A boyhood fascination with monsters and creatures from fantasy films has developed into one Kent man’s extraordinary craft.
Armed with just everyday materials, Steve Niles creates amazingly lifelike models of some of the movie world’s most famous characters.
King Kong towers over his maker Steve Niles
Starting with figures just a few inches tall, his creations have now morphed into huge, towering works, culminating in his finest piece – a 13ft King Kong.
It stands alongside a similar-sized Iron Giant alien robot and an 8ft Darkness from the film Legend.
The trio are showstoppers at a Kent antiques and collectables centre which also features movie memorabilia.
They all come from Steve’s workshop in Studd Hill, Herne Bay, where he toils away meticulously creating his characters.
“I guess it all started when I was a boy and had a fascination for the Star Wars films and especially how the characters looked and were made,” he said.
The Darkness from Legend and The Iron GiantA cyborg is one Steve Niles’s creations
“I started out making small models, and it developed from there, when I began creating costumes and latex masks for things like carnivals.
“But it’s never been a job, just a hobby that I get a huge amount of pleasure from.”
Among his many creations are the Alien Queen, a werewolf, Predator, a cyborg, a goblin knight from Labyrinth and a Gamorrean guard from Star Wars.
The scary-looking Alien Queen is one of Steve Niles’s creations
“In the earlier days of film-making there was no CGI and the costumes and figures were handmade, which is what fascinated me,” said Steve.
“I’m self-taught, and it’s just been trial and error with different materials, some of which I source from Amazon.
“But friends also offer me materials to build with, which also comes in handy.
“Basically, I make what I like and strive for perfection.”
Work in progress in Steve Niles’s garage on DarknessSkeletor from Heman Masters of the Universe is another of Steve Niles creations
That attention to detail has resulted in his finest work to date, the mighty King Kong, which draws people to Briggsy’s Emporium in Herne Bay.
Created in his garage over a period of six months, Steve used a metal frame, timber and shaped polystyrene for the body, which he covered with fur-like material bought from Amazon.
“It was a different colour so I had to dye it and the face, hands and feet were made using a special compound.
Model maker Steve Niles with some of his large scale work
“I’m really happy with the way it’s turned out, but we only really saw how it looked when it was erected in Briggsy’s.
“It’s a real talking point and actually attracts people to the centre.”
Steve, 56, says he is always looking into new characters to make, but does it for his own enjoyment rather than as a commercial enterprise.
“Right now, I’m quite interested in making the Terror Dog and Slimer from Ghostbusters, which could be fun,” he added.