We share this earth with a number of irreplaceable freaks. Walking among us are god-like weirdos so prolific that their careers pierce culture at every joint, knuckle and orifice. Screaming Mad George, musician, game designer, director, and special-effects master, lorded over that heap. Sadly, the uncanny artist has passed away at 69 following a cardiac arrest.
Born in Osaka, Joji Tani moved to New York as a teenager to study fine arts. Before long he hit the punk scene, changing his name to one that combined inspirations from Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and MAD Magazine, and unleashing viscerally gory music videos through the late ‘70s. This is where he crossed paths with practical effects legend Rick Baker, landing gigs on Predator and the Nightmare on Elm Street movies. His proficiency in the effects shop stood out, but it was his collaborations with director Brian Yuzna that would cement him as a cult legend. The nauseating satirical horror film Society, climaxing in an oozy orgy, served as a spectacular showpiece for George’s particular brand of goo-making.
Through his film career, George worked with the likes of James Cameron and John Carpenter, and even helped out George Romero with his Japan-only Resident Evil spots. George would settle into the director’s chair himself for 1991’s The Guyver, a mutation-heavy tokusatsu-style ultra-violent superhero horror movie. His presence in music continued as well, providing a pulsating heart for Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer” video and designing Slipknot’s iconic rubber masks. George considered himself a surrealist first and a practical-effects wizard second, fusing Dali and Big Daddy Roth to fill Freaked and Tales from the Hood with twisted flesh and bulging eyeballs.
Leaving no medium un-splotched, George tried his hand at game development in 1998 with the infamous ParaNoiascape. Based on his own bodies of work, the PlayStation game has you controlling pinball flippers, guiding a burning brain along corridors of grotesqueries to become the new lord of hell. Rendered within are George’s signature styles of creatures, including the butt-face from Society, the the pot loving Eye N. Eyes from Freaked, and George’s own glowing head egging you on. While it never left Japan, it’s easily accessible despite the overwhelming strangeness, and English audio files suggest that an overseas release may have been considered.
Screaming Mad George’s wild, absurdist approach made the gnarly ‘90s possible. Late last night, his family revealed that the artist had passed away in February, but that they had opted to keep things private. They say his health turned around 2024, and while he continued to hold gallery receptions of his work, fans noticed the electric punker had become wheelchair-bound. A public memorial is being planned for February of next year.