Alien Influences.

 I was very impressionable when the first Alien movie came out and bought up all the books, magazines and toys that I could lay my hands on. Next to Star Wars this has been the longest running franchise and so part of the permanent cultural background of my life. Aliens influence extended to my beloved immersive strategy boardgames from the old Space Hulk through to the recent Nemesis. From what I could tell in the early days I would say Games Workshop thrived because of Alien. I went so far as to make the Genestealers from MB Space Crusade look more like the Alien by removing their front two claw like arms. I certainly can't think of many games that came out before Space hulk (1989) that were a very good homage to the terror of those Alien films. There were a few family oriented games from Kenner and the like, but they had the license to make the toys as well, so these were very light. I love Space Hulk, was disappointed by Alien v Predator the board game and revealed in Nemesis. This last game captured the tension and horror of being on board a treacherous failing starship. you knew that an encounter with a being that was both faster and more violently capable than you were was possibly in your next room encounter. Why wouldn't it let you just get to an escape pod. The influence still strongly pulls me, and I eagerly devour the books, films and games and toys that are still being churned out. Recently I have even made recycled paintings of them. They get into your unconsciousness as a symbol of something, I guess. Thank the stars I am not dreaming them yet.....

Some of those wonderful Kenner toys.

All the Queens men, All my beloved Genestealer versions.

"Game Over Man" Alien v Predator

"Spread-out marines we can cover more ground that way"

Nemesis, being superior means proudly displaying your hive colours.

Not an obsession just a creative outlet...