Whole lot of SLATTERN going on- Creating a Category 5!

Along with Otachi, another of the kaiju I did concept for on Guillermo del Toro’s PACIFIC RIM was the huge category 5 Slattern who dukes it out with Gipsy Danger at the films end. Unlike Otachi whose role wasn’t defined when I started the design, Slattern had a part to play from the beginning that would help with his evolution. The category 5 needed to be huge and tough and as Guillermo originally described, an “executioner” (which became his nickname I gave to the designs) for an underwater battle near the breach.
My initial idea was that while Slattern would be an executioner, he would be more agile than a brute. Swift and moray eel like in the water and almost gremlin-like using the many chest arms to pick apart the jaegers as he fought. The multiple tails would also dance around the tentacle motif (which was forbidden in the kaiju designs we did).
His head design would subliminally have the feel of a “skull and crossbones”, with the lower jaw shape mirroring the top horns and his eyes clustered in the middle like a face.
Guillermo liked the initial form and idea but wanted the eyes moved to the sides, which worked great since now the center spot could be similar to a nose cavity on a skeleton and give the head a hammerhead shape (I also thought it gave him more personality and kinda made him look a bit like a monster caricature of Jack Palance). From there I worked up a more detailed version of the body and head with Guillermo’s input.
Another unused concept like the chest arms, was for Slattern’s head to have a spiked cobra like hood that would fan out when he bellows and reveal a huge cavernous mouth!
After Guillermo approved this design, I moved onto another needed concept and Slattern was passed to the incredible Wayne Barlowe who did his take on the character, bulking up the form and adding details like the formidable chest spike! From there, concept artist Francisco Ruiz Velasco did another awesome rendered painting to bring the kaiju in line with the final designs of the others. The final touch was David Meng’s amazing maquette which again brought it all together before ILM brought a Category 5 to life on the screen!