Friday, September 20, 2013

Casting Cthulhu: An interview with Mythos Foundry


Among those who will be attending the cinematic spectacles and tentacles of the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival and CthulhuCon are the maniacs at Mythos Foundry.

They had an amazing kickstarter earlier this year to cast an incredibly huge Cthulhu and other Lovecraftian horrors for discriminating collectors. We'll be able to see some of their amazing results live in person at the festival. And a "lucky" few of you may be able to take the big guy home!


Mythos Foundry aims to bring you finely crafted miniatures, sculptures, art prints, gaming gear, and collectables. From a Cthulhu Medallion to a 1/61 scale Cthulhu “Miniature” to a 1/61 scale H.P. Lovecraft himself, they have many items that will be happy to find a home in your Lovecraftian collection. Stop by and check out their selections of art prints, miniatures, and apparel.

We talked with Michael Brand recently about their work and what comes next.




Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get started on all of this? What was one of the hardest things for you to learn?

My name is Michael Brand and I am an artist, sculptor, and creator. Most of my sculptural work has been for 28mm fantasy war game miniatures. I have been an artist all of my life. I say that I have been drawing since before I was born. ;) Along with my art, I am also a game designer. I have several designs for board games, card games, and two chess variants. I also have a degree in video game design and digital animation production.

Even though I have been doing freelance art work since I was fifteen, I was recently a Creative Director, Art Director and Production Manager for a few print shops. In October of 2012 I was laid off due to the economic downturn when the print shop that I worked at closed down a third of their shops around the world. This has given me the opportunity and impetus to start my own business with my art.

The hardest thing for me to learn was to get away from the corporate mindset of being an employee and into the mindset of being an owner.

What's your favorite H.P. Lovecraft story?

I would have to say "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath" is my favorite H.P. Lovecraft story, just for the sheer amount of diversity in imagery, creatures, and locales. I would love to do a whole series of art prints and miniatures based off of this story.


What's been your favorite creation so far? What was the most unexpected surprise you've found when making these creations?

So far my favorite creation is my 1/61 scale Great Cthulhu. It is my first "large" sculpture, and it has been a great learning experience. Since it is a multipart kit it was a lot of fun and sometimes a little frustrating figuring out how to make sure everything fit together, especially the tentacles connecting to the head.

What other themes do you like to work with in your art?

I also work in fantasy and sci-fi. When I was in high school I created a whole universe that takes place in the near future. It is a dystopian sci-fi world where humans battle to avoid total annihilation. The main story arc is called Kill Ratio. The KR Universe has been on the back burner and I have been constantly going back to it, working on it and fleshing it out more through out the years.


What's a project you really hope to take on in the next few years? Where do you hope to go from here?

I have a ton of projects that are waiting for their opportunity to get out into the world. These projects range from comic books/graphic novels of the KR Universe to my games.

The H.P. Lovecraft mythos is my primary focus right now. My first priority is working on the fulfillment of our successful Kickstarter for the Great Cthulhu: (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mythosfoundry/cthulhu-mythos-foundry-style).

I am also currently working on the web site and web store for Mythos Foundry.

The next project for Mythos Foundry will be a miniature skirmish game based off of Lovecraft's works using our Lovecraftian miniatures. The rules are well underway and we will be playtesting very soon.


Where else can we find you throughout the year?
We plan on attending many more conventions, and we will have an online presence very soon. We do have a Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MythosFoundry) where we will notify everyone of any updates.

What's your favorite music to listen to as you create your art?

I have a pretty wide range of music that I listen to, from classical to techno. I also enjoy ambient music and orchestral soundtracks. The majority of music that I listen to while working though, would have to be trance, such as Armin Van Burren.

Be sure to visit the Mythos Foundry at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival this year in San Pedro!

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