Entertainment

Father Of ‘Alien’ Dies At 74

Grae Stafford Freelance Photographer
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Celebrated artist HR Giger, who designed the original “Alien” in Ridley Scott’s movie, has died in hospital at age 74 after suffering a fall at his home, according to the BBC.

The 74-year-old artist won an Oscar for visual effects in 1980 for his “Xenomorph” creature and his artistic style, which he described as “bio-mechanical.” The creature has become the hallmark of the “Alien” franchise, continuing to appear in comic books, graphic novels and a series of movies.

The sinister black outline of his alien, with its elongated head and double jaws, became an iconic image as instantly recognizable as the opening theme to “Jaws” or the silhouette of Darth Vader.

Giger came from a background of industrial design and architecture, which he studied in Switzerland, and his surrealist art work graced album covers for the likes of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Debbie Harry and the Dead Kennedy’s. He also opened a gallery of his work in Gruyere in 1998, which he ran with his wife.

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Grae Stafford