- CHO: How did you become a sculptor?
Stéphane: Evoking gamebooks and role playing games won´t surprise anyone I suppose… But still it was my first step into miniatures gaming, a sector of activity I came to like and for which I am lucky to be working now. It was all triggered off when I was fourteen, when I discovered miniatures gaming. Very soon, I developed a compulsive need to paint that took over the gaming aspect. It is a hobby I especially like because the time invested allows you to produce physical and concrete works of art in the shape of miniatures. I could have specialized in painting rather than sculpting. However, I find it frustrating to spend hours painting a single model to see it taken from me once the work is done…At least with sculpting, once a piece is finished I can still personally enjoy the fruit of my effort by purchasing a copy of the miniature.
Anyhow, when I started working for Rackham, I was initially supposed to produce technical articles for Cry Havoc. I had been a freelance writer for another magazine. That is how Rackham contacted me. In the end, Jean Bey (CEO of Rackham) quickly offered me to work as a sculptor. I gladly accepted the job. Things went very fast, I only ever wrote one article for Cry Havoc magazine.
- CHO: What have you learned from the Rackham studio?
Stéphane: I have learned to become more rigorous and demanding in my work. It also allowed me to develop a critic´s eye, though it might have meant losing the eye of the enthusiastic neophyte I had when I started. It is harder for me now to appreciate a piece as a whole, I systematically tend to get stuck on the little imperfections…but that is the price you have to pay when you become a professional. I have also gained greater mastery of the sculpting material. I now know what to use to obtain a specific result.
The fact that I am working as part of a team of friends is also a great benefit as we get to share the tricks of the trade. It allowed me to meet my mentor Stéphane Simon, also referred to as "Professor Simon".
- CHO: As part of the Rackham studio, do you have a specialty? If you do, what is it?
Stéphane: Yes, I have specialized in evil beings and other biomechanical creatures. For Confrontation for instance, I have particular affinities with the Scorpion army. For AT-43, I have worked on pieces for the Cog, Karman and Therian armies.
- CHO: What piece are you currently working on?
Stéphane: On a massive Aberration Proteus standing on its hind legs! This miniature has not yet been definitely approved, it is in the making… I am holding my fingers crossed, I am very proud of my creature: she could be a great rival to Belial!
Still for the Scorpion army, I have recently finished the Syhar sighthounds and am now working on a cavalry for this army. We are closing in on the final result.
- CHO: What are the most emblematic pieces you have made?
Stéphane: Without a doubt, the Aberration Prime. It is one of the leading pieces of the Scorpion army and also a technical challenge considering it was made of plastic. The result meets my every expectation; the long hours of work haven´t gone to waste.
- CHO: What is the piece you are the most proud of, and why?
Stéphane: Most proud... The Neferius clone I believe, because it was one of the first pieces I made. Besides, I was using a new material I had never used before: fimo.
I am also very proud of the Storm arachn that the Therian players will discover soon with Operation: Frostbite. These are miniatures I created using various elements I had at hand. I presented it to Rackham´s management team and Paolo Parente really liked the concept of walking mine bombs. These devilish little things will soon be available from the Therian arsenal. The design of the miniature is quite simple and yet striking at the same time.
- CHO: What was the most challenging piece you´ve ever done?
Stéphane: Certainly the "Steel golem" for the Boar army, because I was not used to this theme. In addition, the miniature is composed of 80 pieces and alternate elements. I believe it would be more accurate to speak of a "multi part plastic kit" rather than a miniature.
The designing was painstaking and traditional. I wish I had had the support of computers to help on this one. Unfortunately I didn´t.
- CHO: Have plastic miniatures changed the way you work?
Stéphane: The difference between plastic and metal seems pretty thin. Using technical terms, the compression rate on a metal piece is of 3%. It is the deformation rate suffered by the matrix when the piece is produced on a large scale. For plastic, the rate is different and variable. This requires some extra work to anticipate the possible deformation the piece will suffer in mass production.
Concerning the loss of detail everybody seems to be talking about, it is important to note that it remains minimal, and can be compensated using separate elements.
- CHO: A last word concerning your expectations as a player?
Stéphane: As a great fan of Hybrid (I just love the ambiance), I would like to see a second version of the game soon. Rackham is currently working on it! Following the same idea why not envision a game for AT-43 that would be like what Hybrid is to Confrontation?
I would also like to see organic "aliens" in AT-43. It would bring extra diversity and I am sure I wouldn´t be the only one interested.
