Black Hat Miniatures' Civilians

Black Hat Miniatures are not a very well known figure company, although I have mentioned them before on my blog when I reviewed their small range of five zombies and their six contemporary skeleton soldiers that I converted into zombie soldiers. Now, I am going to review their two sets of five contemporary civilians from their 28mm scale Mutants and Madmen range.

I haven't named any of these figures (my bad!) and they don't come with names, which is a shame. At the far left is the "only gay in the village" whose fondness for pies and fast food is clearly obvious. Note the piercings on his torso. I think he's a rather creepy-looking character. I normally just paint the eyes on a figure in black and white but this guy has piecing blue eyes.
Next to him is the owner and chef of a greasy spoon cafe, holding a dishcloth or a small towel behind his back. His vest is stained and the fact that he can't be bothered to wear a shirt indicates that he doesn't give a damn about his appearance.
In the centre of the group is what I consider to be one of the finest sculpted figures I have ever seen. This figure was a joy to paint and is a masterpiece in sculpting. Why? Because of the little details, and I do mean little. You can see that he is eating a huge beefburger sandwich. If you look closely at his tie you can see two drops of tomato ketchup that have spilled out of his sandwich and landed there. Those two drops of sauce have been sculpted on his tie! The coffee cup he is holding came from a shop called Coffee Stop. I know this because the words "Coffee Stop" have been sculpted on the cup! Just incredible work.! I've added this figure to my collection of detectives as that seemed to be the most obvious vocation for him. He kind of reminds me of detective Andy Sipowicz from NYPD Blue.

Many of you may recognise the fourth figure in line as Gap from Team Vampifan. Yes, this is him in his original form. I converted Gap by removing the guy's baseball hat and adding glasses and an assault rifle slung over his right shoulder. Even Gap himself (yes, he is based on a real person) acknowledged that this figure bears an uncanny resemblance to himself. This figure has been given a goatee beard and is the epitome of surliness and apathy. By the way, the CBA logo on his baseball cap stands for "Can't Be Arsed!"
The last figure in line is an angry-looking chap with his tie undone and his shirt hanging out. He also wears a donkey jacket, (a heavy coat for those of you who have never heard of a donkey jacket) which you rarely see these days. His fists are clenched and he looks like he's ready to start a fight. Don't mess with him!

The first three figures in this group are African/Americans and I figure they are all related. At the far left is what could be a pimp or a drug dealer. He certainly has the feel of the criminal element about him. Note the excessive amount of gold he is wearing - sunglasses, necklace, bracelet, wristwatch and belt buckle. His casual clothing shows that he belongs on the street.
The hulk standing next to him is most likely his personal bodyguard. He may look like a fat slob but check out those muscles on his arms. He too, wears a load of gold bling. His black leather waistcoat prominently displays his allegiance to Black Power. No white trash allowed in his neighbourhood!
In the centre of the group is a potential girlfriend of the pimp. She could be one of his stable of whores, but if she is, this is her in her daytime clothing. She is dressed too casually for a streetwalker and her hair looks like it has never seen a comb.

The fourth figure in line has the look of Steve McGarrett of Hawaii Five-O fame about him. The brightly coloured shirt and hairstyle made me think of Mr. McGarrett. He stands in a very relaxed pose with his arms folded.
Finally, we have a Jamaican dude with his hair in dreadlocks and wearing a t-shirt with the slogan "Surfs Up." He is the most animated of all the figures shown here, crouching down and pointing with his left hand. Once again, he is very casually dressed. These figures are primarily lower class citizens.
I think that all ten figures are incredibly well sculpted, and in the case of the detective, outstandingly well sculpted. Normally, I'd have no hesitation in recommending these to you but I must warn you of one major problem with them. That has to do with their size. Black Hat describes them as being 28mm scale but frankly, that is a joke. They are closer to 35mm scale. They would fit in well with the likes of RAFM and Horrorclix but they tower over a lot of other figures. I have said many times in the past that I am not a scale purist, so their height does not bother me but I know that many of you do not share my view on this matter. So, be warned!
The figures are available separately for £2.50 each. However, it is far better value for money if you buy the two sets of five for just £9.00 per set. That's what I did, although I did buy an extra figure to convert into Gap.