‘Society’ and ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ Effects Legend Screaming Mad George Has Died at 69

The horror world has lost one of its great practical effects visionaries.

Screaming Mad George, the legendary special makeup and creature effects artist whose surreal creations helped define some of horror’s most unforgettable imagery, passed away on February 10, 2026, at the age of 69. His family announced the news this weekend, explaining that they had kept his passing private for the past five months to give themselves time to grieve.

Born in Osaka, Japan, George moved to New York at 18 to study fine art at the School of Visual Arts. He fronted the punk band The Mad before teaching himself special makeup effects, eventually catching the attention of legendary makeup artist Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London), who invited him to California.

George would go on to work on Predator, Big Trouble in Little China, Poltergeist II, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Bride of Re-Animator, Freaked and countless others, but horror fans perhaps know him best for his astonishing work on Brian Yuzna’s Society. The film’s infamous “shunting” sequence remains one of the most outrageous and influential displays of practical effects ever put on screen.

Interestingly, George never really considered himself a horror artist. He considered himself a surrealist, influenced by artists including Salvador Dalí and Hieronymus Bosch, and saw even his most grotesque creations as explorations of transformation, imagination and beauty.

He was also an important mentor to the generation that followed. His S.M.G. Inc. studio became an early training ground for effects artists including Greg Nicotero and Robert Kurtzman, while George later returned to Osaka and devoted much of his life to teaching and mentoring young artists at Osaka University of Arts.

George is survived by his wife, Miki, and their daughter, Alice. A memorial gathering is planned for the first anniversary of his passing.

His family and representatives have shared an extensive remembrance of George, his extraordinary career, his final years and the person behind the monsters.