(Painting) Joseph Nash McDowell and His Cinnamon Bear

There's a reason Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff (KARTAS) remains my favorite podcast.  Sure, after 600+ episodes, it’s formulaic, and sometimes predictable,  but every segment produces some little kernel of information... or inspiration.  More than six months ago, in episode 620, "Where All My Bones Gone?"  the last segment is a whiz-bang overview of  anti-Catholic, grave-robbing, presidential cosplaying, musket collecting, and medical doctor, Joseph Nash McDowell.  It was agreed that McDowell would make a great 19th-Century villain, but I have grander ideals. 

I'm custom building an army for Gnome Wars, based on some of his shenanigans. 

An order from Brigade games was finally placed, and of course, I pushed off my massive lead pile to work on the new toys that showed up.  

Let's start off with the command group for the Kemper Episcopalian Medical Militia. 

Dr McDowell, "Cinnamon", and Jed Sawbuck

It makes sense that McDowell liked to dress up like Andrew Jackson, because, in reality, he looked like Jackson's and John C Calhoun's love child.  With the available Gnome Wars figures, the Southern Doctor is not close to him in real life, but by far the best fit, with a little flourish.  The Southern Doctor is currently on the list of figures to be remastered at Brigade Games, and I hope remain one of the few individual figures available for sale (unlike the army units).  Treat him as both a Doctor and an Officer for game play.  Melee is d6.

Cinnamon is an Upright Bear or Grizzly Bear Rearing from North Star through North Star (Brigade here in the US). Using the regular bear rules from the rulebook.

Good 'ol Jed, completely fictional, is a medical student of Dr McDowell's.  As a medic, he saves the figure on a 5+ on 1d8, but if he’s successful, the figure is -1 movement for the remainder of the game.  The effects are cumulative.  He's the Northern Gnome Doctor, and is in the same casting purgatory as his rival southern brethren.

The rest of the militia is sitting on my painting bench, in various states of progress.  I do need... a flag, and I may borrow the Kemper Military School of Missouri (no relations, but partial inspiration for the concept). 

Next:  Gnomes, Cultists,  Ducks .... and Mushroom Dudes

Project 350: Holding pretty steady at 473 (297 drafts/176 scheduled posts), up from 472 (295/177).  A couple side projects, some work on International Gnome Week, and most importantly, no one around to play some games!