In Memory of John Hurt

Sadly, actor Sir John Hurt passed away yesterday...  Hurt was a part of so many movie and television projects, but the roles I will always remember him for include his performances in Alien, Jim Henson's The Storyteller, Hellboy, and Doctor Who.

Hurt holds the distinction of being the first victim of the Xenomorph in the Alien film series.  The way I understand it, Hurt was one of the few cast members who knew what was going to happen during the original movie's most shocking scene - the emergence of the chestburster.  While the other actors were visibly traumatized by the creature's bloody reveal (famously kept under wraps by director Ridley Scott, who hoped to catch genuine onscreen reactions), I can't help but imagine the fun Hurt had being in on the "joke".  Reportedly, Hurt didn't have the best experience working on this movie, but I'd like to think that he enjoyed that moment.

Regardless, he was willing to spoof himself in Mel Brooks' Spaceballs!

As the eponymous Storyteller in Jim Henson's unfairly short-lived television series, Hurt did an excellent job embodying the whimsy of the show's first season.  If you haven't watched The Storyteller before, I definitely recommend it, if for no other reason than to appreciate Hurt's quirky narration over the retellings of lesser-known (sometimes funny, sometimes disturbing) European fairy tales.

Hurt brought a great deal of understated dignity and gut-wrenching emotion to a movie about a kitten-loving demon who beats the crap out of tentacled monsters.  Personally, I love Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy film, but I can't imagine the reaction Hurt must have had to del Toro's pitch for the movie.  Perhaps he shared in the misgivings of the studio execs that cringed at the project only to be won over by del Toro's infectious enthusiasm, or - more likely - Hurt saw the potential for Hellboy.  Either way, Hurt delivered a great performance and proved - as he had throughout his career - that even as an award-winning, highly respected actor he wasn't afraid to take on a role in the often maligned Science Fiction/Fantasy genres.

Hurt's work on Doctor Who was limited to just one television special, but he brought his usual gravitas and dedication to his craft to the role of the War Doctor.  Apparently, Hurt accepted the role as the "forgotten" incarnation of the Doctor immediately, honored to be a part of the shows legacy.  Hurt delivered a nuanced performance as an uncharacteristically (but appropriate within the context of the story) cynical and hardened version of the beloved Doctor.

While we are certainly saddened by Hurt's passing, it's comforting to know that we have a great body of his work to look back on that ensures his legacy will long endure.

Rest in peace, John Hurt.

In Memory of Carrie Fisher

Sadly, 2016 has taken yet another icon...  Carrie Fisher, most famous for her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars films has passed away.

Immortalized here in artwork by Alex Ross and in music by John Williams.

In Memory of John Zacherle

John Zacherle, also known as Zacherley, the "Cool Ghoul" has passed away.

Zacherle was one of the pioneering horror hosts who was most famous for his work on "Shock Theater" in the late 50's and early 60's.  Taking on the stage name Roland and later Zacherley, he not only introduced (and sometimes interrupted) the monster movies, but created a memorable crazed ghoul character, performing macabre skits infused with campy dark humor and gore.  He famously took advantage of the program being filmed in black-and-white, using Hershey's syrup as a cheap, but very effective stand-in for blood.

The monster/horror craze was at a fever pitch when Zacherle hosted "Shock Theater" and the actor amassed a cult following.  He was so popular at the time that he actually had a stint on the record charts (Top Ten Novelty Rock) for his song, "Dinner with Drac" in 1958.

Beyond his role as horror host, Zacherle worked on a variety of other television programs, radio, and voice work in movies.  But his work as Zacherley was to be his most famous role, and he apparently relished it.  Zacherle attended conventions and even got back into character time and again for various programs and events well into his 90's!

Beloved by Monster Kids everywhere, Zacherley will be greatly missed and certainly not forgotten.

In Memory of Jack Davis

During the hiatus from the Cryptic Corridor it didn't escape my attention that we lost a truly great and influential artist.

Jack Davis, one of my favorite comic artists, passed away on July 27th.

Truly a lifelong artist, Davis was a published illustrator at the age of 12 and he did not retire until he was nearly 90.  He enjoyed a very busy, decades-spanning career creating a staggering amount of output in the form of movie posters, album covers, and various advertisements.  Of course, he is most well known for his work with E.C. Comics and later MAD Magazine.

Davis' artwork gushed irreverent humor so well that he was a perfect fit for MAD's "Usual Gang of Idiots".  He had a very distinctive style which primarily consisted of mangy caricatures with exaggerated features.  At a glance his illustrations might seem haphazardly tossed together, and a maybe a bit sloppy or unrefined, but a closer look at any of his work reveals that he was in fact a master of a variety of media including pencil, ink, and even water color.  His talent has been acknowledged with

Below are a few of my favorite of Jack Davis' illustrations.

In Memory of Richard Attenborough

(August 29, 1923 - August 24, 2014)

"Creation is an act of sheer will."

- Richard Attenborough as John Hammond in Jurassic Park

Unfortunately, I've been posting way too many of these lately...  So many talented artists leaving us this year.

Rest in peace Mr. Attenborough.

In Memory of Dick Smith

(June 26, 1922 - July 30, 2014)

"There’s never going to be another Dick Smith. 
Dick is, without a doubt, the greatest makeup artist who’s ever going to live."   
- Rick Baker

Dick Smith, a visionary pioneer of prosthetic theatrical make-up effects often called the "godfather of make-up" passed away just a few weeks ago.

Smith, born in New York, attended Yale University studying to become a dentist.  Smith stumbled upon a book on theatrical make-up that piqued his interest so much that he began practicing in his spare time, emulating classic movie monster make-ups and volunteering his services to theatrical actors in local productions.  Shortly after his graduation, he enlisted in the military and served during World War II.

Dick Smith working on The Exorcist

After the war, Smith was having a hard time decided what he wanted to do with his life.  He was uncertain in his desire to become a dentist, but still had yearning to do make-up which, before the war, had been little more than a hobby.  He ultimately decided to pursue his passion and become a make-up artist.  Unfortunately, his wok was rejected by the film industry.  Smith's father presented him with the idea of working in television, which was still in its infancy at the time.  In those days, there was no such thing as a full-time make-up artist, but Smith did such great work that he was given continual work in television through NBC.

A dummy head created for a 1961 production of The Picture of Dorian Gray

Facing budget constraints and frustrated with the limitations of conventional techniques, Smith developed his own methods in his basement.  His pioneering techniques included innovations in foam latex prosthetic face masks.  These were normally made in just one piece and limited the amount of facial expression of the actors beneath the make-up. Smith's method involved the creation of three cohesively layered pieces that allowed for greater expression and realism.  To achieve additional realism, Smith relied on a collection of photographic references that he would use as inspiration throughout his career.  Smith continued working in television for around two decades, doing make-up work for genre shows such as Way Out (a Twilight Zone-esque anthology show), Dark Shadows, and a TV movie adaptation of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

A sampling of Smith's make-up work for Way Out, Dark Shadows, and North and South

It was in the 70's that Smith finally achieved his dream of creating make-ups for the movies such as Midnight Cowboy and House of Dark Shadows.  One of his early achievements was producing an old age make-up for Dustin Hoffman for the film Little Big Man.  Modern make-up artists still struggle to make convincing old age make-ups, but, ever the pioneer, Smith proved that he was up to the challenge.

Dustin Hoffman in Little Big Man

Another milestone in Smith's career was his work on The Godfather.  Once again, Smith pioneered new techniques.  He applied a simplified old age make-up to Marlon Brando when the actor refused to wear the appliances normally used to achieve the effect.  Additionally, Smith created the first bleeding make-up effect utilizing bladders and squibs tucked underneath foam latex appliances to produce a shockingly convincing head-shot scene.

Before and after shots Marlon Brando with a minimalist old age make-up created and applied by Dick Smith

Probably Smith's most famous and memorable work was created for the landmark horror film, The Exorcist.  For this film, Smith further blended special effects and his realistic make-ups, pushing his abilities to their limits.  Smith had just three months to develop not only demonic make-ups, but also old age make-ups and a variety of prosthetics integrated with special effects.  Working with just one assistant - Rick Baker, who would go on to his own illustrious career in make-up effects - Smith created some of his best work. Most notable are the scenes in which welts appearing on Linda Blair's stomach, the extreme vomiting effect, and the infamous head-spinning dummy.

The dummy used to create the disturbing spinning head scene

Smith would go on to work on numerous films and even win an Academy Award for Best Make-up for his amazing old age make-up in Amadeus.  In 2011 he was the first make-up artist to be awarded with the Academy Honorary Award.

Life sized puppets created for Ghost Story

Smith influenced countless young make-up artists with his work in television and film, but perhaps his most enduring contribution to his craft was sharing his secrets.  While many make-up artists were reluctant to share their techniques, Smith put forth efforts throughout his career to educate aspiring artists through publications and training courses.

A 1965 special edition of Famous Monsters of Filmland featured instructional guides by Dick Smith

It is certain that Dick Smith's legacy will endure and continue to inspire monster makers for generations to come.  You can find more information about Smith's career and his training program at http://www.dicksmithmake-up.com/

In Memory of H.R. Giger

(February 5, 1940 – May 12, 2014)

"Sometimes people only see horrible, terrible things in my paintings...  I tell them to look again, and they may see two elements in my paintings — the horrible things and the nice things. I like elegance. I like art nouveau; a stretched line or curve. These things are very much in the foreground of my work." 

- H.R. Giger

H.R. Giger, the Swiss surrealist painter, sculptor, and concept designer passed away yesterday.

It is impossible to discuss Giger without talking about the unique style he created called "biomechanical".

Apparently Giger was plagued by frequent night terrors throughout his life.  He mentioned once that he only found respite by putting what he experienced on the canvas.  Through the course of one particularly vivid nightmare, Giger recalled seeing a bathroom come to life in a terrifying manner, with pipes and toilet bowls developing skin and metamorphosing into gazing creatures with gaping maws that peered hungrily at him.  This, Giger insisted, was the inspiration for his signature style.

Giger is best known for his design work on Ridley Scott's film, Alien.  He designed not only the titular alien creature, but also the various stages of its life cycle, the derelict extraterrestrial ship and the "space jockey" pilot.  Despite numerous problems during production of the film, Giger couldn't resist seeing his work in three dimensions.  He endured criticism of executives and censorship from the studio only go on to create something truly memorable among the annals of cinematic history...  The Xenomorph!

"Biomechanics fused the impossible into a savage logic: metal and flesh, sex and death, hypnotic beauty and violation; its cool, corpse-silver colors pre-empting Scott's industrial-tech aesthetic. The artist's contribution to the film is definitive-he brought the alien to Alien."

- Ian Nathan, from Alien Vault: The Definitive Story of the Making of the Film

While Giger's style is often emulated today,imitations of his trademark style pale in comparison.  His mesmerizing, nightmarish landscapes remain as his legacy for generations to come.

In Memory of Al Feldstein

(October 24, 1925 – April 29, 2014)

Al Feldstein, artist and longtime editor of E.C. Comics and MAD Magazine passed away earlier this week.  I thought it would be appropriate to look back at some of his contributions.

William Gaines (E.C. Comics' Publisher) and Al Feldstein

Al Feldstein was a lifelong artist.  He studied painting in high school and attended the Art Students League with a scholarship and would later go on to work in comic books.  Feldstein served as a Special Services artist during World War II and then returned to comic books. In 1948 he ended up working at E.C. Comics, the publisher of horror and science fiction comics such as Tales from the Crypt and Weird Science.

During his time at E.C., Feldstein would take on a myriad of roles. Starting out as an artist on a lesser-known title, he worked his way through the ranks to become not only an illustrator, but also creator, writer, and finally, editor.  Late in his career at E.C., he oversaw all of the titles, typically contributing one illustrated story per title.  At one point he took on writing of all the seven books being published at the time, limiting his artistic contributions to cover illustrations.

Feldstein was responsible for recruiting and managing one of the most talented rosters of artists in the industry.  He encouraged them to develop their own style which set E.C. apart from other publishers of the time.  Additionally, under the editorship of Feldstein, E.C. made many bold creative decisions.  The comics took on issues such as drug addiction, prejudice, and the horrors of war - subjects that other mediums wouldn't dare bring up at the time!

E.C. Comics was driven out of business due to government censorship efforts, many of which targeted the company directly.  Nearly all of Feldstein's books were forced to cease publication under the guidelines of the newly minted Comic Code Authority, a censor organization that focused its attention on comics.  Thus, Feldstein ended up leaving the company.  His departure proved to be short-lived however, for he returned to E.C. to take over editorial duties of one of E.C.'s only surviving publications, the humor and satire comic magazine known as MAD.

In case you were wondering, the important message was:  "BUY THIS MAGAZINE!!!"

Feldstein would remain the editor of MAD for nearly 30 years.  During his tenure he assembled yet another talented roster of artists, revamped the format of the magazine, and established the now iconic Alfred E. Newman as the magazine's mascot.

MAD would become one of the most successful and influential publications under Feldstein, with its circulation reaching nearly 3 million readers per year during the 70's.  Feldstein retired in 1984, and became an award-winning fine art painter of Western landscapes and wildlife, while residing in Wyoming and Montana.

Apparently, Feldstein received little credit for his contributions to the legacy of E.C. Comics and MAD Magazine.  He was often overshadowed by the work of the first editor of MAD, Harvy Kurtzman, and E.C.'s publisher, William Gaines, to whom the successes of the publications were often attributed .  However, in recent years Feldstein has received some of the recognition and accolades he deserves thanks to the diligence of fans and comic book historians.  He was finally inducted into the Will Eisner Award Hall of fame in 2003 and received the Horror Writers Association's Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2011.