We were lucky enough to be joined by cosplayer Joe Martin who took some time out to answer a few questions about his get up, read the interview and see more pics after the jump.

What drew you to Godot in the first place?

I’m always drawn to complex, morally grey characters and Godot is one of the best-written examples I’ve ever come across in a videogame. Beneath the arrogance and sarcasm he’s a very complicated, conflicted character. He’s suffered huge losses and physical and emotional pain, and it’s turned him into a dark reflection of his former self. That’s something I think most people can relate to – experiences outside of our control shaping us in ways we don’t necessarily like – and it makes him an easy character to identify with. Yet despite what he’s become he still goes out of his way to help and protect someone he cares about, so from a psychological point of view he’s a fascinating character to delve into. His line, “No matter the man, we all wear masks, either on our faces or over our hearts” was something that really stuck with me on a personal level and left a lasting impression, so I knew then that I definitely wanted to cosplay him.

I was also drawn to him from an aesthetic point of view because of his visor – I love making props and setting myself challenges so as soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to make it.

What are people’s reactions to your cosplay?

I’ve not had any negative reactions yet! He always seems to go down pretty well with the Ace Attorney fans at conventions – they’ve got such enthusiasm for the character and if they’re not taking pictures they’re shouting ‘OBJECTION!’ at me as loud as they can. People often say he’s their favourite character and ask how I made the visor and whether I can see out of it – I think it freaks them out that I can see them but they can’t see my eyes! I took him on stage at the MCM Telford Expo back in February and the crowd was petty enthusiastic about him, which was an amazing feeling because it was my first time wearing him to an event and I wasn’t sure if I was doing the character justice.

Are you actually any good playing as Godot?, do you always solve the case?

I was pretty bad at it initially but I’m a lot better now! I’ve got quite a good memory so most of the time I can remember the little details about crime scenes and evidence that’s been presented during a case without much trouble. I’ve not failed a case yet but I’ve come pretty close a few times!

How long did it take to put it all together?

I’d say it took about two weeks. The trousers, shoes and tie I found easily enough in the high street, and the shirt I found via an online charity shop – it was surprisingly hard to find a shirt the same colour as Godot’s. It took a few hours of searching online to find a suitable waistcoat too – most of the ones I found were either not quite the right colour, or the neckline wasn’t low enough, or they had a shiny finish. In the end I managed to find one that was more or less the right colour and design but it didn’t have any lines on it, so when the waistcoat arrived I used a metre ruler and a black fabric pen to draw the lines on. The part that took the longest was the visor. I did a lot of research into its design and which materials would be best to make it from given its shape and size before settling on worbla, a thermoplastic that cuts easily with a knife or a pair of scissors. It was the first time I’d worked with it so there was a bit of a learning curve. Worbla becomes mouldable when it’s heated with a heat gun or hairdryer, then goes solid again when it cools, so a lot of time was spent moulding and cutting the two pieces that make up the visor into the right shapes, making sure they curved around my face properly, and then repeating the process. I kept finding irritating little imperfections that needed altering and it needed several layers of gesso and plenty of sanding to give it a smooth finish followed by multiple layers of paint, so it wasn’t exactly an overnight job.

Is this your first Capcom cosplay? What other characters will you be cosplaying as?

Godot was my first Capcom cosplay. Since then I’ve cosplayed the Resident Evil 2 version of Leon Kennedy (RPD uniform), which I’ll be wearing again on the Saturday of the London MCM Expo this October. On the Sunday of that event I’ll be cosplaying as the Devil May Cry 4 version of Dante, which is a new cosplay that I’m currently working on.