The Mask (comics): Difference between revisions

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[[File:250px-Msktpb_4139.jpg|frame|'Big head' [[Darker and Edgier|is not as harmless]] [[The Mask (~~Film~~)|as you remember it]]]

[[File:250px-Msktpb_4139.jpg|frame|'Big head' [[Darker and Edgier|is not as harmless]] [[The Mask (film)|as you remember it]]]

]

''The Mask'' is a comic book series [[Adaptation Displacement|best known as the inspiration for]] [[The Mask (~~Film~~)|that film where Jim Carrey was even more of a live-action cartoon character than usual]]. Unlike the movie, the comic book [[Darker and Edgier|is ''not'' harmless slapstick]], fitting much better in the comedy horror genre.

''The Mask'' is a comic book series [[Adaptation Displacement|best known as the inspiration for]] [[The Mask (film)|that film where Jim Carrey was even more of a live-action cartoon character than usual]]. Unlike the movie, the comic book [[Darker and Edgier|is ''not'' harmless slapstick]], fitting much better in the comedy horror genre.

The story of the comics begins when Stanley Ipkiss, a seemingly nice guy with repressed violent thoughts buys a green mask (really a semi-living artifact stolen from a tribe in Africa) for his girlfriend, Kathy. Putting the mask on that night and suddenly changing into a green-headed being with near-infinite powers, Stanley spends the next several months killing anyone he dislikes and becoming increasingly militant and deranged, until a final showdown with police and his girlfriend leaves him dead. The mask ends up in the hands of police Lt. Kellaway, who becomes the next "Big Head", carrying out similar murders against anyone he dislikes, until he finally realized what was happening. The stories over the years followed the mask itself as it went from owner to owner, usually pursued by Kellaway as he was one of very few who knew the truth.

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=== The comics had the following tropes: ===

* [[Amusing Injuries]]: Subverted. Big Head's shtick includes re-creating cartoony injuries like [[Squashed Flat]], [[Torso ~~With~~ a View]], etc. -- but with realistic amounts of blood and pain.

* [[Amusing Injuries]]: Subverted. Big Head's shtick includes re-creating cartoony injuries like [[Squashed Flat]], [[Torso with a View]], etc. -- but with realistic amounts of blood and pain.

* [[Adaptation Distillation]]: While it's hard to think this could apply to the original Mask comics... they were actually the product of John Arcudi and Doug Mahnke fleshing out and adapting Mike Richardson's original "Masque" concept. Most of the original ideas remained intact, however.

* [[Art Evolution]]: The artist Doug Mahnke's pencilling style evolves quite a bit throughout the first album.

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* [[The Juggernaut]]: Walter.

* [[Lost Tribe]]: The mask itself originally belonged to an unnamed African tribe, which used it in their rituals.

* [[Mythology Gag]]: In ''The Mask Strikes Back'', a reference is made to Big Head wearing a yellow zoot suit, which is part of the [[The Mask (~~Film~~)|film version's iconic outfit]] but which the comic book version is never seen wearing (except in some of the crossovers).

* [[Mythology Gag]]: In ''The Mask Strikes Back'', a reference is made to Big Head wearing a yellow zoot suit, which is part of the [[The Mask (film)|film version's iconic outfit]] but which the comic book version is never seen wearing (except in some of the crossovers).

* [[No Man Should Have This Power]]: Kathy gives the mask to Lt Kellaway for safe keeping. When he finds he can't trust himself with it, he buries in concrete (which of course only keeps it down until the beginning of the next story arc).

* [[No Name Given]]: Lt. Kellaway's first name is never revealed. He even refused to tell people when asked.

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[[Category:Comic Book]]

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