The[Crafty]Gamer: Matthew Ragsdale

This week The[Crafty]Gamer features Matthew Ragsdale and his NES-inspired 8-bit LEGO sculptures. Read on to find out how the Californian became interested in LEGO work and see images of his creations inspired by Mega Man, Metroid, Mario and more.

The[Crafty]Gamer: Matthew Ragsdale

Age: 23

Hometown: Modesto, CA

Occupation: It’s hard out there right now, so I hold many day jobs.

Creation: 8-Bit LEGO Sculptures

Tell us about your LEGO work. What’s the inspiration behind it?

I feel my LEGO sculptures are a simple project at first glance, but deep down they take a lot of effort in execution. I suddenly started doing this because of my love for the original Nintendo system. I grew up with the NES, and though I do own current generation consoles, the NES just has that overall presence with its music and art style that makes it so unique to me. It quickly grabbed hold of my senses from the very beginning, and still has a firm grip on me today.

Before I go into further detail, I would like to point out that none of my creations or my interest in crafting would be possible if it wasn’t for my girlfriend Kendy, who is a very crafty individual herself and encouraged me in my work. So with the interest built in by my girlfriend, I found other crafters online with 8-bit related projects that were completely amazing. At that point I decided I wanted to make my own. The problem is I don’t have any crafting skills like crocheting, sewing or even painting. Thus, for me LEGO bricks were an accessible medium for 8-bit crafts. While it doesn't require too much skill, it does require a whole lot of attention to detail and effort. What I love about using LEGO bricks is that it’s an almost near-perfect representation of the 2D character. My characters are flat, but you can hold them like a toy/statue, which is really cool.

How much time does each take to create?

Obviously the bigger the project the more time spent on it, but generally they can take from one to three hours, most time is spent gluing each little block together. 

Is it available for purchase anywhere other than Etsy? If so, where and how much?

The only other place you could buy my sculptures would be in person at indie craft shows with my girlfriend in California.

Any other information you’d like to share about yourself?

I love independent music and movies. Also, keeping with the video game spirit, I love listening to chiptune music and gabber music; especially when it has that 8-bit vibe going for it. And most importantly my main passion is film. I write and direct my own films on a no-budget scale.

 
Any Web links to other work?

My YouTube account holds my film work (shorts and trailers), but it also has small little videos of my LEGO Scupltures, too. You can also check out my girlfriend’s Etsy store for all your mix media needs – hair bows, shrines, Day of the Dead inspired crafts and much more.