''The Mask'' is an American
comic book series
a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...
created by
Doug Mahnke
Douglas Mahnke () is an American comic book artist, known for his work and penciling books including ''The Mask'', '' JLA'', ''Batman'', ''Final Crisis'', and '' Green Lantern''.
Career
Mahnke's first prominent work was for ''The Mask'', and he ...
and
John Arcudi
John Arcudi is an American comic book writer, best known for his work on ''The Mask'' and ''B.P.R.D.'', and his series '' Major Bummer''.
Early life
Arcudi grew up in Buffalo, New York. He attended Columbia University as an English major and de ...
and published by
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops know ...
. Its artists include
Mark Badger
Mark Billings Badger (October 16, 1958), known as Mark Badger, is an American illustrator who has worked as a penciler, inker, cover artist, painter, and occasional colorist in the American comic book industry. In addition to his career as a comi ...
,
Chris Warner
Christopher Alexander Warner is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera ''Shortland Street'' who has been portrayed by Michael Galvin since the show's first episode, making him the longest running original character. Galvin quit the ...
and
Keith Williams. The series tells the story of a supernatural mask that grants its wearers nearly limitless power, often at the cost of their sanity. The original trilogy of ''The Mask'', ''The Mask Returns'', and ''The Mask Strikes Back'' was published as a
limited series Limited series may refer to:
*Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series
*Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered
*Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
, from 1991 to 1995, and has since expanded into various
spin-offs
Spin-off may refer to:
*Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work
*Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity
* Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...
and other media. The series is known for its dark tone and graphic violence.
Overview
The stories of The Mask revolve around a magical mask which bestows on its wearer reality-bending powers and an altered appearance, characterized by a large set of teeth and a green head. The mask affects the wearer's personality by removing all social and moral inhibitions, causing the wearer to become insane. The character was inspired by a combination of villains from
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
,
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
, and
horror movies
Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes.
Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoc ...
such as the
Joker, the
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is the alias of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first and best-known incarnation Norman Osborn, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, is generally regarded as one of the a ...
,
Freddy Krueger
Freddy Krueger () is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' film series. He was created by Wes Craven and made his debut in Craven's '' A Nightmare on Elm Street'' (1984) as the malevolent spirit ...
,
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and
Steve Ditko
Stephen John Ditko Page contains two reproductions from school yearbooks. A 1943 Garfield Junior High School yearbook excerpt lists "Stephen Ditko". A 1945 Johnstown High School yearbook excerpt lists "Stephen J. Ditko" under extracurricular act ...
's version of the
Creeper,
[Mark Richardson, "Introduction: Behind the Mask", ''The Mask: The Collection'', Dark Horse Comics, August 1993, ]. In the original comics, Stanley Ipkiss wears the mask and becomes a villain; other characters who later wore the Mask became, regardless of their intentions in donning it, cruel
antihero
An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions ...
es or murderous, vengeful
villain
A villain (also known as a " black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character ...
s with ultra-violent tendencies. In the
1994 film and the
animated series
An animated series is a set of animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can have eith ...
, the Mask was toned down to make it only as dangerous as its wearer; the main character Stanley Ipkiss is depicted as a nice guy, and his alter-ego The Mask is a mischievous trickster but a good-hearted superhero, whereas Dorian Tyrell, the main villain, actually became a sadistic malefic being while wearing the mask. The same is true of the
2005 sequel's main character Tim Avery, who is named after
Tex Avery
Frederick Bean "Tex" Avery (February 26, 1908 – August 26, 1980) was an American animator, cartoonist, director, and voice actor. He was known for directing and producing animated cartoons during the golden age of American animation. His mo ...
.
The title of the comic book originally referred to the mask itself and not the character it unleashed. In early stories, the character was referred to as Big Head; it was not until the films and television series that the character became known as The Mask.
Characters
* The Mask/Big Head – The titular mask is a semi-living entity possessing anyone wearing it and becoming Big Head, be they male or female. As such, it is both the
protagonist and
antagonist of the series depending on the motivations of its wearer.
* Walter – Big Head's arch-enemy - a mute, brutish man who worked for the Mob.
* – One of the Mask's archenemies and a police officer who was one of the wearers of the mask.
* – The first person to encounter the Mask. He was killed by his girlfriend, Kathy.
* Kathy – Also known as Katherine. Stanley's ex-girlfriend and a friend of Mitch, as well as one of the wearers of the mask.
* Nunzio – A long-suffering cab driver for the mob who ends up becoming one of the wearers of the Mask who used its powers to seize control of all crime in the city for a time. Was killed by Kathy after tricking him into taking it off.
* Lionel Ray – A police detective and friend of Mitch who encounters the Mask. He later committed
suicide to hide the Mask from the Mask Hunters.
* Abner Mead – A political candidate who seeks to use the Mask to become the
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
.
* Ray Turtle – A young homeless man who used the Mask to kill his abusive former
foster parents
Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home ( residential child care community, treatment center, etc.), or private home of a state-certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent" or with a family ...
.
* Mask Hunters – A group of Neo-Nazis trying to use the Mask for their plans.
Publication history
The base concept of The Mask was created by
Mike Richardson on 5 February 1982.
It first saw life as a single sketch he drew in 1985 for ''APA-5'', an
amateur press publication created by writer
Mark Verheiden
Mark Verheiden (born March 26, 1956) is an American television, movie, and comic-book writer. He was a co-executive producer for the television series '' Falling Skies'' for DreamWorks Television and the TNT network.
Career
Comics and comic-r ...
.
After starting
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops know ...
, Richardson pitched his concept to
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
comic book writer/artist
Mark Badger
Mark Billings Badger (October 16, 1958), known as Mark Badger, is an American illustrator who has worked as a penciler, inker, cover artist, painter, and occasional colorist in the American comic book industry. In addition to his career as a comi ...
. The outcome was the Masque strip that ran in the early issues of ''
Dark Horse Presents
''Dark Horse Presents'' was a comic book published by American company Dark Horse Comics from 1986. Their first published series, it was their flagship title until its September 2000 cancellation. The second incarnation was published on MySpace, r ...
''.
Badger's strips became increasingly political, and Richardson ended the strip to bring the character back to his original concept.
Artist
Chris Warner
Christopher Alexander Warner is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera ''Shortland Street'' who has been portrayed by Michael Galvin since the show's first episode, making him the longest running original character. Galvin quit the ...
was hired to revamp the character based on Richardson's original ''APA-5'' drawing and created the definitive look for the character. This new look was launched in 1989 in the pages of Dark Horse's ''Mayhem'' anthology. Aspiring writer
John Arcudi
John Arcudi is an American comic book writer, best known for his work on ''The Mask'' and ''B.P.R.D.'', and his series '' Major Bummer''.
Early life
Arcudi grew up in Buffalo, New York. He attended Columbia University as an English major and de ...
and artist
Doug Mahnke
Douglas Mahnke () is an American comic book artist, known for his work and penciling books including ''The Mask'', '' JLA'', ''Batman'', ''Final Crisis'', and '' Green Lantern''.
Career
Mahnke's first prominent work was for ''The Mask'', and he ...
were hired to create the new adventures, which became the first very popular use of the character, "a combination of
Tex Avery
Frederick Bean "Tex" Avery (February 26, 1908 – August 26, 1980) was an American animator, cartoonist, director, and voice actor. He was known for directing and producing animated cartoons during the golden age of American animation. His mo ...
and
The Terminator".
The Mask stories from ''Mayhem'' #1-4 were later collected as the 1991 issue ''The Mask #0'' and also in a trade paperback collection.
''Mayhem'' was canceled after four issues, but, in 1991, Arcudi and Mahnke continued with ''The Mask'' four issue
limited series Limited series may refer to:
*Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series
*Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered
*Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
, which introduced one of the Mask's antagonists, a mute brutish hulk named Walter. This run was among Dark Horse's best sellers; following it, the company continued a succession of miniseries around the Mask, with various antagonists and protagonists wearing the mask. These series concluded in 2000 with the
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
crossover
Crossover may refer to:
Entertainment
Albums and songs
* ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album)
* ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987
* ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album)
* ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album)
* ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
''
Joker/Mask'', in which the magical Mask finds its way into the hands of
Batman's arch-enemy
The Joker
The Joker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, and first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book '' Batman'' on April 25, 1 ...
. The first major storylines and the Joker/Mask crossover have all been collected in trade-paperback format and in a limited-edition hardcover box set. It was later revived as two spin-off series: ''Itty Bitty Mask'' and ''I Pledge Allegiance To The Mask''.
Original limited series
''The Mask''
In an
antiques shop, a weak,
neurotic man named Stanley Ipkiss shops for a gift to give to his girlfriend, Kathy. At the store he purchases an old
jade mask which begins to speak to him. When Stanley wears it, he is transformed into a wacky super-powered being with an abnormally large, bald, green-skinned head and a mouthful of large teeth. After exploring his new abilities, Ipkiss goes on a rampage, taking revenge on those with whom he has a grudge, and earns the nickname Big Head.
After taking the mask off, Stan begins to realize what has been happening. His acts as Big Head begin to take an emotional toll on him. He becomes verbally abusive toward Kathy. She kicks him out, but keeps the mask since it was a gift from Stanley.
Later, Stan breaks into Kathy's apartment to steal it back just as the police arrive in response to an earlier
housebreaking
Housebreaking (American English) or house-training (British English) is the process of training a domesticated animal that lives with its human owners in a house or other residence to excrete (urinate and defecate) outdoors, or in a designated i ...
call. Deciding his only way out is as Big Head, Stan puts the mask back on and kills multiple cops during his escape in addition to causing a great deal of property damage. He returns home as Big Head and removes the mask, preparing to leave the city; only to be shot in the back and killed by Kathy now wearing the mask, who figured out the identity of Big Head and donned the mask while Stan's back was turned after he took it off.
Kathy takes the mask to Lieutenant Kellaway for safe-keeping. Kellaway, who had been struggling with both the recent Big Head murders, and organized crime lords on the loose in his city, disregards Kathy's warnings, believing she is stressed and not thinking clearly, and tries on the mask. Becoming Big Head, Kellaway sets out to take down the crime lords who have plagued his police career.
City dwellers, not knowing of the magical mask, assumes Big Head is still the same killer whose targets are now high-profile crime lords. Despite Kellaway's good intentions, the mask causes his methods to become increasingly more violent. Big Head encounters Walter, a behemoth-sized mob muscle-man who never speaks, who has undertaken a vendetta against Big Head for killing his employers. Walter never shows pain and is the only one who can injure Big Head to any real degree.
While fighting off Walter's attacks, Lieutenant Kellaway, as Big Head, becomes the target of a police manhunt. Big Head fights off the police and tracks down the remaining mobsters. When Kellaway's partner attempts to stop Big Head, the mask-altered policeman nearly kills his friend and colleague. Kellaway, realizing what he has been doing, flees. He removes the mask, buries it in his basement in
cement
A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mi ...
, and vows never to let it be worn again.
The first half of the story following Stan as Big Head was originally published in the four-issue anthology series ''Mayhem'', between May–September 1989, and was then collected as issue #0 and the first part of the
trade paperback.
''The Mask Returns''
The crime lords send men to Lieutenant Kellaway's home and attempt to kill him. Kellaway makes his way to the basement in an attempt to retrieve the mask. But he is wounded before he can put it on and ends up in a coma. After the shooting, the men escape, taking the mask with them. One of them puts it on the wimpy driver, Nunzio, as a joke, but he becomes Big Head. Big Head kills the thugs and all of the crime lords, thus becoming the city's preeminent crime boss. Kathy, realizing the return of Big Head means Kellaway failed to hide the mask well enough, knows that it is up to her to stop him. She dresses as a hooker, and Big Head falls head over heels for her. She tricks him into taking off the mask, pulls out a gun, and as Nunzio dives for the mask she shoots and kills him. Kathy uses the mask to escape and decides to go after the real crime boss (from whom Big Head had stolen the office while he was in Miami), Don Mozzo. When Don comes back from Miami, he knows Big Head is after him and he goes to get help from the one man who can help him, Walter. After Kathy destroys the remaining mobsters, she comes across and gets into a fight with the only man left, Walter. However, Kathy decides to throw caution to the wind and surrenders after deciding neither one of them are going to die and soon some random bystander will just come across the Mask anyway and tosses it to Walter, but he seems to have no interest in it. Kellaway, recovered from the hospital, drives his car into Walter, sending him and the Mask into the docks.
''The Mask Strikes Back''
Four friends, named Rick (a disgruntled anarchist), Ben (a failed musician), Hugo (a recovering drug addict) and Archie (a teenage savant), feel that their lives are at a dead end, until Rick, fascinated by the Big Head murders, finds the magical mask by the city pier and brings it home. Realizing this was the source of their hero's power, each of the four take turns trying it on. They attempt to use its power to fix their lives but end up making things worse for themselves. By the end, Walter, having recovered since being plowed into by Kellaway, finds the mask in his hands and is unable to use it and, in frustration, throws it off into the distance with tremendous force.
This was the last series in the original Mask storyline by Arcudi and Mahnke. It was also the first to be made after the success of
the film
The Film is a 2005 Indian thriller film directed by Junaid Memon also produced along with Amitabh Bhattacharya. The film stars Mahima Chaudhry, Khalid Siddiqui, Ananya Khare, Chahat Khanna, Ravi Gossain, Vaibhav Jhalani and Vivek Madan in lea ...
, and, as such, the violence of the earlier stories was toned down and the comic aspects were more prominent than before.
''The Mask: The Hunt for Green October''
The Mask continues to find its way into the hands of unwitting wearers. One of these is Ray Tuttle, a loser film-buff with a grudge against an entrepreneur who escaped responsibility after a faulty theme park ride the latter owned caused the death of his wife, leaving his daughter, Emily, mute. Tuttle discovers the mask's power, but Lieutenant Kellaway and a group of terrorists aware of the mask's secrets are looking to take it from him. The title parodies the novel ''
The Hunt for Red October
''The Hunt for Red October'' is the debut novel by American author Tom Clancy, first published on October 1, 1984, by the Naval Institute Press. It depicts Soviet submarine captain Marko Ramius as he seemingly goes rogue with his country's cutt ...
''.
''The Mask: Southern Discomfort''
In
, the mask ends up in the hands of Eric Martin who tries to find his sister, who has been kidnapped by voodoo gangsters, while Lieutenant Kellaway looks for the mask so that he can destroy it.
''The Mask: Toys in the Attic''
Toy designer named Aldo Krasker gets his hands on the mask which leads him to subconsciously embark on a murder spree against high school colleagues who had ridiculed his acting skills. Lieutenant Kellaway joins the investigation so he can find the mask.
Doug Mahnke returned to illustrate the covers for this series.
''The Mask: I Pledge Allegiance to the Mask''
Acknowledging how the main series was dormant for twenty years, the mask had been buried in concrete for two decades, during which Kellaway retired in California and Kathy became mayor of Edge City. Struggling politician Abner Mead finds it, and as Big Head uses his uninhibited and at times violent outbursts to make himself endearing to the populace and run for President of the United States.
Specials, spin-offs, and crossovers
''The Mask: Official Movie Adaptation''
''The Mask: Official Movie Adaptation'' is a two-issue comic book adaptation of the 1994 film starring
Jim Carrey. In addition to retelling its story, the comic book version also contains deleted scenes most often seen as extra features in video releases of the movie, such as the death of the supporting character Peggy Brandt, and completely unseen moments, such as Stanley Ipkiss' watch being stolen by the same group of thugs that he pays back with the balloon animal routine. Some dialogue is also changed.
''The Mask: World Tour''
A new wearer of the magical mask finds his way traveling through Dark Horse Comics' universe.
''Adventures of the Mask''
Following the success of ''The Mask'' film, which led to the release of ''
The Mask: Animated Series'', Dark Horse published this spinoff comic series, which followed the continuity of the television cartoon. Like the show, this title combined elements of both the original adult comics and the movie. Elements from the film included The Mask as he was portrayed in the film: goofy, good-hearted and heroic with his trademark yellow suit and hat. From the early comics were Walter, still Pretorius' Henchman, and a Lieutenant Kellaway more like his original counterpart than as he was depicted in film.
''Walter: Campaign of Terror''
Big Head's arch-enemy and indestructible Mafia killer, Walter, runs for Mayor of Edge City.
"Night of the Return of the Living Ipkiss... Kinda"
After Kathy visits Ipkiss' grave, he returns from the dead as a zombie Big Head, with a thirst for revenge. Walking around the city, he finds and kills Kellaway, Walter, Don Mozzo, Lionel, many police officers, and a biker. When he finally finds Kathy, she yells at him, telling him that he does not have the mask anymore and he could not have come back to life as Big Head. After that, he becomes a pile of dust and all the individuals he murdered are brought back to life.
''Grifter and the Mask''
Grifter
A grifter may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Grifters (band), a 1990s American indie rock band
* ''The Grifters'' (novel), a 1963 American novel by Jim Thompson
* ''The Grifters'' (film), a 1990 American adaptation of the novel
* Grifter (ch ...
, of the
WildC.A.T.s., is sent to
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
to break up a weapons smuggling ring at a gun show. Trouble ensues when one of the tourists ends up with the mask, and Big Head causes a riot at the gun show by pulling a knife. Grifter initially mistakes the Mask for a target, but when the tourist's girlfriend is threatened, Grifter and the Mask team up to stop the smuggling ring.
''Lobo/Mask''
The alien bounty hunter
Lobo is hired to find the "Ultimate Bastich", a being who has decimated numerous planets. Lobo's hunt leads him to Earth, where a petty thief has become Big Head. In a battle that decimates Manhattan, Big Head finally offers to "help" Lobo find the "previous wearer."
The duo head through space causing mass destruction. At a space truck stop, Lobo eventually wins the mask for himself, puts it on, and causes even more damage. A black hole sends him back in time by a month and it turns out that he is, in fact, the Ultimate Bastich. Waking up on Earth and realizing this, Lobo tosses the mask back to the same spot where the thief found it. Lobo breaks the time loop when he meets his past self and turns his past self in for the reward money.
''The Mask: Virtual Surreality''
''The Mask: Virtual Surreality'' is a collection of stories by different authors. Stanley Ipkiss watches his favorite TV show ''
The Dukes of Hazzard
''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy TV series that was aired on CBS from January 26, 1979 to February 8, 1985. The show aired for 147 episodes spanning seven seasons. It was consistently among the top-rated television serie ...
'' when a commercial broadcast of Dr. Buzz Hedgaymes offers a new gadget for home entertainment: the Virtual Surreality. Dr. Hedgaymes offers The Mask a chance to test his new machine. Stanley takes up the offer, puts on the mask to bring his alter-ego out, and The Mask spins to Dr. Hedgaymes' lab within moments. The Mask arrives just as Hedgaymes begins to explain the machine to him, while testing it on him, and various events, including barbarians, superheroes and weird cartoons to demons, suddenly play with The Mask in Stanley Ipkiss's childhood, then ends up meeting Stanley's mother while he ends up being turned into a boy which Stanley's mother is like Stanley being kind, polite, nice and motherly to him, but then starts to get aggressive to him when she tells him to take his face off but he refuses so she tries to take his face off, which is when he realises something's not right considering that Stanley's mother is never like that and Stanley never told his mother about him. So The Mask discovers that Pretorius was Hedgaymes all along. Pretorius challenges The Mask to play
rock–paper–scissors
Rock paper scissors (also known by other orderings of the three items, with "rock" sometimes being called "stone," or as Rochambeau, roshambo, or ro-sham-bo) is a hand game originating in China, usually played between two people, in which each p ...
. Pretorius foresees the outcome, decides not to play fair and, using giant scissors, tries to cut The Mask's head off. The Mask counters with a giant hand made out of stone. The Mask then shows he is a fan of the show that Stanley was watching early, since he opts to go for another round of ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' before sending Pretorius to the police.
''The Mask/Marshal Law''
The Mask is applied to a superhuman
serial killer
A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A
*
*
*
* with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
as part of a secret government experiment which inevitably goes disastrously wrong.
Marshal Law
''Marshal Law'' is an English-language superhero comic book series created by Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neill.
''Marshal Law'' was first published by Epic Comics in 1987. The series is a satire on the superhero genre as well as a deconstruction of ...
is called in to take down a nemesis who is not only immune to his usual ultra-violence, but can warp reality according to his psychotic whims.
"Angry Young Mask"
"Angry Young Mask" is a short comic book story focusing on an 11-year-old boy named Ned, who has a problem with his unfair parents. One day he finds the mask and wears it, causing a lot of mischief in the process. Later, Ned removes the Mask and throws it in his backyard, but when morning comes, Ned finds his two-year-old brother Josh wearing the mask.
"No Mask Is an Island"
On hill roads at night, a professor of anthropology tells a young museum collector the history about the mask and its victims.
A depressed airplane pilot, smoking in a cargo area, finds the mask and goes insane. He flies and crashes an aircraft into a mountain killing the rest of his crew. He survives and, after removing the mask, becomes a resident of a mental institution.
Later at the crash site, a little girl living on a nearby farm, finds the mask and races home to show her abusive drunken father. That night the girl wears the mask and murders her father. She then calls the police to report a green-faced lunatic. Afterwards the girl is sent to a foster home with kindly foster parents. She goes to a church for confession and the priest takes the mask for safe keeping. A short time later he dons the mask and becomes a sex-crazed maniac with the nuns.
After the church's unsuccessful attempt at exorcism, the priest sadly removes the mask and claims that the mask forced him to do unspeakable things. The church hires a professor to trace the mask's origins and he discovers it is a thousand years old, made using African techniques, but decorated with Scandinavian motifs. After analyzing the mask, the professor can not give the church an explanation for it so they decide to destroy it. But the professor finds a museum which is willing to donate a small fortune to acquire the mask.
The young museum collector does not really believe the professor's story and puts the mask back in a box as they head for the city - presumably
Gotham City
Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List of Batman supporting characters#Bat-Family, allies and List of Batman fa ...
.
''Joker/Mask''
The
Joker inadvertently gets his hands on the magical mask after it is found in a Gotham City museum. With its power, the Joker begins to feel it is time to rejuvenate his career as a criminal, taking over Gotham TV and broadcasting his own shows. Lieutenant Kellaway finds his way to Gotham and helps
Batman and
Commissioner Gordon to defeat the newly super-powered Joker, Batman determining that the mask is not having its usual psychological effect on the wearer as the Joker always expressed his 'innermost desires', with the mask merely making him unstoppable. Batman is able to trick the Joker into removing the Mask by claiming that the villain is no longer funny, and is relying on tired schtick and the power of the Mask instead of using his own style, prompting the Joker's original head to emerge from his shoulder and actually converse with his Mask-head before he takes it off. Lieutenant Kellaway asks Batman to give him the Mask. Batman agrees and the Mask is last seen as Kellaway digs up Stanley Ipkiss's grave and buries the Mask there with his corpse.
''Itty Bitty Mask''
When mild-mannered zookeeper Herman Shazbert buys his wife a strange mask, his whole family wants to try it on.
The comics of the short-lived line ''Itty Bitty'' took a more silly and kid-friendly approach, similar to DC Comics' ''
Tiny Titans'', also illustrated by
Art Baltazar
Arthee "Art" Baltazar (born 1968) is an American comics artist and writer who currently works for DC Comics.
Career
Art Baltazar started making comic books with his self-published comic book, ''The Cray-Baby Adventures''. Since then he has crea ...
. Dark Horse Comics also released ''Itty Bitty
Hellboy
Hellboy is a fictional superhero created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. The character first appeared in ''San Diego Comic-Con Comics'' #2 (August 1993), and has since appeared in various eponymous miniseries, one-shots and intercompany crossover ...
'', ''Itty Bitty Comics: Grimmiss Island'', and ''Itty Bitty Hellboy: The Search for the Were-Jaguar''.
''The Mask'' omnibus collections
Dark Horse Comics has published two
omnibus editions featuring ''The Mask'' stories in chronological order. However, this collection didn't reprint bonus materials previously released in the individual trade paperbacks for the individual series, such as deleted pages, author forwards, and retrospectives.
''The Mask Omnibus Volume 1''
Collects ''The Mask'' #0–4, ''The Mask Returns'' #1–4 and ''The Mask Strikes Back'' #1–5. Published August 13, 2008. Second Edition published March 27, 2019.
''The Mask Omnibus Volume 2''
Collects ''The Mask: The Hunt for Green October'' #1–4, ''The Mask: World Tour'' #1–4, ''The Mask: Southern Discomfort'' #1–4, "Night of the Return of the Living Ipkiss... Kinda" and ''The Mask: Toys in the Attic'' #1–4. Published March 11, 2009. Second Edition published September 11, 2019.
''Adventures of the Mask Omnibus''
Collects ''The Mask: Official Movie Adaptation'' #1–2, ''Adventures of the Mask'' #1–12, ''The Mask: Virtual Surreality'', "Angry Young Mask" and "No Mask Is an Island". Published July 15, 2009.
Adaptations
''The Mask'' (1994)
A
film version
A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...
of ''The Mask'' was released in the United States on July 29, 1994, starring
Jim Carrey in the title role. Directed by
Chuck Russell
Charles Russell (born May 9, 1958) is an American filmmaker and actor known for his work on several genre films.
Some of Russell's best known films include the slasher fantasy film '' A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors'', the 1988 re ...
, the film co-starred
Peter Greene
Peter Greene (born Peter Green; October 8, 1965) is an American actor. A character actor, he is generally known for portraying villains. He is best known for the roles in the 1994 films ''The Mask'', where he plays the films antagonist, Dorian ...
as Dorian Tyrell,
Peter Riegert
Peter Riegert (born April 11, 1947) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Donald "Boon" Schoenstein in '' Animal House'' (1978), oil company executive "Mac" MacIntyre in '' Local Hero'' (1983), pickle store owner Sam Posner in ' ...
as Lt. Mitch Kellaway,
Orestes Matacena as Niko,
Richard Jeni
Richard John Colangelo (April 14, 1957[DOB according to Jeni's Website](_blank)
and Social Security Death Ind ...
as Charlie Schumacher,
Amy Yasbeck
Amy Marie Yasbeck (born September 12, 1962) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Casey Chappel Davenport on the sitcom ''Wings
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Acc ...
as Peggy Brandt, and
Cameron Diaz
Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is an American actress. With a variety of works in film, she is widely recognised for her work in romantic comedies and animation. Diaz has received various accolades, including nominations for ...
, in her screen debut, as Tina Carlyle.
Ben Stein has a cameo role as Dr. Arthur Neuman.
While there were early efforts to take the film in the direction of horror (some at
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after ...
saw it as a replacement for their fading ''
A Nightmare on Elm Street
''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' is a 1984 American supernatural slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Robert Shaye. It is the first installment in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' franchise and stars Heather Langenka ...
'' franchise), it was never completely intended as a "dark horror" picture.
New Line had problems coming up with a script that could show violence that was comical, but had more success with a story that was primarily a comedy and had violence. Mike Richardson and Chuck Russell always pushed in the direction of the second option, which was eventually adopted. Executive producer
Michael De Luca
Michael De Luca (born August 13, 1965) is an American film studio executive, film producer and screenwriter. The former president of production at both New Line Cinema and DreamWorks, De Luca has been nominated for three Academy Awards for Bes ...
's suggestion of Jim Carrey for the lead, together with the "Cuban Pete" production number in the screenplay, set the final tone for the film.
The plot of the film was loosely based on the first half of the Arcudi/Mahnke comic book miniseries.
The film also inspired a spin-off
video game adaptation
An adaptation is a transfer of a work of art from one style, culture or medium to another.
Some common examples are:
* Film adaptation, a story from another work, adapted into a film (it may be a novel, non-fiction like journalism, autobiography ...
, released for the
Super NES
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in ...
in 1995.
''The Mask: Animated Series'' (1995–1997)
The film version of the character subsequently appeared in an animated TV series entitled ''
The Mask: Animated Series'' (with
Rob Paulsen as Stanley Ipkiss/The Mask). John Arcudi wrote season one's "How Much is That Dog in the Tin Can" and season three's "The Goofalotatots" (a parody of
Warner Bros. Animation
Warner Bros. Animation Inc. is an American animation studio which is part of the Warner Bros. Television Studios division of Warner Bros., a flagship of Warner Bros. Discovery. As the successor to Warner Bros. Cartoons, which was active from 19 ...
's ''
Animaniacs
''Animaniacs'' is an American animated comedy musical television series created by Tom Ruegger for Fox Broadcasting Company's Fox Kids block in 1993, before moving to The WB in 1995, as part of its Kids' WB afternoon programming block, until ...
'', which Paulsen starred in). The series took many elements from the source film but made numerous changes. Tina was absent, and reporter Peggy Brandt had become the main female character, but not a love interest. Also, unlike in the film, Ipkiss appeared to be able to use the mask in daytime as well as at night, while gaining the mischievous and heroic personality of The Mask along with having superpowers. The series also had a
crossover
Crossover may refer to:
Entertainment
Albums and songs
* ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album)
* ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987
* ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album)
* ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album)
* ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
with ''
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective'', another animated series based on a Jim Carrey film.
Four
VHS volumes of the series were released (an extra two in Australia), all of which are now out of print. Upon the initial DVD release of ''
Son of the Mask
''Son of the Mask'' is a 2005 superhero comedy film directed by Lawrence Guterman. A stand-alone sequel to ''The Mask'' (1994), it is the second installment in ''The Mask'' franchise, an adaptation of the comic book series of the same name by Da ...
'',
Wal-Mart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
stores sold an exclusive two-pack of the film with the pilot episode of the animated series ("The Mask Is Always Greener on the Other Side" Parts 1 and 2).
''Son of the Mask'' (2005)
''Son of the Mask'' is the
stand-alone sequel to the 1994 film, directed by
Lawrence Guterman
Lawrence Guterman (born July 18, 1966) is a Canadian film director known for his work in companies like DreamWorks, Warner Bros., New Line Cinema and Universal. He directed the feature films ''Cats & Dogs'' (2001) and ''Son of the Mask'' (2005) ...
. The film had an $84 million budget and a $17 million domestic box office gross,
along with a $40 million foreign box office gross.
Director Chuck Russell, who helmed the original film, expressed his interest in a sequel in his 1996
LaserDisc commentary. He was hoping Carrey would return, along with Amy Yasbeck. Russell had decided to cut the scenes when Peggy dies and leave the character open for the sequel, which became this film. The concept was completely changed when Carrey decided not to return. Though it does exist in the same universe as the 1994 film, the plot instead focuses on another man (played by
Jamie Kennedy
James Harvey Kennedy (born May 25, 1970) is an American actor and comedian. He has played Randy Meeks in the ''Scream'' franchise (1996–2000) and a multitude of characters in '' The Jamie Kennedy Experiment'' (2002–2004) on The WB. His oth ...
) who finds the mask and unintentionally conceives a child while wearing it. The result is a son who possesses the powers of the mask without needing to wear it. At the same time, Loki (played by
Alan Cumming), the Norse God and original creator of the mask, searches the human world attempting to find it.
Ben Stein reprises his role of Dr. Arthur Neuman from the first film. He is involved in the film to reestablish the relationship between the mask and its creator Loki. He is the only actor to appear in both films as well as the animated series.
''Space Jam: A New Legacy'' (2021)
The Stanley Ipkiss version of the Mask appears in ''
Space Jam: A New Legacy''. He is among the Warner Bros. Serververse inhabitants that watch the basketball match between the Tune Squad and the Goon Squad. The Mask can be seen with two versions of the
Penguin from the Batman franchise, one from the 1966 ''
Batman'' Television series and one from the 1992 film ''
Batman Returns
''Batman Returns'' is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton and written by Daniel Waters. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to ''Batman'' (1989) and the second installment in the 1989–1997 ''Batman ...
''.
References
External links
Maskat
Don Markstein's ToonopediaArchivedfrom the original on February 15, 2016.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mask, The
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Loki