We are fans of This American Life. Last night we watched a new episode with the theme “going down in history.” Each episode has a few different stories all with the same theme. This episode showcased high school year book photographs, two inmates who tried to escape from prison using a dental floss rope, and a man who recreated WWII fantasy scenarios at 1/6 scale. This is a man who I cannot find any publication about; who creates stunning scale models. This man is an artist. His name is apparently Mark Hogancamp.
This man was severely beaten by a group of men outside a bar which left him with brain damage. His photographs were then taken as revenge plots against the men who had beaten him. Using 1/6 scale WWII model action figures he would live out his fantasies. He would use bright red nail polish for blood. He would fantasize with action figures in his own little 1/6 scale town that he built in his backyard. There were bars, houses, stores and roads; all with lights and perfectly to scale. His photographs are amazing. He would re-create fantasy love interests in a model home using an action figure that surprising looked just like him. He explained how the women with green hair from the future would visit him and would snap soldiers necks for him; showing how much she loved him. The photographs were amazing. The construction and detail is impeccable. This man is alone living through these fake action figures. He talks to no one and lives in a small mobile home spending all of his time in the 1/6 world that he created.
I wish I could find information about this man. I wish I could see more of his photographs taken with a small cheap consumer camera. I wish I could hear him talk about his photographs.
All I was able to find were these two sentences. “The second profiles a man who, after a brain injury resulting from a vicious beating, turns to World War II re-creations using scale models, incorporating revenge fantasies that he discusses freely. It’s a sad story, and as powerful as almost anything I’ve heard in years of listening to - and now watching, with growing admiration” - “This American Life.”
UPDATE: We collected images and put them in a new post, Mark Hogancamp Photos. Thanks Jim for the corrected name and we appreciate the info you’ve provided, especially since it seems the This American Life really edited his story to appear much different. I think it’s great that he shares his photography somewhere and I look forward to finding more out about the 1/6th action figure community. - Nicole
