stick fx - Graphic Policy

Be an Insti-Hero with Stick FX

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Mr. H

Now having traveled a bunch, and visted many a Con, seen so much I have. Sorry it is the end of 2019 and Baby Yoda speak is sweeping everyone. However, what I saw this day was much much different. In fact, I have never seen anything like this at a Comic-Con. Or any convention for that matter. That is what makes it so special.

This past November at Rhode Island Comic Con, I had the unexpected privilege of meeting part Reed Richards, part Batgirl aka Leigh from the company Stick FX which has just got some astounding stuff to share so without further ado.

Leigh: Hi I’m Leigh from Stick FX, and what we’ve developed is the first self adhering, reusable, silicone mask for your face.

GP: So I’ve been observing and I noticed that you just peels these off and slap them on again with what looks like no fuss whatsoever. How long do these each last Leigh?

Leigh: So the masks that we have here that we are using to demo, are over seven years old and have more than a thousand uses on them. Best part is there is no glues, no removers and they are hypoallergenic because they are 100 percent silicone.

GP: Wow! That’s genius. So I’m a huge Nightwing fan myself and I said, “I just gotta get a Nightwing, but they’re really is no good Nightwing masks out there.” At least not ones without a string or you need to use adhesives. Until.. now. How did you come up with this idea?

Leigh: Okay. So I’m a silicone technologist and I’ve worked in the silicone industry for over twenty years and I’ve developed and own the patent on this. So I understand silicone and it’s properties for reuse as well as being skin friendly, and I’m also a huge superhero fan. To that point I’ve never watched a superhero movie where you ever see the superhero wear a mask that has a string or worries about it falling off. Right?

GP: Right.

Leigh: So how do we develop a mask where they can put it on and take it off really quickly? That is where silicone technology comes in.

GP: Looking around I noticed that a lot of these designs are very Arrow centric, Bat Centric, are you a DC (Comics) girl?

Leigh: Oh I’m a DC girl. Yeah.

GP: So who’s your choice?

Leigh: Ahhh don’t make me choose, don’t make me choose right here. I tell you what since you brought up a good point about the Nightwing, as pertains to the Nightwing mask we sold out of our whole stock of 120 just on Friday which is what we brought, that is how popular he is.

GP: Oh no kidding, I mean it is fantastic. I bet you’d sell out of Arrow if you made a straight Arrow one.

Leigh: Yeah we actually have had a lot of requests for Arrow. So yeah.

GP: I actually think you should definitely go ahead with Arrow or Canary. I mean there’s not much really of a difference in design so it could be cost-effective.

Leigh: The good thing about most of those masks you are talking about, is they are kind of a universal shape. So we had a woman use one for Black Cat yesterday over hers that she had so that was pretty cool.

GP: It’s unbelievable the versatility of these because they can be used with so many similar cosplays. Batgirl, Black Cat, Nightwing. I mean I saw the Nightwing one and stopped dead in my tracks and was like boom, I need to have this. They are so striking.

Leigh: What is so cool is that speaking to the versatility, they can be used for guys, girls, kids, really just about anybody.

GP: Before you said that you’ve worked in silicone for a long time, besides the hero thing what made you design this type of process?

Leigh: So I’m a prosthetics specialist and I design prosthetics for the face for amputees. So if you are missing a nose, an eye or an ear, I’m the person you are going to come see.

GP: Wow.

Leigh: I invented the silicone adhesive that you see here and filed the patent about seven years ago. I thought “You know this would be a badass costume thing! ” I worked in the film industry for a long time too and I know how time-consuming and uncomfortable it is using glue and spirit gum and all those really harsh and harmful products on your face and skin so I thought this is absolutely perfect. I have my three-year-old walking around with one of these on right now.

GP: Oh it’s absolute genius! Also the world’s cutest marketing tool. (Laughs) People are dressed up here but you are making real-world superhero applications here. It doesn’t get any better.

Leigh: Right? I mean anyone can slap one of these on and instant hero. We actually had a Nightwing who looked awesome but his spirit gum was coming off and he stopped by the booth and said “Hey put one aside for me, I’m coming back, I can’t wear this shit anymore.” So seeing the demand for these, it is a really good feeling.

GP: Absolutely. You can’t oversell this. So please tell us where we can find you and how quick is this all available?

Leigh: Awesome. We are online at www.stickfx.com and we are going to have to refill all our orders but we usually ship out same day.

GP: Terrific. Well, I think you found your spot and are going to be a mainstay at Comic Cons and I hope to see you around at the next ones I travel too.

Leigh: We hope to see you around too. This has been awesome. Thank you.

Yes. I totally tried one on and rocked the hell out of it.

So there you have it. If you a are an uber hero comic nerd like me, you want to check these folks out. It is seriously remarkable. The pictures don’t do it justice. This is very cool stuff being born out of a good place. So go grab these up, but just save me a Nightwing! Check out all the links below.