Frothers Survivors

When FU-UK announced their zombie sculpting competition in 2009 it was stated that zombie hunters and survivors would be accepted as well. A sensible decision, I felt, as not all sculptors are fans of zombies. Showing here are the winning survivor entries.

The camera-man and female reporter are a much welcome pair and it's nice to see the sculptor thinking outside the box. Obviously these two come as a team and I found the sculpts to be crisp and clean. Sizewise, these are very compatible with the likes of Hasslefree Miniatures and Studio Miniatures. Not only that, but the style and quality of the sculpting fits in as well. The camera-man is dressed in casual clothing with his shirt sleeves rolled up but in addition, wears a flak jacket. It may protect him against stray bullets in a gunfight but it won't do him much good if a zombie attacks him! I've painted the word "PRESS" on his back to identify him as a non-combatant. I'm undecided whether to add it to his front as well. I might well do later.

The female reporter looks quite young and is very pretty. She is dressed in a very similar manner to her colleague. Note how tight-fitting her jeans are! Her pose is more animated than the camera-man's. I particularly like both figures. They are great civilian types and like zombies, you can never have too many civilians.

The third figure of this trio could be either an axe-wielding survivor or a murderous psycopath. There is a certain ambiguity about him that would make me think, can I trust him? Once again, the sculpting is faultless. He is obviously proud of his physique as he happily shows it off by leaving his shirt unbuttoned. I have deliberately painted his flesh tones darker than I usually do because to me, he feels like a guy who spends a lot of time outdoors. See how tanned he looks compared to the two press crew.

These three portly gentlemen are all variants of Colonel Marbles, the signature figure for FU-UK. The chap in the blue uniform and the chainsaw-wielding Colonel were freebies in the package I belatedly received as an apology for the delay. For this, I was very grateful, especially for receiving the chainsaw Colonel, whom I greatly admire.
As for the Victorian officer type Colonel, I really don't know what to make of him. I can't criticise the sculpting of him. The problem I find is this, what on earth am I going to do with him? I simply can't find a use for him and thus, I feel rather ambivalent about the figure. To me, he is too old-fashioned to suit a modern era game setting. Perhaps I should do with him what I plan on doing with my Cold War London zombies and just say that he is in fancy dress. Or maybe he's an actor in a costume drama.
The centre figure is the original Colonel Marbles and can still be purchased for just £2.50. I like him a lot as he seems to be full of character. Just note the quirky way the left collar of his shirt is sticking up. I should also point out that for all three Colonels I added a touch of Citadel Baal Red ink wash to their noses and cheeks. I imagine that the Colonel is overly fond of his whiskey and brandy!
Finally, we come to Colonel Marbles the zombie hunter. This figure was sculpted by Kevin White of Hasslefree Miniatures and it simply oozes class. I'm wondering if this is a brother of the original Colonel as his face has changed a bit. This chap sports a monocle and a moustache that were absent from the original. His style of dress is similar but slightly different. He has now acquired a pair of plus-fours (long socks) and a deerstalker hat. Rather than show him just wielding the chainsaw, Kev has depicted him pulling the cord for the starter motor. This is a great touch that makes me admire the figure even more.
Before I close my review I should mention that there was one more figure offered with the zombie mega-deal that I have not shown and that was a big bird with its wings spread out. I think it may have been a zombie crow like those seen in the film Resident Evil: Extinction but I may be wrong. Either way, I have not painted it yet. It will get painted when I make my WWG Wildwood Grove cemetary and I'll stick it atop one of the gravestones. It is certainly a curiosity.