Products Miniature figures Founded 1979 | Headquarters Brantford | |
Industry Wargaming
Role-playing games Key people Sculptors:
Bob Murch
Stephen Koo
Bill Schwarz
James Van Schaik
Primary:
John Laing
Jack Van Schaik | ||
RAFM Company, Inc. of Brantford, Ontario is a producer of miniatures, reference materials, and board games. RAFM has produced games, reference materials, and their own lines of miniature figures in 15 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, and 28 mm scales since 1977. Their games concern soldiers, adventurers, and monsters inspired by history and fiction, and their products are sold at gaming conventions, in hobby shops, and by mail order for use in role playing games, wargaming, dioramas, competitive painting, and collecting. The company is best known for its Baker Company (WW2 Rules & Miniatures 20mm), Charlie Company (Vietnam Rules & Miniatures 20mm), Death in the Dark (28mm Fantasy Board Game), RAFM historical miniatures, Call of Cthulhu miniatures, fantasy miniatures (featuring the new Iron Lords line of 28mm figures), Space: 1889 figures, historical source materials, and pewter dice.
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History
RAFM was founded in 1977 by a group of wargaming enthusiasts in Paris, Ontario to publish a set of miniature battles rules called The Universal Soldier: Wargame Rules for Ancient, Medieval and Pike and Shot (1977) by Patrick Jenkins, John Laing, Colin McClelland, and Paul Sharpe. Initially, RAFM focused on publications for the historical gaming, particularly the wars of the 18th and 19th centuries. Like their contemporaries at Ral Partha Enterprises and Grenadier Models Inc., the company found that their efforts were best directed at the rapidly expanding market in fantasy games. Bob Murch began sculpting for RAFM in the early 1980s and remained their primary sculptor until he began Pulp Figures in 2002. The company started as a partnership among the principal owners until John Laing moved to England in 1987 and left the partnership. Jack Van Schaik has been the president and part-owner of the company since the beginning. In 1999 RAFM Company Inc. became a subsidiary of Van Schaik's Silver Fox Productions and the RAFM headquarters was moved to Brantford, Ontario. In addition to their own lines, RAFM was the long-time caster and Canadian distributor for Ral Partha Enterprises, Citadel Miniatures, and currently distribute figures of Reaper Miniatures of Denton, Texas.
Miniatures and publications
RAFM's miniatures are typically unmarked and in order to be identified must be matched to pictures and descriptions in product catalogs. Catalogs were produced in 1986 Canada, 1986 U.S., 1987 Canada, 1989-90 U.S., 1994 1996 Update #1, 2005, 2006, and 2009.
RAFM was also the Canadian caster and distributor of Ral Partha Enterprises and Citadel Miniatures carrying most of their lines. RAFM tended to preserve older manufacturer's codes. For example, when Ral Partha switched to all numeric product codes in early 1980, RAFM continued production with the originals. In the 1990s RAFM distributed Frei Korps 15's Yellow Ribbon line of 15mm figures for the American Wild West (YR01-YR18), another series for the American Civil War (7000-7011). A one time sculptor for RAFM, Bob Ridolfi's sculpts and others are licensed by Reaper Miniatures for distribution in Canada. Rafm also produced miniatures for GHQ and Martian Metals in the 1980s. Contracts were also signed with Dream Pod 9's Heavy Gear, Global Games and Palladium's Rifts.
Unless otherwise noted, RAFM's miniatures were designed by the prolific Bob Murch and produced in 25mm scale. Other sculptors included Murch's apprentice Stephen Koo, Carol Moyer, James Johnson, and Bill Schwarz who specializes in the engines and vehicles of war throughout history. In recent years the boss' sons James and Brock Van Schaik have become accomplished sculptors.