Vampifans Views 102 - Monthly Musings 73

Derrik and Mavis - my parents - much loved and much missed.

Somehow it seemed inappropriate starting this Monthly Musings with a picture of Vampirella, so I begin with this photo of my mum and dad, both now sadly departed. No doubt they are now reunited in Heaven and I'm sure they are looking down on me. In some ways losing my mum was a shock, because the last time I saw her she was in such good spirits and very much looking forward to getting back home. Sadly, on the day she was due to be discharged, she passed away. It all happened so suddenly. Thankfully she went peacefully in her sleep and the cause of death was recorded as frailty of old age. That was a blessing as I would not have wanted her to suffer. But, she had been very ill this past year so I was fully expecting her to die and was prepared for it. When she was admitted into hospital in December she was suffering from pneumonia and I did not think she'd make it. But she did, and she made a good recovery. There was no indication that her health would fail so rapidly. Within half an hour of receiving the phone call that she was seriously ill, she passed away. I would have liked to have been with her in her final moments but on the other hand I'm pleased that my last memory of seeing her alive was a happy one. That is how I want to remember her. The funeral won't be until mid-February. I'd have preferred it to be sooner but it can't be helped. I am coping well. The support from my friends and neighbours has been a great comfort to me, and once again, thank you for all your messages of sympathy. Living on my own has now become the norm for me. As mum spent most of the last year in hospital I have grown used to being on my own. That said, I will still miss her.

Life goes on and I have been keeping myself very busy, when not dealing with real life issues, with my hobby. I am now back to blogging. Yay! I have had quite a productive month. I have been making lots of sci-fi scenery items for the Judge Dredd Miniatures Game, Necromunda and my The Ace of Spades Campaign. On the figure painting front, I have just finished painting my new House Goliath gang for Necromunda. I was going to paint my House Escher gang straight after them but they got pushed back in order to make way for two dozen figures I bought to use in my The Ace of Spades Campaign.

I have been thinking for some time that I need multiple figures to represent the crew of The Ace of Spades. I have been specifically looking for space-suited versions of them without much joy, when quite by accident I stumbled across a set of three figures produced by Black Hat Miniatures - COBM25 Female Troopers in Spacesuits. They just looked perfect for what I wanted. Here they are to the right. With a bit of conversion work I could make each one unique, and that is what I have done. As soon as I finish painting them I'll showcase them on my WOIN blog. I need these real soon for my next scenario, Alien Base, which is set on a world with a methane atmosphere. Even though I wanted 12 figures to represent the non-android members of The Ace of Spades crew, I ordered five sets of them to give me a better selection of choice to match the space-suited figure with their casual clothing counterpart. Conversions have been done and they're getting painted now.

I seem to be concentrating on three projects at once - my The Ace of Spades Campaign, Necromunda and Weird West. For Weird West, which includes Dracula's America, High Moon and Shadows of Brimstone, I have bought a lot of 4Ground Wild West buildings, thanks to Colonel Bill's having an excellent sale on them during December and January. The service from them was first rate. Once I get them all built I'll finally be able to post some Weird West batreps. Up till now, the only thing holding me back was a lack of scenery. That is no longer a problem. I have also bought a fair few new Shadows of Brimstone figures thanks to some excellent deals on eBay. I also received the first supplement for Dracula's America called Hunting Grounds. I haven't read it yet but it does look good. To coincide with its release North Star offered a bundle of new figures to go with it - Tong Assassins, Plains Indians Skinwalkers and 7th Cavalry. I have ordered them and I'm expecting them in the next day or two. So, I have plenty to keep me busy. I wouldn't want it any other way.
Thanks for reading and take care.

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.

Black Hat Miniatures' Zombies 02

Those of you familiar with the output from Black Hat Miniatures will realise two things - first, I reviewed their range of zombies last week and secondly, these are their range of Skeletal Marines. So what gives? But, look closer. These are converted Skeletal Marines. Now they are Zombie Marines! To be honest, I had very little work to do to make them zombified. They are quite chunky to begin with so their bones that are showing could just as easily be flesh. So let's take a closer look at what I did.

Starting with the three figures in the two photos above, at the far left is MM300 Skeletal Marine 1. I added two very small balls of modelling putty to his empty eye sockets to give him eyes. I also added a small amount of modelling putty to his midriff to indicate some of his remaining internal organs. This guy had suffered a massive stomach wound. His uniform is torn and ragged, especially his trousers and he has lost both of his boots. I have no idea what make his assault rifle is, although I suspect it is something invented by the sculptor of these figures. If it is based on a real firearm and you can identify it, please let me know what it is.

In the centre of this group is MM303 Skeletal Marine 4. His conversion comprised of three stages, First, I added some modelling putty to the left side of his face and added an eye to the empty socket. This gave the impression that half of the flesh had been stripped from his face. Second, I added hair to his head and thirdly, I added a spool of intestines spilling from his stomach. He has a couple of bullet wounds to his back and a big tear in his trousers, revealing his right kneecap.

The third figure in this trio is MM302 Skeletal Marine 3. Once again, I added eyeballs to his empty sockets. I extended the sleeve of his right arm to his wrist and added an elbow pad to the same arm. Finally, I added a pair of boots to him as I thought too many of these soldiers had lost their footwear. Painting the skulls on his bandana was quite a challenge but I'm quite pleased with the result. His wounds are not as severe as the previous two marines. He has a minor cut to his left arm and a nasty looking hole in his left thigh.

Moving on to the next batch of figures is MM304 Skeletal Marine 5 at the far left of the group. Instead of placing his eyeballs in their sockets I placed his right eye just dangling out of the socket. I added a small amount of modelling putty around his right elbow to give the jacket sleeve a ragged look. I extended the sleeve on his left arm to his wrist but I added a hole to it where his elbow is. He has quite a few bullet and bite wounds to his legs and he has lost his left boot. Also of note, is a bullet wound to the left side of his helmet. I'm guessing it didn't penetrate all the way through!
In the centre of this second group is MM301 Skeletal Marine 2. I did very little conversion work to him. Apart from adding his eyes, I left him alone. I decided to paint him up as an African-American zombie just to add some variety to the squad. I deliberately left the parts of his ribcage that are exposed untouched, thus indicating he has suffered a massive middle body wound that has virtually stripped away all the flesh there. He has three wounds to his legs and he too, has lost a boot, this time to the right foot.
Finally, at the far right of the group is MM305 Skeletal Marine 6. He also has had minimal conversion work done to him. I added a few strips of hair to his skull. I decided to have most of the flesh stripped from his face and so left the eye sockets empty for once. He has holes on either side of his head, which would suggest a bullet has gone all the way through his skull. Maybe it did but failed to kill him properly. It is possible, but very rare, for people to survive gunshots to the head. I love how his upper left leg is in tatters, both flesh and cloth. This zombie sports more wounds than any of the others. His arms, legs, body and head all show varying wounds.
For me, the hardest part of painting military types is deciding on a colour scheme. For these, I went with the US Army "Desert Storm" camouflage scheme. I was influenced in choosing this colour scheme after reading the ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction mini-series of comics written by Kevin Grevioux of Underworld fame. They were fun to read.
These six figures cost £2.00 each and they are sold separately. Be warned, scale purists, that although they are advertised as being 28mm scale, they are closer to 32 or 33mm in height. Whether you'd want to buy these to convert as I have is open to debate but nevertheless, I thought I'd share my work with you.

Black Hat Miniatures' Zombies 01

Black Hat Miniatures are a small UK-based figure company that makes a range of five zombies in 28mm scale. What became apparent to me when I looked at the images of them on their website was that these were designed with the fantasy gamer in mind. This did not deter me from ordering them as I knew that I could make them fit into a contemporary setting either by paintjobs or a bit of conversion work. The three males in the two photos above have had no conversion work done at all.

First up is DLZ004 Zombie 4 at the far left of the photo. What is unusual about him is that his right hand has been replaced by a hook. It is unusual but not unique as I can remember Studio Miniatures offering a zombie with a hook in set 4 of their range. There are no visible wounds on this zombie but I have bloodied the end of his hook and added a few splatters of blood to his shirt.  

In the centre of this group is DLZ005 Zombie 5, a near naked zed, wearing nothing but a loin cloth. He is a very muscular male who clearly looked after his body before reanimating. There are no big wounds to see on him but look closer and you'll see small cuts to his chest, arms and forehead.
The last of this trio is DLZ001 Zombie 1, who is wearing a kilt. I'm rather pleased with how my tartan pattern has turned out as normally I do not like to paint tartan or checked patterns on clothes. This guy has had a huge chunk of flesh torn or bitten from the back of his lower right leg. It is so deep that his bone is showing through. There are a couple of holes in his lower back and right arm, which could be bullet holes. With both hands raised in the air he might be surrendering, until you realise that is something zombies never do. I think he's raised them just prior to grabbing hold of a victim.

These three figures shown in the two photos above have all been converted in some way. The zombie at the far left of the group is DLZ002 Zombie 2, a male zombie dressed in a short sleeved top and a kilt. I did not want two kilt wearing zeds in this group so I decided to convert him into a female. I rounded out his bum and added breasts with a small amount of modelling putty. It was a very simple conversion. I left his/her hair as is. I'll admit she does look a bit butch for a female but so what? Not every female is blessed with stunning beauty. She has been bitten in the left lower leg, although not as bad as the previous figure. As a consequence, her left boot has gone missing.

The figure in the centre of this group is DLZ003 Zombie and is my most extreme conversion. She too began life as a male. I just thought that there was no way I was going to have three zombies in kilts in this group. He had to be transformed into a female as well. I worked on the body first and filed down his belt, which got covered over with modelling putty. Again, I made his bum more pronounced and I added a large pair of breasts to the figure. When that was dry I added a thin covering of modelling putty to his bald head and on a whim, decided to do his hair still up in rollers. I can't ever remember seeing a female figure with her hair in rollers so I suspect she may truly be unique. I saw her as one of the "blue-rinse brigade" before the zombies caught up with her. She was probably attacked whilst sitting in a chair at her hairdressers. She has also had a large chunk taken out of the back of her lower right leg and she, too, is missing a boot. Even more noticable, is her left eye, which is dangling from its socket. I'm very proud of this conversion. The body was easy to do but the hair required a good deal of skill to look right. If you wanted to convert him you could give him any hairstyle you want.

Finally, is MM002 Tonka, a figure from the Black Hat Mutants and Madmen Superheroes range. When I saw him, I thought he'd make a great "tank zombie." Converting him was a doddle. I drilled a line of bullet holes across his chest and used a craft knife to score some cuts across his back and right arm. I decided to paint him up in Citadel Rotting Flesh, which is how I paint all of my rage zombies.

Be aware that although these are sold as 28mm scale figures they are more "heroic" in scale and are nearer to 30mm. It's not too much of a height difference but it just might put some scale purists off buying them. The five zombies cost £1.20 each and Tonka costs £2.00. These are well sculpted miniatures and whilst I doubt if they'd ever be a person's first choice for starting a zombie horde, they may be worth considering if you want to bolster your numbers. They are very reasonably priced, as well. I can well understand that converting some of them may put  some of you off but first of all, I enjoyed the challenge immensely and secondly, they are available separately so you could either buy the figures you like best or buy them all and not bother with converting any of them.