John Austin is a professional toy designer and he lives in Appleton, Wisconsin.

“Load up on marshmallows, cut up old CDs and ask your mum for her clothes pegs… it’s war! All these objects should have you on your way to building some of the most terrifying instruments of war from history. With easy step-by-step instructions simple household items can be transformed. With just a set of chopsticks and some string you can practise the ancient Japanese art of archery called Kyudo. A steady hand is probably needed and nearly every item requires quite a bit of gluing or taping together. But let’s face it, when exam time comes how are you going to protect your answers from the cheat sitting next to you?” - Flipside Magazine (teenage magazine extolling the joys of reading) May 2014