Posted 11-MAR-2005

Be sure to read William Stout's Biography before reading this interview. He is an incredibly interesting and talented guy. His bio will give some interesting context to the statements below.

How did you come to work on Pan's Labyrinth with Guillermo Del Toro? What is your role on the project?
Every year at Comic-Con International director Frank (“Shawshank Redemption”, “Green Mile”) Darabont organizes a great dinner for himself and his friends. His friends usually consist of artists and directors he admires. Both Guillermo and I were invited and that’s where we met. I had long wanted to meet Guillermo; mutual friends told us we would really hit it off. I had listened to his DVD commentaries and he really seemed like a kindred spirit. We have so much in common, with enthusiastically similar tastes in film, art, food (I lived in Mexico City while making “Conan the Destroyer”) and other things. We even share the same Spanish nickname (“Memo”).

The next day Guillermo came by my Comic-Con booth and purchased some paintings. He asked that we get together after we were back in Los Angeles for their delivery and some other things he wanted to discuss.

The “other things” turned out to be “Pan’s Labyrinth” and, coincidentally, “At the Mountains of Madness”. I say coincidentally because one of the pictures Guillermo purchased from me was my Hellboy pinup: “Hellboy at the Mountains of Madness” which depicted both Hellboy and myself in Antarctica with a Lovecraft creature from the novel looming behind us (this was published in an issue of “Hellboy’s Weird Tales”).

Guillermo quickly surpassed my expectations of him. I found him not only to be a fellow connoisseur of life’s finer things, but a man with a big heart and generous soul as well.

My time was very tight at the time (lots of travel) but I told Guillermo I would make time for “Pan’s Labyrinth”. He asked me to design the main exterior set of the film, a key prop and two important creatures. I was eager to work on the film in Spain (I made “Conan the Barbarian” while based in Madrid) but the low budget of the film prevented that.

What are the styles or influences that shape the look of Pan's Labyrinth?
Rural Basque architecture was the main influence on the exterior set. The rest of the designs were left to my imagination as I interpreted Guillermo’s sketches. I wanted an ancient, timeless look for the creatures; scary yet interesting at the same time.

Have you seen (or designed yourself) any of the creatures or makeup work for "Pan's" yet?
I haven’t yet seen the make-ups derived from my designs. I can’t wait!

How would you describe your experience working on this film? Anything specific that you can share that has been exciting or fun for you?
The experience was short (one week) but sweet. Guillermo is a great communicator (it helps that because of our shared interests and backgrounds we speak the same visual language). He drew some sketches for me a visual point of departure and gave me some references on Basque architecture. After that he left me pretty much to my own devices, which is always fun. When a director trusts me like that I try to exceed his expectations. Because of his generosity I put in a free extra day or two on the designs. I felt like I was warming up; I wanted to do so much more!

You mention on your website that you are also helping work on "Mountains of Madness". Given your past work with Antarctica and the occupation of the film's characters, it seems like you would be perfect to not only work on this movie, you could star in it! Talk briefly about your experiences in Antarctica and how it will translate to your work on "Mountains".
I have been to Antarctica several times, first as a tourist, then later as the recipient of the National Science Foundation’s Antarctic Artists and Writers Program Grant.

On my last trip there I stayed for four months. I had adventure after adventure. I visited Robert Falcon Scott’s hut, which is perfectly preserved just as he left it before his tragic attempt to be the first to reach the South Pole. A freeze-dried dog of his is still chained up just outside the hut. I climbed an active volcano (Mount Erebus) and at the top gazed down into its lava lakes. I explored ice caves on its slopes. I rappelled down a two hundred feet ice cliff. I camped out in Antarctica’s Dry Valleys and made seven scuba dives beneath the ice. During one dive I got trapped under the twelve feet of ice! My Antarctic trips were the adventure of a lifetime!

I really look forward to including as much of my own Antarctic knowledge and experiences as possible to give Guillermo’s film a believability and credibility beyond what the average theater-goer would expect. I think that the more real the film seems the more convincing the fantasy aspects will be.

What was it like the first time you visited Antarctica? Any adventures or exciting moments to share?
Having traveled all over most of the world I think I can confidently say that Antarctica is the most spectacular place on Planet Earth. The scale is different, the colors are different, the air is different. One midnight on my first visit there the sky graduated from an apricot orange to a lime green. The sea was mint green with blue violet icebergs. The iceberg to the immediate right of the ship had a lemon yellow light emanating from just below the water’s surface. How bizarre is that?

Antarctica is a world of extremes; it is the coldest, driest and windiest place on earth. Every day is a new adventure. Death and danger are your constant companions. I could fill Guillermo’s website with harrowing tales of narrow escapes.

Because of the spectacular nature of that continent, I couldn’t return to the United States nor face my sons without doing something in an effort to preserve it for the future. I began supporting the The Antarctica Project (TAP; their website is www.asoc.org), an efficient bare bones umbrella organization working hard to coordinate the activities of other environmental organizations to make Antarctica the first World Park, thereby protecting it forever. I produced a 45 oil painting one man show, “Dinosaurs, Penguins & Whales - The Wildlife of Antarctica”, depicting both prehistoric and contemporary life in Antarctica to educate the public as to that continent’s specialness and value. The Natural History Museum of Las Angeles County traveled my show around the world for seven years.

Your bio says you began your professional career in 1968 with the cover of pulp magazine "Coven 13". For those aspiring artists out there, what is your advice for getting your first break, and then maintaining a long prosperous career?
1) From the very beginning be aware of what your rights are as an artist. Be aware of all the different values your work has (original commission, original art, copyrights, licensing rights, royalties, etc.) and NEVER sell yourself short. Get a copy of the Graphic Artists Guild Pricing & Ethical Guidelines book and memorize it. Fame may help in negotiations but it ultimately comes down to your integrity. I insisted on always getting my original art back even when I was a complete unknown. Your clients do not need the originals to make their product once they’ve been scanned or photographed. If you bend over backwards to be accommodating and give away the store you’re perceived not as a “nice guy” but as a chump. You are looked upon by your client (especially movie clients) from that point on with utter contempt.

2) Once the negotiations are finished, no matter how much --- or how little --- you are getting paid, ALWAYS do your very best work. Your work will continue to improve and you will never have anything to look back on with embarrassment or regret.

3) If you’re serious about breaking into and working in the film business, make it easier on yourself and move to where that industry is based: Los Angeles. Most of the people making movies live in the L. A. area. What you know is important but --- and I hate to say it --- who you know can be almost as important. Let’s face it --- I probably wouldn’t have been able to work with Guillermo if I’d lived in Nebraska. When people want you for a film they often want you NOW. If you’re not here they will get someone else.

4) If you seriously want to work in movies (and I honestly would discourage you; it's often a tough, brutal and heartbreaking business), get a job as a P. A. (production assistant) on a film. A P. A. is a low-paying glorified “gofer” but, if you’re smart, ambitious and pay attention, you’ll learn more about filmmaking in a couple of months as a P. A. than you would in four years of film school. Film school does not teach you any of the Unwritten Rules of Filmmaking; being a P. A. does.

So what are you up to now? What projects can your fans look forward to?
This May ABC will run a film I had a big hand in designing: “The Muppets Wizard of Oz”, directed by Kirk Thatcher. I just designed a new children’s television show, “Lilly’s Light” which will probably end up on PBS. I recently worked briefly on “A Princess of Mars” which is being directed by Kerry Conran, director of the wonderful “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” movie. On my website (www.williamstout.com) you can see the poster I created to promote the Animal Planet special on DRAGONS (airing March 20). The poster is currently being given away at comic book shops and conventions around the country.

My current BIG project is painting twelve huge murals depicting the prehistoric dinosaur and early mammal life of San Diego for the San Diego Natural History Museum. They’ll be finished and installed at the museum in the spring of 2006.

As a nice bonus, Stout sent his sketch of Lovecraft's Cthulhu. Very cool!

Thanks to William for answering out questions, and a special thanks to Riddick for showing me William's website and also contributing some of the great questions above.