An native of Odessa and graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Robert Burns served as the art director for several popular horror films, including The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), The Hills Have Eyes (1977), The Howling (1981), and Re-Animator (1985)
Produced by Austin-based production company Pumpkin Partners and written and directed Austin-area filmmaker Daniel Erickson, Mr. Pumpkin is a short film about a boy who believes his jack-o-lantern turns into a monster on Halloween Night. Robert A. Burns—acclaimed art director of horror films such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)—also makes an appearance. Erickson also directed Scary Movie (1990), which won the Silver Award at the Houston International Film Festival. He went on to direct commercials and music videos.