a sponge, soaking up information. It was a pivotal point for me, of hitting
another level, where suddenly I could see what I called `real' materials
being used: resin, plaster, urethane, and foam being mixed properly. It
was amazing."
Over time, Bartalos was added to the payroll. He was invited to visit
the sets of films Gargiullo was working on and entrusted with more
responsibility in the shop, as a mold maker and fabricator. "I was proba-
bly 15 or 16 years old, going out on the film sets and learning set eti-
quette very quickly: when to shut up and stay out of the way, and how to
be a professional in sometimes difficult situations."
After high school graduation, Bartalos entered art school at Syracuse
University. He continued to receive offers of work from Gargiullo, and
returned to the workforce after completing one semester, spending the
next year and a half working on a wide array of films, doing straight
makeup, beards, wigs, and prosthetic work. "It was really a crash course,
a wonderful education: hands-on in the makeup effects industry."
While Bartalos was honing his craft, gaining experience, and making
contacts, the industry was evolving. Makeup effects artists were becom-
ing film superstars. "People like Tom Savini became my idol. He was
responsible for the ultra-violent splatter films of the early '80s. At the
same time, Rick Baker emerged. Because of his outstanding work on
American Werewolf in London, makeup effects was acknowledged by the
Academy and made an award category." Baker took home the Oscar, the
first for makeup effects, aside from a special award for Planet of the Apes
in 1966. "It was a groundbreaking time. Rick Baker really took the art
aspect of effects and brought it to the forefront, where the better your
artwork, the better your gags will look. That became a whole new rush
for me.
"It also marked the end of what is often criticized as the easy fix of
blood effects. It opened up the door for nicely crafted creatures, elegant
sculptures, cool demons, and graceful monsters. It really fueled the flame
of, `Hey, I could actually make money doing this!'"
Bartalos began looking through local trades for opportunities to
branch out on his own. When Gargiullo turned down work on a film
called Spookies, he suggested Bartalos. "Arnold had done some gags, but
gracefully left and let me tackle some of the others. That was exciting,
seeing my own creations on screen." The job led to work on Killer Dead,
"a massive zombie film," shot in Connecticut and upstate New York.
Bartalos designed the effects and managed a team of workers, using his
apartment as a studio. "We had up to 40 zombies going, three-quarters of
them actors in makeup and masks."
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