Question about Kimono Troops and BAM Comix setting

I am wondering about the setting of these 2 comics, because in Kimono Troops, its mentioned there was WWIII, a Second US Civil War, the Second Korea War and the like and I was wondering when that all went down and what sort of world is even left after all those wars. BAM Comix seems to reference old Action Man and GI JOE stories that are out of mine timeline, and there is also The Doctor running around (the 10th Doctor to be precise) and now I wonder if there are other incarnations of him in this setting.

Also, I can get behind the alien stuff, but whats with the magic? I mean at least thats mentioned in relation to Redbox being undead and immortal for some reason and that its a magic spell, something I cant hardly get behind when you have The Doctor around, meaning you have super advanced aliens with god powers that could do the same.

I ask all this, because if I ever want to collaborate, I need to know what goes and what doesnt and at least have some idea whats going on in this world.

What is referred to as "magic" is more likely an advanced form of hypnosis, telekinesis, or "the power of suggestion," that is, some kind of psychological "mind games," amplified in some way  using harmonics or electromagnetic frequencies, with an additional ability to manipulate matter and energy in ways that are not entirely understood. The "magic" was first employed by Sakkara, a demon character, who was released in a BAMComix story called "Journey to the Centre of Dinosaur Valley."

It is to the Demon Girl's advantage to portray herself as invincible with "magical" powers, but in this case, the "magic" is more akin to an as yet not understood ability to manipulate matter, energy, and possibly the fabric of time and space, similar to what The Doctor can do with the assistance of his TARDIS, with an additional ability to strongly influence perceptions. To dismiss the "magic" as "sleight of hand" might be simplistic, but it is also accurate. The Demon Girl uses what others don't know against them.

This, at least, is how I interpret the appearance of "magic" in the story arc.

I'm sure ThePhotogsBlog aka K-Troop will weigh in here shortly. There are currently five participants in the overall story. Each of us started with a self-contained "world" (although BAMComix has engaged in previous joint stories with other members of the AMMO forum). There are differences among the worlds, including, initially, space and time differences - where they are, when they are, and what the state of the overall world was like.

To a large extent, the "trick" (another one of that Devil Girl's pesky mind games) is that we ignore the differences among our "worlds" and focus on the similarities.

I have taken steps to blend my own installments in to those of Kimono Troop Command. In return, Kimono Troop Command has relaxed some of his "backstory" to allow for the existence of other Commands.

K-Troop can fill you in with more detail, but my understanding is that the story is set in a nebulously defined "near future" era. Global wars, including those you mentioned, have occurred, leaving much of the world devastated, bleak, wiped out, a Mad Maxian wasteland. Other areas, including much of the UK, have survived virtually unscathed.

Technology runs the gamut from feudal barbarianism to ultra-modern high tech (see the story chapters from Spy Camp and Mister Popper).

And other than Jake Rivers of BAM-HQ, most of the characters range from slightly off-kilter to flat-out insane.

I'll let BAM and K-Troop provide more detail and context, but that's a rough overview as I understand it.

Oh, and, the primary plot hinges around tracking down a number of "alien artifacts" while gathering intel on rumored "robotic dinosaurs."

For a general overview of how the various Command HQs work together, which is what ultimately resulted in the group story project, see the following topic, the origin of the S.I.M.O.N. treaty. The initial prompt was posted at both OSF and AMMO and evolved slightly differently on each forum.

Sorry, Wrong Number: The SIMON Treaty

As it appears on the OSF site:

https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t3417-collaborative-project-the-simon-treaty

As it appears on the AMMO site:

https://actionmanmobileops.forumotion.co.uk/t11148-kamiko-komics-blond-action-man-sorry-wrong-damned-number-simon-treaty

- - - - -

Whereas I personally started with a much more serious, post-apocalyptic theme, my universe quickly evolved into a comic-book style series of short stories with a strong comedic element.  First, I included Kamiko Takahara, which had previously existed as a DAZ 3D character in other stories, and secondly, the inclusion of Erika von Stroheim cemented the silliness.  To boot, the more I started to interact with both Dave and Dal, the more I realized that there were enough loose ends...enough vagueness and lack of certainty as to an exact timeline or what was going on outside of everyone else's universes that we could merge them fairly easily, without contradiction.  For instance, my focus on the US, Japan, China and Russia in WWIII made no mention of what happened anywhere else, though once or twice, I mead mention of Germany having been severely damaged also, just as a reason to have Erika von Stroheim seek refuge in the new world.  


Without going into a full evolution, I give you bit of a rundown of things as they are.  

There has been a nuclear war between the Russians and Chinese on one hand and the US and it's NATO allies on the other.  I've been very vague as to the cause, but have recently mentioned that a Chinese invasion of Japan had something to do with it.  The Russians and the Chinese caught the worst of it, but the US did not get off unscathed and in it's wake, followed an economic collapse, followed by a Civil War between the government in Washington and the fanatic followers of a former president  with dictatorial ambitions who shall remain nameless, though I think you know who I mean.  This leaves the United states badly fractured, and weakened as some parts of the country have successfully seceded.  There is a constant low-level of Civil War in the southwest, where much of the male population was wiped out by a plague.  

The UK then once again becomes the world's dominant power and the parts of the US still loyal to Washington form "His Majesty's United States" which like Canada and Australia are nominally independent but accept the British Monarch as the head of state.  This has not really played very much into our scenarios.  It's just background.  Parallel to this a new ultra secret and ultra-powerful inter-governmental agency known (or not) as the Secret Intelligence and Military Operations Network (S.I.M.O.N.) was formed to combat the growing threats from resurgent Russia, evil villains and space aliens, etc.  By the mutual agreements of the participatory governments,  S.I.M.O.N. agents and units have extraordinary powers to act independently.  

Kamiko ID by Gary  Menten, on Flickr

ID reverse side by Gary  Menten, on Flickr


SIMON Treaty Documents (1) by Gary  Menten, on Flickr

SIMON Treaty Documents (2) by Gary  Menten, on Flickr

SIMON Treaty Documents (3) by Gary  Menten, on Flickr

K-Troop, aka Kimono Troop is an elite mostly female commando and black ops unit stationed in hill country to the North-West of Roswell, NM.  Originally a small mercenary unit unit fighting for the state government of New Mexico it is now a S.I.M.O.N. unit working closely with with BAM HQ, SCU HQ, and Spy Training Camp.  It is commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Kamiko Takahara, though within the S.I.M.O.N. frame work, all unit Commanding Officer's hold the S.I.M.O.N. rank of "Commander."  

Kamiko is a Japanese-American (Nisei) woman of pure Japanese ancestry but whose family has been in America since around 1900.  Born and raised in San Francisco, she spent her teen years and twenties in Japan and served in the Sino-Japanese war, and according to rumor, was an assassin for Japanese military intelligence. The name "Kamiko" translates into "Little Goddess" and it is believed by some that she is descendant of Tomoe Gozen, a mythical female samurai.  It is also believed by some that she is watched over by the Kami or gods, and cannot be killed by mortal men, though she openly dismisses this as nonsense.  As a sign of her contempt for death and her enemies, she always wears a red silk bow in her hair, including in combat, insisting that it is a lucky charm.  It remains a mystery if any of this is true, but despite hundreds of bullets having been aimed at her over the years, none of them has ever hit her.  

Page_1 by Gary  Menten, on Flickr

Other key figures in K-Troop are Captain Glynnis Penny-Farthing (second in command) and Dr Laura Neville, chief engineer, chief science officer and head of K-Troop's nascent flight section.  

Pilots Wanted by Gary  Menten, on Flickr
Dr. Laura Neville

Page_1 by Gary  Menten, on Flickr
Left to Right,  Kamiko Takahara, Laura Neville, Glynnis Penny-Farthing.  


Kamiko has a very warm, cordial and professional relationship with BAM HQ Commander Jake Rivers whom she deeply respects.  They speak on the phone often.

Page 8 by Gary  Menten, on Flickr

Phone props incidentally, or radios are THE props are the most important to having our characters interact.  


Kamiko has a good, if somewhat tricky relationship with General Dwight Douglas MacCuster, an old war horse the US Army did not have the heart to retire, and so they gave him command of SCU Command.  Though he is at times difficult to get along with, he is an excellent soldier who tries hard to hide his softer side.

Page 11 by Gary  Menten, on Flickr

An Invitation to K-Troop by davidd, on Flickr

Radio Interference II – 7/10 by davidd, on Flickr

One of K-Troop's only male members is a retired MI-6 agent, now working for S.I.M.O.N.

Page_4 by Gary  Menten, on Flickr

He seems to get along rather poorly with Jake River's superior, Tiberius Tibias.

Page_13 by Gary  Menten, on Flickr

For the record, the Roger Moore version of James Bond seems to hang around BAM HQ.  The way we explain there being two James Bond's is that "James Bond" is the the named permanently assigned to whoever holds the number 007, though mine was probably the first to hold it.  When he retired, he was knighted and changed his named to Sir James Ian Bond-Fleming, while the chap who looks like Simon Templar took over his old job and name.  This is all explained in Ch 29 of the joint comic, "Auld Agents, Auld Problems."  

This brings me to the character of Erika von Stroheim and why there seem to be people running around in the 21st century wearing WWII German uniforms....Okay, this requires explanation. A bit if whisky might make things make more sense as well.

Page_5 by Gary  Menten, on Flickr

Erika is a tragic figure. Once a promising young officer in the Bundeswehr, she suffered a traumatic brain injury in Afghanistan which left large sections of her memory wiped out.  As nature abhors a vacuum, her brain filled in the blank spaces with parts of her great grandfather's memoirs. He was actually a Nazi and served with Rommel in North Africa. After her discharge from the Bundeswehr, Erika made her way to South America where she apparently has many cousins whose great grandfathers came there after 1945.....Great Grandpapa also left her an MP40 submachine gun, his Walther, some of his old uniforms which she had tailored to fit her, and secret map and detailed plans for the Nazi takeover of America using arms and equipment caches, smuggled in by submarine and stored in the dry caves of the American Southwest.  Originally, the plan was they were to be used by the large American Nazi party of the 1930's and early 40's, but that never happened and these caches were largely forgotten by everyone except for Erika's great grandpa....

Erika's brain damage is severe enough she usually doesn't recognize what year it is, though she is somewhat more lucid when on her medication. However her medication is hard to come by in these difficult times.  Long story short, along with her many cousins, who also it seems had WWII uniforms and weapons hidden away in old trunks in the attic, she made her way to New Mexico, where she is now a thorn in the side of K-Troop.  

That's a lot to take in for now, so I'll leave it here and leave it to Dave of SCU_HQ to explain the bizarre friendship that's evolved between Kamiko and Dr. Evil, who has a strong crush on her, and the secret alliance between Kamiko and Monday Jones.

Okay, I have thought long and hard about your question ZeroDelta as I wanted to answer it as best as I can.
BAM-HQ is a secret organization of the British Secret Service, They are a Black Op's unit that are employed and protected by MI6 and now the Secret Organization known as S.I,M.O.N. Commander Jake Rivers is in charge of missions that are above Top Secret. Tiberius Tibias, a senior MI6 Agent set it all up. Over the years Rivers and his team and investigated and carried out missions that border on the strange.
Over the years, Rivers has crafted alliances with many HQ's across the globe, which he calls upon for their specialist skill set, from Assassins, Super heroes, specialist scientists, aliens and even demons and supernatural specialists.
They started out as a an of the mill black ops, carrying out many missions. Things started to change when while laying communications underground, a vast series of caves was discovered which they have found many strange things, from living dinosaurs to inter-dimensional gate ways! further exploration has revealed that they go deep underground, and is hypnotized that they link continents and may even hold the entrance to 'Hollow Earth'.  It was the discovery of this Valley that first attracted the attention of the Doctor. Since then he has stayed close to BAM-HQ as a consultant, he isn't always there but turns up when needed. Having the Valley also allows us to call from both myth and legend as well as Scifi elements.
It is these portals of an ancient civilization that have opened doorways through a thin Vail in the fabric of time and space, allowing for anything to come through. It is for this reason that 'Dinosaur Valley' is above top Secret.
The advantage to this set up allows me to bring in characters from any timeline, universe or time. This also  allows me to use everything from advanced tech, to magic.
As for our timeline, from my perspective, the United Kingdom has so far managed to stay un-war-torn for the want of a better expression, while wars seem to be raging in other places.
I hope this goes someway to helping you understand how your own characters may can fit into BAMComix. If you get an idea, drop myself, Gary or Dave a pm, and we can sort out the details to get you involved, which would be awesome! or anyone else for that matter, we love new folks joining in.

When I get a minute, I will also post the first installments of Hidden In The Shadows, our current story that is running.

Suggested steps for joining our fun:

1. Create your own HQ. Give it a name, assign a commander, and members.

2. Select a country or region in which it is located. In my Erika back story, I remarked that Germany had been badly damaged in WWWIII, and if you want your setting to be a war torn modern Germany, that's fine, but if want a Germany that's not war torn, that's also okay. No-one cares that much about that detail in Erika's back story. There is nothing that says your setting must be Germany either. My setting is in New Mexico but I live in Canada. It's simply that war-ravaged regions with much lawlessness provide an good background for organizations trying to save and rebuild the world. Your unit could be based on an Island in the Caribbean or have a secret base inside Mount Rushmore....it doesn't matter; we'll gladly accept whatever scenario you come up with.

3. Define it's mission, and draw up a back story for the characters that is as brief or as detailed as you want it to be.

4. Do the same for your "enemy" figures / organization. Be as creative as you like. They could be a SPECTRE-like criminal organization, evil modern-day neo nazis, agents of a real or imaginary foreign country, aliens who've taken human form, mutants.

5. create a small diorama representing your HQ, (can be simple like mine or complex like Dal's) from which your HQ commander can communicate with other HQ commander's. Make sure you have either a phone (mobile or landline,) or a radio for stories where you communicate with other HQ's.

It's really all very easy. If you don't have the ability to create speech balloons, you can send your pics to Dal, Dave or I with instructions on who says what in each pic and we'll do it for you. If you want to go the whole hog however, the three of us use an inexpensive bit of software called "Comic Life 3, which can be bought online and is so intuitive and easy to use you will be up and at it within minutes.

Stories can be serious or humorous or both. We don't care. Just as long as you have fun creating them.

ThePhotogsBlog wrote:Suggested steps for joining our fun:  

1.  Create your own HQ. Give it a name, assign a commander, and members. ...
It's really all very easy.

And once you have come up with a headquarters name and a commander, have them "call in" to this topic:

https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t3257-attention-all-unit-commanders-please-report-your-unit-location-and-status

Thanks for all the information, that is very helpful.

ZeroDelta wrote:Thanks for all the information, that is very helpful.

You're more than welcome and we hope to have you join us if and when you should ever feel ready. There are few hard and fast rules about our little play universe and very little is off-limits, if anything. The main idea is to have fun. Also, since you can pick your own distinct and unique geographical area in which to stage you unit adventures, you can decide for yourself what has happened there and what the world looks like in that area, though if you should choose any part of the South or western US, please contact us for further details as we might have written up something about that area.

Will do. I still have to think about the one or other thing, specially how to setup a Command Center Diorama with the limited space I have and I would also have to get the one or other Props for it as well.

ZeroDelta wrote:I still have to think about the one or other thing, specially how to setup a Command Center Diorama with the limited space I have....

A "command center diorama" is another project that does not need to be complicated. It can be, and I certainly wish I had an "office" like BAM-HQ. For now, though, I am using this simple partial room for nearly all of my scenes:


I print out posters and decorations I find online and tape them to the walls for different scenes. I made a desk out of a cardboard box, tape, and string.

For another setting, I "copied" the Kimono Troop Command Centre by using part of a paper map I picked up at a local restaurant taped to a bamboo placemat that was glued to a sheet of cardboard:


Until you have the time and space to construct a "command centre," you can easily fake it with a "temporary command centre" that is simple and inexpensive. Find a chair, a table, and a telephone or radio... even the telephone or radio is not entirely necessary... and you're set!

What Dave says is exactly true. This tiny little area serves as Kamiko's command center.

081521_0011 by Gary Menten, on Flickr

However when dressed with a few props, and the field of view is narrowed...

Page_1 by Gary Menten, on Flickr

Page_3 by Gary Menten, on Flickr

Hidden In The Shaddows 11 by Gary Menten, on Flickr

Were did you guys get the tables and other probs from anyway?

Table and folding chair from Giantoy in China
https://giantoy.com/products/1-6-scale-furniture-table-desk-chair-for-12-action-figure-solider

Telephone from Monkey Depot in Arizona
https://www.monkeydepot.com/Tool_DiD_WWII_Telephone_Black_p/dl2010.htm

Note: Monkey Depot is an excellent source for parting out pieces from sets.  While I tend to buy most of my figures from Giantoy, 90% of my small parts come from Monkey Depot.  They have an excellent service and you can order something, pay for it and leave the order on hold until you have more stuff to ship.  This is what I've learned to do. Their site is updated daily between 6PM and 8PM Eastern time and I check them out every night. When I see one or to things I want, I pay for them and place the order on hold.  I repeat the process until I have enough to justify shipping costs then have them ship to me via economy mail.  

Correctly scaled whisky bottles; ebay
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/263523407044

Beer bottles, handcuffs wooden stool....all parted out from Monkey Depot.  I strongly recommend checking them out.  You will find all sorts of neat stuff there.  

If you want a really nice office chair, try this one from Jiaou Dolls
https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/85722

Big Bad Toy Store is another extremely reputable dealer, though you should be able to find this chair on e-bay also.

The rifle rack came from a dealer on ebay.  I can't find a listing for them any more, but there are plenty of "modular weapons racks listed."

The various maps are usually parted out and gotten from Monkey Depot.  Monkey Depot also has a fair number of beer bottles, wine bottles, coke bottles...all correctly scaled...no 1/12th stuff passing itself off for 1/6th scale

I should point out that there is a lot of WWII era stuff in my collection, even though our timeline is in the future.  One reason is that a lot of it looks cool, but also, stuff from that era was built to last and will continue working when a lot of our our modern electronics have been burned out by EMP caused by nuclear detonations or whatever.....Also, if you need a set of binoculars let's say and all you find are WWII issue ones, well, binoculars haven't changed all that much since WWII.  Luger's, though very dated, are still iconic pistols and because of their appearance in both WWII films and early Cold War era films they sort of make great "bad-guy" pistols.  If you watched films made in the 50's or 60's even the 70's the chances are that if the guy is carrying a Luger, he / she is a bad guy.  An exception would be the Modesty Blaise films with Monica Vitti.

I have a lot of MP40 submachine guns in my collection, not only because they were used by Nazi Germany and my villains tend to use them, but also because after WWII, captured German MP40's were taken out of by the victorious allies and either used by their own troops or sold around the world and continued to pop up in conflicts at least until Yugoslavia unraveled in the 1990's.  They were also a bad-guy weapon movies of the early Cold War, before we had AK-47s available to conver to movie guns.  Again...all of mine came from Monkey Depot.

Again, the style and look that you decide to convey for your team / operatives whatever is entirely up to you.  You will not find any of us telling what your team should look like, be armed with what the decor and furniture should look like in your HQ.

Thanks for all the info, I really appreciate it

Here is a review of the Jiaou "Boss Chair" --
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t1869-jiaou-doll-boss-chair-review

Another office chair, from ZC world in a later post in the same topic.

Monkey Depot also has some very nice wooden tables that are parted out from radio operator sets.

https://www.monkeydepot.com/Table_DiD_Brown_Wooden_Table_p/dl1867.htm

They also sell the stool for it

https://www.monkeydepot.com/Stool_DiD_Wooden_Stool_Seat_p/dl2659.htm

It's really worth going through all of the their loose parts: Axis WWII, Allied WWII, Modern, and female, as there are tons of items there you might want-need.

Ah thank you. Say did DID not make a large desk and chair for their Putin figure? I had some ideas regarding that desk.

I forget who did it, but at least one of the nice desks out there is actually a carboard shape you fold together.

DiD did a cardboard version of the Oval Office's Resolute Desk. There are some available on Monkey Depot

https://www.monkeydepot.com/Desk_DiD_Resolute_Desk_Chair_READ_NOTES_p/dl3107.htm

Say, if you guys want I could talk about about what I have in mind world building wise and what my plans are. Is that okay with you folks?

ZeroDelta wrote:Say, if you guys want I could talk about about what I have in mind world building wise and what my plans are. Is that okay with you folks?

Go for it

ZeroDelta wrote:Is that okay with you folks?

Of course! I'm definitely wondering what you have in mind!

Plus... it's your topic!

Well, okay then, here goes nothing:

I was thinking about the SEcond American Civil war and it dawned on me that one of the most interesting ways to depict it comes form a book and video game called "Shattered Union". In that, a Controversial Presidential Candidate gets to power in one of the most contested Presidential Elections in the history of the country. That leads to unrest and a rise in domestic terrorism.

The Crackdown regarding that, leads to more push back, until its time for re-election. Despite having several Candidates running against the Unpopular President, the election is not clear and lands at the Supreme Court, who decides to back the sitting President, to the dismay of many. As he is giving his Second Inauguration Speech, a massive truck bomb kills the President and his staff (in the game/book, a nuclear warhead wipes out DC).

For the first time, the US has to call in for its Designated survivor to be sworn in as President. However, many states dont accept this, and declare that they are no longer following orders from DC. As in the words of the Texan Governor: "The Union is dead"

As more states seceded in the south, the nation falls into Chaos and the second civil war begins. Unlike the first Civil War, with both sides having sophisticated military hardware, the war is brutal and devastating. After 3 years of war, its over.....

With the war over, the question is, what to do now. For the first time, elections are held after the war, and the path is clear, as a new President is elected, its time to reform what should be one nation, then Future Glory awaits:


The US Reform, under a new flag, under a new system, under a new Government, for the people, by the people, with the people. Those that had led the old US into disaster are now either dead, have fled or await trail. The path is now open for new ways.

The Civil War had a great effect on everyone, the biggest impact was on Canada, as refugees streamed over the border. At one point things got so bad, that Canada decided to intervene on the side of the Union States.

This was not forgotten and as a result, the USA and Canada created the North American Union using the EU as a blueprint:


This is where we stand now, but as the US was busy sorting itself out, a new enemy to the world would appear.

Anyone familiar with the game series Metal Slug? In it, The Rebel Army (also known as the Rebellion Army), led by General Donald Morden, is the main enemy of the Regular Army. They started the war against the Regular Army in 2026. Thats one of the bad guy organizations in this setting, but they are better known under the name Shadow Empire. While Morden seemingly is the leader of it, there is actually a supreme leader that is above him that no one knows how he looks like, always kept in the Shadows.

2 recurring bad guys from that group are Colonel Olrik (for those who know Blake & Mortimer will know), a shadowy eastern European spy master, military advisor and ruthless killer, and Colonel Staggart, a ruthless ex-special forces operative that is now a mercenary for hire and who is obsessed with human perfection.

Then there is the organization simply known as SMOG (with nobody having an idea what the letters stand for), a shadowy organization that is very similar to SPECTRE or HARM, a espionage syndicate that is after new technology, artifacts and power. They do whatever it necessary to reach their nebolus goal.

If that isnt all, it seems earth is target of malevolent forces that originate from elsewhere, their cults operating here on earth, to open the gates so those unspeakable horrors can roam free again.

So, who is there to defend us?

Europe created the European Defense Force/League as a result of the US being busy with its civil war:

Its the main defense body of the EU and main part of NATO.

The US created the Defense Resources Agency, the name is a bit misleading on purpose, its a military intelligence agency, tasked with fighting the threats facing the US and the world.

Then there is also Department X (Roman numeral 10), of the Department of Homeland Security. The organization dates back to 1928 and was created after the Innsmouth Raid, to deal with threats that are inhuman in nature. It had various names over the years and is now part of Homeland Security.

There is more to this, like Russia having a second civil war as well and reforming as the Russian Union, China creating the East Asian Hegemony, as a counter to the Asian Confederation, Japan trying to be an Empire again, South America trying to form a Union and then falling apart again and much more.

What do you guys think?