The impressive monster Mugwump from David Cronenberg's film Naked Lunch (based on William S. Burroughs' novel of the same name) was produced by Academy Award-winning makeup special effects team CWI. The original author describes Mugwump as a "dignified monster" in the novel, and the director believes that it represents all those fascinating monsters we encounter, and they have some kind of fascinating element, either money, or power, or sexual attraction. In making this humanoid monster, the special effects team found some inspiration in the image of the author Burroughs himself.
Draft of Mugwump's avatar, drawn by CWI's Stephan Dupuis
Make the skeletal structure of Mugwump
Mugwump bust by Dupuis
Mugwump bust painted by Dupuis
Mugwump's alternative head form: the Mugwriter, which is closer to the human
Storyboard drawn by Dupuis, close-up by Mugwriter
Made a Mugwriter
Mugwriter head finished
Smoking Mugwump, drawn by Dupuis
Dupuis is making the mugwump model
Mugwump seated image painted by Dupuis
Mugwump sitting in a chair
Storyboard drawn by Dupuis: Bill Lee and Mugwump at the bar
Tuning the Mugwump production version
Unpainted Mugwump header in the CWI repository
Fiction writer Burroughs is with Mugwump
This article is written by 52TOYS Community Talent: Fenir