R.I.P. Basil Gogos

We lost another great one. Acclaimed horror artist Basil Gogos, best known for his painted covers for numerous issues of Famous Monsters of Filmland.

Fellow artist, Joe Jusko, said on his Facebook page: “There isn’t a guy (or ghoul) my age who didn’t grow up mesmerized by his incredible cover art for Famous Monsters of Filmland. I would stare at them for what seemed like hours. I still do today whenever I happen across an issue or thumb through his art book. His unique color palette made even the most grotesque subject a thing of incomparable beauty, a talent that amazes me to this day. As with most ‘horror’ artists, he was the most gentle, humble and affable of men, a figure in total contrast to his best known body of work.”

The 2005 book Famous Monster Movie Art of Basil Gogos, by Kerry Gammill and J. David Spurlock, is an invaluable resource that details his work for the magazine.