After a good solid few hours of research, I think I can safely begin this discussion without feeling the need to dodge flying tomatoes. After reviewing what feels like ALL of the 466 pages of threads when you search for the NAG NIGHTMARE, some of the mask’s idiosyncrasies STILL remain elusive. Here is what I know so far, and I would love any and all info we can add to it! Nik is on vacation, I believe, so I was hoping to rely on some of our members for details they remember.
THE NAG NIGHTMARE
BACKSTORY
The mask originates from an original 1975 Don Post Kirk that was converted to look like a Myers mask, specifically a mask owned by Billy Kirkus. The mask was painted, and it’s eye holes cut out:
The Kirkus mask was clay pressed and molded by Justin Mabry of Nightowl Productions. This is known as "The Nightmare Mold” or the “Nightmare Master.”*
*I suspect some improvement was done to the ears at this point, which is a bit apparent when analyzing pictures of the original cast. Particularly a possible deflation of what is known as the “scapha” and “anti-helix” portion of the ear. There also appears to be a calming of the projected “tragus,” the little flap of skin behind the sideburn.
Here is a photo of a cast of Kirkus’ mask out of Mabry’s mold (thank you kaizu ).
Justin reportedly did not like the Kirkus’ mask’s precut eyes (you can clearly see they are very large), and thus did not like the look of the mold results (it’s essentially a rejected mold, as Justin later made a second attempt using the Kirkus mask clay press where he sculpted eyes and uses it to create the NO Nightmare Man 78 and related masks).
Justin reportedly made a deal with Mask Maker Productions (MMP) that involved a trade for a screenused Mummy chest for the mold. After he sent it to MMP, however, MMP kept the mold without sending the chest to Justin. The chest ends up sold on ebay and MMP uses the mold to produce their Nightmare/Nightwatcher masks, with varying finishes without compensating Justin. (Allegedly)
A classic mold master copy is sold by MMP to Cold Blooded Killer Studios (CBK) who use it to produce the HIRO mask. A mold master copy is also sold to Jack in the Box (JITB)*
*EDIT: When JITB closed down, they may have sold the master and the (supposed exclusive) rights to that mask to a few different people at the same time. -KaijuMyers
Nikos Dresios (Nikolas Art Gallery) purchases the classic mold master copy from CBK (and also purchases the master mold copy from Jack in the Box). He then produces the Nightmare mask.*
*Some minor controversy erupted when it was learned Chris Morgan of White Mask Productions intended to purchase the remaining mold master from MMP. Morgan uses the mold to produce the Nightstalker.
NAG NIGHTMARE OFFERINGS
There are a few versions of the NAG Nightmare:
The original Nightmare (also known as the “small Nightmare”. [Notable features: “this mask is shorter and smaller around the brow than the others (around 23.5”) and so has a bit of a more rounded head shape" - DarknessBDJM]
NAG’s Nightmare Reshape (which was a re-tool) [Notable features: “more standard oval head shape and 24” size, and a re-sculpted brow, mouth area, and jaw line. This Nightmare has the least detail in the latex of the three." (Out of the Original/Reshape/Unlimited)- DarknessBDJM]
NAG Nightmare Unlimited (another re-tool where Nikos sculpted Kirk eyes. [Notable features: Sculpted eyes, “more enhanced/prominent details over even the small Nightmare (like the crow’s feet), and a more accurate head shape, jaw line, and an especially improved arch like mouth area over other Nightmares (which all have a more rounded mouth area from the philtrum to the cheek”).
NAG Nightmare Rarer (re-tool to make the mask larger)
Anymore NAG Nightmares?
MYSTERIES
What kinds of modifications has Nik done to the Nightmare, particularly as compared to the original mold.
Presumably, as Justin noted, the Kirkus eye holes would have appeared inaccurate. I’d venture to guess the eye holes required a re-do.
Were any additional details changed from the original mold?
Analysis of the photos shows some slight softening of the nose and subtle tweaks to the top lip (?) Were these changes done by Justin at the retool level of the clay press, or by Nik?
Can Justin confirm if he remembers tweaking the ears? Or are the visible changes a function of the latex and the clay press?
Do we know any specifics about Nik’s work on the Nightmare masks?
The cast you posted is actually the 2nd attempt, here’s the Nightmare mold.
Justin did tell me just recently the Nightmare mold he sent to MMP was also a retool.
thank you for the information ! the Nightmare UL is one of the masks i’ve been considering, it’s nice to know more specifics about this model other than it being one that stands out to me personally. looking forward to any more additional insight.
Nightmare master passed through more hands then that because i owned it at one time too.
Jitb when he closed down sold the master and the rights to that mask and a couple other masks to a few people at once. And i think he even sold his actual molds to other people. So you had multiple people making nightmares and ul75 and a couple others that all thought they’d bought exclusive rights to produce. It was a pretty shady moment in Myers mask history. One of too many imo. (Seriously who sells the rights to produce a mask to multiple people at once?)
I don’t remember who i sold the nightmare master to i didn’t keep it very long when i saw other people were making copies of it. I remember it was a small’ish latex master, sort of thick and yellow, and i think it had some clearcoat sprayed on it.
It looked exactly like that posted pic. At the time i didn’t know Justin was involved in its creation i just knew about the shady MMP connection and that they’d ripped a lot of people off. At the time though it was one of the few masks that had decent details like the lines across the bridge of the nose. The masks i made with it though were just too small.
That was also around the time that CGP was ripping people off and it just seemed like the whole hobby had become nothing but liars, crooks and scam artists.
… Wasn’t a fun time and i think a lot of people left the hobby around then.
Awesome thread. Very informative for those who didn’t know the true origins. I am still after an original 4 Stamp myself. Benny’s copy is a perfect example of just how close to the original Kirk it truly is.
He will be back and taking orders the first week of December
First of all! …thank you for you time to make this awesome thread
but…
the nightmare reshape is a 23" Mask and also have eyes “filled” in the blank needed to cut out
and the Unlimited came in 24" and 25" versions, info from nag fb.
Photo from a Nightmare Reshape Blank
Credits to E.C.
Imo the Reshape is more accurate then the Unlimited in a fact the Size is 23" i compared also the Mabry 2nd Press with this NAG Nightmare Reshape Blank 2019 the Details are Phenomenal and i cant notice diffrence betwen them two.
So i we can say if you own a Nightmare you got a real authentic hero mask cause it was bulid from a real Kirk75
After reviewing what feels like ALL of the 466 pages of threads when you search for the NAG NIGHTMARE, some of the mask’s idiosyncrasies STILL remain elusive. Here is what I know so far, and I would love any and all info we can add to it! Nik is on vacation, I believe, so I was hoping to rely on some of our members for details they remember.
).
