Michael Myers was a character from the 1981 horror film, “Halloween”. He is known for his frightening mask and for his murderous rampage in the film. The character has become an iconic part of modern horror movies. But did you know who made Michael Myers’ mask?
The actor that played Michael Myers, Nick Castle, also made the mask for the film. He did not continue as a performer in Hollywood and retired to raise his children full-time. In 2005, he moved from retirement to become the creative director for the skateboard company Death by Skateboarding. Death by Skateboarding is a skateboard company and tribute to the legacy of Halloween’s Michael Myers with its tongue-in-cheek name and brand logo design which features a pair of white eyes and ‘death’ printed in red. Michael Myers skateboard is the iconic mask from the film that Nick Castle wore as Michael Myers in the film. The skateboard company is still just as popular today and sells online and in-store so if you see one around, don’t think twice about it, just buy it!
7 Things To Know About Michael Myers Skateboard :
1. Michael Myers In Popular Culture :
Michael Myers appears as the main antagonist in Halloween and its sequel Halloween II, and returns as a supporting antagonist in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, Rob Zombie’s remake of the original film, and its sequel. There are talks going around a possible comeback for Michael Myers in the upcoming sequel to Rob Zombie’s 2007 film “Halloween”. The writer has already reached out to Nick Castle for a meeting about it. Plans for a potential Michael Myers return are unknown.
2. Michael Myers :
Michael Myers is a fictional character from the Halloween franchise. He first appears in John Carpenter’s 1978 film Halloween and its sequels, followed by a 2009 remake of the same name. The character was created by Debra Hill and John Carpenter. He is portrayed by Nick Castle in the original film, Tony Moran in parts II and IV, George P. Wilbur in parts III, covers the role of “The Shape” as a child in part VI and the man portraying child-Myers in H20 (1998), and Tyler Mane as adult-Myers after that point.
In Halloween II, Myers returns as an adult. In this film, he was played by Donald Pleasence. The character has appeared in several other films throughout the franchise’s history, including Rob Zombie’s remake of the original film and its sequel. He also made a cameo appearance in Rob Zombie’s 2007 film Halloween.
3. The Mask :
The mask that Nick Castle wore as Michael Myers is made of a type of fiberglass impregnated with latex and resin, putting the actor through several injuries to get the right replica on his face to shoot the 1982 movie Halloween III: Season of the Witch. The mask was designed by Gary Warren Jones, who also designed masks for Scream and Scream 2. The masks are now sold by retailers as collectible items. It is said that the mask was carved out of a single block of wood, giving it a more realistic look.
Nick Castle was not known for wearing masks or heavy makeup before playing the character of Michael Myers in Halloween. He also portrayed the character for Halloween II (1981). At the time, producers of Halloween III: Season of the Witch wanted to take a different approach from John Carpenter and Debra Hill’s original concept for Michael Myers. They thought that people wouldn’t buy into this new story if Castle were brought back to play him again.
4. The Movie :
Halloween (1978) is an independent horror film written, directed, produced, and scored by John Carpenter. The film stars Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her debut role with supporting roles being played by Nancy Kyes, P. J. Soles, Charles Cyphers and Kyle Richards as Annie Brackett.
5. The Plot :
On Halloween night 1963, six-year-old Michael Myers brutally murdered his seventeen-year-old sister, Judith Myers. He was sent to Smith’s Grove Sanitarium in Warren County, where he remained comatose for fifteen years. Fifteen years later on October 30, 1978, he escaped. Returning to Haddonfield, Illinois he stalks and kills teenage sisters Annie Brackett and Lynda van der Klok as they leave a local shopping mall.
6. The Effects :
The effects for Halloween were done by Donald P. Cain and Dick Warlock. The mask was created by stitchery artist Dicken with additional work done by Stan Winston. The endo-skeleton used in Halloween II (1981) was further modified and reused for Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982). It is now on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
7. The Movie :
As a child, Michael Myers is part of a traveling circus sideshow, masquerading as one of the “boogey men” and residing in a cage. He befriends ten-year-old Michael and the two survive together from then on. His strength, as he gained to adulthood, intensifies due to his time in the cage in which he had been confined. On October 31, 1978, he murdered his sister Judith by stabbing her with a kitchen knife. On November 1st, he ambushed forty-eight year old Dr. Sam Loomis who stopped at their home after visiting Judith’s grave that day.
