The gargoyle could probably be carved held in a regular vise.  However,
after a bit, your back would start complaining.
Here are plans for a homemade version of a carver's vise:

http://www.cliftonsea
rs.ca/woodcarving/vise.html

The one I made is a simplified version but works really well:

htt
p://s1369.photobucket.com/user/Epictetus/library/Carvers%20Vise

Some points:

1.  Lowes and Home Depot only have the galvanized version of the floor
flanges ($12 each - for some dung cast iron).  Ace Hardware has the black
pipe version for less than half that.
2.  Nowhere had an eye bolt that exactly accommodated the 1/2" nipple (Why
do they call a 6" length of pipe a nipple?) so I opened up one with a BF
screwdriver and hammer, so that the pipe would fit in it.
3.  The lower pipe and flange is 3/4" and the upper pipe and flange is 1/2"
4.  File the 3/4" T junction to accommodate the eyebolt and pipe, to keep
the arrangement rigid.  If you don't do this, and keep tightening, then the
eyebolt just opens up.  I filed one end of the T junction 90 degrees and the
other end 45 degrees.  Filing cast iron is easy.
5.  I mounted the arrangement to a 2x4 with the expectation of bolting the
2x4 to the workbench but it works just fine just clamping the 2x4 in the end
vise, and is actually better because you can quickly switch it 180.
6.  I epoxied the pipes to their respective flanges and also the lower pipe
to the T junction.

Hope that helps!

Cheers