Charles Manson
[Photo via Youtube]

Charles Manson mask makers got “a lot of hate” over use of ashes

A couple of weeks ago, Charles Manson hit the news cycle again. This time, not for anything he’d done, however. It was due to some artists making masks of Manson’s face.

Now, the creators of the masks have spoken of the hostility they’ve received regarding their creations.

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It all started when two artists out of Akron, Ohio took things to a whole new level. Ryan Almighty, and prolific mask-maker Rick “Sik Rik” Fisher, got together and cultivated a very creepy, you want to look away but you can’t, mask. Fisher gave the mask a professional look as he’s created licensed masks and sculptures for MotörheadIron Maiden and more.

The artists used some very peculiar ingredients to make the masks. In addition to normal mask-making products, they added human blood and, Manson’s actual ashes. That is where the controversy begins. Before we move on, check out the video below to see the masks.

Speaking with Rolling Stone Almighty discusses the backlash he’s received from his creation.

“I’ve gotten a lot of death threats,” Almighty says. “I’ve gotten a lot of hate from people who are actually Manson devotees.” It’s not just devotees that are angry with Almighty, but the superstitious and those who find the whole things distasteful as well.

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“It’s a touchy subject,” he explains. “It’s a crime that happened 50 years ago, and there are stories of fact and fiction that go along with the whole thing.”

The artists are keeping the item in their possession due to the significance of what they have created. Apparently, they understand the gravity of the situation and the pain and sorrow behind it.

“In my over 20 years of watchdogging the murderabilia industry, quite frankly, this is one of the most [sick] and depraved items I’ve ever seen for sale — and I’ve seen a lot of bizarre items,” Andy Kahan, director of victim services and advocacy at Crime Stoppers of Houston says.

“We continue to, for whatever reason, glorify cult leader Manson who was responsible for so many horrific murders, and yet we continue to give him immortality and infamy that he richly doesn’t deserve even after death, and [he] continues to be a larger than life figure.”

This isn’t the first time Almighty has used Manson for his artwork either. After his passing in 2017, Almighty created a portrait of the infamous cult leader with the ashes, and of course, blood. The painting then ended up going to Ghost Adventures star Zak Bagans’ haunted museum in Las Vegas.

What do you think about the Charles Manson masks? Did they take art too far? Tell us in the comments below.

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