Don Post Studios was the first and best company to make latex masks available to the general public. Founded in 1938, Don Post Senior and later Don Post Junior produced movie quality Halloween masks for 74 years.
I went to work at Don Post Studios as a mask painter in June 1974 as a summer job, and I was ultimately the final person to leave and lock up on Halloween night in 2012 when the company permanently closed. I’d been to other special effects shops during those years, but I always returned to DPS. I really liked those masks…
If you’ve seen a good-looking Halloween mask somewhere in the past, chances are it was a Don Post mask. They made all the replica masks of the Universal Studios monsters, like Frankenstein and the Wolfman. They were also the very first company to get a Star Wars license, and made all the Star Wars masks, like Darth Vader and Yoda.
I thought it would be fun to look at some of the Don Post masks, and where they originated. What movie spawned the mask? Some are obviously obvious, but some may surprise you.
One more thing: Every mask begins as a clay sculpture. The artist creates the mask in clay, and then it’s molded and reproduced in latex rubber or vinyl plastic. I’ll give the sculptors credit when I know them, because without their work, there are no masks. Respect.
Let’s start with an easy one…
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Nosferatu Mask
Don Post Studios’ Nosferatu mask was sculpted by Robert Short, based on the German 1922 silent movie version of Dracula, Nosferatu. I’ve already talked about the film in my article on Dracula movies, so I’ll just say it’s definitely worth watching.
The Nosferatu mask was one of Robert Short’s very first sculptures. A few years later, Bob was getting an Oscar for makeup effects on Beetlejuice. Way to go, Bob!
Watch the movie that inspired the mask! Where Nosferatu (1922) is streaming now:
You can also watch Nosferatu (1922) for free on the HorrorFam.com YouTube channel!
(Lugosi) Dracula Mask
This is the Bela Lugosi Dracula mask, sculpted by Pat (Patricia) Newman. This likeness of Lugosi is based on how he looked in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. The face is considerably older than when he played the Count in the 1931 movie Dracula. Both movies are must sees, as I’ve said elsewhere.
The Bela Lugosi Dracula mask was only briefly in production. There were lawsuits being filed, saying Lugosi’s estate should be paid for the use of Bela’s likeness as Dracula. Don Post Senior halted production on the mask and avoided any legal problems. Many years later, the legal knots were untangled, and Don Post Studios produced the Lugosi Dracula mask again.
Watch the movie that inspired the mask! Where Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) is streaming now:
Boris Karloff Frankenstein Mask
This mask, sculpted by Pat Newman, is the Boris Karloff Frankenstein. She used the design from the movie, The Son of Frankenstein.
The Universal Studios Frankenstein monster always looks the same, but subtly different in every movie. Look up photos of Frankenstein from each of the movies and you’ll see what I mean.
This is my favorite Frankenstein mask. I think Pat made him look even better than he did in the movie. Classic movie, and classic mask!
Watch the movie that inspired the mask! Where Son of Frankenstein (1939) is streaming now:
Glenn Strange Frankenstein Mask
Frankenstein again! This mask, a Pat Newman sculpture, is Glenn Strange as the monster in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. One of my very favorite movies. You can see how different he looks from the Boris Karloff Frankenstein.
The Glenn Strange Frankenstein mask was one of a series of Don Post Studios “Calendar Masks.” A 1966 calendar used photos of the monster masks for each month of the year. So, in later years, mask collectors referred to these 1966 masks as the Calendar Masks.
Watch the movie that inspired the mask! Where Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) is streaming now:
The Mole Man Mask
Another “Calendar Mask.” This mask is from the 1956 movie, The Mole People. The Don Post Studios Mole Man mask was made using one of the molds from the original “monsters” from the film! There were three different mole people designs used within the movie – all sculpted by John Kevar – and this was one of them. If you’re a fan of this particular version, pay close attention when watching The Mole People, and you’ll be able to point out the special Mole who became a beloved mask (and Calendar model!) in certain scenes.
In the movie, John Agar leads an expedition deep underground and discovers a lost city of albinos who have enslaved the Mole People and treat them badly. Agar does the responsible thing and incites a Mole People revolt that frees the monsters and destroys the city, killing everybody. Good job, John!
I like this mask and the movie it comes from. The Mole Man looks nothing like a mole, but it’s a crazy cool design. Big eyes, bumpy texture, and are those caterpillars for his mouth?
The movie is slow, cheap, and cheesy… but fun. Watch the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version if you can’t think up your own jokes to enhance your viewing experience. Also watch for 1966 TV Batman’s Alfred the butler, Beaver’s Dad Ward from Leave It to Beaver, and – in an instructive prolog before the actual movie – Doctor Frank Baxter. The Mole People is a good bad movie, so check it out!
Watch the movie that inspired the mask! Where The Mole People (1956) is streaming now:
The Metaluna Mutant Mask
This is the mutant alien monster from the 1955 sci-fi movie, This Island Earth. I gave my thoughts about This Island Earth in a previous article. The movie’s okay, and even better when you see it featured in Mystery Science Theater: The Movie. But either way, it’s worth a watch.
The mask comes directly from the movie mold, and it’s ENORMOUS. The Metaluna Mutant is another Milicent Patrick design that Bud Westmore claimed the credit for – just like he did for her phenomenal work on Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954).
I think This Island Earth’s Metaluna Mutant was the first movie alien with the giant exposed brain design – a look that was later used in Mars Attacks! The Metaluna Mutant was another of the Don Post Studios 1966 Calendar Masks. DPS produced several smaller- sized versions of this mask, but this was the original.
Watch the movie that inspired the mask! Where This Island Earth (1955) is streaming now:
The Phantom of the Opera Mask
Sculpted by Pat Newman, this mask is Lon Chaney Senior as the Phantom of the Opera, from the 1925 film. I watched the movie again recently, and enjoyed it. It’s more of a thriller than a horror movie. Lots of dodging death traps and chase scenes, and the sets are elaborate and enormous! Those aren’t CGI backgrounds, people had to build all that stuff you’re seeing. This movie also has my second-favorite unmasking scene in a movie, when the Phantom is revealed.
Pat Newman hits it out of the park again with this Phantom of the Opera mask. It looks just like the Phantom from the movie. She sculpted two different masks of this character. The first version is used in the Don Post Studios 1966 Calendar. This photo is the Phantom mask she sculpted the following year. Both Pat Newman Phantom masks are excellent, but I prefer this one. Great masks, great movie!
Watch the movie that inspired the mask! Where The Phantom of the Opera (1925) is streaming now:
You can also watch The Phantom of the Opera (1925) for free on the HorrorFam.com YouTube channel!
The Wolfman Mask
Another 1960’s Pat Newman sculpt. Lon Chaney Junior played Larry Talbot AKA the Wolfman in five movies in the 1940’s: The Wolf Man, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula, and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
Pat Newman sculpted two versions of this monster, one featured in the ’66 calendar and another in ’67. I think I like the (pictured) 1967 version best, but both are top notch. Lon Chaney seemed tailormade to play the Wolfman. I highly recommend all five of those movies. Try to watch them in order if you can!
Universal Studios produced a semi-remake of The Wolf Man movie in 2010, with Benicio del Toro as Larry Talbot. Rick Baker’s new Wolfman makeup was killer, but Lon Chaney was still the better Wolfman. (Sorry, Benicio). The 2010 movie is a little slow and very serious, but still worth a watch. Great sets, atmosphere, makeup effects, a high-class effort. Don Post Studios didn’t make a mask of this Wolfman, but I really wish they had, he looked great!
Watch the movie that inspired the mask! Where The Wolf Man (1941) is streaming now:
Watch the movie that SHOULD have inspired a mask! Where The Wolf Man (2010) is streaming now:
The (Bloody) Werewolf
There was a period in the late 1970’s when Don Post Studios wasn’t making the classic Universal Studios monster masks. Universal owned the Wolfman character, but werewolves belong to the world. (Lucky us, right?)
Bob Short sculpted this Werewolf mask, and based its design on the 1956 film, The Werewolf. I’m a diehard Wolfman fan, but this Werewolf is a good scary mask. I like the movie, too. The Werewolf is created via science and not the supernatural. The 1950s were big on science-gone-wrong. The Werewolf is good, low-budget fun, and I’m glad Bob gave the movie props with this mask.
Watch the movie that inspired the mask! Where The Werewolf (1956) is streaming now:
Tor Johnson Mask
Pat Newman strikes again! This mask is her likeness of former wrestler and horror movie icon, Tor Johnson.
Tor Johnson was a massive presence in a bunch of cult classic movies — Plan 9 From Outer Space, Bride of the Monster, The Black Sleep, Night of the Ghouls, The Unearthly, The Beast of Yuca Flats, and more! Just about all Tor’s movies are so bad, and yet so watchable. He’s great in all of them. Truly, one of a kind.
The Tor Johnson mask was one of Don Post’s best sellers for many years. People just seemed drawn to that face. Who could blame them?
As a side note, look for the Tor mask in the original 1979 Mad Max movie with Mel Gibson. It plays a featured role in that classic action film. MORE TOR!!
Watch the movie that inspired the mask! Where Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957) is streaming now:
The Old Vampire Mask
The Old Vampire was sculpted by William (Bill) Malone. It’s inspired by Dick Smith’s old age makeup on vampire Barnabas Collins in the TV series, Dark Shadows, and also the movie, House of Dark Shadows.
Dark Shadows was a pop culture phenom back in the 1960s. It’s a horror-themed soap opera with a vampire leading man. This was decades before Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a thing.
The Dark Shadows TV series and movie are both a lot of fun. If you’re in a hurry, watch the House of Dark Shadows movie. If you’re not afraid of commitment, relive the 1960s and watch every episode of the original series.
After leaving Don Post Studios, sculptor Bill Malone went on to direct some horror movies of his own: Scared to Death (with the Syngenor monster), Creature AKA Titan Find, House on Haunted Hill (1999 remake), and others. Bill was also the guy who created the Michael Myers mask for the first John Carpenter Halloween movie back in 1978. Bill is a true-blue Monster Kid!
Watch the show and movie that inspired the mask! Where Dark Shadows (1966-1971) is streaming now:
Where House of Dark Shadows (1970) is streaming now:
The Munsters Masks
Herman, Grandpa, and Lily Munster were all Don Post masks. I’m pretty sure Herman and Grandpa were sculpted by Ellis Burman. I never saw the Lily mask in production, but it looked like a life cast of actress Yvonne De Carlo’s face with sculpted hair added. It was very small.
These were fun masks from a fun TV show. It only ran for two seasons, but reruns and movies and revivals have kept the Munsters family alive for generations. Watch the original episodes for a truly different take on Frankenstein’s monster and Dracula.
Watch the show that inspired the masks! Where The Munsters (1964-1966) is streaming now:
Sargoth the Cobra and Reptillia Masks
Sargoth the Cobra was sculpted by Bob Short, and Reptillia was sculpted by Bill Malone. Both masks were based on designs created for the 1973 movie, Sssssss. (“Don’t say it, hiss it.” That was the tagline from the ad promos).
The movie involves mad scientist Strother Martin turning his daughter’s boyfriend into a cobra. I mean, why not? In spite of Strother’s eventual success, it doesn’t end well. Who could have seen it coming? Sssssss isn’t too bad, and probably actually scary if you’re phobic about snakes.
I think the masks turned out great, especially the Sargoth Cobra. It looks like it would be at home in a sword and sorcery setting, maybe dueling with Conan the Barbarian. Anyway, obscure movie Sssssss generated TWO cool Don Post Studios masks.
Watch the movie that inspired the mask! Where Sssssss (1973) is streaming now:
Cyclops mask
This is another easy one. The Cyclops mask was sculpted by Bill Malone, and based on the monster from the classic movie, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad.
Many people consider 7th Voyage of Sinbad to be stop motion animator Ray Harryhausen’s best movie. (I like Jason and the Argonauts a little better, but it’s a close call!). The Cyclops is gigantic in the movie, and tries to turn Sinbad and his crew into an outdoor barbecue lunch. The movie is full of magic and monsters, and highly recommended for children and former children. Good for Bill Malone to give the hat tip to this cool movie monster!
Watch the movie that inspired the mask! Where The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) is streaming now:
Igor Mask
This original Igor mask was one of the lower line, lower cost masks from Don Post Studios. I think it was sculpted by Pat Newman, but I’m not positive.
Bill Malone sculpted a new version of Igor in the mid-1970s that had sharper detailing.
Igor is the broken necked villain from Son of Frankenstein and The Ghost of Frankenstein. Both Universal Studios movies are worth watching, and okay for kids.
The paint scheme for the Igor mask amused me when I started work at Don Post Studios. The mask had a bulge on the neck we painted red, and then we added a white spot in the center of the red bulge. I was told it was Igor’s broken neck bone showing through but, to me, it just looked like a big ready zit. I’d imagine a poor cystic acne-stricken Igor saying, “Dang! And right before my big date!”
Watch the movie that inspired the mask! Where The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) is streaming now:
(Lee) Dracula Mask
This is another Bill Malone sculpted mask, based on Christopher Lee as the vampire Count Dracula.
Christopher Lee is my favorite actor when it comes to being Dracula. He played the Count in seven Hammer films, from the 1950s to the 1970s. The movies varied in quality, but Lee was great in all of them. Horror of Dracula was the first in the series, and it’s probably the best. I’ve seen and enjoyed them all.
Bill Malone was a big fan of Dracula and Dark Shadows, and with this Dracula mask and the Old Vampire mask, he gave an artistic salute to both.
Watch the movie that inspired the mask! Where Horror of Dracula (1958) is streaming now:
The Hunchback Mask
The Hunchback is another Don Post Studios 1966 Calendar mask sculpted by Pat Newman. It’s supposed to be the Hunchback of Notre Dame, from the 1923 Lon Chaney Senior movie. If you watch the movie – and you should, because it’s pretty good – you’ll notice the mask doesn’t look much like Chaney’s movie makeup. The reason is this: The mask is actually based on the 1957 Lon Chaney bio-pic Man of a Thousand Faces, starring James Cagney as Chaney.
In the Man of a Thousand Faces movie, there are short scene recreations from Lon Chaney’s old movies. The Don Post Studios Hunchback mask looks just like James Cagney’s makeup in the brief Hunchback of Notre Dame recreation clip.
Man of a Thousand Faces is a better than average biography story. It supposedly gets some of the details wrong, but the story is well told. And James Cagney is always worth watching. Check out his crazed performance in the gangster movie, White Heat (“Top of the world, Ma!”). He’s a real monster in that one.
Watch the movie that inspired the mask! Where Man of a Thousand Faces (1957) is streaming now:
And the original horror movie within the fictionalized biography, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923):
You can also watch The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) for free on HorrorFam.com’s YouTube channel!
The Fly Mask
This is another Bob Short sculpture. It’s based on the 1958 Vincent Price classic, The Fly.
The movie is good, with some stand out moments of genuine horror. It also has a great unmasking scene, complete with “fly vision.” The 1959 sequel, Return of the Fly, is also pretty good. A little harder to take seriously than the first movie, but worth a look. David Cronenberg’s 1986 remake, The Fly, is excellent, but it is not recommended for little kids.
The Don Post mask had a unique feature: The gold Fly eyes were two-way mirrored plastic. You could see out, but no one could see in. The mask also came with a wearable Fly claw, like the transformed scientist had in the movie. The mask retailors (who hadn’t seen the movie) were disgruntled, thinking there should be two claws, not just one. Some people just don’t understand the rules!
Watch the movie that inspired the mask! Where The Fly (1958) is streaming now:
Uncle Creepy and Cousin Eerie Masks
Both of these masks were sculpted by Pat Newman back in the 1960s. Neither one is from a movie, but there’s more to being culturally well-rounded than just horror movies. You also need comic books.
Uncle Creepy and Cousin Eerie were the story hosting mascots for the Creepy and Eerie comic magazines from the mid-1960s until the early ’80s. The magazines followed the same format and style as the classic EC comic books from the 1950s. Many of the same artists and creators that worked on EC comics like Tales from the Crypt and Vault of Horror moved over to Creepy and Eerie comics. I think the Creepy and Eerie magazines are available now in reprint editions, and they’re worth checking out. The stories’ artwork was originally in black and white, not full color like the EC comics. I guess you could treat them like a coloring book and do it yourself, but the black and white art looks just fine.
The narrow faced Creepy mask was a popular best seller. The Eerie mask didn’t sell nearly as well, but I like them both.
A little side story here: When I went to Don Post Studios for the first time, I had my job interview with Don Post Junior. Don was showing me around the Studio, and I noticed an Eerie mask. Don smiled, put the Eerie mask on over his head, and conducted the rest of my interview while wearing the mask. Getting the “You’re hired!” good news from Cousin Eerie has long been a favorite memory of mine…
Jawed Mask
The Jawed mask is another Bob Short sculpture. When the original Jaws movie swam into theaters, the public went crazy for sharks. Seems like they’ve remained crazy ever since. For sharks, I mean.
Bob Short did his salute to Jaws with this mask, that makes you look as if you’ve been swallowed by a Great White. That’s Bob modeling the mask in the photo. The Jawed mask was a clever idea, even though it wasn’t a great seller.
The concept of sharks as horror movie monsters sold amazingly well, and still does. Jaws had three sequels, and how many monster shark movies have we seen over the past fifty years? So many. Sharknados, Megs, and more. Check out Deep Blue Sea from 1999. I like that one.
Side Thoughts/Fun Facts regarding the Jaws franchise: The Jaws 3D movie was originally intended to be a remake of the first two Creature movies – Creature from the Black Lagoon and Revenge of the Creature. Creature fans were excited when plans were leaked. A big budget Creature feature in color and 3D sounded good! But the Studio bosses looked at the box office receipts from Jaws, and then at the 30-year-old Creature, and they decided to swim with the shark instead. We had to wait until Guillermo del Toro’s Shape of Water movie to get a good Creature sequel. I think it was worth the wait.
Watch the movie that inspired the mask! Where Jaws (1975) is streaming now:
Would you enjoy reading a “Part Two” of my thoughts on Don Post Studios mask origins…?
I could go on (and on and on), but the hour is getting late. I’ll save some thoughts for another time.
All of the mask photos – with the exceptions of the Reptillia, Jawed, and Igor catalog shots – are of masks my wife Cathy and I did the finishing work on. We installed eyes in many of them so they would display better on a shelf.
Thanks for reading this far! Now it’s time to stop. Maybe go have a snack and see what the weather is like outside. Later, Gator!
As previously stated, Don Post Studios mask images were provided by Robert Tharp via personal/portfolio photos and scans of old DPS mask catalogs he owns. Movie stills and posters for the film reviews and mask comparisons were purchased via MovieStillsDB and CineMaterial.
After all these years and several different artists, Rob Tharp is still my favorite mask painter. In fact, Cathy Tharp was the first person I met in the mask collecting community back in the early 2000s. From there I met Rob and several other people involved in the hobby, some of which have become some of my dearest friends. Thanks for writing this article as well as the wonderful pictures!
Reading this article is the best Halloween treat of season ’25!
I’ve been a fan and collector of masks by Don Post Studios
since the 1960s and have long admired their interpretation
of classic movie monsters. Many thanks to the DP artists
who’ve set them loose on us over the decades and to Rob
Tharp for his informed and witty perspective. Bring on Part Two!
Rob and Cathy Tharp are both legends in the mask collecting world. They are both so talented and deserve to be better known for their talents by all of fandom, and not just by collectors “in the know”. Besides their considerable talents they are two of the nicest (and most humble) people i have ever known. Great article Lauren!
Hi, Debs! We’ve never met, but my parents recognized your name right away and were very happy/excited to hear from you! Thank you for taking the time to comment on Dad’s article. At first, I panicked when you said “Great article, Lauren!” because I thought I’d accidentally put myself as the author. Hahahaha! I now realize you were just extending thanks/compliments that I chose to publish Dad’s awesome piece. 😀 He did a great job!! And, on a personal level, it’s been so nice for me to have his thoughts written down/recorded so that I can go back to them someday much, MUCH later. The fact that some of his thoughts also mean so much to others is a very nice bonus! 🙂
What a fantastic article! To think that so much work and love was invested in this beautiful preservation of our beloved nightmares!
Here in Brazil, Halloween is still in its infancy. In my city, we have a Zombie Walk, but most fans create their own looks and makeup.
I never imagined there was a Metaluna monster mask, which always scared me. However, I wouldn’t want to encounter someone wearing Christopher Lee’s mask in a dark alley. Those red eyes… Oh my God!
Mel Gibson wears Tor Johnson’s mask to cheer up his melancholic wife in Mad Max.
The photo of Tor Johnson and Don Post is iconic. I also loved seeing the smiling Lauren taking her first steps into horror.
We demand Part II!
I showed your comment to Dad and he was both delighted and warned, “Be careful what you wish for!” hehehe. He was fascinated that Halloween isn’t as much of a “Thing” in Brazil (yet!!) but that you guys have a Zombie Walk. I remember you discussing the Zombie Walk in the interview you did on the Horror Mosaic! And those red eyes on the Christopher Lee Dracula mask were Mom’s work – painting those bloodshot eyes on Lee was one of her favorite “finishing touches” on those masks pre-retirement. 🙂 And that photo was taken on my 14th birthday! I wrote “circa Jan. 1999” because I thought it would be weird to write the exact date in the caption, lol, but that’s why I was wearing that flower crown. I had a homeschooled friend who snuck into my middle school on my birthday to give that to me that morning because she knew it was my birthday! It was a Thursday, so after Mom picked me up from school we had to go back to Don Post Studios. I ran the phones for them. They also did a plaster cast on my head for the Queen Amidala headdresses (my head was roughly the same size as Natalie Portman’s) and the reps from Skywalker Ranch gave me some neat t-shirts and stuff in return. But there are actually photos of even YOUNGER me engaging with horror on the site… I know I posted some in the transcript for the Beetlejuice FX interview and in my “Why I Love Horror” post. Someday I’ll have to dig through the bins of old photos and find more 😀 Anyway, thank you, Denis, for making Dad’s day with your lengthy comment – and I have a feeling “Part II” may be in the cards for 2026 😉
WOW! Give my sincere congratulations to your mother for such a perfect painting of Lee’s eyes. Dracula’s eyes have always been the element that most impressed and frightened me in Lee’s characterization. So, in a galaxy far, far away, you are a princess. Fantastic! You’re already part of a franchise that spans the entire universe. Now that’s an unforgettable birthday party. Good to know your father plans to release the second part of the article; these accounts from those who were actually there are invaluable. On my Instagram, there are several photos from two different editions of the Zombie Walk in Curitiba.
Mom was very happy you appreciated her work! 🙂 Thank you!