Small Subjects is a podcast devoted to discussing big topics in the worlds of scale modeling, diorama-building, and sculpting and painting miniature figures, as well as presenting interviews with some of the top artists in the field, including every era, and ranging from historical to fantasy subjects. Co-hosts Barry Biediger, who is based in Salt Lake City, and Jim DeRogatis, who lives in Chicago, are the editors of the Web site boxdioramas.com. Both have decades of experience as modelers, though they maintain that they are always curious and always learning. They are dedicated members of the Military Miniature Society of Illinois, where they considered the great Sheperd Paine a friend and mentor. Barry is also a member of his local chapter of the Armor Modeling and Preservation Society, while DeRogatis has written, co-written, or edited ten books about popular music and two about miniatures and modeling (Sheperd Paine: The Life and Work of a Master Modeler and Military Historian and Shep Paine’s Armor Modelers Guide). You can contact the hosts at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!
In this episode, your hosts hit the dirt running, so to speak, tackling the importance of the scenery in a diorama or vignette, starting with the question of whether we begin by building the setting (an approach Jim has taken of late) or if that comes last (Barry’s tendency).
Central Virginia-based modeler (and retired entomologist!) Mike Pierce has been an inspiration to your hosts since we first met him at one of the MMSI’s post-show critique sessions. He’s a modeler who’s always trying new things, and he tells great stories—both in his work, and in conversation. In this episode, we have a fine visit and hear more than a few of his tales.
Barry and Jim chat once again with U.K. modeler Chris Meddings about a new international online “juried exhibition” he’s launched called the Upturner Prize, which, as he puts it atop the web site , is intended for “celebrating modellers who push the limits of miniatures, models, and what they can say, with an annual prize for artistic creation in miniature.” Your hosts round out this episode with a new segment Jim has now formally named: “Ask Barry.”...
Jim talks with Norris, Tennessee-based modeler Raphael Shelton , who Barry thought had an interesting perspective on “doing the hobby just for fun,” something those of us who are obsessed about this thing of ours (and who talk about it on a podcast) can sometimes forget. Jim and Barry also discuss what they’re working on (or playing with, if you prefer) at the moment.
Toronto-area modeler Dave Browne has been a big inspiration to your hosts for quite some time, and not only because he shares their passion for box dioramas and is a master of the form. Dave is also a very talented armor modeler, and for 16 years, until it closed in January 2019, he ran Hornet Hobbies, the best kind of hobby shop. which, as he says, was about “building friendships, an active modelling community, and a few models.”
Your hosts talk with Robert Blokker , a loyal listener who lives in Alkmaar, a city located in the North Holland province of the Netherlands, known for its traditional cheese market. In addition to being a wonderfully gregarious fellow—Barry really enjoyed spending some time with him during World Model Expo in Versailles last summer—Robert, who works as a graphic artist, is a wonderfully imaginative modeler with a wide variety of interests: World War I to fantasy, busts to flats, 1/72nd figures ...
After epic conversations about big topics with multiple guests on the last two episodes—Perspectives on digital sculpting with Alan Ball and Nello Rivieccio in Episode 59 , and a recap of World Model Expo in Versailles with Joan Biediger, Joe Berton, and Pat Vess in Episode 60 —your hosts talk amongst themselves in this one, with Barry giving an unusual (for him) but very welcome (by Jim) step-by-step on the creation of his latest box diorama “XOR,” his eleventh ( see his gallery here ). Watch w...
Incredible art, great camaraderie, a beautiful and historic locale—and some sketchy organization, long lines with overflow crowds, and none of the artist’s names on any of those incredible pieces! In this episode, Jim (who could not attend) and Barry (who could and did) discuss the good and the bad about the twelfth World Model Expo, which took place from July 4 to 6 in Versailles, batting it all around with special guests Joe Berton, Pat Vess, Joan Biediger, and U.K. correspondent Chris Medding...
With our last episode recapping MFCA 2025, your hosts—with help from Lou Masses and Dennis Levy—kicked up a bit of a hornet’s nest by addressing a major recurring topic of discussion at the show and in our small section of the miniatures world in general: Should digital sculpting and 3D printing be judged differently than the “handmade/toothpick and putty” sculpts that have predominated in this odd art form of ours for the last five and a half decades? Okay, it was mainly Jim doing the kicking. ...
The Miniature Figure Collectors of America ’s 82nd show took place on May 9 and 10 in Trevose, PA, just outside Philadelphia. On Saturday night, Lou Masses and Dennis Levy—both in a rather, um, well-lubricated mood—told Barry they’d love to bum-rush our podcast. They didn’t have to twist our arms—your hosts are always game for a good chat with friends who are equally devoted to this little hobby/art form of ours—and this episode is devoted to that talk. Once again, this episode is marked as expl...
In this episode, your hosts mull over why some modelers (like Jim) rarely abandon a project, seeing even the dogs through to completion, while others (like Barry) regularly start one and then set it aside. And, at the risk of abandoning our policy of avoiding politics, which is generally a very good one these days, the boys felt compelled to consider how the current moment is impacting the hobby. Please note that this episode is marked as explicit as there are a couple of f-bombs. For photos of ...
Death comes to us all, as the saying goes, and while your hosts aren’t feeling particularly morbid at the moment, we certainly look around from time to time at all of the tools and paints and supplies on our workbenches; the closets and shelves full of un-built kits; the stacks (and stacks and stacks) of books; our displays of the figures, vignettes, and dioramas we’ve built and collected from friends and artists we admire, and the odd piece of militaria we’ve acquired and think, “Who’s going to...
We tackle the topic of Artificial Intelligence and some of its possible impacts on our hobby in this discussion with Jake McKee. Jake is a consultant in the digital realm, a photographer, a devoted modeler, and a blogger (with both a tech blog and a modeling blog ). In the past, he’s done digital marketing for Lego, and he’s also worked at Apple. He’s been thinking about A.I. a lot, and he certainly helped us formulate our thoughts, and consider the possibilities. For photos of what we discuss i...
In Episode 52, when Jim expressed interest in the new 1/16th-scale Gecko Models Universal Carrier kit, Barry suggested a “buddy build,” with each of them tackling the beast—something he now regrets. This episode is devoted to their ongoing frustrations with the build (and, for Jim, some fun, too). Although Barry initially suggested the idea, he later worried that no one would be interested in talk about a kit few if any of the listeners might build. But Jim thought it wound up being about more t...
In this episode, we chat with one of the legends of the hobby: Francois Verlinden, who is alive and well at age 78. He retired to Palm Beach, Florida, after the company that bore his name closed in 2016, but he is occasionally painting again “just for fun”—including some of those Warhammer minis the kids love! We also talk about our buddy build of the Gecko 1/16 Universal Carrier. For photos of what we discuss in each episode, visit the Small Subjects blog on boxdioramas.com: http://www.boxdiora...
Your hosts expand on their own answers to one of their favorite questions for guests—How did you get your start in this small-sized pursuit of ours? They dive into some of their earliest modeling experiences, talk about people who helped get them started, and tell us about some of the kits and figures they loved tackling as kids. For photos of what we discuss in each episode, visit the Small Subjects blog on boxdioramas.com: http://www.boxdioramas.com/smallsubjects Join one of our Facebook group...
This time we talk about the recent 2024 MMSI Chicago show with Pat Vess and Joe Berton. We also talk about some things the guys have planned for next year's 50th anniversary show. For photos of what we discuss in each episode, visit the Small Subjects blog on boxdioramas.com: http://www.boxdioramas.com/smallsubjects Join one of our group builds: Historex: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectshistorex Flats: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectsflats Fantasy Busts: https://www.fac...
For their 50th episode, your hosts talk with versatile Texas-based modeler, sculptor, and painter Doug Cohen, whose work stands out at any show he enters, as readily identifiable as his sense of humor. For photos of what we discuss in each episode, visit the Small Subjects blog on boxdioramas.com: http://www.boxdioramas.com/smallsubjects Join one of our group builds: Historex: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectshistorex Flats: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectsflats Fantasy ...
In this episode, your hosts chat with Minnesota-based painter and sculptor Scott Primeau, a consistent gold-medal winner, Chicago medalist, and self-effacing talent whose attitude and ambition inspires both of us. We also talk about getting over some of our modeling fears. For photos of what we discuss in each episode, visit the Small Subjects blog on boxdioramas.com: http://www.boxdioramas.com/smallsubjects Join one of our group builds: Historex: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectshis...
Jim and Barry chat with another of their favorite painters from the fantasy realm, and one who’s been on their wish list of guests for quite some time: Natalia Oracz. They also talk about the inaugural Rocky Mountain Hobby Expo in Salt Lake City, an open show which was held on June 22. For photos of what we discuss in each episode, visit the Small Subjects blog on boxdioramas.com: http://www.boxdioramas.com/smallsubjects Join one of our group builds: Historex: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sma...
Jim and Barry talk with Joan about her extraordinary box diorama “Algorithm As Art,” a gold-medal winner at MFCA 2024. Jim calls it one of the most important boxes in the history of the form—for its imagination, its execution, the ideas it raises, and the discussions it prompts. ( Be sure to read his piece about it here. ) For photos of what we discuss in each episode, visit the Small Subjects blog on boxdioramas.com: http://www.boxdioramas.com/smallsubjects Join one of our group builds: Histore...
Your hosts have been hustling to get the scoop on Verko’s Vault for some time. In this episode, they finally got the full run-down on the exciting plans for what will be one of the largest museums of miniatures yet opened to the public. We also have another of Jim’s ongoing Questions for Barry, this one involving how to effectively fade colors with an airbrush. For photos of what we discuss in each episode, visit the Small Subjects blog on boxdioramas.com: http://www.boxdioramas.com/smallsubject...
In this episode, your hosts talk with Virginia Beach-based professional miniatures painter Erik Swinson, one of the most stunning talents on the scene today. Erik streams on Twitch most Wednesday evenings: https://www.twitch.tv/erik_swinson If you can't make those live streams, you can watch them later on his Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@erik_swinson Follow Erik on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erik_swinson/ and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erikswinson We also talk to D...
On this episode, your hosts tackle two big ideas they’ve been thinking and talking about a lot lately. First up: The notion of throwing away all the “rules” and thinking more abstractly. They also talk about digital modeling and 3D printing in terms of it's advantages and disadvantages versus traditional scratch building. For photos of what we discuss in each episode, visit the Small Subjects blog on boxdioramas.com: http://www.boxdioramas.com/smallsubjects Join one of our group builds: Historex...
We chat with Alabama-based modeler Jon Harbuck, an attorney, a true Southern gentleman, and a favorite for the powerful storytelling in his work. We also talk about Barry and Joan's recent trip to Las Vegas for a painting workshop taught by Matteo di Diomede held at Verko's Vault , the exciting new miniatures museum. For photos of what we discuss in each episode, visit the Small Subjects blog on boxdioramas.com: http://www.boxdioramas.com/smallsubjects Join one of our group builds: Historex: htt...
In this episode, your hosts talk about what’s been happening at their work benches, and (as usual) a few other things, including a movie they’d been eagerly anticipating but which, alas, let Jim down. Barry gives an update on his restoration of the classic Shep Paine box diorama “A King of Shreds and Patches (Hamlet Sees the Ghost of His Father),” and Jim talks about two box dioramas he is working on. For photos of what we discuss in each episode, visit the Small Subjects blog on boxdioramas.com...
Warning: Unlike most of our episodes, this one has some profanity. We talk to veteran MMSI member and expert painter Bob Sarnowski. We also recap MMSI 2023. Listen to find out why there will be one less thing Jim can tease Barry about. For photos of what we discuss in each episode, visit the Small Subjects blog on boxdioramas.com: http://www.boxdioramas.com/smallsubjects Join one of our group builds: Historex: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectshistorex Flats: https://www.facebook.com/...
Your hosts aren’t at all sure that anybody will be interested in this rather self-indulgent episode, but hey, we were just responding to a request from one of our loyal listeners, Jamie Stokes in Australia, who left a voice mail for us on Telbee (and everyone is welcome to do the same by clicking here !). You can find photos and links to information discussed in each episode at our podcast blog on boxdioramas.com Join us on Facebook: Historex group build Fantasy bust group build or hang out in t...
Another illuminating chat with Marijn, this time on the subject of the open system of judging miniatures and models. We also answer a listener voice message from Grant Mayberry about what to expect at your first open miniature and modelling show. You can find photos and links to information discussed in each episode at our podcast blog on boxdioramas.com Join us on Facebook: Historex group build Fantasy bust group build or hang out in the Small Subjects Hospitality Suite . Check out some other g...
Jim and Barry talk to Dave Youngquist of the ace online hobby shop Last Cavalry . They also chat about Barry's recent trip to the IPMS/USA National Convention. Photos of the pieces we discuss can be found on our blog on Boxdioramas.com
