Tuesday 15 March 2016

From BillA - Action Jackson is CURTGELD! (20 Points)

A tip to the croupier, a thank you for organizing the event, taken in the form of a 28mm figure.  I was more than happy to provide a piece of Curtgeld in exchange for getting to participate, I just had to find the right figure.




The 1970s era of "Blaxploitation" films, films made for an inner-city African-American audience, frequently featured characters easily characterized as risk-takers fighting 'The Man' or rival gangs.  John Shaft.  Superfly.  Coffy.  All these great, powerful characters, gambling their lives on a chance to win big or set things right.  I knew Reaper had a few Blaxploitation figures in their Chronoscope line, and I was pleased to find that Horace "Action" Jackson had also been produced in Bones.  His being cast on something of a flat plane will be a godsend in trying to ship him safely to Curt.  



The next step was selecting a color scheme.  I knew I wanted something bright and garish, reflecting 1970s fashion trends.  I considered a white shirt and purple pants, a blue shirt and dark pink pants, but then it hit me - An African-American risk-taker in bright, easily-reproduced colors? I was looking for Luke Cage, Hero for Hire! Action Jackson's shirt and pants here are based on the bright yellow, open-front shirt and blue pants worn by Cage in his earliest comic book appearances.  



Colors decided upon, the painting was simple - other than that shirt needing about fifteen coats of "Marigold Yellow" to get a solid covering.  He'll be winging your way as soon as I can get him to a post office, Curt.  And thank you again for organizing all this madness and sending us skittish kittens to our brushes and cameras.  


This is just fantastic Bill - thank you so much. I'm a big fan of this genre of cinema. I was just a kid during their heyday and I remember watching those movies absolutely wide-eyed as they seemed so very adult and 'other' to a boy from the Canadian prairies (I seem to recall that when my mom first saw the formidable Pam Grier she quickly changed channels!). That yellow shirt is terrific (screams Superfly) and the skin tone is masterfully done. Thanks again Bill.

22 comments:

  1. Ready to take on The Man!

    Great job on this nostalgic fig, Bill, well done!

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  2. Great figure and lovely painting Bill. A fine piece of Curtgeld :) :)

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  3. Right on brother Bill.

    Who's the Canadian chap
    That's a blogging machine to all the peeps?
    (Curt!)
    You're damn right
    Who is the man
    That would risk his neck for his brother man?
    (Curt!)
    Can ya dig it?
    Who's the cat that won't cop out
    When there's Challenge submissions all about
    (Curt!)
    Right on
    You see this cat Curt is a super blogger
    (Shut your mouth)
    But I'm talkin' about Curt
    (Then we can dig it)
    He's a complicated man
    But no one understands him but Lady Sarah

    'nuff said.

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  4. Great figure for Curtgeld. I remember those fashions!

    And Millsy, great lyrics - any other hidden talents.

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    Replies
    1. I make a damn fine Vindaloo for starters...

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    2. Ev, that was an 'ender'... ;P

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    3. Vindaloo always reminds me of the show Red Dwarf and the T-Rex...too funny! ;)

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  5. Very nice painting. Yellow. That's a challenge within a challenge. nice one. :)

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  6. Bill, he is most certainly DA MAN !!! As a lover of yellow clothing (on miniatures), I have to say - that's an awesome yellow, Sir!

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  7. I say how good is that figure? Brilliant stuff.

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  8. That's some excellent Curtgeld! Well done.

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  9. Excellent stuff indeed, very groovy!

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  10. Excellent work on him, Bill! Anyone whow combines Shaft with Luke Cage is an auto- WIN! ;)

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