Grenadier Models Inc. of Springfield, Pennsylvania produced lead miniature figures for wargames and role-playing games with fantasy, science fiction and heroic themes between 1975 and 1996. Grenadier Models Inc. is best known for their figures for TSR, Inc.'s Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game, collectible Dragon-of-the-Month and Giants Club figures, and their marketing of paint and miniature sets through traditional retail outlets.
The company began as a basement enterprise, but by 1983 they had grown to a staff of 50 people and had the third highest gross sales in the expanding gaming market.The Grenadier Bulletin, vol. 1.10, Fall 1983, Scott Slingsby, editor. Grenadier's sculptors included John Dennett, Janine Bennett, Julie Guthrie, Nick Lund, Mark Copplestone, Michael Daley, Sandra Garrity, Bob Naismith, William Watt and Ian Symonds. Grenadier closed its doors in 1996, but many of their products remain in production by companies in the UK, Italy and the United States.
History
The company was founded by Andrew Chernak, president and head sculptor, and Ray Rubin, vice president and head artist. Chernak and Rubin had previously partnered in Canterbury Pewter Ltd., a gift-market sculpting business which they had established in 1972. The duo were not new to historical miniatures. Chernak had previously sculpted for Superior Models and Rubin was a co-founder of Squadron-Rubin Miniatures. Grenadier Model's first product was a line of 25mm American Revolution figures released in anticipation of the 1976 United States Bicentennial. The company received its name from their first miniature, a grenadier.The Grenadier Bulletin vol. 1.4, Spring 1982, Kim Eastland, editor In partnership with its European distributor, Grenadier formed Grenadier Models Ltd UK in 1984. By 1991, the British office became the center of the company's design and development.
Grenadier Models published a product catalog in 1978, 1979, 1982 and annually from 1985 to 1994. Separate European catalogs were published in 1985, 1994, and perhaps other years as well. Their products were discussed in the Grenadier Bulletin, a magazine which also contained games, comics, short-stories, and puzzles. The bulletin was published in several series. The first series contained issues #1 through #18 and were released between the fall of 1981 and late 1987. A new series of four editions was issued in late 1991 and early 1992 in the form of a full-color magazine. A third series, somewhat confusingly labeled "volume II," was produced in the summer of 1993, but appears to have been terminated after a single issue. Grenadier's British offices produced a separate "International edition" of the bulletin called the British Grenadier. There were at least thirteen issues and it appears to have been produced around 1988. The British offices also published a bi-monthly newsletter Warrior: The Newsletter for Fantasy Wargamers which supported Grenadier's Fantasy Warrior game.Warrior #1, December 1992/ January 1993, Derek Mugridge, editor. The Warrior included thirteen issues published from December 1992 / January 1993 to April / May 1995.Warrior #13, April / May 1995, Derek Mugridge, editor.
Historical miniatures, 1975-1980
By the end of 1976, Grenadier had produced miniature soldiers from Classical Antiquity and the American Civil War, and American Old West gunfighters. Although they were primarily focused on the well-established market for historical miniatures, their early products included science fiction themed Starsoldiers (product codes #S01-19) and Space Squadrons: Stellardate 2998 (#SS01-SS19) spaceships, 25mm fantasy figures called Wizzards & Warriors (W1-60, WS1-5), a Special Sets line of furniture (#WS01-WS12), and a small selection of 15mm fantasy figures.Dragon Magazine #10, 1977The Book of Fantasy Miniatures by Ed Konstant, Little Soldier Games, 1978 As the fantasy and science fiction market began to out-pace historical miniatures in 1978, Grenadier released box sets containing select portions of their fantasy, space ships, and gunslinger lines.The Fantastic Worlds of Grenadier, Terence Gunn (2003), published by the authorJudge's Guild Dungeoneer Compendium #1-6, 1979, page 50 In 1980 these boxed sets included fantasy game oriented Dungeon Adventure (WW01) and Monsters Sets (WW02), Western Gunfighters (WW03), and Space Squadrons Set (WW04). New figures were crafted for the Gamma World Adventure (WW06), Gamma World Denizens (WW07), Woodland Adventurers (WW08), and Tomb of Spells Sets (WW09)."Light Brigade Hobbies Catalog #2, Concord, California, 1980 The new lines attracted the attention of TSR, Inc. who produced the Gamma World and Dungeons & Dragons role-playing games and began a short, but lucrative partnership between Grenadier and TSR, Inc..
"Your D. & D. Figure Company," 1981-1982
In the fall of 1981 Grenadier Models had begun to refer to itself as "Your D. & D. Figure Company" and began a newsletter The Grenadier Bulletin to advertise its status as the official producer of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures, and of miniatures for TSR, Inc.'s Gamma World role-playing game.The Grenadier Bulletin vol. 1.1, Fall 1981, Kim Eastland, editor Its first editor Kim Eastland became an influential author of role-playing games and fiction published by TSR, Inc. The AD&D lines included blister packs of monsters (#101-116), small box sets (#2001-2013), and large box sets (#5001-5004, 5009). A collateral product was Action Art box sets (#8001-8004) which included paints and painting instructions and served to introduce customers to the hobby. The Gamma World role-playing game was supported by a series of blister packs (Gxx), a box sets of adventurers (#5005) and post-apocalyptic monsters (#5006). Grenadier also produced figures (SN1-4) for TSR's Snit's Revenge board game.Grenadier's Consumer Catalogue 1982
In late 1982 Grenadier Models and TSR, Inc. ended their business relationship.The Grenadier Bulletin, vol. 1.6, Winter 1982, Scott Slingsby, editor. The point of contention was Grenadier's plans to produce figures for other game companies. Grenadier later described the separation as "a bold decision... in order to provide players of all fantasy games with a broader range of quality fantasy miniatures".The Grenadier Bulletin, vol. 1.16, Don Wellman, editor. Since many of Chernak's sculptures predated TSR, Inc.'s artwork, Grenadier Models retained the rights to many of their sculptures and re-released choice figures in the Dragon Lords (#2001-2013, 5001-5004), Fantasy Lords (#6001-6005, 101-112), and Action Art (#8003, 8004) lines. There appear to have been continued issues with the reuse of the sculpts which might have resembled images which TSR, Inc. considered trademarked. Parts of some sets (#2010-2012, 8003, 8004) were replaced with new sculpts.The Grenadier Bulletin, vol. 1.8, Summer 1983, Scott Slingsby, editor
In 1982 and 1983 Grenadier conducted a Wizard's Gold Contest in which they placed gold-plated castings within random boxes of figures. The box also included a certificate for a drawing. The grand prize for 1982 was a one-half ounce of gold for the purchaser of the box set and the store which sold it. The 1983 certificates awarded gift certificates and were placed in 6001 - Dragons of the Emerald Idol and 6002 - Skeleton-Raiders of the Undead box sets. However, collectors have reported gold-plated figures from other contemporaneous sets.
"Collect and Paint," 1983-1990
As Grenadier parted ways with TSR they continued to reach out to the burgeoning adventure gaming market. In 1983 they became the official producer of miniatures for Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu (#6501, 6502), and Game Designers' Workshop's Traveller (#1001-1003). In 1983 Grenadier announced an agreement to produce miniatures for FASA's Star Trek role playing game, but the figures were produced by Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc., RAFM in 1985, and Rawcliffe Pewter from 1989 to 1999. At that same time the owners of Grenadier Models spun off a subsidiary called Pinnacle Products with an orientation toward mainstream retail outlets. They produced The Dark Crystal Adventure Collection which included two boxed sets (#9001, 9002, note reuse of product code) containing paints and miniatures of the characters and furniture in the December 1982 movie The Dark Crystal. Other Pinnacle Products merchandise included the Paint and Collect Series consisting of 2201 - Dinosaurs, 2202 - Fantasy Lords, 2203 - Fantasy Monsters, and 2204 - G.I. Assault Team. In early 1983 Grenadier added four Paint and Playsets (#9101-9104) to coincide with Mattel's Masters of the Universe cartoon and 1/285 scale tanks and artillery for Steve Jackson Games' Ogre (#6101, 6110-6115, 6118, 6122) and 1/180 scale vehicles Car Wars Autoduel (#6201-6210) games. In October 1983 Grenadier added a line of Secret Agents (#3001, 3002).
As fantasy and science fiction gaming outpaced traditional wargames and modeling, Grenadier discontinued many of their historical period figures. Lines of 54mm scale figures (#5401-5409) featuring personages like "5401- Jesus of Nazareth," and a 77mm series of figures (#9001-9003, 9006) based on the calendar art of Boris Vallejo. were dropped in 1983.The Grenadier Bulletin, vol. 1.9, Fall 1983, Scott Slingsby, editor.
Between March 1984 and February 1985 Grenadier released twelve monthly installments in the popular Dragon-of-the-Month series. Each box set included a variety of fantasy dragon, a jeweled base, and a portion of a map of the mystical land the dragons inhabited. Those who collected all twelve dragons were eligible to receive an additional dragon figure. Other 1984 introductions included the Masterpiece Editions 5501 - War Mammoth of the Undead Legion, 5501 - Death Dragon, futuristic war machines called Warbots (#4501, 4502), and miniatures for Mayfair Games's Champions (#4001, 4002). Grenadier also released four gaming scenarios: The Horrible Secret of Monhegan Island by Gary Pilkington for Call of Cthulhu, Cloudland by Tony Fiorito for Tunnels and Trolls or Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Raid on Rajallapor by Gary Pilkington for Blades' Mercenaries, Spies and Private Eyes, and Disappearance on Aramat by Gary Pilkington for Game Designers' Workshop's Traveller.The Grenadier Bulletin, vol. 1.12, Spring 1984, Scott Slingsby, editor.The Grenadier Bulletin, vol. 1.13, Fall 1984, Don Wellman, editor.The Grenadier Bulletin, vol. 1.14, January 1985, Don Wellman, editor.
Grenadier celebrated its 10th anniversary by adding 10,000 commemorative Paladin figures to boxes of 6007 - Fantasy Lords Dungeon Raiders. The "Dragon-of-the-Month" products proved very popular and Grenadier released a second series of dragons in March 1985, a line of large humanoids which they called "The Giant's Club". The first installment was 3501 - Fire Giant, and the "Monster Manuscript" which included dungeon creatures organized in alphabetical order. Also in 1985 Grenadier released the official miniatures for I.C.E.'s Middle-earth in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, a line of 15mm soldiers for Game Designers' Workshop's Twilight 2000 skirmish game which takes place in a world where the Cold War was resolved with arms, superheroes for Hero Games' Champions, Pacesetter's Chill, Mayfair Games' D.C. Heroes, and West End Games' Paranoia role-playing games.The Grenadier Bulletin, vol. 1.15, March 1985, Don Wellman, editorThe Grenadier Bulletin vol. 1.17, Summer 1985, Don Wellman, editor.Grenadier Models Inc. 1987 Photographic Compendium.