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Behind the Mask with Jeremy Bohr

credit Tommy (Homicidal9 for this great interview)

One of the most talented sculptors in the buness today is none other than Jeremy Bohr. Many of you have either seen or own one of his past creations. From his Big City Slasher to his Werewolve masks to his Victor Crowley bust his work truly speaks for itself. Many of his sculpts go into production with other companies such as Darkde Studios and others. It's time to go Behind the Mask with the legendary Jeremy Borh....

How did you get starting in sculpting and mask making in the first place?

I started sculpting about 12-13 years ago after I found Tom Savini's first book at the library one day. As everyone probably knows there isn't really any info in there about making latex masks, just foam latex appliances, so that's what I started with. About a year later I found the Monster Makers te and started sculpting and casting masks.

Are you a fan of the horror genre and why or why not?

Horror movies are definitely my favorites but, I do like all good cinema. My wife has convinced me to watch a few "chick" flicks here and there that I have actually enjoyed now and then, so I try to keep an open mind about everything.

What was your first sculpt?

The first thing I ever sculpted was a droopy eye appliance for my buddy. I just sculped this mple thing and applied it the best I knew how. It turned out as a pretty effective makeup but, after taking the makeup off him I realized I didn't like having nothing to show for all the work except some pictures. At that point I decided to start working on something permanent. That's when I started on masks.

What was/is your favorite thing to sculpt and why?

Overall I would have to say I like sculpting freaks and abnormalities. Trying to make sense out of a tangled mess of flesh is usually very fun. I don't get too many opportunities do that stuff as it usually relates to original work ad most people prefer me to do replicas.

You are well known for a great quality product with a very fast turnaround time, how are you able to do it, when so many other mask makers cannot seem to follow a time table?

This is something I don't really understand. Maybe it just comes down to mple life habits and ethics. My family is and has been a family of concrete contractors. My Great Grandfather, Grandfather, Father, Uncles and Couns did or do concrete work. This is what I do and did before my little excuron into the masking making biz for a few years. It is a very hard and demanding line of work which requires a lot of planning, timing, and execution. When I was making masks full time this was the kind of work ethic I brought to it. It served me well and also made my social life non-existent. That and all the constant backlash I was getting made me quit. I may do a mask lineup again in the future though. With what I have learned and all the resources I have today that I didn't have then I might be able to do something special.

How do you feel when you see a mask you sold for say 100-150 being sold 6 months down the line for sometimes triple your original asking price?

Mixed feelings I suppose. Most of the masks I was doing were made assembly line style in the shop to get them done faster and cheaper with matching paint jobs. Many of the people who are new to the masks scene don't realize that a lot of the masks floating around were sold for $60-$70 dollars. I didn't mean for them to be ultra realistic collector pieces, just fun wearable masks that everyone could afford. For some reason a lot of people didn't agree with what I was trying to do and they gave me nothing but grief.

What is the one thing you absolutely despise about mask making?

I have made hundreds upon hundreds of molds and I hate it every time I do it.

If there was one thing that you had the opportunity to sculpt and create, no worries about money or licenses, or other issues, what would it be and why?

A full ze Monster Squad Gillman figure. This is my favorite movie monster and hopefully sometime soon I will finally be able to do this project.

Is there one mask/sculpt/creation that really stands out in your mind as being your best, what is it, and why?

No, I guess not. The process of creating something new is what drives me. I fall in love with whatever I'm working on and fall out of love when I start on something new. I'll admit that there are times when I sculpt fast to get something done for a paycheck and I have no attachment to the piece whatsoever. Once a year though I try and do something special that I take a lot of time with to improve my abilities.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of trying to make mask making a full time job/profeson?

The advantages as I see them are: Being your own boss. Working on something you enjoy most of the time. Flexibility in work schedule.

The disadvantages are: Long hours. Working on things you don't care much for. Loss of social life. Constant ring cost of materials. Exposure to toxic chemicals. Inconstent stream of income.

What are your honest opinions of the hobby as a whole?

To be honest, I'm a little worried about the hobby. Every month it seems like some new flake is coming out of the woodwork to steal from collectors. This has been very detrimental to the amount of trust collectors have so they are not collecting as much. This means less money out there for the artists which in turn means less artists doing less work. There used to be an over abundance of artists working on all kinds of things and now it isn't the same. The bickering on message boards did a lot to drive many artists away and I'm not seeing a whole lot of new blood coming along to fill the gaps. 6-8 years ago there was a second renaissance period in the hobby. I'm really hopeful another crop of artists will come along and start a new one.

A giant thanks goes out to Jeremy for taking time out of his schedule to t down with us. Jeremy is a legendary sculptor and mask maker, there is no doubt about it! And it was great to hear about how he worked his way through the ranks to get to where he is today....

here are some of Jeremy's past masks and busts....

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Great interview. Thanks for taking the time to put it together Tommy.

Jeremy does great work and on top of that he's a great guy to deal with. One of the true profesonals out there.

Lee summed it up pretty nicely. Jeremy is one of the best out there. He is, was, and always will be one of the best in terms of service and quality....

take care, Tommy

great interview. My first mask was made by Jeremy Bohr.. it was a part 6 featured creatures hood.. I miss it!

Bravo, r...I'm glad to see Jeremy getting some recognition! I've been buying/selling/trading masks back and forth with him for around ten years now and he has been constently efficient, profesonal and just plain great to do buness with. JB is a monsterrific great sculptor and painter, but perhaps more gnificantly, he's a conscientious and reliable person; the kind of artist who gives the hobby a good name.

I know what you mean, JB--- It is next-to-imposble to make enough money to put blood and spiders on the table solely with one's own full-time mask buness.

But the limited number of masks that can be made with such personal attention to detail and excellence makes each piece all the more precious and (dare I say it?) collectible. Here's to a future full of nauseatingly successful monstroties for Jeremy Bohr!

Great interview!

Jeremy is a great artist, my first mask came from his selection.

Amazing interview and certainly a guy who I wish was still making the Cropsy masks. I was lucky enough to get one he had done and the paint job and details to it are amazing. Hard to imagine they used to sell for 60 bucks and now the cheapest I find is around 150 to 300 or more.