My Action Figure Work-Pictures

[Arditi]

War! It is 1906 and Emperor Karl Franz of Austria-Hungary has invaded Russia. The reasons are murky to many and the casus-beli is a lie... the history books will indicate the large, smelly and destructive "toys" of the Emperor as the real reason for war. Having already made Bismarck's Germany a vassal 15 years earlier, so soon after their unification, increased Karl Franz's self confidence. While other's developed steam cars and commerce wagons. Feisty Karl collected toy soldiers and steam-scientists to develop his imaginary war-machines. The earlier steam-machine pistols won the war with united Germany and now he placed his hopes on the gargantuan "Steam-Demons" to take large parts of Russia. The Ukraine area and it's vast farming lands were the immediate goals. Food was needed for the enhanced family births' within the Empire. Karl Franz encouraged large family units. More people meant bigger armies. Toy soldiery, on his shelves, were no longer sufficient. Even today, from the rotting books, that survive...the reason they worked is not fully known. "Steam" of course, was the locomotion...men were inside the large behemouths'/moving structures to operate their movement, they required huge expenditures in time/maintenace to keep them moving; large fleets of horse-driven wagons, kept grease, water and the Greek-Fire cartridges (ammunition) for the steam-cannons mounted on the demon-inspired machines themselves. The Empire that "Feisty Karl", (as he is known today in oral story-history), was short lived. He made a short-death of the Czar's armies and his Empire stretched from Eastern Germany to the Russian Urals, but sickness made Karl's life brief. Untreated syphilis was his end. His coveted Royal Toy Soldier's were distributed amongst his field generals, his heir killed and his "Steam-Demons" taken up by these same formally loyalist generals. The European diaspora that came about later was due to these same convening events as recounted orally, here, 150 years later.
This early "hand-colored etching" shows the Czar's own Cossacks futilely charging the "Steam-Demons" as they spit their "Greek-Fire" cartridges. It is told orally that they were able to topple one on the destructive machines by luring it towards and "onto" a large camouflaged hole. This victory was short-lived as indicated by the historical events following.
Smaller toy soldiers as well as 1/18 large skull robot purchased on ebay used. Photoshop brings it together.

 

[Arditi]

"Aftermath". US Marines, in future war, secure the area after a firefight. Had fun making this one for the last couple days. Vacation days can be fun!

 

[Arditi]

Japanese patrol in New Guinea.

 

[Arditi]

Merry Christmas Gents!

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

I like your Frankenstein and the Bender pics. Bender especially.

 

[Arditi]

Thank you Eddie!

 

[Arditi]

Sixth Battle of Fallujah.

 

[Arditi]

Sd.Kfz. 234/2 Puma of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the 20th Panzer Division. This platoon command vehicle keeps radio silence, but signals, with a lighter, to the next vehicle closest of the night approach of a Russian movement. A blistering rain of high velocity ammunition will hit the enemy armored vehicles and then they quick start the engines and scurry away. They are in the Sudentenland and bound by oath to protect the borders of Germany, 1945. Simple signals and, then, high tech death.

 

[Arditi]

Packing up for a brief vacation from my driveway last week an odd occurrence transpired...a rip in the space-time continuum formed in my front street. Needless to say I was flabbergasted when evil skeletons and their flying minions came through looking for trouble. I went in and grabbed my rifle when ...low and behold...soldiers from the future, past and distant past came down the street and proceeded to side with the forces of good...right in my front drive!

 

[Arditi]

After the winter, the green arrives to the battlefield again. German-Polish border. Spring, 1946.

 

[pcsguy88]

After the winter, the green arrives to the battlefield again. German-Polish border. Spring, 1946.

Did you build this?

 

[Arditi]

Hi PCSGUY,
Sorry I missed your post. Yes Sir, I made this picture. This is a 1/43 scale vehicle added to a stock photo of part of Russia. I then added the helmet/skull and boot from other pictures. They are still finding war debris is various states of decay in Russia today. Thanks for the interest. Regards, Russ

 

[Arditi]

 

[Arditi]

 

[pcsguy88]

Hi PCSGUY,
Sorry I missed your post. Yes Sir, I made this picture. This is a 1/43 scale vehicle added to a stock photo of part of Russia. I then added the helmet/skull and boot from other pictures. They are still finding war debris is various states of decay in Russia today. Thanks for the interest. Regards, Russ

Dang, thought it was 1:18 or 1:16. Looks good regardless.

 

[Arditi]

1/18th figures and 1/43 scale vehicles composited with Rome pic I took this past summer.

 

[Arditi]

Halo in the West picture I did some months back.

 

[Arditi]

1/43 scale German artillery platform and 1/18th scale German action figures. Photoshop and stock photograph.

 

[azslogan]

View attachment 10408View attachment 10408

That is very impressive.

 

[Arditi]

Thank you AZSLogan.

 

[NSA]

That is very creative! Well done!

 

[Arditi]

Thank you NSA! Very kind of you.

 

[Arditi]

Italian Army soldiers move (tactical combat) into Commonwealth occupied territory in North Africa., 1942. They wear a mix of continental green and tropical wear which was typical in the North African theater. They are supported by AB41 armored cars. Forces of Valor 1/32 scale Italians and 1/43 scale armored cars manipulated with photoshop.

 

[Arditi]

Homage to my uncle. Pages from an earlier toy soldier book. Russ

 

[Arditi]

Nazi Saucers from Hell! The US heartland is invaded by the Nazis' in late 1948! ...wink.

 

[NSA]

Haha! That is really cool. Well done.

 

[Arditi]

Thanks NSA.

 

[Arditi]

Bit gruesome I know. I like the colors and the warrior though. Nice figure.

 

[Arditi]

Marine Raiders avoid the scouting Japanese Zeros. 1944.

 

[Arditi]

In 2026, the fighting spills over into Egypt. Strong points are made from ancient ruins by the adversary. Some care is taken in reducing and patrolling these world heritage sites. Wonder and death can be found in these stone islands in the desert. "Look at the size of that crow!".

 

[Arditi]

Marx Tom Corbett figures ...I think. Recasts. Composite photography with Photoshop. Retro space battle!

 

[Arditi]

Photograph by our own Martin Cordova. I have added German figures to, hopefully, make a moment in history.

Older wehrmacht veterans patrol the coast of Southern France in early August. On the 15th they will have to contend with fury. The troops were positioned thinly along the French coast, with an average of 90 km (56 mi) per division. Generally, the troops of the German divisions were only second and third rate. This meant that over the course of the war, the divisions were thinned out and soldiers were replaced with wounded old veterans as well as Volksdeutsche from Poland and Czechoslovakia. Numerous units were also replaced by Ostlegionen and Ostbataillone. These units were volunteers from Eastern Europe, mainly the Soviet Union, and had a generally low fighting morale. The equipment of those troops was in poor shape, consisting of old weapons from various nations, with French, Polish, Soviet, Italian, and Czech guns, artillery, and mortars. Four of the German divisions were designated as "static", which meant that they were stripped of all of their mobile capabilities and unable to move from their position. The only potent unit inside Army Group G was the 11th Panzer Division, which was commanded by Wend von Wietersheim. Wikipedia

 

[Arditi]

A little bit of liquid courage before the push on the Stalingrad grain silo.
In Stalingrad the fighting was as intense as ever as the Germans threw everything they had into the battle in a ‘last’ attempt to capture the whole city. Yet they faced some of of the most determined resistance they had ever encountered.
The Russians clung on to a strip of land on the west back of the Volga. All reinforcements and all munitions and supplies had to cross the wide Volga, which was continuously under fire from the German guns. Men who crossed were immediately flung into the battle. Life expectancy was little more than a day for Soviet infantrymen who crossed at this time.
The Germans were being made to fight for every building. Small groups of men would creep into houses after dark with sufficient ammunition to keep them going for a few days, fortify it as best they could, and then fight it out from their own personal ‘Alamo’, selling their lives as dearly as possible.
Similar battles took place in the industrial buildings. The Grain Elevator was built like a fortress with solid concrete walls. This became the site of a famous battle as a small group of men held out against everything the Germans could throw at them, including tanks and Stuka bombing. They carried on even as the grain stores caught fire. Eighteen sailors from the 92nd Independent Rifle Brigade commanded by Andrei Khozyainov fought their way through to join them on the 17th:
The guardsmen were very pleased to see us, and immediately began cracking army jokes and making funny remarks. We had two Maxim guns, one light machinegun, two anti-tank rifles, three tommyguns and a radio set.
At dawn on the 18th a German tank carrying a white flag approached from the south. ‘What’s going on?’ we thought. Two men showed themselves from inside the tank, a Nazi officer and an interpreter.
Through the interpreter the officer tried to persuade us to surrender to the ‘glorious’ German army, as defence was useless and there was no point in our sitting it out any longer. ‘Get out of the elevator now,’ insisted the German officer. ‘If not we will show you no mercy. In one hour’s time we will bomb you all flat.’
‘What a cheek,’ we thought, and gave the Nazi lieutenant a curt reply: Tell all your fascists they can go to hell in an open boat! You two ‘voices of the people’ can go back to your lines, but only on foot. The German tank tried to back away, but a volley from our two anti-tank rifles stopped it.
Soon after that enemy tanks and infantry about ten times our strength attacked from south and west. After the first attack was beaten back a second began, then a third, and all the while a reconnaissance plane circled over us. It corrected the fire and reported our position. Ten attacks were beaten off just on September 18th.
We were very careful with our ammunition, as it was a long way to bring up more, and a difficult trip. In the elevator the grain was on fire, and the water in the machineguns evaporated. The wounded kept asking for something to drink, but there was no water nearby. This was how we defended our position, day and night. Heat, thirst, smoke – everybody’s lips were cracked.
Andrei Khozyainov’s account appears in Jonathan Bastable (ed): Voices From Stalingrad

 

[Arditi]

Enemy Mech hunting with a WWII German "hafthohlladung" magnetic grenade/mine. WWII has been going on for 72 years now. Old is mixed with the new. New technologies have developed from the wartime research and development. In addition, pure grit and the old is still effective when in need. This member of the 1st Texas Colonial Marine battalion is aiding his comrades by knocking out the Italo-German battle-mechs that have laid waste to parts of Texas. This key encounter for continued Texas Independence shows Medal of Honor recipient Corporal Jesse Hudson preparing to move towards another Axis mech and attach his "hafthohlladung" of WWII vintage. Another mech has been dispatched by his compadre, Sergeant Russ Arendell, and died in the successful attempt. Corporal Hudson went on to destroy 8 of the effective and deadly mechs that day, saving his team's position and denying the recce-foray into Lubbock, Texas proper that day. This picture illustrates the Corporal's "David and Goliath" moment.

 

[Arditi]

Stalingrad II 2049. "The Cleanup".

 

[Arditi]

Ukraine, 1942.

 

[Arditi]

A zen moment during the "End Days". Photoshop and 1/18th action figures.