In 1925 Obie stunned audiences with his effects work on a film adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World . Shortly thereafter, he bagan work on a similar story about people stranded on an island with dinosaurs. This feature was tentatively called CREATION. However, studio executives lost interest and dropped the project. They did, instead, employ Obie and his effects skills on a movie originally entitled THE EIGHTH WONDER. The film was released under the title KING KONG. CREATION quietly slipped into obscurity, and KING KONG went on to become one of the all time classics.

Although stop-motion animation is a special effects process that is very seldom used anymore thanks to computer effects, Obie's influence can still be seen in movies today. Film such as JURASSIC PARK, THE LOST WORLD, and GODZILLA, just to name a few, all borrow themes or, in some cases, scenes from a Willis O'Brien movie.

This comic-book series (which begins in August 1999) is a loose adaptation of Obie's unrealized CREATION story. I've taken a few liberties with the original story (Obie, if you're watching, I hope you don't mind).

This is my tribute to a genius and special effects pioneer.

I hope you all enjoy my efforts.

signed
JAMES ALLEN 

Willis O'Brien Bio and Filmography

Willis O'Brien 1886-1962 (in German) excellent resource! (slow link)
The Lost World (1925) (Celluloid Dinosaurs)
Study of the King Kong Narrative with Posters

Celluloid Dinosaurs - Creation - actual stills from the unfinished movie! SOON!

Other famous practitioners of stop-motion animation include:

Ray Harryhausen (Seventh Voyage of Sinbad)
Jim Danforth (When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth)
George Pal (The Puppetoons, The Great Rupert)
David Allen (The Primevals)
Henry Sellick (Nightmare Before Christmas)