Brush Wielders Union

Up and coming company Goblin Hobbies made quite the stir at Adepticon this past spring with the release of their highly antcipated stamping kits and I was delighted to talk to the guys behind it all! Goblin Hobbies may be a new venture but Brent and Casey have been mainstays of miniatures hobby media for years via their channels, Goobertown Hobbies, eBay Miniature Rescues, and as the hosts of Paint Bravely: The Podcast.

We talked about their backgrounds in the hobby but got into the nitty gritty of their enamel stamping plate kits, what...

My guest this month was Cailon, co-founder of The Nailon Realm, creators of Dungeon Dinkies 3d printed miniatures and statues. Cailon and I chatted about the challenges of digital sculpting to meet their mission statement of "simple, fun, for everyone". We had a great talk about sculpting, running a company, and creating minis with the express purpose of helping people begin their miniatures painting journey. He was also kind enough to offer a 15% off coupon for BWU members (available for members in a separate post).

Find The Nailon Realm across the internet via their...

This month I was joined by Alex Huntley, founder of Warp Miniatures and the creator of ArcWorlde! ArcWorlde is a fantasy skirmish game where warbands, heroes and monsters are pitted against each other in the field of combat. There are beasts to slay, treasures to discover, objectives to capture and rival Commanders to defeat. By using these rules, your imagination, and the wide range of ArcWorlde miniatures available, you and your friends can play out epic tales within the eponymous fantasy realm.

I was really taken with the ArcWorlde minis when I saw them...

July's podcast guest is Wingshan Huntley, making her first foray into game development with the upcoming Siren's Oath: The Tides Turning from her imprint, Twisted Spire. Wingshan describes her game as "a one-shot tabletop game ritual for 3–5 players, where you and your coven of mermaid witches shape a city’s destiny through evocative storytelling, gut-punch choices, and stunning sculpts by Warp Miniatures."

Wingshan and I had a really fascinating conversation about her relationship with gaming (which began in the womb...), fine art, the female gaze, and how all of those subjects converge in her firs...

My guest this month is Dan Zehrer, founder of the paint company described as a sleeper hit of Adepticon 2025, Bear Cavalry Paints! This ecologically conscious paint company operates out of Oregon State here in the great Pacific Northwest and have been making some fantastic paints for about a year now. I picked up their original set this past winter and was really impressed with the quality so I was excited to talk with Dan about everything that goes into their products. Dan shared some titbits about the career path that led him to found Bear Cavalry, discussed a little...

My guest this month is Kevin "Burky" Burkhardsmeier, founder and owner of Gametoppers! I backed their Kickstarter back in 2020 for their 6x4' table topper, the "Mycroft" and it's since become my most-used gaming peripheral. I really love this product so I was excited to get the chance to speak with its creator on the podcast. Burky was kind enough to talk about the background of their company, what goes into making their game toppers, neoprene mats, and other accessories. He also gave us a few exclusive teases about some really cool stuff that will be available through their...

Returning to the podcast this month are miniatures war gaming royalty, Andy Chambers and Gav Thorpe, here to talk about the imminent release of their game Zeo Genesis! Zeo Genesis s a scalable skirmish miniatures battle game of big armor suits locked in kinetic action. You may remember their last appearance on this podcast in 2023 but the game has come a long way since then and will be crowdfunding on Game Found in just a few days, on April 29th.

Andy and Gav were kind enough to chat with me about how the game...

This month I was pleased to welcome my new friend and fellow Union Member, Kelsey Canaga as our podcast guest! Kelsey and I met earlier this year at OrcaCon where she was representing her company, Found Family Adventurecrafts. I was really taken with the unique and joyful sculpts she produces and her enthusiasm for the quirkier corners of tabletop adventure gaming. Kelsey shared her background in gaming and how her career as a collectibles developer at Funko informs her work. She was also kind enough to offer a discount for BWU members, so stay tuned in the coming days...

This month's podcast is something a little different. About a year ago I was casually chatting with my friend (and regular podcast guest), Shoshie Bauer. We were discussing some of the challenges and frustrations she was facing as woman and professional in the miniatures field. This podcast is the ultimate fruit of that conversation.

This month, I'm turning the podcast over to Shoshie as guest host along with three returning guests; Elizabeth Beckley, Jamie Daggers, and Em "ElectricEve" Durrant. Shoshie led her guests through a fantastic round table discussion on a number of topics...

For our first podcast of 2025 I was joined by BWU podcast alumni, Graham Davey, creator of Test of Honour and 0200 Hours, to talk about his newest game, Guards of Traitor's Toll. I'm really excited about this upcoming game in which players control squads of city guards in a fantasy city who must investigate crimes, break up disputes between duelling wizards, and capture assassinations when they're not patrolling the streets. Graham shared some of his inspirations for the game, discussed top level game play, and we talked about the joys of kitbashing the upcoming kits for the game from Wargames...

For the final BWU podcast of 2024 I was joined by my old friend and founding BWU member, Nick Lawson! Nick and I chatted about the old days of the Privateer Press Gang, what goes into founding a gaming community and with everyone's hobby pledges looming in the New Year, we talked about how to create workable hobby goals and keep yourself motivated to meet them. Nick is writing a book related to this subject, so be sure to follow him on social media and sign up for his mailing list for news on what's sure to be a great p...

My guests this month are from a website that needs little introduction, Eric Benson and Jerry "Tycho" Holkins! Penny Arcade has been a force in gaming for decades, and while it had its start in the realm of video games, it's become a powerhouse in tabletop gaming. Eric and Jerry joined me ostensibly to hype up their upcoming convention PAX Unplugged, but instead we mostly just talked about the wargames they love (we did get to chat a bit about the con towards the end, including an exclusive reveal of the Official Sandwich of PAX Unplugged), but mostly we b...

In this month's podcast I spoke with fellow gamer, Washington State Secretary of State, Steve Hobbs! Steve and I spoke about his love of gaming, his time serving in the army in both Kosovo and Iraq, his work as a politician here in Washington State, and how gaming has intersected with all of those parts of his life and career. Steve shared some fascinating stuff about Washington's table top gaming industry and how he's worked with that industry on trade missions to Japan and state legislation that affects gamers, game stores, and even therapeutic roleplaying games for prisoners. We...

My guest this month was Doug Wheeler, owner of my favorite friendly local gaming shop, Terracrux Games, right here in Tacoma, WA! Doug was kind enough to give me part of his Friday night to talk about the trials and travails of running a successful game shop and how he's managed to succeed in a challenging field. We talked about business planning, community building and more.

Be sure to check out Terracrux Games online, even if you're not in the Tacoma area, and join their community on Discord.

As usu...

Regular friend of the BWU podcast, Andy Hobday, returns to talk all about the current Kickstarter for The Baron's War Fantasy Skirmish miniatures range! Currently on Kickstarter and knocking down stretch goals, this campaign will help launch this line of miniatures and a classic fantasy setting for the Baron's War but will also help establish Andy and Paul Hick's new company, Hobday and Hicks. Andy shared their inspiration for the line and dropped some juicy teasers about their future army plans including some very cool hints about the undead...

Back the Kickstarter now and j...

This month's podcast guests are the founders of Rascal News, Lin Codega, Rowan Zeoli, and Chase Carter. Rascal is a new reader supported a tabletop roleplaying game and culture outlet striving to sustainably publish voicey journalism that is compelling, deeply-reported, and fearlessly honest. Lin, Rowan, and Chase were kind enough to spend their time talking with me about the state of tabletop games media, why they feel journalism is important even in the arena of hobbies and gaming, the challenges of organizing labor in gaming, and what they hope to accomplish with a wholly independent reporting platform.

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My guest on this month's podcast, Bjarni Dali joined me all the way from the Faroe Islands to talk about his grimdark masterpieces. I first became aware of Bjarni's work on his fantastic Howling Gryphons diorama few years ago and have since come to appreciate all of his gritty, narrative driven dioramas and minis. We talked about where he finds inspiration, how he avoids burnout, and what it takes to paint a model as big as a 28mm Warhound titan!

Find Bjarni on Patreon, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube and be sure to check out h...

Joining me this month on the BWU podcast is one of the true titans of miniatures painting, Roman Lappat! Roman's work helped redefine how we viewed miniatures painting not just as a hobby, but as an art form in its own right. Roman's work is being featured in the latest volume of The Art of' now on Kickstarter and we spoke about that book but first chatted about his journey as a painter and illustrator and his philosophy of art.

Back The Art of Roman Lappat on Kickstarter now.

Follow Roman's work on...

My guest this month was legendary game designer, Tuomas Pirinen! Tuomas was the creator of Mordheim, the lead developer of Warhammer Fantasy Battle 6th Edition, Warhammer Siege, and countless other miniatures games as well as video games, having worked at EA, Ubisoft and other companies. Most recently, Tuomas has signed on to create the rules for the upcoming Trench Crusade miniatures game and he was kind enough to talk to me about all of the above, including why he thinks Mordheim's popularity has endured for a quarter of a century, and most of that time unofficially supported! We also...

Sean Sutter, creator of Relicblade, might just be the hardest working man in miniatures gaming but he took the time out of his busy day to talk about his latest project, Cursebreaker! Cursebreaker is a stand alone minis game set in the same universe as his ongoing skirmish game, Relicblade, but offers a unique play experience. Sean spoke with me about what went into this new project, the joys of game design, and what he's most excited about with this latest foray into the world of Relicblade and the Shattered Lands. 

Find Cursebreaker now o...

This month BWU member and longtime friend, Greg De Stefano, co-owner of Turbo Dork, returns to the podcast to talk about their big Remix! Turbo Dork has reformulated all of its paints, moved to a new type of paint bottle, and launched some cool peripheral items like silicone paint pallets and mixing sticks. Greg has lots to say about the company's growth, the science behind making paint, helping color blind painters, and his favorite purple colors! 

Follow Turbo Dork on Instagram and Facebook.

And don't forget; Brush Wielders Union m...

The first BWU podcast of 2024 is here and features games writer, Andy Hobday returning alongside first-time guest, sculptor, Paul Hicks! Andy and Paul have been long time collaborators on miniatures products and they're here to talk about their upcoming line of fantasy miniatures alongside to be utilized with Andy's Baron's War rules set. 

I've been a long-time supporter of The Baron's War (and their other endeavours) so I was delighted to speak with them about what they have planned for this year. Paul talked about his journey as as traditional medium sculptor and what w...

Em Durrant took time out of her busy painting schedule to talk to me in our final podcast of 2023! You may know her as Electriceve from her online painting work on Patreon or from her time as an official painter on Warhammer TV's Youtube channel a few years back! Eve was kind enough to talk to me about the trials and travails of being a streaming painter and getting up the nerve to enter the competitive painting world. 

Follow Em on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and of course, Patreon!

As u...

This month my guest was Merritt K, a writer whose work I've admired for some time! Merritt's work isn't in tabletop games but recently I saw that she'd gotten back into miniatures painting after a couple of decades away. I invited her to chat about what it's like getting back into the hobby after so long away from it, why she and other creatives love the Warhammer 40k universe.

Follow Merritt K on Bluesky and support her writing on Patreon! You can also preorder her upcoming coffee table book, LAN Party.

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or this month's podcast I was joined by my friend and fellow Union Member, Jamie Daggers! Jamie is a professional painter whose work as an instructor took up most of our discussion but she's also a competitive painter, and of course, paints for pleasure. We had a great chat about how she approaches teaching new painters, what tools she recommends, identifying as an artist (or not), and her thoughts on brush size utility.

Jamie Daggers (@jamiedaggers) • Instagram photos and videos

JamieDaggers Mini Studio | creating painting minis, doing commissions, videos, tips, and tr | Pa...

This month sees the return of Shoshie Bauer to the BWU podcast! Shoshie has been a guest twice in the past, but this time she's here to talk about the release of the newest miniature in her very own line, Cat Daddy. The fourth in what will eventually be a line of 7 limited edition model conceived, conceptualized, and sculpted entirely by women, Cat Daddy will be available for pre-order starting Thursday, October 28th. Shoshie was kind enough to send me an advance copy of this very cool miniature and we had a great conversation about what goes into the...

Scalable Skirmish. Kinetic Action. Big Armor Suits.



That's the tagline for the upcoming miniatures game Zeogenesis, from wargaming luminaries Danny Block, Andy Chambers, and Gav Thorpe! This stellar team was kind enough to talk to me this month about their game with Danny talking logistics and production of the hard plastic minis they'll be manufacturing in North Carolina, Andy discussed the core game mechanics and dynamic terrain rules, and Gav had lots to say about the narrative and setting he's crafting for this far future science fiction setting! You may have gotten a glimpse of Ze...

For July's podcast I had the pleasure of speaking with fellow Union Member, Adam Loper! If you've been wargaming for any amount of time you're probably familiar with his Youtube channel, Tabletop Minions, currently celebrating its 10th year! Adam and I spoke about how he got started with Beasts of War (now On Tabletop), what goes into producing regular wargaming content, the challenges of helping new hobbyists, his favorite types of games, and his own forays into wargaming development as part of Snarling Badger Studios, working on games like Space Station Zero, Majestic 13, their upcoming zines, and more.

My guest this month is Chris Kohler, owner of Slow Death Games and creator of the miniatures skirmish game, Wild in the Streets! Chris and I talked about his history as a gamer, as a punk, and how those two interests combined to create Wild in the Streets. We also discussed the game Star Breach for which Slow Death is the publisher and some hints about upcoming projects. Listen now, posers!

Chris was also kind enough to offer a discount for Brush Wielders Union members, keep an eye on your email soon for your...

We're very proud to release episode 50 of the Brush Wielders Union podcast! It's hard to believe, but we've been doing our monthly interview podcast for over four years now, but for episode fifty I've shaken up the format. This month features our first ever "roundtable" format in which I invited four of my favorite hobby professionals to take part in an open discussion on some broad questions about miniatures painting and hobbying. The guests are:

Shoshie Bauer, professional painter and owner/operator of Shoshie's Minis

Matt...

If you've been anywhere near the indie minis gaming scene this spring you've probably heard about Demon Ship, the micro minis game by Malev. Well, Malev was kind enough to talk with me this month and we got into the nitty gritty of developing Demon Ship, painting for Metal King Studios, and some philosophical chat about the future of minis gaming beyond the traditional player-vs-player world. 

As an aside, Demon Ship is one of the most exciting and innovating games I've seen in a long time, and is well worth taking a look at. Y...

This month I was lucky enough to pick the brain of Graham Davey, owner of Grey For Now Games, co-creator of one of my favorite skirmish games, Test of Honour, and a former editor at Games Workshop. Graham was kind enough to share his time and tell me about his journey as a hobbyist and professional, from his first encounters with wargames, to his time working on White Dwarf magazine, and his current days as the publisher of Test of Honour and his most recent game, 0200 Hours. I haven't played 0200' yet myself, but I've heard some great things...

My guest this month was the owner and founder of Huge Miniatures, one of my favorite basing material manufacturers. Huge Minis makes an awesome and ever-growing range of texture paints, flocks, tufts, paints, and more. BWU members already get a discount through their webstore but I was excited to finally speak with Brinton about the history of his company and what the future might hold. We talked about what goes into actually manufacturing materials like flock and foliage, how they choose paint hues, and what it's been like expanding into their first dedicated workspace. 

B...

For the first podcast of 2023 I was joined by Kit Peteranecz, founder of Game Envy Creations (and new Union Member). 

Kit shared the story of his journey from painting a D&D character to having multiple hugely successful Kickstarters for a whole line of hobby products! We talked about paint holders, paint brushes, manufacturing, and he even shared some exclusive news about their next Kickstarter coming next month for a hugely expanded line of paint brushes!

Follow Game Envy Creations on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay up to d...

My guest this month was the one and only Hank Edley, a member of Adepticon's board of directors! It is without exaggeration or hyperbole when I say that Adepticon is the best miniatures gaming convention in the entire world, bar none, and I was thrilled to get to pick Hank's brain about what goes into the show. Hank and I chatted about the show's history, the incredible community of hobbyists that make it so great, why Adepticon's fully painted policy has been such a success, and what it was like to get the event through the interruptions of the...

This month I was joined by Mark Henry, owner and founder of Goblin's Hut, the exclusive North American distributor of the Dirty Down liquid effects paints! Dirty Down's set of rust, moss, and verdigris effects paints have been taking the hobby by storm this year and I was excited to talk with Mark about how they work and what the future holds for this line of unique effects. Mark shared all about the paints origins as special effects paints for TV and movies including Game of Thrones and many other famous productions, as well as some exclusive news about...

This month I was joined by Byron Ord, founder of Artis Opus, a company making some of the best miniatures painting brushes on the market! They've just launched a Kicsktarter for a new kind of product:  hand-crafted, wall-mounted, self-lighted miniatures display cases! They funded in just 5 minutes as of our interview and are skyrocketing past 10x their goal! Byron took the time to speak with me about what makes these displays unique, the years of R&D that went into their creation, and also a little about their Series D (not so) drybrushes. 

Check ou...

My guest this month was Jon Cleaves, CEO of DGS Games, and Lead Designer of the exciting fantasy skirmish game, Freeblades! Jon was kind enough to tell me all about the history of Freeblades, it's related RPG, Brightsword, and their upcoming mass combat game, all three of which share core mechanics and can be played separately or woven together to tell the most epic stories in the world of Faelon. Jon's enthusiasm was contagious, and we talked a little about not just the games but what DGS Games is doing to help make tabletop gaming a more inclusive and...

This month I was lucky enough to once again speak with my friend, Sean Sutter, founder of Metal King Studio, creator of Relicblade, Sludge, and regular contributor to Blaster Magazine! Sean and I had last spoken on the podcast a few years back but he's been up to a ton since then. We talked about the trials and travails of being a creator in the post-2020 world, what led him to create such a different and darker game in Sludge than his previous work in Relicblade, starting his own podcast, and the challenges and complications facing a creator whose...

Union member and inaugural podcast guest, Dave Taylor returns this month! Dave's been up to a ton of awesome stuff since BWU podcast episode 1 and we talked about a lot of it. Dave shared what's been going on with the books he's published like Terrain Essentials and the upcoming volumes of his ongoing The Art of' series as well as building custom Fallout and Skyrim tables for Modiphius' Gen Con booth next week. And most excitingly, we talked about his new livestream endeavour, Build Paint Play! We wrapped things up by discussing our own armies for the new edition...