Be the Artist: Who Made… Michael and Jason’s Masks?

This summer’s Be the Artist series asks, “Who Made That?”

Who Made the Famous Michel Myers and Jason Voorhees Masks?

The masked villain is a popular concept in tales from old-time superhero sagas to Gen-X-era slasher films. There is something about the never-changing expression of a mask that keeps the villain hidden that is very effective, very unnerving, and, yes, very artistic.

Sometimes, a mask is the most instantly recognizable aspect of a character, and in some cases the most recognizable piece from an entire franchise. For example: Darth Vader.

That’s the power of a good design, no matter how simple.

When you think of horror movie villains and concepts, there are big names in design, makeup, and special effects artists like Rick Baker, Stan Winston, or Tom Savini, whose work in movies has made them as well-known in horror- and science-fiction-loving circles as any actor or director.

However, none of these were behind two of the most famous costume pieces in horror movies: the masks of Michael Myers from Halloween and Jason Voorhees Friday the 13th. These masks were simply repurposed found items that got the job done so well, they have been the objects of fan art, cosplay, and even parody.

The Michael Myers mask was the result of a quick costume run from the film’s production designer, Tommy Lee Wallace, who later went on to director the third film in the franchise. Wallace and others in the film talked about the concept on various commentaries on the film’s DVD special features. Basically, they wanted a plain face, so Wallace ran down to a costume shop on Hollywood Boulevard and found two cheap masks.

“We didn’t have any money to make a mask,” director John Carpenter said in the film’s commentary. “It was originally written the way you see it … a pale mask with human features, almost featureless. (Wallace) bought a couple, one was a clown mask … and the other he got (was) this William Shatner Star Trek mask: Captain Kirk.”

Wallace cut the eyeholes a little bigger give it a more “demented” look. He shaved off the sideburns, puffed out the hair, and spray painted it white. And thus the Michael Myers mask was born.

As for Jason’s mask, Friday the 13th fans know it didn’t even show up until the third film in the franchise. (Jason himself wasn’t even the big killer in the first film,) In the second movie, he just wore a burlap bag with an eyehole. However, the hockey mask defines the character to this day.

According to an article in Screen Rant, the mask was sort of just a happy accident. The script did call for Jason to have a mask, but exactly what kind wasn’t even thought about. One day in the filming, a light check needed to be done, and no one wanted do to make up. Luckily, 3D effects supervisor Martin Jay Sadoff was a huge Detroit Red Wings fan and happened to have a bag of hockey gear… including an old school goaltender’s mask. They found their mask! Sort of. It was a little too small, so they made a mold of one a little bigger. Then, creative and technical consultant Terry Ballard added the red triangles to make it stand out. Jason’s mask was born.

Ironically, both these masks, which were originally just picked up as other masks for either Trekkies or hockey goalies, can be purchased in costume shops as “officially licensed” Michael Myers or Jason masks. That is the power of marketing. That is the power of fan appreciation… and that’s the power of a good design idea.

Found Item Horror Mask

It is nearly the end of summer, spooky season is upon us, and it is time to create your own horror movie icon.

By now, I am hoping everyone realizes everything you see in a movie, when it comes to world building through sets, props, and costumes, is a form of visual art. Maybe not “fine art,” but certainly an artistic creation.

Many times that creation has to fit into a budget, and that budget may call for using what is already there. We’re looking at a mask for this DIY. It’s for a new villain who is going to be huge and inspire several sequels and spinoffs. But they need a look. What are we going to put on their face or over their head?

As this is a “found item” craft, the instructions are going be a little less rigid. I can’t tell you exactly what to make, as everyone will have their own materials and inspiration.

What I will tell you for this DIY is how to think artistically about things.

Here’s your task: You’ve been selected to find the perfect mask for a new horror villain… but you have to tell this story yourself.

• When and where does this story take place? Is it a city? Forest? Another planet? It is in the past for the far future? Or could it be today?
• Who are the potential heroes/victims? Are they students or random people in a town? Is it an old family with their own dark past or just one person?
• Is killer a man or woman… or do we even know yet? A ghost? How old are they, and is this someone the victims may know?
• Finally, what is their motive? Why and how are they the villain in this movie?

Once you’ve answered these questions, you are ready to find your face covering. First, look around your own home. Do you have some old pieces of clothing, pieces of Halloween costumes, or party masks lying around? Maybe there’s the perfect cheap mask at a Dollar Store or thrift shop. In some cases, you might need to combine more than one item to make your mask.

I decided my killer is going to be present-day but not fitting in. They are possibly a collector or antique dealer. They will find things that have been discarded by others and find new uses for them. This tendency may have gotten the better of them, and they are now finding what they think of as “discarded” people… and making new uses out of them.

This dealer means well, I promise.  Or at least they think so. The mask is going to reflect that.

I am going to find pieces of several old masks we have stashed somewhere—paper, plastic, cloth—and piece them together to make something a little eclectic, a little colorful and fun… and a little unhinged.

Well, that’s the idea. When I’m telling you to be the artist this week, really be it. Be the creator behind your creature.

You can even decide how far you want to take it.

Do you just want to be a concept artist and draw your idea? That’s fine.

Did you find something—or some things—with which you want to create? That is how the process works. Think, look around…and create.

Ideas don’t need to be complicated and visuals don’t need to be overly expensive. Movie props and makeup, just like any other form of visual art, simply need a spark of inspiration to get started in the right direction.

“Jason’s mask is proof that sometimes the best ideas are improvised and the solution might be where you least expect it,” Screen Rant writer Adrienne Tyler said in the her article, “such as a bag of hockey gear.”