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Female Masks in the Real World

Part One

by Brittany Rose

For the past few months we've looked at masks in comics, and we've commented how perfectly they work. Slip on the mask, and you're immediately the identical twin to the woman in every way. Like most of the things we find in comics, the fantasy is light-years from the reality. But what is the reality where female masks are concerned? For this we go to the expert.

Kerry is a crossdresser with a fascination for female masks. When she couldn't find any that suited her, she started making her own, and now has a successful Internet business. I sent her a list of questions, and you can read her informative and insightful responses. All of the pictures are of masks that she makes and/or sells. Kerry also makes her own superheroine costumes, and we'll be talking to her about those in a future column.

BR: How did you first get interested in female masks?

Kerry: I think that's like asking why someone is transgendered. I think at its earliest it was an interest in transformation, and a female mask seemed the most extreme way that could be done. But who knows?

BR: How did that interest develop?

Kerry: I can recall in the 4th grade having a fairly good-looking female teacher with big blonde hair. Now I couldn't tell you what caused this thought but I imagined she could be wearing a full head mask - except she had a fairly low-cut neckline on her dresses (at least for 1970) which would have meant a mask would have to extend down her neck and out over her shoulders. Needless to say, I was way too young to ever translate those images into anything sexual. But once I hit puberty, I would be fascinated by movies and TV shows (particularly Lynda Day George on "Mission: Impossible") who could put on rubber masks and instantly become someone else. This became a real fixation for me when everyone else around me probably was thinking about girls. Ah well.

BR: Do you crossdress without a mask?

Kerry: I have but I've never found a group of people I was really interested in doing it with locally, since the only thing we had in common was being crossdressers. They didn't really seem to have an appreciation for my interests in masks and costuming, so I don't really participate in that "scene" any longer.

BR: Do you crossdress with masks in public?

Kerry: I am a fixture at local science fiction conventions in my masks and costumes, but I don't walk around the local malls in them, if that's what you are asking.

BR: How do people respond when they see you masked?

Kerry: They get really freaked out. I think it's the dead-looking painted eyes. I've had people I'm sitting with turn to me and say, "You're really creepy looking." Let's face it, the unnaturality of it can be unsettling.

BR: Do you pass?

Kerry: If I wear sunglasses and street clothes, I would say yes, as long as someone doesn't examine me too closely. And I try to never talk in a mask - it looks weird and I can't do the voice anyway.

BR: How have other TG's respond to you as a masked crossdresser?

Kerry: The ones who are also into masks love it. But the rest just don't get it. But that's okay, there are a lot of fetishes I don't understand either.

BR: Over the last few months in my comics column we've been looking at how wonderfully realistic female masks in comics are. Why aren't masks in the real world that realistic?

Kerry: *I* believe everything I read in comics is realistic! But seriously, obviously it is easy in fiction to depict something that doesn't really exist in the real world. The short answer is, it's not possible to have a rubber mask move like a natural face would (there are dozens of muscles controlling every twitch you make - by the way, the "face transplants" in "Face/Off" are just as unbelievable). Not to mention things like bone structure - person A can't just wear a mask of person B and suddenly be their lookalike. A good example of this are the actors who play aliens in "Star Trek." Despite being covered in thick foam latex appliances (which have been individually sculpted to fit them precisely) you can still always recognize who it is. I think what is really more fascinating is the fact that despite such absurdities the public *willingly* goes along with such deceptions (i.e. a suspension of disbelief) whenever they see someone put on a mask and instantly change. Clearly, people *want* to believe such a thing is possible (as much as space travel, dinosaurs, or any other odd convention) or else we wouldn't continue to see it used as a plot gimmick.

BR: Do you think that will improve?

Kerry: The technology of masks? Well given the limitations I've stated above, I suppose it's possible. And those radio-controlled heads that Jim Henson's company uses are getting more and more realistic. Whether these would technically qualify as "masks" is another question.

BR: Do you see masking as a part of being a TG, a fetish, or something else?

Kerry: It's definitely TG activity if it's a man wearing a female mask (you'd be surprised how many times I had to calmly but matter-of-factly inform someone who loves wearing female masks, wigs, etc. that they are in fact crossdressers by definition.) Is it a fetish? Absolutely.

BR: How did you get into the mask making business?

Kerry: Quite by accident! I have never been able to find decent realistic looking female rubber masks for sale, so I just started experimenting on my own. I did a few crude efforts and then people started asking me, "Hey, can I buy one of those?" Since then I've discovered a few other sources (mostly European) selling masks but at greatly inflated prices (nearly double mine). There is a market for them, and I'm surprised more people aren't exploiting it.
An inside view of a mask.

BR: How do you make a mask?

Kerry: Usually a face or head is sculpted in clay, then a two-part (front and back) mold in plaster is made of it, and then liquid latex is poured in layers to make a one-piece full head mask.

BR: Describe the different masks you have available.

Kerry: I originally started with what I call the "Klassic Kerry." It's basically a plastic face mask that I've adapted to a full-head mask and done in latex. Then I had a sculptor do two original designs for me: "Dana," based loosely on an actress I found fascinating; and "Roberta" a black female. I was fascinated by the idea of doing a transgendered transracial outfit but clearly I'm in the minority, as I've never sold a single one! Then I started selling replicas of a mask ("Emeraald") originally designed by Paul Barrett-Brown (a Briton who designed Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman costume for "Batman Returns") that was being imported and sold by Centurians. This year I commissioned an Asian looking mask called "Michelle," and then a mask that was originally designed to go along with a full body foam latex bodysuit I had made for me (which wasn't entirely successful - but that's another story). The mask ("Sheila") however, was, and is proving a big seller in just its first month of sales.

BR: How can someone purchase one of your masks?

Kerry: Send me money! People interested should check out my company's website, users.aol.com/tiresiastv where they can see images and choose from the wide variety of styles. Then just email me with the details of what you are interested in and I'll send you the price (which start at $125 for basic orders in the USA) and ordering instructions. My turnaround time is pretty quick; most of the time is usually waiting for the checks to arrive. No CODs!

BR: What are your future plans, including your female body suit and the upcoming convention?

Kerry: World Domination ultimately. But until then, I intend to experiment with the female bodysuit molds until I make something decent, keep putting out our monthly "Mask Mailing List," being a resource for people interested in masks, and of course our first ever convention (Maskon) to be held over Halloween in San Francisco just for female mask fans. Over the past few years I've met other mask fans all across the country and they've all been extremely nice and seemingly ordinary individuals, and we never fail to have a good time together. I'm hoping our convention is a big success. And I would like to eventually take my experience in filmmaking and make a movie or documentary that features lots of masks and disguises.

BR: Where can TG's get more information about female masks, on the web and off?

Kerry: The Female Mask Homepage members.aol.com/martifm run by my pal Marti is the very best place to start online. Offline, there is the rare fetish or rubber magazine that has some mask features but they are few and far between (and most of the activity seems to have peaked in the 1970s). However, maybe we can bring on a renaissance in the mask scene, so that others can find us and make contact with kindred souls (if I had a dime for every time I've gotten a message that began, "I thought I was the only person out there with this fetish..." I'd be rich!).

BR: Is there anything else about female masks that I haven't asked that the readers might want to know?

Kerry: Masks can fun. Masks can be addictive. Obviously they aren't for everyone, but neither is crossdressing. I'm glad I've been able to help others out who have wanted to express themselves in this way.

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