Exclusive: Scott Patton Talks About John Carter and Being Jealous of "That Guy"

Lead Concept Artist Scott Patton (Avatar, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl) gave a brief interview about working on the film John  Carter (2012).

Q: How did you get involved in the designs for John Carter?
It all started for us with producer Colin Wilson. We had worked with him on "Avatar" and he really liked the way we were using digital sculpting and rapid prototyping as a fast efficient Character design tool.

The production  had already gone through 9 months of development with Iain McCaig and his team. We were brought on to do designs just as Iain was leaving. We were not really privy to  the work that had been done before us, other than a rough maquette that Iain had art-directed. I guess the thought was start fresh, see where it takes us. Andrew Stanton and Mark Andrews definitely led that charge!

They sat with me during live zbrush sessions drawing on tracing paper on the screen (that's old school photoshop) Even though we did not see the artwork that was generated before we started ( for the Tharks) after all was said and done they turned out surprisingly similar to what Iain's team had done. So those guys really deserve more credit than they got on the film for sure. In the end John Carter was a huge group effort by some amazingly talented artists.


Q: How much were you inspired by the novels in your designs?

Well, I was aware of and reading the "John Carter" novels from a young age, because my older brother went to school with Danton Burroughs( Edgar Rice Burroughs great grand son). I've have had my versions of all the Characters in my head for a long time and have done thousands of drawing and sculptures over the years. Andrew had a similar story, growing up loving the novels and doing thousands of designs himself. That being said, the designs for the movie were more of a form follows function thing than a literal interpretation of the book. In the book they are hideous monsters 15 feet tall bug-like aliens with long tusks sticking out of their mouths. We knew early on that the Tharks at least had to be able to relate to John Carter as something more than a beasts. So, we took the love we all had for the source material and put a practical spin on it.

Q: The director, Andrew Stanton, said he wanted to go "straight dog" in the design of Woola. How hard was it to come up with a balance between dog and alien?

Woola was a lot of fun. A lot of really good artists did work on him, so it was more about cobbling  together all the best ideas into the ultimate dog/alien. Andrew would say "if a toad was a dog or a lizard was a dog" so really what it came down to was personality more than a "Dog." So, I would put all the designs into ridiculous dog-like poses things that made us laugh!

Q: The different looks of the Martians all had a specific feel. How hard was it to come up with designs that were true to the books, but fresh for the screen?

The character inside the character was Andrew's main thing. John Carter had to relate to these Tharks. so we tried to distill down a look that would define each characters emotional state at a glance. It may seem one dimensional but it works. For example, I used Clint Eastwood as the Tars Tarkus "ideal" he is stern and  impassive. I knew if I could get that feeling into his face I was on the right track.

Sola was "Sad" , Sarkoja was "B**ch" , Tal Hajus was "disgruntled," seems a bit simple to break it down that way but that was the thinking, a simple visual cue to tell you who you were dealing with.

Q: Was your make-up artist experience helpful when you were designing the creatures?

Yes, it's always nice to have a knowledge of how things work in the “real world”. So many people come from a strictly digital background and have never sculpted  in clay, let alone done full size creatures. I feel that I have an advantage there. All the painting I do digitally is just a riff on how I paint with an air brush, All my Zbrush sculpts are just digital maquettes approached the same way that I would do them in clay. When I see a creature or character in a script, I think too myself, "How would I  build this practically, what materials would I use?" I try to base it in reality.

Q: Was there a character you designed you were most excited to see on screen?

Well that would be a toss up. I have always loved Tars Tarkus. I have a soft spot in my heart for him and wanted him to be great, but I was really excited to see the Thoats (The big Beasts of burden). I loved the final design on those, which is strange for me I usually end up hating my designs by the end of a show.

Q: Was there a story from the production you'd like to share?
One moment that stands out for me. It was after the Tharks were designed and we had a 3D printed maquette of Tars Tarkus sitting in my office.

We had shown the Maquette to Andrew and he loved it.

After that, we started going over some new designs for the thoats or something. Andrew was making his notes and I was changing and sculpting it live. I noticed that Andrew kept glancing over at the maquette out of the corner of his eye. This went on for about an hour. Andrew kept looking over, it looked like he was getting agitated. I was starting to worry that he was having second thoughts about the design. Finally Andrew starts to laugh this embarrassed kind of laugh. He looked over and said 'I have been looking over at the maquette and thinking, “Man, I wish I was directing that movie...I so jealous of that guy.... I hate that guy..."then I thought, Hey wait!, I'm directing that movie!!' He was psyching himself out. He was so used to thinking about the book and movie being so far away, that he forgot how close it was to happening.

So, from then on, if you liked something you were doing you would say “I'm so jealous of that guy”

Thanks Scott! You can read more about Patton and see his portfolio at www.scottpattondesign.com/.

'The Hunger Games' Control Room Concept Art Puts The Odds In Your Favor

When you're running through the wilderness arena with teenagers shooting to kill you, you need an advantage. The control room of The Hunger Games has a sprawling view of the arena and thanks to concept art you can get a good look at it.

Reid Southen, also known as 'Rahll,' was one of the artists on The Hunger Games (2012) and he posted some illustrations of the control room.

This view is from the trailer.

You can do an interactive tour at TheCapitolTour.pn.

You can check out Southen's portfolio at http://www.reidsouthenart.com and http://rahll.deviantart.com.

What do you think of the concept art?

Exclusive: Unused 'John Carter' Concept Art Shows Very Different Martians and Woola

The film John Carter (2012) has some amazing visuals, but what would have happened if veteran artist Wayne Barlowe's designs had been used? Wayne Barlowe is one of the masters in the field having worked on Avatar and Harry Potter. Intricate, detailed and lavish Barlowe has a distinct look for the Martians.

I contacted Wayne Barlowe about his unused work on the film and his responses are below along with his concept art.

I was brought in during the pre-production phase in 2008. As usual, I was called upon to specifically focus on creatures - the Green Martians, Woola and Thoats in particular. I was on the show for only three weeks, I think. And, as you know, none of my designs were actually used.  

Concept design for John Carter, Green Martian Head Study (2008), unused.

I was preoccupied with coming up with a new and original vision of the Green Martians that adhered to ERB's (Edgar Rice Burrough's) words but strongly departed from the Frazetta, et al mold. I love Frazetta's work - it was inspiring to me as a teenager - but I felt that because it had already been seen an original approach was called for. So, I strived for something more realistic and severe. Their visible demeanor was meant to reflect their environment and their hardships on a dying world.

Concept Study for John Carter, Green Martian, (2008), unused.

I did some research in Tuaregs and other North African tribes and riffed on them. I wanted to impart a sense of old culture by layering a ton of exotic detail into their [accoutrements]. I loved the fact that Green Martians used long rifles - it fit perfectly with the Arab model and I wouldn't be at all surprised if ERB had that in mind when he wrote it. That kind of ornate weapon was making the rounds in Victorian and Edwardian homes. So, I used that and many bits and pieces of jewelry and costuming from African and Indonesian cultures as inspiration.

I try to approach every film job as a separate entity. It wouldn't serve anyone if a cross-influence was noticeable from one film to another. Nor would it be true to the various scripts.

 

It has been a policy of mine since I worked in publishing as a cover artist to ALWAYS dote on the words written by writers. I always insisted upon reading everything they wrote, took copious notes and made sure that, as best as I could, I hit all their marks. After that I would layer in my own aesthetics and ideas. So, the same was true here. Especially here, [because] I loved the material dearly. These were the first SF/Fantasy books I read. My dad gave them to me so the property has special meaning for me. I was on a mission to get it right.

Concept study for John Carter, Woola & a Thoat (2008), unused.

Thanks to Wayne Barlowe for the images and the answers. You can see more of his portfolio at waynebarlowe.com.

The Artists of 'The Hunger Games' (2012)

Here are some of the artists that worked on the science-fiction film The Hunger Games (2012). As always, there are many talented artists involved in the production of a film. These are only some of them according to IMDb.

Synopsis: 

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. Part twisted entertainment, part government intimidation tactic, the Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Directed by Gary Ross
Production Design by Philip Messina        

Art Direction by
John Collins (supervising art director) http://johnmcollins.com/
Robert Fechtman        
Paul Richards http://www.nutshellproductions.tv/      

Concept Artist \ Illustrator
Matt Codd    http://mattcodd.com/
Reid 'Rahll' Southen  http://www.reidsouthenart.com/
Vincent Thomas   
Tim Flattery http://www.timflattery.com/
Gloria Shih   
Jackson Sze http://jacksonsze.com/index.html
Alex Jaeger
Christian Alzmann
Production Illustrator
Laurent Ben-Mimoun  http://www.blueman.ws/


Prop Illustrator
Ron Mendell http://ronmendell.com/

Scenic Artist
Lillian Heyward   http://www.lillianheyward.com/
Rae Signer


I'll update this list as I find out more. If you know of any artists that worked on this that are not listed please let me know.

Chase Leelo With 'The Fifth Element' Storyboards

The Fifth Element (1997) has some amazing visuals. Looking at the storyboards by Collin Grant, who also worked on Superman Returns (2006) The Matrix (1999) X-Men 2 (2003), we can see quite a few differences between the storyboards and the film. For one thing, Leeloo is wearing clothes instead of bandages. On the other hand, the dizzying highs and emotional range is all there. You really feel the fear of standing on a ledge hundreds of miles in the sky.

Synopsis: With a deadly race of aliens ready to destroy Earth, a second race, allied with the humans, send a young girl, Leeloo (Milla Jovovich), who is the fifth element, or supreme being. Her goal is to retrieve four stones and activate them in a temple in Egypt to save Earth from destruction.

Unfortunately things don't go smoothly and she requires the help of a number of humans, namely a priest (Holm) and a cab driver / ex-military expert, Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis). Others, such as Mr. Zorg (Gary Oldman) and an army of alien shape-shifting mercenaries are also interested in the stones and the race to find them begins.

Here's the scene as filmed for comparison



You can see more of Collin Grant's portfolio at http://uke5.com/.

The Art of Ralph McQuarrie Video

A user scanned the gorgeous book Art of Ralph McQuarrie into a video. I like how he used Star Wars style transitions.

Get your own valid XHTML YouTube embed code

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTFym6HxIqI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Avengers Assemble In Secret Concept Art Poster

Remember that awesome scene in the Avengers trailer that has them in a circle facing off against the aliens unknown enemy? It was probably based on this poster by Ryan Meinerding. It's not showing here in the states, but someone went to France and sent a picture.

In a French exhibition of Ryan Meinerding fantastic artwork for Marvel Studios, the team stand assembled against an unknown threat in this stunning piece from Marvel's The Avengers. Josh Wilding - 3/15/2012

We've never seen it before, but I'm sure it will be in the book for the film.

You can learn more about the exhibition which runs till April 14th at http://www.arludik.com. If you go please send me some pictures at register 73 @ hotmail.com.

See more of Ryan Meinerding portfolio at his (defunct) site http://boyrobot.com/ and follow him on http://www.facebook.com/ryan.meinerding.

The movie opens in in the US x

All images copyright Marvel Studios

Via Comic Book Movie

Can You Really Make A Bat-Signal Out Of The Body Of a Gangster?

A key scene in the film Batman Begins (2005) is when Batman leaves the body of a gangster on a search light and creates the silhouette of the Bat-Signal against the sky. But, could that really happen?

Not even Dermot Power, the concept artist, believed it. Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins was a visually stunning film and one of the artists that helped shape that vision was Dermot Power. He also worked on Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, V for Vendetta and Alice in Wonderland.

In the scene, crime boss Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson) is left on the search light for the police to find. It later inspires Commissioner Gordon to create the Bat-Signal.

Here's the scene from the script:

Gordon looks up. The uniformed Cop is POINTING. At a HARBOR
LIGHT trained on the heavens. Gordon RISES, walks towards
it. Two Cops stand there, STARING:
Falcone is STRAPPED to the LIGHT, UNCONSCIOUS, arms spread.
Coat RIPPED, hanging from his arms in a STRANGE PATTERN.

COP 1
Th hell is that? Looks like...

Gordon follows their gaze up to where the BEAM of light CATS
FALCONE’S SHADOW onto the CLOUDS.

COP 2
Like a bat.

Gordon stares at the projection. It is a BAT SYMBOL.

Although it sounds cool, it's kind of goofy. Would that work? Let's look at the concept art and see if it makes more sense. I've included the artist's comments as well for context.

Falcone on the spotlight ...costume not based on anyone elses [sic] design despite what the books say (not that it's original)

Bit of a cheat with the horizontal city windows...suits the pic though. Colour variation knocked in with GEL layers.

The classic Bat Signal...maybe you could believe it's formed from bad guy on spotlight? maybe not

So, besides the fact that the heat from the searchlight would have fried him to a crisp, there's very little chance it would have made anything like a Batsignal.  Glad to know I agree with Power.

Here are a couple more great Batman Begins concept paintings I love. There are a lot more on his site here.




To see more moody concept designs check out his portfolio at DermotPower.com

Exclusive: Andrew Probert Talks About Designing 'Star Trek,' 'Battlestar Galactica' And His 'Digital' Art

Normally, I only post on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, but this is a very special post.

Andrew Probert has been a designer for over twenty years, but his most famous work was on Star Trek: The Next Generation. A legend in the concept design world, Andrew G. Probert has an artistic career working on some of science-fiction's greatest Hollywood productions.

His Hollywood career began as a designer for Glen Larson's Battlestar: Galactica. He was a major contributor on the planned Star Trek television sequel Star Trek: Phase II and the film Star Trek: The Motion Picture as concept designer/illustrator.

Probert's career has spanned numerous influential television shows like Airwolf and Street Hawk and films like Back to the Future and *batteries not included (1987). He's also the creator of the iTunes app "Concept 101: The Worlds of Andrew Probert."

He was kind enough to answer a few questions for my blog. He talks about his inspiration for Battlestar Galactica, how his being a Trekker influenced his designs of the Enterprise and his approach to "digital" drawing.

Q: When did you know you wanted to be a production illustrator?
While attending Art Center College of Design, as an I.D. [Industrial Design] student, a bunch of us heard there were some amazing sketches down at Long Beach State college, I think it was, and we went down there to check 'em out.  They were pre-production sketches produced mostly by Joe Johnston for Star Wars (the first film).  That was when I wanted to do that, right then & there.

Q: Do you usually start with a lot of sketches before you draw, or do you just start and see what happens?
I always start with as much information I can get, regarding what it is I'm asked to Illustrate or Design.  With that in my head, I usually get into my 'form-follows-function' mode and start sketching the item based on it's practical usage, operating mode, entry/exit methods, etc... everything an Industrial Designer does when looking for a Design solution.

Q: What was your most surprising inspiration for the Cylons in Battlestar Galactica?

My Cylon sketches started with Ralph McQuarrie's (RIP) preproduction paintings & sketches but I moved away from those when I hit up the idea of the Cylons being one group of many "Ancient Astronauts" that are supposed to have visited Earth during Mankind's early years.

I then came upon the idea that maybe the Cylon's helmet & armor influenced the look of Greek armor & helmets in particular so I developed that idea and it worked.

Q: You've done a lot of concept art, but you've also done storyboarding. Do you have a preference between them?
Even though I have a strong understanding of the cinematic story-telling process and the dos & don'ts of where to place the camera, maintain screen direction & all, I feel I'm more valuable in providing designs of hardware, props, and sets because of my Industrial Design training.  I'm able to surmise how these 'products' might be manufactured and how, in my opinion, they would best be formed to satisfy the duties for which they'd be constructed.

Q: What went through your mind when you were redesigning the USS Enterprise for Star Trek: The Next Generation?

There was a lot of angst among the Star Trek fans about how we were going to "replace" their beloved original version of Star Trek.  Being a Trekker myself, I could understand their concerns which I was dedicated to address the best ways I could.

My first task was to design the bridge and I took as many details as I could, from Kirk's original bridge, and incorporated them into what Gene has asked me to come up with.  When Herman Zimmerman came on board as Production Designer, he asked me to consult on the remaining sets in order to provide continuity with the look of the new bridge as well as provide as much familiarity as I could get into those other spaces, the transporter room layout & details, for instance, as possible.

At the same time, I moved into providing designs for the ship's exterior which was accepted & approved by the Producers rather quickly.  As for design thinking, I wanted the ship to look like a very advanced version of Kirk's ship including the hull's general coloring while grabbing bits & pieces of newer Starships along the way.

Although painted kind of a pearl gray, the original miniature picked up a lot of blue from the SFX blue-screen background, making it look blue-ish on television so I called out colors to emulate that coloring.  Then for some unknown reason, however, the FX team optically neutralized the coloring down to grey.

Q: While working on Back to the Future, how much of Ron Cobb's work remained in the final design of the DeLorean?

Probably 80% is still Ron's. I provided all the remaining detailing and a couple of small changes on the car.

Q: What do you think is your greatest achievement so far?
My four beautiful children... all with families of their own now.

Q: Do you prefer digital or traditional art tools?
I'm still clumsy when "painting" on a computer.  Therefore, the only 'digital' painting I do is using the digits found at the ends of my arms.

Q: You recently acted in the fan film Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II as Commodore Probert. How did you get involved and what was it like working on it?

Image: Andrew Probert (left) Gil Gerard (center) with James Cawley (right)
I met James Cawley at a convention and we hit upon the idea of my doing a cameo in his next show.  Well, I got a script and (fighting my notoriously bad retention skills) memorized my few lines.

When I showed up on set, however, several of my lines were handed to another actor, which really threw me to the point of not remembering anything.

I then ended up making kind of mess of my scenes and can only hope now that they edit me into some perceived cinematic glory.

Q: Are you still producing art personally or professionally? If so where can we see it next?
I do offer Art Prints on my website but along with that, I have, for a while now, been creating hand-painted Renderings for the calendar:  'Star Trek - Ships of the Line' every year or so.  That's probably the most consistent showplace for my new pieces.

I am, on rare occasions, commissioned to provide a painting for someone looking for original Art.  Last year I was invited to speak to the I.D. department of the University of Cincinnati and, of course, I'm still invited to speak at conventions, every so often, but since I haven't been involved in any current productions for awhile, my talks are pretty much retrospectives.  Having said that, I'm developing kind of a Hardware Design Workshop to supplement those slideshows. 

I just recently completed a series of Concept Designs for 'The Blue Man Group', working with another Artist/Designer Eric Wilkerson, creating new,... hmm, let's say 'props' for a show that is to debut in Las Vegas later this year or maybe in 2013.

And, lastly, I've just started creating a new website which I'm hoping will encourage me to post more materials and maybe even more art prints in the bargain.

Q: Thank you so much for your time.
You're very welcome.

You can see more of Andrew Probert's portfolio and work at http://www.probertdesigns.com.

Check out more of my interviews with amazing artists on my List of Interviews page.

What do you think of Andrew Probert's work?
Related Posts 

• Drive In And See Andrew Probert's 'Streethawk' Motorcycle Designs 
• Great Scott! Storyboards of Marty And Doc's First DeLorean Test From 'Back to the Future'! 
• Star Trek's Early Ferengi Designs Actually Look Cool

The Legacy of Jean "Moebius" Giraud In Five Essential Videos

Over the weekend Jean Giraud, also known as Moebius, died from illness. Another of my top ten concept artists has died. He's not as well known as other artists because some of his best works were on films that were never made.

In Europe, he has best known as the artist of the popular comic book Blueberry. He developed concept art for classic films of cinema like The Fifth Element (1997), TRON (1982) and The Abyss (1989).

Jean Giraud was born in Nogent-sur-Marne, in the suburbs of Paris, in 1938. When he was three years old, his parents divorced and he was raised mainly by his grandparents. The rupture between mother and father, city and country, created a lasting trauma that he explained lay at the heart of his choice of separate pen names.

In 1955 at age 16, he began his only technical training at the Arts Appliqués art school, where he started producing Western comics. He became close friends with another comic artist Jean-Claude Mézières.

In 1956 he left art school to visit his mother in Mexico and he stayed there eight months, after which he returned to work full time as an artist. In 1959-1960 he served his military service in Algeria, where he collaborated on the army magazine 5/5 Forces Françaises.

Giraud died in Paris, on 10 March 2012, aged 73, after a long battle with cancer. Fellow comic artist François Boucq stated that Moebius was "master of realist drawing with a real talent for humour, which he was still demonstrating with the nurses when I saw him in his hospital bed a fortnight ago".  - Wikipedia

1. In Search of Moebius: Jean Giraud Part 1/3 
The first part of the BBC documentary Moebius Redux: A Life in Pictures.

Documentary about Frenchman Jean Giraud, one of the most influential comic strip illustrators and authors of all time and also one of the genre's best kept secrets. He achieved his greatest fame under the pseudonym/alter ego Moebius, and his artistic influence extends beyond Europe to the USA and Japan. Features interviews with Giraud himself, Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee, American comic book artists Jim Lee and Mike Mignolla and many others.

You can watch part 2 here and 3 here .

2. Jean Giraud (Moebius) & Jijé - Tac au tac (1972) 
The first video shows his incredible drawing speed. Even in his later years this talent for fast focused drawing skills would be talked about. 

Jean Giraud (Moebius and Gir) and Jijé (Joseph Gillain) outline a history of cowboy and Indian huts and four alternates. GIRAUD starts and Jijé conclude this story to return to for a coffee break completely shifted to the universe of the Wild West. Tit for tat - 29/04/1972 In 1961, Giraud became the apprentice of Jijé, which at that time enjoyed a solid reputation in the world of European comics. As such, GIRAUD handles the inking of an episode of Jerry Spring, The Road to Coronado, a western series published in the magazine Spirou.

3. Moebius Redux: Jodorowsky's Dune
Back in 1975 surrealist director Alejandro Jodorowsky started work on an adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune. He hired an amazing collection of artists including Moebius. The film was never made, but it is treasured among fans of Moebius and concept artists.(

In this section from the wonderful "Moebius Redux" Documentary, director Jodorowsky, and artists Moebius, H.R. Giger, Dan O'Bannon and Philippe Druillet discuss their work together on Dune.

4. Making of Tron Moebius by The Computer Graphics Museum 
Tron is his most famous work and this video shows some of his work on the film Tron. Some really nice screen to storyboard comparisons.If anyone can translate I'd appreciate it, since I can't understand a word.


5. Moebius & Sylvain
In his later years he developed his first animated film Thru the Mobeius Strip (2005). In this clip he talks about his incredible focus while drawing and his development of the film. He does an interview with fellow artist Sylvain Despretz who also worked on the film.

We've lost a great artist. You can see more of his work of Jean Henri Gaston "Moebius" Giraud at http://www.moebius.fr .

What thoughts did you have about Moebius? Did you learn anything from the videos you didn't know?

UPDATED: The Artists of John Carter (2012)

Here are some of the artists that worked on the science-fiction film John Carter (2011). As always, there are many talented artists involved in the production of a film. These are only some of them according to IMDb.

Synopsis: From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton comes "John Carter"--a sweeping action-adventure set on the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars).

"John Carter" is based on a classic novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, whose highly imaginative adventures served as inspiration for many filmmakers, both past and present. The film tells the story of war-weary, former military captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes reluctantly embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins).

In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands

Directed by Andrew Stanton
Production Design by Nathan Crowley

Concept Design Supervisor Iain McCaig http://iainmccaig.blogspot.com/
Scott Patton - character designer http://www.scottpattondesign.com/store.html
Simon Webber - character designer

Wayne D. Barlowe - concept artist http://waynebarlowe.wordpress.com/
Tim Browning - concept artist
Seth Engstrom - concept artist
David Krentz - concept artist http://www.davidkrentz.com
Mishi McCaig - concept artist
Ryan Meinerding - concept artist http://boyrobot.com
Maury Ruiz - concept artist
Phil Saunders - concept artist
Mark Wagner - concept artist
Dan Walker - concept artist http://www.danwalkerconcept.co.uk/
Ross Dearsley - concept artist: Cinesite
Christian Huband - concept illustrator http://www.christianhuband.com/index.php
Vance Kovacs - concept illustrator http://www.vancekovacs.com/
Justin Sweet - concept illustrator http://www.justinsweet.com/
Ryan Church - concept illustrator http://www.ryanchurch.com/
Michael Kutsche - concept illustrator http://michaelkutsche.blogspot.com/
David Krentz - storyboard artist http://www.davidkrentz.com

I'll update this list as I find out more. If you know of any artists that worked on this that are not listed please let me know.

Bite Into Charles Chiodo's Gila! Remake Concept Art

Living in Arizona, I've seen a lot of native animals. I've seen roadrunners chase down lizards. I've watched javelinas leading their kids down the street. I've even lived in a place infested by scorpions.

Thankfully, I've never come face to face with a Gila monster.

The low budget remake of the 50s giant monster movie The Giant Gila Monster (1959) wants to change that.

Directed by Jim Wynorski (Curse of the Komodo, Komodo vs. Cobra, Dinocroc vs. Supergator) and starring Ex-Playboy Playmate Julie McCullough (2012: Ice Age), Terence Knox (Children of the Corn 2: The Final Sacrifice), and Matt Austin (“Power Rangers S.P.D.”).

Concept art from the film has shown up thanks to Undead Backbrain. The illustrations are from Charles Chiodo the man co-created the classic horror film Killer Clowns from Outer Space (1988) and the art director for Team America: World Police.

I like the idea and the illustrations are suitably creepy. The color is great and I love the textures on the monster. Too bad there's no scale so we can see how big the lizard is going to be.

In an interview with Famous Monsters of Filmland (one of my favorite magazines as a kid) Wynorski said what we can expect from the monster.

As for the titular beastie, Wynorski was careful not to revisit the approach taken in the original, where an actual gila monster was shot over miniatures and inserted via overlay. “There are no practicals. I don’t want to hurt any animals. In the original they were forcing that poor little gila monster through the balsa wood wall he goes through at the dance and stuff, and I think with today’s CG we can do better and not hurt any animals.” The creature is reportedly sleeker, more agile, and will be more of a mutant than the cute lizard in the original.

You can read more about Charles Chiodo at http://www.chiodobros.com.

What do you think of the art? Would you want to run onto him In a dark alley?

Source: Undead Backbrain