Mark Stanski makes Lego sculptures on sci-fi and fantasy themes, especially superheroes of his own conception and already famous heroes.
I don't know that superheroes go very far beyond a fantasy of empowerment, but it begs the question: empowerment to do what? Superheroes might fight evil corporations like big pharma, or corrupt CEOs and religious leaders. These would be super villains, because they'd have to break the law to fight LEGAL evils.
In my work, I like to celebrate all the moral archetypes of superheroes: punishers, avengers, protectors, saviors, and truth givers. As such, I've had to create many of my own heroes to paint in those whose moral DNA I haven't encountered in comics or anime. For this reason, most of my heroes are original conceptions.
Every original superhero (my own hero with her or his own story and nature) I sculpt is the subject of short stories I'm working on making good enough to be accepted in magazines. It's a tough sell: people want visual storytelling: in comic books, not text-only short stories. But I'm on a mission to get my superheroes in front of an audience: a big audience.
For me, building superheroes with Lego bricks ignites a desire to write their story. For me, the process of sculpting a hero and writing about them are twinned.
My first passion is originals, but I love to make homages to existing heroes (Superman with a powerful twist and a new name and story) and I love to built existing superheroes that I love best. Homelander, Omni-Man, Daredevil, to name a few.
But I do something else: I bend my skills to create more abstract and surrealist superheroes. Cyborg gender-bending heroes and monsters who fight in a futuristic gladiatorial arena spanning forty square miles in a forsaken section of a city. Starfighters possessed by the Devil. Castles possessed by malevolent spirits who can only be commanded by mediums with a special role in a kingdom's army. And I do other fantastical and surrealist conceptions as well.
All my work is sturdy, built to last, and guaranteed for life. And with every build, I send you what I have, a hardcopy printout of the story of the hero, however long it is. A short story or a character sketch, with my email to contact me for updates on the hero's story, any new works about them that I have published, and any characters I create that the hero knows or interacts with.
Last, these sculptures work great as conversation pieces to take to work, a cafe, library, pub--anywhere people are! Just pack it in a Zip-lock bag and bring it with you and see how people stop by to ask about your sculpt.
