Forgotten Heroes 2021: Grips

Back in 1986, a small comics company called Silver Wolf Comics put out a handful of black and white titles. The company was owned by Kris Silver, who also created and wrote most of the comics. One of those comics was Grips.

Grips is a “hero” who kills criminals because he’s a psycho himself. He gets off on giving and receiving pain and can will himself into a murderous rage. When he’s not doing the psychotic murderous vigilante thing, Grips likes long walks on the beach and candlelit dinners. He’s also a comic book artist; the artist of Fat Ninja, which was another Silver Wolf comic of the time. But mostly he’s all about killing and maiming bad guys in bloody and vicious ways.

He has long blades that slide out of his forearms that he uses to eviscerate people, like so:

He also shoots little projectile spiky things out of his gloves, like so:

And he uses a pair of spring-loaded tonfa when he feels like beating people’s brains in instead of gutting them, like so:

And he fucking LOVES IT.

When I was in high school, I thought this shit was AWESOME. Looking at it now (something I haven’t done since high school), I realize it is not awesome.

The first Grips comic lasted only 4 issues (I have 1-3). While researching this, I was surprised to find it came back for a second series a few years later, but that one only lasted 5 issues. Sprinkle in a very few appearances in other titles, and that’s about it. Grips would pretty much define the term “Forgotten Hero”, if he wasn’t notable because his book featured art by Tim Vigil. Vigil would later go on to draw Faust (the comic that he is most famous for), which showcases truly shocking levels of violence and hardcore pornography. If I recall correctly, Faust shows lots of graphic sex (consensual and not-so-consensual) with demons, and orgies with lots of blood and other bodily fluids. Not my cup of tea, but YMMV.

Anyway, this is the miniature I used for Grips. He’s Zenith, Superhero; from Reaper’s Chronoscope line. He’s meant to be a speedster, methinks.

First thing I’d need is some blades. I thought of using tines from a plastic fork, but these proved too thick. I ended up cutting them out of some plasticard (actually my expired health insurance card) instead.

Next I used some green stuff to fashion his gauntlets, epaulets, belt and mask. I made sure to include the capsules for his spring-loaded tonfa on his belt.

Then I painted him. I painted the brown parts of his costume GW’s Doombull Brown, then gave them a generous wash of Nuln Oil and highlighted with Coat D’Arms Rat Brown. The black was painted black (surprise!), then highlighted with Vallejo Heavy Charcoal. The belt and gauntlets were painted GW Gehenna Gold and highlighted with Vallejo Gold, while the blades were GW Canoptek Alloy, highlighted with GW Mithril Silver.

I actually kind of like the way he looks. Maybe I’ll use him in a game of Super Mission Force. It’s been too long.

I will have one more Forgotten Heroes submission between now and July. Until then, I’ll be watching to see what everyone else does!

12 thoughts on “Forgotten Heroes 2021: Grips

  1. Dave Stone

    Great work Keith, both the conversion and painting look spot on. Grips is not a character I have ever heard of, or Silver Wolf comics for that matter, it was hard enough getting Marvel or DC in the UK, although when Dark Horse comics were printing we had caught up some by then.

  2. Tarmor

    I haven’t heard of the “hero” or the comics before, and it doesn’t sound like something I want to look for. (Nastier Wolverine rip-off?) That said, the conversion and finished figure look great. Well done!

    1. The Angry Piper Post author

      Welcome and thank you, Tarmor! He’s more a pathetic Wolverine ripoff, kind of a cross between an S&M version of the Punisher and an even more bloodthirsty Wolverine, with none of the coolness of either one. Thanks for dropping by!

  3. Matt

    That’s a really good conversion, you’ve done a great job with the greenstuff to add the details to his costume and your insurance card swords look totally realistic. As always your painting is top notch and really matches the costume in the illustrations.

    I also love it when you give background details on the comic character. I’m not a big reader of comic books/graphic novels (I’ve read a few, such as The Dark Knight Returns and many years ago I read 2000AD) so reading about these minor characters that have been lost to the mists of time is fascinating.

  4. Dick Garrison

    My he is a friendly chap isn’t he! it’s funny how when we are young thing like extreme violence seem really cool, but just aren’t when we get older (and wiser??) Mind you this was about ht e time the Deathwish films would have been all the rage, so….

    Anyway smashing conversion, and some neat greenstuff work to boot. The painting is particually top notch mate.

    Good stuff all round.

    Cheers Roger.

    1. The Angry Piper Post author

      Thanks, Roger. Just for shits and grins, I re-read the three issues I have. Took me 5 minutes, including unbagging time. It wasn’t big on exposition, you might say…

  5. Jeremy

    Now this one is definitely a character I’ve never heard of. Tim Vigil and Faust, yes… Grips, nope.
    However, it does appear that I haven’t missed anything of note, so I won’t be losing any sleep over this one.

    Very nice work, Keith, on both the conversion and painting. I really should pull my finger out and get Modok progressed, as having a long weekend away has impacted on my hobby time.

    1. The Angry Piper Post author

      Thanks! I would be positively amazed if Grips made it over the water to England, Jeremy. Silver Wolf Comics was a really small company. I didn’t even know there was a fourth issue until I researched the character for Forgotten Heroes. And you are correct; you are missing nothing.

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