Super Heroes GR, the big Greek superhero team that gives joy to children that need it! They talk about Cosplay, the team and their philanthropic work!
ONE TEAM, MANY HEROES !
For over 4 years, they offer smiles and joy to children who need them! One of its kind and its activities, the big Greek superhero team, Super Heroes GR!
Their philanthropic activities is what defines then! Starting with the team’s establishment on January 31, 2017, they make a difference, by continuing being by the side of children with special and all kinds of needs! Having collaborated with several foundations related to philanthropic activities, they seek to expand their work nationwide too, and be wherever there are children in need of a little joy! To reach this goal led the team to take on the form of a registered union!
Their various appearances on TV shows isn’t something new, placing first in that aspect, as far as Greek Cosplay is concerned. Respectively, their appearance at various Marvel & DC superhero movie premieres is something to be expected of course. As part of the release of these films, a few fanmade live action trailers were also created by the team.
We meet them occasionally with their own booth at various major Cosplay events in Athens, presenting their team and informing the public about their philanthropic activities. The team’s various appearances on stage during various Cosplay Shows & Parades and Cosplay Contests at those events fascinate the crowds! After all, what’s better than seeing all your beloved western superheroes in front of you!
Let’s talk with Periklis “Mandas” Mandalakis, founder of Super Heroes GR, about everything related to the team!
Visit to Children’s Oncology Hospital “Hope” – Photo by Super Heroes GR
Find Super Heroes GR on the following media! Page - Facebook - Youtube - Instagram - Twitter
GIVING SMILES TO CHILDREN !
1) Tell us a few words about your team! What do we need to know about you? How many and which members does it include at this point of time?
We are Super Heroes GR, a philanthropic team that gives joy to children who really need it ( children with health issues, children with disabilities, children with intellectual disabilities, children without parents etc. ).
So far our team includes 14 members, aiming to gradually increase them. At this point of time the team consists of the following members: Aggelos Athanassiou, Angelos Mouzinas, Akis Mouzinas, Alcmene Sonidou, Argiri Mitsi, Achilleas Sidiropoulos, Vangelis Magioros, Dimitris Kiriazis, Eleni Pappa, Thomas Pappas, Jason Drougas, Kostas Skoularikas, Periklis Mandalakis and Sofia Aggelaki.
Team Photoshoot – Photo by GMilo.gr
2) When and how did you get started with Cosplay and what got you into it and philanthropy? What led to the formation of your team? What was your first appearance and first Cosplays?
My love for comics was what led me to embody a character during conventions that take place in Greece.
I’ve always loved helping people, the same way all superheroes do. After an important personal event, I decided to create a group that would aim to give joy to children who really need it.
From the beginning of our team’s formation, we were asked to appear at various events. Movie premieres, conventions and more. Which helped us for more people to get to know about us, join our team and contribute to our philanthropic work.
Personally, my first appearance in Cosplay was as Flash from Justice League, as which I also appeared in AthensCon 2017‘s TV commercial, as well as at the premiere of the movie of the same name along with our team.
Visit to the Children’s Oncology Hospital “Hope” – Photo by Super Heroes GR
3) Your team’s theme is superheroes. What kind of characters and from which sources of superheroes specifically do you choose your Cosplays from?
Our team’s theme is exclusively superheroes. The characters selected are specifically from Marvel and DC. Each member of the group chooses their favorite character, and then takes up the role of this character so that any child meeting him will think he has his favorite superhero in front of him.
Visit to the Arc of the World – Photo by Super Heroes GR
4) Which characters do you think were the most popular? What were the most difficult Cosplays you have done until today? What makes them the most difficult?
Generally all comic book characters are loved by everyone, thank God! Comics’ rich color palette can inspire you to cosplay as characters you wouldn’t have imagined you would cosplay as. Some of the cosplays of various characters created by the team were quite difficult and took a lot of time and effort from all members. We’ve presented them periodically either during photoshoots or conventions.
Appearance in ERT1 channel’s Pame Allios show – Photo by ERT1
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? What do you think about store bought Cosplays? Are they part of your ensemble as well?
Most of our costumes are acquired through online shopping, where we are given the opportunity to purchase costumes that are an exact copy of ones we see in movies, thus enabling each person in front of us to notice how realistic each of our costumes is. Of course there is always the possibility that additional modifications on a costume can be made to make it even better.
Team Photoshoot – Photo by Cassiel Cosplay 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? Your team has the form of a registered association. What led you to take on this particular form?
Our involvement with Cosplay was considered as something serious starting from the beginning. This led to the form our team initially had, which then later turned to a registered non-profit association. This specific form helps us grow more as a team and do things not only in Athens, but throughout Greece. To get close to even more children who really need it and give them joy.
Visit to Lavrio’s Special School – Photo by Super Heroes GR
Visit to ”Sick Circus” at Meimaridis Stables – Photo by Super Heroes GR
7) Your philanthropic work is a important aspect of your team. Tell us about all the related cases that have arisen to date. What got you involved into this field?
Our philanthropic work is the focus of our organization. Our cooperation with several organizations and the fact that we have been side by side with many children giving them joy, is the best reward for us. There are various Cosplay teams abroad respectively, which also do what we do. As for Greece, I believe that if I hadn’t taken the decision to create our team and deal with the philanthropic sector through that team, no one else would have probably done it. Based on something that happened in my immediate family environment, I decided therefore to take this step and take it even further.
Appearance in Skai channel’s Simera show – Video by Skai
8) What kind of feedback do you receive from the children you visit as part of your philanthropic work?
The feedback we receive from them is positive. We made a lot of visits. Some children are happy to see us again and thank us either up close or with messages on our page, through their parents. Sometimes we were also asked to cosplay as specific characters by children who asked to see us at an institution or hospital.
Visit to Celebral Palsy Greece – Photo by Super Heroes GR
9) How did you feel the first time you appeared in public or at an event wearing Cosplays. Describe your experience to us.
The first time was very beautiful for me. I really liked the response we were getting from people, both personally and as a team, when they were seeing their favorite character in front of them, from the youngest to the oldest child!
Team Photoshoot – Photo by Cassiel Cosplay Photography
10) How did you end up attending Cosplays events intensively and what experiences did you get from it?
Our presence at various conventions helped a lot in people generally getting to know about our team and its activities. I’ve met various interesting people at them.
Avengers: Endgame Movie Premiere
11) You attended various events as a Cosplayer exhibitor. How do people who visit you treat you and what impact do you notice regarding your work at events and online? Are you generally satisfied with people’s response to your work all these years? Is there support from relatives and friends?
We attended various conventions as exhibitors, where we talked about our actions and our philanthropic activities. Most people didn’t know about us at first. Most people on the contrary later learned that what we do in Greece exists. The comments were positive, while at the same time relatives and friends were always the first to support us in all this from the beginning.
Team Cosplay Stand – Photo by Cosplayers//GR
12) You have attended Cosplay events in Athens, but also in Thessaloniki. Was there a difference that grabbed your attention you between the two cities in terms of Cosplays and related events? Is there anything more that you would like to see in the Greek Cosplay scene in general?
Yes. I believe there could be ones besides these two areas, all over Greece. It would be a good experience being able to visit more and more places so that we can talk about our purpose, although a lot of good work has been done in both cities and they keep improving more each year.
Team Photoshoot – Photo by Super Heroes GR
13) Did the theme and size of an event ever affect your decision to visit and dress with Cosplays at them?
No. It doesn’t have that much to do with the theme itself, but whether or not we have some philanthropic activity going on at the same time, and in case there isn’t, we could come either as visitors or also participate as exhibitors.
Participation in GameAthlon Summer 2019‘s Cosplay Parade – Photo by CowboyTV
14) Do you think that Cosplay as a subject will continue to be part of your daily life and philanthropic work 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?
Cosplay is the stepping stone helping us so that more people get to know about us. It is therefore important for us related to what we want to achieve as an organization. We want to see it grow all over Greece, people embrace all of it and support it as a form of volunteering and offering.
Live Action Trailer from Avengers: Endgame – Video by Super Heroes GR
15) What is your opinion, in proportion to Greece’s size, in terms of the number and level of Greek Cosplays, but also the level of events where they attend? What evolution around them did you notice over the years?
I think we’ve done a lot of important things related to Cosplay, which various conventions abroad would be envious of. We still need some work, but I think we don’t have anything to be jealous of at the same time.
Appearance in Alpha channel’s Ora gia Meleti show – Photo by Alpha
16) Do you think the provided Cosplay activities at various events are satisfactory or is there something you would still like to see there regarding Cosplay?
I believe that while things keep evolving, we are going to see even better things. There are excellent cosplayers in Greece, which keep improving over time.
Justice League Movie Premiere
17) You have occasionally participated in Cosplay Contests and Cosplay Parades on stage at various events. How did you feel the first time you went on stage? How do you feel now every time you go up?
It’s a beautiful feeling. It’s a beautiful form of contact with people. Especially when the whole team is on stage, it’s great watching all the Justice League, Avengers, and even X-Men on one stage.
Participation in GameAthlon Winter 2020‘s Cosplay Parade – Photo by Cassiel Cosplay Photography
18) Do you think that off stage roleplaying should be a key part of a Cosplayer or do you consider it practically inapplicable? Is it part of your philanthropic work?
As I mentioned before, roleplaying is a central aspect for us, since we have to give the impression to others that we are taking up a role and someone is not facing a human being, but a superhero.
Visit to the 1st Kallithea Special School – Photo by Super Heroes GR
19) Is there any important or funny experience you experienced during your time in the Cosplay scene that you will never forget?
Personally, the marriage proposal to my partner, Elena Pappa, was a wonderful experience, with the whole team helping me in its implementation, along with the organizers of GameAthlon. It was one of the most beautiful moments of my life and I thank everyone who participated in it.
Team Cosplay Booth – Photo by Cosplayers//GR
20) 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?
The only friendly advice I would give is to think if he likes it a lot and why he wants to do it. At least for us, everyone hides a hero inside them, and when you have a power in your hands, use it for a good cause.
Of course, we are looking for people who are interested in participating in our activities as volunteers and help in any way they can to take things even further. Hence, the motto of the organization is “you can go fast alone, we can go far together”.
Visit to Amimoni Association – Photo by Super Heroes GR
21) Is there anything last you would like to share with our readers?
I would like to thank all those guys & girls who make up this wonderful group – organization very much, as well as the people who helped us in all this from the beginning until today, so that it can be made reality, and give joy to children who really need it, whether they wear a suit or not, because there are many invisible heroes behind it. A big thank you to all of you, be well.
Team Photoshoot – Photo by Super Heroes GR
Philanthropic activities by Super Heroes GR – Video by Super Heroes GR
Cosplayers//GR, the Greek Cosplay community ( 2007 – today ), the only big non-profit neutral and independent Greek Cosplay community network, dedicated to providing -all- existing news about the community, coverage, recording and promotion of all Cosplayers, Cosplay events and anything associated with Cosplay in Greece.
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