This edited collection considers The Nightmare Before Christmas as a milestone in animation and film history, considering the different layers of meaning and history of the film from pre-production to the present day.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (Henry Selick, 1993) has become a key point of reference in negotiations of genre and the boundaries between mainstream and cult cultures, both on screen and in the spaces of fandom, and in original and retrospective reception contexts where it often becomes tangled with nostalgia. Contributors to this edited collection consider the film as a cultural object with significant impact on animation, representations of family and horror, and fandom and subcultures. Covering topics including representations of fairy tales, Christmas media, cultural appropriation, family horror, merchandise, theme parks, and food, this work explores the film's ongoing cultural impact.