Buzz
Hans Rudolf Giger, the Swiss surrealist artist, passed away in 2014 at 74, leaving behind a remarkable legacy. Renowned for crafting the iconic Xenomorph in the 1979 film Alien, his career was defined by a fascination with biomechanical art. Discover some lesser-known details about the master of macabre.
1. HIS EARLY EXHIBITIONS SPARKED OUTRAGE.
Raised in Chur, Switzerland, Giger was encouraged to follow his family’s footsteps into pharmacy. Instead, he pursued his passion for art, enrolling in Zurich’s School of Applied Arts and drawing inspiration from his youthful fascination with Egyptian motifs such as mummies and sarcophagi. His early exhibitions, featuring provocative and sexually suggestive art, provoked such strong reactions that passersby spat on the gallery windows in disgust.
2. HE CREATED AN ALIEN MOVIE BEFORE ALIEN.
Cinefantastique
Almost a decade before contributing to Alien, Giger was approached to design costumes and sets for a Swiss film called Swiss Made [PDF]. The 1969 movie tells the story of a humanoid alien and his extraterrestrial dog visiting Earth. Giger revealed, “I used a real dog and crafted the outfits from polyester.” While rudimentary, the alien’s design (shown above) foreshadows the iconic elongated skull he would later popularize.
3. A BOOK LANDED HIM THE ALIEN GIG.
Ridley Scott was uncertain about the visual direction for Alien, a script he chose to direct about a space crew encountering a deadly, acid-bleeding creature. During a meeting at Fox, he stumbled upon Giger’s Necronomicon, a collection of his hauntingly imaginative artwork. “I knew instantly it was perfect,” Scott recalled. Giger designed the creature’s four life stages: the egg, face-hugger, chest-burster, and fully grown Xenomorph, collaborating with model maker Roger Dicken. Both artists were present on set for refinements, with Giger personally sculpting the “space jockey” from clay.
4. HE BUILT THE ALIEN USING MEAT, TOY SLIME, AND CONDOMS.
Fox
In a 1979 interview with Starlog [PDF], Giger revealed the unconventional materials he used to create the alien eggs in Alien. Alongside plastic, he incorporated neon-green toy Slime, a 1970s favorite, and even real animal flesh. For the alien’s jaw tendons, which stretch as it prepares to attack, Giger utilized shredded latex condoms.
5. JAMES CAMERON SENT HIM AN APOLOGY LETTER.
Giger was puzzled when he wasn’t invited to work on 1986’s Aliens by Fox or director James Cameron, especially after winning an Oscar for the original film. Later, Cameron clarified in a personal letter that while he admired Giger’s “bizarre, psycho-sexual aesthetic,” he wanted to leave his own mark on the sequel. Cameron admitted he feared being overshadowed by Giger’s iconic style and apologized for not involving him.
6. FOX OVERLOOKED HIS CREDIT IN ALIEN 3.
Fox
Giger rejoined the franchise for 1992’s Alien 3, directed by David Fincher. Despite contributing to the new designs, he faced conflicts with the effects team and described the experience as disappointing. To his dismay, Fox failed to credit him as specified in his contract, listing him only for “original design” and omitting his name from the closing credits. These errors were later rectified for the home video release.
7. FOX INTENTIONALLY EXCLUDED HIS NAME FROM ALIEN: RESURRECTION.
Though Giger had no involvement in the fourth Alien film, his influence on the creature designs was undeniable. Fox, however, chose to exclude his name from the credits entirely. Giger expressed his frustration in a letter to Fox, stating, “The creatures in Alien: Resurrection are more faithful to my original designs than those in Aliens and Alien 3. Why am I not credited for my work? ... I can only hope an Alien breeds in their chests.”
8. HE FELT DISSATISFIED WITH HIS CONTRIBUTION TO POLTERGEIST II.
icollector.com
Instead of being asked to join Aliens, Fox assigned Giger to 1986’s Poltergeist II: The Other Side, a sequel to Tobe Hooper’s 1982 supernatural thriller. Giger was displeased with how his Great Beast design turned out in the film and later admitted he would have rather worked on Aliens, which was in production simultaneously. “Maybe the Poltergeist team wanted to keep me from Aliens to avoid losing me,” he told Cinefantastique [PDF] in 1988. “I found Poltergeist II horrifying.”
9. HE CREATED A BATMOBILE CONCEPT.
In 1994, Giger was approached to design a new Batmobile for Batman Forever, the third film in the series following Tim Burton’s 1989 version. Although Burton had exited the franchise, replaced by Joel Schumacher, Giger’s lobster-inspired Batmobile design was a bold and unconventional take. However, it never progressed beyond the conceptual stage.
10. DEBBIE HARRY COMMISSIONED HIM TO DESIGN HER ALBUM COVER.
Giger’s artistry attracted numerous musicians, many of whom sought his talent for album cover designs. For Debbie Harry’s 1981 album, KooKoo, Giger drew inspiration from a recent acupuncture session, creating a striking image of Harry’s face pierced by four needles. Harry approached him at a gallery event, and while Giger agreed, he admitted he was unfamiliar with her music. “I was more into jazz at the time,” he explained. The artwork was later banned from advertisements in the UK.
11. SOME OF HIS ARTWORKS WERE STOLEN.
After moving into a castle in Gruyères, Switzerland, which he transformed into a home for his extensive collection, Giger discovered that several of his paintings had been stolen. Others vanished during transit to exhibitions. In a 2009 Vice.com interview, he expressed his frustration, offering a reward of 10,000 francs for information. “It’s deeply upsetting … it’s just sh*t,” he said.
12. THERE’S A BAR DEDICATED TO GIGER’S WORK.
DarkArtandCraft
For an unforgettable Giger experience, fans can visit Switzerland, where two bars designed by the artist remain open to the public. The Giger Bars in Chur and Gruyères showcase his biomechanical style, featuring spine-like columns and polished posts that evoke an almost organic feel. The Gruyères location is next to a museum dedicated to his work, endorsed by Giger himself. Before his death in 2014, Giger was discussing plans to open a bar in the United States.
13. HE CONTRIBUTED TO TWO VIDEO GAMES.
Giger’s distinctive style was featured in Dark Seed, a 1992 point-and-click game for DOS and Amiga systems, where he provided concept and background art. A sequel, Dark Seed II, was released later, but neither game gained significant popularity. Giger later admitted, “I wasn’t deeply involved. They just used my name,” as he told an interviewer [PDF].
14. A CARNIVOROUS PLANT BEARS HIS NAME.
International Carnivorous Plant Society
In 2014, after Giger’s passing, plant breeder Matthew Kaelin honored the artist by naming a carnivorous plant species “Nepenthes H.R. Giger.” The plant’s spiky appearance and tooth-like peristome inspired the name. While it primarily consumes insects, it can also digest small animals that fall into its trap. With its otherworldly look, the plant serves as a perfect homage to Giger’s legacy.
