Oozing blood, guts falling onto the floor in front of passersby, the zombies walk with flesh falling from their mangled, tortured faces; all of which can be considered Halloween scary disgusting masks that only a tortured, perverse or sick soul would dare wear. Or perhaps, someone just wanting a bit of fun grossing out the guy next door.
What Makes a Halloween Mask Gross
Perspective is key in the gross factor of any Halloween mask. Personal opinion always plays a huge role in discerning gross or scary. That doesn't mean you can't make them scary and disgusting, that is part of the fun! Generating a uniquely disturbing and macabre facade from something as cute as a Doodlebop costume or as popular as the cast from High School Musical lets you have a lot of fun and go a little crazy this Halloween.
If you have a specific target in mind, then choosing a mask should be relatively easy. Sometimes less is more. The Grudge, to some, is a scary movie. Sumara is a creepy character but no mask is needed to make her come alive. To mimic Sumara use a long black wig or color your hair black and make it wet (if you are using a wig use glycerin mixed with 50% water and spritz it - normal water will roll off the wig material but glycerin will adhere to it making it look wet for hours), an old white nightgown that is dirty and torn, go barefoot and keep your head down while you make that low, guttural moan. That alone is enough to send chills down the spine of any hapless soul.
Disgusting masks are about the gore, the gross and the fear. Is Michael Myers scary? To some he is a terrifying icon of horror movies, an unwavering madman who cannot be stopped. Is it more terrifying to know that Michael Myers is coming for you or is it more frightening to know that pressed for cash and time the makers of Halloween bought an old William Shatner mask (from the original Star Trek) and painted it white?
Pull Over Latex Masks vs. Latex Prosthetics
Halloween scary disgusting masks may come in all shapes and sizes but there are only two styles:
- Pull over
- Appliance
Both have their pros and cons. The vast majority of the masks you will find simply slip over the head and are made of rubber latex, which are mass produced, meaning you may have a greater chance of running in to your double.
Pull over masks are typically:
- One size fits all
- Confining and claustrophobic
- Hot
- Hard to see out of
- Artificial in appearance
- Difficult to eat or drink out of
There are some great masks out there by several mask makers that surpass the bar for traditional slip on masks, as can be seen below:
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Prosthetic mask appliances are harder to put on, but the end result is worth it for several reasons:
- You can use any use grease paint and other applications on the pieces
- Ability to use special effects
- Realistic
- Eating and talking is not impaired
- Custom fit
- Unique designs in limited quantities
Prosthetic masks are custom sculpted which makes them unique. Each producer of these masks only makes so many copies to sell in a given season so the likelihood of coming across another one is slim. How you make them up is also a factor as seen below:
Base flesh tone grease paint, black for shading and silver for staples. The mask was then powdered and barrier spray was used to seal it in. Gel blood was used in grooves and along the stitches and staples. More barrier spray was used. The mask was applied with liquid latex to the skin and to the underside of the mask (spirit gum can be used but sweat will remove it and it has a higher rate of tearing). Gel blood was used around the mask to give that lifted up look.
Buying Halloween Scary Disgusting Masks
There are many stores on the Internet that sell gorey masks. There is no excuse for poor quality. Traditional slip over the head masks, in high quality latex, can still look just as scary and disgusting as prosthetic masks. Don Post Studios makes incredibly realistic masks that, with a little additional help by you, can become disgusting.
The following retailers are great sources of high quality pull on masks:
Below you will find prosthetic mask makers:
- Bone Yard Effects
- SPFX Masks (offers silicone for those with latex allergies!)
- The Scream Team
- Mostly Dead
Make Your Purchased Mask Disgusting
Regardless if you bought a slip over or prosthetic mask there are a few things you can do to it to give the look of gore you are after:
- Glycerin gives the appearance of sweat, crying and ooze
- Fake snot is great as alien guts
- If your mask has an eye covering you can use a squeeze ball filled with fake blood and a hose running up the inside of your sleeve to the eye allowing you to squeeze blood from your eye
- Dangling, peeling flesh is a favorite and can done masterfully painting on a thin layer or 2 of liquid latex then painting it when it's dry - simply tear the pieces away and allow them to dangle
- You can add paper towel and cotton to the above trick to create sinew and fatty tissue
- Gelatin blood looks great around wound edges giving the effect of clotted blood
- Meal worms are completely safe and are a must for any zombie wanting to scare the neighbors - hide them in a fake eye socket or hole in the mask - paint a thin layer of latex over it then rip it open allowing the worms to fall free AND alive
- Buy puss and blood gel balloons that you can place on your mask, paint over with a thin coat of liquid latex that you can "squeeze" and pop later on
Halloween is great fun, so think outside the box and you may find yourself scaring little girls and old women right out of their socks.
