One of those “Today I Learned” things. The creature Molasar, from 1983 fantasy horror THE KEEP, was designed by French comic book artist, Enki Bilal. (Another HEAVY METAL magazine heavyweight—there is a big tome to be written on the influence of French comic art on Hollywood—Métal hurlant in particular.)

I first learned of the name Enki Bilal in a Dutch book on comic book history. I was 7 or 8. Each name was new to me, each one a world to be explored. Bilal came after Barks—and whenever I looked up Barks, which I did a lot, I came across Bilal, who was featured with one of his illustrations from his 1982 portfolio, DIE MAUER (The Wall) (last image). As a wee kid, I thought the art was weird and off-putting, but intriguing, and I didn’t forget it. A similar concept of people trapped in walls appears in THE KEEP by the way; and Bilal’s influence on the film reaches a bit further even, as he also designed its poster (image 4).

I should also mention that Tangerine Dream did a wonderfully sinister and atmospheric score for THE KEEP: an evocative 80s soundscape.