Grenadier Models Inc.
Official AD&D miniatures producer and pioneer of fantasy gaming figures.
Grenadier Models Inc., based in Springfield, Pennsylvania, manufactured lead miniatures for wargames and role-playing games from 1975 to 1996, covering fantasy, science fiction, and heroic genres. The company is most recognized for its miniatures tied to TSR, Inc.'s Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game, its Dragon-of-the-Month and Giants Club collectible figures, and its strategy of selling paint-and-miniature sets through standard retail channels.
What started as a basement operation grew to a staff of fifty by 1983, achieving the third-highest gross sales in the expanding gaming market. Sculptors for the company included John Dennett, Janine Bennett, Julie Guthrie, Nick Lund, Mark Copplestone, Michael Daley, Sandra Garrity, Bob Naismith, William Watt, and Ian Symonds. Though Grenadier shut down in 1996, many of its products continue to be produced by companies in the UK, Italy, and the United States.
Andrew Chernak, serving as president and head sculptor, and Ray Rubin, vice president and head artist, founded the company. They had previously worked together at Canterbury Pewter Ltd., a gift-market sculpting business they started in 1972. Chernak had sculpted for Superior Models, and Rubin co-founded Squadron-Rubin Miniatures. Grenadier’s first product line was a set of 25mm American Revolution figures, released ahead of the 1976 United States Bicentennial. The company’s name came from its first miniature, a grenadier. In 1984, Grenadier formed Grenadier Models Ltd UK alongside its European distributor. By 1991, the British office had become the center of design and development.
Product catalogs were published in 1978, 1979, 1982, and annually from 1985 to 1994. Separate European catalogs appeared in 1985 and 1994, with possible other years. The *Grenadier Bulletin* magazine covered the company’s products and included games, comics, short stories, and puzzles. The first series ran from fall 1981 to late 1987, spanning issues #1 through #18. A new series of four full-color editions came out in late 1991 and early 1992. A third series, confusingly labeled "volume II," produced a single issue in summer 1993 before ending. The British office released an *International Edition* called *British Grenadier*, with at least thirteen issues around 1988.
Quick Facts
- Fate
- Closed
- Successor
- Mirliton S.G.
- Founded
- 1975
- Defunct
- 1996
- Hq Location
- Springfield, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- Industry
- Wargaming / Role-playing game
- Products
- Miniature figures
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The company was founded by Andrew Chernak, president and head sculptor, and Ray Rubin, vice president and head artist, who had previously partnered in Canterbury Pewter Ltd., a gift-market sculpting business established in 1972. Chernak had sculpted for Superior Models and Rubin was a co-founder of Squadron-Rubin Miniatures. Grenadier's first product was a line of 25mm American Revolution figures released in anticipation of the 1976 United States Bicentennial; the company received its name from their first miniature, a grenadier. By 1983 the company had grown from a basement enterprise to a staff of 50 and achieved the third highest gross sales in the expanding gaming market.
In partnership with its European distributor, Grenadier formed Grenadier Models Ltd UK in 1984. By 1991, the British office became the center of the company's design and development. Grenadier published product catalogs in 1978, 1979, 1982 and annually from 1985 to 1994, with separate European catalogs in 1985 and 1994. The company's products were discussed in the Grenadier Bulletin, a magazine containing games, comics, short-stories, and puzzles, published in several series between 1981 and 1993. The British offices produced a separate 'International edition' called the British Grenadier (at least thirteen issues, around 1988) and a bi-monthly newsletter Warrior: The Newsletter for Fantasy Wargamers (thirteen issues from December 1992/January 1993 to April/May 1995).
Reader's Guide
Grenadier Models Inc. played a significant role in the early growth of fantasy and science fiction miniature gaming. Its partnership with TSR, Inc. from 1981 to 1982 established it as the official producer of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons miniatures, a status that helped popularize the hobby. After the split with TSR, Grenadier continued to produce figures for other game companies, including Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu and Game Designers' Workshop's Traveller, and released popular lines such as Dragon-of-the-Month and Giants Club. The company's sculptors, including John Dennett, Julie Guthrie, and Nick Lund, created many iconic figures that remain in production by companies in the UK, Italy, and the United States after Grenadier closed in 1996. Grenadier's marketing innovations, such as the Wizard's Gold Contest and the Paint and Collect Series, helped bring miniatures to mainstream retail outlets. The company's legacy endures through the continued production of its sculpts and its influence on the fantasy gaming industry.
Did You Know?
- Grenadier conducted a Wizard's Gold Contest in 1982 and 1983, placing gold-plated castings in random boxes of figures.
- The British office became the center of Grenadier's design and development by 1991.
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