The ultimate creator of movie monsters is gone. The prolific visual effects artist, and creator of our epic fantasy dreams, Ray Harryhausen, has died.
Above is a supercut of all his monster creations, which brings back powerful memories of crouching in front of the television set or in the back row of the movie theater, spellbound at all the uncanny action on screen.
The family of Harryhausen announced his passing in London. He was 92 years old. The stop-motion maestro and model animation trailblazer was (and will continue to be) a key inspiration for future filmmakers. His work on movies such as Clash of the Titans, Jason And The Argonauts, The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad will be remembered in the world of cinema forever (and even nodded to in current films like Monsters Inc.).
Here's a list of just a few of the modern day masters that lined up to contribute to the documentary Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan: James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, Nick Park, Phil Tippett, Terry Gilliam, Dennis Muren, John Landis, Ken Ralston, Joe Dante, Randy Cook, Guillermo Del Toro, Steve Johnson, and John Lasseter.
We'll never forget you, Harry — and thank you for making us fall in love with your monsters. May we meet you again in the Valley of Gwangi in the sky!