RIP: Remembering Screaming Mad George

So I'll take the lead on this one.

So far, first episode back, uh, we're discussing the life and work of cult horror makeup effects, uh, artist Screaming Mad George.

And with a name like that, it just, it fit in perfect with, with us and, uh, the things that we like, and, uh, just a, an, an over-the-top individual with over-the-top imagery that kind of have really just ingrained images into our brains of especially that '80s horror moment.

Um, there have been many popular effects artists throughout cinematic history, the Rick Bakers, the Stan Winstons, the Tom Savinis.

Uh, however, Screaming Mad George brought a distinctly weird and eccentric flair that was equally disturbing and chaotic and also playful i- in its own weird little way.

Um, so before we dig into, uh, the filmography, we're gonna get into kinda the backstory of, of George.

Uh, Screaming Mad George was born Joji Tani, uh, on October 7th, 1956.

Joji wanted to stand out from the crowd of his native Japan, so he decided to name himself George, 'cause, you know, there's a lot fewer Georges in Japan.

Uh, George's first artis- artistic influences were Japanese comics and the surrealist work of Salvador Dali and Hieronymus Bosch.

Uh, he migrated to the US at 18, enrolled in the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan.

Um, he actually failed, uh, his first English foreign language exam, but, uh, he was allowed to stay on due to the strength of his art portfolio.

Uh, a portfolio that was, like, so strong that his first year work, uh, was entered into the end of year show, which is usually reserved for graduates.

So the guy's got the juice, right? Uh, so the name George might have stood out in native Japan, but in the Anglophile United States, George just kinda made him blend back into the crowd.

So he decided to combine some of his artistic influences, taking screaming from shock rocker Screamin' Jay Hawkins and the Mad from the satirical comedy of Mad Magazine, thus Screaming Mad George was born.

Uh, he burst onto the, uh, New York punk scene, forming the band The Mad.

Uh, this is when George began to teach himself special effects, uh, in order to create a, like, a vibrant, you know, striking mix of visual art into the live, uh, act, incorporating, like, surrealistic bloody imagery, uh, into their performances, just to kinda, like, you know, amp things up and kind of get his m- creative juices flowing.

Uh, it was this newfound love of makeup effects that led him to shift his career towards becoming a special effects artist.

Uh, so he began making short films of their songs, little music videos to go along with each of the, uh, the sequences in each of the songs, becoming essentially a demo reel, a demo reel that he actually gave to a journalist friend who was interviewing, uh, Rob Bottin and, uh, Rick Baker and Steve Johnson, uh, who have, you know, done just, like, you know, the biggest movies of all time and industry standard professionals.

So George headed out west, unsure where he would land.

Uh, first he met and worked with Rick Baker for a year, um, for free.

And as a, as somebody like myself who has previously worked in the effects world- That 100% tracks.

Uh-

[laughs]

Un-

You're doing it for credibility and exposure, Aaron.