Welcome to Meet the Cosplayer, where I introduce you to some of the fantastic, creative talent within the Rainbow Six: Siege community. This series is meant to showcase the amazing cosplayers no matter their skill level or experience.
I sat down and spoke with cosplayer MVPSLenny about his history with cosplay, what got him into it, the challenges he faced and other things.
Lenny is from Germany and is currently studying quantum physics at university.
What got you interested in cosplay?
“I had to learn CAD modelling as I was participating in an engineering competition. For practice I often took random objects from my room and reverse-engineered 3D models for them. Once I got bored of that I started trying to work off screenshots and created models e.g. for gadgets from Rainbow Six. Blitz’s shield was particularly interesting to me as one could fully build it with todays technology unlike other gadgets that are in the game. It definitely helped that at that time The Hacksmith on YouTube pumped out tons of great videos where they recreated amongst others, Siege gadgets showing me how it’s done.”
How long have you been cosplaying for?
“The first Rainbow Six 3D model I created was in 2020, however I only finished my first cosplay just in time for the Berlin Major which was in August ’22. I think I can say that I have been thinking about starting a cosplay for a few years but only really got going once in person evens came back to Siege and I could actually present my creations to the community.”
What has been the most difficult part about cosplaying for you?
“Cosplay is definitely not a cheap hobby; materials, tools, tactical gear as well as hotels or event tickets can add up quickly. However the real challenge for me seems to be working consistently and sticking to a good schedule – my Blitz cosplay was finished literally the day before heading out to Berlin and the final part to my Goyo cosplay must have arrived while I was in Copenhagen.”
When cosplaying, what have been three most important things for you to have with you?
“Water, an acrylic marker and a camera. Lugging around a riot shield all day will get you sweating and if you are at an event there are always opportunities to get autographs of take pictures with people you meet. And it’s definitely an experience being asked by strangers to take a photo or give an autograph!”
When you started cosplaying, what was an obstacle or challenge that you encountered?
“With tactical cosplay you are often moving in a legal gray zone. Building things that might be considered a weapon under some legislations, crossing borders with suitacses full of combat gear (learnt that the hard way) or doing photo shoots in public places. You have to be very careful to comply with both the law and also convention rules. For example for my Goyo cosplay I was looking to obtain a prop Kriss Vector, however airsoft imitations are in the upper 3 digits. Getting my own 3D printer was such a milestone for that, as most online manufacturers will refuse working on anything that even looks like a weapon for obvious reasons.”
What advice would you give to people wanting to start cosplay for the first time?
“Nobody is born a master and if you are anything like me you will always find imperfections in your work. That is OK, and you should always strive to improve! However you also want to keep your goals in mind: Shipped is better than perfect, so take your cosplay to some conventions and observe the “6 foot rule” in effect: most people won’t notice the imperfections you see in your own work.”
Lenny can be found on your favourite social media channels here:
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mvpslenny
