Who Is Coming To STGCC 2011?

That's the simple (and yet not so simple) question on everyone's minds.

Well, other than the ticketing prices, of course.

Finally, in a Straits Times article published this Thursday, Reed Exhibitions announced the ticketing information and two returning guests for the Singapore Toy Games and Comic Convention (STGCC) 2011. The convention will be held at the Suntec Convention Centre on August 20 - 21 this year.

Aspiring local and regional comic creators will be glad to know that Marvel's Senior Vice President, Creator and Content Developer and international travelling-foodie CB Cebulski will be back on the Red Dot Island. He will be spending more time reviewing portfolios and sharing with fans about Marvel's upcoming books.

The other familiar guest is Italian artist Simone Legno - a hot favourite with fans around the region. Thanks to his Tokidoki brand name. Simone will also be working on a limited edition "Zip and Cody" figurine just for STGCC 2011.

But who else will be coming here??!?

No guesses which are Diva's feet!

By harnessing the power of the island's oppressive humidity, a small geeky group grilled visiting ReedPOP folks Peter Tatara (Director for Industry Development) and Mike Armstrong (Sales Manager) for definitive answers at Loof last Thursday night.

However, both men put up a surprisingly strong resistance to the heat torture (must been the extra shirts they were wearing over their tees) and the mission was sadly, not entirely successful.

(And if one is wondering, Red Dot Diva did use her feminine wiles in an attempt to get them to remove their shirts. To no avail. Those must be *very* special shirts.)

In between Tiger/ Asahi beers and a cool blackberry mojita (it was Red Dot Diva's of course), the casual discussion was mainly about who the fans wanted to see for this year's STGCC. Some names were bandied around through the course of the night.

Popular graphic novel artist Jim Lee was a name which had been requested very often, but not only is he asking for a certain appearance fee, he is also busy working on the DC comics reboot.

And a definite no to veteran comic creator, the fan-favourite Stan Lee. Understandably, the older gentleman would find the 20+ hour-long air-flight to Red Dot Island too difficult to endure.

Mike giving us his Hulk face

As for various popular movie celebs, Mike explained that when it comes to Hollywood's timeline, once a movie is out, the publicity machinery is done. And the film's PR folks have little interest to continue promoting the film beyond the release date. So perhaps, a possibility would be for the ReedPOP folks to try inviting guests who might be working from or living in Australia.

There seemed to be an indication that there would be fewer repeat guests this year, and an interest in getting iconic comic writers or artists who are still very popular locally.

Peter mentioned that they would also prefer guests who love interacting and spending time with their fans, so that convention attendees would have a memorable time during the weekend.

Following the official announcement that big-name gaming company Nintendo will be at STGCC, there were also hints that they may be more guests relating to the gaming component.

As there is a strong anime fan presence here, this year's STGCC will again, hold the cosplay competition and will strive to add in a more Asian slant to their guest list. (Red Dot Diva wonders if this is a big YAY for many local fans out there??!)

Mike, who was in the throes of sleep deprivation, told us that the team gets stressed up because they would "hate for *anyone* to have a bad experience at a convention".

In the midst of all the sweaty discussions about possible STGCC guests, Red Dot Diva's poor virginal ears were tainted with lots of local swear words -- and erm, Travis Allens. And what are foul words without talk about durians, which Peter described as "a demon fruit" that "tastes like rancid green onion jam. With seeds".

Red Dot Diva also met the very sturdy, very silent Terrence. He was the cardboard box that made a silent appearance bearing limited edition Rasl #1 comics (by Jeff Smith) and a hoard of C2E2 buttons.

Besides meeting 2/3 HBG (it has always been 2/3 lately! Is there a shapeshifter?), Ryan, Nicholas, Jason and Melvin at Loof, Red Dot Diva was also happy to chat with Alwyn Liang again. There will be some scoop coming from that corner, but she will not be allowed to give as much as a squeak till more guests are officially announced by Reed Exhibitions.

The thorn amongst the male roses

Now, on to the other important information about STGCC, i.e. the ticketing details. They are as follows:
- 1-Day Ticket @ S$10
- 2-Day Ticket @ S$18
- Daily Evening Ticket (5-8pm) @ S$5
- Limited VIP Ticket @ S$40
The tickets will be out by mid-June.

It's only about 10 weeks more to STGCC 2011. Peter has recently assured that new guest announcements will be made: "Not today. Not tomorrow. But not far after that."

If one still has a special guest wishlist or suggestion, Red Dot Diva says to go ahead and tweet Peter Tatara or Mike Armstrong!