THE MAN BEHIND THE MASKS: Q & A WITH PETE INFELISE

Pete's "Dragon"

It's been a while since MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD checked in with Pete Infelise, monster mask maker supreme, a.k.a. The Yellow Phantom. In his Devil's Workshop, Pete creates some of the highest quality masks available today.

I've met Pete and have corresponded with him for the past several years and I can tell you, besides being an all-around nice guy, he loves what he does and puts his best into every one of his creations.

In this Q&A, Pete talks about his creative process, his inspirations, and his new baby, a vacuform mask-making machine.

Early Devil's Workshop masks (Death's Head and Phantom).

MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD: I understand that you teach. What subject and where? Do you have an art background?

PETE INFELISE: Yes indeed, I have been an instructor at a digital arts college in the Chicago suburbs  for the past 15 years. I teach a variety of classes, including web design, digital video and motion graphics classes. I do have a formal art background in fine art as well as an MFA in computer arts.

MMW: What drew you to mask-making and, in general, what inspires you to create a mask?

PETE: I was drawn to masks at an early age. When I was ten years old, I would pedal my bike over to the local Mom and Pop party store to visit the mask display during the months of September and October. I would stare and gawk at all the wonderful Don Post and Be Something Studio masks on display. I did this often as a kid, and it never grew old. In fact, I still love to visit the few costume shops that are around every Fall season.

Before I learned to make masks, I would buy cheap dime store masks and re-paint them. I suppose this was the start of what eventually lead me to making my own masks. I finally made my first mask when I was 20 years old. I took to the process rather quickly, and made a few dozen different designs over the next two years from 1995-97. I’m not sure what exactly drives me to make masks, but I can definitely say I still have a strong passion to do so.

MMW: Is The Devil’s Workshop a rented studio that you work out of or are you a “garage” mask-maker?

PETE: I work out of the garage as well as a small studio in my basement.  The Chicago Winters are too cold to work out of the garage year round, so I tend to spend the majority of the time in the basement.

Creations from the Devil's Workshop basement studio.

MMW: During a typical workday, do you have any favorite music you listen to, watch movies, etc.?

PETE: I listen to a TON on music. Music is easily my biggest passion in life other than monster masks. While making masks I typically listen to a pretty straight diet of heavy metal. Motorhead, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica, Rob Zombie to name a few. Outside the studio I don’t stick to any specific genre. My record collection includes a lot of Blues, Jazz, Rock, Hip Hop and Electronica.

MMW: What is your creative process? Do you start with a photo, a sketch? What do you use for sculpting material and tools?

PETE: It really varies from mask to mask. When I’m sculpting an original design, I always start with sketches and lots of reference photos. Otherwise, if I’m sculpting a character from a movie, I try to gather screen shots and reference photos. My “Cover Projects”, which are based on old pulp magazine or vintage comic covers, are usually the biggest challenge as I’m creating a 3D sculpture from a single 2D illustration. So I have to create a good portion of the sculpture from scratch.

In terms of the materials, I have always sculpted in WED clay. It works a lot faster than oil based clay, is easier to clean up, less expensive, and it can be reused.  I use pottery plaster for my molds. As far as the rubber, I prefer Monster Makers latex. For the paints, I tend to use acrylic and ink based paints that I mix into liquid latex,  which keeps the paint flexible.

MMW: Once the positive image is completed, then what?

PETE: Once the sculpture (the positive) is done, it’s off to the molding booth to make the negative. The time it takes to make a mold varies greatly depending on the size and complexity of the mask. It may only take an hour to mold a small half mask, or 8-plus hours to mold a large piece.  Once a mold is cleaned and dried out, it can be used to create latex castings, which are positive copies of the original sculpt. These latex casts are trimmed, painted, and finished off with hair (if the character calls for hair) and shipped off.

Pete's garage studio.

MMW: Are the masks produced and painted by you or are they sent to a “mask maker”?

PETE: Everything is done in-house by me. I am the mask maker that they get sent to!

MMW: What determines the number of masks that you make available for sale?

PETE: It depends from mask to mask. The biggest edition I’ll do these days is 25 pieces. I’m a big fan of doing runs of 13. I really got burnt out making too many copies of masks back in the late 90’s, and I took a few years off from mask making.  The fun fades quickly when you find yourself making 40 or 50 copies of a mask. When I returned to mask making in 2002 I began the process of working in much smaller runs and I find that it helps me maintain the love for mask making.

MMW: Your latest in a series of masks inspired by vintage comic books ads is the “Moon Monster”, and is a vacuformed mask. Was it difficult to find someone to produce them for you?

PETE: Yes, very difficult. I tried for good year to find someone to produce them for me. After being unsuccessful in the search I finally decided to do it myself. It took me a good eight months to figure out how to screen print on plastic. I bought a vacuform machine that I use in my studio. I did outsource the production of the boxes and t-shirts.

The vacuform machine that made the "Moon Monster" masks.

Prints of the iconic Moon Monster from vintage comic book ads.

MMW: Trick or Treat Studios offers a terrific line of masks. Tell me a bit about your relationship with them and which of their masks have you worked on?

PETE: Yes indeed, Trick or Treat puts out a killer line of masks. Justin Mabry, the art director of Trick or Treat Studios, is a good friend of mine. Not only do we share a very similar passion for the history of monster masks, but also the same artists inspire us. I was very fortunate that Justin asked me to join the Trick or Treat team a few years ago. In my humble (and biased) opinion, Trick or Treat Studios is making the best mass-produced masks on the market today. The quality is amazing, and the licenses that ToT gets are awesome!

MMW: What are your plans this Halloween [last October, 2015, when this Q&A was originally started]? Do you have a yearly tradition?

PETE: We have a few Halloween traditions. My wife and I throw our annual “Monster Bash” for Halloween. We also go totally over board with decorating the yard. We get a LOT of trick or treaters each Halloween and it’s fun to put a little scare and fun into their Halloween night.

Photos from Pete's 2015 Halloween "Monster Bash"/

MMW: Don Post or Topstone?

PETE: Whew, that one is too tough to answer. It’s like the chicken or the egg. The mask geek in me adores each, and both companies left an impression on the industry that truly can’t be measured. The original Keith Ward Topstone mask illustrations and ads are truly iconic, while Don Post Studios established a new level of quality and had a much longer legacy.

But, I really can’t answer that because I don’t have a favorite between the two. I can say this… Be Something Studios will forever be my personal favorite mask maker. Growing up in the Chicago area, we had BSS masks in all the local costume shops. They are very near and dear to me. I still think they made the most “wearable” monster masks of any studio. I also feel that BSS masks were generally scarier than Don Post or Topstone masks. They had an “edge” to them that none of the other studios had. Vintage Be Something Studios masks make up the biggest portion of my personal collection.

MMW: Until next time, thank you, Pete Infelise! Keep pourin' the latex!

Visit The Devil's Workshop -- Click HERE!

Check out Pete's monster mask blog HERE!

Check out Pete's previous Q&A HERE!

MOON MONSTER MASK NOW ON SALE!

Hey Monster Kids! The "Moon Monster" made famous in countless comic book ads of yesteryear has just been immortalized as a vacuformed heavy-duty styrene mask from THE DEVIL'S WORKSHOP. Master Mask Maker Pete Infelise's previous comic ad-inspired works have been the Gayle House Ghoul and the Monster Ghost.

The Moon Monster comes painted with blacklite-reflective paint (c'mon, you know you've got one stashed in the closet along with your fog machine!) and it's boxed up with a screened T-shirt and a Devil's Workshop Fang Club card and membership.

What's next from the fevered mind of Mr. Infelise? A Sea Monkey mask? Only time will tell.

So, whaddaya waitin' for? I ordered mine. Now, get on over there and get yours!

DEVIL'S WORKSHOP CURSE OF THE DEMON MASK

Over at the DEVIL'S WORKSHOP, Pete Infelise (a.k.a. Yellow Phantom) has released a stupendous new creation, a full head mask -- 30" high, no less! -- of the demon from CURSE OF/NIGHT OF THE DEMON. Head on over there and take a look.

TOPSTONE TUESDAY: DEVIL'S WORKSHOP RELEASES "FEMALE VAMPIRE" RECAST

The master mask craftsman known on his blog as The Yellow Phantom has announced that he has acquired the urethane master to the original Topstone Female Vampire mask and will be putting it back into production for a limited time.

This Topstone mask was first advertised in FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND #94 (Nov 1972) and was the later version of the "vampire girl" style to see production by the now-legendary mask maker. There will be two color schemes available Those of you who want to own a piece (and a fine looking one at that) of classic horror history can see more details HERE.

The Devil's Workshop is known for producing quality monster masks at reasonable prices. MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD gives this line of hand-crafted monster art our highest recommendation.

TOPSTONE TUESDAY: BRUTE REISSUE!

Monster mask maker and enthusiast Pete Infelise has been busy in his DEVIL'S WORKSHOP, creating the latest in his line of custom and classic re-issue masks.

This time he's producing a recreation of "Brute" from the famous TOPSTONE line of Halloween masks. What makes this extra special is that it is being cast and pulled from the same urethane mold as the originals!

I think you'd agree that "Brute" is right up there with "Spasm", "Kazimodo", and "Battered Pug" for ugliest (and coolest) of the TOPSTONES. Below are a couple of shots of "Brute" from Pete's fantastic monster mask shrine, the BLOOD-CURDLING BLOG OF MONSTER MASKS. Ordering information can be found there as well.

Excellent work, Pete!

An original TOPSTONE urethane mold for the "Brute" mask. [Source: poseablemonster FLIKR photostream]

A collection of TOPSTONE urethane molds. [Source: poseablemonsters FLIKR photstream]

GET YOUR FREAK ON WITH THE PHANTOM: LET'S TALK MONSTER MASKS! (PART 2)

Today we conclude the MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD interview with Pete Infelise, The Yellow Phantom from THE BLOOD-CURDLING BLOG OF MONSTER MASKS. You know, monster masks had the distinct advantage of being offered for sale all year long -- long after Halloween was over. They found perpetual life within the pages of vintage monster magazines like FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND, CASTLE OF FRANKENSTEIN, MAD MONSTERS, and HORROR MONSTERS, and to a lesser extent in today's monster 'zines. One thing for sure, they never seem to loose their appeal or popularity.

We pick up the interview with Pete talking about some of the latest monster mask creators, as well as the upcoming MASK-FEST.

MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD: Who are some of the current monster mask makers?

PETE INFELISE: Mass produced mask makers that produce masks of interest include Don Post, Zagone, Bump in the Night, and Trick or Treat Studios.


Assortment of Death Studios Masks

 MMW: What is the most common material to make masks out of these days?

INFELISE: Most masks are still made the old fashion way, with good ol’ latex rubber. There is a movement occurring with silicone masks, which are incredibly realistic and wear well, but the cost is still a serious drawback to most folks.

MMW: What’s the best way to display a mask collection?

INFELISE: Masks display nicely naturally, as the full-scale size factor is impressive. Most collectors make simple stands from dowel rods and wood bases.

MMW: What’s the best way to preserve a latex mask?

INFELISE: There are a few things to keep in mind. Exposure to direct sunlight or fluorescent lights is really harmful to the latex. So it’s best to avoid either. Also, they should be stuffed with plastic to preserve the shape. If the mask is thick enough, news paper will do, but for most older masks, or mass produced masks, news paper can distort the shape.


Examples of Be Something Masks


MMW: The Mask-Fest Convention is coming up. Can you tell us a little about it? Are you involved with it?

INFELISE: MASK-FEST is the brainchild of Eric Austin, founder of the HMA (The Halloween Mask Association). This will be the third consecutive year that Mask-Fest has been held along side of the Horror Hound Convention. It’s the event of the year for mask makers and collectors. Getting to see all the new masks and hang out for three days in the dealer room and the bar, it doesn’t get any better.

I do have a table there, THE DEVIL'S WORKSHOP table. Stop on by and say hello and have a beer!

MMW: Other than the convention, where can one go to look for and purchase both new and vintage monster masks?

INFELISE: The HMA.net is the place to go to hunt down a mask. Otherwise, options are pretty limited. Like most collectibles, E-Bay occasionally has some interesting masks pop up.


Masks from the Famous Monsters Cover Project


MMW: How long have you had your blog and what was your inspiration to start it?

INFELISE: I started it last September. I had spent a good deal of time in 2010 bouncing around the blogesphere, and I was blown away by the information being posted, and the dedication of the bloggers. I have a ton of mask info I’ve saved through the years that I thought I should put out there to share with other like-minded folks.

MMW: Any particular reason why you chose Google Blogger over another type for your blog?

INFELISE: I actually started with Wordpress, which is a pretty powerful tool, but the site got hacked and too much of a pain to clean up after that. Blogger is great, it’s a wonderful tool for straight-up blogging, and the code behind it is very manageable.

MMW: What’s in the future for the BLOOD-CURDLING BLOG OF MONSTER MASKS?

INFELISE: I’m coming up on the 100 post mark any day now, and I have enough old articles and ads for at least 200-300 more posts. I try to post every other day, just to keep it fun.

MMW: Topstone or Don Post?

INFELISE: Don Post. The mask world would never be what it is with out DP. The man literally pioneered the industry.

MMW: Any last comments you’d like to make to the readers of MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD?

INFELISE: Thanks for the interest in my blog, and don’t be afraid to throw on a monster mask this Halloween when the kids come to the door.

Thank you, Pete Infelise, a.k.a. The Yellow Phantom!

GET YOUR FREAK ON WITH THE PHANTOM: LET'S TALK MONSTER MASKS! (PART 1)

What's there not to like about putting on a mask at halloween and going out to either amuse or scare the crap out of somebody? It seems some people like monster masks so much that they not only wear one on Halloween, but they make, buy, sell, and collect them all year long! There's even a monster mask convention for the hardcore among them.

One such enthusiastic gentleman is Mr. Pete Infelise, who more often goes by the name of his alter-ego, The Yellow Phantom. Pete is one of those guys that got bit by the monster collecting bug, and the mask thing stuck more than anything. How can something like this be possible, you may ask? Well, you'll have to read the following interview to find that out.

Pete runs THE BLOOD-CURDLING BLOG OF MONSTER MASKS blog, and it's a dandy. Several times a week he posts up some monster mask goodness that is not only educational, but it's also entertaining as hell. You see, monster masks are an integral part of the entire monster fan experience. If you don't believe me, just check out a few of the advertising sections of any number of monster 'zines over the years, especially FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND. And, who among us has never wanted to know what it feels like to be the monster we see in the movies and magazines?

Monster mask maker Pete (his site is cleverly called THE DEVIL'S WORKSHOP after the cult B-movie monster creator, Paul Blaisdell) is gearing up for the 3rd annual MASK FEST coming up this month, but he took a few minutes out of his busy schedule to speak to you, the readers of MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD.

MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD: Why monster masks?

PETE INFELISE: I fell in love with monster masks fairly young, around 8 years old. There is something really amazing about being face to face with a life size monster. Not to mention the fact that you could wear the mask, and actually become the monster!

I bought my first mask when I was 10, it was a Distortions Unlimited Skull. But I suppose I was truly hooked by the very next Halloween when I bought a mask without the intent of ever wearing it. I picked up a Don Post Herman mask to use as part of a life size corpse in a coffin display at my Aunt’s Halloween party.

The rest is history!

MMW: Do you have any other monster collecting interests other than masks?

INFELISE: I used to collect any vintage monster memorabilia I could get my hands on. I realized after a few years that I didn’t have the space, or funds, to continue down that path. So, these days, it’s only masks. I still have a decent stash of magazines and a few models, but I’ve sold most of everything else. Tiki mugs are my only other vice.

MMW: What’s the monster mask market like these days? Growing?

INFELISE: Today, there are definitely more mask makers than ever before. There are a lot of collectors too. Perhaps a few more active collectors on the scene before the economy tanked a few years ago.

MMW: Describe your own monster mask collection.

INFELISE: I would classify my collection as mish-mash or new and old. My favorite mass-produced masks come from Be Something Studios, and I managed to track down most of the characters I loved as a kid. I also have a soft spot in my heart for Death Studios masks which constitute a large part of my collection. Don Post masks occupy a special shelf in my collection. In addition, I have a ton of masks that aren’t on display that I use for my Halloween yard display.


The "Super Frankenstein" replica mask from The Devil's Workshop.


MMW: Have you designed or made any of your own masks?

INFELISE: Yes, indeed. I’ve made masks on and off for 15-16 years. I’ve been focusing most of my attention over the last year on retro-style masks. I’ve been having a ton of fun with the Famous Monster Cover Project, and recently finished a Super Frankenstein replica, which will debut at Maskfest next month. Folks can see my masks at THE DEVIL'S WORKSHOP.

MMW: Lots has been said about Topstone masks. Were they the first to mass produce and market monster masks?

INFELISE: No. Don Post Studios released the first mass produced masks back in the 1930s he released a set of “villains” of the time: Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin. Apparently, these masks were a huge hit!

A vintage Don Post masks ad with some interesting characters.



MMW: The so-called “Shock Monster” mask has become something of a legend. What can you tell us about how this came to be?

INFELISE: Ah yes, the beloved Shock Monster. While this was a Topstone creation, it really was made popular by the famous Captain Company ads. The Shock monster has definitely become a mask celebrity through the years and has since been re-created over and over again by a number of independent artists. In fact, the 2011 Don Post is slated to release their rendition of the Shock Monster!

MMW: What’s the most valuable monster mask? Is there a “holy grail” mask for mask collectors?

INFELISE: The Verne Langdon Zombie. Verne estimated that 30 copies were produced back in 1972.

MMW: Did you ever meet Don Post or Verne Langdon?

INFELISE: I’ve met Don Post Jr on a few occasions, but not Don Sr. or Verne. I was looking forward to meeting Verne at the Monsterpalooza out in Burbank this year. Verne’s passing this past January surprised so many of us. He will certainly be missed.



The "Holy Grail" of monster masks: Verne Langdon's Zombie.

[To be continued tomorrow here at MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD!]