Since his early days at Disney, Tim Burton has possessed a unique talent and vision. His writing and directing credits range from big-budget features such as Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992), to the comically grisly The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and Corpse Bride (2005), to the twisted fairy tale Edward Scissorhands (1990), to literary adaptations like Big Fish (2003), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) and Sweeney Todd (2007). Though his name has become synonymous with the macabre and the odd, at bottom Burton’s films reveal and champion the flawed human in us all.

This collection of new essays brings together scholarship on many of his popular films, his adaptations, his innovations in stop motion photography and his collaborative relationship with actor Johnny Depp, providing an in-depth exploration one of the most prominent figures on the pop culture landscape for a quarter-century.