Ray Harryhausen, the renowned visual effects artist and stop-motion animator behind some of the most memorable films including Clash of the Titans, Jason and the Argonauts, and The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, passed away on Tuesday, May 7th, 2013, at the age of 92. Born in Los Angeles, California in 1920, Harryhausen developed a love of movies at an early age and a passion for models and animation. He first honed his craft while attending the Art Students League of New York, and worked closely with his mentor Willis O'Brien, the famed special-effects man who produced the original King Kong film. Harryhausen's groundbreaking work utilizing stop-motion animation, particularly in the realm of fantasy, adventure and science-fiction films, earned him the moniker, "the Father of Modern Special Effects." Over the course of his seventy-year career in the motion picture industry, Harryhausen won countless awards and honors including the Association of Visual Effects of Hollywood's Film Pioneer Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Visual Effects Society. He was also honored by the British Academy of Film, and received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Southampton. His influence remains strong up to this day. In addition to inspiring renowned animators such as Tim Burton and Peter Jackson, Harryhausen frequently interacted with younger generations of filmmakers, passing on his legenary wisdom at conventions, interviews and seminars. Harryhausen is remembered as a groundbreaking innovator, who revolutionized the way film effects were achieved. In tribute, many special effects illuminaries have memorialized Harryhausen, who is survived by a son, a daughter, and six grandchildren.