Wednesday, December 28, 2016

In Tribute to our Princess, our General - Carrie Fisher (1956 - 2016)

In this personal tribute, Red Dot Diva speaks of what Carrie Fisher means to her.

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Carrie Fisher died on my birthday.

From now on, I will always be celebrating my life while remembering hers. Such is the bittersweet cycle of life, and how different lives connect with each other in different ways. Like many in the Star Wars community, I will miss her dearly.

I first saw 19-year-old Carrie Fisher on screen at the old Odeon movie theatre when I was 10 years old. My grandmother, mother and aunty were movie fans, but for them, they relished in the sad weepy Chinese black and whites, where almost every woman character in those 1.5 hours were put through all sorts of tragedies in life. I sat through many of such movies. While my mom or grandma would whip out tissue after tissue to wipe their overflowing tears, I sat there perched in between them feeling utterly bored, and absolutely bewildered on how helpless or hopeless these women characters were.

Why can't they take charge and do something? Does only crying, looking limpid and being tragic help live life in any way? Yes, my head ruled my heart even at that young age. That Chinese notion of "Fate" was also what I often fought against. In some ways, I felt that you could at least attempt to challenge Fate right in her face.

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Celebrate The Festive Season with HBO Asia's Original Chinese Martial Arts Anthology!


Here's a way to infuse some Asian-ess in the year-end festive celebrations. You can watch two Chinese martial arts shows while chowing down on some baked ham and roasted turkey, and you can do this wayyyyy before Chinese New Year too! That is because HBO Asia will be screening an original martial arts anthology at 9 PM on 25 December and 26 December respectively! Shiok!!!

Set in China's Qing Dynasty, the two stories “Master of the Drunken Fist: Beggar So” and “Master of the Shadowless Kick: Wong Kei-Ying”, will be sub-titled in English and Mandarin. These HBO movies are a co-production with China Movie Channel (CMC), and will be the first time HBO is airing Mandarin films.

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Photo Post: Vivocity's Launch of "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" Activity Area

Vivocity's ground level atrium has gone "rogue"!

The mall is currently hosting a "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" display and activity area, featuring a 8-metre tall AT-ACT and life-sized Death Troopers.

Lady Raine and kampongchicken, both Red Dot Diva's friends who happen to own rather peculiar handles, were on site at the launch yesterday (29 November 2016) evening. The opening ceremony was also graced by the presence of the folks from 501st Legion SG, Cathar Rebel Base and FightSaber!

Here is a quick photo preview of what you can expect when you visit Vivocity from now till 18 December. The towering AT-ACT is gigantic!!

Imperial forces gathered around the AT-ACT, awaiting deployment.


Monday, November 28, 2016

Scifi Movie "Arrival" Getting Rave Reviews; Arrives in Local Theatres 12 January 2017

In the not too distant future, 12 sleek pod-like alien ships appears above different cities around Earth, leaving humanity to wonder about the visitors' actual purpose for arriving on this planet.

Directed by Denis Villenueve, scifi movie "Arrival" received rave reviews when it was screened at the Venice Film Festival in September 2016. The movie was released in the U.S. market in November 2016, and film critics and scifi fans applauded its philosophical and introspective message as well as its tight structure.

It has been hailed as a movie made for the "thinking scifi fan".

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Join the Rebellion or The Empire at Vivocity's "Rogue One" Interactive Event - 28 November to 18 December 2016

Scan of article by my friend, Leonard!

The latest battle between the Rebellion and the Empire is coming soon, and Star Wars can be a part of it at Vivocity's Central Court B, Level 1 from 28 November to 18 December 2016!

The mall is hosting an interactive event leading up to the premiere of "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story". According to a full-page ad published in The Sunday Times' Life Section (dated 27 November 2016), there will a list of very fun and immersive activities in store!

1. Ogle at a 8-metre tall AT-AT Walker at the event.
Red Dot Diva is not sure if it's a similar At-At that she saw at Star Wars Celebration Europe. However, since this is to promote "Rogue One", it would most likely be the version of all-terrain vehicle was shown in the movie's trailer, which are "not, technically, AT-ATs" as tweeted by Lucasfilm's Pablo Hidalgo. They are AT-ACTs, which are larger and used for transporting heavy equipment or ammunition.

Saturday, November 26, 2016

Diva Checked Out The Official F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Central Perk Cafe in Singapore!


The Official F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Central Perk Cafe finally opens to the public today, 26 November 2016, from 6 PM to 10 PM.

If you can't make it on its first day, the cafe (aptly located at the ground floor of Central Mall; the shop front faces Magazine Road) operates from Tuesdays to Sunday, from 10 AM to 10 PM.

After a rousing and successful crowdfunding project, the journey of bringing the fictional Central Perk Cafe to existence has its share of ups and downs. Generally, Red Dot Island fans who remember and watch the TV series were joyous when Jit Min, founder of the passion project, shared that he was looking for a suitable space for the cafe. However, a few months later, the brickbats came fast and furious when a very atas-sounding SGD 1,000 membership package was announced.

"Is this going to be a scam?" cried many cynical folks. With a couple of notably unfortunate incidences recently (*coughHelloKittycough*), Red Dot Diva is not surprised that some people felt that way. Especially when the owners were tight-lipped about providing more details at that time.

Regardless of the naysayers, there were more than enough fans who were eager to see Red Dot Island get their very own Central Perk Cafe.

Friday, November 25, 2016

Get Your Blasters (and Credits) Ready for the Advance Sales of "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"!

Local fans of the Star Wars franchise, information on the advance ticket sales for "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" has just been announced!

As Citibank is a major corporate sponsor for "Rogue One", their card holders will have the exclusive chance to buy IMAX 3D tickets on 28 November 2016, 10.00AM for the earliest slot on 14 December 2016, 7.00PM only.

After which, the public will be able to purchase tickets for IMAX 3D and all other formats from 29 November 2016, 12.01AM on the following cinema websites:

Cathay Cineplex
Golden Village
Filmgarde
Shaw Theatres [IMAX 3D]
Shaw Theatres
WE Cinemas

For those who want to avoid spoilers and watch the movie as soon as it premieres, it is time to plan and camp out!

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Diva's Movie Review: "Hunt for the WilderPeople" Is A Clever and Superb Buddy Movie

With many of the social media timelines filled with friends who have polarizing views about the results of the USA election, perhaps there is need for some time out. A feel-good kind of time out.

Watching "Hunt for the WilderPeople", a New Zealand film written and directed by Taika Waititi, is a heartwarming panacea for all the angsty, angry discussions taking place on the internet right now. It provides assurance that a genuine friendship can be formed even when two human beings are very different from each other. Logical Red Dot Diva knows that this does not happen easily in real life, but movie escapism can sometimes be good for mental health. ;)

"Hunt for the WilderPeople" is essentially a hilarious buddy dramedy with a quirky take on the fugitives on the run trope. The movie focuses on the adventures of two unlikely characters - chubby, orphaned, city street kid Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) who thinks he's a hip hop thug and his grumpy over-60 ex-prisoner/ farmer/ super-bushman foster uncle Hec Faulkner (a very silver foxy Sam Neill).

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Diva Popped Into The Illustrations Arts Fest Marketplace at LaSalle (29 October 2016)


Over 70 artists took over LaSalle College of the Arts' Campus Green last weekend (29 to 30 October 2016) promoting and selling their creative works during the inaugural Illustrations Arts Fest run by Organisation of Illustrators Council (OIC) and the Puttam School Of Film & Animation at LaSalle. According to OIC, there were about 35 alumni and current students of LaSalle who set up booths at the marketplace, and the rest were indie creators and professional artists.

When Red Dot Diva and her friends arrived at the venue at about 2 PM on the first day of the fair, it already felt like a jostle at some of the narrower walkways.


Nobrow Press' booth, which was located at the front end, saw its fair share of interested buyers. Their colourful books carried a distinctively European style, and she overheard from the lady manning the booth that many titles were selling out fast.

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Diva Visited GnB Comic's Spanking New Place for Halloween Comics Fest!

Yesterday (29 October 2016), Red Dot Diva visited GnB Comic's spankin' brand new shop at Kitchener Complex for Halloween Comics Fest!

Halloween Comics Fest is an annual worldwide event when free horror comic books are given out to fans of all ages at participating stores. This was also Red Dot Diva's first time attending the celebration.

One of the few comics bookstores existing in Red Dot Island, GnB Comics has been operating at Rochor Centre for several years. Unfortunately, the blocks of old but colourful apartments and shops were marked for demolition, and as that time drew nearer, fans and members of GnB were getting twitchy wondering if the shop will carry on at another site or close its shutters for good.

Then, in late September, a surprise announcement was made on GnB Comics' mobile app. The comic book store has found a new home at Kitchener Complex, which is just a hop and a skip away from Lavender MRT Station! Woohoo!


Thursday, October 27, 2016

Meet Benjamin Chee, Writer/ Artist of Comic Book Charsiew Space!

As someone growing up in Red Dot Island, where most people are food-crazy, reading Benjamin Chee's self-published comic book "Charsiew Space" was like nomming on comfort food. To be more exact, it was like savouring yummy local dishes while nonchalantly trotting about on a wild space adventure.

In a sector of a certain galaxy, pork including the traditional roasted version called charsiew, has been banned. Sow, a shrewd elderly Ah Mm (i.e. "old lady") teams up with a space smuggler and his robot to bring the delicacy back on the menu, but not without re-pork-ussions from the citizens of Pig Planet.

Red Dot Diva thought "Charsiew Space" was such a lively and hilarious comic that she recently sent a copy of it to Paul Levitz (formerly the president and publisher of DC Comics) as a small birthday gift . He thought Benjamin's art was "charming".





She also wants to share the love for this delightful piece of work to the comic book geeks out there, and enticed Benjamin (via a portion of fragrant charsiew) to answer a few nosy questions:

Sunday, October 23, 2016

The Inaugural Illustration Arts Fest Held on 28 to 30 October and 4 to 6 November, 2016


Red Dot Diva has covered local creative events for a few years now. In the last couple of years, she noticed that the indie art scene in Red Dot Island has become even more vibrant. Generally speaking, there is now a bolder level of confidence emanating from artists and creators, as a newer generation seeks to consume a wider range of topics and forms of expression that resonate with their sense of being.

So, it is a great time for the Illustration Arts Fest (IAF) to make its debut this year. Organized by the Organisation of Illustrators Council (OIC Singapore) in celebration of its 10th anniversary, the festival will be held in two locations (LASALLE and at SWF/ The Arts House) over two weekends - 28 to 30 October, and 4 to 6 November.

Friday, October 21, 2016

Voice Actor Auli'i Cravalho, Producer and Animators from Disney's Moana Surfing into Singapore, 9 November!

Surf's up!!

Actor Auli'i Cravalho, who voices Disney's newest princess Moana from the upcoming CG-animated movie of the same name, will sail into Red Dot Island for a press junket and meet and greet at a special event held on 9 November at Marina Bay Sands.

15-year-old Auli'i Cravalo, a Native Hawaiian, was selected to be Moana from hundreds of talent from the Pacific Islands who had auditioned for the role.



Sunday, October 16, 2016

Alternative Animation Festival Cartoons Underground Returns on 22 October 2016

Poster art by Jia Lee
Looking for animated films that are more edgy and more adult? Then, head to Cartoons Underground, a festival consisting of alternative animation films which will be held at Kult Kafe on Mt Emily, on 22 October, from 6 PM.

Many movie and art fans might not be aware that the festival has actually been around for the past few years, and this year's show will be their fifth edition.

Cartoons Underground is also the jump-off point for many new animators in Asia as selected projects get to be screened during the event. The festival organizers receive film submissions with 487 applications from around the world, three times more than last year's! As a result, the festival director Tan Wei Keong has curated a total of 20 films listed in two programs called "Time Loop" and "Time Warp". Red Dot Diva imagines it must been be really tough for him to narrow the slew of interesting shorts to just 20!

Saturday, October 15, 2016

Gamestart Asia 2016: The Gaming Scene Got Even Bigger and Louder!

The Microsoft X-Box booth (Pic Credit: Gamestart Asia)

The third edition of Gamestart Asia, the region's premiere gaming convention, wrapped up last Sunday after a rousing 3-day run.

The organizers reported that over 20,000 gaming enthusiasts and fans made their way to the show, where they could immerse themselves in the gaming world by trying out new titles, watching e-sports and participate in quirky events, like SecretLab's chair race!


Secret Lab's chair race, with mascot Alyse 3.0 (Pic Credit: Gamestart Asia)
Adding colour to the event were the several cosplayers who wandered around the hall in their skillfully crafted costumes, of course.

Cosplay competition (Pic Credit: Gamestart Asia)

It was unfortunate that Red Dot Diva was not able to take in the Gamestart action because she was overseas at the time. However, Andre aka Million Dollar Smile and the rest of the Glam Bloggers Alliance was at at the event to check out the various games and booths.

Here's Andre's photo blog of the event (with some additional boosters from Toys-etc's Ed!)


After 2 very successful events, Gamestart Asia was back for its third year. Some of the highlights for this year’s events were the first appearance of the Microsoft’s Xbox booth where recent and upcoming releases like Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3 and Final Fantasy XV were showcased, and the South East Asia Major (“SEAM”), the Southeast Asia's first and largest console tournament, which will pit Asia’s very best against one another.

So what else happened at Gamestart Asia 2016?

Check out the quick photo post of what went down on the day I was there.

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Gamestart Asia 2016: Esports and Indie Games Are in the Forefront


At Gamestart Asia's press conference held on 28 September 2016, Red Dot Diva was glad to see that the organizer Eliphant, continues to have its heart in the right place regarding this annual event.

Other than the usual gaming competitions, game launches and cosplay, they have included more variety into the show with madcap events, pop-culture related geekery, like a Grand Prix chair race held by Secretlab. Imagine getting decked out in helmets or goggles, zooming down an isle and propelling mad levels of speed with while sitting on a Secretlab chair! (Click here for more information about this crazy race held during the convention.)

For its third year, there is a marked increase in the show's focus toward local and regional gaming talent, especially in the area of esports, with multiple tournaments being carried out during the weekend, like the Overwatch Champions Singapore Tournament, which will grant the top-voted indie a trip to exhibit at the Taipei Game Show 2017.

Sunday, September 25, 2016

HBO Asia's "Westworld" Premieres 3 October 2016 - Man vs Machine in the Wild, Wild West


When best-selling author Michael Crichton passed away in 2008, Red Dot Diva was utterly devastated. She was a big fan of his writing and have devoured several of his geeky scifi, medical, techno-thriller-based books - "Jurassic Park", "Timeline" and "Prey" being her favourites - with relish. Many of Michael Crichton's stories were set in a not too distant future and hence, they were like a chilling warning of possible outcomes due to medical or technological advances. It was a little like Black Mirror before there was Black Mirror.



So, when HBO announced that they will be adapting Michael Crichton's "Westworld" movie to a TV series, Red Dot Diva whooped with joy. The 10-episode series, produced by J.J. Abrams, Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, has attracted a cast of fine and award-winning actors including Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris (mmmmmmmm... another of Red Dot Diva's favourites), Jeffrey Wright, James Marsden, Rodrigo Santoro, Clifton Collins, Jr., Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Tessa Thompson and Sidse Babett Knudse.

Friday, September 16, 2016

Gamestart Asia 2016: Get Ready To Blast Off at Suntec Convention Centre, 7 - 9 October 2016


Gamestart Asia, the biggest gaming convention in South-East Asia, is all set to blast off their third edition at Suntec Convention Centre, 7 to 9 October 2016.

The show mascot Alyse has also levelled up to 3.0, all geared up in a more kickass-armour and weaponry, thanks to Kinetiquettes and Xmashed Gear. Love the new Alyse and want to bring her home? You can do that by getting hold of the beautiful custom ¼ scale statue of Alyse, crafted by the talented Kinetiquettes team. There are even LED Light-up Features in the statues! Check them out here.

Red Dot Diva attended Gamestart Asia for the first time last year. Even though she wasn't a gamer, she had a fun time trying out a Sony Playstation VR game and checking out "uniquely Singapore" mobile app games like the KAN-CHEONG! Kopitiam Saga. She also became a X-Wing fighter for awhile playing a few minutes of Star Wars Battlefront. The best experience though was hitting targets inside the Star Wars Battlepod. She lined up to get her adrenaline rush of two rounds of that immersive and thrilling game!

Friday, September 9, 2016

STGCC 2016: Toy Designer Jon-Paul Kaiser Has A Soft Spot For Tormund Giantsbane


Local fans of acclaimed toy designer Jon-Paul Kaiser (or JPK for short) have been ardently hoping that he will drop by Red Dot Island. Well, this week, as a guest of STGCC 2016, JPK is finally in the same plane of existence and time zone.

Red Dot Diva met the man himself at the Media Preview on Thursday, 8 September, where he showcased an impressive live drawing of a Skullhead blank. JPK towered like a giant compared to everyone else, but don't let his stature intimidate you. In fact, Red Dot Diva thought he was like a BFG - all smiles, and brimming with enthusiasm about meeting his fans at the convention really soon.

Fellow Glam Bloggers Alliance pal Ed from Toys-etc interacted with JPK at length about his craft and other chatty things prior to his arrival on Red Dot Island. Read all about it here!



Interview with STGCC guest Jon-Paul Kaiser:'Beyond the Black and White'

The UK-based designer, painter and artist got into the game early as a little person transforming Fisher Price trucks into battle tanks and drawing robots. As a big person, Jon-Paul Kaiser graduated from a model-making course and landed a design job, hopped around a little before an eventful X-box night. Porlzilla recommended Vinylpulse and El Panda (by Muttpop). The idea of making his own toys on such a limited scale was something he never thought possible, and he dived right in, making original resin-cast art toys with Porlzilla, and then onto production figures for Toy2R and Kidrobot.

Thursday, September 8, 2016

STGCC 2016: Booth Highlight - Diva Speaks to Indian Artist Vivek Goel, Founder of Holy Cow Entertainment


Red Dot Diva finds it exciting when foreign comic book publishers decide to exhibit their wares in Red Dot Island. When she found out that Vivek Goel , one of the first time exhibitors at STGCC 2016, was linked to an Indian publishing company called Holy Cow Entertainment, and she began look up for their books on the Internet.

Oh, and what a treasure trove that was!!

Most of the residents of Red Dot Island are not totally unfamiliar with the vivid colour, smells and stories of the Indian people, as they have been part of our history and racial landscape for centuries. However, what the locals see or hear relating to the Indian culture is only the tip of the iceberg.

So, to see how Vivek Goel, the founder of Holy Cow Entertainment, take core Indian-centric tales and reach out to modern readers in this digital age, is a wondrous and beautiful to behold. The sample pages of their books on the publishing house's social media are filled with dynamic story panels and staggeringly beautiful art, not unlike those who might see on the structures of the Hindu temples dotting Red Dot Island.

Red Dot Diva had a highly enlightening interview with Vivek Goel, to find out more about his journey in the comic books medium, his company and their publications.

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

STGCC 2016: Artist Stephanie Hans Ponders About Travel and Art


Freelance artist Stephanie Hans has been working with Marvel for quite some time, most notably in titles like "1602 Witch Hunger Angela" and "Angela: Queen of Hel". Her artwork is stunning, and Red Dot Diva found herself instantly captivated by Stephanie's penchant for strong, contrasting colours that stand out against her fluid painting style. In particular, Red Dot Diva loves how Stephanie is able to portray the women characters being defiantly strong and beautiful.

For the last few months, Stephanie has been on a personal road trip and getting on the convention circuit whilst she is at it. She has since visited Japan, China and South Korea, posting travel photos on her Instagram as she experienced new sights and things. In fact, Stephanie is already in Red Dot Island. She arrived earlier this week, with the local zoo as one of her first touristy stops. She will then make her appearance as a guest at STGCC 2016 this weekend.

Despite Stephanie's busy schedule, Agent W managed to get hold of her for a quick pre-convention Q&A.

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

STGCC 2016: Going Marbles About Flabslab's Byron & Rangeron Exclusives

More toy exclusives are in store at STGCC with local art collective and designer toy studio, Flabslab, and fellow Glam Bloggers Alliance pal, Ed from Toys-etc has the details!

STGCC 2016: Flabslab x Koraters x T9G reveals Byron & Rangeron exclusives!


If there's anything you need to know about Byron and Rangeron, just know this - they don't last minutes after the doors open. The numerous event exclusives are a constant source of frustration for international collectors, and even if you have access to the exhibition (oooo jealous much!), the queues are insane. I've learnt to cope with the crushing sadness, skimming over announcements as fast as my lingering heart can bear.

STGCC 2016: Booth Highlight - Meet Newcomers Allena & Samuel Lee


While scrolling through this year's STGCC exhibitors list, Red Dot Diva noticed several newcomers who will be setting up their own booths.

One of them has a simple booth name called Allena and Samuel Lee. This straightforward branding may not have caught your attention right away but the two young and talented illustrators are motivated and eager to showcase their art to the world.

Red Dot Diva delighted to introduce Melissa (aka Allena) and Samuel to art fans out there:

Sunday, September 4, 2016

STGCC 2016: Artist Mark Torres Talks About Jinns and His Art Jobs Wish List!



It's been 4 years since Red Dot Diva got to know artist Mark Torres. Back then in 2012, he was making rounds in Red Dot Island, meeting art collectors and comic book fans. Red Dot Diva and a few other geeks had a chance to hang out with him a few times, which included a rousing rock 'n' roll party at Garbage's concert.

Since then, she would consider that they have both become pretty good friends. It is always a joy to meet, chill and Jim Beam with Mark. There is hardly a lack of topics to talk and discuss about!

Plus, Red Dot Diva thinks Mark's art is awesome. It has evolved organically since she first met him, and she noticed he has experimented in a few different styles but yet retaining his unique linework (especially those inks!) and an eye for the dramatics. So much love for it!

For those who might want to check out and grab some comics with Mark's mark on it, go check out IDW's "The Shrinking Man", "Jinnrise", "Zombies Vs Robots: Undercity", "Infestation 1 and 2: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "Judge Dredd".

Thanks to Flabslab, Mark Torres is making his way back to STGCC this weekend as a convention guest! WHOOPEE!! To celebrate his return to STGCC, Red Dot Diva and Agent W tagged team Mark with some nosy questions:

Saturday, September 3, 2016

STGCC 2016: Tom Taylor Reveals How He Plans His Regular Day As A Writer


Dramatist. Screenwriter. Songwriter. Comic Book writer. Best-selling author.

WOW.

Wait. There's more.

Professional Juggler. Fire-eater!

The awards and achievements of rising star Tom Taylor is simply astounding. Comic book fans will be familiar with Tom's works in the DC Comics series "Injustice: Gods Amongst Us", as well as a list of Star Wars comics published by Dark Horse, before the property was handed over to Marvel in 2015.

Tom has also co-created his own graphic novel by Aussie publishing house Gestalt, together with illustrator James Brouwer, called "The Deep: Here Be Dragons". The book, about the Netktons, a family of sea explorers, won Australia's Aurealis Award for Best illustrated book/graphic novel in 2012. "The Deep" is now a Netflix CG animation series, and was recently aired in the USA beginning June 2016. 

Other than books, he is also known for his various plays. The short "The Example" is probably the most well-known, and has been performed at homeground Australia, the UK, and even in Red Dot Island's The Esplanade in 2009! "The Example" is about the collision of opinions, prejudices, superstition and feelings of distrust when two people meet at a train station where a bag has been abandoned on the platform. The story has also been adapted into a Gestalt Publishing graphic novel, with Tom roping in the help of artist Colin Wilson.

There certainly must be a multi-coloured cloud of fun, clever and thought-provoking ideas floating in Tom Taylor's brain. So, Red Dot Diva and Glam Bloggers Alliance pal Agent W neural probed Tom's brain to see what makes it tick:

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

STGCC 2016: What Exclusives Will Mighty Jaxx Showcase At the Convention?

Mighty Jaxx, the local indie studio producing unique toy collectibles, is getting pumped up to drop a list of exclusives at the upcoming STGCC

The outfit is also hosting two toy designers and guests of STGCC at their booth - Jason Freeny and Huck Gee. Both artists have been featured as STGCC guests before, and it will definitely be great to see them back here to meet their fans!

Here's Ed from Toys-etc providing the deets on what kind of goodies Mighty Jaxx will be offering at the convention!

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STGCC 2016: Mighty offerings from Mighty Jaxx


Mighty Jaxx is having a morbid STGCC party with all things skullish and dead. It's time to plan and prioritise your buy list because 2016 is the bumper crop year. Seriously, I have never seen a better drool-worthy selection. It's certainly putting Singapore on the map and hopefully it can catch up to Taipei Toy Festival.

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

STGCC 2016: Artist & Creator Emma Rios Reveals Her Own Memorable Fan Encounters

Every year without fail, STGCC organizer Reed Exhibitions would send out a survey to attendees and guests asking them for their views about different aspects of the year's show. And in every single survey form, Red Dot Diva would request that Reed should invite more female creators as guests.

Red Dot Diva's wish has finally come true as there will be at least four women comic book creators on the guest list in the upcoming STGCC 2016. (Yes, there have been female guests before, but for several years, the male comic book guests far out number the women ones!)

Spanish graphic book artist and creator Emma Rios will be heading to Red Dot Island together with other stellar female artists - Brooke Allen, Stephanie Hans and Hwei Lim. Each of these artists have made their mark in the comic book sphere with their enriching and noteworthy creations.

In Emma Rios' case, she has built a solid fan base through the years drawing for comic, ranging from Boom! Studio's "Hexed" series to Marvel's "Dr Strange" with writer Mark Waid. She then worked with high profile writer Kelly Sue Deconnick on "Osborn" and the collaboration continued again with twisted Western-horror folklore "Pretty Deadly", published by Image Comics. Her fluid and wildly imaginative art style lends a kind of unearthly quality to the images, making them seem as if they are about to pop up from a fuzzy dreamscape or bloody nightmare.

Beyond just providing artwork for books, Emma Rios has also written original stories and designing new worlds, for example in the dystopian tale called "I.D". She has also been working closely with best friend Hwei Lin for fantasy series "Mirror", which was also published by Image Comics. The two ladies will join forces as guests of STGCC 2016, and will be launching the convention-exclusive "Mirror: The Mountain" book during the show.

In the short Q&A below, Red Dot Diva got to know a bit more about Emma Rios and her creative preferences.

Monday, August 29, 2016

STGCC 2016: Something Fishy Is Going On with Mame Moyashi

There's nothing that most Red Dot Islanders like more than scrumptious seafood. Hence, there's no stoppin' art lovers and collectors in getting their hands on the fishy and crabby concoctions created by Japanese toy designer Mame Moyashi.

Mame Moyashi is a designer toy chowder consisting of the twisted brain sauces of three artists - Producer Clinton Kenny, Designer Chino Lam and Sculptor Seanjob. The trio will be exhibiting for the first time at STGCC 2016, and Red Dot Diva's Glam Bloggers Alliance geek bro, Ed from Toys-etc, managed to bait them for a quick Q&A.

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STGCC 2016: Spotlight on Mame Moyashi

toysetc: Mame Moyashi is a trio. How did you come up with the name and what does it mean?
MM: The full name should be Mame Moyashi Shacho. In Japanese, Mame Moyashi means Little Beans and for anyone who watches enough anime, Shacho is the respectful term for Chairman. It might seem like it came from the idea of how small we are as a company but we produce toys that are big in the wow factor, but no, it's just for fun

Sunday, August 28, 2016

STGCC 2016: Booth Highlight - HRJoe Photography Talks About His Techniques and His Fave Toys!


One of Red Dot Diva's favourite things to do in STGCC is wandering around Artist Alley. More of than not, there is a credible level of accessible and appealing artistic endeavours in that section of the show floor.

Red Dot Diva is excited to note that there are several new exhibitors and booths by local and regional creators in this year's convention. One of those exhibitors is HRJoe Photography.

Fans might be familiar with HRJoe Photography's cheeky superhero toy images, like the one show below. This photo has also been noticed and shared by Iron-Man himself, Robert Downey Jr. A couple of his other images have also been shared by the legendary Stan Lee!




With an increase in fan interest, HRJoe Photography has started boothing at various conventions, including Asia Pop Comicon Manila which just wrapped up yesterday. He will soon head to STGCC where he will be offering art prints for sale. After which, he has plans to exhibit at Italy's Festival del Fumetto in September and then back home for Indonesia Comic Con in October.

As you can see, HRJoe Photography has a very busy schedule ahead of him! So, Red Dot Diva is glad to be able to catch him for a few minutes to answer some nosy questions. And in case you are wondering, his name is not Joe!

Friday, August 26, 2016

STGCC 2016: More Unicornos and Skullhead Samurai on the Toy Front!

The Glam Bloggers Alliance pal Ed from Toys-etc is shimmering with glee about another tokidoki Unicorno variant by toy designer Jason Freeney and Skullhead Samurai by Jon Paul Kaiser.

Jason Freeney was a guest at last year's STGCC, and he will be returning to the show again this September. Thanks to his host MightyJaxx (booth H3) & Pobber (booth AA83 & AA85)! The art collectible makers are also bringing back Huck Gee to the convention. It is wonderful that Huck Gee has decided to return to Red Dot Island, especially after the unfortunate incident where someone stole his precious prototype at last year's show.

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STGCC 2016: Three ain't always a crowd


Stellina is one of the very first Unicornos and was featured in Series 1 (and also in the upcoming Metallico Series) and prominently in many of LeSportSac x tokidoki bags. Here, it gets Jason Freeny's withering touch and well, you won't be finding stars and rainbows inside. I'm thinking aloud but who else would want to see the entire Series 1 XXRayed and released blindboxed? No matter how ugly one half the unicorn is, there's nothing like pulling a Prima Donna. Yes. I am obsessed. MightJaxx. You will find me stalking you.

Thursday, August 25, 2016

AsiaPop Comic Con Manila 2016: An Interview with Comic Book Artist Mike Zeck


AsiaPop Comic Con Manila (APCC Manila) kicks off later today with its second edition. The 3-day convention will see fans in Manila mingling with celebrities, comic book guests, cosplayers, and have fun participating in other activities, like panels, meet and greets and autograph sessions.

This year's celebrity guest roll includes Nicholas Hoult of the "X-Men" franchise, "Warm Bodies" and "Mad Max: Fury Road" fame, young breakout star Millie Bobby Brown known for her memorable role as Eleven in Netflix's "Stranger Things", Claire Holt of "The Vampire Diaries" and Joe Dempsie who is most familiar to fans as Gendry in the international hit series, "Game of Thrones".

However, as the convention is still called a "Comic Con", a few comic book artists have also been invited as guests. One of them is reknown illustrator Mike Zeck, whose various definitive artwork have impressed fans' visual psyche through the many years of his career. One notable image is the shift of Spider-Man's red and blue costume to the black version in the 1984 Marvel limited comic book series, "Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars".

Mike Zeck has also worked on covers for several DC Comic books like "Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight" and in recent times, for the "Deathstroke the Terminator" series.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Speech Bubble - A Celebration of Comics in Singapore, 2 to 30 September 2016



Next month, the Red Dot Island comics scene will be given the spotlight in a special almost month-long event called Speech Bubble held at Basement 1 of the National Library, from 2 to 30 September.

Organized by media company Potato Productions and local comic book artist Sonny Liew. Sonny has also been in the spotlight in recent times, mainly due to the accolades he received for his brilliant brainchild, "The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye". "The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye" won the Singapore Literature Prize for fiction this year - the first graphic novel to receive such a recognition!

Speech Bubble event consists of an exhibition of original works, books and comics-related collectors items, like those by featured artists Johnny Lau, who is best known for the iconic Mr Kiasu comic series, and pioneer Malaysian artist Nora Abdullah, who published her first comic called "Cik Siti Wan Kembang" in 1955. Other creative works on display include those by Sonny Liew, Eric Khoo, Troy Chin, Otto Fong, Koh Hong Teng, Colin Goh, Gary Zhu, Cheah Sinann and many, many more!

Sunday, August 21, 2016

STGCC 2016: Jacob Chabot Chats About Tsum Tsums and Hello Kitty!

Looking for a graphic novel or book that is funny, adventurous and suitable for all ages?

Do a search for the name Jacob Chabot, and a list of lively titles like "Plants vs Zombies", "Hello Kitty", "Spongebob Comics", "X-Babies" and his creator-owned New York Times best-selling book "The Might Skullboy: Garden Warfare" will crop up.

Jacob Chabot, who has been announced as an STGCC guest, is also the writer for Marvel's new "Tsum Tsum" mini series. A limited edition variant of the #1 issue will be available as an exclusive at this year's STGCC.

Before Jacob heads to the convention on 10 & 11 September 2016, Red Dot Diva had a chance to bounce a few quirky questions off the prolific cartoonist:

Saturday, August 20, 2016

STGCC 2016: Toys-etc is all ready to go gaga over Tokidoki's Unicorno Metalico!


As mentioned in previous posts, the Glam Bloggers Alliance (GBA) is all poised to strut their glittery biceps at this year's STGCC.

Although, at the rate that rival Asia-Pop Comic Con is announcing their celebrity guests at the Manila convention held just 2 weeks before STGCC, the GBA might be the glitteriest biceps around on the MBS showfloor.

Right now, the GBA already has a list of geeky articles to get every one of you acquainted with the STGCC guests. So get on the GBA blog ride, and you will feel right at home at STGCC once it opens its doors on 10 & 11 September 2016!

Ed from toys-etc.com is the designer toy expert of the GBA, and with the toy segment having an exciting return in this year's show, he is all ready to go gaga over the various exclusives including those from the fan favourite brand, tokidoki.

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STGCC 2016: The Usual Drooling after Tokidoki

We are definitely seeing a record-breaking number of returning toy guests - Huck Gee, Jason Freeny, Sticky Monster Lab - and toy exhibitors - 1000Tentacles, Blackbook Toy, Cacooca, Genesis 4, Instinctoy, Mighty Jaxx, Pobber, Unbox Industries, Imaginarium, Kinetiquettes, Bandai, Tamashii Nations, XM Studios - to STGCC 2016. This is definitely a far cry from the years when I would sit and lament about the lack of a toy focus in the convention (WE SHALL NOT TALK ABOUT GAMES!). While there are new toy vendors/exhibitors, I would prefer to go back to my first love.

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

STGCC 2016: "LumberJanes" Creator Brooke Allen Is Intrigued by Carrot Cake!

Have you been counting down to Red Dot Island's geekiest event of the year?

Red Dot Diva has been keeping track of the countdown. And it's now 31 days to STGCC! The pop-culture event is held at Halls E and F, Basement 2 of MBS' Sands Convention Centre on 10 & 11 September.

A list of interesting and well-known guests ranging from comic book creators, concept artists and illustrators, toy designers and cosplayers have already been announced, and among them is Brooke Allen, one of the creators of award-winning graphic novel series "Lumberjanes", published by BOOM! Studios.

Red Dot Diva loves her lively quirky art style. Peek into Brooke's tumblr and you'll spot drawings of monsters, funny animation gifs, a peek into her various works in progress, and many tributes to her pet dog, Linus. Brooke not only draws, she also crafts unique resin figurines and collectibles!
 
To get more local fans acquainted with Brooke and her work, Red Dot Diva got her to answer a few nosy questions:

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Ubisoft Casts Jessica Chastain and Jake Gyllenhaal for "The Division" Movie


Commercially successful and given the thumbs up by gamers as well as reviewers, Ubisoft's online third-person shooter video game Tom Clancy's "The Division"™ is set to crossover to the big screen as a live action-adventure movie.

The game was released in March 2016 and sold more copies in one day than any other games in the industry. It reportedly garnered sales of over USD 330 million globally in the first 5 days of its release, and is also Ubisoft's best-selling game.

Oscar-nominated Jessica Chastain ("Crimson Peak", "The Martian", "Zero Dark Thirty") and Jake Gyllenhaal ("Everest", "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time", "Brokeback Mountain") have been attached to the project. Red Dot Diva is looking forward to seeing the two capable actors kick-ass on screen while fulfilling the mission to rebuild post-pandemic Manhattan.

Sunday, July 31, 2016

STGCC 2016: More Guests Announced, Including Emma Rios, Jacob Chabot and Stephanie Hans


The announcement for the second wave of Singapore Toy, Game and Comic Convention (STGCC) guests was released when Red Dot Diva was having her holiday in the UK.

Unlike in previous years, Red Dot Diva is glad to see that there are a few more noteworthy women creators in the guest list. She hopes that their presence at the convention will help boost the profile and confidence of other female creators locally in the region.


One of the female creator guests is Spanish artist Emma Rios, who has her very own graphic novel called "I.D." published with Image Comics. She is also part of the creative team for "Pretty Deadly" with popular writer Kelly Sue DeConnick and the scifi-fantasy series "Mirror" with artist Hwei Lim. Prior to these published works, Emma has also illustrated for Boom! Studios ("Hexed") and Marvel ("Doctor Strange", "Amazing Spider-man").

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Meet Elvin Ching, Artist of Singapore NDP 2016's Comic About Local Superhero, Badang!

The fortunate people who scored tickets to the National Day Parade (NDP) 2016 rehearsal parades last week and this weekend will get to watch a preview of re-enactment about the legend of Badang.

Badang was a local and hunky (he must be, right?) Malay superhero around about the 14th century. Story was that, he defended his village and Singapura from many challengers, including the ruler of India and Java. From one of the notable challenges, Badang managed to throw a large rock into the sea, near the mouth of the Singapore River.

One of the fragments, consisting of ancient inscriptions, resides in the National Museum of Singapore. It is called the Singapore Stone.

Included in the goodie bag for attendees of the parade rehearsals and NDP 2016, there will be a little comic adaptation by well-known writer Michael Chiang ("Army Daze"/ "Beauty World") and illustrated by a talented local artist named Elvin Ching, who has done artwork for the MacDonald's "Samurai Burger Returns" commercials.

Also, check out his bicepstuous cover artwork of the "The Legend of Badang" comic above. Red Dot Diva loves the way he made Badang looked determined and gallantly heroic.

Red Dot Diva knows people who knows Elvin Ching. So, she tracked him down and inflicted a list of her trademark nosy questions on him.

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Rihanna Warp Drives into "Star Trek Beyond" with "Sledgehammer" - Music Video Debuts in IMAX Theatres 6 July!

Red Dot Diva digs some of mega pop star Rihanna's tunes from time to time, but when she heard her latest song "Sledgehammer" featured in the new "Star Trek Beyond" trailer, Diva thought it was such a perfect fit! Her sultry vocals in the haunting melody provided the other-worldly, uplifting feel that the Trek franchise is known for.

Don't believe it? Check out the trailer here:



Monday, June 27, 2016

STGCC 2016 Welcomes Guests Phil Noto, Jon-Paul Kaiser, Brooke Allen and More!


Just as Red Dot Diva was wondering when the Singapore Toy, Game and Comic Convention (STGCC) was going to announce their first wave of guests for this year, when  .BOOMZ!. a list of interesting names turned up on their social media and website.


First up on the guest announcement is artist Phil Noto, who has worked in Disney Animation for 10 years before focusing on comic book art. Phil's artwork retro artwork style is especially gorgeous when it comes to portraiture.

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Will Star Wars Celebration Europe 2016 Be A True Celebration For Fans?

For the last 17 years, a convention called "Star Wars Celebration" has been held for Star Wars lovers to celebrate everything about the franchise. ReedPop took over as the event organizer in 2010 with "Star Wars Celebration V" in Orlando, where the 30th anniversary party for "The Empire Strikes Back" was also hosted.

This year, Red Dot Diva is heading to her first such meetup held at London's EXCEL Centre from 15 to 17 July 2016. The current edition has been entitled "Star Wars Celebration Europe" (SWCE). Although with BREXIT, the "Europe" header seems to be simmering like an embittered soon-to-divorced spouse.

For the last month, many fans were unhappy and voiced their concerns that ReedPop had yet to announce sufficient guests for them to feel that the event was a true celebration of sorts. At that point, only the key guests Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Kathleen Kennedy, Gareth Edwards and Dave Filoni were announced. Inevitably, the number of guests listed was compared to the huge line-up at Anaheim 2015, which saw the entire cast of "The Force Awakens" make their presence on stage.

Prior to BREXIT, ReedPop announced a few more guests like Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Jeremy Bulloch, Ray Park and Daniel Logan as well as a list of autographing guests. Which was all well and good, but there has still been no word about celebrity guests from TFA, Rogue One or Episode VIII. However, what caught most attendees unprepared were the exorbitant prices charged for the celebrity photo ops.