(27 July 2000)

The 18th of July I started on the next kit in line. It will be one more take on Nosferatu, featuring Klaus Kinski sneaking up behind a shocked Isabelle Adjani in a two figure set.

Beside you'll find the first in progress shots taken the 28th of July. I will sculpt all head and hand details in wax since my experience from the toy industry has taught me the value of using this material before Super Sculpey. I'll still use Sculpey for the rest of the kit though. Note that hands are just markings in Super Sculpey showing where the final hands will go.

Front pic here

Close up here

First head shot after only a days work

(1 August)

Did a little reposing today. After a discussion with Kenneth Nyman (Valkyria design) I decided it would look more creepy if he leaned a bit forward, pointing his head in a different direction. This gave him more movement and will work well both together with Adjani and as a stand alone.
Started roughing out cloth-drapery and rough details. I currently work only two days a week due to other commitments, but within a week or so I'll be back full time. Fourteen days 'til deadline in AFM, so I have to produce some kind of presentable picture by then.

Left side here

Close-up here

(7 August)

I started on the Adjani head the other day. Here's a pic after two days of sculpting. Same thing here. I'm doing the head and arms in wax. However I don't want to do her hair in wax, so I'll have to make molds and cast the head in resin before adding a clay hair.

(8 August)

Started on Adjani's body today. So here's the first glimpse of things to come. Please note that she will be sitting so it might look a bit odd right now when she's doing that strange "antigravity"-dance!

Front pic here.

Close up here

(10 August)

Did a little detailing/refining on both heads and started on Lucy's dress. I'm not sure about her exposed leg, time will tell. I will be tied up in other commitments next week and hope to resume work next Thursday. See you then. Oh, by the way, the clay-blob on Lucy's head is supposed to mark out the hair. Mostly for this pic.

Another angle here

Close up here

(22 August)

Worked a little on Kinski's face. I received some constructive criticism from a German Kinski fan regarding some of Kinski's features and I found he was right in many ways (thanx Marcus!). I also started on Adjani's hands.

(25 August)

I've worked a little more on the likeness, and I built a couple of hands for Kinski. The left hand is a very twisted hand, probably the weirdest looking hand I've ever done. The other is "unfolded", spread out. Nosferatu-style! Adjani went to silicone today, so that I can proceed with her, sculpting hair and stuff.

Another angle here

A series of headshots here

(28 August)

I've worked a little more on Kinski's forehead and added a little skin texture and a few wrinkles. Still have to work on the eyebrows though. Casted Adjani's head in flesh colored resin and attached it. Started on her hair and started refining her gown. The hands got a little treatment also, but still a few things to attend to here.

Another angle here

(31 August)

Refined Adjanis gown a little today and finished the chair she will be sitting on. I started on it yesterday. Also did a little on her hands. Kinski's forehead got a slightly rounder shape. Yesterday I detailed his nails and knuckles a little and started on refining his cloak, but that was so darn boring so I did Adjani's hair instead. Brought you two close-ups of the faces for you to see where I'm heading (no pun intended!). It's quite hard to tell the likeness from these pics since they both are very dependent on their make-up. Also the level of details could be better, but I'm dumping pics from my DV-camcorder, so I only get 72 dpi, sorry.

(1 September)

Changed a few things on Kinski's head again. Moved the ears a bit forward (you where right Marcus!). And almost ruined it all, at least the left ear had to be rebuilt and I unintentionally touched the backside of the head with the side of the waxer tool. Melted a great gaping hole in the head. Detailed Adjani's night gown and right sleeve. Here are two more "mugshots".

(4 September)

I've worked on Adjani's gown today. Redid the folds on the front, because I wanted a softer appearance. Still a little detailing left to do though.

(6 September)

Worked on Kinski's cloak, just defining the shape, rake and soften the surface. Also detailed Adjani's foot and did some touch ups on her gown. Yesterday I worked mostly on her hair.

Full view here

(12 September)
Well folks, I'm just about there. Only the final cleanup of details left to do then it's time to put it in the fryer and BAKE IT! In the next couple of days I will carefully examine the finish and detailing of all parts.

Here are a couple of panorama pics of the two characters, as well as a full view pic.

Click to enlarge

(1 October)
Bad news. I haven't had enough time lately to finish the kit as I planned to. I will not be releasing the kit for Halloween. And therefore I will not come to the Chiller Theater Convention. I will however be at the spring show next year, but then the kit will probably already be out.

I know I am disappointing a lot of people now, but I figure better disappoint them by being late than to disappoint them doing a halfdone job, right? So all you who have put in a request for a pre-order for Chiller, stay cool, I'll let you know as soon as the kit is done and I'll send it out in chronological order.

I baked the piece two weeks ago and I have separated the parts. Today I've been sanding like h*ll to get that great smooth surface over all the flat areas of Kinski's cloak and Adjani's gown. I am still going over the wax pieces to get them as good as possible. Next up is to do keys for all the parts and then it's molding time.

(31 October 2000)
I am so frustrated over not coming to NYC this year. It has become a habit and I've been sort of "Chiller-addicted"! AND I MISS ALL MY FRIENDS! But we'll be back in May for the spring show, and then I'll bring my old GK-partner Joachim and his Pagan Art.
The kit is probably finished this week. I have made all keys except for the feet and I need to do some repairs in the waist joints. Then it is off to the molding process, and since I have so little time it will probably take a while.

(13 December)
Molds are halfway done and I hope to get it done before December is out. I haven't had much time to work on it at all lately and I really have a sore stomach about it. I know that there are a lot of you waiting for it now, and believe me, I want to see it done too.

The molding process is something that has to be carefully orchestrated and you don't want to make any mistakes. Especially when I've decided to do "mold-molds" to pull duplicate molds from. I tried it on some of the parts for the Graf Orlok kit and it worked fine so I will do it for the whole kit. So; No Mistakes!

(4 January)
Good News! The molds for Kinski and Adjani are done, and what you are looking at are the first prototype castings. Everything went well and the castings came out pretty good. Due to the fact that I did two part molds the seams are a bit more evident than it usually is on my kits, but I think it still is OK.

I still have to do the molds for the base. There are a whole bunch of rats sticking out under Kinski's cloak and the tails are molded onto the base. I will get the mold done this weekend and then maybe, the production can start. Unfortunately I don't have any time for casting nowadays (I usually do all castings myself!), but I'll try to persuade a few friends to help out. This really feels like a breakthrough!

(Spring 2001)
After some trouble getting new master molds production finally started. Also problems with photographers; the one who I use to work with got ill the week it had to be done so thanx to my friend Christer I finally managed to get a professional photographer who did a very fast but good job. Since this was the dream piece I always wanted for my collection, I took quite some time off to paint it.

The cover was another thing; I wanted a friend of mine, who is a fantastic painter, to paint the cover artwork Aurora-style. He liked the idea, but had no chance to start before the end of April, so I just had to do a cover by myself. Only a few days left before I left for USA I had it done and the very night before leaving I got the color ad in for AFM. I managed to get 20 copiesof the kit done, thanks to Christer Ottling who now is a certified caster at the school of Swede Creations ;-), and while packing I realized; this is a lot of kits! Hope I get at least 10 sold...

(1 May)
Just got back from Chiller Theatre Convention today. WOW! I sold out all kits halfway into the show!!!! I could have brought at least 10 more! Guess I struck a core here. It wasn't just me who wanted this one as a kit! Or maybe some one liked my job... Anyway, this is Staffan Linder, signing off, quite exhausted, but quite happy.
Later...