Updated: October 10, 2025

Behind-the-Scenes Photos from the Legendary Creature from the Black Lagoon Design Team ( Circa 1953 )

This remarkable team, working under department head Bud Westmore, spent nearly nine months developing the now-iconic Gill-man costume and image. The crew included Milicent Patrick, Jack Kevan, Chris Mueller Jr., Bob Dawn, Tom Case, Bob Hickman, and others.

Although Bud Westmore was a skilled administrator, he did not participate in the actual design or sculpting of the Gill-manâ€"despite taking full credit in studio publicity.

The real credit begins with Milicent Patrick, who created the original concept sketches for the Gill-mans haunting amphibious look. She also detailed maquettesâ€"small-scale clay models used to guide full-size fabrication.

Chris Mueller Jr. translated Patrick’s 2D art into full 3D sculptures, including plaster life-casts of the actors. In one photo, you can see the casting of Ricou Browning, who portrayed the underwater Creature. Mueller also sculpted details like the bottom of the left foot on Ben Chapman’s land version of the suit ( See latex cast ).

Jack Kevan oversaw the complex construction and assembly of the suits. Bob Dawn was responsible for the final skin texture and coloration, helping bring the Gill-man to life on screen.

For close-up scenes, Tom Case engineered mechanical gill movement and worked with Kevan to ensure the suit remained flexible and expressive underwater. Meanwhile, Bob Hickman served as the mold technician, duplicating critical suit components for backup versions.

Together, this unsung group of artists and technicians created one of cinema’s most enduring monster designsâ€"even if history nearly forgot who really built the legend.