Ron Cobb is one of the most recognizable talents and influential art/production designers in film. His body of work spans almost 50 years, as a cartoonist, art director, graphic designer and film production designer.

Ron was probably the most instrumental person in bringing John Milius’ vision for Conan the Barbarian to life. Through Ron’s sketches and production art, the Hyborian Age was brought to visual life – every aspect of the film’s look and feel owes something to Ron’s imagination. No detail was too small for Ron to make unique.

The swords of Conan the Barbarian are a great example. The Atlantean Sword™ is intricately designed with the prediction of the "Fall of Atlantis"– the smoking mountain surrounded by waves, the strange sea monsters that are each quillon end, and the pommel showing the mountain again, surrounded by a reed boat such as is found in both Egypt and South America (and often theorized as having its origin in Atlantis), with a leering death’s head embossed on the mountain.

The Father’s Sword™ shows the primitive and yet vital nature of Conan’s Cimmerian people – the skull of the great elk and hoof pommel is reminiscent of Native American or aboriginal art, but with geometric design elements that make it seem more ancient and less familiar.

Ron also had a cameo in the film – as the "drug dealer" who gives Conan and Subotai information about the snake cult.

Ron’s skills as a cartoonist also shows in the various storyboard drawings he did for the film. Some examples of his production art and storyboards are below.

Ron’s Career

His first film work was at Disney Studios as an inbetweener / breakdown artist on the animated feature, SLEEPING BEAUTY, but it was not until 1973 that he started working seriously in film.

Ron has worked as a freelance artist, political cartoonist. (L.A. Free Press and "The Digger"), and as art director for computer games.

Some of Ron’s other notable achievements:

Designed the International symbol for Ecology (published for the first time on 25 October 1969. The symbol is a combination of the letters e and o, from the words environment and organism.)

1982 Official NASA Artist, (S.T.S.-4).
One of ten artist invited by NASA to document the 4th launch and landing of the Space Shuttle, Columbia
Two paintings currently in the Smithsonian Aerospace museum.

1984 Los Angeles. Designed the Alien for the Olympics, closing ceremony.

1987 Production paintings and dinosaur designs for Disney studio’s (Star Tour-style) flight simulator ride: "Time Vortex". Conceived by Jim Cameron.

FILM AND TELEVISION CREDITS

Specific Designs 1974 Feature "DARK STAR"
Designed Space Ship exterior.

Specific Designs 1977 Feature "STAR WARS"
Designed some of the more elaborate aliens in the cantina scene.

Concept Artist 1987 Feature "ALIEN"
Designed exterior (miniature) and interior sets of the earthship Nostromo.

Specific Designs 1981 Feature "RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK"
Designed the Nazi Flying Wind and the early concept of the Peruvian temple.

Specific Designs 1981 Feature "CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND THE SPECIAL EDITION"
Designed stranded tanker sequence and Mother Ship interior.

Story, Slated Director 1982 Feature "NIGHT SKIES" ("E.T.")
Picked by Steven Spielberg to direct this sequel to "CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND"
Originated Story. My choice for screenplay writer was John Sayles. Projections of the effects budget proved too high for Spielberg (who was producing). After a total rewrite NIGHT SKIES was cancelled. Rewrite became "E.T."

Production Designer 1982 Feature "CONAN THE BARBARIAN"
Director of additional second unit photography.

Art Director 1982 Feature "HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY"
Designer for the BBC series.

Production Designer 1984 Feature "THE LAST STARFIGHTER" (Directed by Nick Castle)
Worked extensively on advanced computer simulation effects.

Specific Designs 1985 Feature "REAL GENIUS"
Designed laser technology and laser weapon system.

Specific Designs 1985 Feature "MY SCIENCE PROJECT"
Designed central U.F.O. Device.

De Lorean time travel consultant 1985 Feature "BACK TO THE FUTURE"
Initial design (interior and exterior) of the De Lorean time machine.

Co-designer, Director 1986 TV Series STEVEN SPIELBERG’S "AMAZING STORIES"
Designed the title logo. Co-designed the computer-simulated opening sequence. (The sequence that opens every show) Also directed the live action segments of this sequence.

Concept Designer 1987 Feature "ALIENS" (Directed by Jim Cameron)
Designs for interior / exterior sets and land vehicles of the earth colony complex on the alien planet. Designs for the "Drop ship" (small military space ship), the armored personnel carrier and some of the hand weapons.

Art Director 1986 Rock video "ROUGH BOYS", Z Z TOP, ROCK VIDEO
Designed space station / car wash set and some props. Won the 1986, MTV award for best art direction in a music video.

Specific Designs 1986 Feature "ROBOT JOXS" Directed by Stewart (RE-ANIMATOR) Gordon
Designed the 180 ft. high, multi-mode robots (inside and out) along with their support systems and the world they battle in, (automobiles, training devices and costumes).

Writer 1987 TV Series TWILIGHT ZONE, "SHELTER SKELTER"
Invented the original story and co-wrote the teleplay (with Robin Love) for a half hour dramatic segment.

Art Director 1987 Feature PETER GABRIEL’S, "P.O.V." (Concert film shot on location in Athens, Greece)

Writer, Designer 1988 Short Film "MARS – 1" Project by MCA, Jet Propulsion Lab and Apple computer. Meant to create public support for a manned, joint US-Soviet mission to Mars. Co-wrote the script (with Mike Backes). Designed (and approved by JPL) the Mars expedition spacecraft. (Cancelled upon collapse of the Soviet Union)

Production Designer 1989 Feature "LEVIATHAN" A science fiction, underwater epic. Directed by George (RAMBO) Cosmatos

Concept Designer 1989 Feature "THE ABYSS" (Directed by Jim Cameron)
Interior / exterior set designs for the huge, underwater oil drilling platform. Designed two, full sized, operable submarines, (research-style submersibles). The main scuba gear / helmets and the liquid breathing suit.

Specific Designs 1989 Feature "TOTAL RECALL" (Directed by Paul Verhoeven)
Concept art / design. Created the overall look for the Mars colony and mine complex including operable taxi cabs, full sized "mole" mining machines, and general transportation, (utility vehicles, a Martian mag-lev train, an Marsliner spaceship, etc.). Also designed the "REKALL" machine, a few key props, a squad car and a robotic taxi, for the earth sequence.

Specific Designs 1991 Feature "ROCKETEER" (Directed by Joe Johnson)
Contributed to the design of the rocket powered back pack.

Director 1990 – 1991 Feature "GARBO"
Directed first feature film. An all Australian Comedy about Garbage collectors and a garbage truck named "Greta". (shot entirely in and around Melbourne, Australia)

Designer 1991 Short Film "ENERTOPIA" (A short film on the history of energy for the Korean world’s fair)
Designed an entire Korean city of the future complete with transportation (air, land and water), architecture, and agricultural technology. Made into a computer simulation for a two minute fly over at the end of a large format 3D film.

Concept artist 1992 Feature "THE MYSTERY BENEATH" (a Hollywood Pictures feature in early planning)
Submitted a series of designs for a mutated monster lurking in a salt mine filled with nuclear waste.

Concept artist 1992 Short Film "THE IMAX MOVIE" ("The day the world changed")
A spoof of the fifties Sci-Fi movie, "INVASION FROM MARS". Created costumes, weapons and transportation for clumsy alien invaders. A short, dramatized film in the IMAX format.

Concept Designer 1993 Feature "TRUE LIES" (Directed by Jim Cameron)
Designed the OMEGA SECTOR crest, some corporate logos and four Russian hydrogen bombs (30 kiloton, MIRV type, re-entry cones) used by Moslem terrorists to threaten Miami. Also designed the bomb carrying frames, cases and detonation consoles.

Creative Director 1994 – 1996 Interactive games ROCKET SCIENCE GAMES
Wrote scenario and designed the Sega games "LOADSTAR I and II". Wrote scenario and designed the Sci-Fi. game, "GANYMEDE". Art directed the joint Rocket Science / Boffo game, "SPACE BAR".

Creative Director 1996 Educational CD Roms HYPERGOLIC STUDIOS INC.
Designed educational interactive CD Rom, "BATTLE OF THE IRONCLADS" for Grolier Interactive.

Conceptual Designer 1997 Feature "PLANET ICE" now called "TITAN A.E."
Contributed alien character and creature designs as well as concepts and designs for planetary landscapes and spacecraft.

Conceptual Designer 1997 Feature "WING COMMANDER"
Designed newer, high res, high tech versions of all the spacecraft seen in the popular game of the same name.

Conceptual Designer 1998 Game Michael Crichton’s "TIMELINE"
Designed the medieval world, villages, castles, (exteriors and interiors), a mill complex plus characters and costumes for an interactive computer game. Developed by the VIRTUS Corporation in North Carolina and based on Crichton’s time travel novel of the same name.

Assistant Art Director 1999 Feature "THE SIXTH DAY"
Designed Arnold Schwarzenegger’s future weaponry, his "covertacoptor" (the Whispercraft) and much of the cloning technology.

Conceptual Designer 2000 Feature "RED PLANET"
Provided a late redesign of the robot and a small Martian life form.

Conceptual Designer 2000 Feature "FIGHTING LIKE CATS AND DOGS"
Designed cat and dog technologies.

Consultant / Designer 2000 Industrial Designs "INSTITUTE FOR CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY" (University of Southern California)
Designed future combat vehicles (proposed) for the United States Army. Supervised simulations.

For more on Ron Cobb and his films, we invite you to visit the Internet Movie Database

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