Explore every episode of the podcast Small Subjects
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode 51: The 2025 MMSI Chicago Show | 31 Oct 2024 | 01:26:48 | |
This time we talk about the recent 2024 MMSI Chicago show with Pat Vess and Joe Berton. We also talk about some things the guys have planned for next year's 50th anniversary show. | |||
| Episode 50: Doug Cohen | 03 Oct 2024 | 01:19:31 | |
For their 50th episode, your hosts talk with versatile Texas-based modeler, sculptor, and painter Doug Cohen, whose work stands out at any show he enters, as readily identifiable as his sense of humor. | |||
| Episode 41: Bob Sarnowski | 16 Nov 2023 | 02:09:11 | |
Warning: Unlike most of our episodes, this one has some profanity. For photos of what we discuss in each episode, visit the Small Subjects blog on boxdioramas.com: http://www.boxdioramas.com/smallsubjects Join one of our group builds: Historex: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectshistorex Flats: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectsflats Fantasy Busts: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectsfantasybusts Or hang out in the Small Subjects Hospitality Suite and discuss anything else miniatures related: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectshospitality | |||
| Episode 40: Barry and Jim on their Favorites (and their Failures) | 12 Oct 2023 | 01:54:31 | |
Your hosts aren’t at all sure that anybody will be interested in this rather self-indulgent episode, but hey, we were just responding to a request from one of our loyal listeners, Jamie Stokes in Australia, who left a voice mail for us on Telbee (and everyone is welcome to do the same by clicking here!).
We want to hear from you! CLICK HERE to leave us a message about anything in any of our episodes, or to pose a question you’d like to hear us address, and we’ll air it in an upcoming episode. Contact us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com | |||
| Episode 39: A Conversation About the Open System With Marijn Van Gils | 14 Sep 2023 | 02:27:15 | |
Another illuminating chat with Marijn, this time on the subject of the open system of judging miniatures and models. We also answer a listener voice message from Grant Mayberry about what to expect at your first open miniature and modelling show.
We want to hear from you! CLICK HERE to leave us a message about anything in any of our episodes, or to pose a question you’d like to hear us address, and we’ll air it in an upcoming episode. Contact us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com | |||
| Episode 38: Dave Youngquist and IPMS 2023 Nats | 17 Aug 2023 | 01:32:50 | |
Jim and Barry talk to Dave Youngquist of the ace online hobby shop Last Cavalry. They also chat about Barry's recent trip to the IPMS/USA National Convention. Photos of the pieces we discuss can be found on our blog on Boxdioramas.com | |||
| Episode 37: Gary Baker, hair and Historex | 20 Jul 2023 | 01:59:17 | |
In this episode, your hosts have a fascinating chat with British native, now San Diego-based painter and modeler Gary Baker. In addition to being big fans of his work, and agreeing that he’s one of the finest gents we’ve met in the hobby in recent years, we were eager to hear Gary’s thoughts about sculpting and painting hair—he’s a professional stylist and the creative director at UNITE Hair—and he made us think even more about how much character hair adds to a figure, as well as paying attention to the fine distinctions in hair styles in different eras. We’re used to focusing on uniforms and equipment and the way such change, even within the span of one conflict, but Gary got us going even deeper.
We want to hear from you! CLICK HERE to leave us a message about anything in any of our episodes, or to pose a question you’d like to hear us address, and we’ll air it in an upcoming episode. Contact us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com | |||
| Episode 36: Mike Hilleary | 22 Jun 2023 | 01:37:05 | |
Barry and Jim had a splendid chat with Mike Hilleary, the Connecticut-based modeler they consider one of the best painters in America today. We want to hear from you! CLICK HERE to leave us a message about anything in any of our episodes, or to pose a question you’d like to hear us address, and we’ll air it in an upcoming episode. Contact us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com | |||
| Episode 35: MFCA 2023 | 25 May 2023 | 01:30:50 | |
On May 5 and 6, your hosts once again traveled to the outskirts of Philadelphia for the 80th Annual Show sponsored by the Miniature Figure Collectors of America, one of the premier exhibitions of miniature arts in the U.S. In this episode, Barry and Jim offer some thoughts on the show recorded after the fact, as well as some live recordings amidst all of the fun on Saturday morning—an audio vérité first for Small Subjects! We want to hear from you! CLICK HERE to leave us a message about anything in any of our episodes, or to pose a question you’d like to hear us address, and we’ll air it in an upcoming episode. Contact us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com | |||
| Episode 34: Joe Berton | 20 Apr 2023 | 02:32:11 | |
Joe has been an active modeler since his teens in the early 1970s, and he is one of the most acclaimed artists and well-loved friend-to-all in the miniatures hobby. A retired art teacher, he’s a man with a million stories (and a rather famous alter ego, at least among baseball fans). We enjoyed every minute of talking with him, and feel like we’ve only scratched the surface, so we may well have to consider a recurring segment. (We do love the idea he floated of “Travels with Shep.”) We want to hear from you! CLICK HERE to leave us a message about anything in any of our episodes, or to pose a question you’d like to hear us address, and we’ll air it in an upcoming episode. Contact us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com | |||
| Episode 33: Ingvild Eiring | 16 Mar 2023 | 02:13:44 | |
Your hosts have been big fans of Ingvild Eiring’s box dioramas since she first made us aware of them by emailing this Web site and asking if we thought it would make sense to add a gallery for her. Heck yes!, we said, and what’s more, we thought we could learn a lot by chatting with this extraordinary artist, since she straddles the worlds of our pursuit, the dollhouse hobby, and fine art. (She has had several gallery exhibitions, and her work is much sought-after by collectors.) We want to hear from you! CLICK HERE to leave us a message about anything in any of our episodes, or to pose a question you’d like to hear us address, and we’ll air it in an upcoming episode. Contact us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com | |||
| Episode 32: Travis Haussener | 16 Feb 2023 | 01:58:27 | |
On this episode, we talk with one of Barry’s fellow modelers from Utah, Travis Haussener, who, despite the shared passion for miniatures and modeling, differs from him and co-host Jim in two pretty significant ways: Athleticism (you won’t find either of us getting buried in an avalanche, mainly because you’d never find either of us on skis), and, um, he holds a PhD in organic chemistry. We thought we could glean some insights into a lot of stuff we use on the workbench all the time without having much of a clue about how it works—or what we may be doing to ourselves by inhaling or ingesting it. We were not disappointed, and in fact, we’ve already got a long list of questions for a second round with Travis in the future (and maybe his physician wife, too). Modeling may not be as dangerous as skiing off-trail in the mountains, but then again, stabbing yourself with the X-acto or spilling a bottle of plastic cement is no picnic, either. Enjoy! We want to hear from you! CLICK HERE to leave us a message about anything in any of our episodes, or to pose a question you’d like to hear us address, and we’ll air it in an upcoming episode. Contact us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com | |||
| Episode 49: Scott Primeau | 22 Aug 2024 | 01:25:19 | |
In this episode, your hosts chat with Minnesota-based painter and sculptor Scott Primeau, a consistent gold-medal winner, Chicago medalist, and self-effacing talent whose attitude and ambition inspires both of us. We also talk about getting over some of our modeling fears. | |||
| Episode 31: Tools (and Other Stuff) We CAN Live Without | 12 Jan 2023 | 01:23:27 | |
Tools (And Other Stuff) We Hate (according to Jim), or Tools (And Other Stuff) That Just Haven’t Worked for Him (according to Barry, who is overall a kinder person). We want to hear from you! CLICK HERE to leave us a message about anything in any of our episodes, or to pose a question you’d like to hear us address, and we’ll air it in an upcoming episode. Contact us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com | |||
| Episode 30: Will Pattison | 15 Dec 2022 | 01:37:39 | |
One of our favorite and most outspoken voices in the hobby, we thought it was long overdue for us to chat with Will Pattison, especially since Jim needed some advice on chipping, and Will is the master! Will frequently posts to the Scale Modelers Critique Group on Facebook, shares his knowledge on his YouTube Channel, and talks modeling and other things with co-hosts Tracy Hancock and Chris Meddings on the Sprue Cutters Union podcast, and he’s written for several hobby magazines. He is also no slouch at figure painting. We want to hear from you! CLICK HERE to leave us a message about anything in any of our episodes, or to pose a question you’d like to hear us address, and we’ll air it in an upcoming episode. Contact us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com | |||
| Episode 29: Mike Good | 17 Nov 2022 | 01:50:06 | |
The name of California-based miniature sculptor Mike Good should be familiar to many in our hobby. We talk with him about his work, his interests, and his methodology. We want to hear from you! CLICK HERE to leave us a message about anything in any of our episodes, or to pose a question you’d like to hear us address, and we’ll air it in an upcoming episode. Contact us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com | |||
| Episode 28: Greg Cihlar | 20 Oct 2022 | 01:14:22 | |
Barry and Jim talk with Chicago-area modeler Greg Cihlar, a consistently gold-medal maker of striking dioramas and vignettes in the historical world (World War II a specialty) who’s also branched out to do some stunning work in the fantasy realm. We want to hear from you! CLICK HERE to leave us a message about anything in any of our episodes, or to pose a question you’d like to hear us address, and we’ll air it in an upcoming episode. Contact us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com | |||
| Episode 27: Tools (and Other Stuff) We Can't Live Without | 22 Sep 2022 | 01:53:06 | |
In this episode, Barry and Jim wax rhapsodic about tools and other stuff they can’t live without on their workbenches—and they have A LOT of fun doing it! | |||
| Episode 26: Pat McGrath | 18 Aug 2022 | 01:14:45 | |
http://www.boxdioramas.com/smallsubjects/2022/8/19/episode-26-actor-playwright-and-modeler-pat-mcgrathhttp://www.boxdioramas.com/smallsubjects/2022/8/19/episode-26-actor-playwright-and-modeler-pat-mcgrathBased in Dublin, armor modeler and orc sculptor Pat McGrath is a talented miniaturist, as well as a fine artist, an actor and a playwright; he performed a brilliant one-man show about our hobby, Small Plastic Wars (which we urge you to listen to here), that stands, as far as your hosts Barry and Jim know, as the only theatrical masterpiece exclusively about this odd pursuit of ours. We also talk about two of the themes in the play: modeling as therapy and (again) the idea of exhibiting vs. competition, and then we chat a bit about other appearances of our hobby in film and television. Check out some other great modeling podcasts on modelpodcasts.com We want to hear from you! CLICK HERE to leave us a message about anything in any of our episodes, or to pose a question you’d like to hear us address, and we’ll air it in an upcoming episode. Contact us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com | |||
| Episode 25: John Bonanni/IPMS Nationals | 04 Aug 2022 | 01:20:05 | |
Jim and Barry chat with John Bonanni about the 2022 International Plastic Modelers' Society USA national convention (the "Nats",) which they attended in Omaha, Nebraska in July. John is the second vice president of IPMS/USA and happens to share some of our views on how IPMS contests might be improved. Check out some other great modeling podcasts on modelpodcasts.com We want to hear from you! CLICK HERE to leave us a message about anything in any of our episodes, or to pose a question you’d like to hear us address, and we’ll air it in an upcoming episode. Contact us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com | |||
| Episode 24: Pat Stansell | 21 Jul 2022 | 01:43:55 | |
In addition to being a fine armor modeler, Pat is a helluva funny guy, who wrote to your hosts saying he’d be eager to chat with us, after we mentioned our enduring fondness for the late, lamented magazine he edited, Military Miniatures in Review. Eager to get the story behind the sad demise of that fine mag, as well as to hear what Pat is currently up to in Delray Beach, Florida (his new publishing company can be found here), we had quite a few laughs, and thoroughly enjoyed our chat. We hope you will, too! Check out some other great modeling podcasts on modelpodcasts.com We want to hear from you! CLICK HERE to leave us a message (up to 60 seconds) about anything in any of our episodes, or to pose a question you’d like to hear us address, and we’ll air it in an upcoming episode. Contact us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com | |||
| Episode 23: Calvin Tan | 07 Jul 2022 | 01:33:41 | |
Calvin Tan has been recognized as one of the most talented sculptors and figure painters in the world, especially among those working with WWII subjects. A graduate of RMIT University who is now the Department Chair at DigiPen Institute of Technology, he’s one of the most eloquent artists we’ve interviewed on this podcast in terms of drawing connections between what we do in miniature (his favored scales: 1/35 and 1/16) and what some of the grand masters did in the realm of fine art; as he pointed out, there is plenty to learn from them, even if the connections aren’t always obvious. Calvin has an excellent blog where you can follow his works in progress here, and, as always, after our chat, your hosts pick several of his pieces to discuss in depth. Check out some other great modeling podcasts on modelpodcasts.com We want to hear from you! CLICK HERE to leave us a message (up to 60 seconds) about anything in any of our episodes, or to pose a question you’d like to hear us address, and we’ll air it in an upcoming episode. Contact us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com | |||
| Episode 22: Box Dioramas | 23 Jun 2022 | 01:50:07 | |
You can find photos and links to information discussed in each episode at our podcast blog on boxdioramas.com And, in the wake of MFCA 2022 and a continued period of busy modeling by people stuck inside avoiding COVID, we've added a ton of new updates to boxdioramas.com, all of which are charted on the News page, though it's also a lot of fun to just click around." | |||
| Episode 48: Natalia Oracz | 11 Jul 2024 | 01:17:35 | |
Jim and Barry chat with another of their favorite painters from the fantasy realm, and one who’s been on their wish list of guests for quite some time: Natalia Oracz. | |||
| Episode 21: Taesung Harmms | 09 Jun 2022 | 01:18:51 | |
Taesung Harmms is the driving force, artistic director, and primary sculptor behind Alpine Miniatures, one of the highest-quality producers of resin figures in the hobby’s marketplace today. And, in the wake of MFCA 2022 and a continued period of busy modeling by people stuck inside avoiding COVID, we've added a ton of new updates to boxdioramas.com, all of which are charted on the News page, though it's also a lot of fun to just click around." | |||
| Episode 20: Marion and Alan Ball, plus the MFCA Show 2022 | 26 May 2022 | 01:56:34 | |
Painter Marion and sculptor Alan, happily married since 2003, are one of the most dynamic duos in the world of military miniatures. This episode features a chat with them, along with our recap of the 2022 MFCA Show outside Philadelphia in mid-May. | |||
| Episode 19: Marijn Van Gils | 12 May 2022 | 02:02:10 | |
Marijn Van Gils has been high atop our list of guests who we were most eager to talk to ever since we launched this podcast, some 18 episodes ago now. We’re both big fans of the sculpting, painting, and composition of his dioramas and vignettes, which almost always offer unique views of their subjects and a sly sense of humor. | |||
| Episode 18: Jack Lynch - Also, a discussion about transporting figures to shows | 07 Apr 2022 | 01:27:11 | |
In this episode, as we gear up for the Miniature Figure Collectors of America Show just outside Philadelphia on May 13 and 14, 2022, we chat with one of the event’s organizers and a veteran member of the long-running club, Pennsylvania modeler Jack Lynch. We talked about the club and the upcoming exhibit, as well as about the many roles Jack has played in the hobby, as a dedicated sculptor and painter, a professional model-maker, and a retailer, working with toys, model railroads, and his own miniature creations. We also discuss transporting figures and models to shows. | |||
| Episode 17: Chris Meddings. | 10 Mar 2022 | 01:49:04 | |
Bristol, England-based Chris Meddings is a master modeler whose scratchbuilding skills are especially stunning; the co-host (with Will Pattison and Tracy Hancock) of the Sprue Cutters’ Union podcast; the owner of Inside the Armour Publications, and a budding figure sculptor and painter. We talked with Chris about all of this and more, and followed up on a few questions you, our listeners, have posed. | |||
| Episode 16: Talking painting in acrylics and the benefits of modeling clubs with Pat Vess and Joe Berton | 24 Feb 2022 | 01:39:03 | |
Jim and Barry talk to Joe Berton and Pat Vess about the Military Miniature Society of Illinois. They also discuss Pat's recent switch from painting in oils to acrylics. Jim and Barry talk about the benefits of belonging to a modeling club. | |||
| Episode 15: Dennis Levy and more (Including Barry almost gets tased by a Swiss security guard) | 10 Feb 2022 | 01:58:54 | |
Dennis Levy has been a huge inspiration to the two of us for years, and he was high atop our list for interview subjects from the day we started this podcast. We had a blast talking with Dennis about boxes and more. Jim and Barry also chat about abandoned projects and discuss some unreasonable actions by Barry which almost caused an international incident. | |||
| Episode 14: Bill Horan | 13 Jan 2022 | 02:12:49 | |
Bill Horan needs no introduction, at least in our small world. Barry and Jim talk to the master painter and sculptor, and, as always, discuss some of their favorite pieces from his extensive and impressive canon. | |||
| Episode 13: Bill Merklein | 16 Dec 2021 | 01:28:26 | |
In this episode, Barry and Jim talk with veteran East Coast painter, sculptor, educator, and miniatures enthusiast Bill Merklein, a thoughtful artist and great raconteur. A towering figure in the world of G.I. Joe collectors, he brings a truly unique perspective to the world we cover in Small Subjects. | |||
| Episode 12: Game-Changers | 02 Dec 2021 | 01:18:06 | |
On this episode, Barry and Jim discuss some of their personal “Game-Changers,” pieces they saw that blew their minds, inspired them, and got them thinking in different ways about the possibilities for miniatures. | |||
| Episode 47: Joan Biediger Talks About "Algorithm As Art" | 02 Jun 2024 | 00:57:59 | |
Jim and Barry talk with Joan about her extraordinary box diorama “Algorithm As Art,” a gold-medal winner at MFCA 2024. Jim calls it one of the most important boxes in the history of the form—for its imagination, its execution, the ideas it raises, and the discussions it prompts. (Be sure to read his piece about it here.) | |||
| Episode 11: Nick Infield | 18 Nov 2021 | 01:47:36 | |
Nick has earned an international reputation for his boxes—many of which touch on his other passion for film—and his was one of the first artists galleries we added to boxdioramas.com! We also offer some useful tips when sculpting or converting for scaling your work. | |||
| Episode 10: Michael Kontraros/2021 MMSI Chicago Show | 04 Nov 2021 | 01:59:24 | |
Michael Kontraros is one of the top sculptors in the world in the fantasy realm. For years, he won gold medals and wide renown for his one-off sculpts, which are painted by some of the top artists in Greece, and which are greatly sought-after by collectors. He now runs his own company, Michael Kontraros Collectibles, where he produces stunning figure kits. We also talk about the 2021 MMSI Chicago Show and give a couple of wet palette suggestions you might want to try out. | |||
| Episode 9: Joel Glass and a discussion about collectors | 21 Oct 2021 | 01:31:43 | |
We talk to Joel Glass, a collector of miniatures and a supporter of the MFCA show in Philadelphia as well as World Expo. We also share our thoughts about the world of collecting miniatures. | |||
| Episode 8: Greg DiFranco | 07 Oct 2021 | 01:45:21 | |
This episode features an interview with Greg DiFranco, a master painter renowned for his use of shadows, light, and color, as well as a damn fine sculptor and a champion of flats who has raised that aspect of our hobby to new heights. | |||
| Episode 7: Mike Blank | 23 Sep 2021 | 01:33:39 | |
This episode features an interview with Mike Blank as well as a discussion of last Saturdays online MFCA show. We also talk about one of our favorite online shops, Last Cavalry and a few other things. | |||
| Episode 6: Our Favorite Books and Periodicals | 09 Sep 2021 | 01:14:48 | |
In this episode, your hosts Barry Biediger and Jim DeRogatis talk about some of their most beloved, must-own modelling tomes filling their book shelves, as well as magazines present and past. | |||
| Episode 5: Ben Komets | 26 Aug 2021 | 01:17:11 | |
This episode features an interview with Ben Komets, a talented and inspiring fantasy miniature painter. | |||
| Episode 4: Penny Meyer | 12 Aug 2021 | 01:03:36 | |
This episode features an interview with our friend, the excellent flats painter Penny Meyer. | |||
| Episode 3: Why are so many modelers reluctant to paint figures? | 29 Jul 2021 | 01:16:39 | |
We discuss some of the reasons plastic modelers might be reluctant to paint figures. Also, why does it seem to be so difficult to explain the process of figure painting? We will attempt to convince a few more modelers to give it a try by talking about why figures can add something to your models. We also give some tips for beginners that will hopefully help take away some of the apprehension. | |||
| Episode 2: John Rosengrant | 15 Jul 2021 | 01:13:45 | |
In this episode, we interview John Rosengrant, who is not only an excellent modeler and figure sculptor, he has one of the coolest day jobs as a special effects artist. John has created some of the most memorable and iconic characters in movies and television. A lot of John’s modeling work can be found on the following thread at the Planet Figure forum: https://www.planetfigure.com/threads/101st-airborne-normandy.117700/ John wrote a full article about building his diorama “Leave No Man Behind” in Shep Paine's Armor Modelers Guide (edited by none other than co-host Jim DeRogatis) | |||
| Episode 46: Verko's Vault | 25 Apr 2024 | 01:13:14 | |
Your hosts have been hustling to get the scoop on Verko’s Vault for some time. In this episode, they finally got the full run-down on the exciting plans for what will be one of the largest museums of miniatures yet opened to the public. | |||
| Episode 1: Entering Your Work In Model Shows and Accepting Critiques | 05 Jul 2021 | 00:52:18 | |
Welcome to Small Subjects! | |||
| Episode 45: Erik Swinson | 21 Mar 2024 | 01:30:07 | |
In this episode, your hosts talk with Virginia Beach-based professional miniatures painter Erik Swinson, one of the most stunning talents on the scene today. Join one of our group builds: Historex: Flats: Fantasy Busts: Or hang out in the Small Subjects Hospitality Suite and discuss anything else miniatures related: email us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com | |||
| Episode 44: Abstraction in Miniatures and Digital vs Traditional Scratchbuilding | 22 Feb 2024 | 01:32:16 | |
On this episode, your hosts tackle two big ideas they’ve been thinking and talking about a lot lately. First up: The notion of throwing away all the “rules” and thinking more abstractly. They also talk about digital modeling and 3D printing in terms of it's advantages and disadvantages versus traditional scratch building. Join one of our group builds: Historex: Flats: Fantasy Busts: Or hang out in the Small Subjects Hospitality Suite and discuss anything else miniatures related: email us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com | |||
| Episode 43: Jon Harbuck | 18 Jan 2024 | 01:39:36 | |
We chat with Alabama-based modeler Jon Harbuck, an attorney, a true Southern gentleman, and a favorite for the powerful storytelling in his work. Join one of our group builds: Historex: Flats: Fantasy Busts: Or hang out in the Small Subjects Hospitality Suite and discuss anything else miniatures related: email us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com | |||