In this episode, Barry and Jim wax rhapsodic about tools and other stuff they can’t live without on their workbenches—and they have A LOT of fun doing it! We want to hear from you! CLICK HERE to leave us a message about anything in any of our episodes, or to pose a question you’d like to hear us address, and we’ll air it in an upcoming episode.  Contact us at [email protected]

Based in Dublin, armor modeler and orc sculptor Pat McGrath is a talented miniaturist, as well as a fine artist, an actor and a playwright; he performed a brilliant one-man show about our hobby, Small Plastic Wars  (which we urge you to listen to here), that stands, as far as your hosts Barry and Jim know, as the only theatrical masterpiece exclusively about this odd pursuit of ours.   We also talk about two of the themes in the play: modeling as therapy and (again) the idea of exhibiting vs....

Jim and Barry chat with John Bonanni about the 2022 International Plastic Modelers' Society USA national convention (the "Nats",) which they attended in Omaha, Nebraska in July.  John is the second vice president of IPMS/USA and happens to share some of our views on how IPMS contests might be improved. You can find photos and links to information discussed in each episode at our podcast blog on  boxdioramas.com  Check out some other great modeling podcasts on modelpodcasts.com We want to...

In addition to being a fine armor modeler, Pat is a helluva funny guy, who wrote to your hosts saying he’d be eager to chat with us, after we mentioned our enduring fondness for the late, lamented magazine he edited, Military Miniatures in Review. Eager to get the story behind the sad demise of that fine mag, as well as to hear what Pat is currently up to in Delray Beach, Florida (his new publishing company can be found here), we had quite a few laughs, and thoroughly enjoyed our chat. We...

 Calvin Tan has been recognized as one of the most talented sculptors and figure painters in the world, especially among those working with WWII subjects. A graduate of RMIT University who is now the Department Chair at DigiPen Institute of Technology, he’s one of the most eloquent artists we’ve interviewed on this podcast in terms of drawing connections between what we do in miniature (his favored scales: 1/35 and 1/16) and what some of the grand masters did in the realm of fine art; as he...

You can find photos and links to information discussed in each episode at our podcast blog on  boxdioramas.com And, in the wake of MFCA 2022 and a continued period of busy modeling by people stuck inside avoiding COVID, we've added a ton of new updates to boxdioramas.com, all of which are charted on the News page, though it's also a lot of fun to just click around." Check out some other great modeling podcasts on modelpodcasts.com Contact us at [email protected]

Taesung Harmms is the driving force, artistic director, and primary sculptor behind Alpine Miniatures, one of the highest-quality producers of resin figures in the hobby’s marketplace today. You can find photos and links to information discussed in each episode at our podcast blog on  boxdioramas.com And, in the wake of MFCA 2022 and a continued period of busy modeling by people stuck inside avoiding COVID, we've added a ton of new updates to boxdioramas.com, all of which are charted on...

Painter Marion and sculptor Alan, happily married since 2003, are one of the most dynamic duos in the world of military miniatures. This episode features a chat with them,  along with our recap of the 2022 MFCA Show outside Philadelphia in mid-May. You can find photos and links to information discussed in each episode at our podcast blog on  boxdioramas.com Check out some other great modeling podcasts on modelpodcasts.com Contact us at [email protected]

 Marijn Van Gils has been high atop our list of guests who we were most eager to talk to ever since we launched this podcast, some 18 episodes ago now. We’re both big fans of the sculpting, painting, and composition of his dioramas and vignettes, which almost always offer unique views of their subjects and a sly sense of humor. Please visit Chris Meddings' Inside the Armour Publications and order Models for Ukraine, all profits from which will go to humanitarian aid to Ukraine. You can...

In this episode, as we gear up for the Miniature Figure Collectors of America Show just outside Philadelphia on May 13 and 14, 2022, we chat with one of the event’s organizers and a veteran member of the long-running club, Pennsylvania modeler Jack Lynch.  We talked about the club and the upcoming exhibit, as well as about the many roles Jack has played in the hobby, as a dedicated sculptor and painter, a professional model-maker, and a retailer, working with toys, model railroads, and his...

 Bristol, England-based Chris Meddings is a master modeler whose scratchbuilding skills are especially stunning; the co-host (with Will Pattison and Tracy Hancock) of the Sprue Cutters’ Union podcast; the owner of Inside the Armour Publications, and a budding figure sculptor and painter. We talked with Chris about all of this and more, and followed up on a few questions you, our listeners, have posed. You can find photos and links to information discussed in each episode at our podcast blog...

Jim and Barry talk to Joe Berton and Pat Vess about the Military Miniature Society of Illinois. They also discuss Pat's recent switch from painting in oils to acrylics.  Jim and Barry talk about the benefits of belonging to a modeling club.  You can find photos and links to information discussed in each episode at our podcast blog on  boxdioramas.com Check out some other great modeling podcasts on modelpodcasts.com Contact us at [email protected]

 Dennis Levy has been a huge inspiration to the two of us for years, and he was high atop our list for interview subjects from the day we started this podcast. We had a blast talking with Dennis about boxes and more. Jim and Barry also chat about abandoned projects and discuss some unreasonable actions by Barry which almost caused an international incident.   You can find photos and links to information discussed in each episode at our podcast blog on  boxdioramas.com Check out some other...

Bill Horan needs no introduction, at least in our small world. Barry and Jim talk to the master painter and sculptor, and, as always, discuss some of their favorite pieces from his extensive and impressive canon.  You can find photos and links to information discussed in each episode at our podcast blog on  boxdioramas.com Check out some other great modeling podcasts on modelpodcasts.com Contact us at [email protected]

In this episode, Barry and Jim talk with veteran East Coast painter, sculptor, educator, and miniatures enthusiast Bill Merklein, a thoughtful artist and great raconteur. A towering figure in the world of G.I. Joe collectors, he brings a truly unique perspective to the world we cover in Small Subjects.  You can find photos and links to information discussed in each episode at our podcast blog on  boxdioramas.com Check out some other great modeling podcasts on modelpodcasts.com Contact us...

On this episode, Barry and Jim discuss some of their personal “Game-Changers,” pieces they saw that blew their minds, inspired them, and got them thinking in different ways about the possibilities for miniatures.  You can find photos and links to information discussed in each episode at our podcast blog on  boxdioramas.com Check out some other great modeling podcasts on modelpodcasts.com Contact us at [email protected]

 Nick has earned an international reputation for his boxes—many of which touch on his other passion for film—and his was one of the first artists galleries we added to boxdioramas.com!  We also offer some useful tips when sculpting or converting for scaling your work. You can find photos and links to information discussed in each episode at our podcast blog on  boxdioramas.com Contact us at [email protected]

 Michael Kontraros is one of the top sculptors in the world in the fantasy realm. For years, he won gold medals and wide renown for his one-off sculpts, which are painted by some of the top artists in Greece, and which are greatly sought-after by collectors. He now runs his own company, Michael Kontraros Collectibles, where he produces stunning figure kits. We also talk about the 2021 MMSI Chicago Show and give a couple of wet palette suggestions you might want to try out. You can find...

We talk to Joel Glass, a collector of miniatures and a supporter of the MFCA show in Philadelphia as well as World Expo. We also share our thoughts about the world of collecting miniatures.  You can find photos and links to information discussed in each episode at our podcast blog on  boxdioramas.com Contact us at [email protected]

 This episode features an interview with Greg DiFranco, a master painter renowned for his use of shadows, light, and color, as well as a damn fine sculptor and a champion of flats who has raised that aspect of our hobby to new heights. You can find photos and links to information discussed in each episode at our podcast blog on  boxdioramas.com Contact us at [email protected]

 In this episode, your hosts Barry Biediger and Jim DeRogatis talk about some of their most beloved, must-own modelling tomes filling their book shelves, as well as magazines present and past. You can find photos and links to information discussed in each episode at our podcast blog on  boxdioramas.com Contact us at [email protected]

This episode features an interview with Ben Komets, a talented and inspiring fantasy miniature painter. You can find photos and links to information discussed in each episode at our podcast blog on  boxdioramas.com Contact us at [email protected]

This episode features an interview with our friend, the excellent flats painter Penny Meyer. Pics of some of the pieces discussed and links to further information can be found at the Small Subjects Blog, which is part of the Box Dioramas website.

We discuss some of the reasons plastic modelers might be reluctant to paint figures.  Also, why does it seem to be so difficult to explain the process of figure painting?  We will attempt to convince a few more modelers to give it a try by talking about why figures can add something to your models. We also give some tips for beginners that will hopefully help take away some of the apprehension. For some helpful images and links, visit our blog post here:...