Eye Masks

[Terminatah]

Can someone think of a logical explanation for how Nightwing and Robin's eye masks stay glued to their faces at all times?

-Terminatah

[RogueMartian]

This question has plagued me for ages. I really haven't heard a satisfactory explanation for how the mask stays on, but my guess is that either they use some sort of glue, like the glue that's used for halloween masks. Or there is some sort of clip, like the sunglasses morpheus had in the matrix. My third theory is that the mask has a strap that goes around the characters head, we simply can't see it because the strap is transparent.

[metaphysician]

I think its been specifically stated that the masks are affixed with gum arabic, or something like that. Essentially, glued on, just like a fake beard or mustache.

[Ricochet]

My guess is that they have a very thin elastic band.

[Terminatah]

The elastic band doesn't exist because we've seen them applied and removed without the use of a band. I like the gum arabic explanation. And Robin obviously doesn't use a nose clip.

-Terminatah

[The Green Hornet]

my big question is how do they make the eye holes white and still see out of them?

[BWDK]

Originally posted by TheFastestManAlive
my big question is how do they make the eye holes white and still see out of them?

simple they are night vision lenses.

I think the masks are glued on.

[adoptedBatpuppy]

Why do they do it?

[Nightflower]

Originally posted by Rimma Likover
Why do they do it?

So that their identities aren't revealed. :P

Superman doesn't count. Bruce Wayne and co lead very public lives, so people would recognize them spot-on.

[Barb Gordon]

it's called Spirit Gum, peeps, just to enlighten you on how the masks stay on their faces. In fact, I swear they even mention that in one of the comics. It's a type of adhesive glue used by actors...and me being one :p , that's how I know. It's quite sticky, and does keep things on the skin quite well, and washes off easily. When you sweat though, it will obviously loosen the masks hold, so they have to be careful sometimes.

Barb^-^

[Nightflower]

Originally posted by TheFastestManAlive
my big question is how do they make the eye holes white and still see out of them?

....Because the comic artists drew them that way because they look cool?

Sorry, not in a very imaginative mood. :p

[adoptedBatpuppy]

Originally posted by Nightflower


....Because the comic artists drew them that way because they look cool?

Sorry, not in a very imaginative mood. :p

I don't think they want their eyes seen.

[Bruce Wayne]

Hmm, I've always figured it can clip to their noses or w/e. And uh, isnt just having the eye mask still revealing? Maybe covering the whole face, except for the eyes would help.

[The Game]

I defintley think it's some kind of an adhesive. I mean, a clip of some kind would like goofy, and there's no elastic, because we've seen them put the mask on- they just place it on their face.

Some kind of glue or gum- it probably hurts alot to take it off! :eek:

[Ricochet]

Y'know, comic detectives were wearing domino masks before Batman (ie, Crimson Avenger) so Spirit Gum would work, not what I was going to sugest (a newly invented chemical adhesive financed by Wayne Enterprises).

[Barb Gordon]

I always figured that the eye part of the mask was white because 1) they didn't want their eyes seen, and 2) it probably helps the how "look scary" image since you can't see their eyes, and 3) it had something to do with the night vision lenses stuff. What they use on their masks would be spirit gum of some sort, but I agree that it's probably some really advanced kind of one from Wayne Enterprises. I do know that in the Batman movies *shudders*, they used spirit gum to keep the masks on actors like Chris O'Donnell. He commented once, that after filming when they would be sweaty, that it was really gross because the spirit gum was loose and the mask was sliding off and such.

Barb^-^

[Ed Liu]

Howdy all,

The masks stay on because they're drawn on, and the eyes are white because the artists don't draw in the eyes =8^).

Do any of the historians know how early they started drawing masks or dominos masks in comic books? Personally, I think eyes in narrow eyeslits look really stupid (Hawkman and Hawkgirl being perhaps the only exceptions), which might be all the reason any of the original artists would have.

-- Ed/Ace

[BatKid]

Well, I have to admit it, I never really asked, I just enjoy the show. :)

For the white eyes, I think those were kept to keep that "eerie" kind of look. If the eyes had pupils, I don't think even Bats would have that mysteriousness on him in the dark. The BTAS show really showed off Bats creepiness during the nightime scenes where the only thing you could see were his "white" eyes.

As for the maks that Robin and Nightwing use, I don't even wanna try solving that. :p

Just a question though, are these things about that Spirit Gum and the Night lenses official? When I say official, I mean are they explained by DC that those things under the masks are Spirit Gum and night lenses?

[Calhoun07]

How does that dress Kylie Minogue wears in her new video stay on? She uses tape designed for that specific purpose, so I am guessing that they use fashion designer tape.

And what a clever disguise it is, cuz you know if any of us put on a mask just over our eyes, nobody in the entire world would recognize us. :rolleyes:

[Toddman]

Originally posted by Ace the Bathound
Howdy all,

The masks stay on because they're drawn on, and the eyes are white because the artists don't draw in the eyes =8^).

Do any of the historians know how early they started drawing masks or dominos masks in comic books? Personally, I think eyes in narrow eyeslits look really stupid (Hawkman and Hawkgirl being perhaps the only exceptions), which might be all the reason any of the original artists would have.

-- Ed/Ace

I believe that the first hero to have a domino mask w/o the pupils was Lee Falk's Phantom, who originally appeared in syndicated newspaper strips. This was sometime around 1935, I think.

The pupil-less eyes are strictly artistic license, as are the "face-suction" masks. It may have been Alan Moore in "Watchmen" that first brought up the idea of the masks being stuck to the face w/spirit gum (as well as the explanation for not using an elastic string of some kind).

As for the night vision lenses, I know that the Bat Team in the comics uses them, but I thought that when the lenses slide into place, they are shown as green. That might only be when they are activated though. At any rate that still doesn't account for why we can't see other heroes pupils such as Green Arrow or Wolverine or why the original Batgril didn't have them.

By the way, I think that sometimes characters can still look okay when you can see there pupils and eyelids behind their masks. George Pérez in "The New Titans" was the first artist that made the look work on Robin, I remember.

Toddman