Howlrunner
Sr Member
I'm a huge fan of the Critters movie series and I'm constantly trying to add to my (small) lifesize Critter collection. So I was very happy to win an auction for this little fellow (knowing full well it would need new hair and a new paintjob):
Now, as to who made it, I'm really not sure. I did some homework and it appears to be the same mold as the regular latex Critter that was once offered through Fangoria magazine by the company Distortions:
(Notice that the Deluxe version has a different sculpt - fingers are longer and wider spread and it has more teeth)
Apparently this mold was bought by KreationX who then produced a couple of their own (pretty sub par paint and fur if i remember the old online photos correctly).
However..... When mine arrived it turns out that it's a resin cast - completely unheard of for Distortions or KreationX. As it was pretty rough around the bottom, with some nasty air bubbles, I'm guessing someone recast one of the latex ones at some point, though I've NEVER seen one before. I didn't even know it was possible to recast something latex into resin! :confused To be perfectly honest, I think the resin cast is actually easier to work with than latex.
Anyway, enough of the history lesson.....
As I said, the cast was pretty rough, and it looked as if it'd been painted with a sharpie so I got started on it - ripped off all the fur, sanded down the leftover hotglue, filled and sanded the rough spots and sculpted points onto the end of each tooth with Milliput (the one thing I've always been bugged by is the rounded teeth that the Distortions sculpt has):
After that, it was matter of painting him up - the Critters appear different colours in each movie - I went with the brown/flesh colouration of the 2nd film. This was my paint reference:
Painted up:
It looks OK here, but the flatness of the eyes just kept on bugging me, so I eventually took my dremel to them:
And this is the point I'm now at. I've got glass eyes ordered, just waiting for them to arrive.
Hair will be the next thing - can't find ANY hair I'm happy with (nothing the right multiple shades and length) as I want hair like this:
I've considered National Fibre Technology, but I imagine they'll be really expensive, even for such a small amount as I'd need. Other than them, I guess I'll have to try to find a suitable soft toy to cut up. Unless anyone else can help? Any ideas?
Oh, and by the way - if anyone has the old Distortions Deluxe Critter they'd like to sell, please drop me a PM!
Now, as to who made it, I'm really not sure. I did some homework and it appears to be the same mold as the regular latex Critter that was once offered through Fangoria magazine by the company Distortions:
(Notice that the Deluxe version has a different sculpt - fingers are longer and wider spread and it has more teeth)
Apparently this mold was bought by KreationX who then produced a couple of their own (pretty sub par paint and fur if i remember the old online photos correctly).
However..... When mine arrived it turns out that it's a resin cast - completely unheard of for Distortions or KreationX. As it was pretty rough around the bottom, with some nasty air bubbles, I'm guessing someone recast one of the latex ones at some point, though I've NEVER seen one before. I didn't even know it was possible to recast something latex into resin! :confused To be perfectly honest, I think the resin cast is actually easier to work with than latex.
Anyway, enough of the history lesson.....
As I said, the cast was pretty rough, and it looked as if it'd been painted with a sharpie so I got started on it - ripped off all the fur, sanded down the leftover hotglue, filled and sanded the rough spots and sculpted points onto the end of each tooth with Milliput (the one thing I've always been bugged by is the rounded teeth that the Distortions sculpt has):
After that, it was matter of painting him up - the Critters appear different colours in each movie - I went with the brown/flesh colouration of the 2nd film. This was my paint reference:
Painted up:
It looks OK here, but the flatness of the eyes just kept on bugging me, so I eventually took my dremel to them:
And this is the point I'm now at. I've got glass eyes ordered, just waiting for them to arrive.
Hair will be the next thing - can't find ANY hair I'm happy with (nothing the right multiple shades and length) as I want hair like this:
I've considered National Fibre Technology, but I imagine they'll be really expensive, even for such a small amount as I'd need. Other than them, I guess I'll have to try to find a suitable soft toy to cut up. Unless anyone else can help? Any ideas?
Oh, and by the way - if anyone has the old Distortions Deluxe Critter they'd like to sell, please drop me a PM!
