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.

Frothers Zombies

Way back in March of 2009, FU-UK (Frothers Unite - United Kingdom) announced a competition to sculpt a zombie. Months later the winners were announced and at the beginning of November 2009 the winning entries went on sale. I ordered the whole lot immediately because I liked the look of the sculpts and I wanted the bonus figures. Over two months later, the figures finally arrived, proving beyond doubt that FU-UK could not organise a piss-up in a brewery. Their lack of communication and apologies to customers, who had ordered in good faith, was a first class lesson in how not to do customer service. This was the first time I had ever ordered from FU-UK and the experience has left me with both a loathing for and a mistrust of the company.

That said, I have nothing but praise for the figures or the sculptors. This fiasco had nothing to do with them and the sculptors certainly deserved better treatment and respect than what they received. I have not seen anyone else post pictures of the winning figures painted up, so I could be the first here. Let's take a closer look at the winning zombie sculpts.

In the two photos above the zombie at far left is clearly a hospital patient, who is a reminiscent of a similarly posed figure by Cold War Miniatures in their Horror Hospital set from The Dead Will Walk range. This chap is both taller and chunkier. He holds on to his blood drip bag with his right hand and in his left hand is the severed head of a surgeon. A nice, macabre touch is the inclusion of two rats, one sitting atop the pole holding the blood bag and the other lurking by the drain in the centre of the base. The base has been sculpted to represent a tiled floor. It was square originally but I've cut it slightly so that fits on a circular slottabase. The zombie has a line of stitches in his right arm and down his spine. A large chunk of flesh has bitten from his left knee, revealing the bone. He is an incredibly detailed figure, oozing character and personality, despite being a walking corpse!

The two figures in the centre of the group are zombie tanks or hulks, which will be recognisable to fans of certain computer games like Left4Dead and Resident Evil. The figure in the green combat pants came in three parts; his arms had to be glued in place. I added a small amount of modelling putty to hide the joins as there were small gaps when I glued them. I also added a large cut to his right shoulder. His only other wound is his right eye is dangling from its socket. The musculature on his arms and upper body is very impressive.

His companion is dressed only in a pair of Y-fronts, which might be amusing if he didn't look so fierce. You just know that when he swings those arms down he is going to smash something or someone to a pulp! His tongue seems too big and his mouth just too wide open but I mention that merely as an observation not a criticism. He has suffered a massive stomach wound, from which a couple of ribs are visible. These two zombie hulks are obviously specialist zombies. I'm keen to see how THW represent their rage zombies in the forthcoming ATZ supplement - The Lazarus Project. I'm sure these guys will fit in well for rage zombies.

The last figure in line appears to be much larger than the others even though only the top quarter of him is visible. I would guess that because the figures were sculpted by different people that scale was not a consistent factor. This chap is closer to 35mm scale than 28mm scale, which most of the others are. I'm still not sure if he is rising from a grave or trying to scramble free from a pile of rubble. Because I use rubble on nearly all of my bases I went with the second option. He has the look of a fat-cat businessman about him. His suit has been badly torn and ripped and his right shoulder is a bloody mess. I like the way that one eye is much bigger than the other, and his lolling tongue is something I always like to see. He is an unusual figure and, to be honest, is my least favourite figure out of the range. Nonetheless, I'll still find a use for him.

You'll know by now that I am always harping on about the need for more zombie kids. Well, this first figure in the two photos above really hits the spot. I think she is just superb! She so reminds me of the little girl zombie who attacks Peter the SWAT trooper in Romero's Dawn of the Dead after he empties a clip from his assault rifle at head height at a cupboard from which he'd heard moaning. Of course, head height for an adult meant the bullets passed harmlessly above the little girl! A great piece of zombie cinema! This little girl does not appear to be wounded but I have smeared her hands and mouth with blood and the top of her dress is soaked in gore. It just makes her look so scary!

Next up is another great female, this time a Japanese Cosplayer. I'll admit that I know very little about Cosplay and Googling it was quite a revelation! I've kept the colour scheme of this figure very simple - black and white. The sculpting of her is very delicate and reminds me of the work done by Kevin White for Hasslefree Miniatures. She looks rather cute from the front but from behind your eyes are drawn to her panties as her dress has been ripped to shreds and I'm sure I'm not the only male to think, "hmmm, nice arse!" Her right leg looks like it is about to give way, which isn't too surprising when you notice the large bite taken out of it.

The next zombie in line fills a niche that I really would like to see expanding - that of zombies feasting. We all know what happens if a zombie catches a victim - it'll feed on him/her. So why are there so few feeding zombies? This particular zombie has got himself half a leg to chew on and the way the sculptor has captured him in mid-bite is just perfect. The zed himself appears to be unharmed but note the position of his legs and you can tell instantly that he's a zombie and not a cannibalistic human. I definitely want to see more figures like him!

The final figure in line is a bonus figure that was only available if you bought the complete range. He is a zombified version of Colonel Marbles, who is the signature figure for Frothers. There is a version of the Colonel wielding a chainsaw whom I'll review in my next post along with the other zombie hunters that were sculpted as part of the competition. This figure is based on that chainsaw warrior. Obviously, he has lost the chainsaw but his clothing is virtually the same. His deerstalker hat has gone missing. Note the monocle hanging loose on his chest. His most obvious wound is that enormous hole in his stomach. The way his innards have been sculpted is just gross and as a confirmed gore-hound, an absolute joy to paint! What might not appear noticable is the wound to his left arm. It has been twisted through 180 degrees. Note his elbow is now facing to the front, which you can spot from his leather elbow patch! Another nice touch is the way the lower edges of his coat have been ripped away, revealing the stuffing inside. All in all, he is a great figure, and I was very pleased to get him.

There is no point in telling you how much these figures cost as the offer to buy them was a limited one, which closed at the beginning of this month. I was hoping to get them within a week of placing my order, Then after another week painting them I'd have reviewed them on my blog in mid-November, giving you readers plenty of time to order them yourselves. Sadly, I did not receive the figures until after the offer had closed. Now your best bet, if you want them, is to hope that someone on the likes of E-bay has a set to sell, but if they do, expect to pay over the odds. On the whole, I think the figures are exceptional. I hope the sculptors sell their master sculpts to another company. They really do need to be bought and appreciated by a wider audience.

Vampifan's Views 04 Christmas Greetings

This will be my last post before Christmas so I thought I'd let you know what my plans are for 2010 regarding my blog and have a reminisce about the past year, looking at the highs and lows.
First up, remember that I entered the Diorama of Doom 2009 for the first time with an entry that featured Vampirella beheading a chaos demoness as the demoness attempted a zombie summoning ritual. You can see it below if you've forgotten what it looked like. Well, it is now a prize winning Diorama of Doom. Yep, the judges awarded it fourth place in the competition. I was absolutely ecstatic. My first diorama in years and years and it wins a prize! Result! That was certainly a major highlight of the year for me as I did not expect to be placed at all. There were some excellent entries and the three that beat me deserved their placings.
I think for me, 2009 will be remembered as the Year of the Zombie! My 28mm scale zombie horde grew at the fastest rate ever and shows no sign of slowing down. Even though I have bought dozens and dozens of zombie miniatures this year I have kept on top of them by getting them all painted. That is quite an achievement in itself.
2009 saw the release of All Things Zombie: Better Dead Than Zed by Two Hours Wargames, which has been my favourite zombie game to date. Haven, the first supplement for the game was also released, although Ragers, the second supplement has been delayed, whilst THW work on All Things Horror, a game that is supposed to encompass a plethora of undead and supernatural types. I already own a copy of ATH:Origins, being one of the lucky few to get it as soon as it was released. I'm in somewhat of a quandary about reviewing it as shortly after buying it, it got pulled from sale due to some creative differences between THW and a third party. What I can say about ATH:Origins is that it is little more than a teaser for the main course. All of the good stuff will appear in part 2, if and when it gets released.
I began the year and indeed my blog by playtesting a set of skirmish rules featuring zombies that must still remain unnamed. I'm not sure if they will ever see the light of day. I'd like to think they will but that decision is out of my hands.
My greatest achievement of 2009 has undoubtedly been my blog. It has grown beyond my wildest dreams and it continues to be a labour of love for me. I now have 35 followers (thank you all for signing up, I truly appreciate it) and the numbers continue to grow. Even those who haven't signed up but still pop in to see what I have to say are welcome and again I appreciate you taking the time out. Likewise, the hit counter reached 10,000 far faster than I expected and then streaked ahead to pass the 20,000 mark in even less time. Remarkable! I made a vow to post regularly on my site, at least once a week and most times twice a week. I am pleased to say that I have kept that vow and it is a vow I hope to maintain for the next year.
The blog mainly concentrates on undead miniature figures and that will continue. I have concentrated on zombies because I wanted to show off my complete horde as well as showcasing new releases. 2010 should see more figure reviews of ghouls, vampires and werewolves. Yes, I know that werewolves are not undead but I'm still going to feature them. It just feels wrong not to.
My award for best figure manufacturer of 2009 goes to Studio Miniatures, manufacturers of the finest 28mm scale zombies on the market. They haven't been in business a year yet, but what an impressive debut they've made. Congratulations to all at Studio Miniatures. Worst manufacturer by far is FU-UK, who at the start of November announced that the winning entries of their zombie sculpting competition were available from their website store. I ordered them all immediately and I'm still waiting for them to arrive. Absolutely lousy customer service and a disgrace to the many people who placed an order in good faith. I have only been made aware of their monumental cock-up by checking the Frothers forum. There a lot of angry people on that forum!
I also like to review films, DVDs and books related to the undead. 2009 has been a good year for me with more crackers than turkeys. Best film of 2009 was undoubtedly Zombieland, which mixed comedy and gore to great affect. Worst film had to be Lesbian Vampire Killers. Great title, crap film! The best book that I read in 2009 was without doubt, Zombie CSU by Jonathan Maberry. In fact, I've yet to read a better book about zombies. The fact that Jonathan himself took the time out to thank me for my reviews of both that book and his excellent novel, Patient Zero, shows what a top notch bloke he is. The worst zombie novel that I read this year was Handling the Undead by John Ajvide Lindqvist. It was unbelievably boring, which was a great shame, as his previous offering, Let the Right One In, a vampire novel, was a corker. As for TV, there is very little that I do watch. Most drama series that I watch nowadays tend to be DVD boxed sets. My last post saw me enthusing about True Blood, which has now become my favourite vampire TV series since the sadly missed Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, both classics of the genre.
So, enough reminiscing. What of the future? My next project that I'll be working on these Crimble holidays is to photograph my zombie horde in its entirety. That's over 300 figures, folks! 6MilPhil, one of my followers asked me if I'd do it a couple of months ago. I thought it was excellent idea. Veloci, another keen follower, suggested I put a figure of myself in the photos, either being chased by the horde or surrounded by them. I shall do both. I have a perfect figure of myself by Mark Copplestone. He used to lead my gang in Gangs of Mega City One. Expect to see the results very soon.
I'll continue to review zombie miniatures but as I said earlier in this post, expect to see more undead and supernatural figures as well. I'd love to do more gaming but sadly that won't happen as often as I'd like. I certainly hope that ATH part 2 and ATZ:Ragers get released soon, as I'd love to play them both. I am sure that a lot of the increased traffic to my blog came after I started reviewing my World Works Games scenery. There is still more lovely WWG stuff that I haven't shown you yet so look out for more reviews in 2010.
I know that I'm getting the Sookie Stackhouse series of 8 paperback novels by Charlaine Harris for Christmas. They are the novels that True Blood is based on, so I shall look forward to reading and probably reviewing them here. Amazon.co.uk are offering all eight novels for just £24 in a boxed set - fantastic value for money at just £3 per novel.
Well, I'll wrap things up now and wish you all a zombietastic Christmas and all the best for the new year. Take care and thanks for reading.

My prize winning Diorama of Doom 2009.

Frothers Sculpt a Zombie Competition

The Frothers gang have a competition going at the moment to sculpt a zombie. Yay! To quote the website announcement: "The Frothers Unite 5th Pro-Am Sculpting Competition has begun, with the theme of "Zombie Apocalypse"! Whether its Undead Fred or Sally Survivor we want to see who you think will be running (or aimlessly meandering) around the streets when the frankly inevitable zombie virus turns 90% of the population into brain-eaters.
Once more we can offer you the kudos of having your miniature appear in the winners sets to be bought by your fellow frothers - and of course free copies of all the winning entries if yours gets made. So fire off your zombified bunnies, hockey-stick schoolgirls and chainsaw warriors today! Or, before May 31st anyway."
I certainly won't be entering but I'll be keeping a close eye on the entrants and will most definitely be buying the winning entry when it goes on sale. Best of luck to anyone who enters! I'll post another link to the competition when the winner is announced.