The pumpkinhead bugbear is the result of a mistaken bit of art direction for one of the early OD&D supplements (I believe it was Greyhawk).

The artist took the instruction that the bugbear's head was "round like a pumpkin" a bit too literally.

The resulting artwork was used as-is in the Greyhawk book...and I believe the original auctioned for good money at a recent GenCon auction.

The copyright, if any exists, would be of the mistaken image itself...since "bugbear" is not a copyrightable term.

The idea of a "Jack-o-bear" obviously grew from the mistaken D&D art.  I know that at least one compnay has put out a miniature under that title

I believe it was for Runequest.

Anyone else know the inside information on Runequest?

I think The Collector's Trove gave you some excellent feedback and I agree wholeheartedly with his commentary on scale.  I want figures which compliment the 25mm minis that I already have.  

I was also impressed with the list of creatures he notes are not yet done although I have some Grenadier blisters which contain these dinosaurs.
Ankylosaurus
Dimetrodon
Stegosaurus
Triceratops
The bottom line is that dinosaurs could use a little more work.

There were several sets of creatures which popped out at me as severely lacking in representation.  The first group were the marine creatures.  If you had blisters with a shark, dolphin, jellyfish; and another with a sea troll, sea hag & triton; and another with three different sanguins; and another with a Octopus & Giant Sea Horse; and another with a Dragon Turtle, I can think of quite a few campaigns where these would be useful.

Another group lacking in support are the natural creatures; Giant Frog, Crocodile, Giant Dragonfly, Jackal, Jaguar, Giant Lizard, Porcupine, Rhino, Vulture and Giant Wasp.

Another area that could use some more attention are the plants, Phycomid, Shriekers, Retch Plant, Strangle Weed, Black Willow Tree, Tri-Flower Frond, and/or Witherweed.  The cool thing about plants is that you can add them to the landscape or arena and the PC's never know if they are really plants or monsters. "I'm putting this Roper here because it looks like a tree, but it's really a tree.  Really."

I think one of the cooler sets of monsters out there that I rarely if ever see are the creatures from Lolth's Lair.  The sofulgids(sp?), pedipalps, giant scorpions and especially Driders!  Driders are cool as crap!

I also think if you did a set of dragonmen which could work in the Dragonlance settings, they would sell well.

I am pleased you are giving this some good thought and allowing us to contribute.  The more minds you have thinking, the better your chances of success.  I wish you the best!

lucyjoyce wrote:While we are having fun with minis, can anybody identify the snake?

I'll back VF here, it's definitely from the Grenadier Denizens of the Swamp (#2010) box.

The Egg

Howdy,


While this particular figure doesn't fit my classification of a needed miniature (I think there have been three figures produced by three companies with one still active). I even have an Archive 764 Pumpkin Head Bugbear coming up in the Kevin Hendryx auction:



Nonetheless, I'll be happy to aid the process along for the sake of other folks hereabouts:

"BUGBEARS: These monsters are of the "giant class," being great hairy goblin-giants. Despite their size and shambling gait..." (Gary Gygax 1975, Dungeons & Dragons Supplement I: Greyhawk, pg. 34)



(Original art by Greg Bell 1975, Dungeons & Dragons Supplement I: Greyhawk, pg. 67)


Futures Bright,

Paul

Howdy Allan,


(Congrats on the boy by the way.)

grodog wrote:(no solars on your list Paul??)

Well I left them off, because there are a number of angel figures in and out of print that will serve as solars (deva's seem much less angel-like, and so should probably be represented). I believe Reaper has an a entire heavenly army or somesuch in a boxed set.

Wouldn't it be cool to have a complete set of the core Greyhawk gods?


Futures Bright,

Paul

The Collector's Trove wrote: However, regarding the already cast dinosaurs you list, don't you think those figures are a little small in scale? I have not looked too closely at the ones in my collection but my first impression is they are smallish.

Yes, they are approximately half size or possibly worse.  They could be done a lot better.  The Ankylosaurus is the only one that's passable.

The Collector's Trove wrote:I have used scorpions to represent most of these but you are right, they are some funky monsters drawn from the real world. Driders have been done a number of times (Grenadier, Ral Partha, Reaper) with the Ral Partha one's being the best. Unfortunately, those will set you back a bit!

I agree that Driders have been done before and they are indeed expensive.  However, and maybe I shouldn't say this, but I'd like you to succeed, and the only way you are truly going to succeed is if you make enough money to pay the bills. Getting what you want takes money.  One of the reason Driders are expensive is because people want them bad enough to pay such sums.  I fully expect you to make some figures just because they pay the bills.  Because, if you don't make the money-makers, you are likely not going to be able to make what we requestover a long period of time.  And while there is significant overlap, it's rarely always that way.  

I hope you make a long, successful career out of this!  The more mini makers, the better.  Competition is good for everyone.

Deadlord39 wrote:I remember a Demogorgon-type figurine I liked, somewhat reptilian-looking. Had tentacles and crests on the heads. Anyone know which one it is?

It was a Minifigs figure from their D&D line, here:

http://www.solegends.com/minifigs/mfmdd.htm

I asked the new owner of the Minifigs line (I think his name is Jim) about casting these up since he now owned the line and he replied to me that TSR (now WOTC...now Hasbro) owned the copyright (due to the Monster Manual) and would not give him permission to do so.

The Collector's Trove wrote:Howdy Allan,
(Congrats on the boy by the way.)

Thanks

The Collector's Trove wrote:Wouldn't it be cool to have a complete set of the core Greyhawk gods?

I can think of nine that would be useful in running Bottle City (as well as the five new ones!).

FormCritic wrote:
A copyright on Demogorgon?

Does WOTC also own a copyright on "Zeus?"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demogorgon

TSR might have some sort of copyright on the exact image from the Monster Manual, but the name was never their property...and some other sort of scaled demonic figure with Demogorgon's name would certainly not violate their copyright.

I think it was a copyright on the images in the MM (thats how it was explained to me).