I have a true passion for this awesome hobby that takes on multiple facets for me. I am a Horror memorabilia collector, prop maker, mask maker, home haunter, haunted house actor, done consulting for local small town haunts, and general over all fan of this awesome stuff. Halloween to me is the best holiday of them all and is truly a time to have fun! Thanks Eric Austin for the chance to post my blog on The HMA. Coming soon www.hauntedconcepts.com
Monday, July 9, 2007
How better then to celebrate 10 years of mask collecting then to crawl into the attic with the humble guy that quietly sits back and enjoys his little monster, thehma.net. Eric Austin to many of us is a dear friend and someone we may all want to learn more about. Who is this guy who continues to make the HMA a daily place on the web we can all meet and see new cool masks?
Eric is the type of guy that would rather run and hide in his mask then do this interview :)
Many people have seen the HMA grow over the years and it makes us all see that we are amongst many who enjoy these little archives in rubber. The story must be told on how this all began.
I have skipped adding pictures because you get Eric and I talking about masks, we could talk for days and you will see that reflected in the length of this interview. If you want to see some great photos of Eric as a kid with masks and such, be his friend: http://www.myspace.com/mirthmaker
1. What are you wearing?
Let’s see here. I'm wearing an original Verne Langdon Zombie mask, running shoes, AND THAT'S IT!!! Obviously I'm joking here. If I were fortunate enough to own an original Langdon Zombie, I wouldn't be wearing it. Also, I hate running shoes. If you've had the chance to meet me you know that I'm not the most fashionable person around. I'm kind of like an old cartoon character. No matter what episode it is, I'm wearing the exact same thing.
2. Who is Eric Austin? Where did you grow up? How did you grow up? What is your favorite food, horror movie, past time, vehicle, and quote? Are you afraid of blood, bugs, and the number 13?
Who is Eric Austin? Wow, that's a fairly loaded question for sure! Honestly I'm not even certain who he is from day to day. In reality I'm just your fairly, average guy. I have a beautiful wife, I live in a cozy home, I drive an import, and I have ferrets for pets. Not much out of the ordinary with the exception of the weasels. Like most people here, I grew up in a small town. My home for close to 30 years now has been in a small town in West Virginia. It's strange, because for whatever reason, most people who contact me on the net think I live in California. I guess it could be do to the fact that I claim to be a resident of Santa Mira, California, most of the time. Santa Mira, by the way is the fictitious home of Silver Shamrock Novelties, if you didn't already know. How did I grow up? I was fed on a daily basis and this caused strange and unusual things to occur. I grew! Favorite food? Ya know, my favorite food changes from time to time. I was brought up eating the best of the best Italian food prepared for me by my wonderful, Italian mother. So obviously I'm a big pasta guy, but that's just a given. Right now I'm in a Thai phase! I crave Pad Thai on a daily basis and I really can't get enough of it at the time being. ERIC EAT THAI! My favorite horror movie will always be the original Halloween. My favorite past time has to be either grilling or working outside in the yard. Yes, I'm an extremely exciting person and I can see why you chose me for your first interview. I actually can't stand bugs, but blood doesn't bother me in the slightest. 13? I guess its ok, but I prefer the number 77.
3. How did the HMA start? What were some of the early sites like and what have you learned from your experiences? What does the HMA mean to you? Is this the 10th year of the site? What does the future hold?
Now this really is a difficult question to answer for the simple fact that The HMA just kind of happened. I might not be 100 percent on the dates, however I think it really all began in 1998. The internet had really just been around for only a few years. I was introduced to using the internet in college for reference and such. Outside of using the computer for school work, I never really "surfed" or even emailed. In 97 I took some time away from school and went back home. My father had just purchased his first personal PC for the home and he was all signed up and equipped for THE INFORMATION SUPER HIGHWAY!!!! It didn't take me long to figure out that the internet was a geek's paradise, and I was about to find my people! I was sitting at home one night trying to think of all the different, geeky tribes I could locate on the net. I had always been a huge fan of the Halloween season and all of its trappings. Horror Movies, Masks, Monsters, Haunted Houses, Pumpkins, Leaves, you just name it and I was a fan of it! To make a long story short, I happened upon a message board named "Back talk," that was devoted to fans of the Halloween film franchise. Most of the posts on the board had to do with Michael Myer's mask and how to obtain the perfect one. Of course I had owned many copies of the famous Don Post "The Mask" over the years, but along with other die hard fans, I never thought it cut the mustard so to speak. At any rate, I made a friend on the board by the name of Jim Harville. We began corresponding to one another through the board and email, but we really started talking "masks" when Back Talk introduced a chat room to their site. Certainly we would talk about finding the perfect MM mask; however we began to talk about our love for monster masks in general, mainly the Don Post variety. Around that time Jim had showed me a mask he had purchased from an independent mask maker in Illinois called DarkSide Studio. Jim directed me to this very small and humble site that offered up a handful of wonderful and monstrous creations! I was so excited to see that masks of this quality were being put out by independent artists. I called the number on the site and ordered up a few masks from this guy who called himself DarkSide Paul. If I remember correctly, I called fairly early one morning and woke him and his wife up, ha-ha! After talking with Paul a few times, I asked him if there were any other sites on the internet who sold work of this caliber. Paul was kind enough to lead me to the Death Studios site and after that I was absolutely hooked! You have to realize that back in 98 there were only 2 mask sites on the internet, Darkside and Death Studios. So anyway, my friend Jim and I started to purchase a few pieces here and there from both the sites, and would share our new treasures with each other via the net. One day Jim had mentioned to me that he had come across a book on the internet called "Dr. Lady's Guide to Movie Monster Masks!" Well, let's just say that I had that book in my possession about a week later, and an whole new world had opened up for us! We were astounded that not only were there other people out there who were interested in collecting rubber heads, there were tons of independent artists who had been producing beautiful reproduction masks and busts for years now! In the book, I read about The old Halloween Society and I told Jim that we have to do something like this. We both figured that there were enough folks on the Back Talk board who would be interested in a "Halloween" collector's bust, so we took it from there. Jim created a small message board for us and other people who were interested in being a part of this. We gathered as many people as we could to be a part of our little club and we all congregated on the board. It didn't take long for the group to decide that it would really be neat to own a collector's bust of Donald Pleasence as Dr. Loomis of "Halloween" fame. As far as we knew, no one had ever created such a bust. We only had one problem, who was going to produce this wonderful piece for us? As luck would have it, Jeff Keim of Death Studios was kind enough to lead us in the direction of a fantastic artist by the name of John Smith. If you don't know, John Smith is really known for many of his classic sculpts that he worked on for Death Studios. Jim and I, both talked to John about commissioning him to produce the Loomis bust for our group and he agreed to our surprise! Unfortunately, for many reasons the project really didn't work out and the piece was never released through our club. However, we were again fortunate enough to find another fantastic artist for our second piece. Phil Nichols of Facades FX agreed to do a Michael Myers replica mask for our group and if I recall correctly we had a fair amount of investors. However, we learned very quickly how difficult it is to have an artist work on a commission by committee. Everyone who was involved had their own input on how the sculpt should look and this caused great strain for Phil, as well and Jim and I. In the end the piece was produced and it worked out for the most part, but we that producing commissioned pieces like this just wasn't going to work. There was a lot of stuff going on around that time and Jim just didn't want to deal with the hassle of it all. Jim let me take over the reigns of the club and the rest is history!
4. What are some of the highlights over the years with the HMA? What would you want newbie’s to the forums to know that has happened in the past that was funny or really brought attention to the site?
There really are too many highlights for me to mention them all here. For me at least, it’s been amazing to be able to be friends with some of the icons of the Halloween industry. I can still remember my Father taking me to costume shops when I was a kid and seeing those beautiful Distortions Unlimited masks from the 80s. I was so taken by the striking designs of the masks and THAT GLOSS!!! I think DU’s tagline in the 80s and 90s was “”So real you can hear them drip!” Well, I can tell you that as a 10 year old kid, I bought right into the tagline and thought I was in the midst of some really amazing stuff! AND I WAS! The only problem for me was that being a 10 year old kid, there was no possible way for me to be able to afford a $40.00 mask! I eventually was able to score a few DU and DP pieces every year around Halloween, but they spent more time in my yard than on my bookshelves. The point of the story however, is that I’m now friends with Ed Edmunds, the man who created Distortions. Back when I was a kid, never in a million years did I think I’d ever be able to afford many of those masks, let alone be friends with their creator! I’ve also had the privilege to talk in length with Don Post Jr. and many other mask icons. I have such a love for this stuff that it truly is awesome for me to have the opportunity to be able to know people like this on such a personal level. Also, it’s fantastic to be friends with all of these amazing, independent artists! It’s a neat feeling for a guy like me to be surrounded by such great talent.
There really are too many highlights for me to mention them all here. For me at least, it’s been amazing to be able to be friends with some of the icons of the Halloween industry. I can still remember my Father taking me to costume shops when I was a kid and seeing those beautiful Distortions Unlimited masks from the 80s. I was so taken by the striking designs of the masks and THAT GLOSS!!! I think DU’s tagline in the 80s and 90s was “”So real you can hear them drip!” Well, I can tell you that as a 10 year old kid, I bought right into the tagline and thought I was in the midst of some really amazing stuff! AND I WAS! The only problem for me was that being a 10 year old kid, there was no possible way for me to be able to afford a $40.00 mask! I eventually was able to score a few DU and DP pieces every year around Halloween, but they spent more time in my yard than on my bookshelves. The point of the story however, is that I’m now friends with Ed Edmunds, the man who created Distortions. Back when I was a kid, never in a million years did I think I’d ever be able to afford many of those masks, let alone be friends with their creator! I’ve also had the privilege to talk in length with Don Post Jr. and many other mask icons. I have such a love for this stuff that it truly is awesome for me to have the opportunity to be able to know people like this on such a personal level. Also, it’s fantastic to be friends with all of these amazing, independent artists! It’s a neat feeling for a guy like me to be surrounded by such great talent.
5. Who are some of the fun, famous people that you have corresponded with that enjoy the site? What is that like?
As I said before, I still pinch myself every time I have a chance to talk with Ed Edmunds or Don Post Jr.. Ya know, I’ve never been a name dropper and I doubt I ever will be, but people would be very surprised to know some of the famous folks that lurk around the HMA! The cool thing about the HMA is that the masks and monsters are the great equalizers. At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter if you’re a famous FX artist, actor, director, musician, or sanitary worker. We all hang out at the site so we can share our love for this hobby!
As I said before, I still pinch myself every time I have a chance to talk with Ed Edmunds or Don Post Jr.. Ya know, I’ve never been a name dropper and I doubt I ever will be, but people would be very surprised to know some of the famous folks that lurk around the HMA! The cool thing about the HMA is that the masks and monsters are the great equalizers. At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter if you’re a famous FX artist, actor, director, musician, or sanitary worker. We all hang out at the site so we can share our love for this hobby!
6. Where does latex come from? Have you ever wanted to take a bath in latex?
My Mother once told me that latex comes from a small, farming village off the coast of Yemen. I’m beginning to think she lied to me. Have I ever wanted to take a bath in latex? Absolutely not! If you realized how hairy I actually am, you wouldn’t have bothered asking the question.
My Mother once told me that latex comes from a small, farming village off the coast of Yemen. I’m beginning to think she lied to me. Have I ever wanted to take a bath in latex? Absolutely not! If you realized how hairy I actually am, you wouldn’t have bothered asking the question.
7. If you were to wear a mask everyday of your life, what mask would you wear and why?
As much as I love masks, I really hope that it never comes to that. With that said, I guess it would have to be the classic Don Post Skull! It’s such a simple design, but it encompasses everything that is Halloween for me.
As much as I love masks, I really hope that it never comes to that. With that said, I guess it would have to be the classic Don Post Skull! It’s such a simple design, but it encompasses everything that is Halloween for me.
8. Does the smell of latex smell like victory to you and why?
Do you have to ask? There’s nothing better than the fruity smell of a great latex mask!
Do you have to ask? There’s nothing better than the fruity smell of a great latex mask!
9. How does publishing the HMA site work? Do you do the work on the site or can you introduce us to how the content gets changed and by whom?
The vast majority of the site work is done by my good friend Mike Thomas. Mike will think this is extremely corny, but he truly is saint, at least as far as the site is concerned, Ha-ha! If I had to use a professional web design firm for the HMA, I really would have no way to afford it. I’m not sure people realize how expensive good, web design actually is. Mike enjoys the HMA so much that he’s willing to work on the site at a fraction of the cost of anyone else of his caliber. I try to come up with the vision for the content of the site and Mike interprets my ideas and makes them happen. To run a site like the HMA is lot more work than one might think. To keep the site going on a daily basis we really have to devote a lot of our free time to it. We’re now in the process of getting more people involved in helping with the actual content of the site. So, if you have a good history of masks and monster, and know how to write, please drop me an email. The more people involved with the site, the better!
The vast majority of the site work is done by my good friend Mike Thomas. Mike will think this is extremely corny, but he truly is saint, at least as far as the site is concerned, Ha-ha! If I had to use a professional web design firm for the HMA, I really would have no way to afford it. I’m not sure people realize how expensive good, web design actually is. Mike enjoys the HMA so much that he’s willing to work on the site at a fraction of the cost of anyone else of his caliber. I try to come up with the vision for the content of the site and Mike interprets my ideas and makes them happen. To run a site like the HMA is lot more work than one might think. To keep the site going on a daily basis we really have to devote a lot of our free time to it. We’re now in the process of getting more people involved in helping with the actual content of the site. So, if you have a good history of masks and monster, and know how to write, please drop me an email. The more people involved with the site, the better!
10. What do you like to see on the site and in the forums? What excites you about the site?
It always makes my day when I’m at a convention or get together, and someone tells me how much they enjoy the site. I’m my own worst critic when it comes to how the site is viewed by people. I always think there’s so much more that I could do to make it better. But, when someone lets me know how much they enjoy the HMA, it makes it all worthwhile. I also love to see people having a good time on our forums and sharing their love for monsters with one another. Anytime you have a forum open to the public, things aren’t always going to run smoothly. Luckily, we’ve been able to keep our forums fairly calm and friendly. What excites me about the site? Well, the mere fact that I’ve actually been able to make this thing go, really excites me. It’s very exciting to be able to find other people who have the same affection for all this craziness that I do. It’s also exciting that I’m able to help promote the hobby and art of Halloween masks and heads.
It always makes my day when I’m at a convention or get together, and someone tells me how much they enjoy the site. I’m my own worst critic when it comes to how the site is viewed by people. I always think there’s so much more that I could do to make it better. But, when someone lets me know how much they enjoy the HMA, it makes it all worthwhile. I also love to see people having a good time on our forums and sharing their love for monsters with one another. Anytime you have a forum open to the public, things aren’t always going to run smoothly. Luckily, we’ve been able to keep our forums fairly calm and friendly. What excites me about the site? Well, the mere fact that I’ve actually been able to make this thing go, really excites me. It’s very exciting to be able to find other people who have the same affection for all this craziness that I do. It’s also exciting that I’m able to help promote the hobby and art of Halloween masks and heads.
11. Have you ever made a mask Eric and if so, what did you make? Do you have any interest in making mask or do you consider yourself just a collector?
I have tried my hand at making masks off and on for years now. Honestly and sadly, I just don’t have the patience needed for the craft of mask making. If you could see one of my ill fated mask sculptures, you’d know what I mean! Over the years I’ve invested a lot of time and money trying to wrap my head around this art form, but at the present I’m content with just being a collector and admirer. We are all very fortunate to have the artists in our community do what they do!
I have tried my hand at making masks off and on for years now. Honestly and sadly, I just don’t have the patience needed for the craft of mask making. If you could see one of my ill fated mask sculptures, you’d know what I mean! Over the years I’ve invested a lot of time and money trying to wrap my head around this art form, but at the present I’m content with just being a collector and admirer. We are all very fortunate to have the artists in our community do what they do!
12. How do you display masks and care for your masks?
That’s the big secret of mask collecting isn’t it? How does one attempt to hang on to these works of art, for at least their lifetime? I’m going to make a comment now that’s sure to irritate some. Latex masks and heads CAN last a lot longer than some will lead you to believe! It’s all in how you care for them. Temperature, light, humidity, and dust are the four major enemies of the latex mask. Keep your masks away from extreme temperature! Whether it’s hot or cold, extreme temperatures can cause your rubber treasures to do some nasty things! I keep my collection in a large room that’s usually between 55-65 degrees. Keep your masks away from sunlight and fluorescent lighting if at all possible. If you can afford to keep your masks in the dark for the majority of the day, this will greatly extend their life on this planet. Both the UV rays from the sun and fluorescent lights tend to yellow and wash out the paint work on masks. Luckily I’m able to store my collection in a windowless room. For some people, humidity being an enemy of latex is up for debate, but not for me! I’m a firm believer that keeping your masks in a space with low and constant humidity will also help keep them healthy. I have a dehumidifier in my mask room that I keep on all day at 55. Dusting your masks every so often is also a good practice to have. Once your pieces get a good layer of dust on them, it becomes difficult to clean them with just light dusting. If that happens to you, your only alternative is to lightly clean them with a little soap and water. With older masks, I try to avoid any contact with liquid on them. The best and most affordable way to display your masks is to fill them with clean, plastic garbage bags, and prop them up on plastic bottle. You may have to fill the bottle with something though, to make sure your mask doesn’t fall over. That’s about all I have when it comes to taking care of masks. I have some pieces that are well over 30 years old and they look as good as they did when they came out of the factory!
That’s the big secret of mask collecting isn’t it? How does one attempt to hang on to these works of art, for at least their lifetime? I’m going to make a comment now that’s sure to irritate some. Latex masks and heads CAN last a lot longer than some will lead you to believe! It’s all in how you care for them. Temperature, light, humidity, and dust are the four major enemies of the latex mask. Keep your masks away from extreme temperature! Whether it’s hot or cold, extreme temperatures can cause your rubber treasures to do some nasty things! I keep my collection in a large room that’s usually between 55-65 degrees. Keep your masks away from sunlight and fluorescent lighting if at all possible. If you can afford to keep your masks in the dark for the majority of the day, this will greatly extend their life on this planet. Both the UV rays from the sun and fluorescent lights tend to yellow and wash out the paint work on masks. Luckily I’m able to store my collection in a windowless room. For some people, humidity being an enemy of latex is up for debate, but not for me! I’m a firm believer that keeping your masks in a space with low and constant humidity will also help keep them healthy. I have a dehumidifier in my mask room that I keep on all day at 55. Dusting your masks every so often is also a good practice to have. Once your pieces get a good layer of dust on them, it becomes difficult to clean them with just light dusting. If that happens to you, your only alternative is to lightly clean them with a little soap and water. With older masks, I try to avoid any contact with liquid on them. The best and most affordable way to display your masks is to fill them with clean, plastic garbage bags, and prop them up on plastic bottle. You may have to fill the bottle with something though, to make sure your mask doesn’t fall over. That’s about all I have when it comes to taking care of masks. I have some pieces that are well over 30 years old and they look as good as they did when they came out of the factory!
13. When you look at a mask collection or your own collection, what do you think about? What kind of reactions have you seen from people who have seen your collection?
When I look at mask collection or just a single mask, it always brings back great memories of Halloweens past. Halloween and fall in general have always been a special time for me. It always seems like that time of year is a more, festive and warmer feeling time. It makes me think about carving pumpkins with my parents, going out Trick or Treating, watching scary movies, and family. For me, just the sight of a mask or a pumpkin evokes wonderful memories. For whatever reason, I always get nervous before showing a “non-collector” my collection. It always ends up the same though; they’re ALWAYS fascinated with all! I guess I just get tired of having to explain to others why I have a room filled with hundreds of monster heads.
When I look at mask collection or just a single mask, it always brings back great memories of Halloweens past. Halloween and fall in general have always been a special time for me. It always seems like that time of year is a more, festive and warmer feeling time. It makes me think about carving pumpkins with my parents, going out Trick or Treating, watching scary movies, and family. For me, just the sight of a mask or a pumpkin evokes wonderful memories. For whatever reason, I always get nervous before showing a “non-collector” my collection. It always ends up the same though; they’re ALWAYS fascinated with all! I guess I just get tired of having to explain to others why I have a room filled with hundreds of monster heads.
14. What are some negatives of this hobby or business we call Halloween Mask collecting/making?
Unfortunately, with the good always comes the bad. Just like with any other hobby or business, you’re always going to have a few, unscrupulous individuals who set up shop. You just have to ask around and be aware of who you’re dealing with. The cool thing about the hobby is that if a mask maker or collector has been around long enough, he or she must be doing something right.
15. What are you going to do to celebrate 10 years of mask madness on the HMA?
I’m going to order a big pizza! Gosh, I can’t believe it’s almost been that long since it all began. There are a few, little ideas I have here and there, but for the most part it’ll just be business as usual. Remember, every day is Halloween at The HMA! If anyone has any ideas however, my ears are open!16. What can we, as a mask community do to make the HMA fun for you and all of us involved?
Send me a free mask, joking! It’s actually pretty simple. If you want to help out the HMA and the hobby in general, buy some of the exclusive HMA pieces, visit our sponsors, and bring your love of the hobby to our forums! Oh, and I almost forgot the most important thing, don’t take the hobby too seriously. Remember, we’re just here to have fun!
I’m going to order a big pizza! Gosh, I can’t believe it’s almost been that long since it all began. There are a few, little ideas I have here and there, but for the most part it’ll just be business as usual. Remember, every day is Halloween at The HMA! If anyone has any ideas however, my ears are open!16. What can we, as a mask community do to make the HMA fun for you and all of us involved?
Send me a free mask, joking! It’s actually pretty simple. If you want to help out the HMA and the hobby in general, buy some of the exclusive HMA pieces, visit our sponsors, and bring your love of the hobby to our forums! Oh, and I almost forgot the most important thing, don’t take the hobby too seriously. Remember, we’re just here to have fun!
Sunday, June 3, 2007
With the deadline for the Distortions Unlimited / HMA mask making kit contest deadline for entries quickly approaching, I had a personal goal to finish my mask that was inspired by fishing as a kid and my other favorite thing, Halloween masks. For more information on the contest, please review this forum post: http://www.thehma.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=4523
Jordu Schell of http://www.schellstudio.com/ has also enthusiastically agreed to assist with picking the winner for a $200.00 gift certificate to Distortions Unlimited and a signed mask making kit from Ed Edmunds himself :)
As I helped arrange the contest, I will not be entering, but wanted to complete my piece for this article and to just enjoy the process.
So after breaking the mold and enjoying a bit of a humbling experience with using only the tools in the kit and paints from the kit I bring to you:
Wally Worm Harness
He smells of fish and you could probably pick the worms from him to catch some crappy, but other then that, he is in bad shape. The worms have taken over this bass master and seem to be laying eggs not of salmon deep within his epidermis. Catching a cold is the least of Wally's worries as he is now wondering where and how he is going to get his next bite to eat. I am not sure how he plans to accomplish this, but he may be in a catch and release situation here with the swollen tongue and worm infested digestive tract.
With that, enjoy the show:
Here is a photo of the mask with the darn mold that is now chipped in multiple places, but still useable:
So, what are you waiting for? Order a kit and make a mask. It is just as much fun as fishing as a kid, only this time you actually catch yourself a mask and you could even trophy mount it :)
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
***** Into the Depths of the Mask Maker's Lair *****
If you are like me, you will always remember the first time you saw the scenes in Halloween 3 of the Silver Shamrock factory. How cool was it to see all of those raw masks and the processes used in making masks. Well it seems fitting for my first blog to talk about my St. Patty's day trip to Distortions Unlimited. I was lucky enough to adventure to my favorite place in all of Colorado in Greeley. Do some research on Greeley and you will find a lot of scary things and facts about this farm town. From butcher plants to numerous industrial areas, the town is perfect for a monster maker to make his home.
Now I happen to know that the scariest things from Greeley come from this frightening factory with a guy we all know named Ed Edmunds and Distortions Unlimited. This place is so special to me and really does live up to the anticipation of visiting a mask makers lair. As Ed started out in a two bedroom apartment, the factory now reflects the success and historical techniques Ed has perfected over the years. As we all love visual things, I am going to let the following pictures give everyone a tour of the Distortions Unlimited shop and fun things I found that lucky day. Enjoy!
Now I happen to know that the scariest things from Greeley come from this frightening factory with a guy we all know named Ed Edmunds and Distortions Unlimited. This place is so special to me and really does live up to the anticipation of visiting a mask makers lair. As Ed started out in a two bedroom apartment, the factory now reflects the success and historical techniques Ed has perfected over the years. As we all love visual things, I am going to let the following pictures give everyone a tour of the Distortions Unlimited shop and fun things I found that lucky day. Enjoy!
The paint area, something to note is the cans of regular house paint. Ed has a very unique paint mixture.
This is the paint stand for masks. A fun note, Ed used to have a conveyor type mask paint stand and now the stands are on wheels and take up a little less space on the production floor.
Look at all that latex love! This is the cut and prep area. This is where the masks are trimmed, fixed and prepared for painting. This is also where things get filled with foam.
Above you will find huge plaster molds for the new prop Bolt. Along the left of the photo you will find the latex pour area with a latex channel for catching latex as it spills and then it is pushed down to the vat at the end of the line to save on wasting latex.
Above is the Gargoyle mold I am sure we have all seen in it's completed glory. Very large complete mold used for this awesome prop.
These babies are mask molds and as you see on the shelf behind them are props we all know so well. They are all ready to be painted and shipped.
These two pictures are fun as the first one shows Jolt chairs made in advance for quick turn around on orders of this thrashing beauty. The second pictures shows what is my favorite part of Distortions production area. Ed has started to place master copies of each of the pieces Distortions has ever made. These are placed high up on the walls everywhere around the production floor. You could spend hours looking at them :)
The joys of seeing props in the making is something I get so excited about. Here are two of my favorites in their birthday suits. Someone needs to put some clothes on these beasts!!!
These pictures are as if I suddenly grew wings and flew up to get the best shot possible of the whole production area. If you were to come back after death, would you be a fly on the wall? Ponder it, get back to me :)
I saved my two favorite pictures for last. The props above are pretty rare and are located in the conference room at Distortions. I understand this was a line that was under consideration by a few distributors for the Halloween party market. I WANT ONE OF EACH :)
The picture on the wall is of Ed and Marsha at the Playboy Mansion. Ed did all the makeup here and it is hard to tell that it is Ed and Marsha. Pretty good costumes!
I hope everyone enjoyed the photo tour. Going forward I hope to include fun topics for everyone to enjoy and appreciate the chance to share with everyone. Let me know if there is something I can post here or content you would like to see.
Thanks, Randy "Milker" McLellan