...and Evil Casks: It's Classic! It's Ridiculous! It's Surreal!

My buddy AJ was with me in a gaming store when I picked up the Wizkids Kegs Barrels.  It was in the middle of a large display of other interesting figures from that line: wizards, ogres, theives, etc.

AJ, a fervent non-gamer, asked me why would I bother buying and painting a bunch of barrels. I picked up the Wizkids Mimic Set (which included a keg mimic) and said, "So I could use this."  He groaned and promptly left of the store, shaking his head. 

For the uninitiated, the mimic is an "object doppleganger". It's been around since the very first D&D Monster Manual and considered one of the most memorable monsters of the game.  Older gamers like me smile when we unexpectedly are bitten by one.

Why such a creature like this even exists gets a few different explanations:

1) The Insane Wizard 
The quintessential hand-waving explanation of fantasy gaming.  A long-forgotten wizard went mad and made a bizarre life form.

2) The Protective yet Morally Flexible Wizard
Another classic gaming explanation.  Wizard has macguffin.  Everyone wants macguffin.  Wizard hides macguffin in dungeon.  Wizard creates new multiple new life forms to protect macguffin.  And thus - the Dungeon in Dungeons and Dragons.

3) The Batman/Arkham Paradox 
The more attention Batman receives at putting mobsters in jail, the more he ends up inspiring villains as weird as himself to exist.  So the more popular adventuring becomes, the more a sub-ecosystem evolves to feed on them.

4) The "Scholarly" Lore 
Early Dragon magazines expanded on creature lore in articles called "The Ecology of..." The fourth article was on the mimic.  It had details on how it's capillaries would shift brown-pigmented fluid from its inner body to outer body, how it uses its pseudo-pods for movement, how it sensed others through patches of sensitive pigment.

The only thing missing was a companion article in the vein of People Magazine reading, "I didn't plan for a career on acting as a chest, I just sort of fell into it".

I grew up on "The Ecology of..." articles and loved the extra details.  It enriched the game for me, and inspired me to convert one of my first characters into a biologist-Dr. Frankenstein.

But in retrospect, there's a really obvious 5th reason why a creature like this exists.

5) The Game Master Wanted to Throw You a Curve Ball
My stepson pointed out an article by Aevee Bee that creatures like this exist because "They’re pretty nakedly nothing but a particular type of trouble or trap for people playing a game". The lore came after the fact, shaving the corners off the square peg to fit in the round hole.

Anyway... regardless of why the mimic is even exists... AJ's reaction also reminded me the mimic lives in that uncanny valley of comedy and horror I love - or more appropriately, bizarre and ridiculous.  It's a surreal nightmare where the the room literally comes alive in the worst kind of pun -- a pun that tries to eat you.

Perhaps gaming is more frought with ridiculously terrifying things than I give it credit for.

So the sculpt shows the keg mimic coming to life and I wanted the monster bits to have the appendages transforming to its non-chameleon state. 

Reaper HD Golden Yellow on eyes and straight black for pupils.  Reaper HD Burning Orange in the corners for effect.

For the teeth I used Vallejo Heavy Skintone, Vallejo Khaki, and Reaper HD Tusk Ivory.  Gums were Vallejo Night Blue.

Next to work on the tongue.  I originally highlighted with Misty Grey - which left the tongues too white.  So a wash of Reaper Ghoul Skin tones it down then a little Reaper Pale Olive to punch up the ridges.  Also dabbed a little Vallejo Heavy Skintone and Vallejo Khaki on the grey parts of the hoops to produce a mottled effect.

So painting experience on this one was pretty positive for a ridiculously terrifying result.