NPR

Rick Baker, The Monster Maker Of Hollywood

Rick Baker sculpts a puppet head for the 1981 film <em>An American Werewolf in London</em>. Now retired, Baker's work has been collected in the two-volume collection <em>Metamorphosis.</em>

An American Werewolf in London. The zombies from Michael Jackson's "Thriller." Bela Lugosi's Dracula from Ed Wood. The dark fairy Maleficent.

They're all the work of Rick Baker, who created some of the most memorable movie monsters and creatures of the last four decades. Baker is retired now, having won seven Oscars for makeup. But he's chronicled his long career in a new two-volume illustrated book titled Metamorphosis.

In the LA enclave

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min readCrime & Violence
Luis Rubiales Faces Sexual Assault Trial For Unsolicited Kiss At World Cup
The case against the ex-Spanish soccer federation head who kissed player Jenni Hermoso without consent is going to trial, a judge ruled. Three others will be tried for allegedly pressuring Hermoso.
NPR3 min read
Tornadoes Tear Through The Southeastern U.S. As Storms Leave 3 Dead
Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could march through parts of the South early Thursday, after deadly storms a day earlier spawned damaging tornadoes and massive hail.
NPR5 min readCrime & Violence
Migrant Crime Is Politically Charged, But The Reality Is More Complicated
Republicans have raised the alarm about a migrant crime wave. Nationally, crime is down even as immigration has surged, but the concerns are real in some neighborhoods.

Related