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The Masks of HtMMtDSW

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This is one of my favorite nuggets in all of the Monster Mask universe... the How to Make Masks the Death Studios Way video cassette.


It represents so many good memories to me. First, and foremost, it taught me how to make the things I love so very much.

Second, it showcases masks that represent very pinnacle of mask making at the time. In my humble opinion, Death Studios had taken the throne from Distortions Unlimited in 85-86. Just look at this shelf of masks. Simply amazing creations. Wolf! still gives me goose bumps when I look at it. Absolute bad-assery!

Top/Left: Vampyre, Thrash, Dead Ed Prop, Junkyard Kid, Swamp Monster, Helion,
Bottom/Left: Mangler, RIP2, Wolf!, Infected, Carnivore 3

Third, it also represents the pinnacle for Halloween at that point in my life. I was first introduced to Death Studios masks (Swamp Monster, Dead Guy) when I worked at a local Jaycees Haunted House  in 1988-89. It was the first time I had worked a haunt, and the experience literally changed me forever.

And last, the tape offered a behind the scene glimpse into a place where magic was (and still is) made. These images and the video on the tape will always remind me of all these things and put a hopelessly huge smile on my face...

The glaring eyes of the Death Studios "Vampyre" mask

Death Studios Mangler Mask

Sculpture of "The Dead" prop

"Gargoyle" Sculpture

Molding the "Lord of the Pit" Sculpture

"Corpus Delitcti" Blank Cast

"Alien Dead" Blank Cast

The Mold Room

"Belial" blank cast. This was an early Death Studios mask sculpted by Kirk Brady

I think these are "Helions"

I think these are "Cool Blue"

"Invader" Blank

"Mr. Big" Blank Cast

In Progress Painting of "Cool Blue" Casts

In Progress Painting of "Death Guy" Mask


In Progress Painting of "Elephant Man"Mask

In Progress Painting of "Saurian" Casts

"Dead Ed" Prop, Saurian, Swamp Monster

In Progress Painting of "Dead Ed" Cast

In Progress Hairing of "RIP2" Mask

n Progress Hairing of "Elephant" Mask


In Progress Hairing of "Death Guy 2" Mask

"Half Dead", "Under Wraps" Masks

Top/Left: Mangler, RIP2, Wolf!, Infected, Carnivore 3
Bottom/Left: Invader, Death Guy, Half Dead, Under Wraps, Bite, Hellspawn

"Dr. Klaw", "RIP 2", "Cool Blue" Master Copies

Jeff Death concludes the tape with words of encouragement


2000-01 Rubies Mask Illusions Catalog

Have an Explosive 4th!!!

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Back in high school and my early days of college, myself and a few friends shot a series of short films featuring a character we dubbed "Super Psycho Man" who always wore a Distortions Unlimited "Ghost" mask.

The last of the Psycho Man shorts was titled Super Psycho Man meets Manhole Maloney. Let me set this one up... "Manhole" Maloney was my good friend's room mate. Mr. Maloney would religiously come home from work every night and pass out on the couch after a few beers. We decided it would be a hoot if Super Psycho Man were to pay him a surprise visit.

For the better part of a year we had an ongoing series of random firework wars in the apartment. Yes, that's right, IN THE APARTMENT. What can I say, we we're all a bit crazy in our youth. When fireworks, monster masks, cameras, and beer are all involved, weird things can happen.

I think it also should be accompanied by a disclaimer.  Don't throw fireworks at your friends. Especially inside.  But if you do, you should probably film it.


Here are a few screen shots of the flurry...




July 5th Home Haunt Planning

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During a span from 1992 until 2005, July 5th was a day I looked forward to all year. It was the day my cousin and I got together to lay down the plans for our home haunt. My Aunt and Uncle would turn their garage over to us each September to convert into a walk through haunted house. We haunted Bode Road in Hoffman Estates Illinois until 1999. In 2000 we moved the operation to another Uncle's property into a large barn.

Unfortunately, we didn't document many of the years. But, I do have some video footage from the 1994 & 99 haunts. Here is a test clip from '99 of one of our animated props. It's a Death Studios Klownzilla prop that is operated by an actor in an adjacent room...


This is a walk through from the 99 haunt. The low light footage is crap, as is the edit, but it's still a fun 2-minute look at what we did...


There are a variety of masks being used throughout the haunt. The walk through video didn't showcase all of the actors from Halloween night, but here are a handful of masks that were used. First up, visitors were greeted by a suspended Death Studios "Legion" mask when entering the first hallway...


At the end of the hall was a wooden coffin with a Death Studios "Cadaver" corpse prop...

 The first actor wore a Be Something Studios "Man Wolf" mask...

A massive Illusive Concepts "Death Lord" and skull shoulders sat a top an 8 foot dummy in the Executioner Chamber...


A Death Studios "Klownzilla" was one of a few clowns in the Clown Room...


 This Don Post Studios "Moonfan" mask was worn by our chainsaw wielding maniac...


A Death Studios "Bad Moon" mask and hands greeted visitors in line...

1967 Collegeville Costumes Catalog

Random Sunday Morning Mask Pic: Tomb of Terror

Cinemagic #24 - Eyes of Fire Article

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This is a pretty straight forward technique that anyone can follow for just a few bucks! Personally, I'll be lighting up a few masks come October with these instructions...




July 1963 Hollywood Horrors Ad

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This ad for the Don Post Studios Hollywood Horrors line was published in the July 1963 issue of Genii Magazine...




1998 Distortion Unlimited Catalog

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The 20th Anniversary Catalog from Distortions Unlimited...

















Monster Mask Ad - Castle of Frankenstein #4

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The fourth issue of Castle of Frankenstein magazine (published in May 1964) contained this Frankenstein's Monster Mask ad appears to be for one of the early Don Post Studios Frankie masks...


The ad was part of the Chamber of Horrors ads that appeared on pages 50 & 51 and is another variation of the ones previously posted here and here.


There are some reader photos with a few fun mask shots. It appears that one of the readers is sporting a Topstone Werewolf in the top right photo.  I can't tell for sure what the Frankenstein pictured here actually is. I don't think it's the Don Post Frankenstein Headpiece, as it doesn't appear to have the same number of headbolts, but it's possible that the hair has been combed is covering them. The photo is also taken before the release of the DPS "Smooth Strange", so it's possible that this is a homemade creation...

 

Luminous Masklite Cut-outs

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I don't know much about the origins of these creepy little vintage cutouts. They were apparently made in the 1950's. There were a number of characters offered including a Devil, Skull, Owl, Witch, Black Cat, a Pipe Smoking Fellow, Jack o Lantern, Indian, and a furry creature of either the Gorilla or Werewolf variety.
There were metal grommets on the sides of these that create some depth to the mask and provide a place to insert an elastic head band.  Each mask had a label containing the following text:

LUMINOUS
Glows in the Dark
after short exposure to light
Non-poisonous
MASKLITE
Made in the USA

Luminous Jack'O Lantern Cut Out Mask
Luminous Skull Cut Out Mask
Luminous Clown Cut Out Mask
Luminous Werewolf (or Goriila?) Cut Out Mask
Jolly Pipe-Smoking Felow

Halloween Society Hunchback

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This ad for the Halloween Society Hunchback was originally posted on this thread at the HMA, and at some point, the images disappeared. So here it is once again, and a thanks goes out to the collector who originally took the time to scan and immortalize this very cool three page flyer...




Random Sunday Morning Mask Pics: Vintage Vacuform Masks

Don Post Studios - Universal Horrors "Calendar Masks" 8x10s

Robert Laudisi Alien Invasion Mask Catalogs

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I'm not entirely sure when these catalogs from Hollywood based artist Robert Laudisi were released, but they feature some fairly extreme Alien mask designs. I'm a big fan of the Lobstroid and Bloodsucker.

If I had to take a stab at it, I would guess the two-page black catalog was released in the late 90's, or early 2000's as I obtained it with several other catalogs from that time frame. The single-pager was obtained separately with several catalogs from the early to mid 90's...



Species Masks Ad

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This ad for the Don Post Studios "Species" movie masks ran in the September and October issues of Fango back in 1995. The ad features a beautiful deluxe SIL mask as well as a Male Creature. I'm not sure how well these masks did on the market at their price point, but they are gorgeous in person.


1988 Be Something Studios Catalog

Father & Son

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A few low-res photos of Don Post Jr. & Sr. together...



1983 Cesar Masquerade Catalog

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Cesar masks are definitely an acquired taste. They where highly stylized and generally not considered very collectible. With that being said, I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the  monsters and classic Halloween characters in the Cesar line-ups. To me, they seemed to bridge the gap between the classic plastic vacuform masks and the higher end latex masks...


Just look at the pure Halloween goodness present in this Devil and Witch...


And these are perhaps the creepiest shlock horror masks I have ever seen...


Now on to the catalog pages...

















Random Sunday Morning Mask Pics: More Vintage Vacuform Masks

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