I received the very sad news of another wargaming legend who has entered the wargaming Valhalla. Tony Runkee, painter extraordinaire died suddenly on 1st July 2023.
I was lucky enough to meet and interview Tony several years ago for this blog and from their I was always bumping into him at various shows. I was lucky enough to obtain some of the units he had painted for Gilder, and he also painted several commissions for me. All were top quality.
Tony had been a close friend of Peter Gilder and needless to say was recruited by him to paint his figures. Tony also helped Peter make his famous terrain boards, and all the scenery for the Wargames Holiday Centre. Tony was a no nonsense craftsman, who was a tremendous painter of wargames figures. He did many commissions, his most famous being the wonderful work he did for the late Ian Smith, his speciality being the Confederates, where he would agonise over the colour of butternut before miraculously creating the look he felt was right. He also entered many Military Modelling painting competitions where his skills were invariably rewarded. Tony was a great bloke, funny, always helpful, and always ready to advise on anything to do with model painting.
The service is to be held on the 1st August at Lelley Fields Crematorium Oak Hall.
Very sad news to hear another of that inspirational generation has been lost. I was always enthralled by the photos of his work in the Macfarlane magazines and that's probably the reason why I have nostalgically focused my main painting and gaming these days into the world of shiny old school games.
ReplyDeleteHe was a cracking and very talented bloke
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