Creating the Chuhuac - Part One

Chuhuac Motion Studies
Art: Chris Miller

Though, like the Loud Ninja himself, the Chuhuac seem to have come out of nowhere, they did not. Rather, the Chuhuac are the culmination of years of dreaming and frustration, having languished as mere imagination for almost a decade.

Having been, like so many others, a huge dinosaur freak when I was a kid, I have always liked the thought of dinosaur or reptile-themed aliens. When I first started to get into 15mm science fiction miniatures, some fifteen or so years ago, I was always struck by the lack of any really dinosaur-like aliens. There were a few lizard men out there and some that came close, but none that had the look of what I had in my mind's eye. I figured that such a creature as a Velociraptor with a gun must be a very singular fantasy and kept it kicking around in the back of my head.

Early Concept Layout.
Note: Early mid-tech assault rifle style gun, hip armor and incorrect number of fingers on hands.
Art: Chris Miller

It was at a science fiction convention that I saw that my idea was not without merit when I view the cover of the science fiction novel "Dinosaur Wars" by Thomas P. Hopp, a local author, that depicted an alien much like the one I was envisioning. Thinking that perhaps the collective consciousness may have swung my way, I started courting various miniatures companies in and attempt to generate interest while I plied a few forums looking for others who might be interested in these same aliens. Though there was some interest, nobody seemed to leap at the idea. either they didn't get it or they kept thinking of something like the Sleestaks from "Land of the Lost" or that weird "what-if" evolved dinosaur man that circulated around the various paleo and science mags ages ago.

Later Concept Work
Note: Changes to SAW making it look more like a hi-tech energy weapon. also note more pronounced plumage , nasal and brow ridges marking an Alpha Leader type.
Art: Chris Miller

So the idea was shelved for some more years until the last year or so when i started dabbling in sculpting. My early successes as an amateur sculptor and the responses I got from others emboldened me to the idea and I tried to make one myself. I was not up to the task and so I decided to make a go of having them produced for sale. I would have my space raptors and I'd be able to share them with others. This is really what Loud Ninja Games is all about - sharing ideas with other gamers in a tangible and tactile way.

So, I set out to make it happen. I started by trying to hammer out the concept and the basics of the designs, myself. Though I'm a passable artist and can pull off some illustrating and a good solid sketch, it took the skills of a professional artist like Chris Miller, who I know through my association with the Minions of The Monster Master podcast crew. In only a few short weeks, Chris had the concept hammered out and forged into a solid, visually stunning image. My sleek, fast, cunning, hi-tech dino aliens had stepped into the light.

All the time Chris was drawing and sketching, I was considering who to tap to make them go 3D. The first and best guy for the job in my mind was Pedro Navarro who had done such a great job bringing the Harook from Mad Robot Miniatures to life. In my short time with Mad Robot Miniatures I had chatted with Pedro and received a few sculpting pointers and so I just had to see if he could do the Chuhuac. He could. I was happy.

-Eli