Stephen Jones - Best New Horror #26

American animator, director and producer Michael Sporndied the same day, aged 67. His many cartoons for children include The Trolls and the Christmas Express , The Red Shoes (1990), The Emperor’s New Clothes , ‘Twas the Night and Poe (2013).

Adult film-maker Tony Lovett(aka “Johnny Jump-Up” and “Antonio Passolini”) died on January 26, aged 55. Beginning his career as a publicist and production manager at VCA, he scripted The Devil in Miss Jones 3 and 4 , Dr. Penetration , Latex , Shock and the mondo Inhumanities 2: Modern Atrocities . As a director, Lovett’s credits include Cafe Flesh 2 and 3 , The Devil in Miss Jones 6 and New Wave Hookers 6 . With Matt Maranian he co-authored the books L.A. Bizarro! The Insider’s Guide to the Obscure, the Absurd and the Perverse in Los Angeles and L.A. Bizarre: The All-New Insider’s Guide to the Obscure, the Absurd and the Perverse in Los Angeles .

American animation producer and director Arthur[Gardner] Rankin, Jr. died in Bermuda on January 30, aged 89. His numerous credits include such perennial holiday specials as Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) and Frosty the Snowman (1969), along with Return to Oz (1964), Willie McBean and His Magic Machine , The Daydreamer and Mad Monster Party? (both featuring the voice of Boris Karloff), The Wacky World of Mother Goose , Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town , ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas , J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit (1977) and The Return of the King (1980), The Flight of the Dragons , Peter S. Beagle’s The Last Unicorn (with the voice of Christopher Lee) and the cartoon TV series The New Adventures of Pinnochio , Tales of the Wizard of Oz , King Kong (1966) and Thundercats , amongst many others. Rankin, Jr. was also a producer on the live-action movies King Kong Escapes , The Last Dinosaur , The Bermuda Depths and The Sins of Dorian Gray .

British TV director Christopher[Chisholm] Barry, who began his career at Ealing Studios as a producer’s assistant on The Man in the White Suit (1951), died on February 7, aged 88. His credits include Out of the Unknown (John Wyndham’s ‘Random Quest’), Moonbase 3 , The Tripods and numerous episodes of Doctor Who (1963-79). In 1974 he became the first director to shoot Doctor Who on videotape for location sequences.

American animator and movie director Jimmy T. Murakamidied in Dublin, Ireland, on February 16, aged 80. His films include Humanoids from the Deep (uncredited) and Battle Beyond the Stars for Roger Corman, along with the animated productions The Snowman and When the Wind Blows , both based on books by Raymond Briggs, Heavy Metal (Dan O’Bannon’s ‘Soft Landing’), The Lion the Witch & the Wardrobe (1988) and Christmas Carol: The Movie (2001).

American producer and scriptwriter Don Safran(Donald Bernard Safran) died of congestive heart failure on February 17, aged 84. In 1984 he produced the short-lived TV series of Blue Thunder .

27-year-old camera assistand Sarah[Elizabeth] Joneswas killed on February 20 in an on-set accident involving a train, while working on a low-budget movie in Georgia. The February 26 episode of the CW’s The Vampire Diaries was dedicated to Jones, who worked on that production, along with the movie Dante’s Daemon .

American music and movie producer Saul Zaentz, who won three Academy Awards for his films, died of Alzheimer’s disease on February 28, aged 92. In 1978 he produced the animated version of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and kept the rights to the books tied up for decades.

Acclaimed French film director and editor Alain[Pierre Marie Jean Georges] Resnaisdied on March 1, aged 91. His many acclaimed films include the avant-garde masterpiece Last Year in Marienbad (1961) and the time travel romance Je t’aime je t’aime (1968).

Swedish producer, director and composer Calvin[James] Floyddied in early March, aged 82. He is best remembered for the 1975 documentary In Search of Dracula (narrated by Christopher Lee), the 1977 movie Victor Frankenstein (aka Terror of Frankenstein ) and the 1980 film The Sleep of Death (based on Sheridan Le Fanu’s story ‘The Room in the “Dragon Volant”’).

Acclaimed Oscar-winning British cinematographer Oswald “Ossie” MorrisOBE died on March 17, aged 98. He began his career at Wembley Studios as a clapper boy in the early 1930s, before moving up to camera operator on such filems as Green for Danger . His many credits include Moby Dick (scripted by Ray Bradbury), Scrooge (1970), Sleuth , Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1974), The Man with the Golden Gun , The Man Who Would Be King , The Seven-Per-Cent Solution , The Wiz , The Great Muppet Caper and The Dark Crystal , after which he retired.

Legendary American exploitation and sexploitation producer Harry H. Novak(aka “H. Hershey”), founder of Boxoffice International Pictures (1964-78), died on March 26, aged 86. His many credits include Kiss Me Quick! (as “Seymour Tuchus”), The Toy Box , Please Don’t Eat My Mother! , Wham! Bam! Thank You Spaceman! , Rattlers , The Child and Rituals (aka The Creeper ).

British TV and theatre director Derek Martinus(Derek Buitenhuis) died of Alzheimer’s disease on March 27, aged 82. His credits include episodes of Doctor Who (1965-70) and Blakes 7 . With the debut of Jon Pertwee’s Doctor in 1970, he shot the first Doctor Who serial entirely on film and in colour.

70-year-old Richard Broke, who executive produced Stephen Volk’s memorable 1992 Hallowe’en spoof Ghostwatch , died on April 14. His other credits include the science fiction drama The Plant (1995).

American assistant director Paul Wurtzeldied on April 18, aged 92. He began his career in 1942 with the Laurel and Hardy film A-Haunting We Will Go , and his other credits include The Black Sleep , Voodoo Island and Pharaoh’s Curse . He later worked as a unit production manager on the TV series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and The Twilight Zone (1985-87), along with the 1982 Disney TV movie Beyond Witch Mountain .

American TV director Gordon[Wyatt] Wilesdied on April 27, aged 84. Along with a number of episodes of Land of the Lost , he also directed episodes of Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In and Bigfoot and Wildboy , as well as the 1971 musical film of Li’l Abner .

American cinematographer Gordon Willisdied of cancer on May 18, aged 82. Known as “The Prince of Darkness” for his use of shadowy lighting, he worked on the movie version of Pennies from Heaven (1981) and Woody Allen’s Zelig and The Purple Rose of Cairo . He received an honorary Academy Award in 2009, alongside Roger Corman.

69-year-old American screenwriter, director and video game producer Michael[Bernard] Gottliebwas killed in a motorcycle accident on May 23. His movie credits include Mannequin and Disney’s A Kid in King Arthur’s Court .