H.R. Giger

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Lore & Background

Giger's contribution to the Alien franchise began with his painting Necronom IV, which served as the direct inspiration for the xenomorph. The design earned him an Academy Award in 1980. His vision extended beyond the creature; he designed the 'Derelict' spacecraft and the 'Space Jockey' for the original 1979 film. Decades later, his influence remained potent. In Alien 3, he designed a dog-like Alien bodyshape and numerous unused concepts mentioned on the special features disc, though he was not credited in the theatrical version. The 2012 film Prometheus included the 'Derelict' and 'Space Jockey' designs from the first film, along with a 'Temple' design originating from a failed Alejandro Jodorowsky Dune project, plus original murals created exclusively for the movie. The 2017 sequel Alien: Covenant continued this legacy by showcasing the Proto Bloodburster / Neomorph in David's lab, a design created but unused for Prometheus.

In Their Own Story

Giger's journey to the silver screen began after H. H. Kunz printed his first posters in 1969. His rise to international prominence was fueled by books like Necronomicon and frequent appearances in Omni magazine. In 1973, he directed Tagtraum, followed by Giger's Necronomicon in 1975. When Ridley Scott needed a visual language for Alien that rejected clean sci-fi tropes, Giger's 'Necronom IV' provided the answer. His airbrush technique allowed for monochromatic, surreal dreamscapes where human bodies and machines existed in cold, interconnected relationships. This style was adapted to many media forms; for instance, he designed the creature Sil and a Ghost Train sequence for Species. He also created artwork for Future-Kill's poster and provided creature designs for Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis. His work on Alien vs. Predator and its sequel Requiem is credited specifically for the creation of the creature.

Reader's Guide

To understand Giger's impact, one must look at his specific technical choices. He worked predominantly in airbrush to create monochromatic canvasses depicting surreal, nightmarish dreamscapes, though he also utilized pastels, markers, and ink. His influences included painters Dado, Ernst Fuchs, Salvador Dalí (introduced by Robert Venosa), Stanislaw Szukalski, Austin Osman Spare, and Mati Klarwein. He studied architecture and industrial design at the School of Applied Arts in Zürich from 1962 until 1970. His career spanned various creative roles: he directed Swiss Made in 1968, served as a creative consultant on Killer Condor, and helped design the first professional video clip for 'Böhse Onkelz' titled 'Dunkler Ort' in 2000. For the music industry, his art appeared on albums by Danzig, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Dead Kennedys (leading to an obscenity trial over Landscape XX), and Celtic Frost. He even designed biomechanical microphone stands for Korn's Jonathan Davis, resulting in five aluminum units.

Did You Know?

• Giger's design for the Alien was directly inspired by his painting Necronom IV.
• He won an Academy Award in 1980 as part of the special effects team for Alien, though he is often credited solely for the creature creation.
• The asteroid 109712 Giger was named in his memory in July 2018.
• Giger disowned the 'Giger Bar' in Tokyo because the organizers used rough preliminary sketches instead of waiting for his final designs, whereas the bars in Gruyères and Chur were built under his close supervision.
• He directed three films: Swiss Made (1968), Tagtraum (1973), and Giger's Necronomicon (1975).