I thought I knew early Myers history pretty darn well until today. I had no idea this mask even existed until last week. The rarity of this mask nearly ensured it was forgotten and wiped from history altogether. This was released by Don Post Studios in 1984, a year before the flesh-colored resculpted version in '85, and is the first “The Mask”. Not sure how it was sold as I would imagine there’d be more of them around had it been mass produced. Maybe just a few prototypes were produced for advertisements? It appears to be a pressing of some sort of the original 75 Kirk due to the identical features (lips, cheeks, ears, etc.) but it’s smaller in size. It’s the classic 1980s Don Post latex, paint work and hair. This is the first time I’ve seen flesh color show through the white as much as it does on this one which gives it a nice look. Just like the original 75 Kirk mask, this one has no stamp or date of any kind.
He is in near mint condition. He was stored well, has a full head of hair and has no rot or warping of any kind. I really like how the facial features look on the mask. Had I ordered this back in 1984 and received this I would have thought it was amazing. What a neat and obscure mask.
It annoys me though… if Don Post released this again it would be super expensive… they’ve fallen so wide of the mark? this mask trumps any modern versions.
I agree. I’m not a fan of them but they were sculpted into to the mask in that size, they are not free-hand cut. You can see the sculpted outer rim on the left eye.
I had the 85 don post myers mask and it melted on me ( had it in the closet) Then i bought another one years ago but can’t remember which one it was (that one melted on me too lol) Does anyone remember how long the 85/86 don post myers mask was in stores for?
Just registered, glad to see this pop up. My first(and only , but i have a CGP Fear on the way ) Myers mask is a Don Post 86, which after years of searching for more affordable masks, i was happy enough with and picked up at a seasonal store for $35 about 3 years ago. After looking around more, i think it must have been old stock, 'cause i haven’t seen them listed ANYWHERE, not even amongst the junk and custom stuff on ebay. The fit on mine is a bit tight, i’d guess about 23", so my face distorts the shape when i wear it, but on a display, it actually has all of the features i was looking for in a decent cheap Myers mask. The eyes are a lil off, but not nearly as big as this one, and the cheeks and lips looks pretty good, although they’re a little shallow on the details. If it didn’t have those STUPID airbrushed brown eyebrows, it would be a really nice mask. Awesome seeing this old stuff!
Thanks for sharing the pictures, Josh! I never knew of this copy. I almost ended up with one but, sadly, I didn’t know what it was at the time so I let another collector end up with it. It was in bad shape (distorted face & shrunked-in nose due to rot), I still have the pictures of it the seller sent me. 1984 Don Post “The Mask” was believed to be the mask they used to make a recast for the production of Halloween 4 (which explains the neck extension due to the neck being so short). Very rare! This makes only 3 copies that I know of. They were never officially licensed or trademarked (no trademark stamp on the back of the neck). It’s a flesh-colored pull spray-painted white. They were never sold in stores directly from Don Post Studio, only through ads for mail-orders. The seller told me that he purchased it through an ad in 1983 Fangoria but Kirkus said that he has a Fangoria collection including the one from 1983 and there were no ads for it in there so I’m not sure where he got it. How did you end up with yours, Josh? Very nice mask! It’s in such a great shape.
Edit: It may have been 1984 or 1985 Fangoria that the seller was thinking of but he didn’t know what he had. It would make no sense if they put up ads for it before it was released. Also, I was told that it did not derive from the actual '75 Kirk mold but it was also sculpted with the lifecast of William Shatner. The ears are different. The ears match up 100% with the Halloween 4 mask.
Not sure how it was made. I thought it was a life cast before it had arrived here but having it here in person every feature matches the Kirk, even the ears, and you can even see some of the crows feet on the right eye which match the Kirk too. To me it looks like it may be a direct recast/clay press of an original sized Kirk mask where they added sculpted cut eye onto it. I’ll post some pictures of these areas later.
I know that in 85 Neil Surges sculpted the mask that was sold in flesh color and stamped 1985. He used an original 75 Kirk foam head for visual reference but nothing was clay pressed or retooled for the 85 version. I am not sure who reworked the 75 for the 84 release. If the 84 was used to make the H4 mask it makes sense the neck is very short and an extension would be needed if it were recasted/retooled.
BK said there will be a history of The Mask on the new HMA soon which will be a great read.
After comparing the pictures of your '84 with the pictures of a '84 that were sent to me, I noticed that the eyebrows are VERY different. I’m confused. Yours has more details in the eyebrows, more like an actual '75 Kirk and the other one has “smooth” eyebrows (less details, more like the traditional Don Post The Mask that we all are familiar with).
Yours may have been the prototype for the '84 (maybe before it was retooled). It does look like a '75 Kirk with a Don Post Studio’s traditional The Mask finishing. Where did you get yours, Josh? Where did the previous owner get it? It’s still unsure how these were sold back in the days. But, it was definitely sold “underground” such as through ads.
If I remember correctly, didn’t Kenny D have one like this as well?
Yeah those eyes kill the mask, but the mouth cheeks, brows ect. look great!
Congrats
Incredible pick-up Josh
It does remind me alot of the proto-type Kenny D has in posession
Thanks for sharing a cool piece of history. Have been wanting to see an early version.
Wow never seen that b4, it does look alot like the H4 mask. Yet this 84 looks like Kirk but the H4 not soo much, While the 84 also looks like H4, weird.
, but i have a CGP Fear on the way ) Myers mask is a Don Post 86, which after years of searching for more affordable masks, i was happy enough with and picked up at a seasonal store for $35 about 3 years ago. After looking around more, i think it must have been old stock, 'cause i haven’t seen them listed ANYWHERE, not even amongst the junk and custom stuff on ebay. The fit on mine is a bit tight, i’d guess about 23", so my face distorts the shape when i wear it, but on a display, it actually has all of the features i was looking for in a decent cheap Myers mask. The eyes are a lil off, but not nearly as big as this one, and the cheeks and lips looks pretty good, although they’re a little shallow on the details. If it didn’t have those STUPID airbrushed brown eyebrows, it would be a really nice mask. Awesome seeing this old stuff!
