Cosplay: An Interview with J Spartan 115
When you think of Fan Expo, one of the first things that come to mind are intricate and amazing costumes. During this past Fan Expo, among the dense crowd, something caught my eye… something that was a dusty green and definitely from space. That something was a Master Chief.
Anyone who knows me knows I had to inspect this costume, and when I did I was impressed – the suit looked like it had been entirely made by hand. Before I could drift off into my own personal fantasy-land another Spartan came up to me and I was left with only one option – sharing these awesome costumes with you!
Full gallery below.
Master Chief (or J Spartan 115 on Facebook) is 21 year old Jim Kowal. He has been making props and costumes since he was 5 with his (awesome) parents and just recently combined his skill and patience to forge his own Hero. (And a shout out goes to his girlfriend, Cassandra, who has been known to sport the appearance of Cortana.)
Chief’s Spartan partner at Fan Expo is 17 year old Reno Russel-Mullan (or The Last Recon 066 on Facebook). Surprisingly, the first costume he decided to make was this Spartan suit. His ambitions were realized with the help of none other than Jim, or Chief.
I managed to catch up with Jim to ask about his costume, and his passion for one of my personal favourite game series; Halo.
When did you start making your Spartan 115 costume?
I started making my J Spartan 115 Mjlonir last April till August 12 that’s when I completed it.
What is it made of and what was it originally made of (if it was not the same)?
The armor is made out of EVA Foam mats that you can buy at your Canadian Tire or Walmart for your babies to play on. Some parts of it is made out of foam- core ( jets packs) and other 3d details. To harden and protect the armor I used Smoothcast – Shellshock and to seal it I used Rocker Guard. I used this instead of fiber glass cause this method is way less toxic. I have built three other suits b4 this one and I reused bits and parts of them as a bass for this armor.
How do you form the pieces of armor?
To make armor, I look at a picture of what I’m trying to make. This armor is a combination of HALO 4 MASTER CHIEF and HALO FORWARD UNTO DAWN Master Chief.
I look at the pictures and try to cut out the foam and pieces by eye, measuring and trying to get it exactly the same as the picture. There’s no Pepaquera in this method. It’s all by the person’s skill – no printing off anything – all by hand.
How are the armor pieces attached to your body?
There’s only two pieces that are attached to me by straps which are the thigh pieces to the belt. The chest comes apart by the sides by clips and gets put on like a poncho and the rest are just on my body.
Did you start with any purchased pieces and expended on them? (For example, did you purchase your helmet and add/customize and features/paint?)
The only piece of the armor I got a very good friend to do, is the helmet. TORONTO IRON MAN did it for me as a favour and he made it out of EVA FOAM and aluminum. I installed lights and a fan on the inside and painted and detailed it .
What did you use to paint your armor, and how did you get the track marks on certain pieces?
The painting was done by myself with Krylon Army Green Flat paint. I don’t like to be a shiny clean Spartan so I also added silver and black detailing. Clean and shiny Spartans don’t look right to me – they’re supposed to see battle and been through the Human And Covenant War, not just be there to look perfect and clean. If your armor is like that, either you’re a rookie or you died early on in the war.
What first inspired you to start building your costume?
The reason why I built my Spartan armor is because I love Halo and I read Halo The Fall Of Reach. I really felt like the younger John Spartan 117 – something just felt personal when I was the same age in my childhood. Also I just love the character of the Master Chief being noble brave and fearless and doing what’s right no matter the cost of himself. I just hope I can be that.
How long have you been playing/a fan of the Halo game series?
I have been a Halo Fan since Halo Came out beaten all the games on Legendary. Love the books:
- Halo The Fall Of Reach
- Halo First Strike
- Halo Ghosts Of Onix
- All by Eric Nylind
What is your favourite weapon to use in multiplayer?
My favorite gun in Halo is the MA5B ASSAULT RIFFLE keeping it like Chief would.
In your opinion, out of all Halo games released, what one would you say is the best and why?
My Favorite Halo game is Halo 2. It’s the best Halo game to me because when I first played it after Halo 1 it had the action I always remembered but new weapons, more story to the game and most importantly you realize there is a real connection between John and Cortana ” Don’t Make A Girl A Promise You Can’t Keep ”
Do you have any thoughts/opinions on Bungie’s new console MMO, Destiny, and how similar it is in look/feel to the Halo franchise?
I don’t have a real opinion on Bungie’s new game. Didn’t take much interest in it, I hope they do well and succeed.
But I am thankfully they have brought Halo in my life and that’s how I will remember Bungie the beginning of a new science fiction epic HALO!
Way to Go Jimmy, That costume is amazing!