Gary Miller, a native of Kansas City, Missouri, and Wichita, Kansas, developed an affinity for monsters at an astonishingly early age of three years old. He distinctly remembers being nine years old when he saw The Empire Strikes Back with a group of friends, and subsequently, he took the initiative to explain the intricacies of stop-motion animation to them, attempting to persuade them to join him in creating their own movie. By the time he was 12 years old, Miller had already begun experimenting with making short films, both live-action and animation, as well as creating masks and make-up designs inspired by his fascination with monsters.
During his high school years, Miller had the opportunity to design his own Frankenstein's monster make-up for a play in which he starred as Dr. Frankenstein, further solidifying his passion for special effects and monster design. At the age of 17, Miller met Leif Jonker while working at a video rental store, who would later provide him with the chance to create a variety of gory make-ups and creatures for the film Leif Jonker's Darkness. Miller was also entrusted with a leading role in the film, a dream come true for him, as he had long been inspired by the work of his childhood hero, Tom Savini.
Leif Jonker's Darkness, a project that spanned several years, was eventually completed and released worldwide on VHS and DVD, garnering widespread acclaim from horror fans for Miller's gruesome contributions to the film. Throughout the years, Miller collaborated with Jonker on several projects, including the trailers for Demon Machine and Skull Full, and supplied make-up and special effects for four films and an episode of One Tree Hill while living in North Carolina between 2003 and 2004.
After relocating back to Wichita, Kansas, Miller rejoined forces with Jonker to work on a special edition, two-disc DVD of Leif Jonker's Darkness, a labor of love that ultimately paid off when the film received a limited theatrical run, culminating in a week-long celebration for everyone involved in the project.
