# Anyone remember these obscure toxic alien masks from around 1977 **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 10, 2012, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-these-obscure-toxic-alien-masks-from-around-1977/643564 "2012-12-10T02:28:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-these-obscure-toxic-alien-masks-from-around-1977/643564/1 "2012-12-10T02:28:16Z")
I think they came out before Christmas 1977, and they were advertised on TV. I remember seeing them in the local Ayr-Way store in Indy (which was eventually acquired by Target). They were plastic alien masks that you had to put together. Later I saw something on TV about defective toys or something that said the glue they came with would be toxic if you breathed it. They were a nationally distributed toy that is now just a pop culture obscurity. I’m curious if anyone else remembers them and their name. I’d love to see photos and read their story in detail; I bet it’s all online somewhere. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![foj3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@foj3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foj3000)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-these-obscure-toxic-alien-masks-from-around-1977/643564/2 "2012-12-11T02:12:49Z")
Are these it?: [![](https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6178/6169088594_e933853dff_z.jpg) ](https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6178/6169088594_e933853dff_z.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-these-obscure-toxic-alien-masks-from-around-1977/643564/3 "2012-12-11T03:17:38Z")
I think I know what you’re taking about, and if so, I probably got it at that very same Ayr-Way. When you say ‘you had to put it together’, you aren’t meaning it was a model or something, correct? You’re talking about a Halloween-style mask that you glued together after fitting the pieces over your head, right? I had one of those, which I suspect was an unlicensed Close Encounters alien costume. It was made of some sort of pale, very soft closed cell foam, and had copper-colored mesh that fit in the eyeholes. Does that sound right? ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-these-obscure-toxic-alien-masks-from-around-1977/643564/4 "2012-12-11T21:52:27Z")
Yes, guys, that’s it! Thanks so much! ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-these-obscure-toxic-alien-masks-from-around-1977/643564/5 "2012-12-11T21:54:03Z")
By the way, foj3000, how did you ever locate that? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![foj3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@foj3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foj3000)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-these-obscure-toxic-alien-masks-from-around-1977/643564/6 "2012-12-11T23:49:10Z")
Off this Web page: > **[Halloween Mask Madness, Day 3: Let Dick Smith take you to Space! | Branded in...](https://brandedinthe80s.com/6312/halloween-mask-madness-day-3-let-dick-smith-take-you-to-space)** and I used to have the bugeyed Zordius mask. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-these-obscure-toxic-alien-masks-from-around-1977/643564/7 "2012-12-12T00:24:11Z")
Thanks! I guess the complaint back in the day was that if you made the mask and the glue still wasn’t dry, you’d be huffin’ glue with it on. Any truth to that? ---
**Author:** ![foj3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@foj3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foj3000)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-these-obscure-toxic-alien-masks-from-around-1977/643564/8 "2012-12-12T00:29:07Z")
You had to use model cement to stick these together, I guess parents were concerned that you could get hooked huffing model airplane glue.