Sometimes I come across a project that feels like it was made just for me to love. Usually that project touches on my favorite genre, science fiction, but with Derek Tonks’ “Oh the Monster I’ll Make,” I was utterly blown away by his talent, ambition, and commitment to what he loves most: making monsters!

At just 17-years-old, it’s kind of incredible what Derek Tonks has already accomplished and unbelievable what he’s about to do through his Kickstarter project. He’s designed a badass monster that he’s in the process of transforming into a full-size wearable monster suit. The suit is already partially made, complete with mechanical monster-claw attachments, special stilts for an extra 12” of height, and eventually, a fully articulated monster face with animatronic eyes that will likely scare the living bejeezus out of anyone who encounters it. Here are just a few samples of past projects Derek has worked on:

And here’s the sketch his new monster is based upon:

I’m not sure what the rest of you were doing when you were seventeen, but let’s just say Derek’s project has sufficiently put my entire life to shame. His monster instantly reminded me of H.R. Giger’s classic Alien design, and while Derek’s creation is intended to be a portfolio piece for his senior art project, it’s clearly a passion project indicative of great things to come.