I've had an obsessive love for the original Pat Newman sculpted Don Post Calendar Mask of Glenn Strange as Frankenstein ever since I first saw the cover of Monster World #6 as a kid. OK, maybe not an obsessive love, but I have wanted one in the worst way. I have always thought of it as the coolest mask of all time. I never thought I'd ever get the opportunity to own one. Well, as fate would have it, I found an unpainted pull of the mask some months back. I sent it away to Darrell V. of VXX-FX for paint and Dante Renta for hair and just got the finished product back today. A monster dream come true!
(http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd71/actionplus/gsfrank.jpg)
oh man, that turned out AWESOME!~ Congrats Andy!!!
Thanks, Bobby. You know, it's been on the top of my list for a long time.
Wow! Fantastic! That's a keeper alright. Congrats Andy. I sure hope you and your new love stay clear of the Jib Jab disco floor! I couldn't take another show like that.:)
If ya don't mind me asking, how much does something that beautiful cost, including hair and paint???
That looks great! PM sent about masks.
Hey, I'm jealous... Mr. Renta gave you TWICE AS MUCH green slime on the hair as I got!
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/roheimiana/kellyglenn006Small.jpg)
That's a beautiful mask, Andy. Darrell sure did a superb job of recreating the Calendar Glenn.
:o Fantastic Andy!!
Quote from: GAKENSTEIN on December 18, 2007, 11:15:24 PM
If ya don't mind me asking, how much does something that beautiful cost, including hair and paint???
A LOT!!!!!!!! :o ;) Seriously, it's not the cost as much as it is actually FINDING the mask. The re-issue calendar masks are resculpted, so to find an actual Pat Newman sculpted pull is very difficult. Apparently there are very few surviving examples and they are tucked away in collections that aren't likely to sell them. Now, you could get one of the re-issues and have it painted "calendar style" for much less and a whole lot less hassle.
Darrell's email is vxxfx(*at*)hotmail.com if you want to check prices on his services. He's great to deal with, and really has an amazing knack for the vintage monster look.
Quote from: roheimiana on December 18, 2007, 11:23:08 PM
Hey, I'm jealous... Mr. Renta gave you TWICE AS MUCH green slime on the hair as I got!
I didn't know about the green slime story, so I was really surprised to see the green in the hair when I opened it. It's hard to see it in the calendar portrait. But, that's just a great example of the attention to detail that make Darrell and Dante such amazing talents.
So what is the green slime story?
... cue GREEN SLIME theme song.... Greeeeennn Slliiiiiimme!!
That's a great looking mask, Andy! Beautiful job. ;)
My personal belief is the 'green slime hair' is unique to the calender photo, and not used in actual Don Post production.
I have a guaranteed 100% original Newman calender Frankenstein- done in 1964 by Post for Disneyland (it is marked as such) which has no green slime in the hair, and the paint is much more typical production line-like (i.e. not like the calender photo), in shades of airbrush gray and black. Granted, it looks better (and more complicated) on the calender, but I have yet to see proof that Post actually spent 4 or 5 hours labor on each mask (or whatever it was they claimed...).
From what I've seen- in most cases- these new pulls/paint jobs emulate the "60s Don Post Mask Fantasy" much better than the actual surviving originals do, as they are 'done to specs'.
I agree that the green slime was unique to the Calendar Glenn:
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/roheimiana/slimeMedium.jpg)
As to why Verne Langdon added it, no one seems to know for sure. Basically, he was amusing himself by finishing a number of masks in garish colors for display in his own office. It was only later that someone came up with the idea of creating a calendar so there wasn't a lot of planning involved here.
My own theory is that Glenn picked up a dose of something nasty after succumbing to the quicksand at the end of House of Frankenstein:
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/roheimiana/kellyglenngreen.jpg)
Fortunately, he was later given antibiotics by Dr. Edelmann and the infection only lingered in his hair. Unfortunately, this episode has led to the false belief amongst some people that the Frankenstein monster is supposed to be green. :o
That mask has always been my favorite as well...
(http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/LatexCreep/gs.jpg)
There is also the much coveted "smooth" Glenn taken from the lifecast and headpiece.
(http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/LatexCreep/NewGln.jpg)
Bob, you are correct. I had to make a choice between finishing the mask "production" style, or "calendar" style. Since my real love was for the way those calendars and magazines portrayed the Post masks, and I never actually had an original, I opted for the full calendar mask treatment. I never really noticed that the Strange Frank had the green in the hair.
Verne Langdon added the "slime" to the hair on the calender mask because he figured with all the time the Monster spent in dungeons he'd be a little moldy.
None of the "calender" masks had production paintjobs. Verne had custom painted those copies of the masks and then took pictures of them with the intent to hang them up on his wall. Someone else saw them, said they would make a cool calender, and the monster calender was born!
And what happened to those cool custom painted masks from the photos? They were tossed back in with the production masks to fill orders, so a couple people somewhere got some cool masks back in the day. LOL
Thanks for the info on them! I'm always learning new folklore about those crazy Don Post days of old. Man, it would be great to have those calendar copies.
Very cool mask Andy, I know you've had that blank for some time now so I am glad that you finally got it fixed up the way you wanted. It looks great. As far as the Calendar masks (as in masks that were used in the photos) I know that the Mutant ended up with Forry then was sold and has since been repainted dark blue!?!
Thanks Josh. If it wasn't for my search for this mask, I never would have started collecting masks in the first place! That led me to find the new Topstone pulls, and all the Famous Monsters masks I wanted as a kid. Pretty soon, my collection was looking more like a mask collection than anything else, so I've scaled back a bit on the masks. I'm trying to limit myself to Famous Monsters advertised masks, but there are those amazing masks out there that still tempt me - like the Tony Pitocco masks, the Chuck Jarman Frankenstein, the VXX-FX masks...
Quote from: poseablemonster on December 19, 2007, 10:40:30 AM
Pretty soon, my collection was looking more like a mask collection than anything else, so I've scaled back a bit on the masks.
C'mon Andy...You can collect it all! lol
Thanks all for the info on the slime!
I really like that "smooth" Strange mask.
Quote from: Josh on December 19, 2007, 10:25:12 AM
Very cool mask Andy, I know you've had that blank for some time now so I am glad that you finally got it fixed up the way you wanted. It looks great. As far as the Calendar masks (as in masks that were used in the photos) I know that the Mutant ended up with Forry then was sold and has since been repainted dark blue!?!
So the whereabouts of the Mutant mask are known for sure? That's pretty cool news, really. I thought they were all long gone.
Well I heard from a guy who heard it from a guy. you know how that goes. So I would not say for sure, but the pick I saw in Forrys collection looked like the Calendar mask and certainly supported the story. I have no way of confirming the part about the mask being sold then repainted, I just heard that part.
Yes, the head at FJA's olde Ackermansion was the one pictured in the calender, which I believe was an original screen-used prop head torn off a costume used in THIS ISLAND EARTH.
Below (L) is an original 1960s production Mutant (first version). Note the bile green and pink paint(!) On the right is a first edition 60s Wolfman -recast- painted and haired in the 1980s. I love this particular Wolfman to bites...er...bits.
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g107/backltcharlie/Untitled-Stitched-01-2.jpg)
Wow, Bob. That's a pair of right nice masks there! That Wolf Man is incredible.
Quote from: latex creep on December 19, 2007, 07:57:07 AM
That mask has always been my favorite as well...
(http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/LatexCreep/gs.jpg)
There is also the much coveted "smooth" Glenn taken from the lifecast and headpiece.
(http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/LatexCreep/NewGln.jpg)
Latex Creep,
Here's my smooth GS Frank:
(http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd71/actionplus/GlennStrangeFrank.jpg)
Who did the finish work on your masks? They look great, too.
Thanks!
Well, I have used quite a few artists on my mask refinishing.
The Calendar Glenn was painted by the Mask Doctor (Kelly Mann) and the smoothie was painted by Don Post veteran employee Rob Tharp and haired by Dante Renta.
I've actually started to paint a few myself.
Here is a DP Nosferatu I painted...
(http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/LatexCreep/nos.jpg)
And, here is a little Topstone facemask that I painted...
(http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/LatexCreep/tskl.jpg)
By the way...love your Smooth Glenn....those are VERY rare....
Here's one outta the movie mold that was painted by makeup artist John Goodwin....
Thought ya might enjoy...
(http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/LatexCreep/acmum.jpg)
That Nosferatu is cool! Your paint work gives it a real evil look. Great job. Is that Klaris from Abbott & Costello Meet the Mummy? John Goodwin is a great guy and one helluva talent. I have a Monster on Campus foam latex face appliance that he did for a Wonderfest skit in my collection.
Yup...Klaris and yup, John is a great guy!
Love to see your Monster on Campus appliance!!!!!
I have a pic of it on my FLICKR:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/poseablemonster/524073648/
Wow Creep, Nos looks fangtastic!! Is he vinyl??(I've never seen a latex version) And do you do vinyl painting? I have a few DP vinyls that need touching up..including NOS.
Quote from: latex creep on December 20, 2007, 08:16:28 AM
Thanks!
Well, I have used quite a few artists on my mask refinishing.
The Calendar Glenn was painted by the Mask Doctor (Kelly Mann) and the smoothie was painted by Don Post veteran employee Rob Tharp and haired by Dante Renta.
I've actually started to paint a few myself.
Here is a DP Nosferatu I painted...
(http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/LatexCreep/nos.jpg)
And, here is a little Topstone facemask that I painted...
(http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/LatexCreep/tskl.jpg)
Thanks for the confidence Dr. Terror!
Nope, Nosferatu is latex! He was specially poured for me by a Don Post employee...
You may want to talk to Aaron Lewis (ID here is Minion)
He's a fantastic painter and knows how to handle vinyl work!
Quote from: Monster Bob on December 19, 2007, 06:09:20 PM
Yes, the head at FJA's olde Ackermansion was the one pictured in the calender, which I believe was an original screen-used prop head torn off a costume used in THIS ISLAND EARTH.
Just came across this pic and was instantly reminded of this thread.
Here's the Mutant mask that was at Forry's Ackermansion.
(http://www.geocities.com/giovanna1963/mutant_mask.jpg)
Hey- that appears to be a different one than the one I had seen...either repainted or a different mask altogether. The one I saw was torn right off the old movie costume. Wonder what gives??
Bob. I'm not sure what gives myself; even with the picture itself. I know I took it, but I can't remember where it was taken at. I've been going through an old pile of photos and came across this pic nestled in amongst pics taken at the 1993 FM Convention. It is possible that this mask was part of the display of props that were on exhibit at the con. Still not sure where it fits in with the mask you saw at 4E's or whether it's the same mask at all. :-\
Thats a fantastic addition to your collection Andy.I wish you all the best with it.