Rogue Trader Space Pirates by Bob Olley

Bob Olley's Iron Claw was an offshoot of Citadel Miniatures operating briefly between 1987 and 1988. Olley operated in a different visual language than all the other sculptors at Games Workshop, which was why (I suppose) it made sense to give him his own label. His figures were fungoid, stumpy and melodramatic. When other sculptors modeled heroes or villains, Olley sculpted character actors. His figures stood out like mold on bread.

If there was one range of miniatures particularly suited to the Iron Claw treatment, it was Space Pirates.  They allowed a sculptor like Olley almost unlimited scope to use his warped vision: motley crews composed of cyborgs, robots, and off-brand aliens; jury-rigged equipment and bizarre weaponry; and a fusion of fantasy and sci-fi tropes. And so the IC301 range of Space Pirates was born, with 17 models released in 1987.

The very characteristics that would make the IC301 Space Pirates charming are also what doomed it to obsolescence. Olley's playful and uninhibited approach meant that ranges like the Space Pirates had no place in Warhammer 40K as it evolved into a tournament game with well-defined races and regimented army lists. 

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First up is "Col. Vlad". Bulbous head? Check. Half-digested face? Check. Weapon growing tumors? Check. Yep, that's a Bob Olley sculpt!

Second is "Loritta". I love the way she is holding that gun: half Rambo, half Nita Strauss.

Next is "Ooglorg the Cruel". Well, you'd be cruel too if your momma called you Ooglorg.

And finally for today we have "Venk." He carries a resonant Star Wars vibe (a thing not uncommon in the Rogue Trader era).

Stay tuned for more Iron Claw madness! Thanks for coming by!