Friday, November 20, 2009

DiD 1/6 "Ernesto Che Guevara" (1928-1967) Preview

Ernesto "Che" Guevara (June 14, 1928 – October 9, 1967) commonly known as Che Guevara, El Che, or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, military theorist, and major figure of the Cuban Revolution. Since his death, his stylized visage has become a ubiquitous counter-cultural symbol and global insignia within popular culture.

As a young medical student, Guevara traveled throughout Latin America and was transformed by the endemic poverty he witnessed. His experiences and observations during these trips led him to conclude that the region's ingrained economic inequalities were an intrinsic result of monopoly capitalism, neocolonialism, and imperialism, with the only remedy being world revolution. This belief prompted his involvement in Guatemala's social reforms under President Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán, whose eventual CIA-assisted overthrow solidified Guevara's radical ideology. Later, while living in Mexico City, he met Raul and Fidel Castro, joined their 26th of July Movement, and invaded Cuba aboard the Granma with the intention of overthrowing U.S.-backed Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. Guevara soon rose to prominence among the insurgents, was promoted to second in command, and played a pivotal role in the successful two year guerrilla campaign that deposed the Batista regime.

Following the Cuban Revolution, Guevara performed a number of key roles in the new government. Guevara left Cuba in 1965 to incite revolutions first unsuccessfully in Congo-Kinshasa and later in Bolivia, where he was captured by CIA-assisted Bolivian forces and executed. [ source: wiki ]

Coming soon from DID, a 1/6 scale 12-inch Che Guevara















And then there's "Che", a two-part 2008 biopic about Marxist revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Benicio del Toro. Part One is entitled The Argentine and focuses on the Cuban revolution from the landing of Fidel Castro, Guevara and other revolutionaries on Cuba to their successful toppling of the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista two years later. Part Two, entitled Guerrilla, focuses on Guevara's futile attempt to bring revolution to Bolivia and his demise.

7 comments:

Shaun said...

the sculpt on this figure is just amazing. DID could've made a perfect figure if they gave him an Argentine football jersey in place of the t-shirt, to coincide with World Cup 2010.

alex teo said...

actually i thot he'll fit right in with my Planet of the Apes collection - LOL!!

Anonymous said...

A long-waited figure that surpasses that from How2Work years ago.

desmond said...

Alex, I agree with Shaun. The head sculpt is awesome!!

FIXED BAYONET METAL SOLDIERS said...

VIVA VIVA CHE. More balls than anyone.I like the fact that he took the revolution abroad.Theres a great 54mm figure of him by an ItaliAN COMPANY

alex teo said...

hey Gary, would love to see pictures of 54mm Che. i wonder if they are able to capture his likeness in that scale

FIXED BAYONET METAL SOLDIERS said...

yeah they did see my blog this week, ket a link on