Two new Backdrop Books for your Trench Crusade miniatures photography
Latest Updates from Our Project:
February update
6 months ago
– Sat, Feb 28, 2026 at 02:59:33 AM
Hello!
I have to keep this update short for reasons that will become apparent.
The important thing is work is continuing, book 2 is a whisker away from done, and book 3, the tricks and tips add on is also almost done.
This update is later than planned, and we’ve slipped a couple of days because 2 completely unexpected things happened this week, which I will be candid about.
So firstly a close family member who lives in my household suffered a severe health crisis and was hospitalised. This has been a huge strain on everyone of course, and necessitated I take some time out.
Alongside that, I also suffered a thunderclap headache (a very suddenly occurring “worst headache you’ve ever had in your life” kind of deal) this week, and spent all day in hospital yesterday getting scans to rule out a brain aneurysm. I still have a lumbar puncture/spinal tap to go to rule out anything very serious. Although the week long headache has felt pretty serious, I can tell you.
Like I say, the good news our my little team have seamlessly picked up the slack, most of the current work is prepping print files, so we’re keeping on keeping on, but we have missed my target of being at print for this update. My apologies, it wasn’t planned and could not have been predicted.
My next update will be a lot more cheery. (Well unless I’ve had a brain aneurysm, obviously. But even then, that won’t stop these books being finished because my work is all but done now!)
Thanks for your patience at this time, I appreciate it.
Jon
January Update - Book One is done
7 months ago
– Fri, Jan 30, 2026 at 06:36:56 AM
Hello! Monthly update time!
Progress: Book One: Visions of War is now complete and ready to print! (which is by far the most popular reward by a significant margin, so that's the most important reward completed) Book Two: The Golden Seal needs a couple of pieces finishing off, and is almost done! Book Three: Tricks and Tips is in layout now!
Printing takes a very short amount of time since we print in the UK with a really brilliant print partner, so I'm not too worried about this minor slip in the schedule - everything is powering ahead despite a particularly virulent flu bug taking me out for a couple of weeks this month.
I anticipate shipping will commence in February. Before that we'll open a pledge manager to gather your addresses, shipping payment and to allow you to add anything on that you missed. Stay tuned, we'll have more info on that as it happens.
Of course I've been continually testing out backdrops, and here's some more of the results:
That's it for now - keep your eyes peeled for that pledge manager!
Jon
December Update - new photos, progress is good!
8 months ago
– Wed, Dec 31, 2025 at 05:54:37 AM
Seasons greetings!
Our December update will be short and sweet - we're on festive break right now after a year of hard work.
We've made lots of progress on backdrops - a bunch are in approval right now (and quite understandably we'll allow our Trench masters in pictorial approval their well deserved rest too), and a bunch more are about to go into approval. So we're looking good for finishing up art and starting printing in the new year.
I've got hold of a set of Prussian plastics, and have been having great fun with those. I haven't managed to get many painted as yet (the end of the year has been wildly hectic!) but here's a selection of shots I took with the Hauptmann figure. as you can see you on't have to move much to get wildly different vibes:
The terrain is mostly scratch built (and indeed you can find the walkthroughs of how to build it in earlier updates, and in the dedicated book that collects those!) but we also have some DiceVerse shrines in there, and some Fenris Games rubble.
I hope you've had a good meta-christmas if you celebrate (I'm imagining you all pausing battle on Christmas day to play football in no mans land with some infernal hellbeasts...maybe scrambling back to your trench with the photo of a demon's sweetheart as enmity resumes?)
Wish you and yours a happy and peaceful Hogmanay from here in Scotland.
Jon
November Trench Crusade Backdrop Books Update
9 months ago
– Fri, Nov 14, 2025 at 09:08:47 AM
Hello!
It's November update time - you can expect at least one update per month as we finish up the books and send them off to print!
Here's a look at some stuff from The Golden Seal book, which I think works remarkably well, once you understand what it's all about.
So here's one of the pages in the book:
Which ok, it is what it is. But when you combine it with a mini?
Makes a bit more sense! And there are zero glow effects added in post here - that's all in camera - I've put a light across the backdrop to make sure it's well lit, and makes that symbol really pop. But there's nothing going on in photoshop!
Here's some more Golden Seal images:
And here's some in action:
You can see these make for more graphic, or poster like images, which I think offers something really new from Backdrop Books. We have lots more in the can and in progress to share before we hit print.
Back on the first book of scenes, Visions of War, here's a small selection of new images:
I'll get some test shots done this coming week - we have test prints of the backdrops we've made so far on order from the printers to check how everything looks in print, and that will let us make some really nice test images. I'll be sure to share those with you, and online as soon as we have them.
I dont know about you, but I'm super excited for the new plastics. Those come out this month, and so we'll be shouting from the rooftops about Backdrop books as a great companion for your new models. I hope you'll feel motivated to help us out with that - we share the most stuff on Bluesky, so if you feel so inclined, give us a follow.
We're just keeping on keeping on, and everything is coming along nicely and on track. I'll be back next month with some more images.
