SPLICED LIFE /
INTERVIEW / STEPHEN HAYFORD
the background characters Hasbro hadn’t made
into action figures yet. As a photojournalist, it was
natural for me to take care in photographing my
creations. I would send those images to rebelscum.
com. And they became a huge hit. I never did get
anywhere with a stop-motion Trilogy, but I’m happy
with what it turned into.
SM: You've done work for some pretty
big clients! Tell us more! How did you
get involved with them?
SH: I had been posting my images and getting
great fan response since 1996. It had led to private
commissions and a couple exhibits. But it was in
2006 when I was home recovering from my heart
surgery when I received an email from the favourite
son of Star Wars, Steve Sansweet. He was working
with Pete Vilmur on a book celebrating the 30th
anniversary of “A New Hope” and wanted to use
one of my photos (“Dad Carves the Turkey”). I was
happy to give my blessing.
Steve really liked my work and made great
efforts after that experience to get me in front
of various Lucasfilm licensees. It wasn’t until
2010 that I became contracted with Lucas
Online to create holiday-themed Star Wars
images thanks to Pete.
During this time, I was afraid of being pigeonholed so I expanded my art into Florida-themed
pieces, often inspired by stories I covered in
journalism, which I could control (not subject
to anyone’s license). Diversifying my content
allowed me to approach other clients with a
better sense of how I could work with them
specifically. And once you have a client like
Lucasfilm, it makes other potential clients more
comfortable with taking a risk with an uncommon
art form. Still, for every property that says “yes,”
four say, “no.”
SM: You've mentioned that you have a
passion for Star Wars (so do we!) but what
other themes do you love to work on? Do
you have a favourite?
SH: I hate to define any property as my “favourite.”
However, I don’t think any of my clients would
be hurt if I stated that Star Wars is my favourite.
It’s more because of the impact the series had on
my childhood and my creative development. I
gravitated toward storytelling early on because of
Star Wars. And my experiences as a father give me
so much fodder to apply to the dysfunctional family
life of the Skywalkers. So, it’s easy to forgive me for
picking a favourite because of the nostalgic impact.
I do, however, LOVE working with lots of other
20
properties. I had a lot of fun creating a scene from
The Big Lebowski in 2013. And I was floored by the
fact that my first foray into Disney Princess territory
is one of my all-time favourite creations. (“To The
Rescue” with Ariel, The Little Mermaid.) Most
of all, I do love creating editorial cartoons and gags
based on current events and real world experiences.
It’s also most gratifying because it’s MINE. :)
SM: What goes into producing a scene?
SH: I’m glad you asked. I’m sometimes treated like
the red-headed stepchild of the art world because
there is a perception that I just “take pictures
of toys.” Well, each image begins with writing.
(Even silent scenes in films are written. Actors
don’t know what to emote without guidelines in
text. I also will go as far as writing a fake article
in a newspaper prop that few people will ever
notice.) Then I sketch out the scene. Next I have
to design every set piece. This involves quite a
bit of creative engineering to allow access for my
camera from various angles.
Some elements are miniatures found in existing
toy collections or dollhouse miniatures, but many
are made from scratch. Prop creation might
involve laser cutting, molding, casting and other
techniques. After sets and props are created, I
paint everything. Painting includes everything
from weathering on buildings to character eyes to
clothing patterns to faux finishes.
Once everything is painted, the scene is staged.
ISSUE 05