Studio Miniatures Zombies 01 - Mob 1

Studio Miniatures are a relatively new company whose output to date consists purely of zombies and zombie hunters. This is their first set - Zombie Mob 001, which comprises of eight finely detailed and beautifully sculpted 28mm scale figures. Size-wise these are very compatible with Hasslefree's range of figures. The more observant viewer will notice that I've shown nine figures not eight. So what gives? The bonus figure is shown in the centre above, and I'm sure most zombie fans will recognise him as being George A. Romero, director of many a classic zombie movie. It is an exquisite figure and such an obvious candidate for a zombie miniature that I'm surprised no-one has thought of sculpting him before.

Looking at the others, from left to right is a tramp with a katana skewering him diagonally from right shoulder to lower stomach. Ouch! Next is a near naked grandad, with his bath robe open, revealing more than his cause of death! A lovely touch on this figure is the tea cup dangling from one finger on his right hand. On the Romero zombie I added the clapperboard to his base in a direct copy of SM's website photo of him. Next up is a young male with his arms hanging stiffly by his sides. Last in line is a hunter whose firearms did not help him much. He holds a pistol in his right hand and a shotgun in his left. Half of his face has been chewed off and his intestines are spilling out of a huge hole in his belly. Very messy!

The final four figures features, first of all, the zombie with the most severe injuries, seeing as he has been ripped in half. As he shuffles forward on his hands he leaves a trail of gore in his wake. The woman in green does not appear to be too badly injured. Nor does the young woman next to her. Not every zombie should suffer from huge, gory wounds and it's good to see the sculptor reflecting this. Finally, is a rather animated female zombie, looking like she's ready to pounce on a victim. With the lower half of her face covered in blood it looks like she's just fed recently.

These are the first of two sets that Studio Miniatures produce. They retail at £15.99 if you buy the white metal versions or for £24.99 if you go for the resin versions. If you buy sets 001 and 002 together (£29.99 for white metal or £44.99 for resin) you get the George A. Romero zombie for free. Sounds like a no brainer, doesn't it?

Finally, I must commend Studio Miniatures on their packaging. The figures come in a video box, with the cover designed to look like a movie poster. There is even faux cast and crew members listed on the back. Full marks for doing something different with the packaging and full marks for the figures. They were a joy to paint and are amongst my favourite zombie miniatures. I'll review the second set just as soon as I've finished painting them.