Steve Wang
Encyclopedia
Steve Wang is an award-winning make-up artist and filmmaker.
, he and his parents moved to the US
when he was 9. His greatest inspirations were the tokusatsu
superhero
TV shows Ultraman
and Kamen Rider
, as well as Hong Kong kung fu films including Master of the Flying Guillotine
.
As a veteran makeup artist and creature designer, Steve has worked with fellow veterans before him including Stan Winston
, Rick Baker and Dick Smith.
He has received great praise for his two film adaptations of the manga
superhero, Guyver
(The Guyver and Guyver: Dark Hero). Another project which drew attention to him was the direct to video movie, Drive, which starred Mark Dacascos
& Kadeem Hardison
. He also made independent films such as Kung Fu Rascals, based on a series of 8 mm short films he did years before. He and his brother Michael Wang, an award-winning commercials director, have recently been hired to work on Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight
(an adaptation of Kamen Rider Ryuki
), a second attempt at reviving the Kamen Rider Series
in the United States, after Saban's Masked Rider
of 1995. They write, produce, and direct as the "The Wang Brothers."
Biography
Born in TaiwanTaiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, he and his parents moved to the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
when he was 9. His greatest inspirations were the tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
TV shows Ultraman
Ultraman
is Japanese television series that first aired in 1966. Ultraman, the first and best-known of the "Ultra-Crusaders," made his debut in the tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, , a follow-up to the television series Ultra Q...
and Kamen Rider
Kamen Rider
, is a weekly science fiction story created by Japanese manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. It debuted as a tokusatsu television series on April 3, 1971 and ran until February 10, 1973, airing on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and NET TV . A manga adaptation was also featured in Shōnen Magazine...
, as well as Hong Kong kung fu films including Master of the Flying Guillotine
Master of the Flying Guillotine
Master of the Flying Guillotine is a 1976 Hong Kong wuxia film starring Jimmy Wang, who also wrote and directed the film. It is a sequel to Wang's 1971 film One Armed Boxer, and thus the film is also known as One-Armed Boxer 2 and The One Armed Boxer vs...
.
As a veteran makeup artist and creature designer, Steve has worked with fellow veterans before him including Stan Winston
Stan Winston
Stanley Winston was an American visual effects supervisor, makeup artist, and film director. He was best known for his work in the Terminator series, the Jurassic Park series, Aliens, the Predator series, Iron Man, Edward Scissorhands, and Avatar...
, Rick Baker and Dick Smith.
He has received great praise for his two film adaptations of the manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
superhero, Guyver
Guyver
is a manga series written by Yoshiki Takaya. The Guyver itself is a symbiotic techno-organic device that enhances the capabilities of its host....
(The Guyver and Guyver: Dark Hero). Another project which drew attention to him was the direct to video movie, Drive, which starred Mark Dacascos
Mark Dacascos
Mark Alan Dacascos is an American actor and martial artist. He won numerous karate and various styles of kung fu championships between the ages of 7 and 18....
& Kadeem Hardison
Kadeem Hardison
Kadeem Hardison is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Dwayne Wayne on A Different World, a spin-off of the long-running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show.-Childhood:...
. He also made independent films such as Kung Fu Rascals, based on a series of 8 mm short films he did years before. He and his brother Michael Wang, an award-winning commercials director, have recently been hired to work on Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight
Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight
Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight is the Daytime Emmy Award-winning American adaptation of the Japanese tokusatsu series Kamen Rider Ryuki, the twelfth installment of the Kamen Rider Series. It was brought to television by Steve and Michael Wang and produced by Jimmy Sprague through Adness Entertainment...
(an adaptation of Kamen Rider Ryuki
Kamen Rider Ryuki
is a Japanese tokusatsu television series. It was the twelfth installment in the Kamen Rider Series of tokusatsu shows. It was a joint collaboration between Ishimori Productions and Toei, and it was shown on TV Asahi from February 3, 2002 to January 19, 2003. The catchphrase for the series is...
), a second attempt at reviving the Kamen Rider Series
Kamen Rider Series
The is a metaseries of manga and tokusatsu television programs and films created by manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. The various Kamen Rider media generally feature a motorcycle-riding superhero with an insect motif who fights supervillains often referred to as...
in the United States, after Saban's Masked Rider
Masked Rider (TV series)
Masked Rider is an American adaptation of the Japanese television series Kamen Rider Black RX, the ninth in a line of series in the popular Kamen Rider Series franchise. It was produced by Saban and aired on FOX part of the Fox Kids program block from September 16, 1995 to August 31, 1996 and then...
of 1995. They write, produce, and direct as the "The Wang Brothers."
Director
- Rollerblade II: Taken By Force (1989) - 2nd unit director
- Kung Fu Rascals (1990)
- The GuyverThe GuyverThe Guyver is a 1991 American Tokusatsu film loosely based on the Manga series of the same name. The film was met with a mixed to negative reaction from critics and fans. A sequel was followed in 1994 called Guyver: Dark Hero, which was received more favorably than it's predecessor.-Plot:CIA agent...
(1991) - Guyver: Dark HeroGuyver: Dark HeroGuyver: Dark Hero is the 1994 sequel to The Guyver. It is based on the Guyver manga and anime. It was directed by Steve Wang, and stars David Hayter, Kathy Christopherson, and Bruno Giannotta...
(1994) - Drive (1998)
- Sirens of The Deep (1999 - TV show/pilot)
- Power Rangers Lost Galaxy (1999 - TV show/1 episode)
- Kung Pow! Enter the FistKung Pow! Enter the FistKung Pow! Enter the Fist is a 2002 American comedy film that parodies Hong Kong action cinema. Starring Steve Oedekerk, it uses and manipulates footage from the 1976 Hong Kong martial arts movie Tiger and Crane Fist Kung Pow! Enter the Fist is a 2002 American comedy film that parodies Hong Kong...
(2002) - 2nd unit director - Wolvy: Twisted at Birth (2003) - short film
- Kamen Rider: Dragon KnightKamen Rider: Dragon KnightKamen Rider: Dragon Knight is the Daytime Emmy Award-winning American adaptation of the Japanese tokusatsu series Kamen Rider Ryuki, the twelfth installment of the Kamen Rider Series. It was brought to television by Steve and Michael Wang and produced by Jimmy Sprague through Adness Entertainment...
(2009)
External links
- Steve Wang at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Steve Wang on MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Kung Fu Rascals: The Unofficial Website
Video
- Director's Reel on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- Wang Bros. Director's Reel on MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
Interviews
- SciFi Japan - Kamen Rider Dragon Knight
- Cold Coffee - Kamen Rider Dragon Knight
- Kung Fu Cinema - Drive
- Kung Fu Rascals: The Unofficial Website
- Latex Mask Central - FX Work
- Henshin Justice Unlimited - Nathan Long Interview
- NERDSociety - Interview with Steve Wang