From AlanD: Challenge Desperado 'Alias' (30 points)

Alan sends in his amazingly creative Challenge Desperado.

From Alan:

When Curt announced that the entrance fee for the competition was to be a figure inspired by a Sam Peckinpah film, I knew I had to have a go at modelling Bob Dylan in Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. Dylan plays the role of the enigmatic Alias in the film. I say 'plays the role', but essentially Dylan just wanders around from scene to scene, uttering the occasional gnomic observation. However, I am such an inveterate Dylan fan that I choose to overlook the fact that he can't act for crap in the film. I blame poor direction.

The scene I chose to reference occurs when Pat Garrett encounters three of The Kid's sidekicks (including Alias) in a truly grotty saloon/store in some fly-bitten armpit of a town. To keep him out of the way while he intimidates his two friends, Garrett tells Alias to go over to a shelf in the store and read off the labels from the 'airtights' (ie cans). So the scene ends up being quite funny, Garrett having a tense conversation, while in the background we hear Dylan intoning 'beans...spinach...ahh Lima?... tomatoes...spinach and beans...' and so on.

To evoke the scene I used a bookcase from 4-Ground, stocked with sacks and cans made from greenstuff and bits of bamboo skewer. The figure of Alias was based on a desperado from Artizan designs. To try to make him resemble Dylan a bit more, I repositioned his head and used greenstuff to fatten his face a bit, give him more curly hair, give him an upturned collar and have him holding a can of beans, rather than the revolver of the original figure. Alias wears glasses in the scene, which I tried to give the suggestion of with a painted frame.

Anyway, I certainly didn't do a good job of his face, but I'm pleased with it nevertheless. Hope you like it, Curt!

Whoa, this is amazing work Alan. I love how esoteric and creative this vignette is, and your execution of it has been flawless. The modifications to the figure are excellent and I really like how he is positioned away from the viewer which, in turn, beacons your interest even more. 

This is all quite funny as I actually despise Bob Dylan and distinctly remember seeing this film in my 20s and thinking, 'well, cheer up Curt, maybe he'll get shot in the movie...' Now here I am, delighted and chomping at the bit to have him in my figure cabinet! 

'Alias' will give Alan 30 points, including a few extra for the overall realization of this great vignette. Thanks so much Alan!