The second half of 2018 has been a busy and exciting time, despite some sorrowful and frustrating personal events. In August when we announced our upcoming line of WatchGuard miniatures, I was hopeful that we could launch our first two models for sale by the end of October. Well, it's past the end of October and Spider-Squirrel and Trash Panda aren't out yet, so what's the deal right?
Our sculptor has been doing a fantastic job, knocking things out of the park time and again. I can't wait to show everyone more of his work, because it's absolutely amazing. I've included renders and photos of the master prints for Ultra-Urbanite and Manowar here and I hope you'll agree they're pretty awesome.
I've been working closely with the caster to make sure that our models are cut properly for easy assembly when you get them on your hobby table. If you're like me, you just want to get them painted and start gaming!
The main source of delay has been me. I've requested different master prints from several sources in order to compare the level of detail. I wanted to make sure that we got it correct right from the start, so all of the glorious sculpted detail comes through in the final product.
I'm happy to say that we're getting very close. Once I receive the next batch of master prints I'll be sending sculpts for six characters off to be painted and photographed. Painting can be done concurrently with casting. The card and packaging design is undergoing some tweaking, and the printing process only takes a few days once I submit them to the printer.
The last big unknown for us now are potential shipping delays. Canada Post is currently doing their rotating strike thing, which could impact us at any time. Shipping in Canada is always a challenge, but Canada Post still remains the best option for a small shop like us. So far I'm pleased that it hasn't been an issue, but it's something I continue to monitor carefully.
It's my sincere hope that we'll be seeing Spider-Squirre, Trash Panda, Ultra-Urbanite and Manowar before Christmas. With a little help from Santa, they'll be joined by a couple of lovely new models from the WatchGuard universe that I haven't shared just yet.
I'm excited to be where we are, and I'm very grateful for the enthusiasm and support we've received so far. Connect with us on Facebook, ask us questions, tell us what you think...I love hearing from you.
Charles
