Ideas for new 'gangs'...

[WallShadow]

I know I've posted these on another thread, just thought I'd try again!




The Dude abides.....

Hmmm...considering trying that 7-10 split...errr, maybe not.

[FalloutLeader]

How bout this for thought,Lassie,Lucy,Ricky,Little Ricky,Fred@Ethel(make them survivalists)Leave it to Beaver gang,Make room for Daddy,Father knows best Sgt.Joe Friday of course,Sgt.Bilko,Honeymooners so many 50's shows you can pull from.You might can go with Andy@Barney even if it started in 62

[Arlequín]

It has crossed my mind that there must be a market for a range of figures based on TV and movie characters from the 50s and 60s along with more generic types. Artizan and Copplestone did make a start on this with the KKBB range with regard to 60s spy films, but the nature of the AC57 setting does lend itself to supporting more mundane gangs based on other genres.

[Alfrik]

Later TV show, but due to the extreme low tech involved in it, it would fit most any 20th century setting: the Gilligan Gang.....just fill it out with anyone that showed up on their get away island   

[DD-Chris]

How about the 'Sandlot kids"
Smalls
Benny the Jet
Ham
Squints
Yeah-Yeah
The Timmons Twins
Armed w baseball bats, and their huge vicious dog...
Even throw in Wendy Peffercorn

[BaronVonJ]

I also posted another place:
The post 1957 apocalyptic world needs:
Hillbilles (and their mutated progeny)
Saucer Men
Illinois Nazis (God I hate Illinois Nazis)
Average Citizens
Gangsters
and there's gotta be a Mad scientist and his robots somewhere...
-J

[wellender]

I'd like to see some more B-Movie monsters like the mutants.

"I Was a Teenage Werewolf" - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050530/

Not really a mutant but Klaatu and Gort from "The Day the Earth Stood Still"

Dr.Phibes

Pod People from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"

The Blob.  Although that's probably something most of us could do on our own.  But maybe some rules for it.

[Operator5]

I also posted another place:
The post 1957 apocalyptic world needs:
Hillbilles (and their mutated progeny)

As soon as I have rules for them, they will be official. But the models are already out. Check out Brigade's Boondockers.

[War In 15MM]

Biker gang using Copplestone Castings' Bikers and Foundry's Outlaw Trash
Black gang using Foundry's Doc Friday's Yardies and Garfield's Yardies
Girl gang using Foundry's Trudie's, Olivia's and Lucy's Street Girls
Zambie Abatement Team using Coppelstone Castings' Sewer Scavengers and Scavenger Tank-Busters

[Arlequín]

The Copplestone figures will tower over the AC57 figures, I don't know about the size of the Foundry ones. The look of the figures wouldn't really fit into the 1950s theme either. My impression of the styles worn back then is that there weren't any racially specific forms of dress or fashion, just differences between what City and Country folk wore.

I'll stop my button counting now... 

[War In 15MM]

Jim, feel free to "button count."  I don't really count as a serious voice in this because I'm not a gamer.  I love painting and collecting figures and frankly Atomic Cafe caught my imagination because of some of the layouts that have been shown on this sight.  With that in mind I have strayed off the reservation in that I have couched my collection in the early 60's rather than the late 50's.  As a Southern California boy who is now in his mid-60s, I know that the "atomic" threat in the early 60's was about the same as it had been in the late 50's (we were still doing the same duck and cover drills in school) and the early 60's gave me some option for looks I liked better thus my suggestions.  I probably shouldn't say this because I know it carries with the possibility of blow-back, but holding my Brigade greasers next to my Copplestone Sew Scavengers (my Zombie Abatement Team/Z.A.T.) there is no difference in height, head size or hand size.  They'll work just fine, and my Brigade local cops go well with most of the Foundry cops from Street Violence both in terms of uniform and size.  The Copplestone Plague Zombies from Future Wars work size-wise with the Running Zombies as well.  Anyway, the concept of a desert community that has become the refuge for different gangs/groups/like-minded folks appeals to me, and I'm enjoying putting it together even though it will probably never be part of an actual game.  Richard

[Arlequín]

Richard, I'm an early 60's fanatic myself... I've made the odd comment that it should have been AC62 

Being over the pond it's difficult to get the feel of the 1960's US, especially as I was born in 64. I am surprised the AC57 figures are the same size as the Copplestone ones, so you've told me something I didn't know already! As for not being a gamer, so what? I barely qualify myself as I'm starting afresh after being in the wilderness for a few years. Being someone who 'lived in it' makes you inherently valuable to those of us who didn't, so please feel free to tell me when I'm wrong in the future too.


I still reckon Afro and Dreadlock styles are a touch too late though. 

[wellender]

The Hell's Angels started in 1948, so a biker gang would fit in fine.  Betty Page would fit in with the Girl Gang idea and Miss Trudie's Street girls types that were suggested.  My only problem would be the weapons those models have. But certainly if rules for those character arctypes existed, you could use what you like.

That said, I recently bought a few AC57 gangs and I really like them.  Maybe some official releases along those suggested templates would be good.

[War In 15MM]

Jim and Wellender, I must admit that I’m cheating a bit with the Afros.  If memory serves, I began to see them around 1965 (the year I entered college).  But the fact is, I really like them and Black Power and the civil rights movement were a big part of the U.S. during that time period, and I like the idea of including it as part of the scenario.  Similarly the women’s movement/bra burning was on the move in the early to mid-60s (again, college memories) and, for me, the Foundry Street Girls spoke to that more than roller derby/carhop girls.  Jim, please don’t take my size comparisons as absolutes.  I am only sure of the ones I own and have been able to compare side-by-side.  With that understood, the Copplestone Sewer Scavengers (my Zombie Abatement Team) and their Plague Zombies work well with the Brigade AC57 Cops, Greasers, and Running Zombies.  In terms of odd size relations, I found the Foundry Street Violence packs often contained figures that were out of scale with one another.  I purchased one pack of Street Violence Cops (there are two packs) in which three of the figures compared well with the Brigade Cops but the other two figures in the pack were out of scale with each other (the largest cop in the pack was ¼” taller than the smallest cop in the same pack).  I bought the pack because three of them work with the Brigade in terms of uniforms and size and one of those three was eating a bag of donuts, a very stereotypical look for a U.S. cop of the period.  The weapons are admittedly too advanced, but the pre-Vietnam 60’s saw the development of more sophisticated weapons so I figured I could cheat a little bit there too.  I am no expert on the world of 25mm/28mm figures and became involved because I recently got hooked on the creative realm of Pulp/Adventure.  I have been collecting and painting figures for more than 30 years, but until recently my focus has been on 15mm military miniatures and I am sure that will remain my first love in terms of miniatures, but Pulp is great fun!  You can see some of my 15mm collection at www.warin15mm.com which is my vanity website.  Richard

[Arlequín]

That was really helpful, Thanks Richard!

Weapons are available from Warlord Games to replace the very modern types you see about. TAG also does some and I think an M14 if you're willing to venture into the early 60s - I'm led to believe that despite it being introduced in 1958, only one Division (one of the Airborne ones) had been fully equipped by the '62 Missile Crisis. Otherwise the main weapons were the Garand, M1 Carbine, along with the M1 and M3 sub machine guns. What I haven't found are civilian hunting rifles, which would be the most common weapon, other than shotguns I'd imagine.