Oliver Reed's Werewolf - An Artist's Dream

For classic horror artists, there are certain characters that just beg to be rendered. Lon Chaney's PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, Boris Karloff's FRANKENSTEIN monster and Vincent Price's ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES are three that immediately come to mind. Oliver Reed's lycanthrope is another, because of Roy Ashton's unique makeup and the torn, romantic costume he wears. How can an artist resist a werewolf in a red cumberbund?

The proof is below, which two recent pieces from myself and the Mozart of monster sculpture Mike Hill. Mine is done in watercolors, his done in all sorts of materials. Both capture the essence of the character, who only is seen in the final 20 minutes of the Hammer film.

Mike's sculpture is built upon actor Oliver Reed's actual features, which is why is it so spectacular. Without a doubt, you can see Ollie in the eyes.

I liked the idea of making this watercolor look kind of like a tarot card. Werewolves in cinema have been linked to gypsies and fortune tellers since Curt Soidmak's screenplay for THE WOLF MAN in 1941.

Happy Birthday to Me, 2009!

So amidst all of the craziness this last three months hath wraught, I happened to hit the half-century mark. I turned 50 years old in October, which is still hard for me to believe. But my friends did their best to make my transition to a pentagenarian a smooth and painless one.

Below are a few of the treasured gifts I received from my rather notable friends.

From Bernie Wrightson and his lovely wife, Liz - an original birthday sketch:

From LOST SKELETON director Larry Blamire - my LOST SKELETON RETURNS AGAIN character gets his own vintage comic book! Or at least the cover...

From my other pal, David J. Schow - the limited edition hardcover of REYNOLD BROWN, by Daniel Zimmer and David J. Hornung, which showcases the artistry of the man who created all of the cool sci-fi posters of the 1950's.

Great gifts from great friends.

The Belle Of The Ball

I apologize for not having posted for quite a while, but professional gigs have had me jumping through hoops...

But onward and upward! I simply HAD to share some of the terrific artwork recently posted on the CLASSIC HORROR FILM BOARD, by a lovely lass who goes by the name of "Belle Dee Bilbrey" on those boards. Her beautiful graphic interpretations of classic horror characters are so delightful that I immediately contacted Richard Klemenson of LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS magazine and brought her work to his attention. He agreed that these snazzy little pieces were worthy of a place in his next issue. So look forward to seeing more of "Belle's" work in the near future.

Here are two wonderful examples. THE GIANT GILA MONSTER and Hammer's THE REPTILE...