This is the second installment in
The Masks of Famous Monsters Series.
Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine was an absolute treasure trove of early mask history. By combing through the 191 issues published between 1958-1983, it's possible to gain a good understanding of the decades of evolution and history of Don Post Studios and Topstone monster masks. The eventual goal of this series is to catalog and archive each monster mask appearance in the pages Famous Monsters.
With the second installment we move to issue #2 which, like it's predecessor, greeted readers with a monster mask right on the cover!
Another dapper-ly dressed ghoul greeted us on the cover of issue two, but what is this debonair devil? Where did this mask come room? How to get one? These are not all easily answered questions.
First,
what is this mask? It looks like a devil, must be a devil? The answer, which would be revealed in future issues of Famous Monsters, is "No". According to this ad it's a Werewolf...
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| Werewolf Photograph Ad |
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| 8x10 Werewolf Photograph |
The next question is
where did this mask come from? Not so easily answered. The only "major" mask makers at the time were Don Post Studios and Topstone. The Werewolf mask was never in either of these companies line-ups. It must have come from and independent artist at the time. Ellis Burman perhaps?
The hands were Topstone Monster Hands which would make their Famous Monsters debut in issue #2. These classic hands would be offered in many more issues to come over the years.
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| The Original Monster Hand Ad |
The last question of
where to get one was not easily answered either. Not for decades later at least until Darrell from
VXX-FX offered up a spot on amazing Devilman! Replica in 2005.
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| VXX-FX Devilman! Mask |
Image Source: VXX-FX
While this doesn't entirely wrap up the mystery of the Werewolf / Devilman! mask, let's continue on and take a look at what other monster mask delights await in issue two...
On page 55 readers were greeted with the
first monster mask ad to ever grace the pages of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. For the very first time, a kid could order a rubber monster mask from the pages of FM magazine. Would the world ever be the same again?
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| Masks...Masks...Masks |
Here the ad appears in it's original two-page format...
There were a few other monster mask tidbits tucked away in issue #2. A quick glimpse of a Frankenstein monster mask can be found on page 60. While page 63 reminds the dear reader that of the Hollywood monster masks available in issue two...
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| Famous Monsters #2 - Page 60 |
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| Want Your Own Hollywood Monster Mask? Yes Please! |
That concludes the second installment of
The Masks of Famous Monsters. Check sure out the
first Masks of Famous Monsters post if you missed it!
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