- H.R. Giger, known for his work on sci-fi films like Alien and Species, was approached to design the Batmobile for Batman Forever in 1995.
- Giger's design, known as the Gigermobile, was made in his signature biomechanical style.
- The Gigermobile resembled a pair of scissors, with sharp spikes and metal bubbles housing Gatling guns.
The highly accomplished designer is well known for his work on sci-fi masterpieces like Alien, Species and even Poltergeist II: The Other Side, all of which contained terrifying creatures. H R Giger was approached to design the Batmobile for 1995’s Batman Forever. Unsurprisingly, turning the Batmobile into a creature didn’t work out as Joel Schumacher hoped, and the design remained unused.
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H R Giger – The Godfather of Biomechanical Art
H R Giger was known for his terrifying artwork well before he went on to create his famous creatures. Famous for his massive and intricate works, an airbrush was one of his most used mediums. Most of his work was done in shades of grey, giving it an almost industrialised feel that perfectly met the theme of sci-fi.
While his work did occasionally delve into actual mechanics, and his art depicted biology meeting mechanics and technology in an almost psycho-sexual manner, his machines mainly were architecture or terrifying alien concepts like his Birth Machine, a weapon that chambered alien-like babies instead of bullets, complete with a trigger.
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While many weird fans love his work (myself included), all this says that I can’t fathom why someone would ask him to create a design for a car, even if it is the Batmobile.
H R Giger’s Batmobile
In 1994, Giger was approached to design a Batmobile for Batman Forever (1995) and did precisely that. While his design wasn’t exactly what Joel Schumacher wanted, you can’t deny that the Gigermobile is made in his signature style.
The only other kind of vehicle that Giger has made in the past is his “Derelict”, the semi-circular ship that is referenced in nearly every Alien movie, including Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. His Batmobile is a similar design, looking like a one-person spaceship on wheels.
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The Gigermobile has been compared to a pair of scissors, and for good reason. It is shaped like a pair and has sharp spikes on the inside of each limb that make up the x-shape, which looks like they could be razors or teeth. On the outside of each limb is a bubble of metal that houses Gatling guns. Astonishingly, the considerable vehicle was “able” to run on just two wheels, one in front of the dome-like cockpit or driver’s seat and one behind, like a motorbike.
In his original design, Giger included a pair of scissors as a diagram and sketched the vehicle in motion, showing how it could open and close like the snipping motion of the scissors.
“[Giger’s]unique “X” shaped design was to include articulated front legs/mandibles, retractable fins, and Gatling gun emplacements on each of the four pods on the sides of the vehicle.”
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While the Gigermobile definitely looks like an extra-terrestrial pair of sneakers, something else, a little more subversive, comes to mind. Knowing Giger’s fascination with combining biology and mechanics, it wouldn’t surprise me if he went a little more biological when designing his smallest vehicle.
With its exciting x-shape, the Gigermobile is reminiscent of a chromosome as it goes through mitosis, cell growth, duplication, and renewal. Am I reaching a little? Maybe. But knowing what an artistic genius H.R. Giger was, it wouldn’t surprise me.
Ultimately, the problem with the Gigermobile was that it was very Giger and needed more Bat, making the words Batmobile possible. It’s unsurprising that Joel Schumacher used Barbara Ling’s design. Still, it’s also surprising that no one else repurposed the Gigermobile for something else.
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Ah yes, scissors. The first thing you think about when you hear Batman. Giger was such a one-trick (or more like one-dick) pony.
In an effort to gain readership you bash a legend’s car design? Have fun with that. Obviously the writer doesn’t understand design so I’ll give him/her a few pointers: You can use anything for inspiration to design something. A toothbrush, a donut, a lamp. Every artist knows the first design is a step-off point, so Giger’s approach here is brilliant. You can see his thought process and the 3D modeler did an excellent job to bring it closer to life. Design is a evolution of work through countless hours of tweaking, nothing is perfect the first try. The further it is from the norm, the more challenging it is to pull it back from reality, and it seems here Giger was given all the freedom he wanted. Is it bad? That’s your interpretation. The first time I saw the Tumbler I was confused not amused, I’ll admit. The storytelling and seeing its design process from other articles got me to love it.
its Giger. He’s a genius so obviously he’s going to design something unlike anything anyone has seen before. It’s why his work was so great for alien but inappropriate for Batman.
Oh God, that is awful
Looks like a giant scissor. NO!
Thankfully, it was never used; hell, the batnipples were disturbing enough.
Bettter than the batman and Robin one
No ways. The Batman and Robin one isn’t great but this looks like a giant penis. Lol.
Jarid Norman
Yeah too much like the Engeneers ship from alien
No
Crystal Marie Hersey
It’ s terrific. Just nerdy people never want to try something different. Never touch rtheir comfort zone.
Well they look like Giger’s work.
If you hire an artist with a distinct style that’s what your gonna get.
I don’t think you they’re terrible, far from it.
Its’ not Giger works that was bad, it’s your childish batmobile that wasn’t enough for an Artist like Giger. It’s like calling Leonardo Da Vinci and ask him to design the wheel for your hamster, or ask Fellini to film the birthday of your Uncle.
Ginger has been dead 3 years now. Easy to badmouth someone not around to defend themselves. The design itself is solid and creative, just inappropriate for the overly campy “Batman Forever.” I could easily see this working for a Batman Arkham project, or a new Batman vs Predator mini-series.
You should change the title of the article to “You Won’t believe how dumb the Art Directors for Batman were.” because this shows more of a bad art direction choice rather than Giger doing something bad. You hire Giger to do surreal bio-mechanical designs that no one else would think of, you don’t hire him to design a bat-mobile – unless you want the design to be a surreal bio-mechanical design that no one else would think of. Or you’re just a huge fanboy of Giger and this was your chance to get him to draw you a bat-mobile.
how is that terrible? this article is terrable
Wow like-minded comments. Seems legit. These designs are bad ass, but it doesn’t fit with the atrocity that was that early Batman franchise. It seemed to have the umbilical chord still attached from the campy 60’s Adam West Batman. Tim Burton did a good job, but unfortunately it still had that late 80’s flair attached and didn’t fully understand the character. I think no one really does. Nolan had some nice instances of it, but frankly the best Batman story will always be between pages in a comic or graphic novel.
You mean awesome right. This could have made the Ben Affleck movies at least slightly tolerable.
I was expecting a massive cock on wheels, tbh.
h.r. giger IS a dick lover
I sence some kind of pattern here…
That’s the stupidest looking thing I’ve ever seen and I’ve seen Batman & Robin. It looks like something The Grinch would drive on his way to mess up in Who’ville.
HG Giger should stick to drawing vaginas and penises.
Egads! Where’s the retractable mandibles?
Thank GOD that wasn’t accepted! That is TOTALLY horrendous!!