It Came from Bob's Basement: Exploring the Science Fiction and Monster Movie Archive of Bob Burns [Paperback]

Bob Burns (Author), John Michlig (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2001

Known to give up precious living space to display a full-size creature from the Black Lagoon or a pair of Frankenstein's clod-hoppers, Bob Burns is the patron saint of special effects for B movies. His storied basement houses the largest private collection of props, models, sketches, storyboards, and other bits of nostalgic debris from a century's worth of films. It Came from Bob's Basement is a colorful journey through the vivid and campy world of fantastic cinema and a true tribute to a man who has dedicated his life to the preservation of incredible movie artifacts from the original King Kong's metallic skeleton to the life-size Alien Queen. Including insider stories from the sets of favorites like The She Creature, It Conquered the World, and Plan Nine from Outer Space, Bob Burns brings fellow fantasy buffs up close with props and artwork from the greatest (and most outrageous) sci-fi films of all time. A story told with genuinely irresistible enthusiasm, Bob's Basement honors the beloved cult classics that have shaped movie history.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

For hardcore sf/horror movie fans, there's nothing cooler than owning a prop or costume that's been used onscreen, and Burns is possibly the coolest guy on earth. Among those ranks, Burns needs no introduction; for others, Burns is the god of sf/horror film collectors, and his basement is the place where prop geeks hope to go when they die. Collecting since his youth, Burns has amassed a Smithsonian-quality array of rarities, including the original animation puppet of King Kong, the silver-headed cane used to dispatch Lon Chaney, Jr. in The Wolf Man, the mean green Alien beastie, George Pal's time machine, plus hundreds of costumes, masks, prosthetic heads and limbs, helmets, robots, and space ship modelsDhe's got everything! Not only a collector, Burns was a make-up man, prop builder, and actor who played Kogar and other gorillas in numerous TV shows. The text offers a breezy autobiography with tributes to long-forgotten B-movie insiders, but the main course is the 200+ color and black-and-white pix of Burns's unique collection. This book will have sf and horror film fans drooling like Homer Simpson over a box of Krispy Kremes and is essential reading for all those who don't need Halloween to wear joke-shop fangs and home-made lightsabers. Highly recommended.DMichael Rogers, "Library Journal"
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Bob Burns is a widely recognized and oft-consulted authority on the history of fantasy films and their behind-the-scenes creators. After a long and varied career spent in the company of monsters, space aliens, and gorillas, Bob has accumulated what may be

John Michlig is a writer and graphic designer who collaborated with Don Levine on the GI Joe Masterpiece Edition book. As a product developer, he's created everything from consumer products to promotional premiums (the prizes in your box of cereal). He liv

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811825728
• ISBN-13: 978-0811825726
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 9.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #833,623 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bob Burns Collector of Dreams, February 10, 2001

By 

Book Reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: It Came from Bob's Basement: Exploring the Science Fiction and Monster Movie Archive of Bob Burns (Paperback)

Bob Burns has written a wonderful little book titled, "It Came From Bob's Basement." This book is chronicle of a moment in time that has long since passed from our lives, but we can always take a moment to revisit. Bob grew up in the 1930's when many things, which we now take for granted, were in their infancy. Before video games, and a color television in every home, a child was more innocent; their imaginations were fueled more by a sense of wonder in discovering the world around them.

We seem to lose that innocence much earlier every generation, Bob has never lost it. He chronicles his awe as he discovers movies such as King Kong, which so captured his imagination that it set a path for his life's destiny, and became part of a lifelong fascination with science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Bob has worn many hats in his life, follow him as he changes from Major Mars, a live matinee host for children, to Bob Burns the contributor to many memorable horror movies of the 50's and 60's. Bob's fascination with movies has led him to many strange roads, and contributed to his ever-growing list of friends, some of whom are very well known. Over the years Bob has collected a multitude of movie props, many of which were given to him by his friends in the industry, a lot of these appear as gorgeous photographs in Bob's Book. A movie that I loved as a boy growing up in Southern California, was the Time Machine. This movie was so special to me, that when I see it today, I still see it through the eyes of the child that I was back then. Bob has the fully restored Time Machine prop in his collection, he not only includes photographs, but he tells the fascinating tale of how the studios put it on the auction block, and sold it to the highest bidder. Despondent, Bob told his good friend George Pal, (The man who directed the Time Machine, and many other excellent films.), who assured him that he would one day find it, since he was meant to have it. Many people over the years have had the opportunity to visit Bob's Basement, and view not only the "Time Machine," but all of his other movie props and memorabilia, and listen as he tells the stories behind each one of them. For those of you who have never had this wonderful opportunity, Bob has created this book for you, as he invites you to come in, sit down, and visit with him in his basement.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I like Bob's Basement. Lets see the Attic and Garage now!, January 28, 2001

By 

nelson broskey "nelson_broskey" (Rocklin, Ca. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: It Came from Bob's Basement: Exploring the Science Fiction and Monster Movie Archive of Bob Burns (Paperback)

This book is much more than a visual tour of some of the best original movie monster and science fiction souvenirs, it is a wonderful adventure story shared by a man who has survived (you'll know why I use that term) a life so many of us dreamed of as we left our sticky velvet theater seats, or tuned Shock Theater in on TV all those years ago, and even now as we introduce our children to all that "cool stuff". This story would make a great film itself. I look forward to hearing and seeing more from the other parts of Bob's house and life!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Take Me Through Bob's Basement AGAIN, AGAIN, and AGAIN!, January 11, 2001

By 

Kevin Dobbs (St. Louis, MO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: It Came from Bob's Basement: Exploring the Science Fiction and Monster Movie Archive of Bob Burns (Paperback)

"It Came from Bob's Basement" is non-stop excitement from the floor to the ceiling. A beautifully photographed journal of a science fiction & monster movie prop collection that literally makes your head spin. I found myself pouring over the photos and stories from front to back, back to front, middle to front, over and over. I simply couldn't put it down!

Superbly written and beautiful layout & design, I only hope this is the first of MANY installments.

A tasteful, classy tour of the genre!