Spawn of Skull Island

by George E. Turner, Michael H. Price, Ray Harryhausen

In its day, George E. Turner's The Making of King Kong was the last word on an American Classic–the definitive primary-source history, written with authority and reverence and an enduring sense of wonder. The book's UK/US publication in 1975 opened many doors for the author, including access to additional insider knowledge that Turner could only wish he had possessed during the writing of The Making of King Kong. He began compiling notes for a revision. These amendments and adjustments had grown to fill several fil cabinets by the time of his death in 1999. Spawn of Skull Island is the result of that long-term follow-through—developed from George Turner's original work and all those raw-material revelations by fellow reseracher Michael H. Price and George's son, Douglas Turner. The source-book is contained here, intact but for the occasional correction, along with the generous expansion that the author had envisioned. By whichever name—Spawn of Skull Island or The Making of King Kong—the volume remains what historian John Michlig has termed "the best source for information on the classic 1933 film and its sequels." To say nothing of Kong's earliest ancestors and it's many takeoffs, knockoff and rip-offs.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2002

About the author

A former editor of American Cinematographer, George Turner has also worked as a production illustrator and special effects artist in films and television. Prior to those experiences, he was a newspaperman in Texas. A graduate of West Texas State University, he attended the Art Institute of Chicago and the American Academy of Art, and took private classes with Ramon Froman, Ben Mead, Stefan Kramar, Bud Biggs and Gerry Pearce. He has written and illustrated numerous books, including The Making of King Kong (with Orville Goldner), Forgotten Horrors (with Michael Price), Murder in the Palo Duro, Panhandle Portrait and Secrets of Billy the Kid. His stories, articles, cartoons, and illustrations have appeared in many magazines. His film credits include Ray Bradbury's Infinite Horizons, One from the Heart, Outland, Zorro and Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid.