Frank Romano, 97, obit by Mitchell Brown. Frank was the chief designer at Ben Cooper halloween costumes for decades -- (edited)
Posted by
Peglegpete (aka peglegpete)
Nov 22 '21, 17:27
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RIP Frank Romano, 97, the artist who designed many classic Halloween costumes for Ben Cooper Inc. over the decades. He died Nov. 20.
After serving in the US Navy during the Second World War, he attended art school and answered an ad in the newspaper for Halloween costume manufacturer Ben Cooper Inc., landing an interview with Ben Cooper himself.
After seeing his portfolio, Cooper asked Romano to paint a devil that night using only four colors. Romano completed that legendary devil, as well as a subsequent clown for Cooper. Those indelible images marked the beginning of Romano’s and Cooper’s long-lasting relationship, with Romano working at Ben Cooper Inc. from 1962 to 1989.
Over the decades, Romano designed many of the classic Ben Cooper costumes including characters from Star Wars, DC Comics, Planet of the Apes, Alien, Sesame Street and more. In recent years, he made convention appearances at CT HorrorFest and Chiller Theater to sign prints and costumes for fans. He was also featured in the 2019 Ben Cooper documentary Halloween in a Box.
Published earlier this year, Jason Young's An Old School Halloween is a 200-page tribute to trick-or-treating in mid-20th century America, with a particular focus on Ben Cooper costumes. It features pages of colorful costumes, as well as an interview with Romano. To help promote the book, comics blogger Dan Greenfield listed his favorite Romano-designed Halloween costumes, including items featuring Spider-Man, the Flash and Darth Vader.
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