Staynerd is pleased to announce a totally new column “Cosplayer of the Month” and we are starting it with a special guest, an international artist that, by chance, has a connection (almost) with our Game of the Month! Ladies and Gentleman please welcome Leon Chiro, spiritual father of Stay Nerd (he is one of our first guest and you can read his first interview here) now cosplaying as an Evil and Badass Shepard. As you may already know our Game of the Month is Dragon Age: Inquisition and we have to choice our Cosplayer of the Month. Taking two birds with one stone, we have elected Leon Chiro as our champ thanks to his wonderful N7 armour branded Dragon Age: Origins (a DLC that you could download in Mass Effect 2 and 3). The Blood Dragon Armor is a fine piece of art and Leon recreated it perfectly granting himself by right the title of Stay Nerd Cosplayer of the Month, November edition. We got in touch with Leon, busy between a Kingdom Hearts gameplay session and the organisation of his next work.
Hi Leon and welcome back on Staynerd! We must say that you returned with great style and you granted the right to be our Cosplayer of The month, November edition, thanks to the NZ armor. Do you know that we are launch this column, starting with you?
Hi guys, it is always a pleasure to speak with you and launch this kick-ass column. I’m happy for the great coverage you give to my work and I’m very excite by this new content for your website!
Leon the choice of the Blood Dragon from Mass Effect 2 stroke us as a lighting bold, why did you select this particular armour?
I’m glad that you got stroke! I must say that success is not the first thing I look forward when I choose what to create. I always choose my subjects, listening to my heart. It is more important the passion you put in your work than the mere fame. Blood Dragon armour is a some sort of blood bond between two EA masterpiece Mass Effect and Dragon age, two different universes that have a great importance to me thanks to the emotions they gave me and their plot twists. Mass Effect was a moment to me to reflect on life itself. That’s why I had to express my passion about Mass Effect and Dragon Age with a great tribute, The Blood Dragon Armour! I’m very happy that people liked it, but as I said the most important thing was the heart I put in it. I must add that Dragon Age as a particular value to me, because my fiancé Jessica Miss Hatred shared my passion for the EA title and we played together Origins, all its expansions, Dragon Age two and finally Inquisition.
How much time did you spent creating this armour and which where the most difficult things to build?
I spent 23 days (and a couple of nights!), preparing for an official EA/Bioware event at Paris Comics Expo (France) where I was invitate as guest and jury member thanks to Pixidols and the amazing work Philippe Lauby did for the organization. In that occasion I had the chance to see my friend Rana Mcnear (Face Model of Samara and Morith from Mass Effect). She was a guest with Luciano Costa, the model of Kaidan in Mass Effect and a colleague I photoshot with for Mass Effect Universe.I was shocking to meet in flesh and bones the heroes fo your favourite franchise. I must be honest, in my story I let Kaidan die and saved Ashley!
I think that every cosplay, even if it seems simple, becomes hard to create if you do it properly. This armour required a great attention to the details and a little bit of courage on some fine improvements. A good example are the “damaged” effect: this is one of the most clean job I have ever did and it was a pain to use the burner on it to create the cuts. It was like having a new car and get a couple of scratches on it. Thanks God my car is ok and I had the change to add value to the overall work with the right colour effects. The shoes where made covering a pair of Nike AirMax 90 with scales. I labeled the new model Air Max Rage 4000 d.C.! The choice of Evil Shepard wasn’t random. I wanted to add a part of me in it, because Mass Effect teaches us that everyone of us could be that particular Shepard. In my case ‘Leon C.Shepard’ has a small link with Kai Leng, one of my favourite villain. The most difficult part was the neck, I threw away the armour in a moment of rage! I couldn’t figure out how that part was able to bend from the back to the front, surrounding the shoulders. The mobility is quite limited because the armour is made of a single piece that connect quadriceps with the abdomen, blocking the legs. It is impossibile to run with this armour,unlike the armour N7! Adding the LED it was an additional challenge because the batteries needs room and there is not enough space inside the armour. You have to find the right slot to place them! Painting the dragon on the armour with the Mass Effect and Dragon age:Origins soundtrack it was one of the most intense momento of the creation.I must admit that I re made the coloration almost twice. I was unsure of the result, but when I put all the pieces together with the Renegate look and the armour automatically strand out! I was afraid that there wasn’t enough time to complete the armour but at last I made it and the results are clear! Right know I am working on the helmet to complete the set.
Kotaku wrote an articolo about your armour, showing how your career is skyrocketing. Can you please tell us how the things are going in the last couple of months?
Kotaku is always flattering and they wrote different articles about me but this one is special. Non only for the fame but specially for the appreciation of the game fans and their comments.This is the main reason why I create this piece of art: never let the people who follow me down. My career is going very good, I have an intense year ahead with different dates already confirmed. My schedule is full busy! Every weekend I have a different show as guest (March 2015 will be like Hell!), but anyway I’m very happy to travel a lot thanks to this passion. Next year I will be in South America, Central America, Canada and Asia! Instead in the upcoming months I have a project with Ubisoft, a very big opportunity that I care a lot. I can’t share much about the project, but I will definitely say something as soon as I can. I want to mention the Explay, a project that will take Cospay and comics in a cruise! An opportunity that cannot be missed for anything in the world!
Can you share something about your secret projects in the upcoming months?
I will share in exclusive for Staynerd something about new cosplays I will create: Axel and Terra from Kingdom Hearts, Prince of Persia and Jamie Lannister. I will play not only characters that I love but even someone that I have to deal with professionally.
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Will you ever play a fantasy character? Can we suggest Hawke?
Ok, let me give you another scoop: I will play Hawke or, as Raffaele (Stay nerd director), would say Hawkiro.It would be the first fantasy character I will play in my professional career. I look forward to start Hawke beautiful armour and I have to confess that I resumed my training adding a Bo-staff session. I want to thank my master Hachi for his patience and the discipline based on the respect.
As spiritual father of Stay Nerd cosplay lover, would you give some advices to our readers that want to be part of this column?
I’m very honoured to be part of this column and to share a part of me with your public. Cosplaying is my greatest passion because it gives you the possibility to meet different special people. Everyone that want to start this career should have a positive attitude, without any envy. We all are beautiful and there is no need to be evil. In the Cosplay word there is a lot of evilness if you want to embrace it but the right answer is goodness and kindness. You will be repaid for that! Cosplay world is full of joy and colour and you should share it with a smile!
Leon thank you very much for your time!
This column can bring joy to cosplay’s world! Thank You!
Be foolish. Be “fomentati” = STAY NERD!!!
So be proud of your work and be foolish! Wanna become our Cosplayer of the Month? Send us a picture of your work. You can contact us on our Facebook Page or send us an email at [email protected]. Just show of what are you capable. The glory is waiting for You!
