"I started cosplay as a challenge for creating stuff by myself" : In conversation with International cosplayer TARYN at Comic Con Mumbai (Exclusive)
TARYN is arguably one of the greatest, most recognized, and most revered cosplay artists in the world. An international professional cosplayer based in Italy, he has modeled for several international brands like HoYoverse, CDproject Red, and Ubisoft.
For those unversed, cosplay is short for costume-play, which is where artists dress up as their favorite characters from pop culture, anime, and comics.
Besides being a professional cosplayer, TARYN is also a cosmaker, meaning he creates his own props, wigs, and other equipment. Speaking about his journey, he said:
"I started cosplay as a challenge for creating stuff by myself and taking part in cosplay contests and mainly it was the first part of my Cosplay path."
With over 354 thousand followers on Instagram, 135.2 thousand followers on Twitter and 74 thousand followers on Facebook, TARYN is quite the internet sensation, and has also made several appearances at international events like the Japan Expo and the Indian Comic Con.
At Comic Con Mumbai, TARYN cosplayed as Goku, the protagonist of the Dragon Ball series.
In an exclusive chat with SK POP’s Anwaya, TARYN dished about his love for India, his experience as an international professional cosplayer, and what continues to inspire him about cosplaying.
TARYN talks about his love for Japanese anime and why Goku is so influential to him
1) What inspired you to get into Cosplay?
TARYN: Everything came step by step. At first, I never intended to become a professional cosplayer. It was like a joke to me, doing cosplay and creating stuff. I have always been a creative guy.
I started cosplay as a challenge for creating stuff by myself and taking part in cosplay contests, and mainly it was the first part of my cosplay path. But then, sometime later, another world approached me, and that was the world of social media.
Our community started to grow around me, and brands started to approach me for promotions. Big event companies started inviting me as a performer and now I can say that cosplay is my main life and my job.
2) How long did it take you to get into this impressive Goku get-up for Comic Con today?
TARYN: Today it took me four hours to get into my Cosplay outfit with the complete process of makeup. I have to do shading and highlighting and get the best results to look like this or at least make it look like what the character will look like in real life.
Cosplay, of course, is something very personal. We have some references which lead you to create something original. Today, specifically, I had to start with foundation, primer, contouring, and much more, before fully transforming myself into Goku.
3) I can see that you are really inspired by Japanese pop culture. What is it about Japanese culture that inspires you?
TARYN: I grew up with Japanese anime and they were big role models for me, especially Dragon Ball and many other titles like Lupin, Kenshiro, Tiger Mask. They were all inspirations for me and I think they made me the man I’m today.
Cosplaying for me is a way to pay my tribute to those characters that I love. So when I cosplay Goku, I feel grateful and honoured to cosplay such a character.
4) How has your experience been at Comic Con Mumbai so far?
TARYN: It’s amazing!
India is such a beautiful country and especially the people are so sweet. I’m so in love with my Indian community and I hope this will just be the first of many trips to India.
5) Finally, Your best/most memorable experience at various Comic Cons so far in India?
TARYN: I really loved the Elephanta Island and seeing the architecture, which is unbelievable. I love the city as well, but every city is the same.
There is a place where you get good food and a good view and something that you don’t see anywhere else in the country, and that's what I love the most.
More about Comic Con Mumbai
Comic-Con is without a doubt one of the biggest pop-culture annual events in India, attracting lakhs of followers on its three-city journey spanning Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai.
According to the Indian publication Mid-Day, the grandiose event attracts 200,000 fans annually. They have a combined social media following of 141 million, and their online audience size is over 200 million.
This year's Mumbai Comic Con 2023 was held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), on February 11 and February 12. Interestingly, this was the 10th edition of Comic Con and was the first such large-scale event in Mumbai since the pandemic.
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Upasya Bhowal