I discovered the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and Dungeons & Dragons around 1979. I soon had piles of 25mm orcs, elves, and wizards that replaced my interest in history for a time as we embarked on new adventures. Ral Partha paints replaced my enamels and artists brushes found their way into my growing collection.
When I was in college, I attended a "Wargames Show" and watched a demo game that portrayed a Viking raid on a Norman settlement, complete with model longships and stone keep. I also got to play in a WWI trenchwar participation game where I commanded several dozen hapless German infantry who ended up cut to pieces by machineguns while they were trying to navigate the wire. As I remember the games now, neither were presented very well, but at the time I was hooked! I bought a batch of new 1/72nd German infantry, some trucks to mechanize them, and three Panzer tanks. I also found used copies of Operation Warboard by Gavin Lyall, Charge! by Brig. P. Young and Lt.Col. J. P. Lawford, and a WRG Ancients Wargames Rules booklet.
It was Games Workshop that got me started on serious painting. I collected models for Warhammer and Warhammer 40k. White Dwarf had regular articles on painting and modeling and took some of the mystery out of the various techniques I had observed on other models. but never had satisfactorily explained to reproduce them. Wargames Foundry combined excellent models, well painted adverts, and unusual periods to pull me back into historical collecting.
I have the attention span of a five-year old and change periods constantly. My focus often depends on the last book I read, movie I saw, or new release from my favorite companies, but I have recently tried to focus my energies on several limited periods to produce professional quality armies for them before moving on. In 2005, I was fairly successful at concentrating on the English Civil War, amassing something around 150 models and writing my own rule set (available free), Victory Without Quarter, that has caught on with a small number of players around the globe. Ironically most of my time and focus is now spent in the decades following the ECW - 1660 to 1720, the wars of the League of Augsburg.
Quindia Studios
I have been able to give back to the hobby in a small way with my partnership with Barry Hilton. We have published five books together: three editions of Beneath the Lily Banners, plus Republic to Empire, Mad for War, and Donnybrook. My talents have been mostly employed with artwork, layout, and sharing photography duties, but I took the lead writing the rule portion of Donnybrook. The game was based on a one-page skirmish rule set I've used at my own table for years. We've also published uniform guides for the Siege of Derry, the Battle of the Boyne, and the Battle of Aughrim. We have MANY more books in queue!
I also have an extensive range of wargame flags available in North America from Warfare Miniatures USA and the rest of the planet from the League of Augsburg shop (again with MANY more to come). Finally, I am the exclusive dealer for Warfare Miniatures in North America. Besides these great models, you can get the full range of our books, PDFs, and flag sheets... Warfare Miniatures USA.
