Since it looks like this topic is back I'd like to remind people that Ghost Face is one of the most popular ripoff masks of all time and the original artist hasn't seen a cent in profits (very long thread🧵)
https://twitter.com/bigrowdydemon/status/1711095358791798827
The year was 1990, and sculptor Loren Gitthens made a new costume for a Halloween party at Tony Gardner’s (the guy who got decapitated in Chucky) Alterian Studios, basing the design on a bedsheet ghost and a different mask he sculpted.
During a slump in business a few months later, the artists had the idea to start selling their own designs. Six designs were made, including Loren's ghost, and were included in kits with glue and paints, so that when glued to a bedsheet, you could have your own ghost costume!
Creating a new business under the name of Alterian Ghost Factory, Tony started marketing the costumes (called the Ghost Maker) in various magazines and trade shows. In March 1991 they would be marketed at the Chicago Halloween trade show.
This is where Fun World comes into the story. At the time, Fun World was already infamous for ripping off masks from other companies, such as Don Post. Pictured below is the original mask by Don Post in an ad for Halloween 3, and the imitation by Fun World.
Fun World was at that same trade show, and I believe even expressed some interest in the Ghost Factory line. But one thing is clear - Fun World and Alterian never made any licensing deals or agreements.
Regardless of if Fun World ever talked to Alterian, several months later in-house designer Brigitte Sleiertin-Liden received a request from the company to sketch up some designs based on a picture of existing masks, which she proceeded to do.
After Liden's designs were approved and sculpted, "Item #9206 Glow-in-the-Dark Ghost Mask with Shroud" hit store shelves, in black and white shrouds. Almost immediately it can be noticed that these four designs look suspiciously similar to the ones shown at the trade show.
The other three masks, now known from left to right as the Silly, Goofy, and Happy Ghosts, fell to the wayside, but the Weeping Ghost, in its very first incarnation, is now one of the most sought after masks in the collecting community, with tagged instances going for thousands.
Several years after all of this, Loren, who had left the effects industry, was in a drugstore and saw the Fun World masks on display. Immediately recognizing his design, he was amused and thought nothing of it, considering them just another cheap knockoff.
By 1995, Wes Craven was getting ready to shoot his next movie, Scream. The film’s killer still needed a mask, and while location scouting, producer Marianne Maddalen found a familiar face sitting in a bedroom. Wes loved it, but they didn't have the rights to use it at the time.
Several mask concepts were made but none of them had the proper feel, so KNB Effects made a version of the mask that was nearly identical but still legally distinct. This version was used early in filming and can still be seen in scenes with Drew Berrymore and Henry Winkler.
However, they were successfully able to talk to Fun World and obtain the rights to use the mask, and Ghost Face was born. The Weeping Ghost's popularity skyrocketed and the following year Fun World began marketing the masks as seen in Scream, and also started selling robes.
One last thing of note is that in 1999, the line began to officially use the Ghost Face name. Coined by licensing director RJ Torbert, the recognizable name led to the line becoming the famous Halloween juggernaut it is today.
And now we reach the modern era of Ghost Face. It's been over 30 years since that original Alterian concept. Fun World still makes Ghost Face masks and products, and the mask has become so popular it's now branded as "The Icon of Halloween". 
Fun World denies any wrongdoing on their part - they now claim that the mask was designed by company president Alan Geller (ignoring their designer Brigitte Sleiertin-Linden), and Torbert blocks/threatens anybody who tries to point out the true origins of the design.
They also hate people selling the design they stole - Burbench Designs, an independent studio that made replicas of the KNB mask, was recently told to stop selling them after someone notified Fun World.
This is absurd because Fun World sells Burkbench masks - the Silent Screamer (found at Walmart and Dollar General) is a Burkbench creation!
So is there anything we can do? We can keep spreading the truth - if either Fun World or Miramax admit wrongdoing on their part, then hopefully things will change for the better. Maybe this could even lead to restrictions on IP theft in masks. We'll just have to wait and see.
If you want to get your own Ghost Maker, check out November Novelties on Insta: instagram.com/novnovmasks?ig…
And also, Fun World may have shitty standards, but their artists are very skilled. Please don’t go after them!
Glad to see this thread got so many people’s attention. The history behind them is unfortunately very disappointing but I still enjoy collecting the masks - they’ve become a major pop culture icon and one of my favorite mask designs.
Muting this thread but before I do, check out the Ghostface Collectors and Ghostface Enthusiasts groups on Facebook, as well as Drowned Boy Productions on YouTube - great sources of info on all things Ghost Face! youtube.com/@DrownedBoyPro…
If you have concerns you want to express to the company, Fun World is on Instagram, and RJ Torbert is here on Twitter
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
