A few weeks ago I went to a little show known as the New York Toy Fair. As I walked the isles gazing at different products that companies are looking to get released this year, I came upon something new. ROMPER ZOMBIES!
Standing in front of me was a gigantic statue of a kid zombie. Then I see the display case of 8″ resin figures.
Being a horror/zombie fan at my core these things had me drooling. These resin figures were phenomenally sculpted. great detail and colors that popped. I had to get a closer look at these Living Dead meets Cabbage Patch kids..
First up Andie Anderson.
This little guy (who also happens to be the model used for the giant statue), has a huge gaping hole in his head, with beautifully detailed brains showing. His darker skin tones showing that he is very dead, breathe life into this character. While only having three points of articulation, this guy has weight and is durable. (meaning the kids won’t break him easily). No lack of sculpt here either, the belt buckle, missing shoe with a torn sock are all sculpt work. No paint overs, and crisp sharp seems on everything.
Next I got my hands around Bobbie Blaylock
My second favorite of this line. A youngster with half his face missing, and throat ripped open. Add a little baseball mit (with heart inside of it), and baseball cap kicked to the side. This baseball kid zombie is a home run!. I can’t say enough on the sculpt, each artery, vein, each tooth in the skull is sculpted out into life. His articulation is a little different, due to his torn out throat he does not rotate at the neck but has a mid-waist rotation. If you pick up only one figure from this line, he is a definite – be warned once you grab him you may feel an infection growing, making you want to grab more.
Next is Colie (Clive) Chaney Jr.
Our guy here is shown having been eviscerated, guts hanging out and open. The detail on the entrails says it all. All the ripples on the shirt and pants are done in great form with attention to detail to the flow and anatomy of the human body. My only question on this guy are his eyes. They have red blood all around them but no sign of pupils or lack of eyeballs. Still an awesome figure striking a great pose.
After spending time gawking like a love struck fanboy, I got to meet the mad scientist behind these monsters, Luke Vaan-Horne. Mr. Vaan-Horne was thrilled to show us his creations, explaining how he taught himself to sculpt to make his creations. Bringing out his current prototype Georgie Gorey.
This is the first Zombie Hunter in the Romper Zombie line. This sculpt will blow you away. Each button on his shirt, shoe laces all sculpted out in great detail. His hand saw weapon, with Nite Nite Zombie printed on the front. I though its Evil Dead Ash in the third grade!.
Luke went on to explain, his concept and plans.The idea is based on details of an accident that took place at “The National Center for Zombie Technology” or NCZT. The disease or condition studied there is called “Auto Necrotic Reversal Syndrome” (ANRS). One of the test subjects escaped, resulting in a Zombie outbreak. He has 30 figures planned, 24 Zombies and 6 Hunters. The majority of the characters will follow letters of the alphabet. Currently available from the web site, ROMPERZOMBIE.com. The site has additional content and story. Luke also has planned an online interactive game, that with codes and hints from the figures will help you maneuver your way to safety in the game. The figures current retail for the resins at 32-34.99 each. Considering the detail and time taken to develop such a great set of sculpted figures, the price isn’t bad. Also in the work are some vinyl renditions that will appeal to those who want these characters but at a lesser price. I took these guys to my local shop that specializes in horror collectibles. They were very well received and folks were already inquiring about possibly ordering them. Even the non-horror fans thought the kids were scarily-adorable!. I wish Luke and Romper Zombies good luck as I hope to see this entire line (and more) make it out there. So spread the infection and grab a Romper Zombie today!
