RIP: Empire Strikes Back and Alien Special Effects Pioneer Brian Johnson Dead at 86. “Brian Johnson, one of the most legendary special effects artists in the history of the industry, and whose work shaped some of the most iconic science-fiction movies and television shows ever made, has passed away. Johnson is perhaps best known for his time on Space: 1999, while his wider career included major contributions to Alien, The Empire Strikes Back, and Aliens. Johnson’s effects work helped bring some of cinema’s most incredible worlds to life, from the Nostromo of Ridley Scott’s Alien to the frozen battlefields and starship spectacle of Hoth.”