Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Gone for a few...
I'll be out of town and away from computers until Monday with Mrs. Phantom. Posting resumes next week. Stay tuned creeps...
Photo from J. Willis' Flickr Photostream Photo by Jackie Alpers
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Monday, June 24, 2013
The Masks of Famous Monsters - 1970-72
Welcome to the twenty-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 golden years come and gone and new monster mask material in Famous Monsters becoming ever more scarce, we'll be covering issues in blocks of years rather than blocks of individual issues. For this edition, we enter a new decade... the 70's. We'll encounter an odd skip in issue numbers during this post due to the decision by Warren and Ackerman to skip from issue number 69 in September 1970, to issue 80 in October 1970.
The first issue of the decade (Jan. 1970) would contain no mask ads or articles. In fact the half page ad that would pop up in most, but not all, issues during 1970 had made it's debut several issues ago and was not really anything new to readers of the publication...
Issue #65 released in May, would feature a nice full page photo of the Don Post Skull prop...
The decade would wind down with a brief monster mask glimpse in the Dec. 1970 issue (#81) with a Frankenstein monster mask in the "Monsters of the Month" department...
1971 would essentially come and go with random appearances from the same 3/4 page ad pictured above.
1972 would feature a new format for the Don Post Studios mask ad which would shrink down to a half-page format. This scan comes from the January 1972 issue...
Nov 1972 would be the 1st time both a DPS and Topstone mask ad ran in FM since before the Langdon days at DPS almost a decade ago when this half page ad appeared on page 47. This would end a long absence of Topstone mask ads in Famous Monsters of Filmland...
With the golden years come and gone and new monster mask material in Famous Monsters becoming ever more scarce, we'll be covering issues in blocks of years rather than blocks of individual issues. For this edition, we enter a new decade... the 70's. We'll encounter an odd skip in issue numbers during this post due to the decision by Warren and Ackerman to skip from issue number 69 in September 1970, to issue 80 in October 1970.
The first issue of the decade (Jan. 1970) would contain no mask ads or articles. In fact the half page ad that would pop up in most, but not all, issues during 1970 had made it's debut several issues ago and was not really anything new to readers of the publication...
Issue #65 released in May, would feature a nice full page photo of the Don Post Skull prop...
The decade would wind down with a brief monster mask glimpse in the Dec. 1970 issue (#81) with a Frankenstein monster mask in the "Monsters of the Month" department...
1971 would essentially come and go with random appearances from the same 3/4 page ad pictured above.
1972 would feature a new format for the Don Post Studios mask ad which would shrink down to a half-page format. This scan comes from the January 1972 issue...
Nov 1972 would be the 1st time both a DPS and Topstone mask ad ran in FM since before the Langdon days at DPS almost a decade ago when this half page ad appeared on page 47. This would end a long absence of Topstone mask ads in Famous Monsters of Filmland...
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Saturday, June 22, 2013
The Secrets of Mask Making
This article from the August 1931 issue of Popular Science outlines the basic procedure of creating paper mache masks. While I've personally never attempted this technique, it starts out with the same initial steps of sculpting and molding that are used in making rubber monster masks. I think I'm going to try making one of these for Halloween this year.
On a side note, if you're into old Science and How-To magazine articles, do check out the Modern Mechanix Blog, where I found this article. There is an amazing wealth of scanned articles and ads to look through.
Image Source: Modern Mechanix Blog
On a side note, if you're into old Science and How-To magazine articles, do check out the Modern Mechanix Blog, where I found this article. There is an amazing wealth of scanned articles and ads to look through.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Hipstamatic Drac
I was having some fun experimenting with some lenses and film combos on the Hipstamtic app a few evenings ago. My custom painted Calendar Drac reissue was my model for the impromptu photo. The settings used for each set of photos is listed below.
Since I haven't posted any new collection shots here since last October, I thought I'd share a few shots with some of the better film/lens combos...
Since I haven't posted any new collection shots here since last October, I thought I'd share a few shots with some of the better film/lens combos...
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| Lens: Mabel 1884 | Film: Pistil | Flash: Off |
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| Lens: Tinto 1884 | Film: Pistil | Flash: Off |
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| Lens: Tinto 1884 | Film: D-Type Plate | Flash: Off |
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Monday, June 17, 2013
Headhunters Quarterly Issue 12
The 12th issue of Headhunters Quarterly would arrive back in April 2002. While the production of the magazine had been sporadic during it's final few issues, it was always well worth the wait. This was among my very favorite issues of HHQ. It would contain some excellent articles from contributors and collectors Dante Renta and William Hayes, as well as a three page article on Death Studios, and finally an interview with mask making veteran Harry Inman.
The issue would start like every previous issue with the Cool New Stuff department. There was some superb talent making masks at the turn of the century in the form of both veterans and new comers alike and many were featured in the first few pages of this issue.
For me personally, it's fun looking back at this issue as I had brought the Devil's Workshop back from a 3 year hiatus having just bought my first home and turning the basement into a full mask making studio. The announcement here on page three definitely brings back some good memories!
Next up would be the "I Own a Doctor Who Monster" article written by William Hayes...
The three-page "At Death's Door" article from Jeff and Jim would follow...
This in depth "The Forgotten Calendar Mask" article would follow by Dante Renta...
The 12th issue of Headhunters magazine would wind down nicely with an interview from Harry Inman...
I believe this was the last issue of HHQ that would make it's way into the mail (It was the last issue I would receive at the very least). I can't say enough about how very special it was to receive one of these in the mail. In the days before mask communities started online, this was the only consistent source of info. And even after the rise of mask forums online, it was still a very special thing to crack open the cover of a new HHQ. The magazine had a feel good vibe and was free of the drama and politics that often was found online. A very heartfelt thanks goes out to both Jim and Jeff for taking the time and energy to make these issues come to life. There was plenty of monster mask magic that was spread throughout the hobby and community in the pages of this publication.
On a side note, I received a care package in the mail a week ago containing a number of mask catalogs as well as the two HHQ issues that I did not have in my collection. Over the next few months I will get these issues scanned and posted here thus completing the full Headhunters Quarterly archive online.
The issue would start like every previous issue with the Cool New Stuff department. There was some superb talent making masks at the turn of the century in the form of both veterans and new comers alike and many were featured in the first few pages of this issue.
For me personally, it's fun looking back at this issue as I had brought the Devil's Workshop back from a 3 year hiatus having just bought my first home and turning the basement into a full mask making studio. The announcement here on page three definitely brings back some good memories!
Next up would be the "I Own a Doctor Who Monster" article written by William Hayes...
The three-page "At Death's Door" article from Jeff and Jim would follow...
This in depth "The Forgotten Calendar Mask" article would follow by Dante Renta...
The 12th issue of Headhunters magazine would wind down nicely with an interview from Harry Inman...
I believe this was the last issue of HHQ that would make it's way into the mail (It was the last issue I would receive at the very least). I can't say enough about how very special it was to receive one of these in the mail. In the days before mask communities started online, this was the only consistent source of info. And even after the rise of mask forums online, it was still a very special thing to crack open the cover of a new HHQ. The magazine had a feel good vibe and was free of the drama and politics that often was found online. A very heartfelt thanks goes out to both Jim and Jeff for taking the time and energy to make these issues come to life. There was plenty of monster mask magic that was spread throughout the hobby and community in the pages of this publication.
On a side note, I received a care package in the mail a week ago containing a number of mask catalogs as well as the two HHQ issues that I did not have in my collection. Over the next few months I will get these issues scanned and posted here thus completing the full Headhunters Quarterly archive online.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
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