New Movie Monster Masks - Don Post 800 Line Ad

This half page ad featuring Don Post Studios newest line-up (The 800 Line) of movie monster masks first popped up in the September 1967 issue Famous Monsters of Filmland (#46) and in Creepy #17 back in October 1967.

 

The photos from the ad were cut from this classic Don Post flier...

Some of the best color photos of 800 Line masks (and other vintage Don Post masks) are found at the Toy Ranch on Flickr...

Image Source: Toy Ranch

 Image Source: Toy Ranch

 Image Source: Toy Ranch

 Image Source: Toy Ranch

Vintage Halloween Photoset

I followed the link to this Vintage Halloween Photoset from the Pumpkinrot blog and was happy to find a few shots with some vacuform masks and other Halloween goodness....

 Photo Source: Fluffy Chetworth

 Photo Source: Fluffy Chetworth

 Photo Source: Fluffy Chetworth

Photo Source: Fluffy Chetworth

The Masks of Famous Monsters - Issue #2

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...

Werewolf Photograph Ad

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.

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.

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?

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...

Famous Monsters #2 - Page 60

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!

Witch's Dungeon Wax Museum

Here's a wonderful 40 year retrospective article on Cortlandt Hull's Witch's Dungeon. In the early days of the Dungeon Don Post Studios monster masks could be found in the display. While Cortlandt's monsters are no longer masks, but rather wax figures, the monsters today have been inspired and influenced by some of the legends in the industry including Don Post Sr., Verne Langdon and John Chambers.

Here's a quick pic of the amazing life size Dr. Phibes on display at Maskfest 2010. For more Witch's Dungeon pics from the 2010 Maskfest check out this older post.

Halloween Society Classified Ad

 This is the second in a monthly series of monster mask oriented classified ads. Combing through the pages of classified ads of magazines in the 80s and 90s occasionally yielded a pleasant surprise in the form of a mask ad.  As the case with most headhunters, I was always happy to find one of these hidden little gems at the end of a horror mag.

This months classified ad comes from page 37 of Forry's Monsterland Magazine published back in the Spring of 1987...

Join the Halloween Society Classified Ad

Monster Masks from the Tomb of Dr. Lady

Back before the days of widespread internet usage, the world wide web, and modern browsers; monster masks were bought, sold and traded the old fashioned way...snail mail.  I ran into my stash of old Dr. Lady flyers the other day and have begun the scanning process. These were among the first I received from the good doctor...

Dr. Lady Monster Masks

Sunday Morning Masks - Jason of Star Command

The highlight of Sunday mornings for any monster loving kid from 1978-79  was Jason of Star Command.  For myself, any glimpse of Sid Haig as the Evil Dragos and his round (square) table of villainy was enough to temporarily satisfy my youthful yearning for monsters.

In April of 1980, Fangoria #5 featured a great article on John Carl Buechler's alien creations, with some excellent head shots of a variety of kick ass alien masks.

 Here are a few close-ups from the article of Buechler's awesome alien masks used on the show...

Fly-Man Alien Mask from Dragos' table

Moth Head Mask from Dragos' table

Tehor Mask from episode "Frozen In Space

Adron Mask from episode "Face to Face"

Giant Dog Mask from episode "Little Lost Girl"

Space Spectre from "Secret of the Ancients" episode

Extra Bonus! 3 Monster Masks - Moon Monster Ad

A free Giant Life Size Moon Monster and free extra bonus 3 Monster Masks for joining the Monster Fan Club for buck? Good God man - best deal ever if you're a kid! Well, sort of. If you don't mind that the Moon Monster and the Monster Masks are made of paper. Literally.

This ad came out well before my time, but I fondly remember running into it as a kid flipping through back issues of comics and wanting like hell to send in for my own Monster Fan Club membership. For a full write up on the Monster Fan Club membership kit check out this post over at Mike Scott's Monster Magazines Blog.

Half page ad

Full Page Ad

And now for the masks...

 Image Source: http://monstermagazines.blogspot.com

  Image Source: http://monstermagazines.blogspot.com

 Image Source: http://monstermagazines.blogspot.com

Frankenstein's Monster Mask - Elmer Batters

Oh the random wonderment one can stumble upon on the inter-webs when you turn the safe search off on Google. What started as a simple search for Ingrid Pitt pics lead me to a site with this great old photo from Elmer Batters...

 Until I ran into this little gem I had no idea who Elmer Batters was. According to Wikiepdia: Elmer Batters (November 24, 1919 – June 25, 1997) was a pioneer fetish photographer who specialized in capturing artful images of women with an emphasis on stockings, legs, and feet: ahead of his time in popularizing foot fetishism imagery as erotic entertainment.

I say good for Mr. Batters for combining two of the things I love most in life into one photo. Cheers!

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On a side note: The mask in the photo is an incredibly rare Frankenstein's Monster Mask made in the early 1960's by Ellis Burman Sr. More info on the Burman masks can be found on this post.

Distortions Unlimited Mask Tag

High Res scan of the late 80's Distortions Unlimited mask tag...

Distortions Unlimited Mask Tag Front/ Back

Distortions Unlimited Mask Tag Inside