Sunday, April 17, 2011

BACKPLATES - I Like 'Em

The release of ITG's 2010/11 Between The Pipes has inspired me to create some customs.

I have had this idea for an insert set for a few years and I would love to get the courage to pitch the idea to Dr. Brian Price himself. I think it's that good.

One of BTP's most successful insert sets would be the Masked Men (and before that, just the simple Mask) sets. You can't get more basic than a goalie mask on a card...but boy does it work. A great chance to highlight the incredible designs these tenders have on their lids nowadays.

But what about the backplates? They get no love. And quite often, the back of the helmet shows off a more personal side of the player than the front.

I always thought it would be cool to do a set of just the backs of heads....so I made some. Enjoy.


The Cam Ward Backplate was the first one I made. His backplate is just pumped full of detail. Fantastic.


Ned Flanders has been a part of Peter Budaj's masks now for a while. A devout Christian, he also loves the Simpsons and his teammates gave him the nickname 'Flanders'.


I just loved this Hannu Toivonen shot - period. It's a can't miss Snoopy / Piglet tandem...awesome. When I started making this set, I knew this would be a definite addition.

So, what do you think? Am I on to something?

Stay tuned, I will have more.

10 comments:

  1. great looking customs--the idea is different but fits in well as an insert set--love to see more

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  2. Awesome idea!! Love it!

    Could you do me a HUGE favor and custom up one of Miikka Kiprusoff?

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  3. pretty cool... the backs of the cards could have the story of why the stuff on the mask is there...

    the template you used, is that the same as the Topps redemptions for their football rookies this year?

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  4. Tunguska:
    Unfortunately, I don't have a Kiprusoff backplate photo. I'm finding that the number of backshots are much scarcer than regular mask shots.

    Captain Canuck:
    Yes indeed. I did use that design as a template. I was trying to think of something simple and when doing searches for inspiration came across it. It fit like a glove.

    Your idea for the card backs are exactly what I had in mind.

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  5. Excellent idea. It's a glimpse into what's in the back of goalies' minds, so to speak.

    I'd pitch the idea to Price. The worst thing he'll says is no.

    Keep up the great work, man. Pretty soon, I'll be asking for your autograph.

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  6. Where do you find pictures of backplates???

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  7. There are a few sites I peruse on a regular basis (NHL.com, Yahoo! Sports, LIFE) and then sometimes the ol' Google search works.

    I haven't seen too many, but boy do they look slick IMO.

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  8. Great idea! I like how you incorporated the nameplate on the jersey instead of just the backplate itself.

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  9. These are really cool... look forward to future additions. Nabokov? Niemi? How about Irbe? Would love to see any of these Sharks goalies in your set.

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