warhammer – Grob's Grotto

I am far from someone who likes to bash Games Workshop. The worlds, games and stories created by the company are the gateway drug for probably 99% of all hobbyists, and even today, where my playtime of GW-related games can be measured in hours per year, I dislike the hate that I sometimes see. At the end of the day we are all just pushing war-dollies around. Play Warhammer, however you want. A company is not your mum. If you are cheeky, play your Old World Army with OPR.

Now, getting to my point: I fully understand that Games Workshop today is a company worth 6.5 billion pounds, and I understand that Warhammer has become the consumer-facing brand and IP of said company. It’s converting new and old players alike and selling them plastic kits at a faster rate than can ever be played or assembled, let alone painted – despite understanding all of this: I really struggle with how GW treats its artistic roots and history.

For the sheer fun of it, I bought the recent “50-Years Games Workshop” White Dwarf 518. It is a light read on the history of the company and its development across half a century. Surprisingly, it’s actually quite open about its DIY and punk roots, inspired by the Zeitgeist of Britain during that time. It does very much focus on the “commercial development” of the company, probably more than anything. Then you get to the art page-spread, showcasing artworks that shaped the imagination of entire generations of Warhammer fans.

Two artists from GW talk about the style of Warhammer art, and how it is a mix of genres inspired by some old masters like Bosch or Dürer, followed by jokingly suggesting to look them up. In good White Dwarf fashion it’s a loose conversation with “Alex” and “Paul” – we have to assume it’s Alex Boyd and Paul Dainton. Then you look at the images. Not a single name mentioned in the image captions. You actually see works by Adrian Smith, John Sibbick, John Blanche, Paul Dainton and Alex Boyd. Most hobbyists who have been around since the 80s, 90s or 00s would most likely know, but it can be assumed that a big chunk of the White Dwarf audience is of a younger age and not familiar with the history you are just trying to present.

Let me be clear: in a 4-page article that is part of a 27-page history lesson on GW, to not even drop a single artist name when showcasing their art is atrocious. John Blanche was 46 (!) years of those 50 employed at GW, in various functions. A very specific group of artists has shaped how Warhammer looks and feels like, which in turn has had ripple effects in the general perception of how fantasy or dark and grim sci-fi can look like. And GW can’t be bothered to even mention one by their full name and give them credit right under their artwork.

Before anyone gets technical with me about contracts and IP-rights: to contrast this with something else, I opened this week the fresh-off-the-press Trench Crusade rulebook.

Without a doubt – the artwork in that rule book is absolutely outstanding. It really paints a horribly dark and gloomy picture of the world. Each artwork can be an inspiration by itself for some deranged, cursed kitbash or paintjob.

You open page 1 – and every single person working on this book is listed, including every single artist who contributed art. With designated initials, that can be found directly on their respective artworks within the book.

It is kind of ironic that the Trench Crusade rulebook is even dedicated to – John Blanche (among others). Almost as ironic as Army Painter grabbing Blanche as a brand name to release 2 paint sets, with Citadel sleeping on this golden opportunity and still releasing paint in pots in 2025. But I digress.

I don’t want to rant, even though it does sound like it, but instead end this blog post on a positive note. Art published within the White Dwarf or other GW books has shaped my own imagination, in the same profound way as for example the Lord of the Rings novels did when I read them as a child. This is thanks to the platform Games Workshop gave artists, whose works I love and cherish to this day. And even if GW drops the ball on celebrating this, at least I can share in my little corner art that has altered my brain chemistry.

Enjoy this personal and curated selection.

Paul Dainton: