Back in the ’80s, it was a time when the makeup effects artists were treated like celebrities. Sometimes we’d go to a movie because of who did the special effects more than who was in it! Names like Tom Savini, Rick Baker, Rob Bottin, and countless others help create the monsters and makeup that made the 80s and beyond so much entertaining. One of those names was Greg Cannom, who we lost yesterday at the age of 74.

From his very beginning assisting Rick Baker on films like It Lives Again (1978), The Incredible Melting Man (1977), to going on his own path, continuing to create some amazing work. He had been nominated 14 times for an Oscar, winning 7 times, mainly for non-horror characters like in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and Mr. Doubtfire (1993), but he also won for Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), which is still one of my favorite versions of the Stoker novel. Over the years, he had worked on films like The Lost Boys (1987), Blade (1998), and even turning Ozzy Osbourne into a werewolf for his 1983’s Bark at the Moon album cover!

I had the honor to meet him at the Monsterpalooza convention back in 2019, and it was indeed an honor, and I thanked him for the many, many hours of entertainment his work had given me, and countless other fans. Upon hearing the news of his passing, Rick Baker said “His work will be remembered long after his passing.” I couldn’t agree more. That is the one positive mark of working in the film industry, that you will live on through your amazing work. Rest in Peace, Mr. Cannom. Gone, but not forgotten.