D.U.S.K. - 28 EP (Fist in the Eye Records)

D.U.S.K. is a collection of experimental music inspired by the grim darkness of the far future!

Warhammer 40,000’s tag line is “In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.” That phrase, along with the game’s oppressive bleakness in concept and imagery, has led to the coining of the phrase “grimdark”. The game and its setting have inspired hobbyists worldwide to create miniatures exploring the nightmares of a war-torn future, each trying their best to embody the nihilistic horror of grimdark. This inspiration has also captured the imagination of musicians, though this receives less attention on hobby blogs and websites. The legendary British death metal band Bolt Thrower famously released a Warhammer 40,000-themed album called Realm of Chaos, which included Games Workshop artwork for the album cover (my teenage self thought Bolt Thrower was far too harsh for my tastes, though I eventually came to appreciate the band as I got older). While extreme metal might seem like the obvious choice to explore a desolate future, other genres have been doing the same with equal success. Dark ambient musicians like Lustmord have been trawling the depths of cosmic bleakness for decades (Lustmord’s album Dark Matter has a song called "Astronomicon", which was created using audio from cosmological recordings acquired during space missions from NASA and other sources). Simon Heath's dark ambient record label Cryochamber abounds with artists creating droney music to score any dystopian science fiction film/story/game effectively. Heath even created a Warhammer 40,000-inspired playlist. Beyond dark ambient music, other experimental music genres lend themselves well to grimdark settings, merging elements of noise, tape loops, field recordings, and dungeon synth. D.U.S.K., a compilation EP of experimental music created by miniature gaming hobbyists, is a new example of music inspired by war-torn futures.

28 Collected Kickstarter: Trench Crusade Combat Biologist

Variants Of Concern.

28, in conjunction with Dave Taylor Miniatures, is running a Kickstater campaign to publish a physical version of 28 magazine, collecting many excellent articles from the past 6 issues of the digital magazine! The Kickstarter is only running for a few more days, but has exceeded its funding goal and unlocked a host of fun stretch goals. One of the unlocked stretch goals is providing every backer with an STL file to 3D print a miniature for Trench Crusade! The miniature, a Combat Biologist, was sculpted by 28’s very own James Sherriff! We were fortunate to get a copy of the model and did some minor conversion work on it. We hope to paint it soon. We encourage everyone to look at the Kickstarter and consider getting a copy before the campaign ends next week!

28 Collected Kickstarter!

We are excited to say that 28, in conjunction with Dave Taylor Miniatures, just started a Kickstater campaign to publish a physical version of 28 magazine, collecting many excellent articles from the past 6 issues of the digital magazine! Since the first issue was released in 2018, people have been asking for a printed version of the magazine, so we are happy that this is finally becoming a reality. The three of us have been involved with 28 since its inception, where we have been editors and writers. The printed volume will be a 320-page, hardback book, with almost 50 different articles. One of these articles was written by the three of us, talking about our Vastarian: Dreams of the Pious open invitational! We encourage everyone to look at the Kickstarter and consider getting a copy!

28 Vol. 6 out now!

John Blanche is the feature artist!

We are excited to announce that volume 6 of the digital magazine 28 is finally out! As always, it is free to download from their website. It is filled with all sorts of grim hobby content, along with an interview from the legendary John Blanche! We also wrote an article for the issue, talking about our inspiration for starting Vastarian! It was a long road completing the volume, but we are glad it is finally complete and hope you enjoy it!

32 - Episode 17: Interview with Trent from Miscast

In the latest episode of 32, Eric talks with artist and YouTuber Trent Holbrook, known as Miscast. We talk about his journey through the hobby and his DIY ethos for approaching it.

32, Chapter 12 - H.P. Lovecraft on vinyl, an interview with Chris Bozzone of Cadabra Records

In this episode of 32, Eric and Greg Wier interview Chris Bozzone, a composer and musician from Cadabra Records. Cadabra Records is a vinyl record label that has been tirelessly promoting weird fiction, both newer and older authors, with amazing spoken word recordings of short stories, each with their own musical accompaniment. Since their start in 2015, they have produced a staggering number of releases featuring classics by H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allen Poe, Clark Ashton Smith, and M.R. James, along with newer authors like Thomas Ligotti, Jon Padgett, and Matthew M. Bartlett. In the episode we talk about how the record label started and how they produce so many varied works. We also touch on the live performances they do, like the recent Nightlands Festival.

28 Vol. 5 out now!

We are excited to announce that volume 5 of the digital magazine 28 is finally out! As always, it is free to download from their website. It is filled with all sort of grim hobby content, along with some excellent interviews and tutorials. It was a long road editing the volume, but we are glad it is finally complete and hope you enjoy it!

32, Chapter 10 - Angels of Death: Origin

In the first episode of 32 for 2023, Eric Wier and Alexander Winberg get together to chat about Warhammer +/ Warhammer TV. While they intended to watch and discuss the Angels of Death CGI series, Alex discovered that Warhammer TV is not available in Finland (at least at the time of the recording). Due to this, they instead watched an episode of the prequel series, Angels of Death Origins, because it was made available on YouTube.

32, Chapter 7 - Gaslands: Refueled

Gaslands!

For the seventh episode of 32, Eric Wier and Alexander Winberg talk about what they have been working on in the hobby and touch on the upcoming 28 project, SKULLS. The main topic of the episode is reviewing a miniature game of vehicular mayhem: Gaslands: Refueled. They talk about how the game plays, along with how easy it is to pick up, even for non-miniature gamers. They also touch on converting toy cars to fit the post-apocalyptic theme of the game.

32, Chapter 6 - Interview with Kevin Rahman, designer of Forbidden Psalm: KillSampleProcess

In chapter 6, Alexander Winberg is joined by game designer Kevin Rahman-Daultrey to talk about his newest Kickstarter and expansion of the Forbidden Psalm miniatures game, KillSampleProcess. They talk about the new game, based on the rpg CY_BORG, before talking at length about his game design process. They also chat about some of his upcoming projects and his love of the film Mutant Chronicles, which he admits is terrible.

32, Chapter 5 - Steve Rowlinson + Folk Horror

“an environment built, not for man, but for man's absence." J G Ballard.

In chapter 5 Alexander Winberg is joined by hobby enthusiast Steve Rowlinson and they discuss folk horror and how it creeps into games like the Weald. We also talk about community creation and the peculiar kind of person who is attracted to all this strangeness. And of course, we round it all out with a good chat about folkhammer, where Warhammer meets folk horror and everyone is strange.

32, Episode 4: Drachenfels

The start of Warhammer Horror.

For the fourth episode of 32, Eric Wier and Alexander Winberg talk about the 1989 horror classic Drachenfels by Kim Newman, of the Anno Dracula fame. We chat about the novel’s interesting place in the Old World, and how things have both stayed the same and also changed in the Warhammer world since it was first written. We also talk about its unusual characters and interesting plot structure: a jailed playwright and vampire from Bretonnia creating a dramatization of the defeat of the dreaded Drachenfels.

28 Presents: International Women's Day 2022

Happy International Women's Day!

 
Happy International Women’s Day! Like last year, to celebrate IWD and Women’s History month, 28 created its second special issue, 28 Presents: IWD 2022 special. At 89 pages, it is 34 pages longer than last year, featuring 27 incredibly talented women who take part in this miniature hobby! Do yourself a favor and download the new issue, along with 2021’s issue if you haven’t seen it yet.

28 Volume 4 is out!

 

Volume 4!

I am excited to say that the fourth volume of the Inq28/AoS28 magazine 28 is out and free for download! It has been a long time in the making, collecting and editing articles, but it was worth the wait! Like the previous issues, it is filled with all sorts of exciting articles covering topics like terrain building, painting, photography, and converting models. While my brothers and I did not directly write an article in the new issue, we were responsible for curating questions and contacting the creators of MÖRK BORG for the interview within the new issue. So if you haven't already, go download the new volume!

32, Episode 2: War of the Orks

Quite a different direction from the Black Library.

I am happy to say that Alex and I were able to record the second episode of 28’s podcast, 32! In it, we discuss the contentious topic of the children-friendly Warhammer Adventure books, having both read the 4th entry into the Warped Galaxies series: War of the Orks. Give the episode a listen to learn what they thought about the story and the series as a whole. If you are trying to find it on your favorite podcast platform, I suggest searching: 32 Team 28.

28 Challenge: Iron Snake Female Space Marine painted

“If your life is given in service to the Emperor, your death shall not be in vain.”

Earlier this month I finished converting a female Space Marine from an old plastic Rogue Trader Space Marine. The model was created for 28’s most recent challenge, designed to explore what female Space Marines might look like. We at Between the Bolter and Me are of the mindset that female Space Marines would look largely identical to their male counterparts, as shown by the Dark Angel Space Marines we recently painted and the Rogue Trader conversion. Having finished the conversion, I needed to decide how to paint the model. Having painted an Iron Snake earlier last year, I decided she would look great in their livery!

28 Challenge: Female Dark Angel Space Marines finished

Two Female Dark Angel Space Marines!

Last month I painted a lightly-converted female Dark Angel for 28’s current challenge. It was a fun process and one that pushed me to paint another immediately afterwards. Instead of painting it exactly like the first, using zenithal highlights, I decided to try a drybrushing/stippling method Richard Gray made some YouTube videos on. Although he used the method to paint an Ultramarine and an Imperial Fist Space Marine, I decided to adapt the method using the paints I had on my first Dark Angel.

28 Challenge: Female Space Marine Conversion Complete

The female Space Marine (center) is similar in height to a normal Space Marine (left), but is much more naturally proportioned. She is smaller than a Primaris scale Space Marine (right), however.

Over the last few months, we have been working on creating some female Space Marines for 28’s most recent challenge, which has a deadline coming up at the end of the month. While Eric recently painted a Dark Angel for the competition, I have been working on converting one using an old plastic Rogue Trader Space Marine. Although the model was largely finished in the last post, I decided to spend some additional time fine tuning the conversion, including adding additional equipment and modifying her boltgun. With the conversion finally finished, I wanted to share some pictures before I begin the painting process!

28 Challenge: Female Dark Angel Space Marine

Two of the mightiest female warriors ready to purge heretics in the name of the Emperor!

A little while back, we converted a female Space Marine out of an original Rogue Trader plastic model for 28’s most recent challenge. Although the announcement of the challenge was largely well received, as anticipated there was a vocal minority who were upset by it, decrying cancel culture and other inane criticisms. Some “clever” commenters thought they were educating the 28 team by telling them that female Space Marines would look nigh identical to male ones, due to their bulky power armor. This point is self-evident, and to emphasize it, I thought it would be worthwhile to paint one of the Dark Angels I converted years back out of Primaris Space Marines for the challenge!

28 Challenge: Female Space Marine WIP

Female Space Marine WIP

It seems that no matter how hard I try to work on non-Space Marine models, I am always drawn back to them. This time, however, I had a better reason than normal: to make a female Space Marine! I was motivated to try my hand at representing one due to the recently revealed challenge sponsored by Helge Wilhelm Dahl and the digital magazine 28. The challenge is incredibly simple, just create your own interpretation of a female Space Marine in Warhammer 40k, using any medium you like, and send pictures of your entries to submissions@28-mag.com by August 31st.