So far in my Topstone collecting, I've been concentrating on the rubber masks rather than the plastic vacuum formed masks. The rubber masks are what I remember from childhood, and I think they are more iconic than the vacuform ones. But I am starting to get into the vacuform versions. I have about a half dozen, but only three are iconic FM Keith Ward characters. Here they are:
This is probably the coolest. The Cyclops with a flicker eye.
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6230/6313983471_ae9f86997a_z.jpg)
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6036/6313983439_d302c07990_z.jpg)
I like having a mask that can actually go to sleep. It's exhausting when your masks are up all day and night.
Here he is next to the latex version. They both use the same sculpture, except for a little retooling around the vacuform version's eye.
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6119/6313983503_7b89b1a78f_b.jpg)
I also have the Gorilla and Caveman vacuform masks.
Here is the vacuform Gorilla on the left, next to the latex Gorilla. This is the famous Keith Ward "Gorilla Monster" from the comic and FM ads.
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6117/6314501748_5eff313bf1_b.jpg)
Again, same sculpture for both.
And here is the latex Caveman on the left, next to the vacuform Caveman.
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6091/6313983371_4c399cfe46_b.jpg)
Finally, here is the vacuform Gorilla and vacuform Caveman together.
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6039/6313983381_0af3a3911b_b.jpg)
I think the Vacuform masks look better then their rubber counterparts, thanks for the pic's Ray.
Wow, that vacu-form Cyclops looks great!
Those are great! I think I like the vacuforms better than the rubber ones. I saw some on eBay awhile back, and they seem to command pretty high prices. Thanks for sharing those.
The vacuform ones do look better asthetically. but im with you ray, the rubber ones have a sentimental place with me. They mean alot more to me personally because they are what i remember having and seeing growing up.
Those are very cool-I like both versions! What are the other vacuforms you got Ray?
One problem with the vacuforms is that they are prone to cracking. The Cyclops has a lot of little cracks around the edges. Gorilla has a little hole in his left ear (which is why I photographed him with that ear facing away from the camera). Caveman is in the best condition of the three. He has some tiny cracks, but nothing serious.
My other three vacuform Topstones have lots of cracks. I might take pictures of them later. They are Keith Ward designs, but not the recognizable FM characters. I have a witch, a demon and a phantom/haunted mansion-type character. They are cool in their own way, but the FM characters are best.
In case anyone is curious, NONE of the masks in this thread came from those super-high-priced BIN listings on ebay. You know, the ones that have been up for a year or two. I would love to own all of them, but no way would I pay those prices. Yikes. I think a fair price is $100-$200 each, depending on the character and condition. I paid in the neighborhood of $30 for the Caveman, $75 for the Gorilla and $125 for the Cyclops. I think the Caveman was a steal and the other two were about right.
Last Halloween I had bid on an Ebay auction of like 5-6 of these in nice condition which included some of the classics including the Vampi Girl ,Cyclops and I think a Wolfman all NM. I had a high bid of close to $300 on the lot and I got SMOKED. So.. Great buy Raymond ant congrats on owning some very cool and rare pieces.
Wow! Some visibility issues with the vacuform cyclops!
Next summer I am going to try foaming these vacuform masks. It looks like they are already foamed, but they are not. I put them on other foamed masks to take these photos. So you are looking at masks wearing masks. But they look so nice on these stands, I think I should foam them for real. I have to wait for the summer because the foam only works in warm weather. So what do you guys think of foaming a vacuform mask? If it's ok to foam a rubber mask, why not a vacuform one?
definitely do it. Anything that wil help strengthen the mask and help preserve it! I have a few old rubber masks I would like done, is it something I could do myself ray?
You can learn to foam, but it takes practice. You will mess up a few masks along the way.
If you know how to do it, Ray---and don't intend on ever wearing the vacuforms-----foam fill them.
Yeah but I bet there are collectors who would say I am "ruining them" by foaming them. With rubber masks, it is understood that you can't preserve them for posterity unless you foam them. But theoretically, you can preserve the vacuform masks simply by storing them carefully. Theoretically. In reality, they will become cracked, scuffed and dented unless special steps are taken to preserve them. The gorilla fell and got scuffed a tiny bit as I was taking these photos. Every time you handle these things, you put a bit of wear and tear on them.
Quote from: raycastile on November 06, 2011, 03:57:11 PM
Yeah but I bet there are collectors who would say I am "ruining them" by foaming them. With rubber masks, it is understood that you can't preserve them for posterity unless you foam them. But theoretically, you can preserve the vacuform masks simply by storing them carefully. Theoretically. In reality, they will become cracked, scuffed and dented unless special steps are taken to preserve them. The gorilla fell and got scuffed a tiny bit as I was taking these photos. Every time you handle these things, you put a bit of wear and tear on them.
Then I guess the question becomes WHO are you preserving them for? If you're thinking resale, then don't do it. If you intend to hold them indefinitely and wish to preserve them better------then fill 'em.
What about just making or buy shadow boxes for them. You can see them fine and never have to touch them again. I'm thinking about doing that with my Ben Cooper/Collegeville masks. We all know that over time the strings just decay.
I don't like shadow boxes. I like masks on stands. I could experiment with lining them with very thin plastic, then filling them with foam. That would create a custom form-fitting stand, but the foam would not come in contact with the mask and adhere to the plastic. The mask would be removable. But they might slide right off that, defeating the purpose.
Picked up a couple more plastic Topstones late last year and haven't gotten around to posting them here until now.
A few months ago, I showed you the vacuum formed plastic versions of the Cyclops, Gorilla and Caveman. This is the Male Vampire:
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6574045967_a02070a15a_b.jpg)
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6574046013_08e9f3e8bb_b.jpg)
Here is every known version of the character:
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6574047921_8853e7505d_o.jpg)
In the above photo, you have a modern pull on the far left (from Andy Williams' collection), followed by the vintage vacuform mask, a vintage latex version from the 60s, and a 70s latex copy with rooted hair. The 60s latex mask with painted hair is the "classic" version seen in old photos and offered in Famous Monsters.
Now here are some other plastic Topstones. Unlike the four I've shown previously, these are not the iconic characters from the FM ads.
First we have an interesting trio that appear to have been marketed in the same era as the FM-style masks. They are big, like the ones based on the FM characters, and they are made of similar plastic.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6574054603_2af2fb6f3a_b.jpg)
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6574054491_778450c5a3_b.jpg)
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6574054661_fc263bca65_b.jpg)
The three masks above are marked "A Keith Ward Creation." Interestingly, the plastic FM characters do not have Keith Ward markings, even though they are cast directly from the Keith Ward sculpts.
These next three have Topstone Rubber Co. marks, but not Keith Ward.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6574050241_47734f0db1_o.jpg)
They are a little smaller than the previous masks and the plastic has a different texture. I believe they are from a different era.
Finally, we have two masks based on Topstone characters, but only one has a Topstone makers mark.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7144/6574050275_2e93cd94c1_o.jpg)
The mask on the left is obviously based on the Creepbeat, but it has no markings. I don't know what company made that mask. The mask on the right, which seems to be the same beatnik character as the one in the previous group of three, does have a Topstone tag attached inside. These appear to be 70s masks.
Your collection is captivating Ray! I love those three keith Ward masks, especially the evil mustache man! Nice!
Awesome! I love seeing these old masks Ray!
ALWAYS look forward to your Topstone posts, Ray...wonderful info and the pics are total eye candy! Thanks for sharing your collection and insight with us.
I love the old witch/hag. It looks like something from the cover of a 50's horror comic.
These are all so great!
Ray, a fabulous collection.
Love the devil, Ray! BTW, have you decided what to do with the foam-filling idea?
Definitely owned the Vampire, 3rd from the left - always reminded me of a combination of a vampire, Phantom & Franky!
Quote from: Sean on January 30, 2012, 09:06:13 AM
Love the devil, Ray! BTW, have you decided what to do with the foam-filling idea?
No, nothing I can do now anyway. Can't foam anything until the temperature warms up in April or May. I'll make a decision then.
In addition to the nice Caveman pictured in this thread, I have a beat up, cracked Caveman. I will probably experiment on him, then decide whether to foam the rest. I do suspect that, in the eyes of most interested collectors, foaming these would "destroy" their value.
Quote from: Unknown Primate on January 30, 2012, 01:33:25 PM
Definitely owned the Vampire, 3rd from the left - always reminded me of a combination of a vampire, Phantom & Franky!
I wonder who gave it the name "Male Vampire." I see that it is called that in a Topstone catalog, but I wonder if it was originally introduced with that name. It has no fangs. It looks as much like a zombie or Frankenstein creature as it does a vampire.
Quote from: raycastile on January 30, 2012, 07:00:17 PM
No, nothing I can do now anyway. Can't foam anything until the temperature warms up in April or May. I'll make a decision then.
In addition to the nice Caveman pictured in this thread, I have a beat up, cracked Caveman. I will probably experiment on him, then decide whether to foam the rest. I do suspect that, in the eyes of most interested collectors, foaming these would "destroy" their value.
Good luck with your decision, Ray. Whatever it is, I hope your're fine with it. This one is vexing you, I can tell. I've been there before. You just toss it back and forth... back and forth. Then you execute your plan and don't look back-----IF you're lucky. ;) Good luck, bro. 8)
Super cool pics of masks. ;D
Awesome masks Ray !
But please be carefull foaming them.
I foamed a vacuformed liner for a Cesar vinyl mask , and it split like crazy.
I used smooth-on Foam-it, so perhops a different foam might work better.
Good luck !
Got a new vacuform Topstone recently. This is the Keith Ward Teenage Werewolf:
(http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6042/6849741796_729dbe2422_z.jpg)
Here it is next to its latex cousin:
(http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6115/6995865657_bd92f44737_b.jpg)
Thanks to Darrell of VXX-FX for this new addition to my collection!
Beautiful Ray! Love to see your awesome photos of your awesome masks!
:o
THAT IS SO GREAT!
Quote from: raycastile on March 19, 2012, 01:46:40 AM
Got a new vacuform Topstone recently. This is the Keith Ward Teenage Werewolf:
(http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6042/6849741796_729dbe2422_z.jpg)
Here it is next to its latex cousin:
(http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6115/6995865657_bd92f44737_b.jpg)
Thanks to Darrell of VXX-FX for this new addition to my collection!
They're both nice, Ray. A LOT of detail/ texture in the hair/ fur.