11/10/2022
I have always been a fan of special effects for movies - both stop
motion and make-up - as well as comic books. I grew up in Texas in the 1960’s
and was what is now called a “Monster Kid” - I collected the Aurora model kits,
drew my own comic book stories and, with my twin brother Bret, made our own
short films - usually effects driven. The original KING KONG is my all time
favorite film and movies like THE 7 FACES OF DR. LAO sparked an interest in
character and special make-up. In my teens I realize that I did not have what it
takes to be a comic book artist and lacked the patients to be a stop-motion
animator so I decided to focus my efforts on make-up effects. Through Famous
Monsters Magazine I discovered the work of Rick Baker in 1970 and was lucky
enough to meet him at a convention in Houston in 1977 after STAR WARS was
released. He gave me his address and phone number and I stayed in touch with
him over the following years. My work was pretty crude at that point but I kept
at it and got better to the point in 1981 I was able to get work at New World
pictures [thanks to a friend, Ernest Farino who was working there] on
FORBIDDEN WORLD. While I was working for John Beuchler on that show I
met Mark Shostrom and we stayed in touch after I returned to Houston and I
would work for Mark on a show a year starting in 1983 and ending in 1985 with
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET PART TWO. The following year, while still
living in Texas, I was able to join Tom Savini’s crew on TEXAS CHAINSAW
MASSACRE 2 and then Rob Bottin’s Robo-Team on ROBOCOP [ Rick had
introduced me to Rob years before in 1978]. After doing some additional filming
on ROBO in early 1987 I moved to L.A. and have been there ever since.
Απόσπασμα απο το 4σέλιδο interview του Bart Mixon στο 4ο τέυχος του Passcode Magazine.
Photo by John Calpin.