Tales from the Apocalypse - The Heroine / She

Published on
April 6, 2017
Review Author(s)
Scale
1/16
MSRP
$24.99
Product / Stock #
101
Company: Gecco - Website: Visit Site
Product packaging

“The Heroine / She” is the lead-off figure in Gecco’s first series that is followed by three figures in series two in GeccoDirect’s Tales From the Apocalypse that I believe are sculpted by Shojiro Kasai. This first series creates Scene 1: Day 1, 11:50am on the freeway and goes with two other figures, a truck driver, and a traffic guard. This figure, She, was on her way to pick up her little sister from a relative’s house but was involved in a terrible car accident leaving her unconscious. When she wakes up she is in the middle of a zombie pandemic! Now, her only mission is to track down her little sister and somehow survive the zombie infected apocalypse. The kit includes her shoulder bag and a misplaced zombie head to sit near her feet.

GeccoDirect is probably better known for their lines of vinyl action figures depicting video game characters, or their resin science fiction busts and figures. However, these new plastic kit offerings are very nicely done. The figure packaging is extremely well done. The outer over is portrayed as a heavily used VHS rental movie along with movie rental stickers and notes that you would have found on a VHS rental. The edges of the box are even depicted as heavily worn. The look is quite effective. I took it to show off at my local IPMS meeting and it fooled nearly everyone: “Why would you bring some worn out VHS movie to a model discussion?” The folded instructions help tell the story in a newspaper-like format.

The packaging of the twenty-two parts is protected within a compartmentalized plastic bag that minimizes the damage that could occur if the parts had just been loose in one large bag. I would recommend that you wash all the parts to remove any remaining mold release. There are small mold lines present on the parts, but they are easily cleaned up with sandpaper or a #11 scalpel blade. The figure stands a little over four inches and has several options including her bag and the nice little-decapitated zombie head with an evil eye falling out of its socket.

I began by cleaning up the few sprue attachments and the fine mold lines. Test fitting showed that overall part fit was going to be good. The parts are broken down to enhance painting and minimize seams. The biggest concern was with the three part hair that required just a touch of filler in the back where the three parts met once mounted to her head.

I used Vallejo paints throughout and had no issues (other than I need to learn to blend flesh better). I painted the jeans Dark Blue followed by successive lighter blues to add texture and highlights. Her blouse was painted Off-White followed by highlights of White. The sweater was painted light blue and then dry brushed with Transparent Blue. All exposed skin was base coated with Medium Fleshtone, followed by dry brushing Light Flesh. I highlighted with rosy Flesh and Medium Fleshtone. Her hair was painted with Black Red and then highlighted with various lighter shades of Red.

I was somewhat concerned how the plastic would take cement, but using Tamiya Extra Thin cement presented no problems. The head and chest nested into the blouse followed by her sweater with no issues. Both arms fixed securely into the sweater and are coded so you don’t get the wrong forearm into the wrong socket. Her feet and shoes are coded to only fit into the left or right pants legs and provided if not balance for her to stand unsupported once completed. I glued her three-piece hair on at the end to have better access to touching up her face and shoulders.

Her shoulder bag was assembled with the left, right and bottom parts first, with the bag straps glued at the top. The assembled strap and the completed bag are still not glued together and I’m not sure they need to be – the fit is pretty good. The base purse color is Iraqi Sand with Leather for the bag closure ties. The assembled strap is Brown with Smoke for highlights.

The zombie's head consists of two parts that are simply glued together. It is painted with Hull Red with added layers of lighter reds followed by Transparent Red dry brushed on. I used Off White for the exposed spinal column splashed with Transparent Yellow and Transparent Green to get a ‘zombie’ effect.

I will continue to ‘fiddle’ with the face as I’m still not happy with the look but overall I’m quite pleased with this kit. The outer packaging and the instruction sheet are excellent. The same goes for the packaging of the parts with most of them off the sprue and individually packaged by plastic blisters. Kit design is also very good with the consideration of the separate parts that take into consideration painting requirements. I am looking forward to completing another kit in this series!

Highly Recommended

My thanks to Gecco and IPMS/USA for the chance to review this great kit.

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