About two years later, a friend of mine calls and says, "Guess who's got a line of makeup now and it's really great?" and I said "Who?" and he said "Bill Tuttle!" He told me the line is very similar to Factor but it incorporates a lot of the high pigmentation that RCMA uses. And I can't help but think that perhaps, when I went in and sold Mr. Tuttle that entire line of makeup, just maybe it might have instilled in him the desire to create his own line - which is one of the most well-thought-of lines of makeup that exist in the entertainment industry today.

After RCMA I began working as a cosmetic apprentice with the Ben Nye Company. Nye was head of the 20th Century Fox makeup department for many years, and was, in his own right, a consummate

Beauty make-up is one form of make-up artistry taught at the Joe Blasco Makeup Centers.

cosmetic chemist: All of the makeup that was used at 20th Century Fox was actually made right there on the lot. I used his products for quite some time as well.

While I was working for Ben Nye Company I started to work in the movie business as a makeup artist, and did all of the special makeup effects that you see today in these horror films-the rubber effects and whatnot - and then went into television and began doing a lot of beauty makeup. And so my career progressed.

"I feel that as a makeup artist you should know more than just one product line, because you're going to work with a lot of performers who have personal likes and dislikes."

LR: You've experienced such an exciting era of the entertainment business. You must have a stockpile of stories.

JB: Here's a funny story: You know I'm running my school in Hollywood now, and I've redone the entire school. Part of what I've been trying to do is to bring in experienced people from the industry to train students, and so I've been calling around and inviting people to come in to teach, using their own products. I really feel that as a makeup artist you should know more than just one line, because when you work out in the industry you're going to work with a lot of performers who have personal likes and dislikes, and they're going to ask you for this or for that. So my students are taught with everything. When I called Bill (Tuttle) and told him I'd like to have him give a lecture using his products, he graciously said he'd think about it. Well, I couldn't resist and I said to him, "Bill, do you remember, about 35 years ago, a skinny snot-nosed boy who came into your makeup studio at MGM and sold you the entire line of RCMA makeup?" He said, "Yeah, I remember that boy. Sure! He sold me the whole line of RCMA, and that's a good line of makeup." I said, "Bill, I'm that boy." It was one of those wonderful moments.

That's really up there with another moment that I experienced. In addition to Ben Nye Sr., who was a wonderful man and a great artist, I had another great teacher named George Bau. His brother, Gordon Bau, was the head of makeup at Warner Brothers, and George was the head of the prosthetics laboratory. He was actually the man who more or less invented the foam rubber that we use today for special makeup effects and prosthetics.