Ray Harryhausen – Master of the Majicks, Vol. 1 is now available for pre-order. If I could afford it, these volumes would be in my library, and should be in those of every serious Harryhausen, stop-motion animation, and fantasy fan.

Ray Harryhausen – Master of the Majicks
Volume 1: Beginnings and Endings
by Mike Hankin

Written and produced over the past 10 years with Ray Harryhausen’s cooperation and support, the complete 3-volume definitive 295,000-word career/biography features interviews with Ray and his colleagues and is profusely illustrated with several hundred rare photographs, artwork, and illustrations (many of which have never been previously published).

We published Volume 2 (The American Films) first, then Volume 3 (The British Films), and are now wrapping up the set with Volume 1: Beginnings and Endings.

Chapters in Volume 1 extensively cover:
Ray’s Early 16mm Experiments, The Influence of Willis O’Brien and King Kong, George Pal’s Puppetoons®, Ray’s Film Work During World War II, The Fairy Tale Short Subjects, Ray’s Retirement Years (including tributes, awards, convention appearances, colorizing his films, unfinished projects, The KING KONG 50th Anniversary celebration at Graumann’s Chinese Theater in 1983, Ray’s cameo appearances in other films, Ray’s Lifetime Achievement Oscar® from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Ray’s “Star” on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and much more).

As a special adjunct to the Willis O’Brien chapter, we’re including the complete first draft of the King Kong screenplay by British mystery writer Edgar Wallace.

A special supplement that we’re calling “How To Make a Monster” will take you step-by-step through the process of constructing a stop motion model using photos from numerous stop motion films (Caveman, When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, Willis O’Brien films, and more) — from blueprint to armature to clay sculpture to plaster mold to final foam rubber animation model. (Now you’ll know the answer when someone asks, “How did they DO that…?”)

Interview subjects/contributors to Volume 1 include: Forrest J Ackerman, Professor Sir Christopher Frayling, Darlyne O’Brien, Bessie Love, Beveley Cross, Kenneth Kolb, John Landis, Arnold Kunert, Randall William Cook, and many others, some of whom have since passed away. You will get more info at millsriversdaschool .

Stills and other visual material come from numerous private collections, including considerable material that has never been seen in print before (including in Ray Harryhausen’s own books).

PLUS—

*Ray Harryhausen’s Los Angeles: A map of key locations connected to Ray and his films
*Reproductions of advertising art & posters from different countries
*Compilation of reviews and story synopses
*Filmographies of key cast and crew
*A selection of Harryhausen collectibles pertaining to the films in this volume 370 pages, 125,000 word text (chapters, filmographies, reviews, and more)
*Approximately 2,000 images—photos, artwork, posters, technical diagrams and other illustrations, in Spectacular Color and “Glorious Black-and-White”

Hardcover: dark brown imitation leather with title stamped in gold foil
Full color dust jacket
Heavy 70 pound semi-gloss paper stock
Overall dimensions 9″ x 11-1/2″ (22.86cm x 29.21cm)
Weight: 5 pounds (2.75kg)

Pre-order your copy at Archive Editions.