In a coma after an accident, cartoonist Stu Miley finds himself trapped in the limbo between life and death in the surreal Downtown. But he must find a way to get back while racing against his popular but treacherous character, Monkeybone. On the way he must outwit Death and also contend with Monkeybone's antics as the creature takes over Stu's earthly body ...

Left to right: Frit and Frat Fuller as '3 Headed Devil', Doug Jones as 'Yen the Yeti', Leif Tilden as 'Cyclops', and Brian Steele as 'Jumbo the Elephant God'

Two of L.A.'s famed creature houses - XFX and Captive Audience - brought the creatures to their larger-than-life, fully-functioning status. "Our approach to the design of the characters was to them completely unrealistic," says XFX's Steve Johnson. "We purposefully did things crudely, and kind of rough and emotional. However, when you look at the overall palette of the film, you understand that this fits within a specific context. "

Once an actor was cast to play a creature, the filmmakers took a mold of his or her face and body, so the creature designers had a distinct shape over which to sculpt the suit. Each character was then assigned puppeteers to guide the animatronics. One creature might require up to six puppeteers for optimal operation. On set, Pons Maar choreographed Selick's direction, giving sometimes blinded actors audio cues for eye line and movement.

Screen captures from 'Monkeybone'

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All images © 2001 20th Century Fox. All rights reserved.

Trailer for MONKEYBONE