History of Mask Use in the US

W.S. Thomason over at 411mania.com has a nice write up on the history of the Lucha Libre mask in Mexico, and its use in the US market.

From the article:

"Even the most casual wrestling fan understands that masks are iconic in Lucha Libre. The mask is far more than a gimmick in Mexico, with deep pop-culture roots reaching far back into the 20th century. The legendary El Santo is essentially a national folk hero, starring in movies, comic books, and other mainstream media from the 1940s through the early 1980s. His contemporaries The Blue Demon and Mil Mascaras achieved a similar status during the same period."