The people who work at WetaOpens in a new tab will never cease to amaze. Case in point: this older but still incredible behind-the-scenes look at one sculptor’s tabletop passion project. Back in 2017, Adam Savage from Tested visited the Weta Workshop in Wellington, New Zealand and took a look at a Labyrinth inspired tabletop model from artist and sculptor Johnny Fraser-AllenOpens in a new tab. River Horse gamesOpens in a new tab had commissioned Fraser-Allen to create the official sculptures for the board game adaptations of both Labyrinth and The Dark CrystalOpens in a new tab, and the sculptor decided to keep going with making a labyrinth of his own. That labyrinth has since turned into a whole tabletop fantasy world.
Tested’s YouTube ChannelOpens in a new tab has close to five million subscribers, so it’s no surprise viewers responded enthusiastically to the first look at the handcrafted model in 2017. It helped encourage Fraser-Allen to keep building, and wow, what a difference 18 months makes. Savage returned to Weta to see the progress on the model, and it’s amazing. What started as only the labyrinth developed into so much more. Fraser-Allen made a 16 foot model featuring the tabletop terrain of Hagglethorn Hallow, an immersive fantastical setting. This sprawling diorama keeps going, full of intricate details and touches. See for yourself:
The passion project turned into a successful Kickstarter campaignOpens in a new tab that brought in more than NZ $665,000 to bring Hagglethorn Hallow to life. The funds went towards helping Fraser-Allen’s company, Tabletop Troubadours, craft “hand-sculpted, highly detailed gaming scenery designed to enrich your tabletop gaming experiences.”
Throughout the 17 minute video, we get a close look at Fraser-Allen’s beautiful world. When interviewed by Beasts of WarOpens in a new tab in 2019, he said, “All I had ever wanted to do was create my own worlds. I had not long discovered The Lord of the Rings at the age of fourteen when I heard that Peter Jackson was adapting them in my own country for the cinema. Upon further research, I discovered that all the design and fantasy fabrication were being done by a company called Weta Workshop. Long story short, I was working there by nineteen.”
Tested
It’s clear Fraser-Allen’s talent and love for the worlds he creates is strong. We can’t wait to see what he sculpts next!
Featured Image: TestedOpens in a new tab
