Check out previous 2010 & 2009 Monsterpaloozas.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Monsterpalooza 2011
Monsterpalooza 2010 dates and guests were recently announced. I just reserved my dealer table and room last week and I can't wait! The Dealer list looks amazing!! It'll be great to see a ton of old friends next spring.
Check out previous 2010 & 2009 Monsterpaloozas.
Check out previous 2010 & 2009 Monsterpaloozas.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Death Studios Monster Mask Collection
My last post featuring the 1986 & 1991 Death Studios catalogs inspired me to take some high resolution photos of my Death Studios collection for today's post.
The first frightening freak in the line-up was produced under the name "The Millennian" was sculpted by Bill Nelson in 1979. These other four fiendish fellows are from the 1986 catalog and were produced under the following names: "Invader", "Legion", "Wolf!" and "Mangler". I've only had the Invader and the Wolf! since last May, as I was lucky enough to find a collector who was willing to part with them. The Legion mask was the 2nd Death Studios mask I ever purchased back in 1992.
Here is the rest of the bunch. Top row: "Klownzilla", "Death II", "Cutter", "Bad Moon", "Nosferatu", "Mr. Hyde", "Mangler". Bottom Row: "Rawbone", "Goblin", "Legion", "Millennian", "Invader", "Corpus Delicti", "Healer" and "Wolf!".
A few memorable masks are featured here. The Klownzilla is the only Killer Clown mask from Death Studios that have in the collection. It's a massive mask that has made many an appearance in our Haunted Barn and home haunts. Bad Moon, the over sized werewolf mask sculpted by Henry Alvarez, and the accompanying hands were given to me as a Christmas gift by a particularly cool girlfriend back in 1993. I remember nearly passing out when I opened the box that Christmas morning! The Nosferatu mask, which is still in production, is a damn creepy mask! The Mr. Hyde is my first ever Death Studios mask.
Above is the Henry Alvarez sculpted Howling werewolf, produced under the name Bad Moon from Death Studios.
Pictured above is the relatively rare Death Studios mask "Rawbone". This is absolutely one of my all time favorite creature designs! Sculpted by Brett Anderson and produced for a short time in 1995, only a few copies of Rawbone actually made it out to the public as production problems with the mold made it difficult to pull good copies. I've always felt it embodied everything a good monster design needs. I feel lucky to have gotten this before it was discontinued.
The Goblin mask above is the last mask that I sculpted for Death Studios. While five of my own sculptures have produced by Jeff Death over the years, this is the only one that I actually own a copy of. It was originally produced by Jeff under the name "Wild Thang" with a different paint scheme and featured and orange-ish brown hair.
Last up is Healer, the first Jordu Schell sculpted mask I added to my mask collection. Healer is another amazing example of creature & mask design by Jordu. It is completely out of the box of traditional mask design and is quite large as the eye holes are in the nostrils! This mask remains one of my favorites out of my entire collection!
That about does it for my Death Studio pieces for now, with a little luck I'm hoping to add some more from the old 1986 catalog. And, as always, there are several masks still in production that I'd love to add to the family. From time to time I'll throw up a post with some pieces from my collection.
The first frightening freak in the line-up was produced under the name "The Millennian" was sculpted by Bill Nelson in 1979. These other four fiendish fellows are from the 1986 catalog and were produced under the following names: "Invader", "Legion", "Wolf!" and "Mangler". I've only had the Invader and the Wolf! since last May, as I was lucky enough to find a collector who was willing to part with them. The Legion mask was the 2nd Death Studios mask I ever purchased back in 1992.
Here is the rest of the bunch. Top row: "Klownzilla", "Death II", "Cutter", "Bad Moon", "Nosferatu", "Mr. Hyde", "Mangler". Bottom Row: "Rawbone", "Goblin", "Legion", "Millennian", "Invader", "Corpus Delicti", "Healer" and "Wolf!".
A few memorable masks are featured here. The Klownzilla is the only Killer Clown mask from Death Studios that have in the collection. It's a massive mask that has made many an appearance in our Haunted Barn and home haunts. Bad Moon, the over sized werewolf mask sculpted by Henry Alvarez, and the accompanying hands were given to me as a Christmas gift by a particularly cool girlfriend back in 1993. I remember nearly passing out when I opened the box that Christmas morning! The Nosferatu mask, which is still in production, is a damn creepy mask! The Mr. Hyde is my first ever Death Studios mask.
That about does it for my Death Studio pieces for now, with a little luck I'm hoping to add some more from the old 1986 catalog. And, as always, there are several masks still in production that I'd love to add to the family. From time to time I'll throw up a post with some pieces from my collection.
Friday, October 15, 2010
1989 and 1991 Death Studios Catalogs
Death Studios was without a doubt my favorite mask maker of the late 1980s and well into the 1990s. Although I wasn't aware of it at the time, my first exposure to a Death Studios was in 1989 while working at a local Jaycee's Haunted House.
I had just begun my sophomore year in high school in the fall of '89 and was presented with the opportunity to work in the same Haunted House I had attended as a guest for years. I couldn't have been a happier kid! My first night at the haunt I was to play the part the Swamp Monster in the Swamp Room. I was handed a large and amazingly detailed mask and was told by one of the supervisors that I had to be extra careful with the mask as it cost over $1000! I had never seen a mask of this quality before and I was proud to wear it that night.
Several nights later, I had the opportunity to change rooms. This time I played the part of a zombie! The guests were lead down a dark hallway and were forced to stop. They then found themselves face to face with a barrage of noise in the form of large blow horn and screaming. All off a sudden the headlights of a car would great them and I would pop out the front hood of the car wearing a mask that was above and beyond anything I had ever seen before. The supervisor again warned me to take extra special care of the mask. My supervisor was cool, he was a high school buddy of my Uncle and in between rounds of guests he would sneak me cans of beer that were kept inside the car, and he let me wear these amazing masks! My attempts to find out where these masks came from the supervisor were all in vain, he continuously told that they were from "Hollywood".
Almost two years passed until some light was shed on the mystery masks origins. Late in the summer of 1991 I was at the local comic shop checking out the September issue of Fangoria. I always loved the September and October issues because you could count on there being a few mask ads that wouldn't be present any other time of the year. Man, I had no idea what was in store for me that day. On the back cover of the issue was a full color ad of the most spectacular masks I had ever seen, from a company only one state over... Death Studios.
I bought the issue simply for this ad. What an amazing assortment of creatures and monsters! There were the Killer Clowns, in mask form, which sent my mind racing! They looked so real! There was the sinister Lord of the Pit and Gargoyle masks!! Also the Bat Demon and Twin Parasite Chest in the third row!!! The Alien Warrior, my first exposure to my now favorite creature designer Jordu Schell! And finally, the Reptile mask, the one that stole my heart!! There was never a cooler mask I thought. Ever.
This ad would become the center of my universe over the next several weeks. As I collected a few pay checks from my part-time retail gig, I spent my time struggling with the thought of which would be the first mask I would order from Death Studios. The Reptile was my clear favorite, but everyday that passed I would fall in love with a new character. The Warlock, the Upside Down Head, The Bat Demon. As the time neared when I was ready to order, my decision became clear. I would order the scariest monster of the all, the one that made my skin crawl the most, the Mr. Hyde mask!
The days past and finally the package arrived. The anticipation had built so much, and the mask didn't disappoint. In fact is was even better than I could possibly imagine! Absolutely the best mask I had ever laid my eyes on! I still have this mask today, it's one of the most sentimental treasures of my collection. I've used in in several of my own home haunts, and two haunted barns! Still to this day, it makes the occasional appearance on October evenings in my attic window!
Now, as if the mask wasn't enough, it shipped along with the Death Studios catalog which was the 1989 bi-fold and the 1991 single page (the same as the one I had from the back of the Fangoria). The 1989 catalog was a mind-blower. It featured two full pages of amazing masks that I had never seen before... except for two. Right there in my hands was the answer to the question that had weighed on my mind for two full years, my mystery masks from the haunted house! The Swamp Monster and the Zombie mask (Death Guy 2) were Death Studios masks!! And better yet, they weren't a thousand dollars, they could be had for a mere $55-65!
Over the course of the next several months these catalogs would accompany me to the breakfast table every morning. I would again dream of the next mask that would be mine. Soooo many to chose from! My favorites included the insane "Wolf!" mask, "Mangler", "Bite", "Legion", "Dead Meat", "Death Guy II", "Rip II", "Jeeves" with the crazy cool elongated head, "Celibate", and the ultra scary alien "Invader"! The next order came a few months later in the form of Legion as well as the "How-To Make Masks the Death Studio Way" VHS tape, which would literally change my path in life a few years later.
Oddly, I only ended up with one from the 1989 catalog, by the time I had built up enough cash for another order, the 1992 catalogs had arrived in the spring sending my attention in another direction altogether, but that's a discussion for another evening. I have been fortunate enough to pick up a few of the masks from these catalogs in recent years from other collectors, including "Mangler", "Wolf!", and "Invader". I even managed to score a blank of my beloved "Reptile" from the 1991 catalog, which I'm really hoping to paint it this Fall/ /Winter.
That's all for now creeps. We'll take a look at the infamous1992 Death Studios catalog sometime in the future!
I had just begun my sophomore year in high school in the fall of '89 and was presented with the opportunity to work in the same Haunted House I had attended as a guest for years. I couldn't have been a happier kid! My first night at the haunt I was to play the part the Swamp Monster in the Swamp Room. I was handed a large and amazingly detailed mask and was told by one of the supervisors that I had to be extra careful with the mask as it cost over $1000! I had never seen a mask of this quality before and I was proud to wear it that night.
Several nights later, I had the opportunity to change rooms. This time I played the part of a zombie! The guests were lead down a dark hallway and were forced to stop. They then found themselves face to face with a barrage of noise in the form of large blow horn and screaming. All off a sudden the headlights of a car would great them and I would pop out the front hood of the car wearing a mask that was above and beyond anything I had ever seen before. The supervisor again warned me to take extra special care of the mask. My supervisor was cool, he was a high school buddy of my Uncle and in between rounds of guests he would sneak me cans of beer that were kept inside the car, and he let me wear these amazing masks! My attempts to find out where these masks came from the supervisor were all in vain, he continuously told that they were from "Hollywood".
Almost two years passed until some light was shed on the mystery masks origins. Late in the summer of 1991 I was at the local comic shop checking out the September issue of Fangoria. I always loved the September and October issues because you could count on there being a few mask ads that wouldn't be present any other time of the year. Man, I had no idea what was in store for me that day. On the back cover of the issue was a full color ad of the most spectacular masks I had ever seen, from a company only one state over... Death Studios.
I bought the issue simply for this ad. What an amazing assortment of creatures and monsters! There were the Killer Clowns, in mask form, which sent my mind racing! They looked so real! There was the sinister Lord of the Pit and Gargoyle masks!! Also the Bat Demon and Twin Parasite Chest in the third row!!! The Alien Warrior, my first exposure to my now favorite creature designer Jordu Schell! And finally, the Reptile mask, the one that stole my heart!! There was never a cooler mask I thought. Ever.
This ad would become the center of my universe over the next several weeks. As I collected a few pay checks from my part-time retail gig, I spent my time struggling with the thought of which would be the first mask I would order from Death Studios. The Reptile was my clear favorite, but everyday that passed I would fall in love with a new character. The Warlock, the Upside Down Head, The Bat Demon. As the time neared when I was ready to order, my decision became clear. I would order the scariest monster of the all, the one that made my skin crawl the most, the Mr. Hyde mask!
The days past and finally the package arrived. The anticipation had built so much, and the mask didn't disappoint. In fact is was even better than I could possibly imagine! Absolutely the best mask I had ever laid my eyes on! I still have this mask today, it's one of the most sentimental treasures of my collection. I've used in in several of my own home haunts, and two haunted barns! Still to this day, it makes the occasional appearance on October evenings in my attic window!
Oddly, I only ended up with one from the 1989 catalog, by the time I had built up enough cash for another order, the 1992 catalogs had arrived in the spring sending my attention in another direction altogether, but that's a discussion for another evening. I have been fortunate enough to pick up a few of the masks from these catalogs in recent years from other collectors, including "Mangler", "Wolf!", and "Invader". I even managed to score a blank of my beloved "Reptile" from the 1991 catalog, which I'm really hoping to paint it this Fall/ /Winter.
That's all for now creeps. We'll take a look at the infamous1992 Death Studios catalog sometime in the future!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Horrorshow #2 - Jordu Schell Feature
Horrorshow magazine was bar none my favorite publication from 2006-2008 featuring great articles on masks, garage kits, creature designers, and a whole lot more. I haven't seen a new issue hit the news stands in quite sometime now, hopefully we'll see more in the future.
Issue #2 was the first copy of Horrorshow that I had the pleasure of finding and it featured a huge 20+ page article on my favorite creature designer and mask maker, Jordu Schell! As if this wasn't enough, the issue winds down with a great article featuring a one-of-a-kind custom mask!
The One-of-a-Kind article written by Dan Dristiliaris features a killer custom finishing job from Aaron Lewis of Monster Mayhem. Aaron does amazing painting and finishing work and sculpts some of the best retro/ vintage style masks you can find anywhere! Check it...
Issue #2 was the first copy of Horrorshow that I had the pleasure of finding and it featured a huge 20+ page article on my favorite creature designer and mask maker, Jordu Schell! As if this wasn't enough, the issue winds down with a great article featuring a one-of-a-kind custom mask!
The One-of-a-Kind article written by Dan Dristiliaris features a killer custom finishing job from Aaron Lewis of Monster Mayhem. Aaron does amazing painting and finishing work and sculpts some of the best retro/ vintage style masks you can find anywhere! Check it...
Monday, October 11, 2010
Distortions Unlimited Mask Ads
Yesterday's post got me thinking a bit and I found myself combing through my old issues of Fangoria on the hunt for early 80's monster mask ads. My favorite ad came from the back cover of Fangoria #31 from December 1983.
This ad features my favorite early Distortions mask the Sycron alien! The design of this thing is perfect with the elongated skull and the cracked skin texture. One of Ed Edmund's true masterpieces! Another notable mask is the very rare Nightmare IV, the last in the 4 mask series. The Sixth Finger Mask (Outer Limits) is another highly sought after piece. Finally, the Zombie and the Rotted Corpse are also all-time Distortions greats (both were also re-issued as part of the Resurrection Series in late 1998). More can be found about the Resurrection Series on this post on the HMA blog.
Here's another old Distortions Unlimited ad I found from an early issue of Fangoria. Unfortunately, I have no idea what issue this appears in as I cut this out years ago and found it loose with some other ads. This ad features the classic Human Error on the left, and the Neutron Alien on the right. Again, both are also featured in the Resurrection Series. If you can get your claws on any of the 24 copies produced in-house at Distortions painted by Jordu Schell, they're worth the $170 price tag. You won't find them on the Distortions site, but if you give 'em a call or email they'll take care of you!
This ad features my favorite early Distortions mask the Sycron alien! The design of this thing is perfect with the elongated skull and the cracked skin texture. One of Ed Edmund's true masterpieces! Another notable mask is the very rare Nightmare IV, the last in the 4 mask series. The Sixth Finger Mask (Outer Limits) is another highly sought after piece. Finally, the Zombie and the Rotted Corpse are also all-time Distortions greats (both were also re-issued as part of the Resurrection Series in late 1998). More can be found about the Resurrection Series on this post on the HMA blog.
Here's another old Distortions Unlimited ad I found from an early issue of Fangoria. Unfortunately, I have no idea what issue this appears in as I cut this out years ago and found it loose with some other ads. This ad features the classic Human Error on the left, and the Neutron Alien on the right. Again, both are also featured in the Resurrection Series. If you can get your claws on any of the 24 copies produced in-house at Distortions painted by Jordu Schell, they're worth the $170 price tag. You won't find them on the Distortions site, but if you give 'em a call or email they'll take care of you!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Amazing Cinema #4 - A Guide to Independent Mask Makers
Amazing Cinema Magazine was short lived fanzine from the early 80's that featured tons of who's-who and how-to articles. The September 1981 issues special feature was: A Guide to Independent Mask Makers. The article showcased some very early work of several important artists including Dave Ayres of Special Effects Studios, Ed Edmunds of Distortions Unlimited, Jeff Keim of Death Studios, & Joe Reader.
A ghoulish glimpse back at the beginning of an era the would literally change the face of the hobby and the industry!
A ghoulish glimpse back at the beginning of an era the would literally change the face of the hobby and the industry!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Halloween Hootenanny
Last night I spent the night down in at ISU with a few chums for the Rob Zombie/ Alice Cooper Halloween Hootenanny. It was the first time that I've seen Alice Cooper live, and he didn't disappoint!
This was the first time I've seen Rob Zombie outside of White Zombie. There was a ton of energy in the crowd and a fine time was had by all (except Ralph-ski's truck)
The dude to the far left in the second pic is my boy Kev rocking on stage with Alice for "School's Out"
Each set featured some great theatrics and masks! Alice had his classic 7th Voyage Cyclops romp around on stage. While Rob shared the stage with a very impressive Phantom Creeps Robot!
Here's Wayne Toth with the massive Creeper costume. Check out more of Wayne's bad-ass work here
This was the first time I've seen Rob Zombie outside of White Zombie. There was a ton of energy in the crowd and a fine time was had by all (except Ralph-ski's truck)
The dude to the far left in the second pic is my boy Kev rocking on stage with Alice for "School's Out"
Each set featured some great theatrics and masks! Alice had his classic 7th Voyage Cyclops romp around on stage. While Rob shared the stage with a very impressive Phantom Creeps Robot!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Don Post Calendar Masks
Greetings Creeps, the infamous Monster Calendar featuring the classic Don Post Deluxe Mask series is the focus of today's post. Designed and created by Jim Matthews, this novelty calendar was
distributed at local novelty stores in the late 1960s. The calendar
itself featured fantastic photos of by Bary Herron of the Universal
Monsters Characters that Don Post Studios immortalized in latex.
While I was born 8 years after the release of this classic calendar, the photos of these masks remain ingrained in my memories from my childhood as they would turn up again and again in Famous Monsters magazines.
I scored an original calendar about 15 years ago at a convention. While the actual calendar at the bottom of each page had been cut off, the photos of the masks were all in wonderful shape! I have scanned all the pages at a high resolution and uploaded it for those of you guys and ghouls who'd like a copy.
Been DYING to get your hands on it? Well here you go creep. Be the first kid on your block to download the PDF Calendar ...so lifelike, you'll expect it to hiss!!!
While I was born 8 years after the release of this classic calendar, the photos of these masks remain ingrained in my memories from my childhood as they would turn up again and again in Famous Monsters magazines.
I scored an original calendar about 15 years ago at a convention. While the actual calendar at the bottom of each page had been cut off, the photos of the masks were all in wonderful shape! I have scanned all the pages at a high resolution and uploaded it for those of you guys and ghouls who'd like a copy.
Been DYING to get your hands on it? Well here you go creep. Be the first kid on your block to download the PDF Calendar ...so lifelike, you'll expect it to hiss!!!
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