to the quite wind blowing through the concrete husks.
very well done and absolutely inspiring, hope there'll be more of the same setting sometime.
cheers tjolnir

No such thing as too late at this party! And glad you dig it. I think you nailed exactly the kind of vibe I was going for with this.Totally agree that the strange quiet of a place like this (Or in this case, disturbed by the howl of rock and roll) is a big part of the atmospheric appeal of post apocalyptic fiction. And don't worry, you will DEFINITELY be seeing this spot again in future shoots.

(I'm not entirely sure how I managed to miss this entire thread but there we are, better late than never! )

Rev.

Rev.
Dude, this is just...gahhhh.

The 'window' of missing bricks just immediately sets the scene in the wastelands and all the details are perfect- the tiny cassettes!! the records!!

I think my favourite shot by far is the second of Crow holding the mic and the one with his leg up on the console - he just oozes 'rock star' and I definitely get a Freddie Mercury vibe from some of the poses!

rock and roll archaeology, back from the grave of a world that no longer was.

Just that line sums everything up, I love it. The story part is beautiful too, you get such a sense of his personality even though there's no dialogue and that cliffhanger, damn it, that's the perfect/worst place to end it because now you've left us all hanging!

Regarding the music itself, I reeeeeally hope that there's some classic Rick Astley in there somewhere, and because of the lack of historical knowledge, it's treated with great reverence and nothing is known of its meme status. (or, failing that, it's somehow transcended the irony entirely and 'never gonna give you up' is even more of a meme in the future. XD)

I'm sorry, but TWELVE characters in total?! *excited bouncing* I can't wait to meet them all! It's always such a treat to see what's going on in your world and this is no exception!

(also, seconding, or thirding the shirtless Crow appreciation - I'm generally not that way inclined but he's got a definite vibe going on that I am totally all about. )

Completely blown away, Rev.

I shudder at the work that went into this, but am proud to be a viewer.

So well done, brah.

Lynkhart wrote:(I'm not entirely sure how I managed to miss this entire thread but there we are, better late than never!     )

Rev.

Rev.
Dude, this is just...gahhhh.

The 'window' of missing bricks just immediately sets the scene in the wastelands and all the details are perfect- the tiny cassettes!! the records!!

I think my favourite shot by far is the second of Crow holding the mic and the one with his leg up on the console - he just oozes 'rock star' and I definitely get a Freddie Mercury vibe from some of the poses!

rock and roll archaeology, back from the grave of a world that no longer was.

Just that line sums everything up, I love it. The story part is beautiful too, you get such a sense of his personality even though there's no dialogue and that cliffhanger, damn it, that's the perfect/worst place to end it because now you've left us all hanging!  

Regarding the music itself, I reeeeeally hope that there's some classic Rick Astley in there somewhere, and because of the lack of historical knowledge, it's treated with great reverence and nothing is known of its meme status. (or, failing that, it's somehow transcended the irony entirely and 'never gonna give you up' is even more of a meme in the future. XD)

I'm sorry, but TWELVE characters in total?! *excited bouncing* I can't wait to meet them all! It's always such a treat to see what's going on in your world and this is no exception!

(also, seconding, or thirding the shirtless Crow appreciation - I'm generally not that way inclined but he's got a definite vibe going on that I am totally all about.     )

Ah, thank you Lynkhart!!!  Your comments have completely filled my heart with warm fuzzy noise.  
So yeah, Saint Crow is like the spirit of rock and roll.  He's a sexy monster, and it just is, like physics.  Gender and preference don't even play into it.  I am totally and completely aware. lol

And so thrilled you're enjoying the story.  I really wanted to get across a sense of who he is, and for this story to come in with a real crash and a bang, so I'm so happy hear it did.  I have a new character coming in the next part, but I've cornered myself into requiring a new backdrop before I shoot it.  For all the finished characters, I have some cool idea of how I want to introduce them, and there's always some piece of the puzzle I need to build.  And for this next scene, that piece is an outdoors set, so it's gotta be big.  I already scaled back from my original idea (A full on street scene) because it just would have taken forever to build, but I still think it's going to be an impressive piece.

And Rick Astley huh?!  Oh damn, now I really want to work that in.  Like someone who just genuinely believes that's like, the greatest love song ever written, about absolute and undying commitment, without a hint of irony.  Maybe a dead serious montage that comes back up later in the story....

dadrab wrote:Completely blown away, Rev.

I shudder at the work that went into this, but am proud to be a viewer.

So well done, brah.

Thank you Dadrab!  So awesome to hear! And great to see you back around here.

Fantastic opening chapter! be great to learn a little more about Saint Crow and how he meets up with his companions. The D.J booth is excellent!

BAMComix wrote:Fantastic opening chapter! be great to learn a little more about Saint Crow and how he meets up with his companions. The D.J booth is excellent!

Thank so much BAMComix!!! This really was one of my favorite projects, and part 2 of this is close on the horizon. Going to try to do the whole 1st major plotline like this.

ReverendSpooky wrote:

BAMComix wrote:Fantastic opening chapter! be great to learn a little more about Saint Crow and how he meets up with his companions. The D.J booth is excellent!

Thank so much BAMComix!!!  This really was one of my favorite projects, and part 2 of this is close on the horizon.  Going to try to do the whole 1st major plotline like this.

Sounds fantastic Rev! and something I am so looking forward too! You really have captured my imagination with this story, really cool characters and a great plot line, can't wait!

Amazing photos. Excellent introductory installment to what I hope will become a long-running post-apocalypse tale.

"Amazing" doesn't do the photos or the diorama craftsmanship justice, but after reading through all the previous comments and conversations, well, it's all been covered pretty well, including deep dives in to the music, the "philosophy" behind the concepts behind both the story and the pictures, and a lot of technical detail on the construction and the figure design.

So yeah, "amazing," in addition to being inadequate, also applies to the in-depth online interaction generated by this piece. I say "piece," because, like a track on an album, this photo-story comes across like a work of art, which will ultimately became part of a larger whole.

Like a track on an album.

Okay, enough pretentiousness. I was gonna ask if you made or found the miniature LPs, but then I found some online. I'm guessing you made the covers and labels for the records.

Same question for the miniature cassette tape. I have not found those yet. Were they part of the Japanese model kit you mentioned?

I only recently tried using that "Pink Panther" insulation foam for the first time. It has greater density than the foam types I've used previously, so it stands up better to spray paint with only minor melting, and it carves without crumbling quite as much.

I'll be going back to check out the previous posts and character bios as soon as I get a chance.

Epic stuff. But you knew that.

davidd wrote:Amazing photos. Excellent introductory installment to what I hope will become a long-running post-apocalypse tale.

"Amazing" doesn't do the photos or the diorama craftsmanship justice, but after reading through all the previous comments and conversations, well, it's all been covered pretty well, including deep dives in to the music, the "philosophy" behind the concepts behind both the story and the pictures, and a lot of technical detail on the construction and the figure design.

So yeah, "amazing," in addition to being inadequate, also applies to the in-depth online interaction generated by this piece. I say "piece," because, like a track on an album, this photo-story comes across like a work of art, which will ultimately became part of a larger whole.

Like a track on an album.

Okay, enough pretentiousness. I was gonna ask if you made or found the miniature LPs, but then I found some online. I'm guessing you made the covers and labels for the records.

Same question for the miniature cassette tape. I have not found those yet. Were they part of the Japanese model kit you mentioned?

I only recently tried using that "Pink Panther" insulation foam for the first time. It has greater density than the foam types I've used previously, so it stands up better to spray paint with only minor melting, and it carves without crumbling quite as much.

I'll be going back to check out the previous posts and character bios as soon as I get a chance.

Epic stuff. But you knew that.

Dave,

I've found that the best way of painting insulation styrofoam is either with a brush, using wattered down acrylic artists paints like Liquitex, or with a roller. It's important to sand down your surface first however. The foam is actually a little porous and takes the paint well this way. I used to make miniature war games scenery using the blue foam and first roughing up the surface with a small rasp or surface forming tool. It absorbed the paint quite well this way.

I've also spray-painted white beaded styrofoam with Tamiya model acrylic sprays with no ill effects. I can't remember if I've tried it on the insulating foams.

davidd wrote:Amazing photos. Excellent introductory installment to what I hope will become a long-running post-apocalypse tale.

"Amazing" doesn't do the photos or the diorama craftsmanship justice, but after reading through all the previous comments and conversations, well, it's all been covered pretty well, including deep dives in to the music, the "philosophy" behind the concepts behind both the story and the pictures, and a lot of technical detail on the construction and the figure design.

So yeah, "amazing," in addition to being inadequate, also applies to the in-depth online interaction generated by this piece. I say "piece," because, like a track on an album, this photo-story comes across like a work of art, which will ultimately became part of a larger whole.

Like a track on an album.

Okay, enough pretentiousness. I was gonna ask if you made or found the miniature LPs, but then I found some online. I'm guessing you made the covers and labels for the records.

Same question for the miniature cassette tape. I have not found those yet. Were they part of the Japanese model kit you mentioned?

I only recently tried using that "Pink Panther" insulation foam for the first time. It has greater density than the foam types I've used previously, so it stands up better to spray paint with only minor melting, and it carves without crumbling quite as much.

I'll be going back to check out the previous posts and character bios as soon as I get a chance.

Epic stuff. But you knew that.

Thanks so much Davidd!!! I love the tracks on a album analogy! I'm really close to dropping the next "song," and it's going to be a loud one.

You're right on me making the record covers, and labels, and the records themselves are these black round plastic circles that are intended as bases for miniatures. I carve all the grooves with a little circle cutting tool. Any records I find online are just printed cardboard, and that wasn't going to cut it for me!

If you want a better look at them, I have some really good close up shots in this thread (not trying to just further endorse my own work, I swear!):

https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t149-saint-crow-1st-of-the-radio-kings-post-apocalyptic-warlord-king-s-currency-wasteland-salvaged-records-turntable-and-speakers-megapost

The cassettes are mixed. The Japanese radio components came with a couple of grey tapes that are decent looking, but the one better ones (and the one with the hinged plastic case) are made by a company called "Re-ment". Their scales are all over the place, but some of their stuff works great for 1/6, and these cme with the boombox and walkman they put out. Both well worth picking up.

And the insulation foam is great, right? I'm not quite a connoisseur, as Home Depot and Lowes both seem to have their brands, and I've worked well with either. The harder part is finding solid sheets, as a lot of the come "pre-scored," with premade cuts at regular increments. I'm sure it's very convenient for contractors using for the intended purpose, and are easy to just snap off at a job site. But for often us needing long stretches of uninterrupted wall or ground, it's better avoided. See below on painting.

ThePhotogsBlog wrote:

davidd wrote:Amazing photos. Excellent introductory installment to what I hope will become a long-running post-apocalypse tale.

"Amazing" doesn't do the photos or the diorama craftsmanship justice, but after reading through all the previous comments and conversations, well, it's all been covered pretty well, including deep dives in to the music, the "philosophy" behind the concepts behind both the story and the pictures, and a lot of technical detail on the construction and the figure design.

So yeah, "amazing," in addition to being inadequate, also applies to the in-depth online interaction generated by this piece. I say "piece," because, like a track on an album, this photo-story comes across like a work of art, which will ultimately became part of a larger whole.

Like a track on an album.

Okay, enough pretentiousness. I was gonna ask if you made or found the miniature LPs, but then I found some online. I'm guessing you made the covers and labels for the records.

Same question for the miniature cassette tape. I have not found those yet. Were they part of the Japanese model kit you mentioned?

I only recently tried using that "Pink Panther" insulation foam for the first time. It has greater density than the foam types I've used previously, so it stands up better to spray paint with only minor melting, and it carves without crumbling quite as much.

I'll be going back to check out the previous posts and character bios as soon as I get a chance.

Epic stuff. But you knew that.

Dave,

I've found that the best way of painting insulation styrofoam is either with a brush, using wattered down acrylic artists paints like Liquitex, or with a roller.  It's important to sand down your surface first however.  The foam is actually a little porous and takes the paint well this way.  I used to make miniature war games scenery using the blue foam and first roughing up the surface with a small rasp or surface forming tool.  It absorbed the paint quite well this way.  

I've also spray-painted white beaded styrofoam with Tamiya model acrylic sprays with no ill effects.  I can't remember if I've tried it on the insulating foams.  

Photogsblog, I agree 100% on painting. I stick with a brush, some water, and tons of acrylic paint. I buy the big cheap craftstore bottles for painting foam. No needs to go through gobs of expensive hobby paint. I never spray paint foam, but I have heard that if you're going to, a solid base coat of acrylic paint will help minimize the melting. For the radio station, I wanted painted concrete, so I did a light grey, then a few washes of watered-way-down black and brown to get things good and grimy. I'll often apply a 2nd color with a sponge, barely any at a time, and build it up for some depth, before I hit with a wash.

I'll have to try the roller some day!