Mike McVey on Dioramas

When I went up to see Mike McVey we also filmed him talking about some of his diorama work from back in the day, including his iconic Horus vs Emperor dual, his Lustria display and his Warhammer Quest scene. Really interesting to hear his memories on building them and the free artistic license he had at that time in his career.
These videos were made in my spare time, and if you wish to pop a donation my way to help support me it'd be greatly appreciated:
Paypal: PayPal.Me/Filmdeg

[@frocker151]

I'm not sure it's possible to calculate how influential these pieces were. I still get that same feeling of excitement pouring over images of these works nearly 30 years on. Thanks so much for getting Mike's insights into these, over the moon to think there may be more to come too!

[@johnmakin-shaw3516]

I don't think I ever realised the level of detail on the Emperor's armour - that freehand is amazing. I really need to get to Warhammer World and see it in the flesh.

[@alexthompson3447]

Not a detail that I picked up on until I saw it in real life. The exhibition space is jaw droppingly inspiring. Definitely worth a visit.

[@user-ko3tv7jl2r]

It's striking how much more evocative those smaller dioramas are than the big showpiece battlescenes that are in Warhammer World. Less sometimes is more, and a tightly constructed piece that really tells a story it much more of a joy. It's an absolute pleasure seeing the McVey pieces in the flesh, the photos in White Dwarf - beautiful though they are - don't do them justice.

[@gudamailua]

It is amazing how much potential a diorama has, and how much it improves the miniatures themselves. Mike is an inspiration to us all.

[@paulofreire7520]

Back in those days when there was no internet or youtube, there was the white dwarf. And the first thing I used to do was to browse through each issue to check out the heavy metal section to see Mike’s painted models and tutorials. Legend 🙏🏻

[@patrikjohansson5939]

That Warhammer Quest diorama will hang forever in the hobby room of my mind.

[@Oldhammerandtongs]

Blimey, so many brilliant insights here! And what a lovely, humble fella!

[@DrumsTheWord]

Great interview. Oh, and Mike's wearing the same shirt at 22:46. Made me chuckle. We've all got our favourite outfits! :D

[@drselewis]

As a child I was always intrigued by the lone Blood Angel cowering under Horus’s throne in Mike’s diorama. Obviously he had lost his nerve after seeing Sanguinius fall! Great interviews 🙏🏻

[@scaredchalk]

I read the title as “in dioramas” and I was waiting for him to tell us where he secretly put himself in every piece

[@jnscott6460]

Miike is one of my favorite designers of all time. I had the utmost honor of meeting both Mike and Ally when they worked for Privateer Press many years ago and we kept in touch for some time before life just took us in different directions. Both Mike and Ally are genuine, down-to-earth, wonderful people with unparalleled creative capability. This video makes me so happy.

[@namewastaken360]

Visiting the UK for the first time in ten years recently I dragged my wife to Nottingham and went to Warhammer World. Even without nostalgia for specific dioramas these older ones definitely hold up, although the Tomb Kings besieging the Bretonian castle when you first walk in is really awesome.

[@patricknoble3090]

Showing my age but I remember when that wood elve diorama came out. Probably the most inspiring piece I've ever seen. Great memories. Excellent interview. Mike seems like such an awesome guy too ❤

[@gregorysztain7822]

Another awesome video. A buddy and I got to work alongside him a few times while he was doing work with CMON. I think we peppered him with all these questions inbetween demo's and he was nice enough to indulge us. A true gent.

[@joepaineok]

Biggest smile on my face throughout this video.... just fantastic!

[@Lee-o7u4t]

The coquistadors were limited to sword and buckler/shield guys.... at least that is what I had... painted bright yellow and gold lol. Lovely memories, thank you.

[@matthewrbetts]

A lovely, lovely interview. Thanks for making the effort and recording these insightful conversations!

[@shaggybaggums]

I remember staring at the pictures of those dioramas for hours at the time, and Gee Dee Models was a treasure trove of materials for my own efforts too. The word inspirational gets thrown about a lot these days, but the pictures in White Dwarf back then really were.

[@dorkidori]

So cool to hear one of my biggest inspirations in miniature painting talk about his old dioramas that I grew up in the 90s adoring! Thanks for this awesome video!!!

[@SMC01ful]

Me too, massive influence on how I do things.

[@botteu]

Absolute classic dioramas 👌✨ The Horus vs Emperor one was especially inspiring to me as a budding miniatures painter. I emulated the crackled armour effect on a (then brand new) chaos terminator with reaper auto cannon for a painting competition which ultimately won me first prize. Mike’s work were single-handedly the reason I pushed myself to be the best painter I could be. Don’t know if I got there but I’m still working on it 😉 Thank you Mike 🙏❤️

[@ashcottrell85]

Some of these pieces made a real impression on me as a young boy in the 90s - it’s just so intriguing listening to Mike talk about them. And he seems like a really nice chap!

[@lamedefeuu1932]

Merci beaucoup pour ce merveilleux moment. Cet homme m'a tellement apporté en rêve, en inspiration, je lui dois beaucoup et le revoir ici évoquer ces merveilleux dioramas est un pur plaisir.

[@fredrik241]

Awesome subject for a video! I vividly remember that Terminators and Genestealers diorama in White Dwarf. It was so fun to see the minis in like how Mike describes it a narrative situation. The different floor levels where different encounters and action takes place. Very atmospheric it transported you to the world of 40k, and Space Hulk in this case.

[@adamherring9803]

Wonderful memories, great to hear what they meant to you. A good few of these I would have recalled beforehand, but others I'd completely forgotten but not because they had no impact - the Azrael piece sparked a massive Dark Angels obsession for me back in the day and I had completely forgotten it. Thanks for this!

[@1garryrippon]

GREAT interview. Loved seeing these pieces I'd forgotten.

[@jamesmilner9564]

Love that some of the most iconic scenes in GW history were created on the orders of basically "Just do something cool!" Imagine GW of today doing anything similar...

[@Adam-antem]

This interview was such a fun and unexpected treat. Thanks for posting.

[@telinoz1975]

Just picked up a Dragon Ogre, hoping to recreate WD96 model Mike did of that back in 1987. So many cool memories of his work.

[@JCBofficial1986]

Such a great talent. Such a stunningly tidy workspace.

[@Nightss]

Fantastic interview!

[@heirwolf6929]

Great interview and nice with all the pictures of what you were talking about. I'd forgotten about the Wood elf diorama. A great piece, just like the others!

[@maverickcop]

Would be fantastic to see him do another couple!

[@jonharrison9222]

Proud to see Emp v Horus at Warhammer world in person a few years ago.

[@MiniAgnostic]

Those Perry conquistador sculpts are interesting, they're similar to Pirazzo's Lost Legion for the Dogs of War, but those only come equipped with pikes or crossbows instead of handguns and have bigger variety in the torsos than the ones in the diorama.

[@karijuhola2432]

My Hero.

[@SMC01ful]

The GW stuff from the 90's is the Gold Standard for mass scenery. Slightly cartoony, but with the right surface. It makes your battles look fantastic. The right features pop, moreover, you never lose your miniatures amongst it. Once you figure out the shading and contrasts, you are away.

[@darthcheese7971]

Great work, every single diorama is total gold.

[@RAINBOWBEARMAN]

Emperor vs Horus is stil my favorite after all these years

[@WarHogz]

Such a big fan of Mike, his miniatures (GW and after) and those dioramas. They made such an impression when I was young, I can still remember all the detail today! Speaking of legends, anyone know what happened to Nigel Stillman post GW? Would be an amazing if you could get an interview with him too, such a creative man.

[@Filmdegminiatures]

Nigel is someone I’d love to chat to! Sadly I’ve been unable to find any contact details for him.

[@WarHogz]

What a shame, thanks for responding though, @@Filmdegminiatures.

[@TheRealActualPaincake]

Big fan of Mike's Spinosaurus!

[@thatfriggingbathroom2656]

Another great video. Can we get them all on a dvd one day?

[@khublaklonk4480]

I'd certainly make shelf space for that.

[@thatfriggingbathroom2656]

@@khublaklonk4480 I know, right? It's nice that they are all available here but I'd love to have them on a physical medium. Maybe with some appropiate artwork (I know, I know.. IP problems..).

[@leonatus221]

Wonderfull❤

[@jamesgreen9480]

Next time you speak to Mike could you ask him why there is a random marine stood underneath the stairs in the emperor Horus diorama? Is he hiding?

[@BloomThat]

@flimdeg, did you ever get any info on what Mike did before GW, hobby/school/work-wise, that made him apply to GW as a painter at age 18? I always wonder how people like him who essentially defined the hobby came to it themselves when there was literally nobody doing it. Did he start with trains or something?

[@derekmcmanus8615]

Mike McVey made the 'diorama' Horus verus the Emperor...for older folks like me still the image of the Horus Heresy

[@AndersRamm]

❤❤

[@HeavyArms0404]

@filmdeg, really great video. I love your stuff. On a side note, how is your mic on...mike, getting so much echo everb etc?

[@Filmdegminiatures]

I picked up a new microphone (the one clipped on to Mike) but sadly it didn’t record due to a technical error on my part with the firmware. Atleast I had a room mic going otherwise we’d be left with nothing haha.

[@johnfarscape]

Horus looked so much better with his twin talons than the new versions saurons mace.

[@owb1979]

Anybody know what the three images on the wall behind are?

[@Filmdegminiatures]

They’re all by John Blanche. One of them is in the Inquisitor Sketchbook (I believe the other is there too) and one is from Dark Future.

[@owb1979]

@@Filmdegminiatures Thanks! Do you think they were the originals?

[@Filmdegminiatures]

Yea they are, I had a good look at them whilst filming. JB has given out a lot of his artwork over the years to colleagues, friends and family. I own a few originals myself.

[@Slechy_Lesh]

13:03

[@Slechy_Lesh]

18:40 WHQ