John Landis raised the money to make this movie from family and friends. He originally wanted to make an underground porn movie, but abandoned the idea when he found out he would have to work with members of the underworld.
Rick Baker made the Schlock suit in his bedroom while still living with his parents. The foam rubber molds were baked in his mother's oven.
Aside from being Landis' first project as a director, the film is also notable for being one of the first jobs for makeup artist Rick Baker.
This film eventually became a minor cult hit and helped pave the way for the careers of both John Landis and Rick Baker.
Shot in the summer of 1971, but not released until 1973, Schlock is the first credited film by John Landis, who also starred in the title role.
John Landis: [See You Next Wednesday] Four times the newsman plugs the "movie at 6 on 6", and each time the name of the film is "See You Next Wednesday", though it has different stars and a different description each time. It also appears on a poster in a theater lobby.