Help Needed On Don Post Creature From The Black Lagoon Masks!

[EP1972]

Greetings fellow Monster Maniacs!

I need your expertice in this matter.  I am doing research on original Creature from the Black Lagoon masks, and their vintage/ current Don Post counter parts for a personal project that I have been doing.  Thus far I have gathered a ton of info off this and some other sites, but here is where I am hung up (no pun intended) and can't really come to a proper conclusion.

Here are my questions:

1.  When the masks were first sold by Don Post in the 1960's was there a creature mask option A or B, as there were for the reissues of the 1990's?

2.  Is the creature "A" mask supposed to be the "land creature" head?

3.  Is the creature "B" mask supposed to be the "under water" head?

The reason I ask is that I have the 1990's version of the creature mask that is the option "A" with the lame eyes.  As I was modifying the mask to make it more screen accurate I cut the molded eyes out, and noticed that it now looks virtually identical to the "B" mask option.  I was always under the impression that the "A" was supposed to be the Land Creature, and B was the Underwater version.  Am I wrong?  I know that the masks were essentially re sculpted in the 1990's for the reissue, but their base "look" has not changed.

Thanks for any help in the matter.  Also if anyone here would be willing to post photos of their A vs B I would appreciate it!

[Minion]

When the mask first came out there was only one version. It originated from the original underwater head movie mold. It had no molded in eyes. This was resculpted for the calender re-issue line and has become known as version "A"

In the 70s William Malone sculpted a new Creature mask for Don Post. This version had eyes in it. Original molds of this mask were used for the calender re-issue line (it was NOT re-sculpted) and it has become known as version "B"

None of these masks were known as version "A" or "B" before they were re-issued and named that way on the box.
Creature "A" IS the underwater head and has no eyes
Creature "B" is just a Creature sculpture

[EP1972]

When the mask first came out there was only one version. It originated from the original underwater head movie mold. It had no molded in eyes. This was resculpted for the calender re-issue line and has become known as version "A"

In the 70s William Malone sculpted a new Creature mask for Don Post. This version had eyes in it. Original molds of this mask were used for the calender re-issue line (it was NOT re-sculpted) and it has become known as version "B"

None of these masks were known as version "A" or "B" before they were re-issued and named that way on the box.
Creature "A" IS the underwater head and has no eyes
Creature "B" is just a Creature sculpture

Ok I see now........I think.  The re-issue with the eyes is version "B." Did Malone use the underwater mask to base his design?  I ask because once I removed the eyes it became virtually identical, from what I can see in photos, to the underwater mask version "A".  If they are not the same, other than the eyes, what are the differences between the a and b?  Thanks!

[EP1972]

Anyone have any photos of their version "a" or "b" masks to compare?

[Sir Masksalot]

Anyone have any photos of their version "a" or "b" masks to compare?

Vintage DP Creature >



Vintage DP Malonian Creature >



Minion really had the lowdown on DP Creature masks, bless him. Reading that first post above his
made me dizzy! I wonder if EP1972 ever completed that "personal project" and what it was ....