Here is my interpretation of Andrea’s 54mm “King of the Road,” which I’ve titled “Broken Promise Land.” This is from the song “Borderline” by Ry Cooder. The kit is part of Andrea’s collection of figures based on Norman Rockwell artwork. As presented, the figure is somewhat light hearted, almost clownish with a broken straw hat and a splayed out cigar in his mouth. I switched the hat for a Shenandoah ACW era slouch hat and left out the cigar. He also has a newspaper for his right coat pocket which was not used. Instead, I used a cut down bottle tinted green.
I expanded the base significantly trying to evoke a feeling of a dust bowl refugee. The fence is custom made from balsa wood and stained in grays. The tree is from Armand Bayardi. The rats and the can are Plus Models resin castings. The rusted plate and the crates are from Tamiya kits. The signs on the fence are wine bottle foil to which I attached 1930’s graphics. This was the same source for the labels on the crates and the wanted poster from the Lindbergh case. The large KEEP OUT! sign nas been turned back to allow unauthorized access to the land beyond the fence. It was also “shot” with both bullets and buckshot. I used a couple different ground cover products from Military Miniatures Warehouse and Scenic Express over Celluclay. The tire is from an Italeri trailer. I cut the rim out and sanded down the tread. The flame is Woodland Scenics water effects painted in yellow and orange.
Rust effects were done by mixing ModelMaster Burnt Iron metalizer paint with shavings from reddish brown pastel chalk applied by brush.
Al as always your work is to be admired. I love it. I am reminded of one of the lesser known stanza that Woody Guthrie wrote for “This Land is Our Land” that is a reference to hoboes. I am trying to remember it from memory. Mind the grammar as Woody wasn’t big on it.
There’s a sign that says No Trespassing
on the other side it don’t say nothing,
That side is made for you and me.
Woody’s favorite song was supposed to be “Hobo’s Lullaby” by Goebel Reeves
Go to sleep you weary hobo
Let the towns drift slowly by
Can’t you hear the steel rail humming
That’s a hobo’s lullaby
Do not think about tomorrow
Let tomorrow come and go
Tonight you’re in a nice warm boxcar
Safe from all the wind and snow
I know the police cause you trouble
They cause trouble everywhere
But when you die and go to heaven
You won’t find no policemen there
I know your clothes are torn and ragged
And your hair is turning grey
Lift your head and smile at trouble
You’ll find happiness some day
So go to sleep you weary hobo
Let the towns drift slowly by
Don’t you feel the steel rail humming
That’s a hobo’s lullaby
I have liked that Ry Cooder song since I first heard it as the theme music for Borderline with Jack Nicholson way back when. I dug around Woody’s lyrics but didn’t want to use something too obscure.
A had played around with using a sign for a real fruit company in California but avoided that so as not to make too much of a political statement. That was another reason Woody’s songs might not have worked with some viewers.
Ry Cooder is a great musician, I love the collaboration with Ali Farka Toure on “Talking Timbuktu”.
Living in San Francisco (transplanted from New Jersey)and working with Agribusiness I know the sensitvities. I travel through Los Gatos often and remembered from my youth when Arlo tried to sing “Deportees” on the tv show “Midnight Special”
Actually some of the packing house labels are nice pieces of art work. The county offices I travel to often have some old ones hanging up from local growers which add to the ambiance of the office. Many are businesses not with us any more.
Mike, I’d thought about Woody’s song Deportee (which I first heard interpreted by The Byrds) but the lyrics were a bit too specific to Mexican migrant workers.
which I’ve titled “Broken Promise Land.” This is from the song “Borderline” by Ry Cooder. The kit is part of Andrea’s collection of figures based on Norman Rockwell artwork. As presented, the figure is somewhat light hearted, almost clownish with a broken straw hat and a splayed out cigar in his mouth. I switched the hat for a Shenandoah ACW era slouch hat and left out the cigar. He also has a newspaper for his right coat pocket which was not used. Instead, I used a cut down bottle tinted green.
