Greetings. What was the 1st licensed Universal Monster collectible ever? Most would say it was the 1948 Don Post Frankenstein mask. And I would have to agree with this. Since this was discussed briefly at another thread here today, and because I have some nice pics, I thought this subject was more than worthy of it's own thread.
Let's take a look at what I consider to be one of the coolest monster lithos ever!
(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/131/399029447_e1d841dbd6_o.jpg)
Take a look at the price that's marked on the upper left corner! $3.98 !!
(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/183/399029449_0760f569de_o.jpg)
(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/130/399029454_98015bc6e4_o.jpg)
(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/164/399029453_518fda7d54_o.jpg)
(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/147/399029451_6ea7b119e9_o.jpg)
(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/185/399029950_e49e16af22_o.jpg)
With ordinary care this over-the-head mask will last for years! Not quite.
Look at the next picture! It's what's left of the mask after 60 yrs! A glob of goo!
(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/132/338561937_f91de0ffba_o.jpg)
And finally an advertisment for the 1948 mask. Courtesy of Gakenstein.
Only $16.80 per dozen! IF ONLY. IF ONLY. IF ONLY.
Unfortunately, I wouldn't even be born until some 14 yrs later!
(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/174/399029445_79efe7e3c0_o.jpg)
Wow ..That is so cool ! I love the graphic on that box too. ::)
Thanks for posting the pics Terry !
To bad about the goo but at least you still got that cool box.
And to think that Glen Strange wore one of those in Bob Burn's home movies :)
Best..
tom
That's the first time I've seen close-up photos of that box from every angle. Thanks for posting it!
Well, I now have a mission in life, thanks for posting this as I'd never seen it. It's wonderful and really has a Glenn Strange influence.
I was just thinking the same thing about the Glenn Strange influence. It's been suggested that James Bama used various reference photos of Strange when he did the Aurora box-art, including this one:
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/roheimiana/StrangeMedium.jpg)
Now, I'm wondering if someone didn't employ similar images when the box for the Don Post mask was designed.
Thanks, General, for posting these pictures. They're the best I've ever seen!
Awesome pics! Love the packaging too. I can't imagine owning that piece for years only to have it turn in to a pile of goo. The $16.80 a dozen price immediately caught my eye as well. Incredible. :o
I tried making an exploded box view just using the ebay pics and the info contained therein. Would be nice to have the actual box to scan!
OLD PIC REMOVED. SEE LATER POST FOR NEW PIC.
In the bob Burns movie, directed by Don Glut, Glenn wore a Mask that Don Post made, but it was a later version.
May have been Don's personal mask, not Bob's. Trying to clear the fog on that one.
Oh boy, oh boy, I've got myself a Don Post mini-box... a perfect companion piece for the Frankie Mechanical box!
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/roheimiana/dpbox002Medium.jpg)
Mr. Scott, I know I should have asked permission to use your image but things happened far too quickly for me to think straight. First, the printer started up by itself, then the paper got jammed and somehow folded itself in just the right places, and finally my sticky fingers glued everything together by accident. If it's too late to ask permission, let me at least offer you my enormous thanks for all the work which went into preparing the exploded view you posted. MANY THANKS, INDEED!
To hell with the permission roheimiana, just tell us that what were seeing here is real! Did you really make yourself a mini box from Mike's pic? If so, how big were you able to make it? Super cool! I gotta make me one too!
Quote from: roheimiana on January 05, 2008, 01:14:13 PM
Mr. Scott, I know I should have asked permission to use your image
Be my guest! How big is that thing? About 6", maybe?
Quote from: roheimiana on January 05, 2008, 01:14:13 PM
let me at least offer you my enormous thanks for all the work which went into preparing the exploded view you posted.
Given the quality of the photos (or just the fact that they are photos, instead of scans), there wasn't much point in putting a lot of effort into it, so I didn't.
The front dimensions of the box came out as 7" by 3". I printed it full-size on 8.5 by 11 inch heavy-duty matte paper (which is more like cardboard so the box has reasonable integrity once assembled). If you make sure the image is centered when you print, there will be enough extra on all four sides to create flaps with. The only small sacrifice I made was to fold the top and the bottom of the box the same width (about 1.5") as the slightly shorter sides. This way, when everything is cut and folded, the back of the box (which is of course blank) just needs a single strip of tape to hold it together.
Go to it, gentlemen!
That is really cool! I'd love to have a reproduction of that box.
You just saved me $700.00! Yipeee! :D
BTW, I can't remember what that empty box sold for? I think it was around 700.00 It was on eBay a couple yrs back. And yes, a member of our group does own that box. He deserves it too! Great guy!
Seems like it was closer to $1100, but I can't recall.
There were 2 of them offered about the same time several years ago, and then another one last year I believe.
I'm going to try one on comic backer board.
Quote from: roheimiana on January 05, 2008, 01:55:43 PM
The only small sacrifice I made was to fold the top and the bottom of the box the same width (about 1.5") as the slightly shorter sides.
Oops! I think you used the earlier pic I put up? The sides and ends are now the same. Sorry 'bout that! It didn't occur to me that anyone would print it out.
I foolishly thought I might have a chance on that box that was on e-bay a few years ago. HA! Shannon might remember what it sold for.
Someday...
I have to make one of those little boxes, too. How cute. Finding a little mask to stuff inside will be trickier.
Raymond, you could make the mask out of one of those Frankenstein head squirters (or were they pencil toppers .. can't remember?). The heads that were sold at Target several yrs ago on a blister pack. Anyways, just very carefully cut open the bottom of the vinyl franky head so that it resembles a mask. Paint and customize additional facial details to your liking. And wha-la .. instant monster mask!
P.S. This will only work as long as the box remains in scale with the mask.
Quote from: raycastile on January 05, 2008, 04:41:19 PM
I have to make one of those little boxes, too.
If you want to wait a day or so, I'll see if I can clean this pic up a little?
Has anyone ever noticed how much the back image on the box resembles the "I'm a Boogy Man" Frankenstein charm? Weird...
(http://us.a2.yahoofs.com/groups/g_8524368/e478/__sr_/ae18.jpg?grgEIgHBFgIAEe6F)
I'd love to get a repro of this box also.
If someone can come up with good scans and box dimensions I'm sure Toyroom could do a wonderful repo.
I would love to see Toyroom do a repro of this elusive box. Anthony would do a killer job! I know of two boxes in existence. Not sure if scans would come easy though. And I can respect that. Barely. ;D
I'm sure with those pics a decent box can be made. So all we really need are the dimensions.
Well, here's the best I can do with what I got. If you want a mini box, print it out and fold it up.
(http://universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/gallery/0/8_06_01_08_7_55_30.jpg)
Thank you!
Thanks, Mike, that's the best version yet!
Let me suggest an alternative way of assembling the box, one which will make the height closer to 9" than 7" and provide a back as well. Crop the image like this...
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/roheimiana/boxcropLarge.jpg)
... and print it twice, full-size. Now you'll have two halves of a box (front/right side and back/left side). Next you'll have to do two things:
-- add a further fold on the right so the two halves can be glued together.
-- cut off the top flap and fold from the half of the box which will form the back and attach these parts with a cardboard hinge to the bottom of the box.
I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier, particularly when the photos at the beginning of this thread show that the graphic on the front and back of the box is the same.
And here's the real onus for ya, folks! Now that you have a box which is almost 9" tall, you can take a cheap latex mask, roll it up, and scrunch it inside the box, just like the original Don Post mask was. And then you can start your stopwatch and wait for it to rot into a little rubber blob, just like the Don Post mask did....
Quote from: roheimiana on January 06, 2008, 08:25:56 AM
particularly when the photos at the beginning of this thread show that the graphic on the front and back of the box is the same.
I think the back of the box is plain. (See the pic where you're looking inside the box.)
The way I was thinking to assemble it, is to make a back out of plain board with two flaps on the long sides and then glue the printed long sides to those flaps and fold the ends in as shown.