1966 Don Post Studios Movie Monsters Series

The 1966 Don Post "Movie Monsters" series sculpted by Ellis Burman Sr., ...

Genii June 1963 - Bert Wheeler Ad

I finally tracked down a copy of the June 1963 issue of Genii Magazine in search of the DPS Hollywood Horrors ad. Along the way I stumbled across a pleasant surprise. The issue contained this ad from Bert Wheelers which showcased a number of Ellis Burman Sr. "Studio Theatrical Masks"...

The ad is a nice upgrade from this one that I originally posted which shows only one mask.

Ellis Burman Article - Horror Monsters #1

One of my own highlights of Monsterpalooza last month was meeting John from the Monster Magazine World blog. John sent over a big surprise a few days after the convention wrapped up in the form of this Ellis Burman article which appeared in the first issue of Horror Monsters Magazine...

Burman Mask Video

It's long over due that this amazing compilation video gets mentioned here. It comes from a thread on the Monster Kid Classic Horror Forum, and was compiled by MKCHF member Carbon, who did one helluva job not only tracking these clips down, but editing them together into a cohesive piece. I don't think I'm exaggerating by saying that it is the best historical monster mask compilation ever sliced together. The time and patience that went into the endeavor is simply staggering.

For those unfamiliar with the thread, the masks featured within the video are all linked back to the "Meet the Family Ad" as well as the Ellis Burman masks featured in this Bert Wheeler catalog.

For detailed information about the source for the clips used in this video, check out post #91 from the original thread

The Masks of Famous Monsters - Issue # 43

Welcome to the nineteenth 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.

Issue # 43 of Famous Monsters would feature another "Men Behind the Monsters" written by Verne Langdon. This time, the featured artist would be the legendary Ellis Burman. By '67 Burman was a veteran make-up man and monster maker.

The article was brief at only two pages, fortunately one of those pages contained a beautiful full-page photo of Burman working on a number of clown masks and a full body monster suit. Of note to Don Post Studios fans, the article mentions that Burman currently worked as the Chief Lab Technician at Don Post Studios, where his many duties extend to the design and creation of many Don Post character masks...

Burman Zombie Mask

Last night an old post received a comment from one of Ellis Burman Sr.'s grandsons that mentions some fond memories of the classic Burman Zombie mask being used at Halloween to scare the neighborhood trick or treaters. I realized this morning that the blog is almost entirely void of photos of the classic Burman Zombie until now...

Maskfest 2012 Museum Display

The UMA Museum display at Maskfest 2012 was one of the true highlights of the event. Once again, the Universal Monster Army put together an absolute stunner!

While photos don't really do the experience justice, I tried to document the museum display from case to case. The first case featured the four Ellis Burman Sr. Masks which were found earlier this year and currently reside in the collection of the Yellow Phantom along with a collection of vintage Don Post Studios Planet of the Apes masks...

 Next up was Bobby Beeman's remarkable 1940's Frankenstein meets the Wolfman display...

 More early history from Don Post Studios was on display in the form of Mummy, Phantom and Frankenstein masks...

A calendar style DPS Lugosi Dracula mask with a gorgeous finish was on display next...

The "Tomb of the Topstones" showcased Ray Castile's massive collection of vintage Topstone masks which made up the majority of the museum display. The combination of masks, signage, information, and video made this my favorite display of the entire fest...

 Here are some additional shots from the museum...