Enik from Land of the Lost - Restoration and Display
Enik the Altrusian
a Land of the Lost Sleestak costume restoration and display
For all of our creative endeavors, the primary goal is a happy client... in this case, collector Keir Neubauer came to us to restore and display his prized possession: the original Enik costume from Land of the Lost.
His review of the project:
"A little over twelve years ago I realized the impossible dream of acquiring the one and only Enik costume, screen-used on the Sid and Marty Krofft tv show Land Of The Lost. That was the good news. The bad news was that the hands, feet, tunic, and accessories were missing and, to make matters worse, the latex & neoprene suit was crusty and crumbly. After over a decade of storage, I decided to locate someone to perform the much needed restoration. As fate (and luck) would have it, a cursory internet search turned up Tom Spina Designs. The web site appeared impressive and after a few phone conversations I was convinced they were the perfect shop for the job. The scope of the work involved specialized sculpting, repair, paint matching, sealing, and display mounting to exacting standards.....everything had to be authentic and matching period reference material of the costume.
Recently, the work was completed and I had the distinct pleasure of picking up the finished display. Upon viewing the newly restored and rejuvenated Enik, I was speechless! Even my most lofty expectations were exceeded! The level of craftsmanship and dedication to detail is phenomenal, placing Tom and his fellow wizards at the pinnacle of their art. Needless to say, every step of the process was handled with the utmost in professionalism and pride in their work. I am so pleased with every facet of this transaction and would highly recommend Tom Spina Designs to anyone contemplating prop restoration of any type. They truly brought Enik back to life!
Best regards, Keir Neubauer"
Thanks Keir! We were honored to work on this and your passion, interest and input helped make this something special!
Credits:
Tom Spina - Custom Mannequin, Costume Restoration, Necklace, Bracelet (with Lonnie Hale) and Base
Mike Thomas - Hands and Feet - sculptures, mold, cast and paint
Kitty Herbert and Kelly D - Tunic
Please visit the links in the top menu bar for more prop and costume restoration and mannequin projects like this one!
Click to see a video of this project!
Click any of the below for larger images
When Enik arrived, he was in poor shape. His costume was crumbling, riddled with cracks and missing scales. One sleeve cuff was torn off and the other gone... the mask would also need attention
We set about stabilizing the costume prior to handling and mannequin work. Each of the cracks was glued and sealed.
While the restoration continued, Mike Thomas started work on sculptures to recreate the missing hands and feet.
These sculptures were cast in foam-filled latex and painted to match the aged look of the original costume. Missing scales were recreated and carefully blended to seamlessly match the original material (which had an incredibly random and unique coloration due to age and condition).
Many hours were spent painstakingly reattaching and reinforcing scales!
The completed display! The costume was mounted on a completely custom-made mannequin with a themed base. At the client's request, the tunic, bracelet and necklace were also recreated to complete the display
The fabric for the tunic is a spot-on match to the original! The gem bracelet was sculpted by Tom Spina and cast in bubble-free clear red resin by Lonnie Hale. The necklace's prismatic design is also a perfect match for the original prop from the show! The mask received a gentle refurbishing as well.
The base is carved foam with a coating and was made to evoke the look of the set from the original show. It also has a great "Aurora model kit" vibe to it!
Happy client and proud artist! Keir Neubauer (left) stands with Tom Spina and Enik.
The completed display!
