Guy Fawkes mask
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Guy Fawkes mask is a stylised depiction of Guy Fawkes, the best-known member of the Gunpowder Plot, an attempt to blow up the English Palace of Westminster in London in 1605. While the use of a mask on an effigy has long roots as part of Guy Fawkes Night celebrations, a stylised mask designed by illustrator David Lloyd came to represent broader protest after it was used as a major plot element in V for Vendetta, published in 1982, and its 2006 film adaptation. After appearing in internet forums, the mask was worn by participants in real-life protests and has become widespread internationally among groups protesting against politicians, banks and financial institutions, such as the Occupy movement.
The mask portrays a white face with a subtle smile and red cheeks, a wide moustache upturned at both ends, and a thin vertical pointed beard.
In 2011, the protesters' adoption of the mask has led to it becoming the top-selling mask on Amazon.com, selling hundreds of thousands a year. Time Warner, one of the largest media companies in the world, is paid a fee with the sale of each mask, as it owns the rights to the image.
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