Black Cat Bases Gangstas 01

I had a lot of fun painting this set of Black Cat Bases 28mm scale gangsta figures, known as "Da Dowgs." These are very reminiscent of Bobby Jackson's "Thugz" range and if you have them, the two sets combine together very well.

 

Each of the five Black Cat Bases' gangs comes with a canine mascot and five human gang members. Da Dowgs have a Doberman (shown at the far left of my photos) as their mascot. I have named him Tyson, after the boxer, Mike Tyson. His face is snarling aggressively. I think the term "beware of the dog" certainly applies to him.

I have named all of my gangstas in this set, so I'll use my names to identify them. The dude at the left of the gang, wearing the light blue vest, is Enoch Sinclair. He is pointing down with his right hand, which makes me wonder if he's telling Tyson to "sit!" In his left hand he holds a Big Ass Pistol like the .50 calibre IMI Desert Eagle. Note his gold medallion and gold bracelets. He likes to show off his "bling."
Next up is Dougie Da Dowg, whom I have appointed leader of this gang. He's not fat but he is overweight, so he probably gets his posse to do all the hard work for him, whilst he enjoys too many fast food meals. He is armed with a pump-action Shotgun, possibly a 12 gauge Remington. When I first saw him I thought he was wearing knee-length shorts, like the dude to his left. But upon closer inspection, I saw that he'd tucked his baggy trousers into the tops of his combat boots. It quite took me by surprise but it does show off his individuality. I'll let you decide whether he looks cool or not. Speaking of looking cool, I actually think he's wearing the glasses to help with his vision and not because they make him look cool... which they certainly don't! The least said about his tiny quiff of hair the better!
Selasie Richards is the name of the gangsta wearing the green T-shirt and pale blue knee-length shorts. Like Dougie, he is also armed with a pump-action shotgun but his is a sawed-off version with a much shorter barrel and no butt. His hair is just turning grey, making him the oldest member of my gang.
The gangsta second from the right is the uber-cool (in his eyes, anyway!) Adonis Mensah. GURPS Tactical Shooting has a section called "Things Not To Do" and second on the list is "Gangsta Shooting" as demonstrated by Adonis here. GURPS disparagingly remarks, "gangsta shooting has become popular with people who don't know what they're doing but worry about how they look while doing it." Ouch! The problem is gunmen who adopt this stance cannot aim properly. Adonis is clearly a fool. Just look how he's clutching his crotch. Who's he trying to impress? Note that he is wearing a black bandana on his head.
Finally, is Samuel Amoah, who, even though he's wearing a belt, has his trousers at half mast - all the better to show off his Calvin Klein boxer shorts. Yes, he's another poseur! In his right hand is a Coca-Cola bottle and in his left, a 9mm Micro-Uzi Machine Pistol. He's wearing a black beanie hat. Check out his gold ear-rings and bracelets, as he also shows off his "bling."
I love these figures, as they are so typical of African-American gangstas, for whom attitude is everything. These figures are so full of character and beautifully sculpted. They are crying out to be teamed up with Bobby Jackson's Thugz. Scale purists will be pleased to know that these figures are true 28mm scale. You can buy each figure separately for £3.00 each or £2.00 for the Doberman, but a better deal is to buy all six as a group for £12.00, saving you £5.00. Next time, I'll take a look at their female counterparts, the Sun Valley Bulldog Babes.