What became of the HERO(H1/H2) mask?

[Michael_T_Myers]

I remember reading somewhere, back in the '90’s, that the HERO mask was at the Smithsonian. I was at the Smithsonian in the mid '90’s and it wasn’t on display.

I don’t remember where I read this or how true this was.

Michael.

[TheKiller78]

LMFAO. It was never there…Dick Warlock sold it in 2003 to a guy in Ohio the whole get up coveralls-mask-elrod-scalpel-boots everything. When I asked Dick about it in November last year he said the guy had plans on restoring it which I had heard before. WHICH is terrible but from what me and other members are guessing is that during that process something happened and he does not want to show it. DW also told me that he displayed it at his haunted house which was false I think in all honesty the guy took advantage of DW but other then the HERO mask DW owns a lot of other cool stuff like a screen used H3 set

[TheKiller78]

ALSO DW was very protective about the mask he brought it to a convention once I’m not sure if anyone saw it but he said he never took it to one again since people wanted to touch it. I don’t blame him. I also don’t blame him for the condition. REASON why is because him and Nick shared sweat in it. Once latex and sweat mix it will definitely accelerate the rotting process. I was also told that it was foam latex which I’m guessing is different then regular latex? BESIDES that DW was cool talking about it I wished he would have brought the H3 set with him tho to 35 YOT.

[Michael_T_Myers]

Thanks for all this information! I hope nothing major happened to it. The Hero should never be restored IMO and I hope it didn’t get damaged if the owner did indeed have it restored.

[Davy_Krueger]

@TheKiller78

I was also told that it was foam latex which I’m guessing is different then regular latex?

Oh boy yes. Foam latex actually rots faster than regular latex, and must be kept in the utmost conditions for rot to be decelerated. This Pachycephalosaurus animatronic from The Lost World: Jurassic Park, for example, has molded foam latex skin and since it was made in 1996, the skin has quickly been falling away:

IIRC, the image of the hero in the gallery was taken in 2004, so it was possibly taken when the mask was being sold. I can only imagine the condition it’s in now. What worries me is that since it’s been in a private collection, nobody has seen an image of the Hero since the 2004 photograph. That mask is a piece of cinematic history; it jump started the Slasher subgenre that still lives today. Before Halloween, the only film like it was Psycho.

[TheKiller78]

Thanks for clearing that up Davy!

[MaskCollector]

The thing that’s always annoyed me is the fact that nobody thought to preserve it in the best conditions. I heard that Debra Hill kept it stored in a closet or under a bed or something. After the movie became a huge hit, that mask should have immediately been cared for properly. It was just lack of enthusiasm for the mask -by the film makers- that caused it to deteriorate the way it did, which is a shame. At the least they should have taken more behind the scenes photos of it.

Someone should start a “screen used only thread” to post up hard-to-find shots of the hero from '78. I looked at the gallery, and there are so few.

[its_time_michael]

It was sold to Paul reubons and he rubbed Vaseline all over it and put it in the basement of the Alamo

[Evildsm]

It probably rotted away into a gooey mess. I doubt the dude that bought it took any care of it. He’s probably pissed that he dropped all that coin on it just to have it melt in a few years.

[The_Shape_of_Fear]

@Evildsm

It probably rotted away into a gooey mess. I doubt the dude that bought it took any care of it. He’s probably pissed that he dropped all that coin on it just to have it melt in a few years.

very true

Sent from my SGH-I727R using Tapatalk 2

[jarrett62960]

Randall…There is no basement in the Alamo!!!

[MASKENSTEIN]

I THINK I MAY HAVE JUST SEEN IT ON EBAY …SEARCH ‘‘ORIGINAL MYERS MASK’’ if this link is broken
GASP!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/291053297740?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1586.l2649

[Michael_T_Myers]

@MASKENSTEIN

I THINK I MAY HAVE JUST SEEN IT ON EBAY …SEARCH ‘‘ORIGINAL MYERS MASK’’ if this link is broken
GASP!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/291053297740?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1586.l2649

That’s funny but sad.

[50-oNe-50]

Ignorance is something else.

[kaizu]

@TheKiller78

ALSO DW was very protective about the mask he brought it to a convention once I’m not sure if anyone saw it but he said he never took it to one again since people wanted to touch it. I don’t blame him. I also don’t blame him for the condition. REASON why is because him and Nick shared sweat in it. Once latex and sweat mix it will definitely accelerate the rotting process. I was also told that it was foam latex which I’m guessing is different then regular latex? BESIDES that DW was cool talking about it I wished he would have brought the H3 set with him tho to 35 YOT.

Not foam latex at all.
The DP masks of that era were mixed with clay to cut the cost.
It’s the clay that accelerates the rotting process.

[Davy_Krueger]

@kaizu

@TheKiller78

ALSO DW was very protective about the mask he brought it to a convention once I’m not sure if anyone saw it but he said he never took it to one again since people wanted to touch it. I don’t blame him. I also don’t blame him for the condition. REASON why is because him and Nick shared sweat in it. Once latex and sweat mix it will definitely accelerate the rotting process. I was also told that it was foam latex which I’m guessing is different then regular latex? BESIDES that DW was cool talking about it I wished he would have brought the H3 set with him tho to 35 YOT.

Not foam latex at all.
The DP masks of that era were mixed with clay to cut the cost.
It’s the clay that accelerates the rotting process.

Clay? Oh jeez, now I’m almost certain there’s probably noting left of that mask.

[puckface]

As stated, Dick was very protective of the mask. Unlike Don Shanks, who would leave his booth unattended for minutes at a time with the screen used H5 mask sitting completely vulnerable to anyone who had the nerve to snag it.

[TheKiller78]

@kaizu

@TheKiller78

ALSO DW was very protective about the mask he brought it to a convention once I’m not sure if anyone saw it but he said he never took it to one again since people wanted to touch it. I don’t blame him. I also don’t blame him for the condition. REASON why is because him and Nick shared sweat in it. Once latex and sweat mix it will definitely accelerate the rotting process. I was also told that it was foam latex which I’m guessing is different then regular latex? BESIDES that DW was cool talking about it I wished he would have brought the H3 set with him tho to 35 YOT.

Not foam latex at all.
The DP masks of that era were mixed with clay to cut the cost.
It’s the clay that accelerates the rotting process.

Ah ok. Thanks K for the info

[knightnite05]

@puckface

As stated, Dick was very protective of the mask. Unlike Don Shanks, who would leave his booth unattended for minutes at a time with the screen used H5 mask sitting completely vulnerable to anyone who had the nerve to snag it.

Who would want to take that mask?

[MaskCollector]

@knightnite05

@puckface

As stated, Dick was very protective of the mask. Unlike Don Shanks, who would leave his booth unattended for minutes at a time with the screen used H5 mask sitting completely vulnerable to anyone who had the nerve to snag it.

Who would want to take that mask?

Ha, that’s exactly what I was just thinking! That’s the ugliest looking mask in the entire series…and that’s saying a lot when looking at that horrible H8 mask! No wonder Don Shanks wasn’t too concerned about leaving it there unattended! Then again, someone could swipe it to sell it. As for the original mask, the producers of the movie were irresponsible about it. They just didn’t care.