How Tim Burton Created Jack Skellington

Tim Burton created many famous movie characters but perhaps the most iconic is Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas. During an interview, the Batman director explained how the Pumpkin King’s iconic design came together. In addition, he revealed what made The Nightmare Before Christmas different from his previous movies.

Tim Burton came up with Jack Skellington while doing something else

During a 2007 interview with Total Film, the Ed Wood director was asked which of his films most resembled his drawings. “Probably Nightmare,” he replied. “That was the first film I really conceived of and was with the whole way through, even though it took almost 10 years to get made!” It’s interesting that he feels that way about The Nightmare Before Christmas. After all, he co-wrote his earlier film Edward Scissorhands.

A journalist asked Burton if he constantly scribbled new drawings. “Yeah,” he said. “For instance, Jack was just a simple case of me being on the phone and doodling. 

“Sometimes you just keep drawing without any real conscious decision like, ‘Oh, I’m going to make a main character that has no eyeballs,'” he added. “I find that when it just happens that way — and it doesn’t happen on every film — when it comes from your subconscious, it’s more meaningful than your intellectual mind just going, ‘Let’s make a movie about this or that.'”

Tim Burton wouldn’t want someone else to tinker with Jack Skellington

Interestingly, a reporter asked Burton if he could imagine any of his films being remade. “Yikes!” he exclaimed. “I don’t know about that. I mean, I’ve often resisted re-visiting. Like in the case of Nightmare and Beetlejuice, they asked me to do sequels and I just said ‘No.’ I wanted to keep the integrity of those particular things. Those movies were special to me.”

Notably, Burton did remake his short film Frankenweenie as a feature film. So far, The Nightmare Before Christmas hasn’t inspired a remake or a sequel (unless you count the video game Kingdom Hearts), but Burton directed a sequel to Beetlejuice named Beetlejuice Beetlejuice that will premiere next month. Hopefully, Burton will be able to capitalize on the success of that film without ruining its integrity. 

The director of ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ had his own take on its look

While Burton produced The Nightmare Before Christmas, Henry Selick of Coraline fame actually directed the movie. Selick has his own take on the film’s character designs. During a 2023 interview with A.Frame, Selick said that some of the residents of Halloween Town look grotesque, but they are all kind-hearted, with the exception of the villainous Oogie Boogie.

In a different context, Jack might look scary to children. Usually, when a movie character has no eyes, they’re an antagonist, like the Xenomorph from Alien or the parents from Coraline. However, his singing voice, speaking voice, and personality appeal to audiences of all ages, so kids generally didn’t find his lack of eyes disturbing. Hopefully, a live-action adaptation of The Nightmare Before Christmas will redesign Jack because a live-action character with no eyes might be too much for a Disney movie.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a great cartoon and it wouldn’t be the same without the creativity of Burton and Selick.