Sunday 1 June 2014

Zombicide Laurel and Hardy Zombies

I told you last time that I had finished painting my converted zombie figures of Laurel and Hardy for the Zombicide board-game, and here they are in all their glory.
As I told you before, Stan Laurel is a conversion of a Walker Zombie from the Prison Outbreak expansion set, whilst Oliver Hardy is a converted Fatty Zombie from the basic Zombicide boxed set. When I showed you the work in progress photos last time, Hugh/Colgar6 commented that Stan's hat looked wrong. He was right, but so too, is Ollie's hat. Check out the photo below of the real life Laurel and Hardy and you can see that they are wearing each others hats. This often happened to them in their movies. So, yes, Stan's hat is too big and Ollie's hat is too small. This was intentional and not a mistake on my part.
They have both suffered upper thigh wounds - a bite for Stan and a cut for Ollie. Ollie also has a much larger bite taken out of his lower right leg. I have also smeared blood over Ollie's hands. If you were wondering if these two have any special abilities in Zombicide, they don't. Stan is just an ordinary Walker and Ollie an ordinary Fatty. That said, they were a hell of a lot of fun to make and paint. The beauty of the Zombicide figures is that because they are moulded in hard plastic, they are very easy to convert. I hope this post inspires you and shows what can be done with a bit of imagination and patience.
"Hey, Ollie! Why are you wearing my hat?"  "Huh?"
You don't often see a colour photo of Laurel and Hardy, since most of their films were shot in black and white. This photo inspired me to make them and also provided a handy reference on how to paint them. I was introduced to these kings of slapstick comedy at a very early age and have been a fan of them ever since. They richly deserve their place in the pantheon of comedy greats.

34 comments:

  1. They are tremendous, bravo Bryan!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fantastic Job Bryan they look superb! Very much like there real life counterparts!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm really pleased at how well they have turned out, Simon.

      Delete
  3. Great touch with the hats, they look fantastic, well done mate

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If I hadn't seen or copied that photo they would have worn the correct hats. I think this way, it just adds to their charm.

      Delete
  4. They were worth the wait. Very nice work and I look forward to seeing them appear in some future AAR.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I can guarantee that I won't just use them in Zombicide, Clint. They will appear in an ATZ-FFO batrep at some point.

      Delete
  5. Great conversions Bryan.
    I must admit to having a good chuckle at this pair, well done Dude.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Bob. You can't fail to laugh at Laurel and Hardy!

      Delete
  6. Ah, I see! It always feels like a bit of a risk to mention that something doesn't look right, doesn't it :-) ? Especially when everyone else is commenting on how good it is. I think this is an area of blogging etiquette that most of us struggle with...

    I don't think I've seen a colour photo of these actors before; that's very nice! "Way Out West" is one of my favourites - especially the repair to the hole in the shoe and the dogs' reaction to it. And *that song*, of course :-) .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Believe me, Hugh, I took no offence in your comments. You were quite right to point out that Stan's hat was too big but you weren't to know that it was deliberate "mistake." I included my reference photo specifically to clear up any misunderstandings.

      As I said, colour photos of Laurel and Hardy are quite rare. This one helped me decide what colours to paint them and how to sculpt them with the wrong hats. "Way Out West" is one of my favourites too. I love the scene where Laurel clenches his fist and pours tobacco into it as if it were a pipe. He then flicks his thumb upward as if working a lighter. His thumb ignites and he matter-of-factly lights his "pipe". The amazed Hardy, seeing this, unsuccessfully attempts to duplicate it throughout the film. Much later Hardy finally succeeds, only to be terrified when his thumb catches fire!

      Delete
  7. Love them Bryan, one of my favourites is "Brats" where they play children and adults of themselves!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agreed, Fran. Once you start thinking about their films there are so many that come to mind. For me, my personal favourite is "The Music Box." The trouble they have getting that piano up that huge flight of steps never fails to make me laugh.

      Delete
    2. The Music box is one my fav as well

      Delete
    3. What's not to love about it, VB? It is such a classic!

      Delete
  8. So many good ones.....Sigh...Need to find them and watch them again!

    Well done on the miniatures Bryan. I lovely homeage to a bygone era.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, indeed, Johnny. So many good films they made. Their brand of humour will never die.

      Delete
  9. Fantastic! Once you start your American themed game in the future you can do a Hollywood blvd scene with all the star look-a-like zombies.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love the idea of a Hollywood boulevard full of celebrity zombies. Robert.

      Delete
    2. That's what you could use some of your zombivors for Dude.

      Delete
  10. They are fantastic! Those two will certainly get a lot of attention in the games - probably about as much as Elvis the king. Everyone loves the king :D.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My collection of celebrity zombies is growing, Mathyoo. These two are so recognisible that they're bound to attract attention. Just like Elvis!

      Delete
  11. They look great I am hoping to have a game of zombicide with Fran

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, VB. If you enjoy Zombicide even half as much as I do you're in for a treat. It really is a great game.

      Delete
  12. Fantastic job Bryan, love em :-)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'd realised what had happened to the hats from the wip shots, but I'm like that (old).
    The colour photograph I suspect was computer coloured well after the original b&w .
    I love these figures for their comedy value alone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Joe, and well spotted with the hats. You're probably right about the colour photo but it is very well done.

      Delete
  14. Superb Bryan and that re-coloured pic has deifnitley provided a good reference. Lovely job

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Many thanks, Adam. That photo proved to be useful in more ways than one.

      Delete