The 85th anniversary issue of Weird Tales features our big list of “The 85 Weirdest Storytellers of the Past 85 Years.” We’re breaking it down online, too: one honoree per day, in no particular order, for 85 days!

The first space alien rock star, DAVID BOWIE (1947– ) has at various times portrayed a dehydrated space traveler, the Goblin King, a vampire, the Elephant Man, a spooky clown, a blue-skinned religious zealot, and Nikola Tesla. He brought rock & roll rebel attitude and artistic credibility to movie roles and lyrical ideas (“Look out your window, I can see his light / If we can sparkle he may land tonight”) normally the province of geeks. He made weird cool.