Interview with Leinil Francis Yu

This is a long overdue interview but I hope you guys will enjoy it!

TheCosplayChronicles had the chance to interview Leinil Francis Yu, renown Comic Artist  when he was in town for the Singapore Toys Games and Comics Convention last August. Leinil has worked on numerous titles such as Uncanny X-Men, X-Men, Highroads, Superman: Birthright, Silent Dragon, Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk, New Avengers, Marvel's 2008 Epic:  Secret Invasion.

*Click to continue reading.

Q: You've taken over the drawing for quite a few high profile titles. What is the learning curve like when you take over a new title? Do you get your style to adapt or do you change their style?

Yeah for example The Indestructible Hulk, while drawing it I was still tweaking it. When I had it in the first double page spread, a week after I submitted it, I told my editor "can I take it back? I need to fix something else". So the first issue would be a learning curve.

Ideally you should make like 100 sketches before starting an issue, that's an ideal thing. You would have fixed all the technicalities. You would know how he looked like when he screams, the hair at all the angles and how big the muscles are so ... ideally that would be the case. But I don't have the time to do that so I learn as I go, I do it on the issue itself.

So by issue 2 or 3 you'd see the best Hulk that i could have done and it happens to almost all the comics I do and erm yeah, new characters are always hard to draw. When I did Secret invasion, a hundred characters were introduced and to me, I'm not really very familiar with all of them so it was a steep learning curve just to have the costumes look good

Q: I visited your Deviantart (leinilyu) and have seen how you do sketches for fun and it’s sketches that looked awesome. And they were during your free time. How long does it generally take you to finish the deviantart stuffs?

Those are quick... depends. If you're talking about the digital paintings it could be under an hour or 30 minutes. But for the ones with markers they may take a while longer because those are sort of like commissions and take longer.

 
hulk digital practiceby ~leinilyu

Q: So the traditional mediums are always commissioned?

Erm, either commissions or a gift for a friend or editor ...

Q: Oh, So they don't fancy digital prints?

Well... no. It almost has no value cause it's printed. I could make more version of the artwork with that copy. It's definitely more personal with traditional medium.

 
cap on canvas  by ~leinilyu

Q: Haha that’s true, thank you for answering the question.

Oh thank you I'm glad you browsed my Deviantart

Q: Oh it was awesome!

Ah , you know I really had fun doing those digital paintings. It's mostly because of jealously , I'm really jealous of all the Deviantart Artists and I really want to …

Q: Haha You?! jealous of them?

Yeaaahh , I really wanted to be able to do those paintings like Section 8 concept Art (I wasn't able to really understand this part) like fans luis (?) do this , he has this school here, he's amazing. He teaches map paint and concept arts those stuffs I can't do so I really want to learn that.

Q: What's your opinion of traditional medium versus digital?

I think everyone should learn both cause there are some stuffs you can't do traditionally... or you can but it's really hard. I think digital is amazing, it's the way to go for the future. But traditional is more fun, you get your nails dirty, you get paint on your hand and stuffs so it feels good. It’s really satisfying! But you know, there's nothing you can do traditionally that you can't do digitally so ... you have to learn both. 

I had so much fun interviewing all the guests at The Singapore Toy Games and Comic Convention last year and walked away from the Press Conference feeling immensely inspired by talents such as Leinil himself.

Leinil came across as a really nice, sincere and down-to-earth Artist who is a classic example of someone who excels because he loves doing what he loves! Remember to follow and watch him on Deviantart here!

Girly stuffs Giveaway RESULT!

I know a lot of you are anticipating this. Yes, I’m finally here with the results of the girly giveway where I will give away a fake lash box, 4 pairs of brand new fake lashes, a pouch, a pair of tights and some skin care satchets  =)

And the winner is…….

Congratulations to Peanutskye for winning the entire batch of Girly stuffs ^^ ! Please email me at elpheal@gmail[dot]com and let me know your mailing address and recipient name by 2nd April 2013 \ ^_^ /.

How to start Cosplaying

I lost track of the amount of comments I see on different platforms by people commenting about how much they want to cosplay but they can't because they are 1) not the right colour 2) not the right race 3) don't have money 4) don't know how to start. 

While point 3 is something I can't do anything about, I'm going to try to help by giving some pointers and a proposed plan to starting your first Cosplay. *Cues applause* XD

STEP 1: Pick an Event to attend

First start by selecting an Anime/manga/Games/Comics or any related events/conventions to attend. The selected event itself is not crucial, just find an event that welcomes Cosplayers and fits into your budget and schedule. 

The main reason why this is the first thing I recommend you to do is because when you set an event to attend, you set a goal and a due date. Thus giving yourself a clearer idea of where to begin and then plan how you should do it to accomplish the costume within the stipulated time. 

Giving yourself a deadline simply stops you from procrastinating, the bane of all modern ambitions! 


STEP 2: pick a character

Next is to select a character to cosplay. When it comes to cosplay, the skies is the limits and you can be anyone you want to be. But at this stage, it's all about asking yourself the right questions and weighing all your limitations. As a beginner, it's important to have the right expectation.

Would you like to cosplay your favourite character? Or would you do something easier? Is it a Mecha cosplay? An Armour cosplay? Need wig?

Like how I mentioned in the Vlog, my personal suggestion is to cosplay a character you like but find an alternative costume of him/her that you can manage. Or maybe you can cosplay another character from the same series. It is highly recommended to do a cosplay from a series you like because Cosplay is a visual representation of your support and love for the series. Which has a deeper meaning when you attend an event because you are announcing your interest to the world and like minded fans will know who to talk to =)
 
STEP 3: Find teammates

Companionship is fun and having someone to cheer you on and motivate you usually makes the difficulties more bearable. When I created my Just Be Friends Cosplay PV, the whole production process was so exhausting I would probably have given up if not for the fact that I didn’t want to disappoint my teammates. 



Go online and look for any Anime /cosplay groups around your area. Check out the forums of the convention/event that you are attending and see if anyone’s intending to cosplay the same series as you. Maybe you can form a team!

One thing though, always be cautious of anyone you meet for the first time from the internet. While there is hardly any danger report of Cosplay/anime fans getting abused/raped/robbed, it doesn’t hurt to be careful. Similarly, don’t get dishearten if you didn’t managed to find a partner/teammate. Some times things just doesn’t happen as we like but just remember to enjoy yourself and enjoy the event. Be happy with yourself first and I believe a jovial character will attract companionship at the events!

 
STEP 4: Create the cosplay!

And here comes the hardest part of the journey; making the costume. Always start by planning and researching. Try to find as much reference pictures and information about constructing the costume as you can. If this is the first time you made clothes, let me tell you… it will be hard. So don’t be discouraged if it didn’t turned out as easy as my tutorial videos made them look. Just remember to start early and test and trial with newspaper before cutting your fabric! I’m an advocate of using newspapers to do up a working costume trial before actually making the costume with cloth. Just stick them together with masking tapes



If making costumes is not what you enjoy, then you can look into purchasing or commissioning one! Just be careful when you buy anything online, check out as much reviews as you can before entering your credit card information. Below are some of the product reviews

• Miccostumes Costume Review

• Iszo Circle Lens Review

If you’re looking for wigs, you can also check out Assist wigs(http://www.assistcosplay.com/). They are a Japanese wig company that also sells costumes and cosplay accessories. They are responsible for my red Shana wig here and in the blog banner above xD



If you’re more in favour of commissioning/tailoring your costume, ask around on your local Anime/Cosplay forum and see if anyone has a tailor/seamstress to recommend. Or inquire at your local fabric/craft stores, they might have someone in mind ^_^/

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To end this entry, let me share with you what I think about cosplaying a character that doesn’t suit your race.
Firstly, if everyone based their judgment on a cosplayer’s race then 80% of the international cosplayers would be bashed for simply not being Japanese. Which in case you haven't realise, fills up AT LEAST 70% of our favourite 2D world (The race I mean).

Secondly, cosplay is a hobby about paying respect to the series and the characters you learn so much from and had so much companionship with. While I understand how a badly portrayed and inappropriate cosplay can spoil the image of a character and break a fan’s heart, I still find it hard to agree with the act of bashing someone else for not fulfilling one’s lofty expectation. I won’t be a hypocrite and say every cosplay on earth is lovable but I make it a point to ask myself whether if it is correct for me to judge and hate. So if you do the cosplay with a lot dedication, effort and love then raise your head high!

Thirdly, those people don’t pay your bills. Unless you’re trying to be the next Cosplay King/Queen you really don’t need their praises.



Finally, do your best and keep getting better, nobody starts off awesome. If anything, just make sure your next cosplay is better than your last.

How I made my Rondo, Megurine Luka’s Rapier

Hi guys, I’m here with a simple blog entry to share with you guys how I made my rapier for Megurine Luka’s outfit in the song “Rondo of the Sun & Moon”.

Check out the rest of my Rondo Luka photo-shoots here and here.

*  Click on the images to view larger

Materials Used:

1. Pen Knife
2. Wood cutter
3. Epoxy Putty
4. Aluminium Bending Wires (6mm width). For this particular type or wire, there is actually a layer of plastic wrapped around it.
   
   
5. Cup Cover
   
   
6. Skipping Rope
   
   
7. Glass Beads/ Marbles as required
8. Thick cardboard
9. A Dowel
10. Shiny Gold sticky tape
11. Gold Spray Paint
12. Super Glue
13. Fishing thread
14. Paper clay or any sort of clay
15. Masking tape or duct tapes

 

Making the blade

I made the blade with mounting board, dowel , aluminium tape and golden spray paint. Using the method described in the video below.

I actually bought 2 different dowels for the blade but ended up using the 3rd one because they were too thick >.<;;; The first was a wooden dowel that broke halfway because the width of the sword blade was too small, meaning to say the space for the dowel to slide into was too tight. The 2nd dowel I bought was made of fiberglass but it turned out to be even thicker than my wooden dowel so I didn’t used it. I eventually used this clear pvc dowel from ArtFriend. Because of it’s diameter and material, it made the sword less stable than the wood and fiberglass….but I guess I have no choice =\

Making the Hilt

The handle of the rapier is actually the handle of a skipping rope and the hilt is actually a turned over cup cover. I bought the skipping rope and Aluminium wires from Daiso, banzai to cheap props!

I managed to find a skipping rope that has handles that comes apart like the 2nd picture. Basically what I did was screw them apart to separate the rope from it.

Next, I use a penknife to cut the bottom of the handle away. In the 3rd picture above, you see the ‘cut-ed’ handle with a black duct tape wrapped around where it was cut. You don’t have to stick the duct tape around it but I did it just to reinforce the strength of the plastic handle.

  

The tip/handle part of the cup cover has to be sawed off to allow the dowel to go through.

You then get something like this. That is the base skeleton of the handle and hilt.

Then using paper clay (which is the red thing in the photo above), I moulded a stopper sort of thing to fill up the gaps around the dowel.

Next come the intricate knuckle guard that is signature of the rapier.

The circular base was done like this, with the dowel and cup cover taped to the edge of a table xD This really helped freed up a hand and allowed me to better judge if I was bending the wires correctly.

Here is a picture of the completed hand guard before it was sprayed. The yellow thing that goes around are aluminium bendable wires with plastic wrapped around it, bought from Daiso (they are 6mm wide). The ends of all the wires are covered and sculpted with epoxy putty with my bare hands.

Anyone who has worked with Epoxy Putty before would know how fast that thing hardens. I found out that if I continuously damped the epoxy putty while i mould it, it would stop the putty from hardening and give myself more time to sculpt it.

Unfortunately because this is such an ‘instinctive’ and ‘test & trial’ process, I don’t have anymore tips to share.

Sprayed with golden chrome spray!

I dug around the house and found some plain beads and marbles I could use. Because I wanted the beads and marbles to retain their translucency as much as possible, I used clear nail varnish that have been slightly coloured with ink to paint them. They are then stuck on with Super Glue.

The Pommel is a plastic gem in the shape of a diamond. I had to search high and low around Singapore to find a suitable one =_=|||

Because the handle was made from a skip rope handle, the end (near pommel) could be opened up. And that allowed me to take the blade apart from the hilt for easy transport and storage.

This is how I assemble it when I need it. Of course in the above photos, the dowel is just a replacement and not the actual dowel of my blade… but you get the idea. The bright pink thing wrapped around the dowel is the key here. It is a rubber wristband I got as a event freebie.

The purpose of the rubber wristband is to work as a resistance against the handle so the handle will stick to the hilt. Similar logic is employed for my DIY Brush Caps.

I’m sorry I didn’t have as much WIP photos to show. I lost a lot of photos when my computer crashed on me ;_; Anyway, I hope this entry was helpful! You’re free to link and share this entry but please do not copy the content and repost it elsewhere. And guys, remember to leave me a comment ^_^/ !

 

Girly stuffs Giveaway! (Fake lashes + tights+ pouch + sachets)

Finally another giveaway!!!! I have been talking about wanting to part with some of my fake lash collection and many of you expressed interest in them so now I’m holding a giveaway!

Video of all the giveaway stuffs!

Not only that, I’m also throwing in other stuffs that I happen to have around which I know other girls will like. So other than 4 pairs of fake lashes and a pink lash case, I’m also giving away a pair of Tights (or should they be called Panty Hose?) , a 2nd-hand but in mint condition pouch and some Beauty product sachets!

The 4 pairs of lashes inside a super cute, pink Lash Case!

I also happen to have this set of pretty fake nails that I bought from Daiso which I would like to give away because I realise…. I don’t know how to use them! But I also realise I lost one of them T___T Do you guys/girls still want them?

STEP 1) To win the merchandise, do either of the below …

• LIKE TheCosplayChronicle’s Facebook page,
• Follow the blog using Google Friend Connect
• Subscribe to my YouTube Channel
• Follow TCC on Twitter @Kaika_TCC

* Every single Like/follow/subscribe is counted as one individual entry!

STEP 2) Then come back here to post a comment with either a direct link to show that you are following me, or tell your username so I can search for you =)

Alternatively, you can submit a screen cap.

* Please make sure to leave one comment for each entry otherwise I will count it as just one entry =)* Please make sure to leave either a working email or a blog/fb link for me to contact you if you win

Deadline for this giveaway is 23rd March 2013 I’ll sponsor up to SGD5 shipping fee but if shipping exceeds that, you'll have to top up the difference ^_^. And yes, following TCC on as many SN sites as you can and increase your chance of winning!

Good Luck!!!! If you get the goodie bag, remember to take a photo of yourself with the lashes! xD

O'hanami Sakura Festival Cosplay Competition & Performances

Hi guys, check out this Cosplay Competition and event happening next weekend at Jurong Point Shopping Centre. Co-Organised by The Neo Tokyo Project and RobotsGoneBad.

Event Name: O'hanami Sakura Festival Cosplay Competition & Performances
Events Page: http://www.facebook.com/events/456448907759825/
Venue: Jurong Point Shopping Centre
Date & Time: March 16 and 17, 2013
Admission: Free

Details and Registration Link here: http://www.facebook.com/notes/the-neo-tokyo-project/ohanami-sakura-fair-cosplay-competition/514302408611790

We are helping to hold a novice-friendly cosplay competition and curating a variety of doujin booths and music performances during the O'hanami Sakura Festival, and these will take place at Jurong Point on March 16 and 17, 2013.
The fair will incorporate Japanese traditional elements and showcases on top of the content that we will be bringing to our cosplay friends in the heartlands.
Do come visit if you're in the area!

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March 16
======
Doujin and artist booths - All day
Cosplay Competition - Reporting time for competitors from 1 pm
Competition, Judging and Prize Ceremony - 2 pm to 5 pm.
Details and Registration Link here: http://www.facebook.com/notes/the-neo-tokyo-project/ohanami-sakura-fair-cosplay-competition/514302408611790
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March 17
======
Doujin and artist booths - All day
Anime song and music performances - 5 pm
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Other highlights
==========
The following activities will also take place at the mall.
March 16
----------
Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 : Ultimate Jinchuriki Tournament
One Piece Kaizoku Musou 2: Free Play
March 17
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Taiko Performance segment
Mochi Demonstration segment
Sushi Making Contest
Japanese Fortune Telling segment

I will be guest judging the Cosplay Competition so see you guys there ^_^/

Why we love Cosplay Helpers!

Picture by The Enthusiasts

Or to Singaporean Cosplayers; Saikang Warriors AKA Helpers.

Saikang  =  Wash the drain (usually to describe unpleasant tasks )

If you’re confused, let me first explain the role of a Saikang Warrior.

A Saikang Warror/Helper/ Handler is simply someone who does whatever that is humanely respectable but required of him/her to help Cosplayers or Photographers to achieve their objective. As demeaning as it sounds, trust me when I say they are such an indispensable role in the Cosplay Community. We often hear and see the Cosplay Queens and Kings with their amazing photographs but the truth is, it usually wouldn’t be possible if there wasn’t someone to hold the reflector/comb their wig/ throw petals/ flip their wig/ create smoke/ create wind/ be a dynamic mirror stand or clothes stand.

Any Cosplayers who have worn bulky costumes would know how difficult it is to walk around without someone to help you open the door, keep the annoying kids in check or drink a sip of water.

Saikang Warriors to Cosplayers, are really heroic warriors that help them in their times of need. I can never express my gratitude enough to friends who are willing to take a day of their life to dedicate to HELPING ME do all the above nonsense for free!

Which is why I always try my best to repay them by making sure they get fed with snacks and drinks during the shoot and of course, return the exact favour they bestowed upon me; be a helper for them the next time.

Granted yes, a Saikang Warrior doesn’t get any benefit nor recognition, but it is one of the best ways to bond with a fellow cosplayer. Cosplay may be a solo journey but to produce a Cosplay photograph or Video it can never be done alone.

To achieve this picture, so many people had to be involved and we had to coordinate our actions tightly. You can read about how we did it in my Shakugan no Shana Final Photoshoot post. 

If you’re new to this community and want to make friends, volunteer yourself to be a helper for them in their next photoshoot or event! I won’t lie and say being a helper is comfortable, it’s not. It’s a lot of time wasted just waiting for the cosplayers to get ready, running around to get stuffs for them , getting burnt under the sun and sometimes it even involves guarding a pile of bags alone. How boring is that?!

But the admirable thing about Saikang Warriors is their effort to do their best for the better of the group, for the better of someone else. It’s a pretty noble notion if you ask me.

If you’ve just got inspired to become a Helper in your Cosplayer friend’s next photoshoot then make sure you also get into the right mind set. They are not any hard and fast rules but below are my 2 cents on what it means to be a helper.

Firstly, it’s not a glamorous job. Be prepared to stand for hours under the hot sun or be prepared to run around looking for combs a lot, you might even have to do the boring task of holding a reflector and not do anything else for a while !

Secondly, remember it’s about the photographs and making sure the cosplayer looked their best. So always be on the look out for whatever you think you can do to better the picture or the cosplayer. Ask the Cosplayer if she needs to touch up her makeup and volunteer to get her her makeup stash. If their wig is running stray, offer to comb it for them. If the team looks drained out, offer to help them get drinks or something. In short, I always remind myself to make myself useful!

Third, smile! Be happy! Joke! have fun! Loosen up! There will probably be a lot of screw ups and embarrassing moments in a cosplay shoot, opinions may clash and tensions may run high and things might not go as smoothly as everyone expected. But as long as the team (which includes YOU) is able to laugh it off, things will proceed a lot better. Not to mention a lot more enjoyably! As a helper, contribute your smile too =)!

Maria helping me to smooth my wig for my Just Be Friends Cosplay PV. Behind the scenes entry here.

I would never be able to finish my Just Be Friends Cosplay PV if not for the help the entire crew gave me the entire weekend. Especially to my good friend Maria who helped so much, not just in being a random wig flipper, but also my ad-hoc hair stylist and photographer.

 
A BTS camwhore with Cvy & Maria who came to help my Homura Akemi Photoshoot. Who helped me create the smoke, starved till 9pm because my shoot hadn’t ended, took the last train back and lastly cheered on me so much. Okay, they weren’t cheering on me, more like joking and finding entertainment for themselves but hearing their happy laughs and having them around to play with me in between the shots was really heart-warming. 

Much thanks to Rayuzaki for helping me hold my wings for my SKIP BEAT shoot in Australia last year! Even though your sister was involved in the shoot too, it was really nice to have another pair of hands to help us here and there!

Random photo of Sara taking a photo of Reiko and me fooling around with my sword. I can’t forget how much help Reiko rendered me and her incredible patience in helping me to flip my hair or costumes near a hundred times that day. And her patience is only rivalled by Sara who had to look over our belongings in a pavillion stand ALL BY HERSELF for a few hours >.<   I didn't mention in my Photoshoot entry but we stayed till near 12 midnight. And other than Brian who was taking the same route as me, everyone else had to cab home on their own budget T_T. I feel terribly guilty whenever I think of it and wish I had enough cash on me to pay for their cab fare instead….

So so so so many people to thank but so little time.

So yes, I want to say thank you again to all my friends who have helped me in my cosplay endeavours before. I don’t have the courage to tell you personally so I’ll blog it out \o/ (Okok, I did thank them personally and via digital messaging before la….but I want to reinforce now)

I’m sorry if this post sounds so horribly incoherant, there’s so much random points I would like to share but it seems like I’m too sleepy to gel them well enough.

Do you know someone who is an amazing Saikang Warrior/Handler/Helper and wants to thank them? Tell them by commenting in the comments area and share the entry with them!

Much thanks to The Enthusiasts for motivating me to finally blog about this!