Little Nightmares – Disposable Horrors
Posted on February 3, 2009 by Billzilla
Dark Fantasies in 2-D: Precis Intermedia’s Disposable Heroes
After a long hiatus, Little Nightmares is back. This month, I’ll be covering somewhat related products from two different companies; full-color stand-up cardboard figures from Precis Intermedia, and ready-made maps from Empty Room Studios.
Precis Intermedia produces stand-up cardboard figures, called Disposable Heroes, in a variety of themes. Since this is Flames Rising, they sent us a pack of monsters to look over: Disposable Heroes: Horror Statix 1. The figures themselves are available in two different formats within each set: two-sided and three-sided. The two-sided figures may require some kind of plastic stand to assist them, as the fold is at the top like a sandwich board sign. Printing the figures on lightweight cardstock before cutting them apart will probably remove the need for bases – at least until the figure has a few miles on it and the crease begins to wear. The front of the figure is a full color image and the back is a black silhouette of the same image for ease in determining rear/surprise attacks.
The three-sided figures have (naturally) three panels which are folded and glued together at a tab. Again, the back panel of the figure is a silhouette, while the front two sides are in full color. Three-sided figures are less likely to need an attached base because of the greater stability of the base. It may still be advisable to print them on lightweight cardstock before cutting anyway to provide greater strength and durability. Folding the figures using a straightedge is advised for crisp folds.
The illustrations, while not spectacular, are still of high quality and fairly attractive. An assortment of different figures is offered in each set; also included is the option of each monster duplicated multiple times on a separate page for those times when you need a dozen or more zombies, or serial killers, or murderous clowns…
The range of Disposable Heroes available has gown to an impressive selection: not only do they have horror-themed figures, but also animals, fantasy, space opera, wild west, American Revolution, World War Two, Steampunk, Pulp, Superhero, and Pirate-themed set, plus much more including several licensed sets such as the HARP RPG, Haven: City of Violence and Cyberpunk 2020. The figures are available as a customizable download or as the basic, full assortment. With downloads starting at $3.95, it’s impossible to go wrong by purchasing one or more of these sets. Disposable Heroes is an inexpensive way to populate your kitchen table with an excellent assortment of critters, breathing life into your adventure gaming.
Next up we will be taking a look at Empty Room Studios’ Cardstock Scenes.
Review by Bill Bodden
Tags | little nightmares, minis, pigames
