Tim Burton, the one whose imagination enchants our darker side…
Written by Lauriance Gerthoffer-Ham

Some may deem him as the ‘Godfather of Halloween’ but Burton comes from humble and unimaginative beginnings.
Born in Burbank, California to an enthusiastic cat collector and themed gift shop owner mother (Jean) and father (William)who worked for the Burbank Parks and Recreations Department. Burton’s childhood consisted of him living deep within his own imagination, watching old movie and drawing cartoons were some his fondest memories. His love and talent of drawing brought him recognition at a young age, before even completing high school Burton had one of his poster artworks displayed on the side of a local garbage company. After graduating high school he attended the California Institute of the Arts and shortly after found his first job working as an animator for Disney.
Burton’s career spans over several decades with numerous memorable films. The characters that he develops are rich in content, depth and history but always are spiced with a touch of German expressionism and the bizarre.
To celebrate his career and with Halloween lurking around the corner, we thought we would ‘fan-girl’ over some of his most popular characters and how to prep yourself for the witching hour!

Starting with one of his most popular animations — The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas was a huge hit film in 1993 and continues to thrill young and old audiences today. This 2018 calendar features fantastic illustrations of Jack Skellington and the residents of Halloweentown so that you can enjoy your favourite film all throughout the year!

If you have been a huge fan of the gothic universe created by director Tim Burton, this incredible ‘banner’ mug is perfect. As Jack stands before a red, swirling background, the mug curves to a gravestone, engraved with the movie’s title.

Corpse Bride: Emily, “The Corpse Bride”, is a living corpse who was a talented and wealthy lady in her lifetime, as well as the self-proclaimed bride of the young Victor Van Dort after their encounter at the woods. She was murdered by her ex-fiancee of Lord Barkis Bittern, and indirectly killed him shortly before gaining her freedom.
The Red Queen: The Red Queen (Iracebeth of Crims) is a fictional character from the novel Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. She is based upon the chess piece of the same name. The Red Queen (also known as The Bloody Big Head and The Bloody Red Queen) is played by Helena Bonham Carter in the 2010 movie and the 2016 movie.

Edward Scissorhands: an artificial man named Edward, an unfinished creation who has scissor blades instead of hands. The young man is taken in by a suburban family and falls in love with their teenage daughter Kim


BeetleJuice: The story of Beetlejuice revolves around a recently deceased young couple who become ghosts haunting their former home, and an obnoxious, devious ghost named Betelgeuse (pronounced “Beetlejuice”) from the Netherworld who tries to scare away the new inhabitants permanently.
Click here to find the matching Beetlejuice wig or here for the Miss Beetlejuice costume.
Now that you are inspired — share your favourite Tim Burton themed items! we’d love to hear from you!
