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Small Subjects

Jim and Barry

Small Subjects is a podcast devoted to discussing big topics in the worlds of scale modeling, diorama-building, and sculpting and painting miniature figures, as well as presenting interviews with some of the top artists in the field, including every era, and ranging from historical to fantasy subjects. Co-hosts Barry Biediger, who is based in Salt Lake City, and Jim DeRogatis, who lives in Chicago, are the editors of the Web site boxdioramas.com. Both have decades of experience as modelers, though they maintain that they are always curious and always learning. They are dedicated members of the Military Miniature Society of Illinois, where they considered the great Sheperd Paine a friend and mentor. Barry is also a member of his local chapter of the Armor Modeling and Preservation Society, while DeRogatis has written, co-written, or edited ten books about popular music and two about miniatures and modeling (Sheperd Paine: The Life and Work of a Master Modeler and Military Historian and Shep Paine’s Armor Modelers Guide). You can contact the hosts at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

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S5 · E70
July 2 · 2 hr 23 min
Episode 70: Jake McKee Part 2
Your hosts last talked with wonderfully imaginative modeler and Austin, TX-based tech consultant Jake McKee about the possibilities (and, yeah, some of the downsides) of Artificial Intelligence in the hobby back on Episode 55 in February 2025. In hyper-speed tech-time, that might as well have been 250 years ago, recorded on parchment with quill and ink like the Declaration of Independence. When he saw Barry at the Rocky Mountain Hobby Expo in May—and claimed the More Than Meets the Eye award sponsored by the Her Shrink Ray Eye podcast, as discussed on our last episode and featured in the last installment of this blog—Jake suggested to Barry that he had a whole lot new to say about AI and modeling based on his recent digital discoveries. And since he’s such an engaging and forward-thinking guest, you didn’t have to twist our arms to have him back for a return visit!
S5 · E69
June 4 · 1 hr 59 min
Episode 69: Chatting with Pete Culos and wrapping up RME 2026
In this episode, your hosts talk with New Jersey modeler Pete Culos, an active member of the MFCA and APG (the Artists Preservation Group), one of the most creative box-diorama builders today, and an all-around fine fellow. We also talk about another incredible Rocky Mountain Expo in the Salt Lake City area, and the special awards sponsored by this podcast and Joan’s podcast “Her Shrink Ray Eye.”
S5 · E68
May 7 · 1 hr 45 min
Episode 68: MFCA 2026, With Special Guest Joan Biediger
In this special “crossover” episode, Jim and Barry are joined by his beloved Joan, host of the fantastic podcast “Her Shrink Ray Eye,” to share their thoughts about last month’s annual MFCA Show in Trevose, PA, and, with some agitation by Jim, the dwindling or scarce participation in the “original” category (which many other open-system miniatures shows call “open”).
S5 · E67
April 2 · 1 hr 41 min
Episode 67: Scenery and Groundwork
In this episode, your hosts hit the dirt running, so to speak, tackling the importance of the scenery in a diorama or vignette, starting with the question of whether we begin by building the setting (an approach Jim has taken of late) or if that comes last (Barry’s tendency).
S5 · E66
February 19 · 1 hr 50 min
Episode 66: Storytime with Mike Pierce
Central Virginia-based modeler (and retired entomologist!) Mike Pierce has been an inspiration to your hosts since we first met him at one of the MMSI’s post-show critique sessions. He’s a modeler who’s always trying new things, and he tells great stories—both in his work, and in conversation. In this episode, we have a fine visit and hear more than a few of his tales.
S5 · E65
January 15 · 2 hr 5 min
Episode 65: Talking with Chris Meddings about the Upturner Prize and "Ask Barry"
Barry and Jim chat once again with U.K. modeler Chris Meddings about a new international online “juried exhibition” he’s launched called the Upturner Prize, which, as he puts it atop the web site, is intended for “celebrating modellers who push the limits of miniatures, models, and what they can say, with an annual prize for artistic creation in miniature.” Your hosts round out this episode with a new segment Jim has now formally named: “Ask Barry.”
S5 · E64
Dec 18, 2025 · 1 hr 57 min
Episode 64: Raphael Shelton, doing the hobby "just for fun," and what we're playing with on our work benches now
Jim talks with Norris, Tennessee-based modeler Raphael Shelton, who Barry thought had an interesting perspective on “doing the hobby just for fun,” something those of us who are obsessed about this thing of ours (and who talk about it on a podcast) can sometimes forget. Jim and Barry also discuss what they’re working on (or playing with, if you prefer) at the moment.
S5 · E63
Nov 20, 2025 · 1 hr 15 min
Episode 63: Dave Browne
Toronto-area modeler Dave Browne has been a big inspiration to your hosts for quite some time, and not only because he shares their passion for box dioramas and is a master of the form. Dave is also a very talented armor modeler, and for 16 years, until it closed in January 2019, he ran Hornet Hobbies, the best kind of hobby shop. which, as he says, was about “building friendships, an active modelling community, and a few models.”
S5 · E62
Oct 30, 2025 · 1 hr 10 min
Episode 62: Robert Blokker
Your hosts talk with Robert Blokker, a loyal listener who lives in Alkmaar, a city located in the North Holland province of the Netherlands, known for its traditional cheese market. In addition to being a wonderfully gregarious fellow—Barry really enjoyed spending some time with him during World Model Expo in Versailles last summer—Robert, who works as a graphic artist, is a wonderfully imaginative modeler with a wide variety of interests: World War I to fantasy, busts to flats, 1/72nd figures to 1/9 busts, and a special love for dioramas.
S5 · E61
Aug 21, 2025 · 1 hr 53 min
Episode 61: Barry & Jim on their latest box dioramas and trying something new with every project
After epic conversations about big topics with multiple guests on the last two episodes—Perspectives on digital sculpting with Alan Ball and Nello Rivieccio in Episode 59, and a recap of World Model Expo in Versailles with Joan Biediger, Joe Berton, and Pat Vess in Episode 60—your hosts talk amongst themselves in this one, with Barry giving an unusual (for him) but very welcome (by Jim) step-by-step on the creation of his latest box diorama “XOR,” his eleventh (see his gallery here). Watch where you step; there are a few profanities uttered this time.
S5 · E60
Jul 24, 2025 · 1 hr 48 min
Episode 60: World Expo 2025 in Versailles
Incredible art, great camaraderie, a beautiful and historic locale—and some sketchy organization, long lines with overflow crowds, and none of the artist’s names on any of those incredible pieces! In this episode, Jim (who could not attend) and Barry (who could and did) discuss the good and the bad about the twelfth World Model Expo, which took place from July 4 to 6 in Versailles, batting it all around with special guests Joe Berton, Pat Vess, Joan Biediger, and U.K. correspondent Chris Meddings of the Model Philosopher podcast.
S4 · E59
Jun 12, 2025 · 2 hr 24 min
Episode 59: Perspectives on Digital Sculpting vs. Toothpick & Putty
With our last episode recapping MFCA 2025, your hosts—with help from Lou Masses and Dennis Levy—kicked up a bit of a hornet’s nest by addressing a major recurring topic of discussion at the show and in our small section of the miniatures world in general: Should digital sculpting and 3D printing be judged differently than the “handmade/toothpick and putty” sculpts that have predominated in this odd art form of ours for the last five and a half decades? Okay, it was mainly Jim doing the kicking. But since he was in part recounting a long and thoughtful conversation in Pennsylvania with master-sculptor Alan Ball, first featured with his master-painter wife Marion on Episode 20 of our podcast, we invited Alan to come back to have the discussion in real time—“for the record,” so to speak, and sans paraphrasing. As always, he graciously and eloquently shared his thoughts and insights as one of the deepest thinkers about this passion we share. Now, when anyone talks about digital sculpting in the historical as opposed to the fantasy category of miniature figures today, the name Nello Rivieccio inevitably comes up. Based near Naples, he is as much of a master on Zbrush as he was for many years with a toothpick (or similar tool) and two-part epoxy putty. To be clear, we do not intend these dual chats as a Pro/Con, Point/Counterpoint pairing: Alan and Nello have as many areas of agreement with each other (and with your hosts) as they do differences. But since the conversation about the advent of digital sculpting is certain to be a major topic of conversation again at World Model Expo, we wanted to drop this epic episode with both of them at the same time, so folks can have their perspectives (and our own) in mind as they view the work on display in Versailles from July 4 to 6.
S4 · E58
May 22, 2025 · 1 hr 42 min
Episode 58: Talking about MFCA 2025 with Dennis Levy and Lou Masses
The Miniature Figure Collectors of America’s 82nd show took place on May 9 and 10 in Trevose, PA, just outside Philadelphia. On Saturday night, Lou Masses and Dennis Levy—both in a rather, um, well-lubricated mood—told Barry they’d love to bum-rush our podcast. They didn’t have to twist our arms—your hosts are always game for a good chat with friends who are equally devoted to this little hobby/art form of ours—and this episode is devoted to that talk. Once again, this episode is marked as explicit for some profanity (It would have simply ruined the flow if we had taken it out!) For photos of what we discuss in each episode, visit the Small Subjects blog on boxdioramas.com: http://www.boxdioramas.com/smallsubjects
S4 · E57
May 1, 2025 · 1 hr 10 min
Episode 57: Why do we abandon some projects? And: Considering the effects of tariffs on the hobby
In this episode, your hosts mull over why some modelers (like Jim) rarely abandon a project, seeing even the dogs through to completion, while others (like Barry) regularly start one and then set it aside. And, at the risk of abandoning our policy of avoiding politics, which is generally a very good one these days, the boys felt compelled to consider how the current moment is impacting the hobby. Please note that this episode is marked as explicit as there are a couple of f-bombs. For photos of what we discuss in each episode, visit the Small Subjects blog on boxdioramas.com: http://www.boxdioramas.com/smallsubjects
S4 · E56
Mar 27, 2025 · 1 hr 29 min
Episode 56: What do we do with all of this STUFF? with Joe Berton
Death comes to us all, as the saying goes, and while your hosts aren’t feeling particularly morbid at the moment, we certainly look around from time to time at all of the tools and paints and supplies on our workbenches; the closets and shelves full of un-built kits; the stacks (and stacks and stacks) of books; our displays of the figures, vignettes, and dioramas we’ve built and collected from friends and artists we admire, and the odd piece of militaria we’ve acquired and think, “Who’s going to take care of all of this STUFF when we’re gone?” And we bet you’ve asked this question, too. As a maker and as a collector, our pal and repeat Small Subjects guest Joe Berton certainly has. What’s more, he has helped clear out the collections of quite a few of those we’ve lost who shared our passions—including some pretty epic ones. In this episode, we asked him to help us think about preparing for the inevitable, in part because we don’t know anyone who’s more expert in this regard, but also because, Joe being Joe, he brings plenty of laughs and quite a few memorable anecdotes to what could have been a somewhat dark discussion (but isn’t, we promise!). For photos of what we discuss in each episode, visit the Small Subjects blog on boxdioramas.com: http://www.boxdioramas.com/smallsubjects
S4 · E55
Feb 20, 2025 · 1 hr 42 min
Episode 55: Artificial Intelligence and Modeling: A Talk with Jake McKee
We tackle the topic of Artificial Intelligence and some of its possible impacts on our hobby in this discussion with Jake McKee. Jake is a consultant in the digital realm, a photographer, a devoted modeler, and a blogger (with both a tech blog and a modeling blog). In the past, he’s done digital marketing for Lego, and he’s also worked at Apple. He’s been thinking about A.I. a lot, and he certainly helped us formulate our thoughts, and consider the possibilities. For photos of what we discuss in each episode, visit the Small Subjects blog on boxdioramas.com: http://www.boxdioramas.com/smallsubjects Join one of our Facebook groups: Historex: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectshistorex Flats: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectsflats Or hang out in the Small Subjects Hospitality Suite and discuss anything else miniatures related: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectshospitality email us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com
S4 · E54
Jan 23, 2025 · 1 hr 44 min
Episode 54: Barry & Jim's Adventures (and Frustrations) with the 1/16th Universal Carrier Kit
In Episode 52, when Jim expressed interest in the new 1/16th-scale Gecko Models Universal Carrier kit, Barry suggested a “buddy build,” with each of them tackling the beast—something he now regrets. This episode is devoted to their ongoing frustrations with the build (and, for Jim, some fun, too). Although Barry initially suggested the idea, he later worried that no one would be interested in talk about a kit few if any of the listeners might build. But Jim thought it wound up being about more than the build, focusing on how your hosts each approach modeling and the inherent and inevitable problem-solving. For photos of what we discuss in each episode, visit the Small Subjects blog on boxdioramas.com: http://www.boxdioramas.com/smallsubjects Join one of our Facebook groups: Historex: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectshistorex Flats: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectsflats Or hang out in the Small Subjects Hospitality Suite and discuss anything else miniatures related: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectshospitality email us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com
S4 · E53
Dec 19, 2024 · 1 hr 55 min
Episode 53: Francois Verlinden
In this episode, we chat with one of the legends of the hobby: Francois Verlinden, who is alive and well at age 78. He retired to Palm Beach, Florida, after the company that bore his name closed in 2016, but he is occasionally painting again “just for fun”—including some of those Warhammer minis the kids love! We also talk about our buddy build of the Gecko 1/16 Universal Carrier. For photos of what we discuss in each episode, visit the Small Subjects blog on boxdioramas.com: http://www.boxdioramas.com/smallsubjects Join one of our Facebook groups: Historex: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectshistorex Flats: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectsflats Or hang out in the Small Subjects Hospitality Suite and discuss anything else miniatures related: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectshospitality email us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com
S4 · E52
Nov 21, 2024 · 1 hr 33 min
Episode 52: Our Beginnings
Your hosts expand on their own answers to one of their favorite questions for guests—How did you get your start in this small-sized pursuit of ours? They dive into some of their earliest modeling experiences, talk about people who helped get them started, and tell us about some of the kits and figures they loved tackling as kids. For photos of what we discuss in each episode, visit the Small Subjects blog on boxdioramas.com: http://www.boxdioramas.com/smallsubjects Join one of our Facebook groups: Historex: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectshistorex Flats: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectsflats Fantasy Busts: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectsfantasybusts Or hang out in the Small Subjects Hospitality Suite and discuss anything else miniatures related: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectshospitality email us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com
S4 · E51
Oct 31, 2024 · 1 hr 26 min
Episode 51: The 2025 MMSI Chicago Show
This time we talk about the recent 2024 MMSI Chicago show with Pat Vess and Joe Berton. We also talk about some things the guys have planned for next year's 50th anniversary show. For photos of what we discuss in each episode, visit the Small Subjects blog on boxdioramas.com: http://www.boxdioramas.com/smallsubjects Join one of our group builds: Historex: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectshistorex Flats: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectsflats Fantasy Busts: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectsfantasybusts Or hang out in the Small Subjects Hospitality Suite and discuss anything else miniatures related: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallsubjectshospitality email us at smallsubjectspodcast@gmail.com

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