Grenadier Miniatures
Encyclopedia
Grenadier Models Inc. of Springfield, Pennsylvania
produced lead miniature figures for wargames
and role-playing game
s with fantasy
, science fiction
and heroic themes between 1975 and 1996. Grenadier Models Inc. is best known for their figures for TSR Inc.'s Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game, collectible Dragon-of-the-Month and Giants Club figures, and their marketing of paint and miniature sets through traditional retail outlets.
The company began as a basement enterprise, but by 1983 they had grown to a company of 50 people and had the third highest gross sales in the gaming market. Grenadier's sculptors included John Dennett, Janine Bennett, Julie Guthrie, Robert Watts, Nick Lund, Mark Copplestone, Michael Daley, Sandra Garrity, Bob Naismith, William Watt
and Ian Symonds. Grenadier closed its doors in 1996, but many of their products remain in production by companies in Italy and the United States.
figures released in anticipation of the 1976 United States Bicentennial
. The company received its name from their first miniature, a grenadier.
and the American Civil War
, and American Old West
gunfighters. Although they were primarily focused on the well established market for historical miniatures, their early produced included spaceships dubbed Space Squadrons and Stellardate: 2998 (product codes SS1-19, #5008), 25 mm fantasy figures called Wizzards & Warriors (W1-60, WS1-5), and a small selection of 15mm fantasy figures. As the fantasy market began to out-pace historical miniatures in 1978, Grenadier released box sets containing select portions of their fantasy, space ships, and gunslinger lines.
role-playing games. The company established The Grenadier Bulletin in the fall of 1981. The periodical had a short run, but its first editor Kim Eastland became an influential author of role-playing games and fiction published by TSR Inc.. The AD&D lines included blister pack
s of monsters (#101-116), small box sets (#2001-2013), and large box sets (#5001-5004, 5009). A collateral product was Action Art
box sets (#8001-8004) which included paint and miniature figurines. The Gamma World
role-playing game was supported by a series of blister pack
s (Gxx), a box sets of adventurers (#5005) and post-apocalyptic monsters (#5006). Grenadier also produced figures (SN1-4) for TSR Inc.'s Snit's Revenge
board game.
With the popularity of fantasy and science fiction gaming Grenadier discontinued many of their historical period figures. However, they continued to produce 54mm figures (#5401-5409) featuring historical figures like "5401- Jesus of Nazareth," and a 77mm series of figures (#9001-9003, 9006) based on the calendar art of Boris Vallejo
. The 77mm figures were dropped the following year.
In late 1982 Grenadier Models and TSR Inc. ended their business relationship. The issue appeared to have been over Grenadier's plans to produce figures for other game companies. Several years after the fact Grenadier described the separation as "a bold decision... in order to provide players of all fantasy games with a broader range of quality fantasy miniatures". Since many of Chernak's sculptures predated TSR Inc.'s artwork, Grenadier Models retained the rights to their sculptures and re-released many of the them in the Dragon Lords (#2001-2013, 5001-5004), Fantasy Lords (#6001-6005, 101-112), and Action Art
(#8003, 8004) lines. There may have been issues with the reuse of the sculpts, and the following year some sets (#2010-2012, 8003, 8004) were replaced with new sculpts.
's Call of Cthulhu
(#6501, 6502), Game Designers' Workshop
's Traveller
(#1001-1003), and FASA
's Star Trek role-playing game (FASA)
. At that same time the owners of Grenadier Models spun off a subsidiary called Pinnacle Products with an orientation toward mainstream retail outlets. They produced The Dark Crystal Adventure Collection which included two boxes sets (#9001, 9002, n.b. reuse of product code) containing paints and miniatures of the characters and furniture in the December 1982 movie The Dark Crystal
. Other Pinnacle Products merchandise included the Paint and Collect Series consisting of 2201 - Dinosaurs, 2202 - Fantasy Lords, 2203 - Fantasy Monsters, and 2204 - G.I. Assault Team. In early 1983 Grenadier added four Paint and Playsets (#9101-9104) to coincide with Mattel
's Masters of the Universe
cartoon and 1/285 scale tanks and artillery for Steve Jackson Games
' Ogre
(#6101, 6110-6115, 6118, 6122) and 1/180 scale vehicles Car Wars
Autoduel (#6201-6210) games. In October 1983 Grenadier added a line of Secret Agents (#3001, 3002).
In 1982 and 1983 Grenadier conducted a Wizard's Gold Contest in which they placed gold-plated castings within random boxes of figures. The box also included a certificate for a drawing. The grand prize for 1982 was a one-half ounce of gold for the purchaser of the box set and the store which sold it. The 1983 certificates awarded gift certificates and were placed in 6001 - Dragons of the Emerald Idol and 6002 - Skeleton-Raiders of the Undead box sets. However, collectors have reported gold-plated figures from contemporaneous sets.
In the twelve months between March 1984 and February 1985 Grenadier released monthly installments in the popular Dragon-of-the-Month series. Each installment consisted of a variety of fantasy dragon
which included a jeweled base and a portion of a map. Those who collected all twelve dragons were eligible to receive an additional dragon figure. Other 1984 introductions included the Masterpiece Editions 5501 - War Mammoth of the Undead Legion, 5501 - Death Dragon, futuristic war machines called Warbots (#4501, 4502), and miniatures for Mayfair Games
's Champions
(#4001, 4002). Grenadier also released four gaming scenarios: The Horrible Secret Of Monhegan Island by Gary Pilkington for Call of Cthulhu
, Cloudland by Tony Fiorito for Tunnels and Trolls
or Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Raid on Rajallapor by Gary Pilkington for Blades' Mercenaries, Spies and Private Eyes
, and Disappearance on Aramat for Game Designers' Workshop
's Traveller
.
Grenadier celebrated its 10th anniversary by adding 10,000 commemorative Paladin
figures to boxes of 6007 - Fantasy Lords Dungeon Raiders. Due to the popularity of the "Dragon-of-the-Month" series, Grenadier released a second series of dragons in March 1985, "The Giant's Club" whose first installment was 3501 - Fire Giant, and the "Monster Manuscript" which included dungeon creatures organized in alphabetical order. Also in 1985 Grenadier released the official miniatures for I.C.E.
's Middle-earth
in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings
, a line of 15mm soldiers for Game Designers' Workshop
's Twilight 2000
skirmish game which takes place in a world where the Cold War
was resolved with arms, superheroes for Hero Games
' Champions, Pacesetter
's Chill
, Mayfair Games
' D.C. Heroes, and West End Games
' Paranoia
role-playing games.
Grenadier signed on Julie Guthrie in 1987 to sculpt their first signature line Julie Guthrie's Fantasy Personalities. By 1988 Grenadier became the manufacturer of miniatures for West End Games
' role-playing system, Star Wars. This miniatures series was based upon the characters and creatures of the first three George Lucas films, and consisted of everything from the main characters, Rebel troops, droids, villains, storm troopers, and vehicles. In 1989 Grenadier released the first Shadowrun
miniatures for FASA's role-playing game.
's Citadel Miniatures
. Grenadier Models' office in Wales became the new center of product design and British artists Mark Copplestone, Bob Naismith, and Nick Lund.
In 1992 Grenadier Models underwent a period of revitalization. The company's founders Andrew Chernak and Ray Rubin returned to their creative responsibilities. Kim Eastland returned to Grenadier Models. The return to the early structure of the company may have been prompted by the limited success of their partnerships with game manufacturers. By the beginning of 1993 Grenadier Models only produced Andrew Chernak and Sandra Garrity's sculptures for R. Talisorian Games' Cyberpunk
.
Nick Lund's Fantasy Warriors the center piece of the 1993 catalog with a similar space-themed game called Future Warriors (#1501-1509, 1701) released later that same year. Fantasy war gamers were targeted with the Lost Lands boxed sets of 25mm scale miniatures (#3001-3006), Fantasy Warriors artillery pieces and battlefield accessories (#9201-9203, 402-406) and a 15mm Warlords(#1801-1818) line of military units. The fantasy role-playing market was addressed by Julie Guthrie's large signature series (#801-899, 701-724, 7001, 7002, 8101-8145), a Fantasy Legends line (#3101-3128) sculpted by William Watt
, Sandra Garrity, and Julie Guthrie, and selected pieces of their existing lines. Also in 1993 Grenadier Models produced Dragon Lords the Game (#5700-5711) a 6mm scale skirmish game featuring dragon riders, and 25mm plastic space marine
s called Space Rangers (#87003).
Initially, Grenadier Models' figures were cast from lead and tin alloy, but in 1993 New York legislators nearly passed a public health bill barring the use of lead in toys and miniatures. Despite the additional cost, numerous manufacturers anticipated parental concerns, similar legislation in other states, and their own workplace safety and began using white metal alloys. Grenadier began converting its lines to a non-lead alloy they called Luminite in the winter of 1992. The use of non-lead alloy marks a clear benchmark for dating old figures. In time, New York Governor Mario Cuomo
relented to hobbyists' concerns and exempted miniatures from the state's Public Health Law. However, Grenadier Models did not return to producing in lead.
in August 1996 it was revealed that the molds and masters of Grenadier Models had been purchased by Stratelibri, their long-time distributor in Milan, Italy. The rights have since passed to Mirliton S.G. who continues to produce many of the figures from Grenadier's last years in business. Many of Grenadier's artists retained right to their work. In 2001 Mega Miniatures purchased the production rights to 180 of the Julie Guthrie's Grenadier Personalities.
Springfield Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Springfield Township, or simply Springfield, is a township and a Census Designated Place in Delaware County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 23,677 at the 2000 census...
produced lead miniature figures for wargames
Wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
and role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s with fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
, science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and heroic themes between 1975 and 1996. Grenadier Models Inc. is best known for their figures for TSR Inc.'s Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game, collectible Dragon-of-the-Month and Giants Club figures, and their marketing of paint and miniature sets through traditional retail outlets.
The company began as a basement enterprise, but by 1983 they had grown to a company of 50 people and had the third highest gross sales in the gaming market. Grenadier's sculptors included John Dennett, Janine Bennett, Julie Guthrie, Robert Watts, Nick Lund, Mark Copplestone, Michael Daley, Sandra Garrity, Bob Naismith, William Watt
William Watt
William Alexander Watt PC was an Australian politician who was the 24th Premier of Victoria, and later a leading federal politician and Speaker of the House of Representatives....
and Ian Symonds. Grenadier closed its doors in 1996, but many of their products remain in production by companies in Italy and the United States.
History
The company was founded by Andrew Chernak, president and head sculptor, and Ray Rubin, vice president and head artist, when they reorganized Canterbury Pewter Ltd., a gift-market sculpting business which they had established in 1972. The duo were not new to historical miniatures. Chernak had previously sculpted for Superior Models and Rubin was a co-founder of Squadron-Rubin Miniatures. Grenadier Model's first product was a line of 25mm American RevolutionAmerican Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
figures released in anticipation of the 1976 United States Bicentennial
United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
. The company received its name from their first miniature, a grenadier.
Historical miniatures, 1975-1980
By the end of 1976, Grenadier had produced miniatures soldiers from Classical AntiquityClassical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
and the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and American Old West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
gunfighters. Although they were primarily focused on the well established market for historical miniatures, their early produced included spaceships dubbed Space Squadrons and Stellardate: 2998 (product codes SS1-19, #5008), 25 mm fantasy figures called Wizzards & Warriors (W1-60, WS1-5), and a small selection of 15mm fantasy figures. As the fantasy market began to out-pace historical miniatures in 1978, Grenadier released box sets containing select portions of their fantasy, space ships, and gunslinger lines.
"Your D. & D. Figure Company," 1981-1982
By 1981 Grenadier Models had begun to refer to itself as "Your D. & D. Figure Company" and established a newsletter to advertise its status as the official producer of miniatures for TSR Inc.'s AD&D and Gamma WorldGamma World
Gamma World is a science fantasy role-playing game, originally designed by James M. Ward and Gary Jaquet, and first published by TSR in 1978. It borrowed heavily from James M. Ward's earlier product, Metamorphosis Alpha.-Setting:...
role-playing games. The company established The Grenadier Bulletin in the fall of 1981. The periodical had a short run, but its first editor Kim Eastland became an influential author of role-playing games and fiction published by TSR Inc.. The AD&D lines included blister pack
Blister pack
Blister pack is a term for several types of pre-formed plastic packaging used for small consumer goods, foods, and for pharmaceuticals.The primary component of a blister pack is a cavity or pocket made from a "formable" web, usually a thermoformed plastic. This usually has a backing of paperboard...
s of monsters (#101-116), small box sets (#2001-2013), and large box sets (#5001-5004, 5009). A collateral product was Action Art
Action art
Action art may refer to:*Action painting, a form of abstract expressionism*Performance art and art intervention...
box sets (#8001-8004) which included paint and miniature figurines. The Gamma World
Gamma World
Gamma World is a science fantasy role-playing game, originally designed by James M. Ward and Gary Jaquet, and first published by TSR in 1978. It borrowed heavily from James M. Ward's earlier product, Metamorphosis Alpha.-Setting:...
role-playing game was supported by a series of blister pack
Blister pack
Blister pack is a term for several types of pre-formed plastic packaging used for small consumer goods, foods, and for pharmaceuticals.The primary component of a blister pack is a cavity or pocket made from a "formable" web, usually a thermoformed plastic. This usually has a backing of paperboard...
s (Gxx), a box sets of adventurers (#5005) and post-apocalyptic monsters (#5006). Grenadier also produced figures (SN1-4) for TSR Inc.'s Snit's Revenge
Snit's Revenge
Snit's Revenge is a two-player board game developed and illustrated by Tom Wham. It originally appeared as an insert in Dragon Magazine in 1977, and subsequently as a boxed game first published by TSR, Inc. and currently by Steve Jackson Games...
board game.
With the popularity of fantasy and science fiction gaming Grenadier discontinued many of their historical period figures. However, they continued to produce 54mm figures (#5401-5409) featuring historical figures like "5401- Jesus of Nazareth," and a 77mm series of figures (#9001-9003, 9006) based on the calendar art of Boris Vallejo
Boris Vallejo
Boris Vallejo is a Peruvian-born American painter. He immigrated to the United States in 1964, and he currently resides in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He frequently works with Julie Bell, his wife, painter, and model....
. The 77mm figures were dropped the following year.
In late 1982 Grenadier Models and TSR Inc. ended their business relationship. The issue appeared to have been over Grenadier's plans to produce figures for other game companies. Several years after the fact Grenadier described the separation as "a bold decision... in order to provide players of all fantasy games with a broader range of quality fantasy miniatures". Since many of Chernak's sculptures predated TSR Inc.'s artwork, Grenadier Models retained the rights to their sculptures and re-released many of the them in the Dragon Lords (#2001-2013, 5001-5004), Fantasy Lords (#6001-6005, 101-112), and Action Art
Action art
Action art may refer to:*Action painting, a form of abstract expressionism*Performance art and art intervention...
(#8003, 8004) lines. There may have been issues with the reuse of the sculpts, and the following year some sets (#2010-2012, 8003, 8004) were replaced with new sculpts.
"Collect and Paint," 1983-1990
As Grenadier parted ways with TSR Inc. they continued to reach out to the burgeoning adventure gaming market. In 1983 they became the official producer of miniatures for ChaosiumChaosium
Chaosium is one of the longer lived publishers of role-playing games still in existence. Founded by Greg Stafford, its first game was actually a wargame, White Bear and Red Moon, which later mutated into Dragon Pass and its sequel, Nomad Gods...
's Call of Cthulhu
Call of Cthulhu (role-playing game)
Call of Cthulhu is a horror fiction role-playing game based on H. P. Lovecraft's story of the same name and the associated Cthulhu Mythos.The game, often abbreviated as CoC, is published by Chaosium.-Setting:...
(#6501, 6502), Game Designers' Workshop
Game Designers' Workshop
Game Designers' Workshop was a wargame and role-playing game publisher from 1973 to 1996. Many of their games are now carried by other publishers.-History:Game Designers' Workshop was originally established June 22, 1973...
's Traveller
Traveller (role-playing game)
Traveller is a series of related science fiction role-playing games, the first published in 1977 by Game Designers' Workshop and subsequent editions by various companies remaining in print to this day. The game was inspired from such classic science fiction stories as the Dumarest saga series by...
(#1001-1003), and FASA
FASA
FASA Corporation was an American publisher of role-playing games, wargames and board games between 1980 and 2001. Originally the name FASA was an acronym for "Freedonian Aeronautics and Space Administration", a joking allusion to the Marx Brothers film Duck Soup. This tongue-in-cheek attitude was...
's Star Trek role-playing game (FASA)
Star Trek role-playing game (FASA)
Star Trek: The Role Playing Game is a role-playing game set in the fictional Star Trek universe published and edited by FASA Corporation from 1982 to 1989.-Setting:...
. At that same time the owners of Grenadier Models spun off a subsidiary called Pinnacle Products with an orientation toward mainstream retail outlets. They produced The Dark Crystal Adventure Collection which included two boxes sets (#9001, 9002, n.b. reuse of product code) containing paints and miniatures of the characters and furniture in the December 1982 movie The Dark Crystal
The Dark Crystal
The Dark Crystal is a 1982 British-American fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. Although marketed as a family film, it was notably darker than previous material created by them. The animatronics used in the film were considered groundbreaking. The primary concept artist was the...
. Other Pinnacle Products merchandise included the Paint and Collect Series consisting of 2201 - Dinosaurs, 2202 - Fantasy Lords, 2203 - Fantasy Monsters, and 2204 - G.I. Assault Team. In early 1983 Grenadier added four Paint and Playsets (#9101-9104) to coincide with Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
's Masters of the Universe
Masters of the Universe
Masters of the Universe is a media franchise created by Mattel....
cartoon and 1/285 scale tanks and artillery for Steve Jackson Games
Steve Jackson Games
Steve Jackson Games is a game company, founded in 1980 by Steve Jackson, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games, and the gaming magazine Pyramid.-History:...
' Ogre
Ogre
An ogre is a large, cruel, monstrous, and hideous humanoid monster, featured in mythology, folklore, and fiction. Ogres are often depicted in fairy tales and folklore as feeding on human beings, and have appeared in many classic works of literature...
(#6101, 6110-6115, 6118, 6122) and 1/180 scale vehicles Car Wars
Car Wars
Car Wars is a vehicle combat simulation game developed by Steve Jackson Games. It was first published in late 1980 .-Game play:In Car Wars, players assume control of one or more automobiles, which may include any powered vehicle, from motorcycles to semi trucks. Optional rules include piloting...
Autoduel (#6201-6210) games. In October 1983 Grenadier added a line of Secret Agents (#3001, 3002).
In 1982 and 1983 Grenadier conducted a Wizard's Gold Contest in which they placed gold-plated castings within random boxes of figures. The box also included a certificate for a drawing. The grand prize for 1982 was a one-half ounce of gold for the purchaser of the box set and the store which sold it. The 1983 certificates awarded gift certificates and were placed in 6001 - Dragons of the Emerald Idol and 6002 - Skeleton-Raiders of the Undead box sets. However, collectors have reported gold-plated figures from contemporaneous sets.
In the twelve months between March 1984 and February 1985 Grenadier released monthly installments in the popular Dragon-of-the-Month series. Each installment consisted of a variety of fantasy dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
which included a jeweled base and a portion of a map. Those who collected all twelve dragons were eligible to receive an additional dragon figure. Other 1984 introductions included the Masterpiece Editions 5501 - War Mammoth of the Undead Legion, 5501 - Death Dragon, futuristic war machines called Warbots (#4501, 4502), and miniatures for Mayfair Games
Mayfair Games
Mayfair Games is a publisher of board, card, and roleplaying games. They also license German-style board games and publish them in English throughout the world...
's Champions
Champions (role-playing game)
Champions is a role-playing game published by Hero Games that is designed to simulate and function in a four-color superhero comic book world. It was created by George MacDonald, Steve Peterson, Bruce Harlick, and Ray Greer....
(#4001, 4002). Grenadier also released four gaming scenarios: The Horrible Secret Of Monhegan Island by Gary Pilkington for Call of Cthulhu
Call of Cthulhu (role-playing game)
Call of Cthulhu is a horror fiction role-playing game based on H. P. Lovecraft's story of the same name and the associated Cthulhu Mythos.The game, often abbreviated as CoC, is published by Chaosium.-Setting:...
, Cloudland by Tony Fiorito for Tunnels and Trolls
Tunnels and Trolls
Tunnels & Trolls is a fantasy role-playing game designed by Ken St. Andre and first published in 1975 by Flying Buffalo. The second modern role-playing game published, it was written by Ken St...
or Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Raid on Rajallapor by Gary Pilkington for Blades' Mercenaries, Spies and Private Eyes
Mercenaries, Spies and Private Eyes
Mercenaries, Spies and Private Eyes is a role-playing game designed and written by Michael A. Stackpole and first published in April 1983 by Blade, a division of Flying Buffalo, Inc. A second edition was later published by Sleuth Publications, but Flying Buffalo continues to distribute the game...
, and Disappearance on Aramat for Game Designers' Workshop
Game Designers' Workshop
Game Designers' Workshop was a wargame and role-playing game publisher from 1973 to 1996. Many of their games are now carried by other publishers.-History:Game Designers' Workshop was originally established June 22, 1973...
's Traveller
Traveller (role-playing game)
Traveller is a series of related science fiction role-playing games, the first published in 1977 by Game Designers' Workshop and subsequent editions by various companies remaining in print to this day. The game was inspired from such classic science fiction stories as the Dumarest saga series by...
.
Grenadier celebrated its 10th anniversary by adding 10,000 commemorative Paladin
Paladin
The paladins, sometimes known as the Twelve Peers, were the foremost warriors of Charlemagne's court, according to the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. They first appear in the early chansons de geste such as The Song of Roland, where they represent Christian martial valor against the...
figures to boxes of 6007 - Fantasy Lords Dungeon Raiders. Due to the popularity of the "Dragon-of-the-Month" series, Grenadier released a second series of dragons in March 1985, "The Giant's Club" whose first installment was 3501 - Fire Giant, and the "Monster Manuscript" which included dungeon creatures organized in alphabetical order. Also in 1985 Grenadier released the official miniatures for I.C.E.
Iron Crown Enterprises
Iron Crown Enterprises was a publisher of role playing, board, miniature battle, and collectible card games.ICE was incorporated in 1980 shortly after the principal founders graduated from the University of Virginia...
's Middle-earth
Middle-earth Role Playing
Middle-earth Role Playing is a 1984 role-playing game based on the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien under license from Tolkien Enterprises. Iron Crown Enterprises published the game until they lost the license on 22 Sep 1999.-Setting:The setting for MERP is an expanded version of J. R. R...
in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
, a line of 15mm soldiers for Game Designers' Workshop
Game Designers' Workshop
Game Designers' Workshop was a wargame and role-playing game publisher from 1973 to 1996. Many of their games are now carried by other publishers.-History:Game Designers' Workshop was originally established June 22, 1973...
's Twilight 2000
Twilight 2000
Twilight 2000 is a role-playing game set in the aftermath of World War III . The premise is that the United States/NATO and the Soviet Union/Warsaw Pact have fought a lengthy conventional war, followed by a nuclear war with all its consequences...
skirmish game which takes place in a world where the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
was resolved with arms, superheroes for Hero Games
Hero Games
Hero Games is the publisher of the Hero System, a generic roleplaying rules set that can be used to simulate many different genres, and was the co-developer of the Fuzion system.-History:...
' Champions, Pacesetter
Pacesetter Ltd
Pacesetter Ltd was a game company based in Delavan, Wisconsin, founded in 1984. Company founders included Mark Acres, Troy Denning, and Stephen Sullivan. Pacesetter produced both tabletop role-playing games and board games....
's Chill
Chill (role-playing game)
Chill is a role-playing game that captures the feel of 20th-century horror films. Players take on the role of envoys, members of a secret organization known as S.A.V.E...
, Mayfair Games
Mayfair Games
Mayfair Games is a publisher of board, card, and roleplaying games. They also license German-style board games and publish them in English throughout the world...
' D.C. Heroes, and West End Games
West End Games
West End Games was a company that made board, role-playing, and war games. It was founded by Daniel Scott Palter in 1974 in New York, but later moved to Honesdale, Pennsylvania...
' Paranoia
Paranoia
Paranoia [] is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself...
role-playing games.
Grenadier signed on Julie Guthrie in 1987 to sculpt their first signature line Julie Guthrie's Fantasy Personalities. By 1988 Grenadier became the manufacturer of miniatures for West End Games
West End Games
West End Games was a company that made board, role-playing, and war games. It was founded by Daniel Scott Palter in 1974 in New York, but later moved to Honesdale, Pennsylvania...
' role-playing system, Star Wars. This miniatures series was based upon the characters and creatures of the first three George Lucas films, and consisted of everything from the main characters, Rebel troops, droids, villains, storm troopers, and vehicles. In 1989 Grenadier released the first Shadowrun
Shadowrun
Shadowrun is a role-playing game set in a near-future fictional universe in which cybernetics, magic and fantasy creatures co-exist. It combines genres of cyberpunk, urban fantasy and crime, with occasional elements of conspiracy fiction, horror, and detective fiction.The original game has spawned...
miniatures for FASA's role-playing game.
Grenadier Models U.K., 1991-1996
By 1991 Grenadier had begun selling Nick Lund's Fantasy Warriors: a game of fantasy battles a boxed game which included 102 plastic figures sculpted by Mark Copplestone. Branches of the company were established in Auckland, New Zealand, and Deeside, Clwyd, Wales to support British and Australian customers and connect with British sculptors Grenadier's British sculptors The British shop was placed under the supervision of Bob Watts, Andrew Chernak's brother-in-law, in order to remove the cost of exporting miniatures to Europe and take advantage of the growing popularity of Games WorkshopGames Workshop
Games Workshop Group plc is a British game production and retailing company. Games Workshop has published the tabletop wargames Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000...
's Citadel Miniatures
Citadel Miniatures
Citadel Miniatures Limited is a company which produces metal, resin and plastic miniature figures for tabletop wargames such as Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000....
. Grenadier Models' office in Wales became the new center of product design and British artists Mark Copplestone, Bob Naismith, and Nick Lund.
In 1992 Grenadier Models underwent a period of revitalization. The company's founders Andrew Chernak and Ray Rubin returned to their creative responsibilities. Kim Eastland returned to Grenadier Models. The return to the early structure of the company may have been prompted by the limited success of their partnerships with game manufacturers. By the beginning of 1993 Grenadier Models only produced Andrew Chernak and Sandra Garrity's sculptures for R. Talisorian Games' Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
.
Nick Lund's Fantasy Warriors the center piece of the 1993 catalog with a similar space-themed game called Future Warriors (#1501-1509, 1701) released later that same year. Fantasy war gamers were targeted with the Lost Lands boxed sets of 25mm scale miniatures (#3001-3006), Fantasy Warriors artillery pieces and battlefield accessories (#9201-9203, 402-406) and a 15mm Warlords(#1801-1818) line of military units. The fantasy role-playing market was addressed by Julie Guthrie's large signature series (#801-899, 701-724, 7001, 7002, 8101-8145), a Fantasy Legends line (#3101-3128) sculpted by William Watt
William Watt
William Alexander Watt PC was an Australian politician who was the 24th Premier of Victoria, and later a leading federal politician and Speaker of the House of Representatives....
, Sandra Garrity, and Julie Guthrie, and selected pieces of their existing lines. Also in 1993 Grenadier Models produced Dragon Lords the Game (#5700-5711) a 6mm scale skirmish game featuring dragon riders, and 25mm plastic space marine
Space marine
The space marine, an archetype of science fiction, is a soldier that operates in outer space or on alien worlds. Historical marines fulfill amphibious roles: ship defence, landing parties, and general high-mobility deployments...
s called Space Rangers (#87003).
Initially, Grenadier Models' figures were cast from lead and tin alloy, but in 1993 New York legislators nearly passed a public health bill barring the use of lead in toys and miniatures. Despite the additional cost, numerous manufacturers anticipated parental concerns, similar legislation in other states, and their own workplace safety and began using white metal alloys. Grenadier began converting its lines to a non-lead alloy they called Luminite in the winter of 1992. The use of non-lead alloy marks a clear benchmark for dating old figures. In time, New York Governor Mario Cuomo
Mario Cuomo
Mario Matthew Cuomo served as the 52nd Governor of New York from 1983 to 1994, and is the father of Andrew Cuomo, the current governor of New York.-Early life:...
relented to hobbyists' concerns and exempted miniatures from the state's Public Health Law. However, Grenadier Models did not return to producing in lead.
Grenadier's molds and sculpts
At Gen ConGen Con
Gen Con is one of the largest and most prominent annual gaming conventions in North America. It features traditional pen-and-paper, board, and card-style games, including role-playing games, miniatures wargames, board games, live action role-playing games, collectible card games, non-collectible...
in August 1996 it was revealed that the molds and masters of Grenadier Models had been purchased by Stratelibri, their long-time distributor in Milan, Italy. The rights have since passed to Mirliton S.G. who continues to produce many of the figures from Grenadier's last years in business. Many of Grenadier's artists retained right to their work. In 2001 Mega Miniatures purchased the production rights to 180 of the Julie Guthrie's Grenadier Personalities.