Inside the Artdoll - Frank the Rabbit

Admin
Jul 23
2 min read

Every so often, I get the urge to step outside my usual world of mythical creatures and wild animals to dive into something a little darker and a little weirder. I've always wanted to create a custom figure of Frank the Rabbit from Donnie Darko for my own personal collection. So recently I did just that, it was such a fun (and slightly creepy) project to bring to life.

If you’ve seen Donnie Darko, you know just how haunting and iconic Frank is. The film, released in 2001, became a cult classic for its eerie tone, mind-bending story, and unforgettable visuals. Frank is a central figure in the movie, appearing to the troubled teen Donnie in visions that blur the line between time travel, fate, and madness. With his metallic rabbit mask, glowing eyes, and cryptic warnings ("28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, 12 seconds..."), Frank has carved out his place as one of the most memorable characters in psychological horror.

I’ve always been drawn to creature design that feels both surreal and meaningful, and Frank fits that perfectly. For this piece, I sculpted his mask from polymer clay, and his shoes out of Apoxie Sculpt, adding detailed textures like realistic shoelaces and cracks to match the unsettling look from the film. His mask has that distorted, toothy grin and wide, vacant eyes, which I painted by hand and sealed for durability.

The body is a stock action figure body, which has a great articulation. I used a rich, dark grey faux fur that mimics the look of his ragged rabbit suit, giving the whole figure a ghostly, dreamlike quality. I sewed it directly over the action figure body. Whether he’s standing, crouching, or looming in the corner of a shelf, he has real presence, exactly the way I imagine he would in person (if that's not too terrifying a thought).

This figure isn’t for sale, it’s something I made just for my personal collection, because Donnie Darko has always fascinated me and Frank’s design has stuck with me for years. It’s rare that I create fan art pieces like this, but I couldn’t resist bringing him into my own little world of creatures.

I have a range of artdolls looking for homes in m y shop creaturesofnat.com, payment plans are also welcome.

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If you're into dark, strange, or magical creatures, you're in the right place. I share lots of behind-the-scenes content, time-lapses, and creature builds across all my platforms. Come explore the world of sculptural art with me: