Ronald Boom, Netherlands

Ronald Boom Hat

Name: Ronald Boom

Nationality: Dutch

What is your education / line of Profession?

Biomedical lab technician for a a leading contract research and clinical laboratory service company providing diagnostic and preclinical studies along with drug development for prevention and treatment of virus infections.

When and how did you first hear about anime and manga?

2007. This was the year when I got in touch with the Dutch anime and manga scene and first visited a Dutch convention. Ever since then i've made loads of awesome new friends and discovered that most of the cartoons I used to watch when I was little are in fact anime!

What anime/manga made the biggest impression on you?

Anime: Gankutsuou (Count of Monte Cristo), the music, the European sci-fi setting, the art style and of course the storyline made my favourite anime combination so far. Also Claymore and I also enjoy watching Fairy Tail.

Manga: I like post apocalyptic stuff like biomega and NOISE by Tsutomu Nihei. But in general I don't read much manga, I like my comics colored.

What is cosplay to you?

Being amazed by awesome costumes. Meeting new and awesome people and most of all: being able to artistically express myself in my hobby (vs. my job) that can include so many different disciplines. There are always new techniques to try, new aspects to focus on and loads of things to learn!

What has been the most fun and challenging costume to craft/construct?

The update from Matthaios to Petros.

Getting it finished in time was the biggest challenge. All cosplay projects start out being a lot of fun! But cosplay stress, and repeating the same thing too often can sometimes dampen that.

The helmet has a challenging design and the mechanical arms on the jet pack took some time to think out.  Another challenge in making the armour parts was to keep it as close as possible to the reference pictures while maintaining mobility in the joints and shoulders.

What would be your dream costume to make?

Khun Phaen Atlantica Online (AO) or Lineage II Nightmare robe on human male mage. I'm a big korean MMO fan and really like these designs and art styles.

Ronald Boom Zombie