Community Spotlight – JustJobiwan

In our last Spotlight of 2025 we’re diving into the delightful world of DIY props, where creativity and craftsmanship collide. From fabulous foam crafting to eye-catching costumes, this week’s pirate has had a journey filled with fun and fascinating projects in the process of bringing elements of the Sea of Thieves to life. In a Spotlight that has been a long time coming, we sat down with crafting corsair JustJobiwan!

[Q]: Can you tell us a little about what got you into gaming?

[A]: I’ve been gaming as long as I can remember. My first console was an Atari 5200. I remember playing Pitfall and Rescue on Fractalus. But after a few years, my siblings and I were given a Nintendo Entertainment System. From that point I became a Nintendo fan and a passionate gamer.

[Q]: Were you a Rare fan before Sea of Thieves? Do you have any favourite Rare games?

[A]: As a kid, you don’t often think about who is making your games, it’s really only something I ever considered as an adult. But saying that, many of the games I played growing up were Rare titles. Solar Jetman for the NES, Star Fox Adventures for the GameCube. But most fondly I remember countless hours in my youth playing GoldenEye on the N64 with friends. So besides Sea of Thieves, GoldenEye is a firm favourite.

[Q]: What other games are you currently playing? Any favourites?

[A]: Game time is limited right now, with a three-year-old and a house to renovate it can be tricky to find the time. But when time does allow, usually a light, silly, fun game will capture me and my friends. Peak, for example, has been a go-to in recent months. I also enjoy survival games and huge adventure games. Recently I’ve been sinking some hours into Mario Kart World on Switch 2, and eagerly awaiting Metroid Prime 4.

[Q]: What brought you over to Sea of Thieves and its community?

[A]: I have always enjoyed pirate-themed stories, movies and games. Hook, for example, is one of my favourite movies. It’s the perfect image of a swashbuckling adventure. When I saw the Sea of Thieves trailer, it captivated me. The gorgeous visuals and sound design. The idea of having a world brimming with adventure, treasure and danger. I was on board instantly.

Also as a practical effects artist, I have a love of crafting and as it would turn out, the hand-crafted, ramshackle look of Sea of Thieves lends itself very nicely to hand craft, especially foam craft which is my main discipline. So my journey in streaming began with Sea of Thieves, as did a cascade of hand-crafted projects, so not only did I stream the game, I was bringing items to life through ‘Makers & Crafting’ streams.

[Q]: Do you remember the first Sea of Thieves piece you made?

[A]: I do. My first Sea of Thieves creation was a cosplay and I made it in April 2019 for Insomnia game festival. At the time there weren’t many ‘characters’ in Sea of Thieves. So it was a cosplay of my pirate, whose look (and those who know me can vouch for this) has not changed since year one of SoT. His look is very much inspired by Guybrush Threepwood, and he hasn’t really had a change of clothes since he found what he was comfortable in. Since then I’ve built everything from skulls to lanterns, coins and chests. The list is quite extensive.

[Q]: What has been the most challenging Sea of Thieves piece to work on?

[A]: It’s hard to say. Everything I make is hand-crafted, and therefore built from scratch. There’s always a lot of brain work to figure out scale and dimensions and then each project requires its own approach in execution. So one project could be small in terms of scale but highly complex in its design, others may be larger and simpler but then require more working time.

I think all things considered, the Chest of Legends has to be one of my most challenging pieces, because it encompassed all of these aspects, large scale, potentially the biggest Athena out there measuring about 65cm wide. High complexity of design, lots of layering, foam shaping and detailing. Topped off with a high-quality painted finish and LED lights. Yeah, that one was tough.

[Q]: Do you have a favourite piece that you’ve made, and are you working on anything at the moment?

[A]: Another hard one. As well as each project having its own challenges, each has its own rewards and that’s what I look for in a project. The enjoyment doesn’t just come from the final piece, it's the process. There’s a little rush after the planning, measuring, patterning, when the first bit of fabrication can begin and you see a couple of pieces join together and the picture in the puzzle starts to reveal itself. It drives me to do more and get to the finish.

My LeChuck headpiece and hat was a perfect example of this. The skull mask I can now replicate with confidence, every additional piece added to the beard felt perfect, and of course the obnoxiously big hat is also very satisfying.

I do have projects waiting in the wings, but working a full-time job that isn’t content creation and being a dad and having a house to make a home doesn’t leave much in the tank once the day is done. But there’s more on the horizon for sure.

[Q]: Thinking back, are there any standout moments for you in Sea of Thieves since you started playing?

[A]: I always think fondly of my time playing Sea of Thieves. My friends and I have been through so many journeys together, and SoT’s strong suit is bringing new experiences to the table. I think one of the best times for the game was during the ‘Return of the Damned’ Adventure, when servers waged war to gain control of Sea Forts and the world felt alive. You could see the effects of the battles across the map changing in real time.

[Q]: What are your favourite recent additions to Sea of Thieves?

[A]: It’s always nice to have new toys to play with, and it feels like there's been so much added recently. I think a personal favourite would have to be the Bone Caller. It’s that perfect element of chaos that it can cause, either for yourselves or your opponents.

[Q]: What are your greatest achievements in a game, Sea of Thieves or otherwise?

[A]: I can’t say I’ve done anything too groundbreaking, I’m an avid enjoyer rather than a record breaker. I’m not the most skilled player but I’d say I’m a mean cannoneer. That said, I did complete my Sea Dogs Commendations and I’d say about 80% of that was solo.

[Q]: If you had to choose a pirate and ship name, what would they be?

[A]: My Galleon is the Thicc Chungus Boi. The less said about that the better. My main Sloop is the Rusty Wayfarer. Definitely my most used. It’s a simple vessel. Not a Trinket in sight, besides the obligatory ‘hand-carved’ ship Trinket.

I’ve never really thought about a name for my pirate. He’s kind of just an extension of me. So I guess if I could give him a Title, he would be a Crafty Corsair.

[Q]: What kind of other hobbies do you enjoy outside of gaming?

[A]: Besides my crafting, I dip into drawing or digital painting now and then. It’s a nice way to have a little creative burst without the task of setting up a workspace and getting out tools and supplies. I do digital pet portraits which are great practice for texture and shading. Pirate portraits have been a regular distraction over the past year or so, while I’ve not been able to dedicate time to larger projects. The creative brain is always ticking over on something.

[Q]: Share a fun fact about yourself. Anything is fair game!

[A]: Fun fact. This one's a little old hat, but it’s a goodie. I love Star Wars. I grew up on the movies and games. After years of being a big old nerd, making cosplays and props for comic cons, it paid off. I got my work seen by the right people, I was asked to interview and ended up working on my favourite movie series. So yeah, if you’ve seen a giant sand serpent in your time watching the movies, you’ve seen my work.

Our thanks to JustJobiwan for taking the time to talk to us for this Community Spotlight. As always, we’ll be keeping a keen eye on his adventures to see what’s next for the Crafty Corsair!

If you can’t wait to hear more from our community, you can check out our previous Community, Creator and Legend Spotlights. Or to see what else our players have been up to and some of the wonderful creations they’ve been making recently, head over to our Community Hub. Until next time!