When the first number of Figurines appeared in November 1994, it came in answer to a lot of amateur’s expectations: they were champing at the bit waiting for the appearance of a magazine devoted solely to this domain of miniaturisation. Its title imposed itself immediately: simple, clear and direct. With one look you could see that the subject was figurines, nothing but figurines, but everything to do with figurines. Indeed, Figurines is open to all genres and all sizes. From the standard classic 2 1/8 inch (54mm) to the larger sizes, 3 ? inch (90 mm) and 4 ? inch (120 mm), they are all there, and in all materials: tin or lead figurines, plastic, resin, etc. And although the kind of figurine dealt with is mainly the showcase type - very highly detailed and painted with meticulous care - the older collection figurines, formerly sold as “lead soldiers” or “plastic soldiers” (which does not mean that to-day they are not coveted by very serious collectors), also have their place, since they belong to the history of our hobby. The 52 pages of the first number appeared to be too small a space to contain all the subjects we wanted to deal with and with time, the number of pages increased regularly to level out now at 84 full-colour pages; this figure can be increased (92, or even 100 pages) depending on circumstances or on what is going on in the figurine world.
The figurine community
Every two months for more than ten years now, Figurines has become a true reference in its domain, often copied abroad but never equalled (as the old commercial used to say). Our bi-monthly magazine indeed links the members of the figurine community together: within its pages the isolated buffs find the information needed to progress and improve, the professionals can introduce their latest novelties through the novelties column, or simply lovers of beautiful pictures and beautiful creations can read reports of the main international events. Moreover, since 2004, an annual special edition completes the range of our publications in this domain. Tradition obliges us not to forget that Figurines is the legitimate offspring of a monthly magazine devoted to military history, and so from the beginning it has regularly included two of the best authors specialised in the study of uniforms: Michel Pétard whose reputation is now firmly established and who is just as accurate in his drawings as he is rigorous in his texts; and André Jouineau, one of the “inventors” of computerised uniform graphics, who was able to put computer techniques to good use and give a breath of fresh air to the genre and attract new readers to this domain. The periods covered by Figurines deals with the whole of History. Indeed, with uniforms just as with figurines, the French First Empire has pride of place, with Napoleon and his Grenadiers, Murat’s cavalry, his heavy cuirassiers and his dashing hussars. But as novelties appear and reports are written, no fewer than forty centuries of history file past through the pages: from Egyptian chariots to Roman legionaries, from the Knights of the Middle Ages to the King’s Musketeers, from the Sans-Culottes of An II to the “Grognards” of the Napoleonic Campaigns, from the Marsouins of Colonial times to the Poilus of Verdun, without forgetting soldiers who were closer to us, WWII and more recent conflicts; they are all there, lined up impeccably on parade, very peacefully now, in the pages of Figurines.
Technical secrets, for all levels
From the outset, Figurines made it a point of honour to offer its readers the very best in the domain. Thus the best creators are put to work to introduce their realisations, whereas beginners have at their disposal a whole series of articles written by specialist to initiate them and show them, clearly and accurately, by photographing details, the smallest secrets and tricks of the trade. From the beginning also, what’s going on in the figurine world takes up a large part of the editorial space in Figurines. This can be seen in two different ways:
Firstly through the Novelties column whose size has grown with the amazing advances in the market.
Secondly through the medium of the Figurine Competitions, where trends and fashions see the light of day, and build up a breeding ground for new authors and therefore future talents ready to give new life to the subject.
Finally, to combine business with pleasure, Figurines offers all its subscribers a figurine created especially for the magazine. This article which is not available in the trade, is offered free of charge and the subject changes every year which enables you to make up cheaply a quality collection because the items are inspired directly from the drawings accompanying the uniform articles. If you are already a subscriber to Figurines nothing of what you have just ready is unknown to you. On the other hand if you aren’t familiar yet with this fascinating hobby, where intellect and hand work together alongside each other in perfect harmony, I invite you to take a step further in these pages and, why not, become part of the figurine community thanks to our magazine.
Dominique Breffort
