Not only did the folks at "Famous Monsters of Filmland" magazine inform kids about all the classic horror greats, including make-up artists like Lon Chaney and Jack Pierce, but they were also determined to inspire the next generation of gruesome make-up artists. Not everyone became a Rick Baker, but how many hundreds spent their youths attempting horror make-ups on themselves and their friends, or simply stalked through the neighborhood wearing a Don Post mask, or one of those cheaper quality "Shock Monster" or "Vampire Girl" masks, now iconic more for the line art from the ads than for the masks themselves.
Here is a sampling of monster masks and make-up that could be acquired from the "Captain Company" ads in the back pages of "Famous Monsters."
great post. You're my Halloween hero, baby!
ReplyDeleteI spent many hours looking thru the FM ads dreaming about the stuff I was going to order. Of course I was too lazy or wasn't able to talk my Mom into ordering the stuff. So I never did. Shame on me!!!
ReplyDeleteIt was the same for me, Todd. I always thought everything was so expensive. Where's that time machine when you need it?
ReplyDeleteI think there was also a distrust amongst parents about ordering things out of comic books, which translated to things like monster magazines as well.
Just for Halloween, Robert?