Before my current lead addiction I spend my days following my local hardcore punk community. This is true especially for the years 1988-1995. Before them I was a metal-head but of black and thrash fringe. As my most relevant activities of that period, I realised a couple of fanzines, was a regular writer for a magazine, and helped with a record label. Nowadays I still hear a lot of music: hardcore punk, oi!, black metal and power electronics. I was very involved with hardcore music. Well, it is more than music, it was my life, because hardcore is not a form of music but an aptitude. A young movement, but a strong one. You cannot understand it if you are used to mainstream music, it is a matter of live in a unconventional way hearing unconventional music. And “music” is not the right word, “noise” is better, because it is the sound of rage.
A couple of years ago, a young veteran of my local community (when I was around he was just an adolescent) thought to film a documentary on that world, realising various interviews with crucial people from Roma hardcore community of that years, with a focus on the 1989-1999 period. After a lot of time he edited the material and now it is a film.
I went to a modern art museum (!!!) to see this documentary, screened for two months during an art exhibition. It is weird to go to a museum to see a piece of your life! And it is an institutional art museum, as if my life and that of my mates were involved in some art project. I wasn’t interviewed but I hoped that some part of me or my work was present in the pit (the name of the place below the stage) among other faces. Nothing, I wasn’t there. Pity! I saw only some group photos that I took: I was the “official photographer” of the community, so I was always behind the objective! Those photos were in the official catalogue of the show too, obviously without my name. This is the sad way of the photographer…
This documentary is not for commerce. I didn’t repeat this nostalgia moment with another screening session. But I wish to buy a copy to search better my face among the crowd…
Then a photographic book was edited about these years in the left fringe of the Roman skinhead community. This time I can find myself in the pit. But only by shoulder and a little of my face. However maybe it was the last live gig that I saw, a couple of years ago. Time flies.
The first one was Gundam, a military giant robot utilised as a tank with legs and arms. Then Patlabor showed a world where giant robots were manned vehicles for a lot of purposes. They could be used in industry as special vehicles for constructions or as earthmover, for example. Moreover they had a police and military utilisation. Patlabor is composed by the words “patrol” (in the stories we have a police unit as main characters) and “labour”. They aren’t heroic metal divinities but simple everyday vehicles. All this only in manga and anime of course.
Then someone, Suidobashi Heavy Industries – in Patlabor we had Shinohara Heavy Industries -, build in 2012 a real size marching robot in the Patlabor style. It is called Kuratas and it is sold only for almost one million euros. Available in different customisations. It is a toy for rich geeks, but it is even a demonstration that a manned giant robot can be produced for specific purposes. Military ones too.
Diabolik is an Italian comic anti-hero that now celebrates 50 years life. He is a thief who steal for no real reason: it is his nature. He is even an assassin, a cold man that utilise technology in his jobs. He is a spiritual heir of Fantômas.
A couple of Diabolik exhibitions were in Lucca, one inside the Comics Museum and the other one inside an ancient church! It was weird to see the king of the thieves with his dagger in this context!
This comic was very anti-conformist when it was published in that years. Bigoted people and authorities saw in this character a dangerous menace to moral. In 1967 this cover with a girl who wears only a bikini was sequestrated as a porn publication.
Some years after, some bank coined small gold ingots with Diabolik covers as an economical investment…
After a psychotronic film directed by Bava and a childish tv cartoon series, now is the time for a glamorous video series. Sign of the times, during a long 50 years story.
After 5 days in Lucca Comics & Games I needed some sleep. I was among thousands of staff people and 180000 paying people. I worked heavy at the Ganesha stand but I succeeded to take almost 250 photos, so you have to wait a little to watch a full report in thematic posts on this web. However now I’m offering you some official videos to understand what is this fair. Enjoy!
Alt si gioca was a wargame convention in Terni who took place the 7th of October. When I was free from my demonstrations I realised with my mobile a movie to report the event.
Some main topics:
0:12 – Blood Bowl tournament
0:51 – Flame of War scenario
1:00 – Battle on Ice in 10mm from Aster
1:20 – Heroquest
1:38 – Bring & Buy
1:53 – A La Guerre
2:30 – Gino Pilotino
2:48 – Subbuteo
3:01 – Operation World War II
3:17 – Wings of Glory
3:54 – Drums & Shakos Large Battle
4:20 – Zen Garden
4:28 – Ferrum et Gloria
4:34 – Samurai Robot Battle Royale
5:05 – Mighty Monsters
5:43 – Of Gods And Mortals
5:51 – Zulu on rampage
6:08 – Weird War II scenario
6:23 – Sherlock Holmes scenario
6:44 – 6mm
7.07 – 11000 Napoleonics in 15mm by Sergio Laliscia
To view a better show of the Napoleonics array, here another video.
Today we remember a day of infamy for our Country, when our king and all our govern people fled from Rome towards the Allies in the south to save themselves, leaving Italy without a head during the war. They suddenly changed side in the war without thinking about the consequences, leaving the State and the Army without orders, causing the occupation of Germans and the civil war. They started the war without adequate preparation and later they claimed to accuse Mussolini for that as they weren’t part of that system too, rebuilding a virginity fighting together with our former enemies. Perpetual shame on them, parasites of society and thieves with blood-spattered hands!
Today I am in Rufina, near Florence, for a two days convention. I will speak about it in the next posts. Among other things we will try a WWII ruleset to play a game about angry Germans versus lost Italian regular Army.
Tonight the new Dr Who season 33 (!) will be aired. And to start with a bang we will have a bunch of mad (!) Daleks on rampage: “Asylum of the Daleks”. Well, “asylum” is something different from “invasion”, “masterplan”, “victory”, “revelation”, “return”, “resurrection”,… To celebrate the event I’m thinking to buy some Daleks for my collection. I have some Renegade Daleks and Imperial Daleks in 28mm scale, but now I’m looking for something bigger. Sad fact: this is the last season with the cute Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) but will be presented Clara Oswin (Jenna-Louise Coleman), a new cute companion. But Amy is the cutest companion ever.
Sun, beaches, heat, sweat, slices of watermelon,… it is Ferragosto time! This is the midsummer holiday and all is stopped. So you cannot have news about miniatures because it would not be in keeping with the mood of this moment of the year. Something else instead, some great music from Italy, some summer songs. I’m sorry that they are in Italian language but you can understand the same. Two examples of gangsta rap for you. Turn on the volume and have fun!
My lead addiction, my little and big world, my Ganesha game about gladiators,…
Lead is a poisonous substance that damages the nervous system and causes brain disorders. Excessive lead causes blood disorders because is a potent neurotoxin that accumulates both in soft tissues and the bones. Used for miniature soldiers.
Ferrum et Gloria
