Interview with AJ- Netminder mask designer

So something a bit different from us for our next interview, we welcome Ashley Jones aka AJ to the interview booth. As we know most fans collect game worn shirts but AJ has gone down a different route after a few years collecting shirts and that is, collecting net minders masks.

This is something you don't hear of very often and after seeing some of  the masks he's produced, we think its really impressive what can be designed and turned more than just a mask, it's a piece of art.

We talk to AJ to ask why he decided it was enough of shirt collecting, the process into design and will he continue to do this in the near future.

Inferno- When did you decide shirts weren't enough for you and you wanted to collect goalie masks?

AJ - With all the politics with jersey collecting in Cardiff and inflated prices at auctions, I decided enough was enough. If I look back, I would say I spent £5000 on jerseys in about 7 years and with the countless amount of sets being pumped out, jerseys were no longer becoming unique. That's where masks came in to play.
Since I can remember, I've always been interested in art, and as a child, I would rarely be without a pencil in my hand. Goalie masks just interested me due to the artwork. Of course there is the other factor of there being a limited pool of goalie mask collectors in Cardiff!

Inferno -  How did you go about doing the designs and buying the masks and speaking to the players? Have you designed the masks yourself?

AJ - The wonderful world of social media plays a part in communication. I tried to get Garrett Zemlak to agree to a mask this season via twitter, but I'm pretty sure he likes to keep them, and as I've found out, this is a common occurrence.
With Phil Osaers mask, well that was another twitter endeavour and I actually approached him before he was confirmed as a Devil. I was interested in buying his Florida Panthers mask and also proposed a new mask and paint job for this season too. He seemed quite enthusiastic about it and gave me a design brief of what must feature on it. The rest was up to me. Luckily I had a blank mask in my collection anyway as I make sure I have one in reserve for the following season. Getting the masks are quite simple if you know the right people and I'm lucky enough to have a friend that works as a scout in the NHL Central Scouting, he has access to Bauer pro masks due to his job. That's why the goalies I work with only wear Bauer 961 masks.

Inferno -  Can you tell us which players you've supplied masks for and would you look to continue after your current project? Have players from other teams contacted you after seeing the Devils masks you've created over the last few years?

AJ - So far I've supplied Stevie Lyle's mask from last season, and Phil's from this season. I would definitely keep it going as it looks good on the goalie and creates some professionalism for the club, even though they won't do anything about it. I've had other goalies contact me about masks, Stevie wanted his current mask done, but other commitments prevented this from actually happening.

Inferno -   Can you talk us through the design process from idea to completed mask ?

AJ - Before I start designing, I know what I want to create. The hard part is getting it onto paper and making it fit properly. You can have too much on a mask and it can get messy and just end up as one big blur. With Phil's mask, it was simple. He asked for the two landscapes and the number on the chin, the rest was up to me. The Devil on the top was my own requirement, it had to be on there as I felt Stevie's mask missed out with the smaller logo on his. Once I've designed on paper, I pass it on to be digitised so it's clear what the painter has to do and of course, it's easier to work with. Once i sign off on the design, it's off to paint. I use the same painter all the time, just due to the sheer quality. (check him out www.headstronggrafx.com)
Then a short wait and it's in my hands ready to go to the goalie.

Inferno -  Do players generally know what they want before they come to you, or do you sort of help them decide what they actually want?

AJ - From experience, yes to an extent. I do have free reign apart from any mandatory elements. Stevie's had to have the dragon and his kids names on the backplate, Phil's had to have the landscapes and 'EMH' and '17' on hide backplate, something he always has on his masks. I often suggest things, and more often than not, the goalie likes the idea.

Inferno - How long does it generally take from start to finish for a helmet to be completed, or fit to be handed over?

AJ - It depends on a number of factors. Phil wanted to get married before he started thinking about the mask, on top of that, he needed to try the mask on as it's a special model that fits slightly different due to the long chin on it. Phil's took just over 2 months from start to finish, the painter bumped my mask up the list due to being a repeat customer.
Stevie's took a little longer as the painter was very busy when I sent it off. As you can imagine, lists start filling up around June as goalies know where they are playing, June-August... it's painting season!

Inferno -  Do netminders tend to get new masks each season, or can they be reused? Can/would you paint over a previous design if they can be reused?

AJ - It depends on the team sometime. For example, the Giants organisation provide Murphy with a new mask, whereas some teams won't put their hands in the coffers...I'm looking at you CARDIFF. Under certain regimes, goalies were told that helmets are not part of the budget. I just think it adds to the look of the team, it won't win you games, but it's boring to see plain masks ala Kowalski... Maybe it's the mask nerd in me!!

Some goalies prefer their own as custom fit masks can cost in excess of $1200.

With regards to reuse, some do, some don't. A mask is usually good for 2-3 seasons of solid use, depending on damage. I have 9 masks in my collection and two are not suitable for use again, as both masks are cracked right through. One is a one season mask and the other was worn for three seasons. The mask that Lyle wore before the one I gave him was used for two seasons, Aubry's Devils mask (which I also have in my collection) has seasons left in it, so it's pretty common to see a mask used over the course of a few seasons.

I personally wouldn't paint over a design, unless it's really bad, even though it's possible to refurbish a mask completely. There is only one of them and to destroy it would be a shame. Peter Aubry sold me a mask and told me to paint over it, it's still in the condition I got it in.
To me, it's sacrilege to paint over a mask, the same way that jersey collectors cringe at those who play in game worn jerseys or have them team signed.