We crossed Apennines to go to a modelling fair in Macerata for two days. It was inside a larger fair about second hand and vintage objects.

Large halls and a lot of things to buy. The modelling part was the widest that I personally ever saw in Italy.

Among models I found these two Zaku dioramas. I like them a lot.

A modelling contest for various categories was held in the fair. Here some of what I think is the best.

Germany navy.

Italian navy: motorboat with explosive charge inside.

Three Italians tanks in Africa.

Picchiatello, the Italian Stukas.

Reenactors about Italian war in Africa.

More helmets.

There was space for various kinds of rc models.

From these photos you could believe that all was inside only a structure, instead these were three, one covered and closed (where we were), one covered, one half covered.

I bought only a couple of coins for my collection and four little cars. We were not so interested in other things, we are more miniatures oriented than generic vintage objects. But on the way to home we stopped to Col Fiorito to buy some cheese, lentils and beans. We wished to visit more the surroundings but hast is a bad mate, so we visited only where we sleep (a very little rural hamlet with a huge and ancient knight templar church built over pre-Roman sacred site), roads among hills and mountains, the fair, and good and bargain restaurants. We saw the Adriatic sea too.

Some important news that I want to share about my all time favourite Japan anime/manga series: Gundam, Patlabor, Ghost in the Shell. And about a big lizard.

We are arrived to the 35° anniversary of the first Gundam transmission on television. Among other celebrations and anime, the greater news is a new anime series divided in four parts about the years before the events of the first series. It is called Origin and it is adapted from the manga of the same name.

It was a long time that we don’t hear news about this great series. Now they have thought to propose a live action version. It is a retelling of the same story with real actors but they changed uniforms look and something. 13 episodes on television and a film in 2015.

It is ongoing the new Ghost in the Shell series called Arise. It is composed by four parts and two of them are released as it is. It focuses on early years of the Section 9, its creation. And the Fuchikomas/Takikomas have got a new primitive look and colour: red.

And now something always from the Japan but this time produced by USA. A little different than the crap made by Emmerich…

All things that I will watch in the following months and years…

Inside the Japan Palace there is the NKGC modelling competition. You have saw the little Gundam models exposition but there is even this section with lots of interesting models. This is the Yamato from space.

Ma.K. are always a must for modellers.

The best in the futuristic race contest.

Kallamity is the label under Luca Zampirolo makes its mecha art and resin models. Here while its signing with a sketch one small portfolio that I bought.

A Kallamity’s Garbaldy in the model contest. It is a Zion inspired model.

To end this mecha in Lucca post, some good classics from Japan.

Gunplay is the Bandai division for the promotion of Gundam modelling. In Lucca there is always an huge space for kit vendors and for a modelling contest.

Previously coloured versions. This is the weathered one. So it appears more as a real life model than a toy.

More versions of the hero. Always the same but different. You must have all…

Gloss metal finish…

Well, this is too much…

If the white fighter is the hero, I prefer the green enemy…

ZAKU is the best!!!

Part of its original family.

Here a Zaku involved with a big gun.

Scions of the original design, with the evolution for the neo Zion times, nazi helmet wearing…

Kit evolution, from 1980 to 1999. Better sculpt, better plastic models technology.

These Zaku were part of an exhibition about Gundam kit evolution during 30 years. Always the same design that evolve through times. Here in the red dress, but I ever prefer the green one, the trooper proud of Zion warriors.

This modelling contest by NKGC is always engaging. Here a diorama with the use of small figures from railway modelling.

One of the latest designs for the 0080 war. I like bulk mechas so much. I love it!

In the end, a war scene in the snow, like war on trenches, but with Zaku.

Still the Ludica Roma 2013 report. Aiming to our real interest: wargame.

Well, the thing that you can easily note on the photo is the candies stand. However we were there. Ganesha Games was situated where is the bunch of people at the extreme bottom, on the left part of the photo.

Another view. The previous photo was took on the balcony where are the escalators. The moment is dramatic: a lamp on the roof turned off so they are working on it.

A dream that we realise was the Samurai Robots Battle Royale game. Instead here we have a wargame by Bandai in the Gundam universe. The Italian Gundam club organised this display with gashapons, among other games and things. I’m almost thinking to join this club…

Two-dimensional wargame goes 3D! There was a large display with two-dimensional wargames like this.

Samurai. We all need some bamboo fences, Japanese houses and other related things: we have to be ready for a Japanese wargame, ever.

The last production by Torriani: rules for western battles with miniatures.

A huge scenario by Games Workshop staff. The colours of water were amazing.

Di Bartolo’s Napoleonic rules made their debut in Ludica, published by Chillemi editions. Here while a game was held.

Look at this vineyard!

Some time ago I saw the huge Napoleonic miniature collection by Di Bartolo’s club. Every time I wonder for their beauty.

Narnia is not only a matter of chronicles. It is the old name of a city exactly in Italy geographical centre. It is a beautiful little town on a hill and inside walls, with a distinct medieval appearance, and now it is called Narni. Fun fact: the coat of arms of the town is not a lion but a red griffon!

This is the 8th edition of Narni Fumetto, a nice convention about comics. And this one is the access to the town council inside a ancient stone building raised on the more ancient Roman forum of the town. In the atrium there was the games section of the convention.

I stayed two days with Andrea to playtest some new rules, to assist
him with free game session, to visit the town and the convention. In the background a well and along the wall some volumetric food measures carved in stone.

We tested some new ideas for BattleSworn future supplements. I think that it is better to work on the rules that Andrea have to complete, but in the meantime more games are in our minds.
In the background our friends of “La locanda dei giullari”, a live roleplay group. Very gorgeous girls inside!

On the table, to assist our creative efforts, another weird soft drink that resemble a more famous one: the Ben Cola!

Archery is another passion for Andrea. He diverted attention from games to assist people using his long bow.

The main comics area was inside a deconsacrated church now a cultural centre. You could find vendors, authors and some presentation.

A weird view. An altar transformed in a comic vendor stand. And some iconic images from cinema and comics are superimposed on saints on the walls.

The church is huge. Frescos remains on columns and cellars.

Accidentally blasphemy! The central figure is watching a comic on the upper shelf on the left. A Totem comic magazine with a sex scene just on the cover.

More accidentally blasphemy! A Crucifixion scene and on the left a soft sex scene on a comic named “the wait”.

There was another vendors space for comics and some games in another pavilion along the road. Wonderful food at bargain prices was sold at the convention and in shops in the town centre.

Cosplay is a vital component of comic conventions of the last 15 years. But I was amazed of the large wings of this chap. Not very handy to have a walk along the narrow streets of this town.

Sparkling colours add a tone to the white stone walls of the town.

Photo sessions around the town for cosplayers. Here they can use an unique location for their costumes.

A cosplay contest was held inside a theatre built in 1856 among medieval buildings. A real gem! Pity, I didn’t take a photo of the inside.

Gundam is always a classic. There is a young man inside. An heavy costume, movement is very demanding with it.

Well, two relaxing days while living a little but international comic convention. And more holidays will follow in the next days…

As in previous years we are in Agliana for Hellana wargame convention. The same trip to Tuscany from the early hours of the Sunday morning to the night, with a pause for the highway stop dinner. All is done to live another wargaming experience together with our friends from every corner of Italy. Look at the categories tag for other editions.

The classic DBA tournament. I prefer to play with other games during a convention, so even this time I only supported my DBA community with photos and friendship.

A Russian view with snow. And Italian and Soviet soldiers.

A WWI naval battle with an interesting use of cotton to built clouds!

When railway modelling in HO scale meet wargame in 20mm scale: a WWII fight in Germany.

Bigger scale and bigger building. Another WWII delicatessen.

Using Comitatus rules to build a battle at the Roma’s gates.

This playable scenario displayed a view of the Porta Ostiensis near the ARSM club headquarters. This scenario recreate a specific Gothic War event.

A new presence in the convention was the Gundam Italian Club. I’m an orphan of eighties too.

Some models, even if the better one was the Zion vessel!

I did my duty with a couple of Ferrum et Gloria scenarios. This one was an opportunity to test the “duel rules” and to have a fight secutor/scissor versus retiarii. An experience to make some tweaks to something. Then some people wished to buy the rules, but I’m still writing them, pity. Now I’m a little distracted by this convention period because we will have “La storia per gioco” and “Dadi.com” in the following weeks, but I’m very involved with the rules writing.

I’m a comic reader before I could reader: I watched only images at that age. Another Romics edition in my city. A big business because from this year we will have a spring and an autumn edition. And this time the organisers thought to add more trains for the location, the same nowhere place among ex-swamps.

I understand why I came all the times to this kind of fairs. It is not only comics or sparse game stands, it is principally about girls. Here you can watch lots of young and very beautiful females in their best age. Half-naked females with imaginative dresses. Exhibitionism is the rule. It is called cosplay… Sometimes the situation is really embarrassing. Among girls that practically wears bikinis with some fabric variously added, one of them with one D size bra on put herself on all fours on a car to show better her boobs to a crowd of males.

As I always say, this is a place where to show your costume, and your corpse. Everyone take photos of everyone, it is an infinite play of images based on fantasy worlds better than crude and monotone reality. Mine was a really fast trip, I stayed only 5 hours inside the fair on the 4 days duration. So I didn’t take lots of photos. You can find more on Flickr.

This time among cosplayers I noted more male and female homosexuals than usual. Some famous drag queens played to this costume thing too.

More sex talking. This Japanese statuette impress me. Only 110 euro to have a sex slave on a bookshelf of yours.

Something more polite and childish. My partner in the trip while is buying a Spiderman nice puppet.

In the very old times you cannot find a Gundam model, they were a chimera. Now the usual wall of models, everyone with their price tag made by post-its.

Another fair view. Some gadgets around and the upper entry of one of the 3 pavilions used for Romics.

I have to show even some comics, otherwise you could think that there weren’t comics in a comic fair. Here my partner while is buying from the author a comic that I don’t like at all about a fat panda… Instead I bought a Belgian/French school comic about airplanes in the WWII. I have got a better style of life…

The next appointment for comics is in autumn here in Rome and a month after there will be the Lucca madness. Instead, wargaming speaking, the next appointment is Hellana, this Sunday. I will be present with Ferrum et Gloria.