The Island, and The Spy Who Loved Me.
And of course, Pullin’s inspiration also
comes from the origin of horror—each
monster and villain he’s ever seen. JAWS,
Boris Karloff’s portrait of the monster in
Frankenstein, and Wes Craven’s Freddy
Krueger are all memorable for Pullin, as well
as the creature from the black lagoon.
“The Creature From The Black Lagoon is a
beautiful and iconic monster design. It still
works for me. If they remade it today, it would
be a computer generated gill man, running,
leaping and doing cartwheels under water, but
I’ll take the guy in a rubber suit over computer
generated wizardry any day.”
Not only does Ghoulish Gary appreciate
the appeal of the monster, but he also
understands the fear created by the absence
of the monster. “I think the scariest monsters
are created in an audience’s mind.”
Proof of this theory can be seen in JAWS,
wherein the shark isn’t even revealed until
halfway through the film. “Chances are the
shark was scarier in your head than when you
see it pop out of the water for the first time.
It’s still scary and effective, but nothing will
ever live up to the dread you've conjured up
in your mind.”
In 2012, Pullin decided to break out and
start his own design company, but continues
to work with Rue Morgue through his monthly
art column, “The Fright Gallery”.
While Pullin finds working for himself to
be gratifying, he also told InSpades Magazine
that it comes with its own set of challenges.