Since the early 1970s, Oak Park, IL-based figure modeler Joe Berton has been one of the most acclaimed artists and well-loved friend-to-all in the miniatures hobby, but despite being a mentor and pal to this site’s editors (as well as a lifelong buddy of the late, great Sheperd Paine, who inspired all of us with his boxes), Joe only got around to doing his first box diorama in 2021 (and, no surprise, he won a Gold Medal for it at the 2021 Chicago Show). A retired art teacher, Joe is a man with a million stories, and a rather famous alter ego, at least among baseball fans. He is currently the president of the Military Miniatures Society of Illinois. Click here for a gallery with images of much more of his (non-box-diorama) work.