Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor Jodorowsky
I have been promising myself time to paint this steampunk looking Van Helsing-a-like for years, but I couldnt come up with a plan for a colour scheme. Then, all of a sudden, 1970s Mexican surrealist exploration of Western esotericism sprang to the rescue!
This Witch Hunter gets his name from an avant garde Cuban film director Alejandro Jodorowsky. The real life Jodorowsky is known for a few things, including his attempt film Dune which was abandoned and later picked up by David Lynch. He also made the movie that inspired this paint job: The Holy Mountain.
Im not much of a film buff – the Mexican surrealist scene passed me by completely it must be said – so I never heard of this particular director until about a year ago when I tried and failed to watch El Topo and subsequently forgot all about it. But then last week theottovonbismark casually slipped the YouTube below into an online conversation about (what else?) toy soldier plans.
“There is a guy about a minute into this video who has a great witch hunter look” Otto said (or words to that effect), heavily understating the levels of peculiarity either side of the potential visual cue. If you are unfamiliar with Jodorowskys work, then you might get something from taking a look. Its two and a half minutes long and its NSFW.
Still here? Good.
I didnt watch the movie – its not really my scene – but theottovonbismark was correct: the Alchemist characters outfit is a very strong look for a Witch Hunter miniature.
Back to back with Inquisitor Verhoeven
I had been undecided as to how to paint my Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor for a while, so I decided to steal theottovonbismarks idea. I named the Inquisitor after the film director as the real life Jodorowsky played the Alchemist in the movie and also because my other recently painted Inquisitor is also named after a film director: it seemed apt.
The miniature isnt an exact match for the Alchemist. Painting a miniature in exactly the same scheme as the character in the movie wouldnt have really worked I think, it would have looked too flat on a tiny 28mm miniature. It also would have taken me too long to get it to look right if I painted it like that I think (my patience levels with this sort of thing are quite low), so I took a more expedient option with some leather areas to give contrast.
Inquisitor Jodorowsky uncovers alien psychic influence amongst the nobles of Krellborn IX. So he hits space brains with his space sword.
As it turns out the colour scheme and miniature design both look a little like the Paul Dainton artwork on the cover of the Witch Hunters Codex (somewhat unsurprising really). I didnt even spot that until I was halfway through painting the model.
3rd Edition WH40K Witch Hunter Codex
Im pleased with how the model worked out, despite a few cock ups that I made while painting it and despite the fact that I was sick of the sight of it by the time that I was finished. Im looking forward to adding a few Imperial Ministorum types to his retinue. A bunch of overcompensating religious zealots should contrast well with the alien heavy bunch of hangers-on that Verhoeven has been getting down to business with for the last year or so.
Busy Inquiring.
Filed under: Miniatures | Tagged: 2014, 40K, 40K Skirmish, Inquisition, Sci-fi, Witch Hunter |
sho3box 
He looks great! I never did manage to get hold of that particular figure, either. So it’s good to see it painted so effectively.
LikeLike
Thanks Azazel. I went out of my way to pick up that particular Inquisitorial set as it was heading OOP. Those Retinue sets are modern (eleven year old) classics I think.
Its a great looking model and I quite enjoy the wide brimmed floppy hat look. Im trying to get a range of Inquisitors and a decent number of appropriate retinue types painted as the years go by.
As an Ordo Xenos radical Verhoeven has had a lot of aliens added to his entourage since I painted him last year. Jodorowsky will hopefully end up with more of the futuristic dark age stuff: nuns with guns, flagellating types, that sort of thing.
Thanks for the feedback 🙂
LikeLike
Looks fantastic, that’s a really beautiful white
It so happens that’s the figure I’ll be painting next week and was prepping him today 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks DS. The white worked out pretty well.
Do you have a plan for how you will approach the model DS? Have you decided on a palette? I was tempted by a leather approach for a while but felt that it would blend a little with the various space cowboy types that I occasionally work on such as THIS, so I came up blank for a while. The white from that wacky movie was what got me to dig the model out and paint it.
Im very interested to see what you come up with. Its a cool model.
Thanks for the feedback.
LikeLike
Doing mine for a commission, so customers choice :). Going for a dark black, red and gold look and trying to get a sinister vibe going on.
I’m glad you didn’t go for the leather approach as your white looks stunning. I like the ‘pure’ look to it, an angel of death kinda feel. Love it
LikeLike
Nothing wrong with a Vincent Price, Witchfinder General look, thats for sure.
I see these sorts of characters very much as anti-heroes: bad guys with delusions of grandeur. Characters that you love to hate are always fun those types do tend to look good in a heavenly, self-righteous white. Im glad that it translates to the miniature 🙂
LikeLike
You have done a nice job on that figure. The white really suits it.
LikeLike
Thanks Danny. It’s almost a James Bond villain look. It reminds me a little of the bad guy in the Azumi movie too. It’s a graphic, comic book, Samurai Jack sort of thing I think. My miniature painting tends to veer in that direction one way or another, so I try to embrace it.
Thanks for the feedback.
LikeLike
Very good looking but one strange video 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks. The Holy Mountain is pretty full on. The trailer is about as much I would have patience for I’d say, it’s a bit too much for me.
Thanks for the feedback.
LikeLike
Jodorosky (the real one) is quite a character. I first knew about him as a comic-book scriptwriter (“Incal” with Moebius or the “Metabarons” spin-off with Gimenez. His stories have a good start but they inevitably go crazy at some point; I mean really crazy). With time I must say he is not my cup of tea.
Anycase, focusing on the point, you mini is amazing. Getting that white colour work properly is just a hell of a work. Congratulations, awesome work!!
LikeLike
I’m glad that there are people out there like Jodorowsky making extreme arthouse media, but by and large it isn’t the stuff for me. But as a name and a costume idea for a miniature Alejandro fits here just fine.
Thanks for the feedback Suber.
LikeLike
I have to admit I have a real soft spot for the Witch Hunter models and have long entertained a vague ambition to get a small posse of ’em at some point. Inspired pj on Jodorowsky; looks very effective indeed.
LikeLike
This got stuck in the spam filter until just now for some reason Gareth 😦
The Witch Hunters tie together a lot of fun influences: Hammer Horror, fairy tales, space nuns, all sorts of fun things to mash up together. I find their varied nature makes Inquisitorial retinues very compelling and enjoyable to work on. Im sure that you would too. The Witch Hunters in particular would suit your painting style I think, with the interesting Brothers Grimm sort of vibe that your miniatures have.
Thanks for the feedback.
LikeLike
Seeing him all come together and finished, he turned out splendidly. Initially it really was all about the white, but he has so many accoutrements he could easily have turned out too busy, but happily that didn’t happen. I think it was a good decision not to stick too closely too the original inspiration, but even toning down the all white look, he is quite striking. I looking forward to seeing his minions.
I’m also looking forward to watching that movie. I’m just too curious.
LikeLike
Thanks mrsaturdays.
Having stared at the little guy for a while every day for a week or so, I dont really have enough distance to make a call on the paint job just yet (I currently tend to only see the elements that I rushed) but even so, he does look quite dashing I think. Its a great miniature and it can pull off an ostentatious scheme.
I originally planned to go for another white (a bone, possibly a blue/grey white) on the areas that ended up leathery brown, but I felt that the miniature might actually lose some visual impact if I did. With the flesh, hair and to a small extent the weapon stock also being an off white I thought that the gloves and boots would balance the figure a bit better if they were another neutral tone. Plus they are quicker and easier to paint that way too and my patience was ebbing.
Minion wise I hope to focus on the Ecclesiarchy: the sorts of characters that definitely wouldnt associate themselves with the aliens that Verhoeven hangs out with. Techno-gothic, superstitious, self-loathing, cyborg, zealot types. Classic 40K future dark age humans.
I have the Redeemer and Ephrael Stern Black Library miniature sets that I bought way back too. Im getting very tempted to add them in here in the medium term.
http://www.solegends.com/citle2000/blacklibrary/blredeemer/index.htm
http://www.solegends.com/citle2000/blacklibrary/blstern/index.htm
Thanks for the feedback.
LikeLike
That film looks like it’s a… tiny bit much? I get hangover angst from watching just the trailer! Still think I need to see it at some point, preferably with some old mates and intoxicated.
Jodorowsky the witch-hunty is great though! Are you edging back into painting the best you can muster? This paintjob is really impressive!
Also, please stop posting nice-looking modern stuff. I was perfectly fine cordoned off in my small retro area of the leado-sphere. Now I want this too and have started eyeing other newer things. Even bought a few frateris militaris (mostly because they were cheap) and am now lustfully gazing at an old buddy of mine that I never could come to terms with selling off:
Curses! I’m trying my absolute hardest to limit the purchases until I have more space-men painted up. Several more or less done. I’m holding off photographing and blogging about them until I have some background scenery finished to a decent standard. Then again, it’s decidedly much less hassle going the route you’re taking with your photos.
LikeLike
Thanks Mattias.
The “hangover angst” description nails it amusingly, the trailer is enough for me I think. I would probably have sat through the whole thing with friends years ago, but right now Im not sure that I could muster up the same enthusiasm.
I think two things encouraged me to spend a little more time painting this figure that I usually would.
Firstly it was a homage/reference to an existing scheme strongly (entirely?) defined by its white. So I had to make sure that aspect looked appropriate. I enjoy painting white, but it takes time to get it to look a certain way, which is what you are seeing there I think (even though as I type this I am hoping that you dont look too closely at some of the rougher bits)
Secondly the model is covered in little details. Its well defined and sculpted detail (as you would expect from 21st century, metal Jes Goodwin output) but I still find that painting it takes ages. Although it does look good when finished, I find it very hard to deal with that sort of decoration in a quick way, so I have to just knuckle down, consider it and paint it. The finished model does look better as a result, but simpler, 1980s RT figures take me about half as much time to paint to a similar finish.
Its slightly funny (and familiar) that you consider an OOP miniature over a decade old “modern” (and the Frateris Militia are from 97 IIRC). Being able to limit to a certain era of miniatures would make things easier (like only collecting Marvel or DC comics rather than everything), but I have never been able to manage it. I like to mix them all together in games anyway. With consistent basing and painting style they go together far better than many purists would have you believe. A good example is that a planned early addition to Jodorowskys entourage is a Space Eunuch from 1987 or so. He does look slightly different in proportion and style, but I am certain that he will look decent alongside.
That thread on the Oldhammer forum about suitable miniatures with an RT vibe is bad news for my wallet.
Lastly, regarding photos, these days I dont regard the miniature as finished until I have taken a snap of it. My photography isnt great, but it gets the job done.
I take photos using terrain only when it suits me really or when the model is a vehicle or something too big to put in the tatty cat food box that I take the photos in. Occasionally when I have the terrain out I take some extra photos using recent miniatures that didnt get the “on set” treatment, but its done on a case by case basis. The white background is more than adequate for the ongoing record really I think.
Thanks for the feedback Mattias.
LikeLike
Wonderful figure. I did mine as part of a diorama I the opposite (dark() scheme.
One of my favourite figures from the Oughts. The female with hunter is up there too.
As always, great paint! 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks Achilles. A darker, more Hammer Horror scheme is just as valid as anything else and like you say, its a great miniature.
I never got the female Witch Hunter model, but after painting Jodorowsky here, Im going to have to track one down.
LikeLike
There are a couple versions. The one with the Incinerator is my personal favourite. The others are just variations of her.
LikeLike
While I prefer some versions to others, I would be happy just to have one. Its another modern classic sculpt.
LikeLike
Silas Hand and Ephrael Stern are up there as well. I wish I had the Black library 28mm Eisenhorn as well 🙂
LikeLike
I have Silas, Ephrael, the Redeemer and Malakev. They are slowly making their way to the top of the painting queue.
I would perform vile public acts if there was a 28mm Eisenhorn at the end of it 😉
LikeLike
He’s the only one I’m missing as well x ) I’ve even got Gaunt and Corbec from
BL that need painting.
LikeLike
Cool. Im a Dan Abnett fan via 2000AD and much of his BL stuff, but I never read more than a Gaunts Ghosts short story. Im sure that if I do get around to reading it I will lust after those miniatures, but until then I can do without.
I did re-read The Redeemer recently. Its still good fun, great fodder for gaming scenarios and the like. That old stickler Silas Hand and Ephrael are up for a re-read soon too. Painting this witch hunter has put me in the mood for miniature religious intolerance 😉
LikeLike
That is a stunning figure. You should try and convert up some little flying servo-goats to be his familiars!
LikeLike
Thats a great idea Mattias, thanks. I have since arranged delivery of a beastman skull, ripe for servo installation.
Thanks for the feedback!
LikeLike
[…] to R: Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor Jodorowsky, Ordo Sepulturum Inquisitor Raimi, Ordo Xenos Inquisitor […]
LikeLike