Guy Fawkes mask facts for kids
The Guy Fawkes mask is a famous mask that looks like a smiling face with red cheeks, a wide mustache, and a thin beard. It's also known as the V for Vendetta mask or the Anonymous mask. This mask was created by artist David Lloyd for the 1982–1989 graphic novel V for Vendetta.
The mask shows Guy Fawkes, who was part of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605. This was a plan to blow up the House of Lords in London. For a long time, people in England would burn effigies (dolls) of Guy Fawkes during Guy Fawkes Night celebrations. Lloyd was inspired by this tradition when he designed the mask. In the V for Vendetta story, the main character, V, wears this mask.
After the graphic novel and its 2005 movie came out, the mask became a symbol for many different protests. It also became very popular with the online hacktivist group Anonymous. You might have seen it used in protests like Project Chanology, the Occupy movement, and even in the TV show Mr. Robot. Because of its use by Anonymous, many people now call it the Anonymous mask.
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The Mask's History
The Gunpowder Plot happened in 1605. From early on, people remembered this event by burning effigies of unpopular figures. By the late 1700s, children would beg for money while carrying masked effigies of Guy Fawkes. November 5th slowly became known as Guy Fawkes Night, or "Bonfire Night."
In the 20th century, many cheap cardboard or paper Guy Fawkes masks were sold to children in the UK every autumn. Sometimes, they were even given away free with comics. However, by the 1980s, Halloween became more popular, and the Guy Fawkes mask wasn't as widely used for celebrations.
The V for Vendetta Story
The British comic book series V for Vendetta began in 1982. It tells the story of a hero who tries to fight against a harsh government in a future United Kingdom.
When creating the story, the artist David Lloyd had an idea for the main character, V. He thought, "Why don't we show him as a reborn Guy Fawkes, wearing one of those papier-mâché masks, with a cape and a pointy hat?" Lloyd felt that Guy Fawkes deserved to be celebrated for trying to blow up Parliament, not just burned in effigy.
The writer, Alan Moore, loved Lloyd's idea. He said that all the different parts of the story in his head suddenly came together because of the single image of the Guy Fawkes mask. So, V wears the Guy Fawkes mask throughout the story. In the 2005 movie based on the comic, thousands of protesters also wear the same mask as they march towards Parliament.
The Mask as a Protest Symbol
Since the 2005 V for Vendetta movie came out, and Warner Bros. started making many of David Lloyd's masks, the Guy Fawkes mask has become a popular symbol around the world. People use it in protests against politicians, banks, and big companies. The masks help protesters hide their faces and show that they are united for a common cause.
Anonymous and the Mask
The Guy Fawkes mask became strongly linked with the hacktivism group Anonymous during their Project Chanology protests in 2008. These protests were against the Church of Scientology. Anonymous started protesting after the Church tried to remove a video of Tom Cruise talking about Scientology from YouTube.
Anonymous encouraged protesters to hide their faces because members of the Church of Scientology would often photograph people protesting against them. The Guy Fawkes mask became a popular way to do this. As the protests continued, more and more people wore the mask, and it became a symbol for Anonymous. The group then started using the mask in their wider protests against authority. Later, a version of the mask was used in the 2015 TV show Mr. Robot to represent the hacktivist group F-Society, inspired by Anonymous.
Wider Use in Protests
The Guy Fawkes mask has appeared in many protests around the world.
- In 2011, it was seen during the 2011 Wisconsin protests and later during the Occupy Wall Street movement.
- In October 2011, Julian Assange, a famous activist, wore the mask at an Occupy London protest.
- In January 2012, protesters in Poland used the masks to speak out against the ACTA trade agreement.
- In June 2012, a group of Anonymous members in Mumbai, India, wore the masks to protest against the Indian Government's internet censorship.
- The mask was used by protesters in Bahrain during their uprising in 2011. In February 2013, Bahrain banned the mask, calling it a "revolution mask."
- Protesters in Thailand (2012), Turkey (2013), Brazil (2013), and Egypt (2013) also used the masks.
- In May 2013, Saudi Arabia also banned the mask, saying it was a "symbol of rebels."
- In Canada, wearing masks during a riot or unlawful gathering is now against the law and can lead to a prison sentence.
- In October 2019, protesters in Hong Kong started using the mask after the government banned wearing masks during protests.
- The Guy Fawkes mask was also seen during the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol.
What the Creators Think
Alan Moore, the writer of V for Vendetta, supports the mask's use in protests. He said it made him happy to see protesters wearing the masks outside the Scientology headquarters. He felt it was "peculiar" to see a character he created 30 years ago "escape the realm of fiction" and become real.
David Lloyd, the artist who designed the mask, is also happy about its use. He said, "The Guy Fawkes mask has now become a common brand and a convenient placard to use in protest against tyranny—and I'm happy with people using it." He believes the Anonymous group needed a symbol to hide their identity and show they stand for being individuals. He added that V for Vendetta is a story about one person fighting against the system.
Mask Sales
In 2011, Time reported that the mask had become the best-selling mask on Amazon.com, selling hundreds of thousands each year. Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns the rights to the mask's design, receives a fee for every official mask sold.
See also
In Spanish: Máscara de Guy Fawkes para niños
- Anti-mask law
- Richard Nixon mask
