By - Steve Mezo
Continuing from my visit to Monster Mini Golf I want to give a shout out to my friend Douglas "The Fortress" Cobb.
Doug in one of his hand made leather mask.
Douglas is a professional mask maker, costumer and haunt set builder. I have known him and his wife Christina (She is such a sweetheart) for years and have never been not impressed with his work.
Now I know you're saying "Well if you like them so much why are you only talking about his work now?!"
The simple answer is Doug is a very private person and I respect that, but after much begging and pleading he's letting me talk about his work (Just as long as I only show him in costume).
I'm sure you've seen this picture of me amillion times.
This was the second custom leather mask created for me my Doug. I love using these because they are easy to wear and clean up great with a little anti bacterial soap after a gig.
The first custom mask I had made by Doug was way back in 2001. I really liked the original Scarecrow that Doug had created, but I wanted a slightly more Jack - O- Lantern look to it.
Then when Christmas Season Started I had to have a mask for my Krampus Claws character.
Doug had quite a few designs and I wish I still had the photos from his original mask and prop site when the Haunt Industry business was still in it's prime. But one of my favorites that I was able to find a picture of is a leather sleeve that fit over the chain guide of chainsaws and gave the illusion that it was live.
This one is painted to work with a black light haunt.
Normally Doug paints them black with silver highlights, Doug had painted mine with the realistic finish and customers complained that I was keeping the chain on the chain guide.
But I was able to get some pictures of Doug's set building and dressing for "The Big Top of Terror"
"And his work for Scary Central"
I still think it's wild how dressing a haunt set is so much different than dressing a horror movie set. When I was working with Hollowgraves Haunted Manor I went about detailing the rooms to make it look more like people really lived there at one time. But I learned a hard and expensive lesson fast.
The Hollowgraves Haunted Manor Dining Rom when it was still a actor jump scare.
Now it's been redesigned and redecorated for the new fright.
When people are watching a horror movie they are sitting in one spot and taking everything in with their eyes. So the more detail that's added to the surroundings the better.
But with a haunt they're trying to take everything in at once. So in their controlled panic they miss allot of it. Or they would just trash anything within reach. That's when I really got an appreciation for haunt set builders and dressers.
When people like Doug create sets they know that they only have seconds to give the audience a show. So everything has to be as simple but stand out as possible. Allot of it may come across as (anybody can do that). But you have to be that good of an artist to make it look that easy,and Doug is.
Then Doug had to really top himself and send me this!
This has to be one of the coolest things I have received in the mail ever!
Thank you Doug!!!
