Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Happy Birthday Tom Savini!

Today's birthday is a big one in the world of horror. Mr. Tom Savini, the Godfather of Gore, the Sultan of Splatter, turns 64.



A graduate of Carnegie Melon (as is our own Aly Greaves, costume Queen and adapter of upcoming CARMILLA), Tom got his big break, as I am sure most of you know, when he was tapped by George Romero to provide a wrist slashing effect to the movie Martin. The very next year, Romero enlisted him for Dawn of the Dead, and the rest, as they say, is history. The list is too long to put here, but some of the highlights include Friday the 13th, Creepshow, Maniac, Trauma, Monkeyshines, Necronomicon, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, and Day of the Dead. Savini has worked, as an actor, director, or makeup artist with the likes of Dario Argento, Tobe Hooper, Twisted Sister, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, to name a few, and has even voiced himself on an episode of The Simpsons.



Savini runs the Special Effects Make-Up and Digital Film Programs at the Douglas Education Center in Monessen, Pennsylvania. He is the author of several books on special effects including Grande Illusions I and II (1983, 1994) which detail the production and mechanical workings of many of his famous film effects. He is also associated with other books including Horror 101, by our very own Aaron "Dr AC" Christenson, for which he wrote the foreword.

So, from the very bottom of our black little hearts, everyone at WildClaw would like to send a big and bloody Happy Birthday to Tom Savini. We cannot imagine where we would be without you.

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