James Holloway: monsterman.org
@gonzohistory.bsky.social
Game writer, podcaster, occasional educator. Cambridge, UK. Host of Monster Man: monsterman.libsyn.com. He/him. Games are for everyone who thinks games are for everyone. My website: monsterman.org
That's a terrible shame. Much sympathy from me and from Pepper the pup. Seeing you and Oz on your adventures has been a real joy.
November 26, 2025 at 10:28 PM
That's a terrible shame. Much sympathy from me and from Pepper the pup. Seeing you and Oz on your adventures has been a real joy.
One of my favourite projects is the Budget Bestiary, a zine I did of monsters based on toys & found objects, w/ instructions & tips. I was trying to channel frustration at the Tragedy of the Owlbear in a positive way. PWYW digital or you can buy it in print.
james-holloway.itch.io/the-budget-b...
james-holloway.itch.io/the-budget-b...
November 25, 2025 at 2:09 PM
One of my favourite projects is the Budget Bestiary, a zine I did of monsters based on toys & found objects, w/ instructions & tips. I was trying to channel frustration at the Tragedy of the Owlbear in a positive way. PWYW digital or you can buy it in print.
james-holloway.itch.io/the-budget-b...
james-holloway.itch.io/the-budget-b...
I don't, but this has made me think I should experiment with making some transports. I did build these chaos cultist APCs from charity shop tanks, card and bits.
November 1, 2025 at 1:20 PM
I don't, but this has made me think I should experiment with making some transports. I did build these chaos cultist APCs from charity shop tanks, card and bits.
In 1991, White Dwarf published a set of plans for making your own ork vehicles from card. To celebrate Orktober, I made a Bonecruncha (with variant turret). I'm quite pleased with it!
October 29, 2025 at 3:07 PM
In 1991, White Dwarf published a set of plans for making your own ork vehicles from card. To celebrate Orktober, I made a Bonecruncha (with variant turret). I'm quite pleased with it!
Who's that doing a presentation at Lucca Comics and Games with game designers, manga creators, and historians all talking about Vikings in the Mediterranean? It could only be my friends from the History & Games Lab at the University of Edinburgh!
October 22, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Who's that doing a presentation at Lucca Comics and Games with game designers, manga creators, and historians all talking about Vikings in the Mediterranean? It could only be my friends from the History & Games Lab at the University of Edinburgh!
@tomasrawlings.bsky.social , this is the image from Ravening Hordes I was talking about. Ravening Hordes (1987) p. 37. The runes on the rock are Gloranthan. Left one looks incomplete, but I think they read Fertility-Air-Harmony. From a Gloranthan perspective, could be a profound act of blasphemy!
October 15, 2025 at 12:15 PM
@tomasrawlings.bsky.social , this is the image from Ravening Hordes I was talking about. Ravening Hordes (1987) p. 37. The runes on the rock are Gloranthan. Left one looks incomplete, but I think they read Fertility-Air-Harmony. From a Gloranthan perspective, could be a profound act of blasphemy!
Some more pictures of the town, and one of the game in progress. A real mixture of models, as befits a scenario in which Ash from the Evil Dead and the ghost of Dante both appear.
October 2, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Some more pictures of the town, and one of the game in progress. A real mixture of models, as befits a scenario in which Ash from the Evil Dead and the ghost of Dante both appear.
When I was a kid, I liked Warhammer, but it was hard to buy a lot of figures! Grenadier provided an affordable alternative. These days, I think many of these models are classics: clean but expressive sculpts that are fun to paint. You can still get most from various companies ...
September 28, 2025 at 3:49 PM
When I was a kid, I liked Warhammer, but it was hard to buy a lot of figures! Grenadier provided an affordable alternative. These days, I think many of these models are classics: clean but expressive sculpts that are fun to paint. You can still get most from various companies ...
Dolmenwood arrived! Will enthusiasm for that kind of folk-fantasy campaign return to greet it?
September 24, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Dolmenwood arrived! Will enthusiasm for that kind of folk-fantasy campaign return to greet it?
A protonid-inspired sculpt by friend Aidan of Warfactory Miniatures. Just white prime, speed paints, drybrush, touch-up, but I think it looks not bad. Its gnarly organic textures respond well to that kind of approach.
September 22, 2025 at 7:52 AM
A protonid-inspired sculpt by friend Aidan of Warfactory Miniatures. Just white prime, speed paints, drybrush, touch-up, but I think it looks not bad. Its gnarly organic textures respond well to that kind of approach.
Happy to announce that my new supplement for Lion Rampant, co-written with Gianluca Raccagni, Viking Blood Feud, will be available soon from the good folks at @northstarfigs.bsky.social !
September 16, 2025 at 7:31 AM
Happy to announce that my new supplement for Lion Rampant, co-written with Gianluca Raccagni, Viking Blood Feud, will be available soon from the good folks at @northstarfigs.bsky.social !
I have been gradually preparing to co-host a Vengeance of the Lichemaster game. This is one of the few models actually from roughly the right period that will be appearing in it!
September 5, 2025 at 7:38 AM
I have been gradually preparing to co-host a Vengeance of the Lichemaster game. This is one of the few models actually from roughly the right period that will be appearing in it!
Oh, I didn't show the fourth shelf! Look, here's a video of the whole thing. That's easier.
August 27, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Oh, I didn't show the fourth shelf! Look, here's a video of the whole thing. That's easier.
A small but varied and robust RPG selection at Odyssey Games in Ely. Between this and Miniature Kingdoms, Ely is beating Cambridge into a cocked hat in terms of games retail. I presume rent here is Too Damn High.
(Also they have D&D and Warhammer at the toy shop just around the corner.)
(Also they have D&D and Warhammer at the toy shop just around the corner.)
August 27, 2025 at 1:41 PM
A small but varied and robust RPG selection at Odyssey Games in Ely. Between this and Miniature Kingdoms, Ely is beating Cambridge into a cocked hat in terms of games retail. I presume rent here is Too Damn High.
(Also they have D&D and Warhammer at the toy shop just around the corner.)
(Also they have D&D and Warhammer at the toy shop just around the corner.)
I went to BOYL, the annual gathering of the #oldhammer community and one of the highlights of my gaming year. Read a more detailed report here:
www.monsterman.org/blog/boyl-2025
www.monsterman.org/blog/boyl-2025
August 11, 2025 at 11:41 AM
I went to BOYL, the annual gathering of the #oldhammer community and one of the highlights of my gaming year. Read a more detailed report here:
www.monsterman.org/blog/boyl-2025
www.monsterman.org/blog/boyl-2025
Finished my Mordheim warband for Saturday's game. They're off to Praag, hoping against hope that they finally find some witches.
August 7, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Finished my Mordheim warband for Saturday's game. They're off to Praag, hoping against hope that they finally find some witches.
Does anyone want a bunch of old issues of Wargames Illustrated and Miniature Wargames? I don't have space for them but I don't want to bin them. You would have to collect them from Cambridge, though.
July 21, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Does anyone want a bunch of old issues of Wargames Illustrated and Miniature Wargames? I don't have space for them but I don't want to bin them. You would have to collect them from Cambridge, though.
Progress on my witch hunters for BOYL.
July 3, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Progress on my witch hunters for BOYL.
Anybody in the UK want a big bag of old Middlehammer high elves? About 15 spears, some archers, 9 sea guard, some incomplete metal phoenix guard, some bits. A bit beat up, but use them for conversions or make little demon guys or something. You pay postage.
June 30, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Anybody in the UK want a big bag of old Middlehammer high elves? About 15 spears, some archers, 9 sea guard, some incomplete metal phoenix guard, some bits. A bit beat up, but use them for conversions or make little demon guys or something. You pay postage.
"But James," I hear you say, "charging for the zine where you tell people how to do things cheap isn't very Cheap Minis of you!" True, true. But the digital version of the zine is PWYW, and if W YW to P is $0, then that's absolutely fine. Get one and share it with your friends!
June 29, 2025 at 8:26 AM
"But James," I hear you say, "charging for the zine where you tell people how to do things cheap isn't very Cheap Minis of you!" True, true. But the digital version of the zine is PWYW, and if W YW to P is $0, then that's absolutely fine. Get one and share it with your friends!
And in which I tell you how I did it, with what materials, etc. Plastic shot glasses, Halloween decorations, barnyard playsets, bits of plastic I found on the ground, beads, army men, toy dinosaurs, discarded packaging, bits of cardboard, and so on.
June 29, 2025 at 8:26 AM
And in which I tell you how I did it, with what materials, etc. Plastic shot glasses, Halloween decorations, barnyard playsets, bits of plastic I found on the ground, beads, army men, toy dinosaurs, discarded packaging, bits of cardboard, and so on.
And that's a dang shame, because making things from junk is fun and having a unique figure in your game matters a lot more than whether it's a neat conversion or an immaculate paint job.
Thus: The Budget Bestiary, in which I make monsters out of cheap toys and household objects.
Thus: The Budget Bestiary, in which I make monsters out of cheap toys and household objects.
June 29, 2025 at 8:26 AM
And that's a dang shame, because making things from junk is fun and having a unique figure in your game matters a lot more than whether it's a neat conversion or an immaculate paint job.
Thus: The Budget Bestiary, in which I make monsters out of cheap toys and household objects.
Thus: The Budget Bestiary, in which I make monsters out of cheap toys and household objects.
What's thiiiiis?
Print copies coming soon! This is just a test run, but I will sell off the test copies because waste not etc.
Print copies coming soon! This is just a test run, but I will sell off the test copies because waste not etc.
June 28, 2025 at 10:56 AM
What's thiiiiis?
Print copies coming soon! This is just a test run, but I will sell off the test copies because waste not etc.
Print copies coming soon! This is just a test run, but I will sell off the test copies because waste not etc.
Anyway, while I'm grumbling about not having a good way to sell my cool zines, if you want to buy some print copies, just drop me a message and we'll work it out.
I want to raise money for my next print run, so I need to move some of this stuff! Want to know what one's about? Ask me a question!
I want to raise money for my next print run, so I need to move some of this stuff! Want to know what one's about? Ask me a question!
June 25, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Anyway, while I'm grumbling about not having a good way to sell my cool zines, if you want to buy some print copies, just drop me a message and we'll work it out.
I want to raise money for my next print run, so I need to move some of this stuff! Want to know what one's about? Ask me a question!
I want to raise money for my next print run, so I need to move some of this stuff! Want to know what one's about? Ask me a question!
June 23, 2025 at 5:06 PM