Working in the Lab

frankensteinsmonster.jpg,
originally uploaded by jim_sangster.

This one's from about 2001, a bust of Frankenstein's monster, again made in plasticine.

Playing in the Sandpit

spectre.jpg,
originally uploaded by jim_sangster.

So, a few years down the line (early 2000) and I've rediscovered a love for mucking about with plasticine. My mates at Big Finish are making Doctor Who audio CDs and it occurs to me that I might be able to sculpt monsters for the covers. When I mention this to Gary Russell, he thinks I'm taking the piss, so I have a chat with his cover designer, Clay Hickman, find out which plays are coming up and go away to sculpt this fella, a space imp.

Well, Gary liked it, Nick Pegg (author of the play) liked it and offered a few suggestions for improvements, which I made then and there, and away it went, to appear on the cover thanks to some nice Photoshopping from Clay.

It also marked my first chance to be allowed to play in the same sandpit as everyone else, doing my bit for Doctor Who. When I was a kid, I wanted to make Doctor Who monsters when I grew up. While it's not exactly a living, I at least achieved a quite daft childhood ambition - not many people can say that.

Early Works

Malus.jpg,
originally uploaded by jim_sangster.

So, why did I call this blog Monster Maker?

When I was a kid, we didn't have a lot of money (cue violins) and I was an olnly child so I was encouraged to use my imagination and my craft skills to make toys. I had, over the years, some rather nice monsters for my Doctor Who doll to fight against on the surface of the planet Mybedroom. I don't have (m)any pictures of them any more, but I did find this one, a model of the Malus from 'The Awakening'. It's amazing what plasticine sculpted onto a sheet of wood and propped in front of a polystyrene sheet can achieve, isn't it.

Er....