Ray Harryhausen was born on this day in 1920, in Los Angeles, California.

He was an artist, designer, writer and producer who is famous for his pioneering use of stop-motion animation effects known as “Dynamation”, where it appeared that actors on film were interacting with his animated models. After seeing King Kong in 1933, he began making short films in his parents garage. The creatures he went on to create (he never called them “monsters”) left a powerful impression on generations of children.

Some of his most memorable work as a visual artist include The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957), The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) and Jason and the Argonauts (1963), with its iconic skeletons.

They were pretty damn scary when I was seven years old.

Have a great day everyone!