Face Your Fears

Read #1 / Read #2 / Read #3 / Read #4 / Read #5 / Read #6 / Read #7 There comes a time where we have to take a look back to the past and see where we've come from, and that time is right now. Welcome to yet another installment of Vintage Mask Roundup! This time, for the eighth edition, we're starting off with something that looks like it should be directly out of a mid 2000s direct to video discount bin horror movie titled something along the lines of "Hogtied" or something like that. In fact, since I don't do much research on these and take them at basically face value, it wouldn't shock me if this was actually just a still from some obscure crappy horror flick, but either way, Pig Butcher deserves to be seen. Here he is coming out of the mens room on his first day on the job (without washing his hands, might I add), ready to get back to slicing and dicing his lower brethren that we've all come to know as delicious. But Pig Butcher isn't scary....

Normally when picking masks for this blog, I would only choose things that feature the mask proper. Occasionally I'll come across one that shows the mask being utilized outside of just general photos, and I'll usually save those for the Round Ups, but this is an instance where I'm willing to break my own rules. There's just something absolutely spectacular about these photos, and the mask is a big part of why. I'll also usually avoid masks that are fairly standard and generic, such as witches, goblins, werewolves, etc, and trolls are no different. They're such a standard amongst the monsters and mask design that I simply refuse to really cover them, often because they're also not ever really done uniquely. But this set of photos, and the mask to boot, proved me wrong. Grandpa Troll here is enjoying a nice summer day on his wicker chair, watching his hideous troll grandchildren play in the yard. I think a big part of what makes this whole thing work is simply...

Every once in a while, you come across something that makes you wish that you'd either never been born, or at the very least hadn't been born with the power of sight. This is one of those times. There's just a lot to unpack with this thing, and quite frankly I'd rather hide in my closet with a revolved than spend anymore time talking about it, but this is what I do, so let's make the best of it. This mask is interesting on a few levels, but let me just say for the record that I have never found clowns creepy. Like, in the slightest. It appears to be a thing everyone else finds creepy, but it just doesn't do anything for me. Then again, I don't find much creepy, so. But then again, this isn't a regular kind of clown, is it? Look at the way this was designed. It's not just a facial covering. It's a facial covering with a face inside . There's eyes, and hair at the top. This isn't just a mask, it's a mask of a person wearing a mask. That...

"It's not a fad, mom and dad, it's a lifestyle!" And thus began the story of Punk Booooster, the scariest punk rocker this side of the afterlife. Countless women were dazzled by not only his musical but also sexual prowess, and he very quickly shot up to the top of the charts of Hell's Hot 100. You know, horror and rock and rock are very closely entwined. In the 80s, there was a plethora of horror movies literally built around heavy metal music and or certain bands. And even in all the films that weren't, the soundtracks often featured rock music. Imagery in rock and roll is often tied closely to that of the occult. Skeletons, satan, etc. So it really comes as no surprise to me that when it came to designing Halloween masks, someone eventually stumbled onto the "I'll do both at once!" model. Frankly, if anything, I'm actually more surprised it hasn't been done more often. And this mask is a great example of doing it right. It's not re...