6 Attachment(s)
REVIEW: Gecco's "Tales from the Apocalypse" Plastic Model Kits
Fun Fiction Defines New Zombie Series...
In addition to their line of fully painted and assembled 1:6th scale PVC statues, Gecco also produces a variety of unpainted, unassembled garage kits. Where the former features characters from a variety of hot licenses (ie: Metal Gear Solid, Naruto and Bloodborne), Gecco's garage kits tend to show off a more creative side, starring imaginative creatures from artists such as Dominic Qwek and Paul Komoda. With Tales from the Apocalypse, Gecco takes that creativity one step further with a plastic model kit series built on story. Zombie collectibles might be everywhere you look these days, but it's the fun fiction surrounding Tales from the Apocalypse that separates this series from the rest of the undead pack.
Gecco's story of a zombie uprising starts with one of the best packaging concepts I've seen in years. Styled to resemble an old VHS videotape cassette box from the '80s/'90s, each model kit is unique with its own artwork. Resembling a retro movie poster, the artwork for each kit is actually a collage of the actual models!
Awesome movie poster artwork aside, it was the little box details that really impressed me. Made to resemble a movie rental category sticker, the "Horror" randomly placed on each box is genius. Other design work that lends these boxes a real rental movie vibe is the faux wear and tear and the tape number "sticker" on the upper left hand corner. Even the back features what appears to be a "sticker" that was peeled off. Just amazing design work.
Tales from the Apocalypse Series 1 marks the beginning of the make-believe film: "Day 1, 11:50 am on freeway". The story unfolds with "Our heroine was suddenly thrown into the world of the living dead. Escaping from a zombie attack, she heads out of town, to save her little sister, Cindy." Character models in Series 1 are taken from this key moment in the movie and include the Heroine, the Truck Driver and the Traffic Guard. In case the unique box art didn't clue you in, each character is also written out at the top.
1/16th in scale, each model stands roughly 4 1/2 inches tall when completed. In true model kit fashion, each character comes in polybagged pieces - simply dump out the bag along with the instructions. Ah, the instructions! Just like the brilliant box design, Gecco went all out with the zombie lore on an instruction sheet that looks and feels like a newspaper. There are tips on how to prep and build your model, a brief description on the character and others in the series, along with awesome fake newspaper stories (!) and of course credit to those behind the project. Kudos to them all!
Building each model kit takes beginners level skill. These are not snap kits, so model glue (or super glue) will be required. I also recommend a sharp hobby knife, such as an X-Acto Blade. You'll need it to trim flash off some of the parts, as well as cutting them cleanly off their sprue. The instructions, while an awesome inclusion, are really not needed as each character is rather straightforward to create. Left and right arms and legs go where you'd imagine, body halves come together and the head goes on top. Easy peasy. Some characters, such as the Truck Driver, have optional parts. His include a baseball cap and some innards spilling out. I dunno about you, but these felt like must-have parts on a zombie truck driver, so I included both on my model.
I didn't time myself, but assembling the Truck Driver took no time at all. The most labor intensive step was painting. This stage might turn off a lot of people, but trust me, your really can't mess up painting a bloody undead corpse. Get your base coats on first for the flesh and clothes, then slather on the gore. In an effort to give you my first impressions faster, I only built and painted the Truck Driver. I also fully assembled the Heroine to show off an unpainted model. She was a bit more complex in build thanks to her purse and sectional hair, but still a smooth task. I expect the Traffic Guard will be along the same lines.
Gecco's "Tales from the Apocalypse" Plastic Model Kits are priced at $24.99 each and are currently available to order through Gecco Direct. I'm not an avid model builder, but the prices strike me as fair, especially given the amount of love and devotion Gecco put into this series. If zombies are your thing and you're looking for a fun way to spend an evening, you can't go wrong with Tales from the Apocalypse. With a second series planned (see our story HERE), it will be entertaining to see how Gecco's zombie story unfolds.
Review, Photos and Model Building/Painting by Jeff Saylor
Review Sample Courtesy of Gecco
Keep up with all the latest toy news by following Figures.com on Facebook and Twitter!
To buy action figures, take a look at BigBadToyStore.com, TheToySource.com, Toynk.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, and EntertainmentEarth.com.
