Scottie, Mike- thanks awfully chaps! Means a great deal to get such support from mogglers of your calibre
Ok then, having spent a few months building the “Brolly”, it was time to give her some context. I decided on a side street in Baghdad, being guarded by a US Marine, having been abandoned by Militia as the US Forces occupied the city. First off was a small base, which I coated in tile grout, primed and then painted in various toast-shades of oil paint:
The cinderblock wall was made out of a polystyrene pizza base, as were the kerbstones. Next up, I decided on an olive tree to lurk behind the wall, made from a bit of tree root and sea foam foliage:
Whenever I see footage of the Iraq War, I am always struck by how much filth is strewn about. I appreciate that public services were probably somewhat disrupted during the war though. I decided I fancied including a rubbish heap in the corner of the scene, and collated some resin rubbish, a Meng dumpster and a bit of homemade crap:
It becomes obvious why someone would throw away a mattress here:
The figure was an old one from Mig Productions, and depicts a Marine in a MOPP suit (Method of Protective Posture, a frankly idiotic mnemonic), the US version of NBC gear, which the advance forces were ordered to wear in case Saddam deployed his arsenal of WMDs (ha!). By all accounts it was hideous to wear in the Iraqi heat. Of course, they were in forest camouflage, not desert.
His arms didn’t fit all that well, and he was missing the tips of his finger & thumb, so I made good with green stuff. His M16 needed a new barrel & a strap too:
Next instalment: painting the little man!
Alistair☠️