The Emmy-winning VFX designer and co-founder of
Foundation Imaging passed away November 21st at the age of 59, after a short battle with liver disease.
Thornton began his entertainment career at the BBC, creating props and miniatures for
Doctor Who and
Blake's 7. He emigrated to the US in 1984, working on such genre films as
Real Genius,
Spaceballs, and
Robot Jox. He was working on a project with Todd Rundgren when he was approached by the producers of
Babylon 5, then still in development; the one-minute video of proposed effects he created was instrumental in selling the series to Warner Brothers Television.
Thornton received his Emmy for B5's pilot episode,
The Gathering, and went on to receive additional nominations for his work on
Star Trek: Voyager and
Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
A
GoFundMe campaign was started two months ago for his medical bills, and will remain open to assist his wife with his final expenses.
Source: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ron-thornton-dead-babylon-5-visual-effects-designer-was-59-949981