Monday, 13 April 2020

Miniature Wargames. Number One.

 Miniature Wargames when it hit the shops in 1983 was a revelation for wargamers.After the collapse of the Battle magazine there was literally no media outlet for the growing hobby. Other people had tried to get wargames magazines off the ground but all had failed very quickly.
 Peter Gilder was instrumental in the birth of the first quality wargames magazine providing beautiful photographs of wargaming figures, naturally Gilder's and also giving wargamers decent articles to read and enthuse over.Peter Gilder press-ganged a poor librarian called Duncan Macfarlane to become the editor simply because he was a wargamer and knew about writing? The rest is history.
 In the first issue there was a review of Gilder's original Wargames Centre which apart from being a great advertisement for his business was also the first nationwide mention that Gilder had left Hinchliffe models and set up his own figure company. 

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10 comments:

  1. WSTKS-FM Worldwide13 April 2020 at 06:19

    Why, I was looking at this very issue again just two days ago! Paddy Griffiths' articles in those first several issues of MW were and remain especially interesting.

    Best Regards,

    Stokes

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    1. Independentwargamesgroup13 April 2020 at 10:43

      What a magazine Stokes. I was re reading the early ones again the other night and realised I hadnt placed these articles on the blog. I especially love all the articles by Wally Hearl and my mate Paul Stevenson.

      Delete
  2. The Good Soldier Svjek13 April 2020 at 08:32

    It makes me wince that it's 37 years ago ! , sadly modern magazine are a pale imitation .

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  3. Independentwargamesgroup13 April 2020 at 10:44

    You are so right. I was 'reading' the latest offering of Miniature Wargames this week and then re read this magazine. The contrast is massive. One magazine full of information, enthusiasm and images. The latest full of fluff and not even very good fluff.

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  4. Wellington Man13 April 2020 at 11:59

    I have that issue too, Robbie. 75p was terribly expensive for a schoolboy in 1983. It was worth it though, as the contents were, as you say, revelatory and inspirational, albeit a teeny weeny bit intimidating as well!

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    1. Independentwargamesgroup14 April 2020 at 01:19

      Ive no doubt a lot of would be wargamers were put off by the beautiful photographs. Personally I couldnt stop looking at the figures and attempting to work out how exactly they had been painted.It was a great thing to aspire to.

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  5. Matt13 April 2020 at 13:41

    I still have mine with the free boardgame inside!

    Have to agree, the modern day version is a pale imitation...or I'm just getting old, cranky and stuck in my ways?

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    1. Independentwargamesgroup14 April 2020 at 01:22

      I dont think we are really. Its very easy to throw 'miserable old git' at people of a certain age, but even though I still get all the wargames magazines I know I am being sold short. There is something missing from all magazines nowadays but then I feel the same way about the fruit I buy. All fur coat and no knickers.

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  6. Der Alte Fritz19 August 2020 at 17:10

    Now I’m going to have to look through my set of MW magazines. I think numbers 1-39 were published by Duncan.

    Jim

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  7. Hiền Trang3 November 2021 at 02:30

    You are so right Bồn nước

    ReplyDelete

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