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Panos Giannopoulos ( Thunderpaw Designs ), an expert in “monster” & “being” themed Cosplays, among others, talks to us about Cosplay and his work!

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MONSTERS FROM ANOTHER WORLD !

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His name is Panagiotis Giannopoulos, also known as Thunderpaw Designs! Cosplays of monsters and beings are his forte, holding the monopoly on them in Greece, apart from rare exceptions!

Starting his involvement with Cosplay during the first years of Greek Cosplay, in 2009, he continues until today, at a slower pace, having reached 15 Cosplays! He has been distinguished in Cosplay Contests in Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece, while occasionally also taking up the role of a member of the jury at various Cosplay Contests!

His activities include hosting Cosplay seminars and workshops during Cosplay events! He collaborated with Make-A-Wish to make a child’s wish come true, where he created “PAW Patrol” themed costumes.

We meet him occasionally with his own table at various Cosplay events in Greece, exhibiting his creations to the public, which not only include Cosplays, but instead focus on the superb sculptures of various themes he creates!

Let’s talk to him in detail about everything!

Malphite from League of Legends – Greek Legends

Find Thunderpaw Designs on the following media!
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CRAFTING IS THE KEY !

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1) Tell us a few words about yourself! What do we need to know about you?

Hi! My name is Panos Giannopoulos. I live in Athens and I love fantasy, gaming, philosophy and psychology. I also think of myself as a proud member of the ‘90s generation ( in terms of age and aesthetics ).

Maokai from League of Legends – eGaming 2017 – Photo by Cosplayers//GR

2) When and how did you get started with Cosplay and what got you into it? What was your first Cosplay? What has Cosplay offered you so far?

My first experience with cosplay was in 2007, where I happened to attend a carnival party downtown, having prepared a “wardrobe costume” similar to Raiden’s from Mortal Kombat mixed with Naruto Uzumaki. After spending most of the night telling people I don’t know, that I didn’t know which character I did, I found out that, although being during carnival, the party was cosplay themed, and I had practically gotten into the hobby without realizing it. Obviously, the reason that piqued my interest was living the fantasy of being your favorite fantasy character, and more personally, because I already enjoyed crafting.

Cosplay has offered me some of the most beautiful / vivid memories I can remember so far. Friends, inspiration, expression, and lots of hot glue bobbins!

Maokai from League of Legends – Photos by Cassiel Cosplay Photography

3) What kind of characters, sources or types of Cosplays do you choose for your Cosplays? Are these choices based on personal interests, and if so, when did you start getting interested in them?

Easy! My Cosplays are 100% personal choices, and are mainly based on characters through which I can express myself on the inside or which I like a lot aesthetically. And those characters are:

– Organic costumes / creature costumes and practical effects

– Dynamic characters

– Badass big daddy vibes characters

Sources are from videogames, movies, series and things in general that I remember doing as far as I can remember.

Nightmare from Soul Calibur 6 – Photo by Chris Kon Photo

4) Which ones are your favorite Cosplays out of all of which you’ve done until now? Which characters do you think were the most popular? Which character do you want to cosplay most in the future?

Volibear and Maokai from League of Legends definitely, I would say. The first one, because it was my first attempt at a creature suit ( which left me very satisfied with the final result ) and the second one, because it was my last and most recent creature suit, which left me very satisfied AGAIN with the way it turned out in the end! We are evolving children. The first one was definitely the most loved by the people and surely many correlated me with it ( which is another reason that makes it a favorite of mine ).

In the future, I look forward to making an original design of a character of mine with influences from Pan’s labyrinth. It’s gonna be epic.

Volibear from League of Legends – GameAthlon 2013

5) What’s the most difficult Cosplay you have done until today? What makes it the most difficult?

Stun from Bloody Roar 2! I would call it more of a cosfail than a cosplay! With it construction wise being very demanding and ending up making me tired in almost every aspect. It’s on the reworks list.

Mitsurugi from Soul Calibur 4 – Photo by Cassiel Cosplay Photography

6) How did you acquire your knowledge on creating Cosplays and what kind of Cosplays do you prefer to wear?

Perseverance and enthusiasm. And a little immaturity! Besides joking, I’m completely self-taught and, similar to many people, my first teacher was the internet. Further down the road you obviously get involved with the community and then comes the happy hour, where you brainstorm with similarly obsessed people like you. In general, the cosplays I like to wear are either very impressive or so realistic that it has gotten a bit creepy by now! I like the idea of a very realistic costume,  that people see and completely forget that there is someone inside the costume.

7) What do you think about ready-made Cosplays? Are they part of your ensemble as well?

You don’t need to make your costumes yourself to enjoy the cosplay experience. It’s a hobby made for everyone and  since the time will come anyway when you’ll have to change clothes that fit the character, buying a ready-made cosplay ( and why not improve it a bit too ) will not make you less of a cosplayer than me or anyone else out there.

Volibear from League of Legends – Photos by Cassiel Cosplay Photography

8) 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? How important is wig styling and make up in all this?

Let’s compare it to cooking. The time, effort and money needed to prepare dinner will be different from the ones needed for a toast. It’s the same for cosplay, where it depends on the choice of your suit. Here I want to add “go big or go home my little cosplay goblins”. The most common plan to make a cosplay is  doing a research for existing tutorials on the internet,  materials research and budget calculation, photos and character references collection to get a clear picture, and practically the construction of the costume. The scenography includes so many methods, that no matter how many we discuss, what matters in the end is to find what will work for your needs. Wig styling and make up are part of your costume. And your costume is your child!

Druid from Dungeons & Dragons – Photos by Cassiel Cosplay Photography

9) Do you consider your involvement with Cosplay a hobby or something more serious? How does that define the way you present your work?

I consider cosplay to be a hobby that I have spent a lot of time on loving and doing, but obviously because I have invested so much time in it, it changed a lot in my eyes. And then it pushed me to explore more of what I want inside me and how far I can go for it. Regarding  this question, I can say that I love scenography, special effects, sculpting, filmography, and any other art involved in the beautiful creations made by other fans of these arts, related or not to cosplay. And knowing that I like the idea of ​​myself being an artist of these arts, I do the best I can and am proud of my hard work. Simple and honest.

Malphite from League of Legends – Photos by Mary Chan Cosplay & Photography

10) You also deal with the creation of cosplays and cosplay props undertaking corresponding commissions. What can one find on your part and what led you to take it up as well?

From my side, one can find mainly sculptures and mascot costumes’ prostethics, props, and pretty much everything around cosplay except clothes ( I didn’t say I was perfect haha ).

What led me to commissions was the positive response I received from people, which came after my work’s good results on my cosplays ( and somewhere around there lurks the hope for professional settlement ).

Stun from Bloody Roar 2 – Photos by SpirosK Photography

11) How did you feel the first time you appeared in public or at an event wearing a Cosplay. Describe your experience to us.

Generally, I was very introverted as a person at 17, when I started cosplaying, so my first experience was ( like everyone starting from scratch ) quite weird. I created a costume of Abel from Street Fighter 4 with any materials I could think of, using what I knew at that time ( not that much ), got to the cosplay party with a slight allergic reaction to hair dye, generally had a good time and didn’t make that many new friends ( because I didn’t get to open up ). Something that changed gradually as I returned for new parties, because 1) I liked crafting and I was getting better at it and 2) because I was getting better more people started a conversation with me and that urged me out of my shell. Spoiler alert, everything went well in the end!

Maokai from League of Legends – Photos by Chris Kon Photo

12) How did you end up attending Cosplays events intensively and what experiences did you get from it?

Since I already answered how I ended attending intensively during the last question, I’ll mention a few epic experiences I remember:

– A granny looking at me scared on the subway, while I was dressed as Wolverine ( the claws were probably to blame )

– When I scared the garbage man dressed as Sub-Zero when I went to throw the garbage ( I had to finish the costume for the convention next day )

– Being painted during make up for a costume at a kiosk and a live medieval band behind me playing the Smurfs opening theme ( and me having to stay still )

– When my friends and I had to walk past a traffic light, with me dressed as a Druid of my own design, and a guy among the stopped cars was left staring for so long that he forgot to move on with the green light. Hehe, both of us laughed and I felt a little proud of my design, I won’t lie.

Monk from Diablo 3 – Photo ( right ) by Dimitris Papadopoulos Photography

13) You attended various events as a Cosplayer exhibitor. Tell us about the content you display on your table. What 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?

Exactly! And the things that I exhibit during these events are 99% mainly sculptures ( yeah a bit shocking, I know ). Νevertheless the peoples’ reactions are usually very good, because I really like the franchises that my sculptures are based on too, resulting in people coming to my table and us fanboying together on the same topics ( the only kind of ad that I consider worthy of me when I make something for people or for me ). Online, more or less, algorithms and other factors are taken into account, but generally it’s the same results. Now, a little advice for those looking for / who need a little motivation to be creative. Accept support wherever it might come from, and above all offer it to yourself. Those who support you will be @#king awesome and kudos to them, and those who will tell you to think about it again because something may go wrong, will say that they always believed in you in the end. So just do what fills your heart.

Cosplayer Stand – GameAthlon Winter 2020 – Photo by Cosplayers//GR

14) 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?

A difference is the community definitely. Which I would say seems to be more active compared to the one in Athens ( although, due to us having more events, many people from Thessaloniki travel to Athens ).

Certainly, until recently, we had cosplay events at the Thessaloniki International Fair and this created a huge vibe comparable to conventions abroad, especially if you had to travel and feel like you are going on vacation to visit a convention ( best feeling ever ).

I really hope these events will return and multiply, because they’re a great opportunity for companies, for fans, and for cosplayers.

Mitsurugi from Soul Calibur 4 – Photos by Cassiel Cosplay Photography

15) 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?

Obviously both factors are taken into account. Although the theme comes first obviously. In any case, events are considered a big celebration by cosplayers, so I think you can’t have a complete event without one of them.

Personally, my favorite events would be:
– Gameathlon
– Comicdom Con Athens
– Fantasticon
– Fantasy Festival
– Athenscon
– eGaming
– The Comic Con

Druid from Dungeons & Dragons – Photos by Chris Kon Photo

16) 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?

Hmm, I don’t think that much … You never really know how much time you’ll have free in the long run. Especially when you are engaged in creative activities.

Regarding long term goals, I would say to improve every day and my arts and skill be able to sustain me on a professional level. As for dreams and cosplans there are obviously many and and excessive ( in a good sense haha ) so in order not to talk endlessly, I suggest you find me on social media where there’s a lot of stuff to get an idea.

Udyr from League of Legends

17) 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 would say that, proportional to the size of Greece, we have reached a very satisfactory level in terms of cosplays and events compared to how they started as something completely local and hobby specific. Nevertheless, we could certainly improve in some key areas.

18) 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 they are definitely at a good level by now and even offer privileges to cosplayers such as free admission to the event, free photoshoots etc. Nevertheless, there are some areas that can be improved, and this will definitely change the status of events and give positive motivation to cosplayers to improve themselves. Here are some ideas:

– Universal system for selecting judges for cosplay contests

– Cosplay and fanart art competitions ( as done in events like BlizzCon )

– Group photoshoots to highlight their interior as events

– Art seminars / cosplay workshops

Volibear from League of Legends – Photos by Cassiel Cosplay Photography

19) Is there anything more that you would like to see in the Greek Cosplay scene in general?

I would like to see more cosplayers find their way into some art form  they picked up through cosplay. Cosplay as a hobby is very creative and includes so many art forms, making it a waste not to “give birth” to professional artists, who started as hobbyists.

20) 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?

From the very first time I was on stage, even though I was entirely dazzled, I realized something very important: cosplay is a celebration with other people. Live interaction makes it something completely special. On one hand it took my courage, and on the other hand I was quite used to people looking at me in a weird way, because I had already come to the convention dressed, using transport on that day, so … I would say it was fun! You are slowly getting used to it.

Druid from Dungeons & Dragons – Photo by Chris Kon Photo

21) Occasionally you placed high in various Cosplay Contests. Tell us about those wins and how you felt in those moments.

Occassionally, yes! Thank God we manage and get better with each new costume. More specifically, I managed to achieve 99% of one of my personal goals, which is getting first place in almost every regular contest in Athens and Thessaloniki ( I wanna be the very best ), but besides having fun, contests were a way for me to compare my skills ( since I was practically starting my career as a cosplayer ), to make new friends, and I also felt like it was great “exercise” to be ready one day to pursue the field professionally ( plus needing the money, since costumes were getting more sophisticated and demanding hehe … #justartistthings ).

A permanent feeling that never left during contests is the stress related to the results. Because, no matter how good your work is, there will always be another person like you beside you, who works hard too, and his work could easily be in place of your own. And you notice that yourself too. So you need to be sure of yourself. And at the same time be able to discern that the award and title aren’t the real essential goals in the end. But the experience and friendships you make along the way.

Sans from Undertale – Photo by Cassiel Cosplay Photography

22) You were also a member of the jury at Cosplay Contests. What is your experience from this opposite side of the stage? Did you feel any pressure or difficulty in this role?

Indeed, I’ve been a member of a jury twice so far. Personally, I don’t think  it was difficult for me to get into the judge’s mindset during any of these times ( I generally think that I have quite a detailed process of thought by default ).

Certainly being old in the scene helps a lot in the self confidence required by such a position. As well as being 100% honest with the contestants ( obviously ). This means being ready to be judged back, and rightly so, wanting to know more about your own criteria. It definitely is a big responsibility and you’ll definitely get stressed when the time comes to judge the contestants, because they are human too. But if you are 100% honest, and your number one motivation is constructive criticism towards others, then I think you can do it.

Wolverine from X-Men – Photos by Κώστας Πάντουλας

23) How important do you think is a distinction in a Cosplay Contest in terms of whether it was worth the effort someone put into creating a difficult Cosplay? To what extent do you think such a possible distinction should influence the choices of a Cosplayer while creating a Cosplay?

Hm … 6 to 7 years ago I would say lot! You were practically given the choice to make a big and powerful project, get paid for it ( if you succeeded ) and  get advertised through the event’s contest of course.

But here’s where the problem lies in that: you are basically reverse engineering. Being the best of all will never motivate you enough. Neither a big contest will do that, I think.

To reach the point where you’ll not only learn and make such a complex costume from scratch that will ( probably ) get you first place, but also to get into the process to compete, to learn about progress books, stage presence and everything else, I think all this will have happened, because at the end of the day, you love the process. Not the goal at the end.

As for advertisement, nowadays, if you do what you love, you will do it successfully, and you will have the same advertisement, maybe even more, via the internet.

Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat

24) Do you think that off stage roleplaying should be a key part of a Cosplayer or do you consider it practically inapplicable?

Hmmm, I don’t think so. It’s like saying that it should be a key part to have the best possible constructed costume off stage. Cosplay is a creative hobby that covers many art forms. And because it’s a hobby, we do it to have a good time. So if you like acting in general, please express yourself freely and do as much roleplay as your heart desires.

Cosplay Workshop – Kallithea Cosplay Fiesta 2017 – Photo by Cosplayers//GR

25) Is there any important or funny experience you experienced during your time in the Cosplay scene that you will never forget?

The thing that comes first to mind as an experience is when I first walked through the doors of Comicdom Con Athens, and felt that in the midst of all the comics, fantasy, art forms and other people like me, I was home. It really is a very special feeling.

26) 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?

We all start from scratch. So don’t be afraid to ask other cosplayers for tips. I personally will try to help anyone who is interested, with whatever knowledge I have. Also, the internet is your best friend for tutorials. Enthusiasm is your driving force. Live the experience and fantasy of your favorite character full time, express yourself freely, and welcome!

Sculptures

27) Is there anything last you would like to share with our readers?

I can think of many things for sure, but I will stick to what I think is very important to be mentioned.

Cosplay has something very special. It gives you the opportunity to live the fantasy of each of your favorite heroes. And if you give it the opportunity and try to make your own outfit,  it offers you this fantasy then, making you feel like a badass at the same time! Because you learned a lot of new things during the process, and you created something fantastic by yourself. Something you didn’t think you could achieve, until now.

And believe me, that makes you confident about yourself. And it can take you out of your shell and push you to find other people of your “kind” and get good friends. Maybe thanks to its art forms it will teach you to express yourself and teach you who you really want to be ( through the heroes you admire ).

I think those experiences are really worth it. And I can’t wait to meet you and admire your epic creations.

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