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Behind the Mask with Gary Mongar of H30 Productions

This interview was done by our very own Johnny Bisco or Bisco County Jr. for those that know him best!Gary Mongar has been on the scene for the past few years and it's great to finally see him getting the attention he deserves. Gary is a very talented artist and is widely known for his famous affordable white masks. H30 has grown leaps and bounds and although he has been in the background working on new projects and updating his te he has continued to provide affordable masks to the masses. Let's go Behind the Mask with Gary and see what makes him tick...

Below is a link to H30 Productions, be sure to pop in and say hello! You can also view all of Gary's work there....

http://s13.zetaboards.com/H30HorrorMasks/index

How long have you been making Myers masks?

It's been around 3 strange and glorious years now.

How did you get started doing "white masks" and when was the first time you feel you "nailed it"?

Well, I decided to start making Myers masks in the first place because I wanted some decent ones for myself but without the high prices. I did a lot of reading and watched a lot of videos to educate myself on the process of mask making. My first Myers sculpt was the Atrocity. That mask came out pretty well for my first attempt and bacally looked to be a cross between a H20 and Resurrection mask. My next sculpt was the Reunion, which was my own take on the H20 mask. The first mask I really "nailed" and got attention for was the Resurrected.

How many masks do you make in a month and are there a lot of ups and downs?

I really can't say how many I do in a month because it varies so often, but I do keep busy. The major upde is that I get to do something I really enjoy. One of the downs is that variation from month to month that decides just how much buness I get. What really drives me though is when I get feedback from someone that really appreciates the mask they received from me. It's a great feeling to know they're happy with it.

I imagine October is probably your buest month do you get swamped with orders?

September and October are both extremely busy months for me with mask orders, but I love it.

How long does it take to make the mask perfect?

I don't know that I've ever made a 'perfect' mask, but I make sure that every mask I send out is one I'd be happy to have in my own collection. I want everyone to be happy with what they're getting.

Of all the masks you have made (my personal favorite is the Thorned LE) what is your favorite?

My favorite so far would have to be my newly released SEVEN V2. I think I finally got down the look I always wanted for an H20 mask.

There has been a lot of controversy over recasting in the last few years and you got stuck right in the middle of it what are your thoughts on this matter?

I'm going to be pretty blunt on this one. I don't see a lot of recasting going on with other types of masks, horror or otherwise. It seems to be mostly Myers. Most of the Myers masks out there that so many people hold dear are recasts. Just about every Myers that was ever made started as a recast, whether it was from a Kirk mask or another. The controversy doesn't seem to ever be about the fact that it's done, but rather who the person is that's done it. For whatever reason, there is a lot of favoritism in the indie Myers mask scene. It seems to be perfectly acceptable for some mask makers to recast, yet completely dispicable for others. It's a double standard.

Your masks are some of the most affordable if not the most affordable "white masks" around what are your thoughts on what many perceive to be gouging in the Myers market?

I keep my prices low for a reason. Not everyone can afford $300-$400 for a mask and they shouldn't have to. Especially with the way the economy is right now.

I have heard nothing but great things about your delivery times, what are your thoughts on those that take pre-orders to the tune of hundreds of dollars yet make people wait up to 6 months to receive the mask?

I think it's ridiculous. Anyone who takes an order on a product should get that product out and to the customer as soon as posble, with updates and open communication. Plain and mple.

You seem to be quite the maverick in the Myers community, do you maintain contact with other artists and who would you conder your friends?

You know, I really don't. I haven't done that for a reason, it's just worked out that way. I have quite a few customers and acquaintances I've made in the Myers community that I feel have become friends over the years. I've always held Lewis Frye in high regards. I think he's a great artist and a nice guy. I also have a lot of respect for Justin Mabry, although I've never talked to him.

Do you think there is too much favoritism in the community with regards to who makes Myers masks?

The favoritism is there for sure. People have their favorite artists in this community. I don't think it's any different than someone having a favorite mucian or actor or anything else for that matter. It's all about a person's personal taste and what and who they're comfortable with.

What is it about the Myers community that seems to attract so many scam artists be it on eBay, those who deliver less than stellar masks for the price they charge or those who don't deliver at all?

I was just talking with someone about this the other day. There is so much drama in the Myers mask community, it's crazy. I don't understand it myself. If someone can explain it to me, I wish they would. You don't see things like this with any of the other horror icon masks and props.

I have heard some rumblings that you are going to branch out from doing just Myers masks any truth to that?

Absolutely. There are numerous projects I'd like to work on. I'm currently working on a new project for the Jason fans out there as well as other things. Myers got me started, but I don't feel the need to stick with that. There are too many posbilities out there.

Very cool interview.

And I totally agree with Gary on the state of the Myers mask community... it's really gotten quite crazy and full of drama.

Which I don't understand at all, it's not like that with Jason stuff or Freddy, Leatherface, Puzzle Box's from Hellraiser... nothing is as crazy as the Myers world.



Really nice getting to learn more about him though, and I can't wait to see what other work he puts out in the future.

Nice interview! Let me say Im a BIG fan of Gary's work. I own a FIVE and a THORNED LE and I love them! The craftsmanship was great; the price was great; and the wait time was quick as heck! Gary is a friendly and killer dude most of all. He's got my support and I look forward to seeing more from this talented guy. I have always hoped that Gary would take a stab at an H1 or H2. I think with his talent it could be a top notch mask for a great price!!!

Great interview!

It's good to see Gary knocking around the forum.

I have three of his masks in my collection, and they have a permanent place among the shelves.

It is crazy that in such a small niche market there is so much lying and thievery.

Looking back on my years of collecting masks, the only bad experiences I've ever had have been with Myers mask makers.

Thank goodness there are those like Gary out there to balance things out.

Yeah, it's important to branch out and do other things if you can. Even things that are totally original. You don't want to be stuck with the WHITE faced fiend. He causes nothing but headaches and BS drama. It's also true that RECASTING is a double standard, and never more so, then over on that other board. It all depends on who's doing the recasting.

Myers is such a pussy.

Very cool interview. I agree that there is such a double standard with recasting also.

Great interview

Love the H20 Gold and that skull

Awesome interview, gotta love Gary's masks and prices, nice guy too!

Great interview Gary! Justin, myself and the rest of the mods really appreciate you taking the time to answer some of Bisco's tough questions. I also want to thank you for being so honest about some very taboo topics.

p.s. Thanks John for the conducting the interivew! You da man

Great interview Gary! Justin, myself and the rest of the mods really appreciate you taking the time to answer some of Bisco's tough questions. I also want to thank you for being so honest about some very taboo topics.

p.s. Thanks John for the conducting the interivew! You da man no problem bro!

Gary thanks again for the time you gave me, we at HorrorBid really appreciate it!

Gary is a great guy. Me and him share alot of the same feelings about the hole horror scene and making mask and props affordable. Im looking forward to his Jason mask and hoods, I provided the Hockey mask blanks for him That you see in the pictures, and I plan on buying his myers mask as soon as I sale more props.

i own 4 of gary's masks and they are top notch. his pricess are great and thats what keeps me coming back. great interview.

i own a h30 mask myself and love it. great read as usual guys and hope to see more of gary here on horror bid.

ive never seen gary's work before but im now a fan. thanks for the interview guys and for turning me on to a new artist.

great read. gary kicks ass!

Wow. The potive response from this is very overwhelming. It gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling all over.It was an honor and a privelege to do the interview and I appreciate the opportunity to have done so. I'm very happy and proud to be a part of this growing te!

Thanks to everyone for the support!

-G

I always read these interviews and they are always good informative reads.

You guys never let me down.

I have my eye on a thorned LE and im assuming that means they are limited.

Are there any left by chance gary?

I have 4 spots left for the Thorned LE and then, they are gone.

Great interview.

Gary is a very cool guy.

Chris

Great interview!!!

Gary seems like a great guy and his masks are wonderful!!!

great interview as usual h bid. ive never purchased from gary myself but ive always heard good things. id like to get ahold of one of those new v2s.

Is Gary still making masks?