# Ben Cooper is coming back!



## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

Owners Talk Relaunch of Iconic Halloween Costume Company Ben Cooper!



> Get ready to feel nostalgic. Ben Cooper is back, baby.
> 
> Today, the Halloween costume business is absolutely exploding with pop culture licenses, allowing you to purchase high-quality masks and costumes based on nearly all of your favorite movies and television shows. But that wasn’t always in the case.
> 
> ...


YAY!!! I can't wait & I'm off to buy a shirt now!! I'd also totally buy an adult version of my childhood favourites.

https://www.bencoopercostumes.com/

Even though the last thing I need is another shirt, another black shirt at that!! I'm getting this one because I love Sam Heimer.


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## GobbyGruesome (Sep 14, 2005)

....and the site is down (you can see the cached version if you dig.) But pretty cool. I would've thought there would have been huge licensing issues bringing this stuff back out.


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## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

Site works for me, that's how I got the shirt. 

The son of the original "Cooper," Ira Cooper, Jr. is bringing it back with a partner so my guess is all the licenses stayed in the family. At least the licenses for the classic images. I'm sure they'd have to get permission again for the big superheroes or they'd do like they used to do, put out Bat Dude & change it slightly or make it neon to get around licensing issues.

Right now they're licensing their stuff out to others like Retro A Go Go & a few others (like Sam Heimer the guy that did the shirt), that's why Retro A Go Go is selling these lovely things:
https://www.retroagogo.com/categories/retro-decor/vac-tastic-plastic/

I wish I had room for all of them:


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## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

But what I really want is a grown up version of those old costumes & masks. Not the vinyl shawl ones from the late 80s, but the hot as hades rayon suits (which were fireproof I'm sure ).


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## GobbyGruesome (Sep 14, 2005)

Yup. Working again now. Maybe they were just hit hard with the announcement?

Mainly I'm thinking a lot of stuff like Star Wars and the Superhero costumes would have been negotiated with much smaller companies who didn't really give it much though aside from "Well, a little extra money for us". (Hence the Star Wars Christmas Special). But now if htey had to renogitiate they'd be doing it with Disney, which seems to value their brand and their IP more than anything. And these days the merchandise is where they make their money. But they managed to put up that Star Warrs shirt so they must be figuring something out.

Anyway, thanks for the heads up. Nostalgia is the perfect antidote these days.


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