Zombie Superman

Ok, I realize that it's not REALLY Superman!  What kind of dork would think that a comic book hero could be turned into a real life zombie...geesh.  This guy, obviously, was some sort of convention geek, who ended up on the wrong side of the undead menu, right?  Imagine a survivor's surprise, though, to see the Man of Steel come shambling down the street, looking at them like they were today's blue plate special.

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This figure is a re-purposed Heroclix Bizzaro Superman miniature, purchased from Troll and Toad. TandT is an excellent source for collectible prepaints, with a good selection and great service.  The fig is based on a 25mm round slotta base.  The hunched over stance and the vacant look make him a perfect zombie, IMO.

Wargames Factory Zombies

I picked these figs up at a convention, last year, on the cheap.  I put the multi-part plastic figs together, and wasn't really impressed.  They languished on the shelf for a long time.  For the price I paid, they were a great bargain, though.  The quality and crispness of the parts leaves a lot to be desired.  In the end, though, they painted up well enough to fill out a zombie horde.

Some of the figs you can put together are nice figs; others, though not so much.  Here's a pic of some of my more favorite finished figs.  You can see that I used some Mantic zombie heads, in place of the WGF ones. They work with some of the torsos.

I used a speed painting technique I read about on the Lead Adventure Forum.  Basically, you prime in a light color, and then use washes and stains to finish the figs.  It was quick, about 4 hours to totally finish these 23 figs.  For quick and dirty, playable figs for the table, I may use it again.

For the record, the figs that WGF has in their on-line shop are painted very nicely, and show what someone with a lot of talent, time and patience could do with these figs; you should check them out.

Acheson ATZ Minis - Pt 2 (The Clown and Cultists Painted)

Here are the first painted offerings from Acheson Creations line of 28mm All Things Zombie line of figures.  After my initial review last week, I decided to paint the Clown and Cultists set. Mainly, because the three over sized figures tie in nicley with the Big Jon and the Zombies post from December.  You can see in the photo below, that even mounted on fender washers, they stand half a head taller than the other fig on a 25mm round slotta base.

I was right, these figures paint up much nicer than the photo on the Acheson site would suggest. I don't know if it is the photo, or the paint job, or what; they just do. The homeless guy has lots of "flair" on his coat and a maniacal look on his face.  The clown's face is just down right creepy.  And again, who doesn't need an evil clown in their collection?  The machete wielding man has what I take to be a flight suit and life preserver on; which makes my mind whirl thinking of what kind of back story you could come up with for him.  The pot bellied man is wearing what looks like a tuxedo jacket, complete with tails, and trousers to me, and has a tool belt, complete with hammer and other tools, and a boy scout hatchet chinched around his waist.  Again what a back story you could weave for him.

All in all, at $7.50 + shipping, these figs are well worth the price, in my book.

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and GAAAAHHHHGG!!"

Santa made his rounds last night, and his last stop was the city of Lazarus.  It's not that his night's work was done.  He just ran into some troubles that kept hm from completing his rounds.  No photos of the jolly old fat man have turned up.  We were able to snap one of his eight tiny reindeer, though.

OH MY!!! I certainly hope he made it to your house before he stopped in Lazarus.

All joking aside, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas

Mantic Zombies - The Start Of A 28mm Horde

I made the decision to game the Zombie Apocalypse in 15mm several years ago.  For some reason, though, recently I've had the itch to start collecting minis to game it in 28mm.  There are just so many excellent minis for the genre now, I can't fight it.  To that end, I went out and got a Mantic Zombie Regiment box set, containing 30 plastic zombies.

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You get 10 identical sprues, with 3 torsos, 3 legs, several left arms variants, and 5 heads.  The only problem I see with the set has is that the right arms are attached to the torsos; not separate, like the left ones. This does lead to a limited amount of poses you can make.  Still, the figs paint up quiet nicely, with lots of character, and despite the fact that they are meant for use in a fantasy setting, they will work quite well in a modern Zombie Apocalypse.  In my opinion, these are the best plastic zombies on the market, and some of the best in general; plastic or metal.

 

On these figures I used what I call "The Dip Plus" method.  That is blocking in the base colors, using "The Dip" method, then going back and heavily highlighting the figs.  It is a bit more involved than a basic Dip, and not as much work as doing a "proper" paint job on them.  I based them on the 25mm square bases that come with the set.  You could just as easily base them on other style/size bases, though.  I will use them to fill out the coming horde; sprinkling in modern looking metal ones.  Here are a couple of my favorite figs from the batch:

 

 

 

Los Surenos - 28mm Survivors

"Hey, esse, end of the world, or not, this barrio is our home.  Mi madre, mi padre, all my brothers and sisters; the pinche dead got them.  These vatos are the only ones I have left; mi familia.  You understand homes?"

Los Surenos are another gang living in the remnants of Southern California.  They rule the barrios keeping all outsiders away; dead or alive.

Los Surenos

Ramone

Eduardo

Pupito

Chui

Gustavo

Tigre

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This is another set of Gangstars from Obelisk Miniatures; sold at Black Cat Bases. These are from the same line as the minis in my "Las Chicas" gang. Excellent minis, and I highly recommend them to the 28mm gamer/painter/collector.

Survivor House

Here's a bit I did a couple of years ago and sold.  I ran across the pics browsing through my photobucket albums, looking for something unrelated.   This is an old Plasticville O scale house that I turned into a suburban fortress.  I made it around the time the "Dawn Of The Dead" remake came out; hence the message on the roof.  It definitely fits the genre, and I hope it gives someone some inspiration.

If you've seen it before, apologies.  If you see this, and are the person that bought it, post some pics of it in action...please!

Ladies Of The Night - Pt. 2 (WIP)

As promised, here is a pic of the last three "Sin City" girls I am working on.


It's the Anime twins, Sora and Yumi, who are REALLY into COSPlay, along with Ellie, who has a bit of a cowboy fetish. 

More Reaper-Chronoscope figures.

Ladies Of The Night

Lazarus has it's seedier side, and the women who work it are a tough lot.  They were survivors even in the best of times.  Now a days,  the problem isn't pushy johns, or violent pimps.  It's the hungry undead prowling the streets:

Group Photo:

Sonja

Ginger

Mia Li

Peaches

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These are Reaper Chronoscope figures, with weapons (also from the Chronoscope line) added.  I wanted to go with a "Sin City" meme with them.  You know an uparmed group of prostitutes protecting themselves from a cold and mean world.  I actually have three more figs to add to the group.  I'll post a WIP in a couple of days.

The only things I am not satisfied with on these figs are:

1) I should have put them on regular slotta bases so they matched the rest of my figs.
2) In the pic of Sonja it looks like her gun hand is bigger due to the focal point of the lens.  Well, that's not it, her gun hand is HUGE compared to her other one.  The original hands, both of them, were tiny, even for a female fig, and the gun hand is well...manly.  I should have re-sculpted her off hand to make it match in size, better.

Bodyguards/Hired Guns

Whether it's a high stakes drug deal, a diva with a stalker, or the end of the world, ala the undead, there are people willing to pay for protection.  With the right skill set, a person, or persons, could survive and prosper.  Here are a couple of former hired guns who are not only capable of protecting themselves, but any one with the resources (cash isn't worth much these days), as well.

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These are a couple of Foundry "Street Violence" figs I pick for a buck a piece at a local show 2-3 years ago. As a range, "Street Violence" is probably my favorite 25/28mm one. I just wish I had the $$$ to get the whole line. IMO, the guy on the left is a dead ringer for Vincent Vega (aka John Travolta) in "Pulp Fiction".

I've got some more "Street Violence" figs painted, and unpainted, that I need to get posted up, as well.  So, stay tuned.

Clicky Zombies

Every knows that HorrorClix has some great figs that can be used in 25/28mm zombie games.  They can be rebased and painted easily.  Others have posted about them; VampiFan has some great posts on his blog about converting all sorts of clicky minis, not just HorrorClix, for use in a zombie game.  While I've done quite a few rebase/repaints, these are the first zombie figs I've done.

Of the three, the Irradiated Zombie fig on the right of the first pic is my favorite.  The sculpt is great, especially considering it's a clicky.

Reach Out And Touch Someone - Spec Ops Shooter

A lot of noise can bring down a world of pain, these days.  So can a big crowd.  There are times when a lone survivor, with special skills, can do more than an entire truck load of yokels loaded for bear.  Here's just the man for the job.

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This is another mini from Black Cat Bases. I bought it because it's a neat fig; the pose is a little constricting for game play, IMO, though. I wish they had a version of him moving, with the rifle at the hunt position.  I finished painting it, sat back, and asked myself , "What the heck an I going to do with it now?"

Who Are These Clowns?

You'd think that at the end of the world the Zombies would be the most dangerous things out there.  Most of the time you'd be right.  On other occasions, you'd find out that there are things much more disturbing, and dangerous, than the living dead.

Bobo:
For most, the fall of civilization was a traumatic affair; what with the walking dead and all.  For Bobo, though, it was liberating. Now, instead of curtailing his hunting to once or twice a year, he could do it when ever he wanted.  Better still, he didn't have to hide it anymore, either. In fact, the more zombies he killed, the better. The prey didn't react in a very satisfying way; no begging, or crying...no suffering.  They made up for it in numbers, though. Anyway, every now and then, there was a live one that brought back the old thrill.

Mr. Jangles:
Mr. Jangles liked his wine. Now, most, in fact all the parents didn't like it when he showed up to their kid's party sinking of Night Train, and slurring his speech. He found though, that once they talked to Mr. Beretta, the complaining stopped; permanently. If it weren't for the incessant crying of the little brats,it would have been a cushy gig.  Now that the dead had risen, the brats didn't cry anymore.  He could still find Night Train, and Mr. Beretta still did a lot of talking.

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These are a re-post of minis I put up on at least one other forum, way back when.  Clowns tend to creep people out, so I figured I'd repost them here for anyone who had not seen them before.

They are rebased/repainted/mods of the Horrorclix Jester figure. Bobo is just a straight up rebase/repaint. Mr. Jangles was a bit more involved. He had the heads cut off and his arm repositioned. I used green stuff to fill the gaps, and gave him a semi auto pistol from a Foundry Street Violence fig. The knife was cut off and a bottle made from sprue. He was then rebased and repainted.

Las Chicas - 28mm Survivors

Las Chicas are an all female gang in the remnants of Southern California.   "Amiga, it's not that we don't like men, it's just that a good man is hard to find these days, and we can't trust them like we can nuestras hermanas.  Entender?"

Las Chicas

Marisol - La Jefe 

Rita - La Ejecutor

 Karmen - La Mujer Fatal

 Salma - La Nina

Azteca - La Radical

Gizmo

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These are Obelisk Miniatures Gangsters, sold at Black Cat Bases.  Each set comes with 5 gangsters and a mascot.   Gizmo's colorization is actually based on my wife's Teddybear Mal-Schi-Poo of the same name.

Kentucky Fred Zombie and John

I've been posting a lot of 15mm stuff, lately, so I thought I post some bigger eye candy, just so everyone knows I'm not a one trick pony :-)

Black Orc Games makes several 25/28mm zombies in their "Hundred Kingdom" line. I will be honest, as a whole, these are not some of the best sculpts out there.  The big redeeming factor is that they are super cheap; between $1.00 and $1.50 each.  Also, two of my favorite zombie figs do come out of the line.  They are:

Kentucky Fred Zombie (every table needs an undead zombie chicken mascot)

 

















and "John" the Zombie (what can I say, bathroom humor is still funny, even at my age)

SMM Soldiers in Chemical Gear - Painted!

I painted up the Sgt Major Miniatures Soldiers in Chemical Gear 1 & 2 packs(codes Pulp11 & 12) from the previous 2 postings. They turned out pretty good, and are ready to take on hordes of undead.  Actually, these guys will be spending more time killing mutants in a ruined Post Apocalyptic world.  They will be on stand by, though, if I find someone wanting to zombie game in 28mm:

Pulp11

Pulp 12

As I said before, due to their size, I mounted them on 25mm round slotta bases; in order to give them height. Here is a comparison of one with a Street Violence(l) and a Alpha Forge(r) fig. It all worked out very good, and they are quite compatible.

Sgt Major Miniatures - Get Some! 28mm (Pt. 1)

I wanted to check out Sgt. Major Miniatures, and see what they were like.  I'm gonna offer up a brief WIP and review of them.  I bought these in primarily to use in a Post Apoc setting.   With that said, the Chem Suited troopers would work great in a Zombie game.

I ordered 2 packs of minis from their 28MM "Get Some" range; Codes Pulp 11 and Scifi 11.  I ordered them late Friday April the 9th.  They arrived today, Thursday the 14th, via USPS Priority Mail.  The total cost , with shipping was $30.20 USD; which has each of them costing $3.02 each. 

PULP 11 are Soldiers in Chemical Gear 1, and are armed with M-16s.  They have an 80's vibe to them, but they are nondescript.  The gas masks are not 1980s military issue, but rather like the newer ones.  The sculpts are good, with decent details,and the poses are great, IMO.  The only down side to them was the amount of flash on them, and the fact that one of the castings was really mis-aligned.  I know that this happens, so I am reserving judgment until I get another order of figs from them.  It took me an hour to get most of the flash off, and fix the mis aligned fig.

SCI-FI 11 are described as "Space Cannibals"  on the SMM site.  A better description should be "Not Firefly Reavers" :-)  The Get Some 28MM SciFi line thus far released/pictured is "Not Firefly", so it's all good.  The amount of flash on them was far less than on the other set.  Again, the sculpts are good, with decent detail, and the poses are very animated.  The faces have what I would call a Troglodyte look about them, making them look rather primal.  They are armed with improvised armor, and weapons fashioned from scrap metal.  The only down side is the fact that some of the hands are rather "mushy" on the sculpting. 

Here's a photo comparing them with some Foundry Street Violence figs, and an Alpha Forge one; from L to R , Street Violence, SMM Pulp 11, Street Violence, SMM SciFi 11, Alpha Forge.  They are smaller; but not enough to preclude them from use, IMO.

The Pulp 12 and SciFi 12 codes have the same type of figs in different poses, giving you a good variety in a ten man unit.  A big plus is that they are a lot cheaper than other ranges; Foundry's Street Violence and Pig Iron come to mind first.  The down side is that the crispness of the sculpts are not  as good as the more expensive figs.  Being a frugal gamer, the trade off is quite fine with me.  There is no doubt in my mind that both these lines are perfect for Post Apoc gaming, and I plan on getting more, in the near future, as I bulk up my Post Apoc forces. 

I give them a thumbs up.

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Addendum: I originally posted the above on a Post Apoc gaming forum I frequent.  I let Andy at SMM know about the review, out of courtesy.  Upon hearing about the mis-aligned figure, he immediately offered to replace it, free of charge.  There was no need to do that; still the offer was greatly appreciated, and my stock in his company went up even further.  Good customer service is always a plus.