My first Halloween was the only year I got a store-bought costume. It was a Ben Cooper Spider-man in all its red, blue and yellow shame (I won't go into how disappointed I was with the off-model coloring). Every year after that, I was on my own to make myself up with whatever resources I had. I've written previously how I used my mom's makeup and Imagineering vampire blood and teeth to transform myself into a wannabe Wolfman (everyone thought I was a tramp). I never had any actual Halloween makeup like this.
This Mummy Make-Up Disguise Kit comes from a little-known company called Spearhead Industries. It dates from 1981. While it's hard to see, it comes with a "mirror" on the front of the packaging so you can check yourself out. It's actually just a thin strip of reflective foil.
Kudos to the kid on the box (although I'm sure he didn't do the actual makeup), but I'm not seeing "mummy" in the end results. I suspect many of the homes he trick or treated were as baffled with his Mummy as my Wolfman.
As I mentioned, little is known about Spearhead Industries. They were based on Minneapolis, Minnesota and based on what products I could find, were in business from at least 1978 to 1989.
They were makers of those fondly-remembered Kooky Spooks costumes.
I also found this Dracula Cape made by them on eBay.
And they even made Ghostbusters makeup in 1989.
While no pictures show up on the site, this list of trademarked items for Spearhead gives you an idea of their breadth in the holiday novelty industry.





if it helps, NOBODY ever made those make-up kits work. i remember using one (vampire? who knows) and of course nobody knew what i was. getting asked at every house "And what are *you* supposed to be?" is just devastating as a kid.
ReplyDeleteYep, their stingy (often dried out) little splotches of paint never came closing to being enough to allow for the kind of outcome shown on the packaging!
DeleteI remember a Halloween at my house where you were a most impressive skeleton.
DeleteThat child looks nothing like a mummy. We tried going as the Marx brothers once. Nobody knew I was Harpo.
ReplyDeleteThat's because you kept talking. ;)
DeleteThis is a good header. Awesome!
ReplyDeleteIt was definitely the golden age of packaging.
DeleteYeah, I dunno what that is, but definitely not a mummy!
ReplyDelete