Life-sized Batman and Iron Man suits and Storm Trooper masks fill the cramped work space of Jason Connolly.
A nurse by day, he spends much of his spare time crafting fantasy and science fiction models and costumes.
He said the obsession began six or seven years ago when he started working on an Iron Man suit.
"You couldn't buy them, so I thought I'd make one. I had no idea how to do it. I was just messing around.''
After that he kept going until dozens of pieces were crowding rooms in his house.
"I just like to have a project. I like to make things. I'm always happier when I have a project on the go.''
Mr Connolly uses materials ranging from pizza boxes to fibreglass, foam, wood, latex and carbon fibre.
He is now toying with 3-D printers and wants to move into welding.
For some masks he will make a clay sculpture of the head to use as a mould.
His creations have won him awards and he has become a regular at pop culture festivals like Armageddon and Edge of the World.
His love of comics and fantasy books started early.
"It's been a bit of a lifelong obsession, since I was a kid.''
However, his wife was less excited by the hobby.
"The other day I went out to buy a Hell Boy figure in town and she said you're not having another Hell Boy, you're a grown man.''
One of the longer projects, an orc inspired by the film Warcraft, took him about half a year to make.
"Sarah tries to get me to do the house and I'll just leave it, but then I'll spend six months making that.''
His four sons, aged between 11 and 24, used to share the interest when they were younger, he said.
"But they're getting more mature, more mature than me. They sort of left me at 11.''
The scene in the city was growing for cosplay, a performance art where practitioners dress as characters from the likes of anime, video games and movies.
A Dunedin cosplay Facebook page which hosted few members a couple of years ago now had 200, he said.
"That's the only thing I ever really want to make. I don't do anything sensible.''
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Comments
"The other day I went out to buy a Hell Boy figure in town and she said you're not having another Hell Boy, you're a grown man.''
I find this a disappointing comment. Whatever (within reason) a person happens to be interested in should be supported, not given a label (childs toys etc).
I'm glad my wife is supportive of things i'm interested in, and vice versa. Whoever said you need to act all serious and boring when you're an adult must have had a boring life! You only get one shot, so have fun.