The Island of Magnificent Toys

Toy sculptor Scott Hensey in our new video series, Make: Believe.

Written and photographed by Gregory Hayes

“Oh, YOU made that?” We must have said it a dozen times during our recent visit to Anaglyph Sculpture, where every surface is crowded with decades worth of toys and collectibles produced by sculptor Scott Hensey. Almost anyone would recognize a few favorite commemorative items, but we geeked out over the Star Wars phones, Happy Meal toys, Disney collectibles, and thousands of colorful items that inspired us to play and thus begin our own creative journeys.

By chance, Hensey’s knickknack wonderland is right down the street here in Sebastopol, Calif., making it a perfect spot to kick off MAKE’s new video series, Make: Believe.

We’re taking our cameras into the studios of the makers who turn fantasy into memorable reality. Whether iconic or incognito, they design and make the creatures, props, special effects, toys, games, and, often, the very fabric of modern culture. They stretch our imaginations and change our whole concept of what’s possible. We’re going to show you how they work their magic.

Here’s a peek at what we saw while Hensey talked about technique, inspiration, getting started in a tough business, and how to make a living doing what you love. You can see our video and all of the photos from our visit online at makezine.com/go/believe.

[make_slideshow slug=”a-visit-to-scott-henseys-toy-workshop” title=”Images from Scott Hensey’s Toy Workshop” link=”Images from Scott Hensey’s Toy Workshop”]