Minimus the Mouse
Minimus the Latin mouse has just turned 20. I’d been drawing him for several years before I tried making a 3D version. The current incarnation is number 3, and is made with felt and padding over a wire armature. It was put together by trial and error, and I have had to make a few surgical improvements over the years – for instance, when I realised that his arms were too short and he couldn’t play the trumpet. I’ve learned a lot about sewing on a tiny scale, as well as working with recycled bits and pieces of wood, metal and leather. I have acquired a set of small drills and files, and a leather working kit, but most of my crafting is done with my good old Stanley knife.
Minimus’ army kit was one of the first projects I tackled. His helmet is made from a coffee capsule. He’s on his second set of armour – the first one was made from foil food containers, and it didn’t stand up to being played with. The pull-along horse and cloth doll are based on toys I drew for Rufus, the little boy in the series.
I think I’m most pleased with the shoe collection. Left to right in the photo: needle felted slipper; Egyptian-style sandal made with dried bamboo leaves instead of papyrus; leather caliga; hobnailed boots; wooden bath clog; coloured leather sandal based on an example at Vindolanda; Egyptian-style woollen toe sock.
I’ve had a lot of fun making clothes and props for Minimus, usually based on Roman artefacts and focusing on objects mentioned in the books. After I started a social media series of ‘Latin verbs with Minimus’, I ended up making huge number of accessories – his belongings now fill a sizeable wicker hamper…