On the left is the prosthetic, "Creature," and on the right is an example of that prosthetic after being applied and colored.
By Ed Avis
Quality prosthetics are the foundation of countless creative looks, and FX Faces Studios has been a leading maker of these for over 25 years. Their products are used by professional makeup artists, haunted attractions, theater productions, and film creators who demand quality prosthetics that bring characters to life.
NCA Member Abracadabra NYC in New York City has sold FX Faces Studios prosthetics for years, and owner Brian Clark appreciates the quality and craftsmanship behind them. So when the owners of FX Faces recently announced they were retiring, Clark decided it was time for Abracadabra to make the leap from retailer to vendor.
“It’s a good brand that has done well for us here at the store,” Clark says. “So we ended up working a deal out where we bought the molds for the prosthetics and the brand itself and the domain for the website.”
At first, Clark considered actually manufacturing the products at his company’s warehouse in New Jersey, but then struck a deal with a quality manufacturer with a lot of experience in that line. It made sense to tap their expertise rather than jump into the world of manufacturing.
The name of the company will remain FX Faces Studios. Clark has completed the catalog and wholesale price list, and he’s added a wholesale portal so NCA members and other customers can conveniently order products. (See links at the end of this article.)
"Evil Bunny"
Extensive Line
The FX Faces catalog contains seven pages packed with make-up ready latex prosthetics. The line includes “Animalistic” faces such as Termite, Bat and Bulldog; the “Beastly” category including Devil, Troll and Imp; the “Decrepit” line, such as Mummy and Scarecrow; plus a wide range of zombies, circus characters, and others.
All of the products are prosthetics, not finished masks, which means the creator can add his or her own touches to the look. They are held on to the face of the user with adhesive and, once applied, can be colored with a variety of make-up options.
Naturally Halloween is the biggest season for these products, but some – such as those that can transform someone into an old man – are probably destined for the movies or theater productions.
"Goblin"
More Designs Coming
Clark says he wants to first secure the business of the existing customers – such as haunts, movie makers and key retailers – but then plans to grow the business with new designs.
“I think one of the reasons the previous owners started to get out of the business was because they only had so much bandwidth,” Clark says. “It was a husband and wife that were doing it, and those two were doing everything by themselves. Now we have our full team here and everybody's really excited about this.”
Among the projects ahead is creating effective packaging that will show buyers how the prosthetics can look once they’re colored, and investing in social media content that will highlight well-made finished creations using the prosthetics.
“We’re well equipped with all the assets we need to make this thing grow. I mean, we just have a tremendous amount of diverse talent here in the store.”
Discount for NCA Members
Clark is offering a 10 percent discount for NCA members for any orders placed before February 27. Click here to go to the wholesale site to apply for a wholesale account -- put "(NCA)" after your company name on the application so Brian knows to apply your 10 percent discount. And click here to download the catalog PDF. And click here to download the order form.