Liska, Laine

Laine Liska

Laine Steven Liska was born on December 23, 1948 in California.

Laine Liska died on October 18, 1994 in Los Angeles, California. He was survived by his wife, Ruth M. Liska (née Mathers), and two sons, Liam (a film sculptor/model maker, game developer, toy designer) and Benjamin.

Film Actor
Making of Alien³, The~2003 - (archive footage) himself
Star Wars~1977 (uncredited) - Muftak - Talz in the Cantina/Bith (see photo) with the Modal Nodes in the  Cantina/Hem Dazon - Arcona in the Cantina 

Film Visual/Special Effects
Oblivion 2: Backlash~1996 (creatures creator - Scorpion exteriors)
Cliffhanger~1993  (puppet sculptor: Italy crew)
Batman Returns~1992 (visual effects)
Nutt House, The~1992 (visual effects animator)
Alien³~1992 (lead puppeteer) (puppet supervisor)
Back to the Future... The Ride~1991 (stop-motion animator) (uncredited)
Warlock~1989 (stop-motion animation - PMP)
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids~1989 (bee sequence animator)
Masters of the Universe~1987 (design maquettes)
(never released) Journey to the Centre of the Earth~1987 (creature designer/animator) Also: had starred SWAD actress Yeardley Smith)
Flight of the Navigator~1986 (creature mechanics)
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe~1983 (design maquettes)
Caveman~1981 (visual effects)
The Day Time Ended~1980 (model designer)
Star Wars~1977 (model effects) (designer of the Abyssin (Myo) mask in A New Hope) 

Alice (In Wonderland)~1970's - creatures
Flesh Gordon~1972 (Animator: sculpted the Nesuahyrrah puppet)

TV Visual/Special Effects
Battlestar Galactica~1978 (model builder - Ovions)
Star Wars Holiday Special~1978 (designer of the Abyssin (Myo) mask in A New Hope) 

Books
The Stop Motion Filmography~1999 (biography included)
The Last of the Old West~1968 (illustrated by Laine Liska)

Laugh on Friday, Weep on Sunday; One Woman's Reminiscence~1968 (illustrated by Laine Liska)

Commercials
Pillsbury Doughboy~1979 (lead animator)
Speedy Alka-Selzer~1979 (lead animator)
Swiss Miss (Nestle)~196? (animator - second person behind Dave Allen to bring the Swiss Miss to life)

Miscellany
1993 - Contributed a painting called "Alice" to "Art for Life" a traveling art show sponsored by Pittsburgh based Stadtlander  Drug Co.which featured art by patients who had transplant surgery

1991 - Owner/President of Liska, Inc. - which did work on:
     Oblivion 2: Backlash~1996

1991 - animator for the tyrannosaurus rex crew on Back to the Future...The Ride (Universal Studios)

1988 - Had a liver transplant

1960s - Worked for Cascade Studios (stop-motion animation) and Art Clokey

1962/3 - Found a trunk which stored the test films of animator Pete Peterson after his death.  Liska and other young animators used what they found (which included the armature of the Las Vegas Monster 1958) to create the Great God Porno in Flesh Gordon in 1974.