A one-armed B.O.W. (Bio Organic Weapon) type that first appeared in Capcom's 2000 Resident Evil Code: Veronica (original Japanese name, Biohazard Code: Veronica) Sega Dreamcast video game (said title was later ported to the Sony Playstation 2 and Nintendo Gamecube). Bandersnatches were developed by Umbrella as cheaper and more adaptable, albeit inferior, Tyrant-class creatures. The monster's name is obviously inspired by "The frumious Bandersnatch!" briefly mentioned in Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky" poem, which appeared in 1872's Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There.

A Bandersnatch's combat prowess is entirely dependent on its' highly-elastic and powerful arm. This disproportionately large appendage can stretch outwards, with lightning speed, to a distance of approximately 15 feet/4.6 meters, and then retract just as quickly. The creature may choose to deliver long distance blows in this manner (they seem to be particularly fond of grasping and crushing skulls), or, simply grab onto and reel in the intended victim, perhaps so that other nearby B.O.W. species can join in on the ensuing bloodbath. While they are somewhat slow on their feet, escaping from a Bandersnatch is not simply a matter of outrunning it. The monster can easily stretch out and grip any physical structure that will support its' weight and then contract the limb again, pulling the rest of the body along to join the anchored hand--an example of the application of this technique would be for a Bandersnatch to latch onto a second floor railing, and then yank itself upwards, rather than using the staircase. The contraction of the arm is quite forceful, so much so that a Bandersnatch can use the momentum to launch itself short distances, above-and-beyond its' normal reach, in a slingshot-like fashion.

Bandersnatches are dangerous and versatile adversaries, nevertheless, the creatures have several shortcomings. The Bandersnatch's rubbery flesh is relatively resistant to bullets and physical trauma, but it's also prone to melting when exposed to high temperatures--the grenade launcher's fire rounds work particularly well on these abominations. While it excels at medium-range combat, there is little a Bandersnatch can do when an opponent takes pains to stay outside of its' considerable reach. In close proximity, a Bandersnatch's bulky arm can't be employed to full effect; a foe that gets near and stays on the creature's left, armless side, or even better, behind it, can often land repeated attacks while the Bandersnatch struggles to turn about and retaliate.



Materials:
Newsprint, tissue paper, white glue, super glue, plastic, and acrylic paint.

Dimensions:
9.1 cm/3.6 in. x 3.7 cm/1.5 in. (widest point x highest point)

Time:
Three days; July 4-6, 2010.