H.R. Giger Has Died at 74

The Swiss artist and designer of Ridley Scott's Alien, H. R. Giger, has died aged 74, a spokesperson at Giger's museum in Gruyere has confirmed.  He died in hospital on Monday after he fell down stairs at his Zurich home. 

Born in 1940, Giger was best known for his 'Xenomorph' alien in Scott's sci-fi horror masterpiece for which he won a visual effects Oscar in 1980.  He studied architecture and industrial design in Zurich and was known for creating strange dreamscapes.

Giger also worked on a number of other films including Poltergeist II, Species, as well as director Alejandro Jodorowsky's attempt at bringing the novel "Dune" to the big screen. Giger even worked on a design for the Batmobile for the third Batman film, Batman Forever, though his design went unused in the film.