Making Monsters

Dan Baines is no stranger to these pages. His Whitby Vampire is something I absolutely adore, a gaff that combines wonderful craftsmanship with an appreciation for the power of a theatrical backstory. And it's just one piece of his extensive portfolio.

His Derbyshire Fairy turned into a classic flim-flam, gaining widespread media attention thanks to it's enigmatic presentation. Now he's launched an unusual Kickstarter project so that anyone can recreate that bit of gaff-making magic.  The project features a kit for crafting your own mummified fairy as well as an instructional DVD explaining the techniques used.


This is something long overdue. Gaff-making is an increasingly popular hobby, but it suffers from a lack of documentation. Almost everyone who gets into it has to re-invent the entire process, climbing a pretty steep learning curve in the process. I and others have worked to flatten out that grade a bit, but having someone like Mr. Baines share his experience is going to be an incredible resource.