RUBBERHEAD: Sex, Drugs, and Special FX Vol. I

by Steve Johnson

“A ‘how to do make-up’ book this is not. But a free wheeling, hallucinogenic roller coaster tale of movie making, fame, fortune and drug abuse.” -John Landis. Dive deep into the mind of award-winning special effects makeup legend Steve Johnson - the Hunter. S. Thompson of Horror. (Ghostbusters, The Abyss, An American Werewolf in London)

Paperback

Published January 1, 2017

About the author

Disambiguation profile for non-separated authors called Steve Johnson.

Other profiles:
*2. Steve Johnson, author of Crime and Mystery books.
3. Steve Johnson, author of The Callipygian Grimoire (RPGs)
4. Steve Johnson, illustrator of The Minimalist Woman's Guide to Having It All
5. Steve Johnson, author of The Essence of Healing: A Guide to the Alaskan Flower, Gem and Environmental Essences
6. Steve Johnson author of Outdoors guides
7. Steve Johnson, author of works on Beer
8. Steve Johnson, author of Secrets of the Hidden Job Market
9. Steve Johnson, author of Charlotte Church: Hell's Angel
10. Steve Johnson, author of Digital Tools for Teaching
11. Steve Johnson, author of The Folk Festival Book
12. Steve Johnson, co-author of the exhibition catalogue The Edge of Everyday
13. Steve Johnson, author of works on Tax and Tax Deductions
14. Steve Johnson, author of How to Discover Your Personal Life Mission
15. Steve Johnson, author of Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading
16. Steve Johnson, author of works on Computer software
17. Steve Johnson, author of Fighting Rabies
18. Steve Johnson, author of works regarding the OCR Citizenship examination
19. Steve Johnson, Children's Book Illustrator
20. Steve Johnson, author of Recipe books
21. Steve Johnson, author of How Did I Get Here? From a Kushite to a Thug
22. Steve Johnson, author of works on Product Management

Reviews

[Horror DNA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Casual moviegoers may not be familiar with the name Steve Johnson (Night of the Demons), but they have definitely seen his work in some of the most popular genre films of the past four decades, including Ghostbusters (1984), Fright Night (1985) and Big Trouble in Little China (1986). As one of the top special make-up f/x artists in the industry, he has consistently delivered countless knockout creations that make audiences sit up and take notice. Johnson got his start in the early 1980s working with the best of the best; Rick Baker on An American Werewolf in London, and Rob Bottin on The Howling (both 1981). He went on to open his own shop and quickly rose to fame with titles including Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986), The Abyss (1989) and Species (1995). With the arrival of CGI in the mid-’90s, Johnson and his fellow artists were caught in a tough spot as many filmmakers were eager to pull off the f/x digitally. What happened next is scarier than anything in the movies.

You can read Robert's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.

[Mike Correll · Rating 3 out of 5]

Steve Johnson will be the first to admit that he is an asshole as well as a talented artist. So it’s no surprise that he deemed his life story (thus far) worthy of a multi-volume autobiography. Volume one chronicles his early career in Hollywood special effects from the perspective of an older, loan-dodging, and tax-evading Johnson on the run in Costa Rica. The stories themselves are fascinating, including his work as Michael Jackson’s personal make-up artist (and by “personal” I mean making Jackson look like someone other than Jackson so he could go out in the world unnoticed). However, Johnson fancies himself a Gonzo Journalist, and his attempts to carry the reader back and forth between the past and the present only work to jam up the flow of the story. I kept wanting to say, “stop trying so hard and just tell the story!” Volume one amounts to little more than self-aggrandizement from a defeated man for who we have little sympathy. If you are a big fan of Hollywood make-up artists and special FX then it might be worth a read.

Side Note: I only read this book because I was working as a hired gun on a Kickstarter for Johnson to fund Volume 2. This book was part of my familiarization process.

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book and boy did it deliver. It was weird and outlandish and bizarre and interesting and I very much enjoyed it. Can’t wait to find volume 2 and start it.