Archive Miniatures short but productive run produced a range of interesting figures starting off with an historical range but gradually ebbing into fantasy and science fiction RPG figures.  Their Middle Earth range offered an entertaining take on the forces of evil.

The figures are immediately recognizable as Archive products through their octagonal base but also through the humor and detail in the figures.  The lower orcan army as they are listed in Archive catalogs have an undersized torso with large Mickey Mouse shoes and big dinosaur like heads.  They will likely inspire the most jaded figure painter with their combination of whimsy and menace.

This also demonstrates one of the hazards of collecting miniatures as the figures were available for a relatively short time as Archive Miniatures became only sporadically available after this offering.  Happily, I have more of these on hand not yet painted but of course it would be nice if the molds were still producing.  These offer a nice alternative to the more somber offerings of other companies.