Creating Creatures
Sculptor Fills a Fantastical World with Colorful and Cunning Creatures
Written by SUSAN MAYER DAVIS and JILL WHITLEY
Photographed by KEITH MAY
As parents, we dream of giving our children the world. Unlike most of us, Carrollton artist Brian Colin did just that by creating a mystical realm where, with the help of his children Wyatt and Ruby, he shapes reality to his will with a roll of the polyhedral dice.
Brian Colin poses with his Grathalla, a multi-eyed and heavily horned creature of his making, at a game fair in Columbus, Ohio.
Colin’s business, Creature Curation, was formed to showcase the fantastical World of Revilo, which was born the same year as his son Wyatt – in 2009. The role-playing game (RPG) he created for his son is based on a cast of whimsical creatures that range from life-size sculptures to squishable plush toys, from cuddly and adorable buddies to fierce and a bit frightening friends. Players can choose from among these characters to forge a campaign into an open-ended world based within the Dungeons and Dragons framework and rules. Players can read the back stories on all the creatures and choose to play as the one they identify with best.
A member of the Newnan-Coweta Art Association, Colin says his love for role-playing games resulted from a boyhood escapade with a book of matches and mischievous friends.
“As fourth graders, we thought it would be a good idea to sit around and light things on fire one afternoon,” he recalls. “Fortunately, we were caught by my friend’s older sister, who took the matches, slapped us each on the back of the head, and handed us an old Dungeons and Dragons game to keep us busy and in one piece. I fell in love and never looked back.”
The main difference between Dungeons and Dragons and The World of Revilo is the painstaking artistic effort that goes into each creature.
“I wanted all the characters to be creatures that no one would recognize, so that no one will feel uncomfortable playing as any of the characters,” says Colin, adding that the strange, fanciful creatures make the game feel more inclusive. “Until recently, RPGs were mostly played by a bunch of old white men. When the characters are all different colors and shapes, everyone feels included and invited to play.”
The family-designed nature of The World of Revilo allows it to embrace diversity. Colin’s children are each free to develop their own characters and worlds, and his wife Kerry is one of few women involved in high-level RPG game development.
Surrounded by his creations, Colin wears his "dress" apron at a gaming convention in Indianapolis, Ind.
“The whole family is a part of this process,” says Brian. “Kerry edits all of the writing that gets published and is essentially the loremaster to make sure I don’t include anything that would break what has already been published.”
Brian wanted to create a world of creatures that could be fierce and mystical – but not too dark – as he wanted it to appeal to all ages. When he began to sculpt the first creature to inhabit his fantasy world, the ideas kept flowing.
“I am exploring my craft in many ways including sculpture, world building for role playing games and more,” he said.
Over time, Brian has created many creatures, written a backstory for each one and collected those in a book with photographs. He has also created comic books and cards, and he pitched a Revilo movie to Hollywood. He recently launched small squeeze and plush characters for children.
“COVID-19 has given me time to really focus on launching a product line,” he says.
Brian is quick to note that The World of Revilo is not just for children.
“Role playing in general is a great way for people to learn to use their imagination, think on their feet, and interact with a diverse group of people who don’t always have the same ideas on how to play the game,” he says. “It’s great for problem-solving and creative thinking.”
The creature curator describes his game as a good introduction to RPGs for young players.
“I’ve set The World of Revilo so that anyone can tell their own story,” he concludes. “It grows with the player.”
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NCM