Maskopedia

The Maskopedia

A Collection of Reference Information relating to Masks and Maskmaking

 

I’ve thought for a long time that it would be nice to have a central repository for information about masks and maskmaking. The subject hasn’t been discussed or written about extensively, especially in English. It’s been said that maskmaking is “the last bastion of kayfabe”—it’s an area of pro wrestling that just isn’t talked about, even in this age of the internet and the post-kayfabe revolution in the wrestling business.

As The Maskopedia grows, we hope to share some interesting facts and figures about masks and maskmaking. We’ll start with some terms used in the craft.

The Maskmaking Glossary

Terms used in the craft of maskmaking

  • Agress

    (v) To really put some force into a stubborn piece of material to make it go where you want to. “I aggressed the vinyl faceplate until it conformed to the forehead.”

  • Dough

    (n) Mask fabric that has had the lining applied to it. A term frequently seen in autotranslated Japanese tweets about fabric, and adapted as an English term for the aforementioned fabric assembly. The term was also adopted because a good lined mask fabric assembly feels like pastry dough.

  • Faceplate

    (n) A plate on the face of a mask; usually one that encompasses the eyes, nose, and/or mouth.

  • The GA Spray

    (n) A method for keeping the interior padding in a mask in place until you’re ready to sew it. Named after the originator, Green Ant. Take your padding, spray it lightly with adhesive, and then apply where you want it inside the mask. (“I kept sewing a wrinkle into my padding until I started using The GA Spray.”)

  • Goat Type

    (n) A chinless mask, with no philtrum strap. Derived from an autotranslation of tweets by the Japanese maskmaker Kazu.

  • Grab Mug

    (n) A coffee mug kept on the work table to conveniently hold maskmaking tools such as markers, scissors, utility knives, or glue. (In practice, this could also be a cup, but should be strictly referred to as a “grab mug.” Term coined by Awkward Bug Studios.

  • Hyper Omega Punch

    (Haipa Omega Panchi or ハイパーオメガパンチ) (n) A method for cutting the inner curve at the top of a laceplate, which involved whacking a hole in the material with a circular drive punch. Named after the originator, Dr. Omega.

  • Laceplate

    (n) The plate that surrounds and reinforces the rear opening of a mask, which usually (but not necessarily) is pierced with holes which accept the laces used to tighten a mask. Can also be applied to a similar plate used in masks that do not have laces but instead have a zipper closure. (“Zipper Plate” may also be used.)

  • LP

    (n) Abbreviation for laceplate.

  • Nyx

    (v) A method for lining mask fabric, created by Kate Nyx of Closet Champion. The process is briefly summarized thusly: lay down the lining, lay the outer fabric on top, fold half the fabric back, spray adhesive onto the exposed lining, fold the fabric back over onto the adhesive, fold the other half of the fabric back, spray, fold top fabric back down. (“I Nyxed the holo spandex down to the lining and now I’ll cut the pattern out.”)

  • PCM

    (n) A mask style that is not only chinless, but noseless. The opening at the front reveals the whole chin, mouth, and nose. The term is short for Pub Crawling Mask.

  • Plate

    (n) Any flat appliquéd design element on a mask, frequently made from vinyl or leather.

  • Ramboing

    (n) A technique for finishing an opening in a mask (such as a mouth or nose) that doesn’t have a plate reinforcing a cut edge. A lining fabric is sewn around the cut edge from the outside of the mask, then flipped inside and topsewn. This results in a clean edge along the opening. The term can also be used in a verb format, such as “I Ramboed the mouth using a contrasting fabric.” (Etymology: the first time the author saw this technique used was on the nose and mouth of a Rambo mask from Mexico.)