Film effects legend tries his hand at comic books
By Daily Bruin Staff
May 12, 2002 9:00 p.m.
Image Comics Special effects legend Stan Winston’s latest
project is a comic book series.
By Beverly Braga
Daily Bruin contributor
[email protected]
Although Stan Winston’s name may not always ring a bell,
especially to those not inclined to the world of film special
effects and makeup, the characters and creatures he’s created
do.
Winston is the creative mind behind the memorable film figures
in the “Terminator” and “Jurassic Park”
trilogies, “Predator,” “Aliens,”
“Edward Scissorhands” and, most recently, “A.I.:
Artificial Intelligence.” When asked to choose his favorite,
Winston couldn’t pick just one.
“I’ve been creating characters and creatures for my
entire career, for 30 years,” Winston said during an
interview. “And I’m proudest of those I think we all
are, the ones that have become iconic characters. The Terminator,
Edward Scissorhands, The Predator, (and) the dinosaurs from
“˜Jurassic Park’ are favorites of mine. And the Queen
Alien. She’s a bitch.”
It is no wonder the alien queen is among those closest to
Winston’s heart, because he won his first of four Academy
Awards for 1986’s “Aliens.” Nominated a total of
10 times, Winston garnered two more Oscars for “Terminator
2″ in 1991 and “Jurassic Park” in 1993. His
latest nominations were for “A.I.: Artificial
Intelligence” and “Pearl Harbor.”
Winston was in Golden Apple, a West Hollywood comic book store,
this past Saturday to promote his latest character: a superhero
named Trakk.
Dressed casually in jeans and a striped shirt, Winston looked
more like a down-to-earth grandfather, with his bristly white hair
and beard, than he did a special effects legend. His movie magic
talents have made him only one of two special effects artists to
receive a Hollywood Walk of Fame honor (the other being Lon
Chaney).
A self-proclaimed comic book and toy junkie, Winston is entering
the comic book realm for the first time as a creator with
“Mutant Earth.”
Already having slices from the film, television and action
figure pies, Winston and his the creative team at Stan Winston
Studio, in association with Image Comics, launched the four-comic
series last week.
“Mutant Earth” is set five years after the Great
Alien Invasion in the year 2099. Trakk is the warrior leading the
surviving humans in a traditional battle of survival against
mutants and aliens. But from Winston’s standpoint the story
and Trakk are anything but traditional.
“It’s different because it’s Trakk’s
world and (he) is an immortal,” Winston said.
“”˜Mutant Earth’ is only a backdrop for a story
that has to do with a character who is the ultimate reluctant
hero.”
“Hopefully his persona will grow over the comic book and
over the years as every other superhero has, (like) Superman,
Batman and Spider-Man,” Winston added.
Like many children, Winston grew up reading comic books and was
preoccupied with fantasy movies, superheroes and toys.
“I was a huge superhero fan,” Winston said.
“I’ve been a comic book fan all my life. Superman was
probably my favorite along the line with Spider-Man, Batman, and
the Fantastic Four. Ben Grimm (Fantastic Four’s The Thing)
was one of my favorite characters too.”
These and many other superheroes are still around today. And
with a new resurgence in the popularity of comic book characters,
introducing Trakk only seemed proper.
“(Tastes) haven’t changed at all,” Winston
said. “The only difference now is that I want to bring what I
brought to film to the comic book world by creating new
superheroes. This is perfect timing because
“˜Spider-man’ has just been released. It’s a huge
hit (and) he’s been around for years. So we’re doing a
new superhero and it’s Trakk.”
To create such characters and figures, one must have a very
intense imagination, both as a child and as an adult. But Winston
doesn’t see himself as anything special.
“I think I had a fairly vivid imagination,” Winston
said. “But I think we all do. Did I get in trouble (as a
kid)? Not too badly. Halloween was usually a tough time for other
people in the neighborhood.”
Ironically, the kid that gave the local trick-or-treaters
something to scream about did not come to Hollywood with visual
effects dreams. He wanted to be an actor.
“I never came out pursuing special effects,” Winston
said. “I came out to be an actor. I loved the fantasy
characters. I was intrigued by and inspired by movies like
“˜King Kong,’ “˜The Wizard of Oz’ and Spencer
Tracy’s “˜Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” Those are the
characters I wanted to play.”
While waiting for his big acting break, Winston decided to take
up makeup design to improve his chances. Little did he know that
would be his true full-time and lifetime job.
“These characters always involved makeup,” Winston
said. “I got into a makeup apprenticeship program (at Disney
Studios) so I could stay in the field. And I became very successful
creating characters and creatures behind the scenes rather than in
front of the scenes.”
However, Winston will always give credit where credit is due.
His name may be the one attached to a particular creation,
regardless of the genre, but there is usually more than one mind
involved.
“Basically what I do is surround myself with extremely
imaginative and creative people,” Winston said, referring to
his studio.
“Something wonderful happens and I end up (getting) credit
for it and it really isn’t me. It’s all the people that
are surrounding me.”
Along with the “Mutant Earth” comic, Winston has
many other current projects to keep him busy. Right now, on the set
of “Terminator 3,” he is hard at work creating a new
character involving artificial intelligence ““ except this one
has more to do with real life than it does with cinematic
fiction.
“We’re doing an artificial intelligence,”
Winston said. “That particular character is called Leonardo
and he is actually going to be the first AI that we are
collaborating with MIT. We’re losing the lines (between fact
and fiction).”
Always working and always dreaming up new schemes, Winston is
not afraid of ever running out of ideas.
“Because I’ll never stop surrounding myself with
very imaginative and creative people,” Winston said.
“I’m never alone. If I were sitting alone by myself, I
could never do what I’m doing.”
