Wednesday 10 August 2011

Studio Miniatures Zombies 10 - Mob 8

As promised, here is my review of Studio Miniatures' 28mm scale Zombie Mob 008, along with the freebie figure you get if you order this set and Zombie Mob 007 together.
 
I'm not sure if the zombie in the yellow polo-neck sweater at the far left of the two photos above should still be standing. From the front it looks like he's just been shot in the chest. But from the back you can see he's had the top of his head sliced off - surely a killing blow if ever there was one. When I first saw this figure I was reminded of the zombie in George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead film who walks into the spinning rotor blades of a helicopter and loses the top of his head. Instant death! Maybe this guy still has enough brain matter to function. Notice the massive exit wound in his back - it's not hard to miss!
The zombie female in the orange dress is quite tall. The rows of bricks behind her give you a good indication of her size as they are spaced 5mm apart. Her once pretty looks have been marred by a chunk of flesh that has been bitten off her right check. She has also suffered a big bite wound to her left arm and there are claw marks on her right thigh.
The zombie female in the blue top and jeans has not been so badly injured. Her right hand is held over a bite wound on her right thigh. Her jumper and jeans have been holed in a few places but, on the whole, she is a relatively intact zombie.
The one thing that I like most about the fourth zombie in line is that she is still holding onto her handbag, even though the shoulder strap has snapped. You can almost hear her brain thinking, "you can kill me but you aren't getting my handbag. It's mine!" She has a small hole in the left knee of her pants and I have smeared blood over her chin and neck, which has got lost in the shadows of my photo. Sorry about that. She is another zombie who looks virtually intact.
  
The balding male at the far left of the next two photos above has suffered a small wound to the chest and forehead and a large bite to his left arm. He is leaning over to one side as if unsteady on his feet. From afar you might mistake him for a drunk but not close up.
Standing next to him, you couldn't mistake this gentlemen in the dishevelled suit for anything but a zombie. His mouth is open wide in an angry snarl. Blood from a bite to his right cheek and from victims he has bitten is pooled around his neck and upper chest. A bite has been taken out of his lower right leg, which explains why his gait is so unnatural.
The zombie in the centre of this group is a bloody mess. His most notable wound is on his right arm, where the flesh has been picked to the bone between his wrist and elbow. He also has bite wounds to his right lower leg (major) and left lower leg (minor). The left side of his his face has had a lot of flesh removed. It's fair to say that he must have suffered before turning into a zombie.
The zombie to his left has also suffered badly. His stomach has been ripped open to reveal his innards, which are spilling out. He has a deep wound to the back of his left thigh. His right hand is covered in blood, most likely his own as he tried to stem the blood from his stomach wound.
Finally, I come to the freebie figure, available only if you buy this set and Zombie Mob 007 together. When Studio Miniatures released Zombie Mobs 003 and 004, the free figure was Bub, the intelligent zombie from Romero's Day of the Dead. I made a plea that the next freebie be Big Daddy, the intelligent zombie from Romero's Land of the Dead film but sadly it was just some jerk from Scrubs. (No, I'm not a fan of Scrubs at all!) Fortunately, this time round, Studio have listened to me and here we have Big Daddy in his garage overalls, with a 5.56mm Steyr AUG Assault Rifle slung over his back. And yes, he does know how to use it. In ATZ, that would make him a Smart Zombie. I just can't fault this figure at all. It is a superb sculpt that perfectly captures Eugene Clark's zombie character. If you are using Smart Zombies in your own games, you just have to get hold of this figure.
This is another set of zombies from SM that shows just why they are at the top of their game. If you want top quality, realistic looking zombies then look no further. Zombie Mob 008 costs £16.99 but do yourself a favour and buy it with the previous mob set, just to get your hands on the sublime Big Daddy figure.

14 comments:

  1. These are especially grimy, icky, oozy zombies, some of your best work as they're quite frightening and horrible looking.

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  2. I really like this set as well. I'll be ordering them as a set when I finally do, so I get the bonus fig. I didn't even realize the bonus fig was a zombie based off the pic on the website; I thought he was a survivor. A smart zombie is a little more unique though. Great review and paintjobs as always.


    May I ask what sort of recipe do you use for zombie skin colour?

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  3. Nice work as always. I had thought about get this set and using the special miniature that comes with it as a survivor rather than a zombie.

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  4. @Fran. You've described them perfectly and thank you for saying they are some of my best work. To be honest, painting Studio Miniatures zombies is a sheer labour of love.

    @Adam. I'm often asked how I paint my zombies, so here goes again. All paints are from Games Workshop.
    1. Paint flesh areas Citadel Dheneb Stone from their Foundation Paints set.
    2. Give this a wash of Badab Black.
    3. Drybrush with Dheneb Stone.
    4. Drybrush with a 1/1 mix of Dheneb stone and Skull White.
    5. Paint eyesockets and mouth Chaos Black.
    6. Add a dot of Skull White to the eyesockets for the eyes. If teeth are visible, paint them either Bleached Bone or Skull White.

    @Brummie. I see no reason why you couldn't use the Big Daddy figure as a survivor. He has no visible wounds so if you can find a use for him as a survivor then go for it.

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  5. He would work nicely as a survivor as well.

    Good review as always mate. And good solid paintjob to do them justice!

    Now to see them (especially the smart zed) in the next battle report!!!

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  6. Hah, I haven't used Dheneb Stone for Zed skin yet, but I will do. Dheneb and Devlan Mud are something that GW definitely has done right.

    I agree, very, very good paint job. The muted colours make 'em look dirty and mean. This is obviously not a Zombie Comedy.

    Whiteface / Oliver
    (enjoying his last week of holidays)

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  7. @Johnny. When I first saw the Big Daddy figure I was so blinkered to the fact that I had another Smartie that I never even considered that he could be used as a survivor. But since it has been mentioned, I definitely see the possibilities. Nice one, Studio!

    Both sets of Studio zeds may well appear in my next batrep but don't hold your breath waiting for the smart zombie!

    @Oliver. You're so right abour Dheneb Stone and Devlan Mud - great colours. As for the figures - these what you'd expect to find in a serious zombie film, like something directed by Romero.

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  8. These are great zombie miniatures Vampifan, nicely painted and very gruesome, I like the the first two from each set, I like the choice of colours you chose and the way they have been sculpted and posed.... must get some.

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  9. @The Extraodinarii. To me, the beauty of Studio Miniatures figures is that there are no bad figures. They are all either, good, very good or outstanding.

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  10. Beautiful models, very good paintjob!

    Like the free model, it has a true menacing gaze...

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  11. @Zerloon. Thanks for the compliments. I'm a great admirer of your own work and I should post comments on your blog more often. I am a regular lurker, however.

    Anyway, Big Daddy does indeed have a menacing stare. He's a very intimidating figure.

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  12. These are certainly some of the best zombie sculpts around and your paintjobs on them isfirst rate.

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  13. @Joe. I totally agree and as I said earlier, they are a joy to paint.

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  14. Lovely stuff, love how you did the eyes on the yellow polo zombie!

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