Mick Strawn
Mick Strawn | |
---|---|
Born | Michael Strawn July 30, 1957 Fontana, California, U.S. |
🏡 Residence | Washington |
🏳️ Nationality | American |
💼 Occupation | |
📆 Years active | 1984–2008 |
Known for | art direction, production design, special effects |
🏡 Home town | Fontana, California |
👩 Spouse(s) | Paula Strawn (1982-present) |
Mick Strawn (born July 30th, 1957) is an American art director, production designer and special effects artist whose career has spanned more than thirty years. His work has appeared in over forty film and television projects. Most of his work is in horror and science fiction projects, though he has occasionally worked in production design and created effects for films such as 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag (1997) and Boogie Nights (1997).
Early Life[edit]
Strawn was born in Fontana, California to Virgil Strawn (1918-2003) and Evelyn Strawn (born 1921). [1] He attended Colton High School and graduated in 1975. After high school, Strawn worked as a graphic artist. He also worked in construction and carpentry, which would prove invaluable for his career in film. Strawn played bass guitar in bar bands before he entered the film industry in 1984.
Career[edit]
Strawn’s first job in film was for the 1984 film Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo in which he used his previous experience with construction and carpentry as the film’s construction coordinator. His work in the 1980’s was primarily in horror and science fiction films. In addition to functioning as a construction coordinator, art director and production designer, he also worked as a special effects artist, fabricator and prop maker. Strawn worked on three of the most popular A Nightmare on Elm Street films. He was the art director and handled some effects on A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors in 1987 [2]. Mick was the production designer on A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master & A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child in 1988 and 1989 as well. [3] Strawn is responsible for the creation and execution of several classic scenes in the franchise, most notably the junkyard scenes in the third and fourth films and the truck crash and theater scenes from the fourth film, and he was featured in John Kenneth's Muir's book "Wes Craven: The Art of Horror" [4]. Strawn also conceptualized and designed the “kaleidoscope hallway” that was used in A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master and was the production designer for the first season of the spin-off television series Freddy's Nightmares in 1988. Mick worked in various television series and made-for-television films in the 1990’s, but also continued to work in Hollywood as well. Mick designed the sets for Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III in 1990 and also helped design and produce the Leatherface mask, along with famed special effects artist Greg Nicotero. Author Stefan Jaworzyn interviewed Strawn for his book, titled "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," where he discussed the creation of the mask and effects.[5] Strawn was also recognized for his production design for The Hidden (film) in a book dedicated to action films. [6] He created miniatures and was production designer for Roger Corman’s The Fantastic Four (unreleased film) in 1994, and Strawn was interviewed for an article on the film that was featured in a 1994 issue of Fangoria magazine. One of Strawn’s best known achievements other than his work on the “Nightmare” films was the creation of Scorpion’s lair in the 1995 film Mortal Kombat, which was based on the popular video game. [7] Strawn retired from the film industry in 2008 and builds bass guitars, electric guitars, amplifiers and other instruments. When asked about why he chose to work in film, Strawn explained that “I got into film because I needed something to do [to escape boredom]. Film did not bore me one bit!”
Strawn appeared on a January 25th 2016 podcast alongside A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors alumni Rodney Eastman, Ken Sagoes, and Ira Heiden to discuss the making of the film and explain the notorious "junkyard set" and effects sequences.[8] Strawn made a second podcast appearance on February 1, 2016 and discussed his work on A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master and shared his recollections of the making of the film along with special effects artist Nick Benson, actress Lisa Wilcox and actors Andras Jones and Danny Hassel.[9]
Strawn was a celebrity guest at the Sin City Halloween Convention on October 28-29, 2016. The convention took place in Las Vegas, Nevada. On October 28th, 2016, Strawn was inducted into the Hall of Horror alongside special effects artist Nick Benson, special effects artist Doug Stewart, horror author Blake Best, and Ron Chaney, great-grandson of Lon Chaney, Sr.[10]
Personal Life[edit]
Strawn married his wife Paula, an artist, in 1982 and they have two children. Mick has two brothers, Reg and Randy Strawn, and one sister, C.J. Strawn (1944-2013). C.J. was brought onto "A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master" as assistant art director and production designer. While C.J. did not work on "A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child" she returned as a production designer for "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare." On April 29, 2013 the plane she was flying crashed in Calabasas, California. C.J. and her passenger were both killed.[11]
Filmography[edit]
Mick has worked on the following films:[12] [13]
- Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) (construction coordinator)
- Runaway Train (1985) (construction coordinator: second unit)
- Tales from the Darkside(1985-1986) (assistant art director, 10 episodes)
- Tomboy (1985) (construction coordinator)
- Armed Response (1986) (special effects)
- Critters (1986)
- The Patriot (1986) (prop maker)
- Quiet Cool (1986)
- Witchboard (1986) (special effects assistant)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) (art director)
- The Hidden (film) (1987)
- The Kindred (1987) (pyrotechnics assistant)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) (production designer)
- Are You Ready For Freddy? (1988) (music video)
- Freddy's Nightmares (1988) (TV series) (production designer, 22 episodes)
- Lucky Stiff (1988) (special effects designer)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)
- Dead Men Don’t Die (1990) (art director)
- Hollywood Dog (1990) (TV movie) (production designer)
- Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990) (production designer)
- Fever (1991) (TV movie) (production designer)
- Frankenstein: The College Years (1991) (TV movie) (production designer)
- Strays (1991) (TV movie) (production designer)
- Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1992) (prop maker)
- Calendar Girl, Cop, Killer? The Bambi Bembenek Story (1992) (TV movie) (production designer)
- Candyman (1992)
- The Lawnmower Man (1992) (production designer)
- Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation (1992) (production designer)
- The Killing Box (1993) (production designer)
- Ring of the Musketeers (1993) (TV movie) (production designer)
- Hercules and the Amazon Women (1994) (TV movie) (production designer)
- Hercules and the Lost Kingdom (1994) (TV movie) (production designer)
- Hercules and the Circle of Fire (1994) (TV movie) (production designer)
- Hercules in the Underworld (1994) (TV movie) (production designer)
- Hercules in the Maze of the Minotaur (1994) (TV movie) (production designer)
- The Fantastic Four (unreleased film) (1994) (production designer/miniatures creator)
- M.A.N.T.I.S. (1994) (TV series pilot)
- Mortal Kombat (1995) (set designer for Scorpion’s Lair)
- Mortal Kombat: Behind the Dragon (1995) (TV movie documentary) (himself)
- Kazaam (1996) (art director)
- 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag (1997) (shop foreman)
- Boogie Nights (1997) (special effects)
- Crash Dive (1997) (direct-to-video) (production designer)
- The Advanced Guard (1998) (TV movie) (production designer)
- Blade (1998) (special effects foreman)
- Jimmy Zip (1999) (production designer)
- The Real Roseanne Show (2003) (TV series documentary) (construction coordinator, one episode)
- Rockin’ with Roseanne (2006) (video short) (construction coordinator)
- Winter Break (2003) (construction foreman: second unit)
- The Red Chalk (2007) (short) (production designer)
- Death’s Door (2008) (special effects designer/fabricator)
References[edit]
- ↑ "Birth Record of Michael L. Strawn". MooseRoots. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
- ↑ "'Elm Street 3': Horror And Humor'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
- ↑ "'Nightmare on Elm 4': Witty, Gory, Best Yet'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
- ↑ Muir, John (2004). Wes Craven: The Art of Horror. Search this book on
- ↑ Jaworzyn, Stefan (2012). The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Search this book on
- ↑ Julius, Marshall (1996). Action! The Action Movie A-Z. Search this book on
- ↑ Goldman, Michael; Aaron, Richard (1995). Mortal Kombat: The Movie Behind the Scenes. Search this book on
- ↑ Travis and Vic (January 25, 2016). "'A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors Retrospective.'" (Podcast). Talkshoe. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
- ↑ Travis and Vic (February 1, 2016). "'A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master Retrospective.'" (Podcast). Talkshoe. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
- ↑ "Sin City Halloween Special Guests". Paul Casey Entertainment. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
- ↑ "Two Killed in Calabasas Plane Crash Identified". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
- ↑ "Mick Strawn". Hollywood.com. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
- ↑ "Films Designed By Mick Strawn". letterboxd.com. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
External Links[edit]
- Mick Strawn on IMDb
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