Don Post

Don Post Sr. (March 14, 1902 - November 17, 1979) was an American mask maker and prop fabricator. In 1938, he founded the Halloween mask company Don Post Studios, creating the first commercially sold full over-the-head latex rubber masks.

Career

Born in 1902, Post founded Don Post Studios in 1938 in Chicago, Illinois, initially producing masks for films and stage productions, as well as simple face masks. The Studio later moved to California. In 1963, the studio became an official licensee of Universal Studios for a new line of Universal Monsters Characters masks, the "Universal Horrors". In 1965, Post released a more deluxe version of the line, now featuring more lifelike faces (sculpted by sculptress Pat Newman) and hand-laid hair instead of the previously used sculpted hair. The 1965 creations were dubbed the "Calendar Masks," because of the faces appearing on the 1966 Monster Calendar and they accelerated the studio's popularity and love for monsters which still persists to this da

In 1967, the Studio (including master make-up artist John Chambers (make-up artist), John Chambers) sculpted a 7'5" King Kong statue, that was the biggest "Monster" statue made for a Wax Museum. The finished latex armature casting was then purchased by the Hollywood Wax Museum in Niagara Falls, where it remains to this da

In 1975, the studio released their Star Wars mask line, made of heavy viny

Their mask of actor and wrestler Tor Johnson became their best-selling mask of all time, starting in 1966 and ending in 1994. In 1975, Don Post Studios released its Star Trek line, consisting of the Captain Kirk and "Spock" masks deriving from the actors' lifecasts, as well as the 'Mugato', 'Gorn' and 'Salt Vampire' masks. A Don Post Captain Kirk mask, purchased in 1978, was later modified and used by producers in the 1978 slasher film ''Halloween.'

In 1982, the studio created masks for the third '' Halloween (franchise), Halloween film, Halloween III: Season of the Witch.

After Don Post's passing in 1979, the company was taken over by his son, Don Post Jr. From the early 2000s to 2012, the company was property of its parent company Paper Magic Group. In 2012, after 73 years in business, it was announced that the company would be shut down. The liquidation auction included most of the company's molds and foam masters. In 2023, the company was acquired by Trick or Treat Studio

Legacy

Today, Don Post Studios creations are highly sought after by collectors. His pioneering use of latex revolutionized mask-making, setting a new standard for quality and detail that shaped the modern Halloween industry. By bringing lifelike representations of monsters and characters to the public, Post inspired generations of make-up artists, costume designers, and mask makers.

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1902 births
1979 deaths
Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
20th-century American businesspeople

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