Power Rangers/Super Sentai GR, the huge Greek Power Rangers and Japanese Super Sentai series community and Cosplay team! They talk about Cosplay, the team and their activities!
IT’S MORPHIN’ TIME !
Greece has its own large Power Rangers and Japanese Super Sentai series community! Its name, Power Rangers/Super Sentai GR!
Starting with the establishment of its Facebook group on January 9, 2013, it counts over 6500 members at present, being the largest Greek community about the Power Rangers series and Japanese Super Sentai series!
The activities of the group include interviews with Steve Cardenas ( 2nd Red Power Ranger & Blue Zeo Ranger / interview ), Alan Palmer ( Black Alien Ranger / interview ), Tim DiFillippo ( Gold Zeo Ranger / interview 1 & 2 ), Sabrina Lu ( Scorpina / interview 1 , 2, 3 & 4 ) and David J. Fielding ( Zordon / interview 1 & 2 )!
On September 21, 2013 the first public appearance of a Cosplay by the team as a Power Ranger occurs, leading gradually to the complete Power Rangers Cosplay team at the end of 2016! We meet them with their own booth occasionally at various Cosplay events in Athens, presenting their team to visitors and exhibiting related themed items, as well as visitors at various events in Athens, Thessaloniki, Korinthos, Kavala & Chalkida!
Let’s talk with Lazaros Koriatopoulos, founder of Power Rangers/Super Sentai GR, about everything!
Find Power Rangers/Super Sentai GR on the following media! Facebook - Youtube - Instagram
GO GO POWER RANGERS !
1) Tell us a few words about Power Rangers/Super Sentai GR! What do we need to know about you, as a Facebook Group, but also as a Cosplay team? How many and which members does the Cosplay team include? What was your first appearance and first Cosplays?
Power Rangers/Super Sentai GR is the first Greek Facebook group around the Power Rangers series, as well as Japanese Super Sentai series. This group may be Greek but everyone is welcome from all over the world, regardless of country of origin. The group was founded in order to offer Greek fans the nostalgia and joy of our childhood. And as the old saying goes. For new ones to learn and old ones to remember. Our team’s Cosplayers’ purpose is to share and give joy and nostalgia to the public, to young and old children. As a Cosplayers team we consist of six people: Lazaros Koriatopoulos, Dimitris Demirtzoglou, Antonia Deligianni, Pavlos Konstantinidis, Konstantinos Karagiannis and Aris Avramidis.
Our first appearance with Cosplays was in 2015 at Cosplay Korinthos 2015 and at AthensCon 2015, where we appeared as two people for the first time. Me as a green Ranger and Aris as a red one. While in 2016 and 2017 at AthensCon, Vintage Toys and Comicdom Con Athens our complete team appeared with all characters of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. And we also appeared at The Comic Con in Thessaloniki obviously. I also want to say a big thank you to the following Power Rangers Cosplayers, who attended the events I mentioned along with us. Antonis Koutsouradis, Katerina Koutsouradi, Anatoli Doutsi, Nikos Gaitatzis and Maria Tassoula.
Comidom Con Athens 2017 – Photo by Power Rangers/Super Sentai GR
2) Your team’s theme is the Power Ranger series and consequently the Japanese Super Sentai series. What kind of characters do you choose as your Cosplays? Are those choices based on personal interests, and if so, when did you get in contact with them before the team’s creation?
Anyone can choose to cosplay as any character they want from Power Rangers and Super Sentai series, regardless of season, even if there are two identical characters, we don’t mind. For example Pavlos and Konstantinos both have the same black Ranger uniform. While me, Antonis and Aris all have the uniform of the green Ranger. We all got into Power Rangers at a young age, since the time they were broadcast on Greek television. And then, years later, once the internet was introduced into our lives, we learned even more things.
The Comic Con 3 – Photo by Cassiel Cosplay Photography
3) Which characters do you think were the most popular? Which characters are you thinking about doing in the future?
Of course the first season’s Rangers from 1993 were and still are the most popular. In the future we want to cosplay from other seasons from the Power Rangers series and Super Sentai series too, either from old or new seasons.
Hobby Fair Play – Photo by Mary Chan Cosplay & Photography
4) How did you acquire your knowledge on creating Cosplays? What do you think about ready-made Cosplays? Are they part of your ensemble as well?
Each of us acquired his knowledge on the creating Cosplays in his own way. You know, by word of mouth, via the internet, by us. Ready-made Cosplays are not a bad thing at all. I personally don’t know how to create Cosplays and buy ready-made costumes. Many people do that and it’s not a shame to buy ready-made Cosplays at all. But others know how to create them by themselves. For some, yes, ready-made Cosplay are part of their ensemble, while for others they aren’t.
Interview of Steve Cardenas ( 2nd Red Power Ranger & Blue Zeo Ranger ) by Power Rangers/Super Sentai GR – Video by Power Rangers/Super Sentai GR
5) How much effort, time and money does it usually take to create a Cosplay? What is the most common plan and methods you use to create a Cosplay?
You don’t always know how much effort, time and money you will need based on the requirements of the costume you are looking for and the free time you can spend every day personally. The methods we follow are various. For example, the purchase of various materials online, ready-made or not. Or to turn to Antonis Koutsouradis for the construction of a helmet too, who knows how to make the Rangers’ and Super Sentai helmets.
First team appearances of Power Rangers/Super Sentai GR at The Comic Con, AthensCon 2015 & Cosplay Korinthos 2015 – Photos by Cassiel Cosplay Photography & Dimitris Papadopoulos Photography
6) Do you consider your involvement with Cosplay a hobby or something more serious? How does that define the way you present your work?
Cosplay is our hobby. It’s our entertainment, but also the people’s entertainment, who are taking photos with us.
Power Rangers/Super Sentai GR with Steve Cardenas ( 2nd Red Power Ranger & Blue Zeo Ranger ) & Alan Palmer ( Black Alien Ranger ) – Photos by Power Rangers/Super Sentai GR
7) How did you feel the first time you appeared in public at an event wearing Cosplays. Describe your experience to us.
This experience can’t be described. It really was something extraordinary for all of us. There are no words. If you were there in front of us you would see it, you would realize it. To watch people having the Power Rangers in front of them and jumping for joy.
AthensCon 2016 – Photo by Cassiel Cosplay Photography
8) How did you end up attending Cosplays events intensively and what experiences did you get from it?
We go everywhere we are able to go. To see and meet more people and give even more joy to Cosplayers and non-Cosplayers.
Interview of Alan Palmer ( Black Alien Ranger ) by Power Rangers/Super Sentai GR – Video by Power Rangers/Super Sentai GR
9) You attended various events as a Cosplayer exhibitor. Tell us about the content you exhibit at your booth. How do people who visit you treat you and what impact do you notice regarding your work at events? Are you generally satisfied with people’s response to your work all these years?
Naturally, we have attended various events as Cosplay exhibitors. We exhibited our collections all together. The public’s response was warm and we’ve done quite well, I could say, regarding our work, at the events. Yes, we are satisfied in general, but there were times when a few ones didn’t like us, nothing to be done about it. It’s not possible to have everything go your way.
The Comic Con 2 – Photo by Cassiel Cosplay Photography
10) Did the theme and size of an event ever affect your decision to visit and dress with Cosplays at them? What would you say were your favorite events so far?
Certainly. But we also attended events as Rangers whose theme was completely different. Favorite events are AthensCon, Vintage Toys and The Comic Con.
Vintage Toys 2016 – Photo by Dimitris Papadopoulos Photography
11) Do you think that Cosplay as a subject will continue to be part of your daily life for a long time? If so, what are your plans for the future in this area that you have not yet been able to implement? Is there a long term goal or personal dream that you want to achieve related to it?
Of course, Cosplay as a subject will continue to be part of the team’s daily life. There are plans. There are goals for the future. But we will have to leave you wondering. Let them be a surprise.
AthensCon 2016 & AthensCon 2018 – Photos by Mary Chan Cosplay & Photography & Cassiel Cosplay Photography
12) You participated in a Wrestling match in a ring during AthensCon 2016. How did you feel when you went on stage? Describe the whole experience to us.
We never imagined that we would get on ZMAK’s ring. Honestly, it was something awesome. And we all greatly thank Petros Polychronidis and ZMAK Pro Wrestling who gave us the opportunity to show our strengths on the ring.
Appearance of the Power Rangers/Super Sentai GR team on the ZMAK Pro Wrestling ring at AthensCon 2016 – Video by ZMAK
13) Do you think that off stage roleplaying should be a key part of a Cosplayer or do you consider it practically inapplicable?
Not necessarily. It’s good for roleplaying to be a key part off stage as well, but in normal contexts and situations in general.
Power Rangers/Super Sentai GR with Spiros Bibilas ( Greek voice of Blue Ranger, Green Ranger & White Ranger ) at The Nostalgic Effect – Photo by Your Moment
14) Is there any important or funny experience you experienced during your time in the Cosplay scene that you will never forget?
A very funny experience happend while we were exhibiting our collection. Some who looked at our collection thought that the Rangers’ robots were Voltron, and I won’t be forgetting that one time when someone who saw the Power Rangers and Super Sentai figures thought they were Pokemon.
The Nostalgic Effect – Photo by Dimitris Papadopoulos Photography
15) What is the first thing you would say to someone who wants to get into Cosplay, either seriously or not? Do you think it’s easy to get started? Are you looking for people interested in joining your team? If so, what do they need to know about that?
Seriously or not, the first thing I would say to him would be to guide him to get his own costume. It’s not easy for everyone to start cosplaying. Of course we are looking for people who are really interested and we will certainly help them get the costumes of their choice, regardless of season, outfit or same season.
Vintage Toys 2018 – Photo by Mary Chan Cosplay & Photography
16) Is there anything last you would like to share with our readers?
Our group has reached 6,500 members and rising. Thank you all for your support during all these years. If you really want to make your dream come true and get a Power Rangers or Super Sentai costume, don’t hesitate to contact us and we’ll be happy to help you. And as Zordon said: May the power protect you always. Once a ranger, always a ranger.
Japan Festival 2019 – Photo by Dimitris Papadopoulos Photography
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