Ok, this may be old hat to you, but I recently noticed something odd concerning the Goblobber while flicking through the 3rd edition rulebook for Warhammer Fantasy Battle. Now, we all know what the brilliant Goblobber and crew from ’87 looks like. A masterpiece by Michael Perry from the golden age of Citadel captured splendidly on the box art for the war machine.
The glorious Goblobber as we know it
However, on p. 105 of the rulebook we see the Goblobber with the bow-part mounted reversed. What is this about? It is clearly the same model as the one from the box cover. Did something happen to the model between the two photos? Was the bow loose and mounted wrongly by the photographer when taking the picture for the rulebook?
The Goblobber as seen on p. 105 in the Warhammer Fantasy Battle rulebook p. 105.
This is certainly curious. I started googling images of the Goblobber and while most people have assembled their ‘lobbers with the bow in a traditional way, such as this one, brilliantly painted by Jaekel.
The Goblobber painted by Jaekel
But I also discovered this by Orclord on the Stuff of Legends page.
Orclord’s Goblobber
Here the bow or crossbeam is also mounted the ‘wrong’ way round and the caption for the image even comments on this without further explanation.
What is this about? Is there a connection here? how this did happen twice? I am puzzled and I clearly have too much time on my hands when having time to ponder such hobby oddities. Does anyone of you Oldhammer scholars have some info to share concerning this, which can shed some light on the matter
Again, sorry if this topic has already been discussed to death on Facebook or some other forum.
Shamutantis 
Maybe the intent was it would be like a recurve bow? Once the tension is off the tips bend forward. Under tension they bend back. If they are bent forward/incorrect then the basket should be up.
Yes, I as thinking along the same lines. However, this does not explain why the bow changed position on the model used for the box art.
It sure is the wrong way, because it’s not only a bow, but also a stopper for the catapult’s arm. There is a fabric cushion, quite obvious, right in the middle of the bow, where the arm would hit. Must be a mistake… but this second photography is all wrong. Crew lacking. Teaming up with skeletons. I have this very piece and am painting it right now!
Hi, I’m painting the model, too, and mounted the bow in the right way, with the cushion/stopper looking backwards.
Does anybody of you chaps know the names of the dwarfs in the crew?
With help from the back of the box I’ve reconstructed Snorri (hero), Gottri (wooden mattock) and Bert (cook). I can’t read well the names etched on the metal tags under the minis of the crew.
There’s a “LO…BEARD” (the one holding a stone) matching the description of Gorm Foambeard, then there’s the one sitting on a netted gobbo who is “SH…FOOT” and the one with hands raised who seems to be “COBARTH”?