Archiving the Golden Age: Ben Ohmart on BearManor Media and Film History

Championing forgotten voices and the stories behind the scenes of film, radio, and TV.

Ben Ohmart is the founder and publisher of BearManor Media, an independent press dedicated to preserving the legacies of film, radio, and television stars. Fueled by his passion for entertainment history, he especially encourages supporting players and behind-the-scenes professionals to document their stories. Under his guidance, BearManor Media has grown into a respected force, offering an expansive catalog of titles covering the obscure to the iconic.

Okay, Ben. I guess the first question is, where did you grow up, and how did you find yourself in Japan?

I was born in Albany, GA in 1970 and was a Star Wars kid. I married my lovely wife Mayumi in 2006 at Tokyo Disneyland, but we lived in Albany for 2 years before I figured out that I could do my work from anywhere I have a computer and a connection. That’s the glory of print-on-demand publishing — you don’t need to live in a warehouse! So we moved here in 2008. I’d STILL like to live in Orlando some of each year, but I gotta sell a lot more books first.

When did you get into the publishing game and why did you start BearManor Media?

I’ve ALWAYS been a writer and a reader, but alas, the things I most like to write — dialogue, comedy, poems, screenplays — are the hardest to sell. In the mid-’80s I discovered Abbott and Costello on WGN, and it really got me excited for old movies. Because of that and my love of radio and voice actors, I started writing books on voice actors, finally figuring out that if you write books on the things people want to read, you can sell books. So, via the internet, I got some addresses and wrote to the families of Paul Frees and Mel Blanc to see if I could get permission to write a book on them. To my surprise, I met with nothing but success. Fred Frees, son of Paul, let me do a PF book, saying that through the years he’s had people write to him, but my letter was the best, and poof! I started writing books. From there, interviewing “non-names,” I discovered that some of these people had written books. Well, I found the self-publishing process as interesting as writing, so I started saying to Jane Kean and Russell Arms that I’d be pleased to publish their book, and poof! I started publishing all the stuff the Big Boys don’t care about. But I would MUCH rather read a book on Jerry Colonna written by his son than any K-pop group you could name — and I can’t name any, sorry.

You’ve written quite a few books yourself. What was your first book?

That was a book on The Great Gildersleeve, a series my collaborator, Charles Stumpf, liked a lot. I learned a lot about writing from that, and I was also honored with holding Walter Tetley’s own scrapbooks, which was Heaven. Walter is without a doubt the one person I’d want to spend a day with, if time travel were ever possible. Sorry, Einstein, sorry, Laurel, Hardy.

Most of what BearManor Media publishes is about entertainment, more specifically entertainment history. Do you have a hard time getting people interested in the past? I ask because at a job I had at a school, the principal was walking around new teachers and he had quoted President Franklin D. Roosevelt, even told them who he was quoting. One teacher asked another, “Who is Roosevelt?”

The popular mindset today is that people don’t care, but I never tried to interest the under-30s in my wares anyway. It’s hard to sell a book on Duffy’s Tavern now, but the value to history to publish these books is so important. If TV were not so focused or dependent on streaming logarithms, etc., channels and streaming sites would offer viewers random things, not just “you might also like” after they watched something modern, then we’d get more younger viewers and replicate the love for the Ritz Bros. more.

You publish quite a bit of celebrities, too? Do they come to you? Or do you seek them out?

I’ve sought out a few, but mostly they come to me, which is nice. And what an honor it is to have the likes of Bonnie Daniels and Tina Cole come to me, people I grew up with. That is the happiest part of the job. Not that this ever feels like a job.

When it comes to writers and celebrity writers, do you handle them differently? Or is it an individual thing? Like personality differences, in terms of what you want in a book and contract discussions?

All are treated the same. I’m far enough out of the radar of Big Names or working actors who are used to commanding advances with digits in them — 4, 5, 6 — that I don’t have to put my kid gloves on. I usually let everyone write the book the way they want, just throwing in my 3 cents now and then. Besides, it’s the writer’s book more than mine, so they should have it the way they want it.

You’ve had bestsellers. Were you ever dissuaded from publishing certain books or writers?

I do get queries often for fiction or far-from-entertainment subjects, which I politely decline. And I try to take fewer general film books, preferring to stick to books on a single person or film/TV/radio show. And I say no to things that have been covered enough. But I also have no focus group in my head, so I take the things that just make my heart sing, generally.

I think I know the answer to this, but I’m going to ask. How do you feel about censorship?

I’m not into controversial books. Nor true crime because I’ve no interest in knowing who killed John Lennon, nor making killers more famous than they are. But I’ve also published a fair amount of books on adult films (autobiographies of John Holmes, Marilyn Chambers, Rebecca Lord, etc.), because there are a lot of fascinating books out there. We all have our light switches; what turns us off, what we want to see.

A year ago I was listening to Gilbert Gottfried’s podcast and he and Frank Santopadre were interviewing the author of Raised Eyebrows, about Groucho Marx. I looked it up and saw you had published it. How did the book make its way to you?

That was a reprint, and it was recommended to me by the marvelous Lon Davis, who is now finishing up an Edward Everett Horton book. Raised Eyebrows is supposed to be a film one of these days; optioned, written. But films do take forever, because you have to chase the money.

You know we’re very interested in your business model because we publish under Screaming Eye Press as well as with BearManor Media. What makes a book successful?

If I knew that, I’d be living in Orlando NOW. But — as I’ve said many times, in 25 years of publishing I’ve learned that ONLY the popularity of the book’s subject sells a book. Not the cover, editing, price, author name, etc. I know that sounds obvious, but there it is.

Who were your heroes growing up?

My mom was a single mother who spent a lot of time working, so I spent a lot of time at the flicks (as I still do). Never was a big TV fan, but Dean Jones and Fibber McGee and voice actors I couldn’t then name — they all saved my life and made it better and full. Films became my religion, and that’s no slur against God, but I spent more time in theaters than Trinity Lutheran Church, that’s a fact.

I was listening to Fun Ideas Podcast and Mark Arnold had mentioned he’d never seen a photo of you. Are you really that mysterious? Come to think of it, I’ve never seen one of you either.

Oh I’m around, and on Facebook, and I think there’s a Q&A on YouTube I did at FOTR years ago. Wish I could get to more conventions, but books cost to move, and if I went, it would be as a sightseer, not a seller. If my wife liked airplanes and loved to travel, I’d be seen a lot more!

Alright Ben, this is the most important question I have: What is your favorite episode of The Twilight Zone?

Oh dear. I’m not a big TV fan. I have seen most of them, I’m sure, but my memory is like a… whatzit. I don’t even remember what’s in the books I have written, so I can’t give you episodes. I’m like Prince in only 1 way — he and I both keep moving forward more than looking back. But — my favorite TV shows are probably Burns & Allen, Hardcastle and McCormick, and Yes, Prime Minister.

Music. Are you a Rocker or a Mod?

I listen to music CONSTANTLY. Right now as I type, it’s Halloween III soundtrack. Instrumental when I have to think; radio shows (or sometimes albums of songs) when I’m doing busy work. I’ve got all the Beatles/McCartney/Lennon expanded CD sets sitting here. Oh, and BRING BACK THE EARPHONE PLUG ON THE IPHONE!!

Would you ever include fiction books to an already impressive line of nonfiction books?

I would, and do. When I was a kid, the first author (after The Hardy Boys) I ever read for fun was Jules Verne, and I’m PROUD to be The Jules Verne Society’s publisher now. I’ve done some fiction by celebs and authors that I can’t say no to. It’s just HARD to push fiction unless there’s a Stephen King after your name.

Okay Ben, second most important question: Which one of Archie’s girlfriends turned you on the most? Betty or Veronica?

The brunette, whichever that is/was.

What famous person or celebrity were you most nervous meeting?

My hands shook when I met Lance Henriksen at a con in Orlando. He signed my Near Dark (best vampire film ever) DVD set. I forgot how to use a fork when June Foray took the wife and me to the Magic Castle. Not a lot of personal run-ins with celebs, and I regret that. I’m just not in the right locale to do it.

I have to ask, because it seems you have a lot in common with us at Screaming Eye Press/Twisted Pulp Magazine: do you have a huge record collection, and what would you consider your most prized possession?

A ton of CDs. Haven’t had records since I spun Grease and The Wiz when they came out. I’m a huge fan of Tangerine Dream and movie music; I dig film music with tunes. I wish they put more in today, but thank you, John Williams. And thanks, John, for providing the foreword to the Jerry Colonna book.

What would you consider the Holy Grail of books to publish?

Autobiography of Frank Welker. Or Tim Curry. Or Sammo Hung. They won’t come to me, or it’ll never happen, but only the penitent man shall pass.

If I came to you with a book idea of an Illustrated Book of Celebrities’ Band-Aids, would you publish it?

Sounds good! I’ve had a “why is comedy not taken seriously?” book stalled for years because I’ve never found the time to ask a lot more celebs to add to it. SO much to do.

Thank you, Ben, for your time and putting up with my silliness.

Nanoo Nanoo.