The Thing Sketches

Howard Hawk's "The Thing from Another World" (1951) was on Turner Classic Movies last week and even though I've already seen it three times I decided to record it anyway. It got me thinking again about all things "Thing." The last time I got really into it was as a sophomore in college two years ago, where I decided I wanted to illustrate the original short story upon which the movies were based, John W. Campbell's "Who Goes There?" along with Harry Bates's "Farewell to the Master," which inspired "The Day the Earth Stood Still." Since both movies were made in 1951 and showed opposing depictions of alien beings in film, one benevolent and one hostile, I thought they'd make a great subject for an essay/ art series. Sadly, I think it may have been too ambitious at the time, what with school and all. But that doesn't mean I can't post any sketches from that ill-fated project! So here it is, two years late, ladies and gentlemen, the Thing from Another World!

I tried to be as faithful to the original short story as possible while trying to put my own stamp on the design. While in Hawks's 1951 film it looks a bit like the Frankenstein Monster and has no form in John Carpenter's 1982 remake, Campbell's story depicts the Thing as a blue two-armed, three-eyed Medusa-like being. I also tried to incorporate cats in the design, because cats can have pretty peircing eyes. Giger's Alien was also a bit of an inspiration, although I don't know if that really shows.

Even though I didn't finish anything, I really like what little I produced. I may post a finished Thing piece if I come up with something I really like. Only time will tell.