Hulk, Thor and more: the Avengers have assembled on Balmoral Street on Montreal’s south shore.
The iconic gallery of DC and Marvel superheroes have come to life on the front lawn of a Saint-Hubert Halloween decorated house.
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Artist Maxime Duval has done it again this year, transforming his home into a superhero city landscape.
Duval has been turning heads every Halloween for the last 27 years, altering his property with different themes usually inspired by Hollywood movies.
“It’s my passion. I get a thrill out of it,” Duval said.
This year’s display showcases 16 characters, including a towering, green, life-size Hulk that stands nearly 10 feet tall.
A levitating Doctor Strange beside a wall-crawling Peter Parker.
A motorcycle-riding Wolverine and a furry Rocket raccoon.
Duval has been working on this project since January and says even with the Halloween deadline approaching, he isn’t done yet.
“There is more to come. I got Iron Man and Batman and Captain America — it’s going to look great,” he said.
Duval expects to have a total of 20 superheroes paired with a lightshow and soundtrack when the big day comes.
Not only are the characters life-size, they look like almost life-like.
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Using 3D printing technology, Duval sculpts the faces and heads of the famous actors who play the role, such as Hugh Jackman, Chris Hemsworth and Patrick Stewart with an uncanny realism.
Duval says the heads, which he connects to the costumed statue bodies, take about a week to create.
Nothing compared to the styrofoam Hulk, which Duval said was the most time-consuming, taking a month to curve and build.
All of this his work is done from his backyard tool shed.
The man of wonder is tight-lipped, however, when it comes to the price of all his work, only saying that costs can run into the thousands. He does manage to reuse much of the material year after year, such as the mannequin bodies and forms.
Donations of building supplies from big-box stores and help from fellow artists facilitate the process.
Reselling some the pieces every year also helps repay the expenses. However, Duval said, the biggest cost is his time.
“I put countless hours of time and sweat into this every year,” he said. “I want kids and adults to feel like they are entering the movie of seeing the hero in real-life.”
This year’s display has been adapted to allow passersby a safe environment to enjoy the view.
There are hand sanitizer dispensers and spaced-out lines on the ground will direct the annual crowd.
Duval says he is already cooking up ideas for next year.
“I like dinosaurs — maybe Jurassic Park or Indiana Jones,” Duval said.
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