ASIA ERIKSEN: CREEPY-CUTE WEREPUPS AND NIGHTMARE GLOVES.

The world is soon to reap the fruits of Asia Eriksen’s fertile imagination.If you want your science fiction/horror/fantasy project realized in comic form or sculptured figurines, Asia and her husband Anders are only a click away at Doghead Studios. (http://www.dogheadstudios.com/).

I spoke to Asia about her forthcoming film project Cave Canem, about the tortured lead character Dr. Norman Baxter, and what drives his desire to protect orphaned Lycanthrope babies, commonly known as Werepups. Gary Busey and Robert Englund-Freddy Krueger himself-have agreed to appear in Cave Canem. 

In the lead up to her film, Asia has already created a brand of lifelike custom-made WerePups for adoption homes wanting a  “puppy-like cuteness and creepy weirdness..things that can grow ten-feet tall and tear you to shreds”.

Orders are flying out the door….

Anders Eriksen, Asia’s husband, is a keen Elm Street /Freddy Krueger enthusiast. Anders’Nightmare Glove, licensed by Warner Brothers, is widely seen as the ultimate horror collectible.

Creepy-Cute WerePups and Nightmare Gloves have a flourishing market of avid customers, all aficionados of the horror genre.

So before finding out more about these products, I asked Asia to enlighten as to what makes  horror movies just so damn intriguing……

There are so many reasons why horror as a genre appeals to a mass audience. 

We love things - books, music, images, films - that can really conjure up a real emotional response. Horror happens to be arguably, the genre that can cause the widest and most extreme range of emotions. A good drama makes you cry, a good comedy cracks you up, a good thriller has you on the edge of your seat, a fantasy film has you looking at things you could only dream up in your imagination…a horror film can do all of that and more. My favorite horror films have moments that get under your skin in ways that stick with you, they manage to just perfectly touch a nerve. It’s a feeling that’s difficult even to describe, and it’s rarely experienced in life. I think being able to have all of these different feelings by viewing a work of art in the safety of your own home is something we need.

I really think that horror is the modern day fairy tale. It has all the elements, if you look back at the original well-known fairy tales that we’ve been telling our children for ages, you’ll find that the original versions of the stories have some very horrific elements, and if you examine most horror films you’ll find that they have many of the fairy tale elements.

There’s also the unknown, morbid curiosity that is very human to have. Why do people line up to gawk at a terrible car wreck? I don’t think it’s because we are cold and being cruel, it’s just that we can’t help having that part of us that wants to peer into that dark space that we all strive to avoid, while still maintaining our own safety. Maybe we walk away being reminded of our own fragility, maybe it’s just like peering through a telescope into the stars. To be honest, I think there are endless reasons why horror films, spooky and disturbing things appeal to people, and maybe that’s why it’s so widespread.

I started writing Cave Canem in 2011, when I was just getting out there with my original 11” latex batch of WerePups. I was going to shows, getting a great deal of interest in the Pups and really starting to have fun with it all and see everything with a new perspective. I had the idea that I wanted to write a comic book centered around a character that would basically be my very first WerePup, (Laurence or “L.B.”) as an adult werewolf. My husband, Anders Eriksen is a brilliant artist, and I’ve always loved his style of drawing werewolves and other creatures, so I wanted to work together with him on the comic. Around the same time, Anders and I were getting to know some very inspiring people. Gary Busey, who is a dear friend of ours, had some great words of encouragement and he not only inspired me to think bigger and to grow the project into something more, but he planted the first idea for the character of Dr. Baxter.

The story deals a lot with the duality of humans and how things are often not what they seem - that you simply can’t know anyone or anything until you truly have a chance to look at the entire picture.

Another take on duality is the werewolf representing the human as both animal and spiritual being… rationality and morality keeping this aggressive nature in check..until the  full moon shines. How awareness of that duality does in fact foster tolerance and understanding of our own humanity.  I am very much into exactly that. 

In "Cave Canem," Dr. Baxter’s son is the product of his original encounter with a werewolf. He’s going through his teenage years and finding that perhaps, in an attempt to be more human it only brings out a more animalistic side. There is a struggle, but then you realize that it is extremely human and we all have to go through it. Rumors float around that Dr. Baxter is completely insane and horrible - yes, he has done some nasty things in his laboratory, but he’s actually a character with a huge heart and he’s very passionate about what he loves.  All of the story’s characters have that. They aren’t really supposed to be good or bad people, they are simply people, and I also like to look at the world that way.

"Silver Bullet" is such a great film - I loved the idea of Reverend Lowe because, there are moments where he really seems to be the victim. He is not only haunted by werewolf visions himself, but then he also uses religion as a way to try and justify his urge to kill as a werewolf. He tells himself that he is saving their souls, but you also know he is out of control, even killing children. The characters are fantastic, and you really come to care about this little family that is flawed, real, and wonderful.

One of the things I enjoy most of all about making WerePups, is when I bring them to shows and they invoke a really strange mixture of emotions - once there was a guy who came up to me and said “I don’t know whether I want to cuddle it or burn it,” and it sounds funny but, to me, that’s a high compliment because that range of reaction is so extreme.

As I went along, I took inspiration from a lot of different people who I have been lucky enough to have in my life - friends and family - and I projected a lot of myself into the character of Dr. Baxter. Basically, he has an encounter with a werewolf early on, and becomes obsessed with the creature. His obsession takes over his entire life, causes him to become a recluse and eventually drives him to try and create werewolves himself. These little guys he makes in the lab - the “WerePups” - are the result.

The original latex  WerePups are $70, the “Pocket Pups” are a new development and they are full bodied silicone. They are a lot like the lifesize ones, only tiny. The response from the fans has been exciting and sometimes can be very overwhelming. I go through long periods of time where I have trouble keeping up with emails - after I do a show, for instance, I get a lot of inquiries. I have to have adoptive WerePup parents on a waiting list and sometimes the wait is excruciatingly long because each Pup is handmade, and there has been a high demand that keeps growing. I get a lot of interesting customization requests, which I really enjoy doing.

I am in the process of expanding, having new options. The silicone ones are already being improved with even more lifelike features, and I am very excited about them. I am working on vinyl versions that can be produced faster and in larger quantities, but I plan on continuing the hand make silicone Pups, because part of what makes them what they are is that they are highly customizable and the fur is hand punched for greater realism. It’s really a lot like breeding puppies because no two are ever going to be exactly alike, and I really take my time with each one. It sounds crazy, but I like getting to know every single WerePup before it leaves. True, there are some that I like more than others, but during the process they sort of seem to develop a personality. By the time they leave me I’m looking at the different Pups and calling them by names their adoptive parents give me and I’m going “This one’s the tough guy, this one’s grumpy, this one’s a little diva..” They each get a lot of love before they go home, and you can’t get that with a mass produced product. I do think, however, that things like the vinyl WerePups and smaller Pocket Pups are going to be much better options for kids, as well as adults who love the idea of baby werewolves but aren’t looking to invest in such a big purchase with a long wait time.

 My husband started Nightmare Gloves around 1997, and he’s been offering what is considered the “ultimate horror collectible” ever since. He puts so much work into his gloves and goes above and beyond to offer the closest thing you can get to owning Freddy’s actual glove. Not only are his replicas still the best on the market, but his personal designs and commissioned gloves maintain the look and feel of a screen used prop while being completely unique and specific to custom requests.

Anders and his partners Christopher Johnson and Eriq Chang have been working hard these past few years since being licensed by Warner Brothers, and the relaunch is going to be massive. The variety of different collectibles, books, prints and exclusive limited edition merchandise is just fantastic and very exciting for Nightmare fans. I’ve had the pleasure of having a hand in some of the design, book and collectible ideas - the fun stuff.

Robert Englund is just a wonderful actor, mentor and friend. Anders has known him for a long time and he’s been endorsing Nightmare Gloves for many years. He and his wife Nancy are incredibly supportive and have helped us a great deal in all of our ventures, which is why we are all so thankful to have Robert on board, whether it’s photos, voiceovers or speaking about the product, he’s always fantastic and just a pleasure to be around.

http://www.dogheadstudios.com/

http://www.werepups.com/

ADAM GREENWELL MAY 25 2013