About this year's theme

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The 6th edition of FU!UK's renowned sort-of-annual sculpting contest has started.

As always, the aim of the contest is to receive submissions of original sculpts from you (the frother community), which will then be judged by a team of renowned frothers from different corners of the hobby. The winning sculpts will be sold in the webshoppe for all frothers to buy, along with some worthy runners-up. You can send in your entries for the Sculpting Contest until November 1 (2010).

1. The theme: Cthluedo

That could probably do with a little more explanation, although the clever ones will already have guessed that it's a cross between Cluedo and Call of Cthulhu. "But you already ran a sculpting competition that incorporated elements from the worlds of H.P. Lovecraft", I hear you think, but this is different. Just trust me, it is. Go away now, kid, you bother me.

Anyway, this year, the aim is to tie in the sculpts with the game of Cthluedo that will be run by the FU!UK community at Salute 2011. Hopefully the casting of the winners will be ready in time to allow them to make an appearance on the day. The period is loosely set between worldwars as that period seems to be suitable for both the Cluedo setting as the Cthulhu mythos and it fits with the 30's mansion board that is being built for the Salute game. Did I mention there will be a Cthluedo game at Salute?

So as not to limit the sculptor's creativity, we won't set any specific categories in advance, which would be nearly impossible, but will look at the entries we get and see which categories - if any - emerge from the submissions. You can enter as many different figures as you want, as long as they are related to Cluedo or Cthulhu. They can be player characters, lurkers, elder gods, corpses, sacrificial altars, whatever your deranged minds can come up with and doesn't run us in trouble with the law.

Professional and Amateur may both enter – the angry young sculptors should be ready to humble their elder peers. They have done so in the past. Repeatedly.

2. The Judges

Who will decide which entries are the most frothworthy? We have tried to enlist the creator of the Cluedo game, but frankly, we don't have a clue, so we've settled for the next best thing. Or... well... we've settled at least. The first few judges were easy to find. We've asked Dags because he's a top man and driving force behind the Salute game and because we're trying to work him for all he's worth. Earn your bacon, frothslave! Ahem. Anyway. The Queen's own tailor (alleged) Duff stepped forward to fill this year's painter slot (some squeezing was required, but he fit). It's also a custom to go find some judges outside of our own genepool, who have displayed a connection to the theme. So we've asked the man behind that other current Cthulhuesque miniatures game, Uncle Mike of Strange Aeons. This leaves one more slot to fill, but as it is pending confirmation, you will just have to wait to find out who it is.

3. The Winners

There can be only one... erm... well... as much as there will be categories, and... erm... maybe more. Crikey!

Each category will have a winner (the category’s first) and runners-up.

The winner of each category will be moulded and cast up at our expense (well, their figures anyway - Ed). A full set of the figures will be given to each winner, with a few individual castings of their figure (they can get in touch with the mouldmaker if they wish to purchase more). If the quality of the entries is of a high level we reserve the right to cast up a selection of the runners-up as well, who will then also be given a full set of the figures and castings of their own sculpts.

Winners should be prepared to send their sculpts to mouldmaker Pete Brown at their own expense (we can't pay for everything) and risk (mail).

4. IP and the rights to the figures

Who owns the reproduction rights to the figures? We have given this some long reflection and have decided the rights should stay where they belong, being with the sculptor.

However, for froth’s sake, we reserve the right to produce the figures for a limited period of two months after the production mould is made. The figures will only be sold as full sets and at a low price. Sales of this set will go towards production costs of the set as well as operating costs of the FU!UK community. It is not our intention to earn a profit from these sales. It is not our aim to get free sculpts so we can make money off them. Naturally, all contest winners will be able to get individual copies of their own figure(s) at cost.

After this limited period of availability, all rights will return to the sculptor, who will retain complete intellectual property rights over them and can do with the figures as he (or she) pleases, including selling them as part of his (or her) own range.

At this point we will stop production of the set. However, if any or all of the sculptors wish to see us continue production of their figure(s), they may contact us to work out a new arrangement.

All this and more is included in the Competion Rules, which you must read before entering. Honestly, it's common sense to do so.

You're not going to do it, are you?

Any queries relating to the frother sculpting contest should be referred to contest enquiries. FU!UK is not responsible for any acts of grand larceny carried out through its web site. I hope.