Aces of Trades: Dream of creating special effects for Star Wars led to Studio 13 Miniatures

NEWARK – He enjoys building something from nothing.

“As a kid, I always enjoyed the hobby of model making,” Jonathan Lippincott said. “It’s been one of my past times for well over 30 years. I became interested in models and miniatures mostly through my grandfather, who was into model railroading and collected vintage Lionel trains. I always loved building railroad sets and eventually moved on to model airplanes and hotrods. I love primarily depicting history. However, I also enjoy science fiction and fantasy pieces as well.”

“One of the biggest dreams I had,” he said, “was getting into the special effects industry, particularly Industrial Light & Magic, the studio created by George Lucas and responsible for the effects behind Star Wars and countless other films.”

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Today, Lippincott describes himself as head model crafter with his business, Studio 13 Miniatures.

“I focus on merging art, business, and creativity,” he said.

“I officially started taking commissions in February of this year, primarily because I want to share my passion of hobbyist culture with others.”

The name Studio 13, by the way, is a reference to State Route 13.

Lippincott, 39, grew up in Newark, graduated from Newark High School in 2003 and Central Ohio Technical College in 2021 with a degree in business management.

“My career path started in the service industry at the age of 15,” he said. “I chose this opportunity as I saw a very niche market with lots of opportunities to make custom miniatures and props for clients who are in the interest of gaming, cosplay, pieces for display and beyond.”

“It’s key to having an extensive background in customer service to be able to build the repertoire with the client to make them their desired custom piece,” he said. “It’s a very tedious process and requires not only patience but an eye for detail, relationship building and good business skills when it comes to managing everything.”

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Wife Emi Lippincott thinks her husband is “truly talented at what he does.”

“I’ve commissioned him for a lot of cosplay props and model work,” Emi Lippincott said. “His work never disappoints. The level of detail he works into a piece is very remarkable.”

“This is certainly a dream opportunity for me,” Jonathan Lippincott said. “I’ve dreamed of running my own business and I enjoy working with people directly on creative endeavors, to build something from nothing and share it with the world.”

Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs – whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Newark Aces of Trades: Star Wars dream led to Studio 13 Miniatures