Book of the Dead - The Definitive Evil Dead Website

Below you can read the original US 2001 St. Martin's Griffin press release, the book was actually released in the UK a year earlier in 2001 by Titan Books. The UK and US editions have differing covers, as you can see above, with the US edition sporting a 'Book Of The Dead' style embossed cover, although the content of both books is virtually identical.

The Evil Dead Companion - US Press Release

In January 2001, St. Martin's Griffin is publishing The Evil Dead Companion, to the delight of horror aficionados everywhere.

The author, Bill Warren, is a well-known film journalist and critic. His previous book, Keep Watching the Skies, was published to much acclaim.

The Evil Dead Companion provides a no-holds-barred behind-the-scenes tour of the making of the three films, including:

Exclusive interviews with Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, and key cast and crew
Scores of rare and previously unpublished photographs
Storyboards and concept sketches
Bruce Campbell's commentary on all three films
A complete listing of Raimi and Campbell's earliest work together
Harrowing tales of hardship, discomfort, and practical jokes

This edition of the book (it was first published in the UK by Titan in July 2000) will feature a cover image of the "book of the dead" designed by the original book of the dead's creator, Tom Sullivan. It will also be embossed for added "gross-out" effect.

This next piece, was submitted by the author Bill Warren to the alt.cult-movies.evil-deads Newsgroup in August 2000, which was after the book's UK release, but before the US release.

Subject: Re: What was left out of THE EVIL DEAD COMPANION
Date: 29 Aug 2000 16:07:48 GMT
From: e-mail removed (Bill Warren)
Newsgroups: alt.cult-movies.evil-deads

So here is the CORRECTED stuff that was left out of the Evil Dead Companion (and which, alas, won't be in the American edition either). You guys running ED websites -- feel free to post this.

THE FISHING VIDEOS OF ROB TAPERT, SPORTSMAN

Rob is fond of saying he makes movies solely to finance his real joy, deep-water sports fishing. He’s found a way to make that work for him, too, as he has produced, directed, starred in and narrated a series of videos on the sport. They’re both records of trips Rob has taken, and very instructive on how to set hooks, bait and lines for tuna, wahoo and other game fish found off the California and Mexican coasts. If you want to buy any of these, call 800-262-8862. Tell ‘em Bill Warren sent you.

Secrets of Coco’s Island (1989)
Joe Lo Duca does the scores for all of the films. Actually, it’s the same score on each.

Battle of the Big Tuna (1990)
This one was directed, photographed and edited by Josh Becker.

East Cape Escape (1991)
This not only features Rob, but a briefly-glimpsed Bruce Campbell, Sue Binder from Renaissance Pictures, and Sam Raimi’s mother, all seen fishing for the big ones.

Wahoo Wonderland (1993)
Josh Becker was a production assistant on this one. Sue Binder returns, and Rob is seen wearing a Darkman T-shirt.

One other major error in The Evil Dead Companion, is that it states Tom Sullivan was only on location for The Evil Dead in Tennessee for three days. This is a mistake, however. It's noted in Josh Becker's Journal that he arrived November 11, 1979 with the rest of the cast & crew, and left on December 29, 1979, or by Tom himself as stated in an email on August 5, 2009, that he was there for seven weeks; his original contract was for six, and a seventh was negotiated on location. He also did three months’ work on the stop-motion animation & effects pick-up shots with Bart Pierce back in Michigan. Here is the quote concerned from The Evil Dead Companion;

Sullivan told Fangoria that he was only down on the set for about three days, "mostly as a consultant, and to prepare for a few optical effects. I helped on some of the [on-set] special effects, but very minor things...

This error seems to stem from a mis-reading of the original source for this quote; Fangoria magazine #27 (April 1983). The article is an interview with both Tom Sullivan and Bart Pierce about the effects on The Evil Dead. It was actually Bart who was on location Tennessee for three days, a fact which was verified by Bart himself in his interview with this site on July 22, 2011. This mistake was actually mentioned during an interview with Tom in The Unseen Force The Films Of Sam Raimi, a 2004 book by John Muir. Here is the quote concerned from that original Fangoria issue;

"They had been trying to get the money for quite a bit of time," Pierce recalls, "and then it was suddenly OK, it's gonna be go; you're leaving for Tennessee in 10 days. So, I went out there for about three days, mostly as a consultant, and to prepare for a few optical effects; I helped on some of the special effects, but very minor things...

As an aside, there exists a special UK limited edition of The Evil Dead Companion, of which there are supposedly only 200 copies. Each has a paper insert stuck inside the front cover signed by Bill Warren, Bruce Campbell, Rob Tapert, & Sam Raimi. The book number is written in pen, next to a printed '/200'. having seen and owned a number of these over the years, not all copies have the number filled in.