As 2014 comes to a close, we on the iHorror staff remember those members of the horror community who died this year.  Gone but not forgotten, their frightening work will live on in our nightmares.  This is not an all-encompassing list, but those that stick out most in my mind.

H.R. Giger

Born in Chur, Switzerland in 1940, the world lost a masterful visual artist on May 12, 2014, when H.R. Giger passed from this world.  Known for his organic, reptilian artwork combining elements of anatomy and mechanics, Giger, together with Ridley Scott, designed the alien creature and set designs for Scott’s film, Alien which went on to produce several sequels.  He also directed several films and produced numerous volumes filled with his surrealist artwork.  His vision will truly be missed.

Billie Whitelaw

 

A foremost interpreter of the theatrical works of Beckett and a bit of an acting prodigy, Billie Whitelaw was an actress who never stopped working from her debut on the radio at age 11.  It was in 1976, though, that she truly made her mark in the horror world with her turn as Mrs. Baylock, the Satanic nanny who came to care for Damien in The Omen.  Her menacing performance is not easily forgotten.  She would continue to turn up in supernatural roles throughout her career, and even voiced the character Aughra in Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal.

Harold Ramis

 

Harold Ramis will live on in our minds forever for his dry delivery as genius Dr. Egon Spengler in the Ghostbusters franchise, but let’s not forget that he also co-wrote the films that made us all want our own containment units for the ghosts that everyone in my generation was sure lurked just around every corner after seeing the first film in 1984.

Mickey Rooney

 

Once upon a time in 1984, Mickey Rooney wrote a letter proclaiming the makers of Silent Night, Deadly Night should be run out of town for having a killer dressed as Santa Claus.  Seven years later, he would star in Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker and he was over the top brilliant in it.  Rooney was a master of comedy and will be remembered by most for his films with Judy Garland, but for many a horror fan it will be Joe Petto in SNDN 5 that will live on for us.

Leslie Carlson

 

The brilliant character actor Leslie Carlson had a prolific career that did not actually begin on screen until he was nearly 40 years old.  Before then, his work had been seen solely on the stage.  From early in his big screen career, though, you will find him in some of your favorite horror and sci-fi films.  He appeared in Black Christmas (1974), Videodrome, The Dead Zone (1983), and The Fly (1986) to name just a few.

Ruby Dee

A singularly talented actress and a tireless champion of equality, Ruby Dee made only one real stop in our horror world, but you can be sure that it was one that will be remembered.  Taking on the iconic role of Mother Abigail in Mick Garris’ adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand, Dee stole the show more than once from her co-stars.  Her talents will surely be missed.

Casey Kasem

When he wasn’t hosting his weekly countdown of the biggest hits in pop music, Casey Kasem was lending his voice to many iconic animated characters from the late 60s until he began to succumb to illness in 2013.  In this writer’s eyes, he will always be the one and only Shaggy in the various incarnations of “Scooby Doo” over the years and he is sorely missed.

Marilyn Burns

If you ever come across a list of the greatest scream queens of all time and Marilyn Burns’ name isn’t on the list, move on, because the writer probably doesn’t know what he or she is talking about.  The image of her running from Leatherface at the end of 1974’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre will forever be burned into my mind.  Her career never really solidified but she did make cameo appearances in later sequels to the original and she also appeared in the TV movie “Helter Skelter” based on the real life horrors perpetrated by Charles Manson and his followers.  Marilyn passed in August of this year.

Elizabeth Pena

Sultry voiced Elizabeth Pena was the rare mixture of grace, talent, and beauty that somehow never fully adds up to mainstream stardom here in the U.S.  She remained from her earliest films an indie darling, however, and still managed to find her way into a few box office hits throughout her career.  He stunning performance in Jacob’s Ladder is a personal favorite of mine.

That concludes my lineup of the voices we lost this year.  As I said before, this is in no way a comprehensive list of those from the horror world, but just a list of those I, personally, will miss greatly.