Conversion Corner: Ork Nob

Nikkit and Gorzag Gitstompa

It has been many years since I converted an Ork model; 2014 was the last time, with a Burna Boy conversion, and before that a Grey Knightz purifier. And while I did paint an old Tin Boy a few years back, it has been a while since I really did much with the orks. Recently, Games Workshop released a reimagining of a classic Games Day promotional ork nob originally sculpted by Brian Nelson. The new version, still based on some old GorkaMorka artwork, is called Gorzag Gitstompa (and a grot Nikkit). Luckily, we were able to get a copy of the model, and decided it would be a great opportunity to convert him a little, ending this long streak of not working on a Space Ork!

A look back: Notable Hobbyists of 2020

Earlier this month, we looked back at all we accomplished in 2020. This is always a fun exercise, letting us consider how we evolved as hobbyists over the year. Even better, however, is to reflect on the hobbyists that inspired us during the strange and turbulent 2020. Like years past, we are always amazed by the quality of work being produced by the community, and wanted to showcase some that stood out to us. The sheer volume of impressive hobbyists makes it impossible for us to acknowledge everyone, but we wanted to focus on a few that really helped us through 2020. We intentionally did not choose hobbyists that we have featured in previous years, so we would encourage you to look back on our selections from years past, as many of them are still actively producing incredible work!

Building a RX-78-2 Gundam [Beyond Global]

The RX-78-2 [Beyond Global] HG 1/144

Last year I was reintroduced to the Gunpla hobby, partially due to discovering the Cutting Mat podcast. As a result, I ended up building a few Bandai plastic kits, including a Gouf and a Zaku II from the Gundam Universal Century, and Eva Unit 01 from Neon Genesis Evangelion. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Gunpla, Bandai created a redesign of the original RX-78-2 Gundam, deemed the [Beyond Global], in their HG 1/144 scale. The model was intended to show how far Bandai has come since 1980 with their injection molding technology. For less than $25, it seemed like a great kit to build and see what Bandai could achieve for such a low price point!

Between the Bolter and Me: 2020, a year in review

A selection of models painted in 2020.

Although 2020 was a chaotic and traumatic year, it marked the 8th year of Between the Bolter and Me as a blog. Like with many others, the pandemic changed how we all interact with the hobby. It allowed us to focus more on our podcast Dragged into Turbolasers and develop a consistent, albeit small, streaming schedule! With this post, we wanted to recap the year as a whole, starting by examining the 3 most popular posts on each of our various platforms (blogger, podcast, instagram, etc.).