Steven R. Kutcher

Steven R. Kutcher (born January 9, 1944) is an American entomologist who has worked for decades as a "wrangler" of insects and other arthropods in the entertainment industry.[1][2] In doing so, he has gained media attention as "The Bug Man of Hollywood."[3][4] In recent years, Kutcher has attracted additional notice[5] by using insects as "living brushes" to create "Bug Art," while continuing his work as a naturalist and educator.

Steven R Kutcher
PseudonymThe Bug Man of Hollywood
Born(1944-01-09)January 9, 1944
Manhattan, New York, U.S.
MediumFilm
Television
Radio
Live appearances
Watercolor
GenresBug wrangling, bug art
Notable works and rolesArachnophobia, Jurassic Park, Spider-Man (2002)
Websitehttp://BugsAreMyBusiness.com
http://BugArtBySteven.com

Background, education, and training

Born in Manhattan, New York, a young Steven R. Kutcher collected fireflies in the Catskill Mountains. Kutcher continued to collect insects after his family moved to a suburb of Los Angeles, California, this time in the Santa Monica Mountains. At 19, Kutcher traveled 3000 miles around Mexico, exploring desert to tropical ecosystems.

Kutcher received a bachelors degree in entomology from the University of California, Davis, in 1968; and a Master of Science degree in biology from the California State University, Long Beach, in 1975. His formal studies focused on insect behavior — in particular the aggregating behavior of the milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciitis[6] — observed via time-lapse cinematography under experimental conditions.

In 1970, Kutcher began his work in the entertainment industry as "Larry J. Felix" in The Stein and Illes Radio Show, a comedy show on KUSC, in Southern California; James R. Stein and Robert Illes would both become Emmy Award–winning TV writers and producers. Kutcher received comedic training from Bill Cosby and once had Robin Williams as an audience.[2]

"The Bug Man of Hollywood"

Since 1977, Kutcher has manipulated the instinctive behaviors of arthropods, and the instinctive reactions of audiences, mostly in the horror, thriller, fantasy, and comedy genres. He has worked with insects on over 100 feature films, including Spider-Man (2002), Jurassic Park, and Arachnophobia. Kutcher has also worked on numerous popular television shows—including CSI: NY, MacGyver, and The X-Files – as well as TV commercials and online advertising for Fortune 500 corporations.

As "The Bug Man of Hollywood," Kutcher has himself been the subject of numerous interviews. He has appeared on TV talk shows, including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman. In 1992, Kutcher appeared as a guest on the Emmy-nominated "Spider Episode"[7] of the TV talk show parody The Larry Sanders Show, starring Garry Shandling. In 1998, Kutcher appeared on the British TV children's show The Scoop, which won a BAFTA award.[8]

Manipulating insect behavior

Applying his expertise on arthropod behaviors, Kutcher manipulates instinctive responses such as positive or negative sensitivity to light, air pressure, or gravity to make bugs perform scripted tricks on cue,[2] such as:

  • A live wasp flies harmlessly into the mouth of actor Roddy McDowell.
  • A cockroach runs across the floor and then, "hitting its mark", flips over on its back.
  • A spider crawls across a room and then into a slipper.
  • A cockroach crawls out of a shoe, walks up a bag of snack food and onto a surfing magazine, and then stops upon a picture of a surfboard.
  • A praying mantis, a scorpion, and beetles power-up a cell phone as part of a "Bug Circus" in online ad[9] (a la a traditional flea circus).
  • Hundreds of bees or thousands of locusts swarm on camera as called for in the script.

"Bug Art"

In the 1980s, for a Steven Spielberg television project, Steven Kutcher made a fly walk through ink and leave footprints as directed.[10] Since 2000, Steven Kutcher has been creating "Bug Art," using various arthropods as "living brushes" to apply gouache and other nontoxic paints on watercolor paper.[11] "I use water-based, nontoxic paints that easily wash off", he says. "I have to take good care of them. After all, they are artists!"[5] The abstract to surrealistic compositions are shaped by Kutcher's methods of manipulating insect movements, and are often influenced by the works of Impressionist and other master painters.[12]

Contributions as scientist, naturalist, and educator

Steven Kutcher has given talks and live-insect demonstrations at hundreds of film festivals, seminars, workshops, museums, libraries, and schools (pre-K through post-graduate level).[2] Kutcher has been instrumental in creating annual insect fairs, as at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History and Los Angeles County Arboretum, which have been attended by more than 100,000 children and adults. Kutcher also served as a consultant in the development of the interactive insect exhibits at the Kidspace Children's Museum,[13] in Pasadena, California.

Kutcher has taught outdoor education workshops for such environmental organizations as the Audubon Society, the Sierra Club, and Tree People. With a milkweed butterfly garden of his own, Kutcher is on the board of the Monarch Program[14] Kutcher has consulted on the biology and control of arthropods for major corporations and government agencies, such as the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District.

For over 30 years, Kutcher has taught entomology, zoology, and biology courses at West Lost Angeles College, Culver City, but has also taught for four other community colleges.[2]

Partial Filmography

Theatrical films

In addition to serving as "bug wrangler" or entomology consultant for numerous student and independent films, Kutcher has worked on many feature films from major studios and production companies:[1][2]

FilmYearFeatured "bugs"
We Bought a Zoo2011Swarm of honey bees
G-Force2009Tarantula, cockroach (test shots for animation)
National Treasure: Book of Secrets2007Beetles etc.
The Hitcher2007Spiders, scorpion
Antwone Fisher2002Grasshoppers
Spider-Man2002Spiders (wrangled live spiders and consulted on cgi spiders, as "The Spider Man Behind Spider-Man"[15])
Wild Wild West1998Tarantula
Lost Highway1997Spider, moths
Mimic1997Ants, termites
Alien: Resurrection1997Spider (with web)
L.A. Confidential1996Maggots (on body under house)
D3: The Mighty Ducks1996Ants
Jack1996Monarch butterflies
James and the Giant Peach1996Dwarf tarantulas (in costume)
A Very Brady Sequel1996Tarantula
Copycat1995Carpenter ants (covering Sigourney Weaver)
Matilda1995Cockroach (and newt)
A Walk in the Clouds1995Butterflies
Leprechaun 21994Cockroaches (green) and tarantulas
Jurassic Park1993Mosquitoes (live and "prehistoric," simulated by crane fly in "amber")
The Temp1993Wasps, scorpions, cockroaches
Meet the Applegates1991Praying mantis, tarantula
Arachnophobia1990Spiders, crickets, etc.
Back to the Future Part II1989Various insects (pinned etc. in displays)
The 'Burbs1989Bees
Fright Night II1989Mealworms etc.
Police Academy 6: City Under Siege1989Cabbage white butterflies (as "moths")
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors1987Dragonfly, fly
The Golden Child1986Monarch butterfly
The Goonies1985Leech (scene cut)
Exorcist II: The Heretic1977Locusts (grasshoppers)

TV movies and series[2]
TV productionYearFeatured "bugs"
An Inconvenient Womanc. 1991Fly
Bernie Mac Show, The2003Mealworm beetles
Boy Meets Worldc. 1997, 1999Snails, bees
Buck Rogers in the 25th Centuryc. 1980Dragonflies
Chicago Hope2000Tarantula
Criminal Minds2012, 2013, 2013Maggots, flies, waxworms, praying mantis
CSI: NY2006Mealworms
Family Mattersc. 1995Giant mealworms
Kung Fu: The Movie1986Grasshopper
Larry Sanders Show, the (Emmy-nominated "The Spider Episode")1996Tarantulas
Laverne and Shirley Reunion2002Cockroaches etc.
Life with Bonnie (The Bonnie Hunt Show)2004Honey bee
MacGyver1991Cockroaches
Mentalist, The2013
Monk2005Bees
Power Rangers1994Praying mantis, cockroaches
Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo1977Tarantulas
Women of Brewster Place, The1989Cockroach
Wonder Woman1978Ants
The X-Files1999, 2005Flies, moths
The Young and the Restless1991Ants

Music videos[2]
ArtistProjectYearFeatured "bugs"
Paula AbdulButterflies (in display case)
Christina Aguilera"Fighter"2002Moths
Alice CooperWelcome to My NightmareScorpions, mealworms
Godsmack"I Stand Alone"2002Scorpion
M.C. Hammer1992Butterflies
Billy Idol"L.A. Woman"1990Cockroach, mealworm
Janet Jackson"Together Again" (Deeper Remix)1997Butterfly
Michael Jackson"Stranger in Moscow"1996Wasp
Korn1996Cockroaches
No DoubtDon't Speak1996Fly, mealworms

TV and online commercials[2]
Market segmentBrandsFeatured "bugs"
AutomobilesChrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Lexus, Mini Cooper, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Subaru, Toyota, VolkswagenBees, beetles, butterflies, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, ladybugs, scorpions, spider webs
Consumer electronicsApple, Dell, Goldstar, Hewlett Packard, Hitachi, Kodak, Nintendo Game Boy, Panasonic, Polaroid, Sega, Sony, TDK, VCR PlusAnts, bees, butterflies, flies, moths, praying mantids, snails
Consumer goods (misc.)Adidas, All, Anderson Windows, Avia, Dial Soap, Dockers, Evinrude, Galoop Toys, Gladlock, Hallmark, K-Mart, Kleenex, Levi Strauss, Lowes, Nike, Northern Bathroom Tissue, Omega Watch, Revlon, Sears, Snuggles, Standard Brands Paint, Stainmaster, Sunlight Detergent, SwatchBees, beetles, butterflies, caterpillars, cockroaches, flies, ladybugs, mosquitoes, moths, spiders
EnergyChevron, Florida Power and Light, Mobil, SempraAnts, beetles, butterflies, flies, ladybugs, spider webs
EntertainmentCartoon Network, PGA, Virginia Lottery, WCWAnts, beetles, cockroaches, flies, mealworms
Fast food and other restaurantsApplebee's, Carl's Jr., Dunkin' Donuts, KFC, McDonald's, Seven-Eleven, Souplantation, Taco BellBees, butterflies, moth cocoons, praying mantids
Finance and insuranceBlue Cross, Capital One, Chase, Fuji Bank, Hartford Insurance, Interstate Bank, Premier Insurance, Tri-County Health, Barclay'sBees, butterflies, caterpillars, ladybugs, millipedes, walkingsticks
Food and beveragesGerber's, Bud Light, Dr. Pepper, Dryer's, Gallo, Jolly Rancher, Mauna Loa, Michelob, Milk Advisory Board ("Got Milk?"), Moet, Orida potatoes, Pepsi, Planter's, Reese's Pieces, Rath Blackhawk bacon, Smith's Markets, Snickers, ZimaAnts, bees, butterflies, caterpillars, flies, Jerusalem crickets, moths, tarantulas and other spiders, wasps
Industrial and commoditiesAlcoa, Georgia Pacific, MonsantoAnts, butterflies, moths, spider webs
Pest controlCombat, Orkin, Ortho, Scott'sAnts, butterflies, cockroaches, grubs, termites
Public service announcements (PSAs)AD Council, Partnership for a Drug-Free AmericaBugs (misc.), leeches
TelecomAT&T, Atlantic Bell, Bell Canada, Qualcomm, Telecom Italia, VerizonBees, beetles, butterflies, cockroaches, mealworms, mosquitoes, praying mantids, scorpions, tarantulas

See also

References
  1. Steven R. Kutcher in IMDB
  2. Bugs Are My Business
  3. Bug Man of Hollywood Shares Tips on How to Train Bugs for the Big Screen, KCAL/KCBS TV.
  4. NPR Staff (8 March 2014). "Hollywood Bug Man Understands How Cockroaches Think". Weekend Edition Saturday. NPR.
  5. Thomas, Nick (19 August 2007). "He Lets Creepy-Crawlies Get Their Feet Wet as Painters". The Washington Post.
  6. Kutcher, Steven (1971). "Two Types of Aggregation Grouping in the Large Milkweed Bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae)". Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences. 70 (2): 85–90.
  7. "The Larry Sanders Show (TV Series) The Spider Episode (1992)". IMDb.
  8. 1998 BAFTA Award for Children's Factual production
  9. "Snapdragon Apresenta - The Bug Circus Generator". YouTube.
  10. Bug Art by Steven, official Web site
  11. Bug Art video on YouTube
  12. Thomas, Nick (28 November 2007). "Exhibit Reviewed: The art of arthropods". Nature. 450 (7170): 613. doi:10.1038/450613a. S2CID 4350804.
  13. "Kidspace Children's Museum".
  14. Kutcher, Steven (2002). "Two Incredible Journeys". The Monarch Quarterly. XII (2): 3.
  15. Trivedi, Bijal P. (2 May 2002). "The Spider Man Behind Spider-man". National Geographic Today.

Further reading

Periodicals
  • Wired Magazine. May 2012. p. 113. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Le Republica (Italy). July 2009. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Velvet Magazine (Italy). July 2009. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Muy Interesante. November 2008. pp. 112–115. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Pasadena Star News (Earth Day Supplement). 22 April 2008. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Washington Post. 19 August 2007. p. N01. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Nature. 29 November 2007. p. 613. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • ÇA M'Interesse (France). June 2007. p. 106. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • K Club (Germany). August 2004. p. 36. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • The Santa Fe New Mexican ("Steven Hutcher" [sic]). 6 December 2002. p. B-1. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Current Science. 25 October 2002. p. Front Page. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • The Beach Review (California State University, Long Beach). Fall 2002. p. 29. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Los Angeles Business Journal. 30 September 2002. p. 23. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Cineflex. July 2002. pp. 29–31. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • National Enquirer. 11 June 2002. p. 39. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • West Australian. 6 June 2002. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Popular Science. June 2002. p. 76. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • New York Times. May 2002. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Sydney Herald. May 2002. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Chicago Sun Times. May 2002. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Sunday Mirror. May 2002. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Press Telegram (Long Beach, California). 11 May 2002. p. Front Page. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Teen Newsweek. 6 May 2002. pp. 5–6. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • National Geographic World. May 2002. pp. 26–27. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Neüe Zurcher Zeitung, NZZ Folio. July 2001. pp. 50–53. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Wall Street Journal. 29 March 2001. p. Front Page. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Newsweek. 8 January 2001. p. 9. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Boys' Life. 12 October 1998. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • San Jose Mercury News (Silicon Valley Life). 11 October 1998. p. 1. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • San Francisco Chronicle. 5 May 1998. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Los Angeles Times Magazine. 4 April 1998. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Los Angeles Business Journal. 4 April 1998. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Los Angeles Times (San Fernando Valley Weekend). 28 August 1997. p. 7. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Boston Herald (Life Styles). 30 May 1997. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • National Enquirer. 31 December 1996. p. 39. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Los Angeles Times (San Gabriel Valley Weekly). September 1996. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Various Newspapers (via Associated Press). June 1996. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • U.C., Davis Magazine. Spring 1996. pp. 24–25. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Telegraph (Sydney, Australia). 7 May 1995. p. 43. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Los Angeles Magazine. August 1995. pp. 60–67. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Scholastic Math Power. February 1993. pp. 8–9. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Boys' Life. April 1992. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Disney Adventures Magazine. February 1992. pp. 40–43. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Press Telegram (Long Beach, California). 23 October 1991. p. D-1. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Los Angeles Times (L.A. Times Magazine). 29 September 1991. p. 8. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Science World (Cover Article). 8 March 1991. pp. 4–7. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Los Angeles Times. 23 March 1991. p. B-3. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Woman's Day. 30 October 1990. p. 152. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Variety. 8 October 1990. p. N-1. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Pest Control Technology. September 1990. pp. 36–37. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Expressen Fredag. 28 September 1990. p. 6. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Weekly Reader. 14 September 1990. p. 7. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • L.A. Weekly. 31 August 1990. p. 41. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderddale, Florida). 7 August 1990. p. 1–E. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • New Hampshire Sunday News. 5 August 1990. p. 5–E. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • The Yuma Daily Sun. 29 July 1990. p. 25. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Entertainment Weekly. 27 July 1990. p. 37. {{cite magazine}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • The Philadelphia Inquirer. 22 July 1990. p. H-1. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Los Angeles Times (Calendar). 18 July 1990. p. F-6. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Wall Street Journal. 12 December 1989. p. Front Page. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Sky (Delta Air Lines). September 1989. p. 20. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Premiere. June 1989. p. 46. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Katso (Finland). May 1989. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Los Angeles Business Journal. 7 November 1988. p. 19. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Los Angeles Times. 14 February 1988. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Piccolo (Sweden). c. 1989. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • 3-2-1 Contact. November 1986. pp. 10–13. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Los Angeles Magazine. May 1986. p. 21. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Herald Examiner (California Living). 13 April 1986. p. 15. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Los Angeles Times. 22 December 1985. p. 4:27. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Huntington Beach Independent (Orange County News). 22 February 1979. p. 23. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Los Angeles Times. 9 April 1978. p. 7. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • El Vaquero (Glendale Community College). 5 November 1976. p. 4. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

Journals and books
  • Baron, Angela (2010). Squirrely Over Nuts (caterpillar footprints).
  • Berenbaum, May (1995). Bugs in the System. Addison-Wesley. ISBN 9780201624991.
  • Bhagwat, Abha (2012). Who We Are 'Olkha Aamhi Kon?' (ant footprints).
  • Dale, N. (1986). Flowering Plants: The Santa Monica Mountains Coastal and Chaparral Regions of Southern California.
  • Gerani, Garry (1995). Death Ship (cover, by Cliff Nielsen).
  • Gordon, D. (1996). The Complete Cockroach.
  • Gordon, D. (1998). The Eat-a-Bug Cookbook.
  • Guinness Book of Records. 2009.
  • Hogue, Charles (1987). "Cultural Entomology". Annual Review of Entomology. 32: 181–199. doi:10.1146/annurev.en.32.010187.001145.
  • Hogue, Charles (1993). Insects of the Los Angeles Basin.
  • Jackson, Donna (2002). The Bug Scientists. Houghton Mifflin and Company. pp. 87–90.
  • Mertins, James (1986). "Arthropods on the Screen". Bulletin of the Entomological Society of America. 32 (Summer): 85–90. doi:10.1093/besa/32.2.85.
  • Pallenberg, Barbara (1977). The Making of The Exorcist II: The Heretic.
  • Rothstein, Barry; Rothstein, Betsy (2011). Eye-Popping 3-D Bugs.
  • Ripley's Believe It or Not. Prepared to be Shocked!. 2008. p. 21.
  • Starcher, A. (1995). Good Bugs for Your Garden.
  • Tekulsy, M. (1985). The Butterfly Garden.
  • Time for Kids. Big Book of How. 2011. p. 19.
  • Cotta Vaz, Mark (2002). Behind the Mask of Spider-Man. Del Rey, Ballantine Publishing Group. pp. 48–50. ISBN 9780345450043.
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