From Batmobiles to Space Capsules, Art Thompson Designs Projects That Make the Imagination Soar

If Art Thompson’s creations sound like they should be in the movies, that’s because some of them are— the Batmobile, for example— but one thing is for sure: his viral projects get people inspired, and that’s exactly what he wants. Samira Bouaou

Babies’ chew toys, Batmobiles, rocket engines—Art Thompson makes them all.

Thompson is a modern-day da Vinci, the rare sort of individual these days who is equally comfortable in the worlds of arts and technology, and more often than not bringing the two together. One of his earliest jobs involved running a sign shop—the owner handed it over to him a day after he’d started. He was still a teenager. Later, his art background came in handy at the aerospace company Northrop, where he made architectural models and was pulled into working on the B2 stealth bomber for over 10 years.