John Zabrucky, ’71, MFA ’78, didn’t set out to create some of the most recognizable props in the sci-fi film and TV genre, but a chance encounter on a set in Los Angeles set him on an unexpected path.
Zabrucky grew up in Warren, Ohio. He had a natural talent for art, using his skills to create animated cartoons. Soon, his classmates began requesting them, paying 50 cents per piece. Though his mother made him lunch every day, he would take that money to buy a hot lunch in the school cafeteria, something that felt like a status symbol at the time.
When Zabrucky decided to go to college, majoring in art was the obvious choice, but finding the right fit was a challenge. After his freshman year at Youngstown State, he transferred to Kent State University and felt like he was finally in the right place. It was the late 1960s, and the university was an epicenter of new ideas and creativity, educating young artists like Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders, Joe Walsh of the Eagles, and Zabrucky’s very close friend Gerald Casale of DEVO. Zabrucky opened a small business on Main Street called Saint Mark’s Place that sold brand-new Army surplus and vintage clothing that had never been worn.
Art, Activism and May 4
It was also a volatile time when individuals often clashed politically, but Zabrucky fondly remembers a bar called Walter's Cafe that was like a “demilitarized zone,” where all students were welcome. That peace was fragile, however, and the first weekend in May 1970 shook not only Kent State, but the entire nation. Zabrucky was taking a photography class at the time and asked a friend to come with him on May 3 to take some photos amid the military presence throughout the campus and town. His friend wore a T-shirt with an airbrushed flag design that Zabrucky had created as she stood near members of the National Guard, mimicking their poses. While he was photographing her, a feeling of “foreboding” overtook him.
“I had the horrible feeling that death could be an ultimate consequence of this military display,” he said.
He staged a photo of her lying as if dead in the middle of the street in front of a military jeep and guardsman with two students watching in the background. Zabrucky’s message was simple: Do not move the machines of war into a university, a place of scholarship, research and creativity. Tragically, that photo would prove to be more than an artistic indulgence. Its ominous scene foretold the tragedy that unfolded the very next day on May 4, 1970.
Zabrucky returned after the shootings and graduated in 1971. He went on to graduate school and received a full teaching assistantship from Kent State. It wasn’t quite enough to make ends meet, so he also started teaching at the University of Akron and volunteering for the Ohio Arts Council. He even did some work at the Mansfield Reformatory, teaching art to 10 prisoners and putting together a gallery showcasing their work. One of those men later became a working artist.
An Unexpected Career in Hollywood
In the late 70s, Zabrucky followed his then-girlfriend out to Los Angeles. Although it didn’t work out between them, and Zabrucky initially regretted his decision, this move did open a new opportunity for him. While he was visiting her on a set, he laughed at a poorly made prop, a futuristic microscope that fell apart during filming. A woman there, surprised by his laughter, asked if Zabrucky thought he could do better than that. He retorted, “While I’m sleeping, I could do better than that.”
She took him up on his boast, offering to rent his props if they were any good. That chance encounter led to a successful 40-plus-year career. Zabrucky started Modern Props, which would create some of the most beloved props to appear in major TV series and films, including “Star Trek,” “Men In Black,” “Ghostbusters,” “RoboCop” and many others.
Building the Props That Built Sci-Fi
Over the years, Zabrucky has amassed a huge repository of props, but a few hold special significance for him. The Dual Axis Generator, known by fans as “The Most Important Device in the Universe,” has been in more than 200 films and TV shows, making it the most-filmed science fiction prop in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records. The fact that it has lasted so long is a huge differentiator in the prop world and testament to the craftsmanship of Modern Props.
“A typical movie prop will generally last the length of the film if they’re lucky. These things have been in hundreds and hundreds of films,” Zabrucky explained.
Another favorite prop is a futuristic doghouse he designed as part of a charity function. The doghouse featured an automatic door, forced air ventilation, and a TV with paw-shaped controls for channels and volume. Zabrucky attended the auction and won it back for himself.
His final favorite prop was the communicator used by Captain Kirk in “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.” It stuck in his mind because the requested communicator was actually “all old school,” with knobs and switches, which he thought was an odd choice for a futuristic space exploration show. Zabrucky based the communicator on a Vietnam-era walkie-talkie, and it included an “Easter egg” with Modern Props’ address 1130 up in the corner of the screen. The communicator was so popular that a toy maker created perfect replicas, down to the address, to sell to fans.
Life Beyond the Screen
Zabrucky, who describes himself as an accidental businessman, notes his true career aspiration has always been to be a working artist. In addition to his work in the film and television industry, he works with various metals to create sculptures with a tactile, industrial feeling, as well as ink on various types of paper.
Coming Home to Warren
When Modern Props closed in 2020, Zabrucky found himself with a warehouse full of props. Not being overly sentimental, he didn’t care about keeping them for himself. Instead, he wanted them to be institutionalized somewhere that more people could enjoy them.
When he offered the props – a collection of roughly 600 pieces – to Trumbull County (Ohio) Historical Society Director Meghan Reed, she happily accepted.
“Meghan said to me, ‘Our plan would be to build a museum. And with that museum, we think that it will be an economic driver for the City of Warren, Ohio.’ That was it. I said, ‘Oh, you got the collection.’ That’s it.”
For Zabrucky, giving the collection to the historical society in his hometown was a full-circle moment.
“It feels great,” he said. “It feels kind of right.”