Monster Gallery: Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

Main articles: Abe Sapien returns Mister Wink Wonders of the Troll Market and Beyond: Part 1 | Part 2 The Last Elemental The Angel of Death

12/07/201819/04/2020 the monster philologistLeave a comment

Wonders of the Troll Market and Beyond – Part 2

A Hungarian mine cave housed the gigantic Troll Market set, one of the biggest built for Hellboy II — a vibrant, busy environment filled with practical and digital creatures — which Del Toro wanted to deviate from usual design standards. “Each artist was free to bring forth as many sketches of creatures as they wanted,”… Read More Wonders of the Troll Market and Beyond – Part 2

29/06/201817/04/2019 the monster philologistLeave a comment

Mister Wink

Mister Wink — Prince Nuada’s musclebound henchman troll — was born as a drawing in one of director Guillermo Del Toro’s notebooks: an ape-like humanoid with a large prosthetic mechanical hand that could be deployed from the arm through a chain and then retracted. As defined by concept artist Wayne Barlowe, “his huge artificial arm… Read More Mister Wink

28/06/201818/04/2020 the monster philologistLeave a comment

Lupin

There was a terrible snarling noise. Lupin’s head was lengthening. So was his body. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into clawed paws. -J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

14/03/201714/03/2017 the monster philologistLeave a comment

Buckbeak

Trotting towards them were a dozen of the most bizarre creatures Harry had ever seen. They had the bodies, hind legs and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-coloured beaks and large, brilliantly orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were… Read More Buckbeak

13/03/201723/04/2017 the monster philologistLeave a comment

Monster Gallery: Avatar (2009)

Main article: Creatures of Pandora

27/09/201531/01/2016 the monster philologist1 Comment

Creatures of Pandora

General note: the following article focuses on the six major alien species featured in Avatar, with deliberate excision of the Na’vis — which will not be analyzed on the site. No Neytiri here! James Cameron first conceived Avatar in 1994, with an 80-page treatment of the story — which was to be produced into a film… Read More Creatures of Pandora

27/09/201502/04/2020 the monster philologist1 Comment

Kaiju of the Rim

“It was a project that encompassed every single thing on my wish list, visually, atmospherically and emotionally,” said Guillermo Del Toro about Pacific Rim. “An unstoppable, thrilling adventure about monsters and robots, the likes of which we’ve never seen.” None other than this director could handle the project. “he is a master of the genre,”… Read More Kaiju of the Rim