Go Visit Honnie's Hive! - Mashi's Mini Art Show On December 14th 2012

In the last couple of years that Red Dot Diva got to know Mashi aka Wendy Chew, she has seen the local chibi artist and illustrator's fandom increase from strength to strength. 

Her sexy-cute artwork now exhibits a growing sense of mischievous confidence and during the recent STGCC, she knew of many collectors who sought her out at the Invasion / 8-Bit Media booth for sketches. Mashi also had her own signing schedule at the Wall of Fame, which says a lot for the profile of a local artist.

Not contented with just drawings, Mashi had also showcased a sample of her very first vinyl toy produced by Vinyl-on-Vinyl at STGCC 2012. If you were at STGCC that weekend, you might probably have been one of those who fell in love with the cute voluptuous bee-lady called Honnie (see pic above).

Special Report from Wellington, NZ: Ground Zero at "The Hobbit" World Premiere

Elven statues guarding the red carpet area

Maybe one day Red Dot Diva will get to attend a Hollywood red carpet premiere.

For now, she has only been to very few glitzy ones held here, and those were mainly because she was working the media beat during Screen Singapore last year.

Until the time when international media marketing folks warm up to the idea that Red Dot Island may be a suitable stage for such glamourous premieres (in reality, the tropical humidity and heat doesn't quite help!), she will probably keep on dreaming of such large-scale star-gazing opportunities.

Wellington native Elizabeth E. Scrivener though, is a lucky gal to be living right where fantasy movie-style Middle-Earth is being created.

Naturally, she was at the sidelines of the exciting red carpet premiere for "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" this past week. Here's her report:

Special Report from Wellington, NZ: The Run-Up to An Expected Premiere for "The Hobbit"

Red Dot Diva is envious. Super envious, actually.

Native kiwis seem to have it all with regards to fictional Middle-Earth. After all, most of the sets seen in the "Lord of the Rings" (LOTR) trilogy and the upcoming movies for "The Hobbit" are based on New Zealand landscapes and landmarks.

With "The Hobbit" movies (there will be three parts!), Peter Jackson has returned as director, together with a host of very familiar faces from the LOTR trilogy, like Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, Elijah Wood as Frodo and Andy Serkis as Gollum. Ok, well.... we don't get to see Andy Serkis' face in the movies, but his remarkable contribution to that precioussssss role is undeniably recognizable.

A fresh bunch of actors who have assumed roles in "The Hobbit" movies will soon join the long list of memorable Lord of the Rings cast members. Martin Freeman heads the cast as the younger Bilbo Baggins who will be going on the adventure of his lifetime. The accompanying dwarves on this journey include actors like the very nommy Richard Armitage (Thorin Oakenshield), James Nesbitt (Nofur) and Aidan Turner of "Being Human" fame (Kili). Plus, Red Dot Diva knows that many BBC Sherlock fans are still squeeing over the fact that Benedict Cumberbatch has lent his voice for Smaug the dragon.

Screen Singapore 2012: Chow Yun-Fat and Sophie Marceau To Attend Movie Premieres!

ScreenSingapore is back this year but with a new organizer helming the affair.

The hard work of conceptualizing and bringing the difference pieces together now falls in the capable hands of Reed Exhibitions, the same outfit who, for the last 3 years, has brought local geekdom the Singapore Toy Games and Comics Convention (STGCC).

Wisely enough, this year's ScreenSingapore will be held in conjunction with the more established trade-based Asian Television Forum (ATF) from 4 to 7 December at Marina Bay Sands.

And from the looks of it, ScreenSingapore 2012 seems to be a moderately planned but better organized event compared to last year's. Changing the location to Marina Bay Sands already makes the event seem less logistically-challenged. (Last year's ScreenSingapore was held at Capella Singapore at Sentosa.) The schedule also appears to be sleeker and more compact.

Interview with Gilamon Studio's Lefty - Different Recipes of Horror in "Jimi Germ" and "Zero Hero"

3/4 of Gilamon Studio with Sonny Liew (far left)

One of the nicest things that could happen in the geek world is getting acquainted with the guys from Gilamon Studio.

If you are not familiar with Gilamon Studio already, it is an inspiring Malaysian creative outfit consisting of four talented and very affable creators - Julian "Lefty" Kam, Tan Eng Huat, Michael Chuah and Chin Sau Lim.

Marvel comic readers would be most familiar with artist Tan Eng Huat, whose works have graced titles like "X-Men: Legacy", "The Punisher" and "Thor: First Thunder". But, let it be known, that the other three creators are just as talented in their own right.

While Red Dot Diva has not personally met Michael Chuah yet, she has bumped into the rest of the team on several different occasions. In fact, she spent some time with Lefty and Eng Huat at their little space at the "Heavy Metal" booth during Comic-Con earlier this year. The guys were promoting their latest releases - a charming little gem called "Jimi Germ" that also has its own iTunes app, and a preview edition of "Zero Hero". It was definitely a comforting slice of home exchanging the familiar Singaporean-Malaysian accents and lingo with the two while in a far away land.

Diva's 2012 New TV Series Recap Part 2 - Still Trying to Fall In Love With "Arrow"

The CW is well known for shows that target the younger audiences, with many of them focusing primarily on adolescence and young adulthood - like "The Vampire Diaries", "Gossip Girl", "Veronica Mars", "One Tree Hill", "Smallville", "Supernatural" and more.

Some of these shows get cancelled after a number of episodes, several of them continue on for multiple seasons, and a few become cult hits.

Naturally, with the kind of target audience that the CW is able to capture, the network seems best-suited for comic-based stories. "Smallville" lingered for a good 10 seasons and with that gone, the CW and comic fans were twitching for something new to fill that space.

In comes "Arrow", with the promise to please those who were looking forward to a series based on the DC Comics vigilante superhero, Green Arrow aka playboy millionaire by day, Oliver Queen. 

Diva's 2012 New TV Series Recap Part 1 - "Revolution" and "Elementary"

This fall's TV season yielded a slew of new shows that were seemed to be mostly modernized reboots and weak, rather uncreative remakes.

Red Dot Diva was fortunate to be at SDCC Preview Night to catch early screenings of five new shows. They included CW's much-hyped "Arrow" based on the DC superhero Green Arrow, NBC's post-apocalyptic tale "Revolution" and ABC's supernatural drama "666 Park Avenue". And as reported earlier in a blog article, she was not impressed with all three of them.

During then and now, other TV new series have premiered - like "Elementary" - the very Americanized version of Sherlock Holmes, and a shiny reboot of the 1980's cult classic of the same name "Beauty and the Beast". There are more shows of course - "Vegas", "Last Resort", "Hunter", "Nashville" - just to name a few. But Red Dot Diva, with her busy schedule, was only able to carve out niches of time to catch some of them.

Here is her first review recap of the new 2012 Fall series -- four months later.

Singapore Zombie Walk: When Zombies Stumble About at Clarke Quay

Clarke Quay. The favourite drinking hole of many and a crowded weekend nightspot.

And just a few hours ago, it was infested by close to 130 undead beings participating for the first Singapore Zombie Walk.

When the horde of zombies began making their shuffle across Reed Bridge and around the many clubs there, most of the living seemed repulsed yet excited about being this close to the undead. Others simply looked utterly confused at their sudden appearance at the glitzy tourist trap.

Along the way, the number of cameras wielded by passersby and active Zombie Empathizers like Red Dot Diva was countless. One amused tourist sitting at a restaurant was overheard saying to his partner, "Look at all the people with cameras. They are part of the zombie procession too!"

NYCC: Diva Shares Her Convention Tips (Part 2)

Just less than a week, and the second largest comic convention Stateside will be happening!

NYCC 2012 kicks off at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center next Thursday on 11 October, with tons of cool comic, anime and pop-culture guests. This year's event is a sold-out show with expected attendance of over 100,000, so do be safe and get prepared for a human crush.

And if you are new to New York City or any comic convention, Red Dot Diva hopes some of these tips might prove to be useful.

(For Red Dot Islanders heading to NYCC, she hopes you have checked out her pre-convention, travel planning tips in this blog article!)

STGCC 2012: Andy Diggle On Writing Tips, The Losers, Dr Who and CW's "Arrow"

Thanks to STGCC, local fans have been lucky to meet their share of British comics guests for the last three years.

In 2010, veteran artist of "V for Vendetta" fame David Lloyd was invited as a special guest. The following year, games/ music journalist turned comic book writer Kieron Gillen flew into Red Dot Island and showed us how to rock the convention in a nifty white suit.

This year, Red Dot Diva was glad that STGCC kept up with the Union Jack trend by having writer and former 2000 AD editor, Andy Diggle as a guest. Besides his creative talents in works like "The Losers" (Vertigo), "Green Arrow: Year One" (DC), "Shadowland" (Marvel), "Silent Dragon" with Leinil Yu and Gerry Alanguilan and the latest "Dr Who" (IDW), he also sports a sexy goatee. And Goddess be known that Red Dot Diva sure loves a sexy goatee.

Red Dot Diva got to meet Andy Diggle (and his goatee) up close at the STGCC Media Preview, together with a few other invited journalists and bloggers. In the short span of 20 minutes, he happily and very eloquently fielded several questions about the comics industry, about writing, his various  works, and his thoughts on "The Losers" movie.

Here are some of the extracts from the interview:

Singapore Zombie Walk: The Zombie Apocalypse Is Coming!

You've seen it happening at other places.

Broken store windows. Empty towns; strings of cars left abandoned on a highway. A bloody trail.

Is that a ...... .... O_O

Then... the low moans. And the sounds of shuffling feet coming closer.... closer....

It is drawing near, people. The Zombie Apocalypse will hit the shores of Red Dot Island in 32 days and counting.

Are you one of the Zombies? A Zombie Killer? Or are you a Zombie Sympathizer?

To ensure that there's a balanced viewpoint on all sides, Red Dot Diva dug around and found a Zombie (SG variant) Representative, who was willing to spill its guts to the general public. All behind the safety of a communication device, of course. And the help of her trusty Zombie Moan Translater.

-------------------------------

NYCC 2012: An Alternative to Comic-Con?

This is the 7th year of New York Comic Con (NYCC).

The event is run by the good folks at ReedPOP (whose local setup, by the way, also runs Red Dot Island's STGCC). And from all bets, attendance numbers for NYCC 2012 is set to garner another record high.

Considering the recent "mainstreaming" of what used to be the geekier side of pop-culture, the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center will be jam-packed with noobs and old-timers come October 11 to 14th 2012.  Fact is, the three-day and four-day tickets have already been sold out a couple of weeks ago. And NYCC has never quite "sold out" this much, this early before.

Sigh. Signs of the times.

Braving Pangdemonium's "Swimming With Sharks"

Forget about loaded minefields at the office.

Facing hungry boss-sharks is probably what everyone should constantly look out for. For one thing, you might face a much slower, more painful demise. At best, you'll probably (d)evolve into another blood-thirsty shark.

And that was the primary premise of the movie screenplay by George Huang called "Swimming With Sharks", which is now currently brought to our local theatre scene by Pangdemonium! Productions.

Red Dot Diva has always enjoyed Pangdemonium!'s choice of plays. They are usually edgy with a dark twist, or absolutely fun productions with witty scripts like "The Full Monty", for instance.

With a title like "Swimming With Sharks" and that promotional pic of lead actor/ owner Adrian Pang looking like the aptly-named James Bond metal-mouth villain Jaws, it was inevitable that Red Dot Diva would be donning her heavy-duty neoprene suit for a dive into their preview night on Thursday.

And what a swim that was!

SDCC 2012: Chewing on Science Channel's "Dark Matters" with John Noble

To Red Dot Diva's knowledge, almost everyone who watches J.J. Abram's cult-series "Fringe" adores the character, Walter Bishop.

Off-kilter and utterly charming, Walter Bishop the brilliant scientist, is brought to life by the impressive talent of Aussie actor, John Noble.

However, this article is not about "Fringe" but about Science Channel's anthology series, "Dark Matters", which incidentally re-enacts freaky and mostly unethical scientific experiments that were actually carried out in past eras. Tales of creepy experiments like human-animal breeding, brainwashing, Frankenstein-like reanimations (Ahh! zombies!!) are all par for the course. Not unlike those featured in the "Fringe" episodes at all. And John Noble is the series' host.

Being a science freak and someone who loves morbid twisted stories, "Dark Matters" is just right up Red Dot Diva's alley. So, when Red Dot Diva got news that Science Channel was able to slot her in for the "Dark Matters" press conference at Comic-Con, she couldn't stop squeeing for days.

What is John Noble really like in person? She didn't quite know what to expect.

SDCC 2012 Recap: A First-Timer Kiwi at Comic-Con

One of the things that makes Comic-Con and other similar conventions special for Red Dot Diva, is the chance to network and make many more new friends!

At Comic-Con 2012, she got to know and roomed together with Felicia from "Middle Earth".

No, Felicia is not a Hobbit. :) She is actually a native of New Zealand and lives in Wellington. A newbie to hardcore geeky convention going, Felicia decided to pop her Comic-Con cherry this year. And Nathan Fillion is to be blamed. ;)

Here's Felicia's account of her week's adventures at Comic-Con:

STGCC Day 2 Recap - Operation Red Dot Biceps Continues

Bah. *sniffle*

Late night of Day 1 and con crud has already infected poor Red Dot Diva.

There's still Day 2 of STGCC to go.

So, she rigorously self-medicated with a stash of drugs, fell asleep for a few meagre hours... then, gamely made her way to that far away neverland of Marina Bay Sands late Sunday morning.

The crowd has yet to descend on the exhibition hall. Probably because most people do not like waking up early on Sundays, and many folks were still in their houses of worship.

ICDS 2012: Insights from Cosplayers Yaya Han and Jerry Polence

Yaya and Jerry on stage for their panel

Originating initially from the world of manga, anime and games, cosplayers are now a staple of almost any pop-culture convention.

In recent years, interest in cosplay has been gaining ground with Red Dot Islanders. Even some senior citizens are getting into the fray!

While a high percentage of cosplayers still focus on  anime or game characters, Red Dot Diva thinks that there have been more cosplayers who are getting into the "Western" characters. For example, the superheroes and supervillains from comics, or iconic characters in popular TV series and Hollywood movies.

Whatever they choose to dress up as, cosplayers sure liven up the geek culture scene in so many different ways.

STGCC 2012 Recap: Day 1 - Operation Red Dot Biceps Begins

It's with deliberate intention that Red Dot Diva decided to pace herself with more personal time at this year's STGCC.

She really wanted to hang out with her friends more, network with more interesting creative people and soak in the atmosphere. So, she only scheduled for two interviews during the weekend.

1 September, Day 1, was a terribly stuffy, fiery, hot day. The haze was bad and the acrid smell of smoke didn't help ease the commute to Marina Bay Sands. At the registration area, one could even feel the heat emanating from the large glass entrance doors. It was like an oven.

Red Dot Diva bumped into @rsilvers at the crowded registration area, and was told that the line for normal tickets was unexpectedly long. As a registered media, Red Dot Diva practically sailed through the process without no problems at all.

Pre-STGCC 2012 - A Packed and Lively Media Preview

Friday 31 August. The day before STGCC 2012, and a day that Red Dot Diva has been looking forward to - STGCC Media Preview Day!

But, oh the wet weather and the fact that school was out early (Red Dot Diva had forgotten about that!) made public transport a nightmare.

And oh, dear Marina Bay Sands -- you are so tricky to get to when someone is in a hurry!

So, Red Dot Diva was about 15 minutes late for the exclusive Media Preview. :(

When she arrived into the allocated media room, she found that it was PACKED! Standing room only by then. And there were so many photographers eager to take pictures of almost everything.

It was good to see people getting excited about STGCC again this year and creating more buzz about the show. Being able to re-connect with the many geek friends at the media preview got Red Dot Diva even more stoked for the weekend.

Pre-STGCC 2012: Mark Brooks Meets Fans at Invasion

Well-known Marvel comic book artist arrives on Red Dot Island. Decides to do a pre-STGCC meet-the-fans/ signing session at local comic store.

Will Red Dot Diva be there?

Is that even a valid question?!!!

The cozy signing session held on Thursday 30th August evening at Invasion Toys & Collectible's store, was one of the BEST-est-*est* ways to ease into an all-geek showdown at STGCC.

When Red Dot Diva arrived at the shop, she said hi to owner David and noticed there were about 8 guys waiting in line for their turn with guest, Mark Brooks. Mark was already comfortably settled in his seat next to his wife Lisa, chatting with fans.

STGCC 2012: Leave Your Guilt Behind - Snatch Those Exclusives!

The frenzy at pop-culture and comic conventions is not just about the shared passion in geekdom. It is also the uncontainable google-eyed glee at being able to shop for all those limited edition items and exclusives!

And STGCC is not short of these. At all!

To help you bust your wallet, Red Dot Diva lists some of those awesome exclusives available this weekend at STGCC.

She knows you know you want them! *g*


HOT TOYS
Serious toy collectors and those looking for a quick buck know that these are *the* hot items to grab for.

At last year's STGCC, people lined up overnight just to be able to rush straight to the Hot Toys booth when doors open, and then lined up there again for these coveted figurines.

STGCC 2012: Pre-Convention Geekout Begins Thursday!

Just barely three days away, and there will be the biggest East-West pop-culture geek fest of the year in Red Dot Island!

The Singapore Toy, Games and Comic Convention (STGCC) will kick-off this year at Hall B & C, Level 1, Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands this weekend. Online sales have closed but you still can get tickets onsite from 8am to 7.30pm.

As the fans, gamers, cosplayers, collectors and all-round geeks get ready for the convention, some of the guests from far away lands are making their way or are already here on our island - where it's hot, humid and ...quite rainy, of late.

While this blog is being typed, writer Andy Diggle is on his way here from the UK via Doha, flying in swanky business class.

He's Baaaaaaaackkkkkkkkkkk ---- Furby that is!

Is this one more shuffle toward an impending Roboapocalypse??

Many years ago, a creepy interactive toy called Furby took the world by storm. It was a Mogwai-looking creature-thing that could blink its eyes and chatter incessantly, and it either charmed or infuriated households everywhere.

If you are one of those who misses teaching robotic toys tricks, Red Dot Diva says to take heart. Thanks to Hasbro, the new rebooted and refurbished Furby will be coming back to create some mischief and stalk your hallways!

SDCC 2012 Recap: "Spartacus" Gives Fans An Energetic Farewell

Oh, it is with such sweet parting sorrow to be able to sit through Starz's "Spartacus" panel at this year's Comic-Con. *sniff*

Red Dot Diva was almost unable to make it to the panel because she was busy covering another event at an exhibitor's booth. However, she managed to say farewells quickly and gracefully, just in time to make a Olympics-worthy sprint from the basement to Room 6BCF, with barely 4 minutes to spare!

Was she even able to get into the room at all? It was the last "Spartacus" panel for the fans and the series is admired by so many. When she arrived at the venue, there wasn't a line at all, and the volunteers were not stopping anyone from entering yet. Phew!

But inside, the room was nearly filled with spots of empty seats here and there. Red Dot Diva knew she would not be able to sit up front but she managed to snag a seat in the middle of the room, where she had a good wide-angle view of both the projection screen and the guests on stage.

It was a warm, lively and memorable panel with lots of laughter. The cast members were absolutely having fun being there, teasing the fans in general, and having a go at it with each other.

Red Dot Diva's good friend Chelle was in the "Falling Skies" panel earlier, and was lucky enough to score a seat at 6th row centre of the room, enjoying a darn good droolicious view of all those hunky biceps. So, Red Dot Diva will leave it to Chelle to give a recount of that wonderful hour.

STGCC 2012: Spotlight On Newcomers - Firestarter & Bleufish

What makes a pop-culture convention energetic and vibrant lies mostly in the people who participate in the event. This includes the organizers, creative guests, fans, promoters and of course, the booth exhibitors!

Many of the larger booth exhibitors are well-known retail store or industry names, but quite a few, especially in Red Dot Diva's favourite area Artist Alley, are manned by indie but equally talented folks. Many may not be household names right now, but who knows? With time, some of them may take their creative work to higher places!

One of the new booth exhibitors at this year's STGCC is the artistic team of Firestarter & Bleufish. Such a fantastical and intriguing name!

Red Dot Diva managed to get hold of one-half of the duo Firestarter, for an introductory piece before the convention kicks off on 1-2 September. She thinks that those who love monsters and colourful whimsical artwork would find their booth interesting!

Firestarter is the moniker behind 25-year-old Sarah Isabel Tan, who is currently a concept designer/ illustrator in a local game company. Sarah confesses that she loves animation, video games, movies, travelling and wheeeeeeee! theme parks!

Here's Sarah telling us more about herself and all poised to bring her fiery artistic passion into the world at large:

SDCC 2012 Recap: Hints & Teasers at the "Falling Skies" Panel

Anyone involved in Star Trek should not be a stranger to alien invasions. So it was no surprise that "Star Trek: TNG's" actor, lifelong geek and fan-favourite Wil Wheaton was the moderator for the TNT scifi drama "Falling Skies" panel at the recent Comic-Con

Red Dot Diva was busy networking at the Heavy Metal booth with the folks involved with animation movie "War of the Worlds: Goliath" on Day 2 July 13 Friday afternoon, and did not attend the panel. But her good friend Chelle was there!

From what she heard, the cast and producers of the series were pretty generous with their teasers concerning the remaining episodes of Season 2 (which will be ending this weekend) and the upcoming Season 3 to air in 2013.

Here's Chelle with her recap of the SDCC 2012 "Falling Skies" panel (note: there are some spoilers ahead!):

STGCC 2012: Gear Up For "The Battlemonks" by Kelvin Chan

It has been about a year since Red Dot Diva got to know artist Kelvin Chan. And since then, he is still keeping a very busy schedule maintaining a full-time job at a local newspaper, fulfilling family commitments, occasionally running a toy trading stall at China Square, and yet, able to practise his art by constantly drawing a whole range of pop-culture subjects.

(For an introduction on Kelvin Chan, check out this Red Dot Diva interview in 2011!)

So, it is even MORE amazing when Red Dot Diva saw the hard work Kelvin has been investing, with whatever available time he had left, in his creator-own material called "The Battlemonks".

Kelvin has already shared the first few pages of "The Battlemonks" on his own blog, and what had started out as a webcomic might see itself in print at this coming STGCC!

To get an early scoop about "The Battlemonks" and what Kelvin has planned for STGCC 2012, Red Dot Diva ate up even more his precious time for a pre-convention interview:

Get Your Wigs On For International Cosplay Day Singapore 2012

Do the names like Yaya Han, Jerry Polente and Jay Tablante mean anything to you?

If you are squeeing (or going into excited convulsions) at the thought of the three names, then Red Dot Diva supposes she would most probably see you at the inaugural International Cosplay Day Singapore (ICDS) held on 26 August 2012 at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

ICDS is a fan-based cosplay and pop-culture convention organized by The Neo Tokyo Project team and community. The Neo Tokyo Project folks are very active in cosplay locally, and Red Dot Diva got to know of them only in recent times. Thanks to the team, she has gained some insight to that intriguing world of cosplay through a stream of tidbits on her social network feed.

With the aim to celebrate the diversity of cosplay and pop-culture, ICDS also coincides with International Cosplay Day celebrations around the globe.

SDCC 2012 Recap: Diva Got The "Coma" Experience

There is one other thing Red Dot Diva is a sucker for -- a macabre thriller story.

And Michael Crichton.

OK. So those are actually two things. But combined, you'd get the 1978 medical horror film called "Coma", based on Robin Cook's best-selling novel.

Over 30 years later, cable channel A&E revives the creepy story about a young doctor who decides to investigate why healthy patients were suddenly found to be in a coma state. The 4-part mini series produced by Ridley Scott and Tony Scott, will premiere as a two-night event on USA's Labor Day.

To promote the epic mini-series, A&E set up a bloody good preview during the recent Comic-Con with something called The "Coma" Experience.

SDCC 2013 Pre-Registration: Did Passes Sell Out Again?

Making changes to the registration process is what Comic-Con's organizers tend to do in recent times.

After the insane long lines for registration in 2011 for 2012's passes, they have decided to do away with on-site pre-registration entirely.

Instead, people who had paying tickets for 2012's Comic Con, received an email informing them that online pre-registration would be held today, 4th August at 8 am PST, via their EPIC member login.

Many of Red Dot Diva's friends were poised nervously online, all ready to hit their fingers on the keyboard to join the almost Olympic sport of SDCC-registration.

STGCC 2012: Asian Comic Artists Get The Spotlight!

It is about time that talented local and regional comic artists given their chance to shine.

Did anyone notice that with each bout of STGCC guest announcement, there has been an indication that the spotlight will be on Asian artists this year? There also seems to be a stronger, more united support from the Asian artists involved with this year's event, and Red Dot Diva thinks it is wonderful to see this happening.

Sure, well-known creators from USA and UK, like Marvel artist Mark Brooks, creator of the Tokidoki brand Simone Legno, toy designer/ street artist Tristan Eaton, UK-based comic artist Andie Tong and the recently announced addition, prominent writer Andy Diggle, will all be attending STGCC 2012. But it is even more exciting to see the number of Asian artists getting ready to flock to Red Dot Island on the weekend of 1-2 September, armed with printed sketchbooks, an enviable resume and a ready fanbase.

SDCC 2012 Recap: Game of Thrones Panel - Of Sex Scenes, Direwolves and Turtles

After a rousing second season of "Game of Thrones", cable channel HBO has upped the ante even further with regards to fantasy-based TV productions.

That epic heart-stopping scene from the Battle of Blackwater has to be one of TV history's finest.

The series has an astounding number of characters belonging to different houses and set in varied lands. But these factors did not deter "Game of Thrones"' ever-growing fandom as they find themselves increasingly hooked when the story unravels after each episode.

Giving the show a nod to its success and huge popularity, the "Game of Thrones" panel was held in the cavernous Hall H on Day 2 of Comic-Con this year. Hall H has been holding mainly movie-related panels in recent years.

And to pay homage to their favourite TV series, hundreds of fans camped outside Hall H for the panel overnight since midnight. (Note: The panel was scheduled almost 15 hours later at 2.45pm!) Thanks to a few good friends, Red Dot Diva and her roomie @eserei27 managed to get seats right up front with a very good view of the stage.

She later learned from a friend who was volunteering and managing the Hall H lines that day, that many fans were angry when they learnt that no more fans were allowed inside the venue for either "The Walking Dead" or the "Game of Thrones" panels.

Hey... the No. 1 lesson to be learned here, people - "One does not just walk into Hall H."

SDCC 2012 Recap: WB Preview Screenings Got Diva Googly-Eyed

Preview Night at Comic-Con went down at Ballroom 20 with the WB crazy-spoiling the fans by offering sneak-peek screenings of 5 upcoming TV shows.

Many toy collectors with Preview Night passes presumably headed straight to the show floor to get their exclusive and limited items but there were several other attendees who have been waiting for the preview screenings since early afternoon, including Red Dot Diva and her bunch of friends.

Promptly at about 6pm, officials opened the doors for Ballroom 20 and ushered those in line inside the venue. As they were at the front of the line already, Diva's group managed to get really good seats right up front in third row, near the giant screen on stage. The ballroom quickly filled up and it was more than half full at one-point.

The announcement "Welcome to Comic-Con International!" was met by an excited round of applause. Comic-Con has officially begun!!

After a short intro by a rather cute WB representative, everyone could finally settle into their seats for the nearly 4-hour preview marathon.

Oh. Before reading on, here's the mandatory warning.

** This blog post is NOT Spoiler-Free. **

SDCC 2012 Recap: Before The Madcap Geekout Began

The epic geekout week of 2012 was finally here!

However, as it turned out, Red Dot Diva's San Diego Comic-Con adventure began with an unfortunate 2-hr flight delay from Newark on Tuesday 10 July. As people waited impatiently to get on board so that they could get to be where they were supposed to, Red Dot Diva silently played "Spot the Nerds"... and she was right for most of them!

When she arrived at her San Diego hotel room about 9 pm, she found that it was already cozily filled with roomies - an international group consisting of a US West Coaster, a Kiwi, a (nice) Canadian, a token US East Coaster and a diva Red Dot Islander!

After a quick dinner downstairs, it was time to wind down and get ready for SDCC Preview Night. Before that happened, Red Dot Diva took some time to sync Thursday's plans with @eserei27. Trying to decide which Comic-Con activities to participate in has always been tough, but this year, it got even tougher!

"War of the Worlds: Goliath" Premiere Tickets and Signings!

And as promised, Red Dot Diva brings you the deets on how to snag those "War of the World: Goliath" (WoTW:G) premiere tickets and when to start stalking those autograph sessions!

To recap, the premiere details are:

Date: 14 July 2012,Saturday
Venue: Reading Cinemas Gaslamp 15, 701 5th Ave, Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego
Screening starts: 7 pm
Length: 85 min
Note: The screening will be the “R” version of the movie.

Adrian Paul, Peter Wingfield, Joe Pearson, David Abramowitz, Ann Robinson and other cast members are slated to be there at the premiere! And a short Q&A session will follow after the premiere.

There are limited seats so check out the following ways on how you can get one:

Q&A With Adrian Paul - Immortals and Alien Invasion!

When Red Dot Diva was recently offered an opportunity to ask actor Adrian Paul a few questions by email, she could almost experience that powerful surge from ancient mystical origins --- the Quickening. *fangirl shudder*

Adrian Paul, who played the iconic character of Duncan McLeod in the 90's fantasy-adventure cult hit series “ Highlander” , still oozes exotic romanticism. And he has kept himself busy with doing several film and TV projects (“ Code Hunter” / “Tides of War” ) and is quite active in charity work.

Recently, Adrian lent his voice to "War of the Worlds: Goliath” (WoTW:G) - a 3D animation film on a Mars vs Man alien-invasion by Tripod Entertainment and creative talents from the USA - director Joe Pearson (Epoch Ink Animation), writer David Abramowitz (Highlander) and executive producer, Kevin Eastman (Heavy Metal).

To catch up with Adrian and find out more about his involvement in "WoTW:G", Red Dot Diva shot him a few digital questions:

Geeky Conversations For A Cause at Nerd HQ 2012!

NERD HQ 2012.

It was *the* schedule that SDCC attendees and fellow Nerds/ Nerdettes were eagerly looking out for!

After SDCC released their official schedules last week, Red Dot Diva and her friends were going crazy, and on edge waiting for more Nerd HQ information. Red Dot Diva's hair was all ready to fall out in agonized anticipation!

Finally, about a day ago, the Nerd Machine (founded by "Chuck" star Zachary Levi and his good friend Dave Coleman) released a sneak preview of what Nerd HQ's Conversations for a Cause panels are being slated for this year's NerdHQ.

Q&A With David Abramowitz - Screenwriter of "War of the Worlds: Goliath"

From ancient immortals to aliens and detectives, David Abramowitz has been writing for various projects in the competitive Hollywood industry for over 30 years. This includes an internationally much-loved fantasy TV series called “Highlander”.

The veteran screenwriter, who has a deep interest in Norse mythology and war stories, recently went steampunk-alien-invasion with a new 3D animation movie called “War of the Worlds: Goliath” (WoTW:Goliath). 

“WoTW:Goliath” is a creative collaboration between Malaysian-based media company Tripod Entertainment and various American creators like director Joe Pearson, a veteran of animation, co-founder of Tripod and owner/ president of Epoch Ink Animation and Executive Producer Kevin Eastman (CEO, Heavy Metal). Plus a list of well-known genre voice actors - Peter Wingfield (Highlander/ Caprica/ Sanctuary), Adrian Paul (Highlander), Adam Baldwin (Chuck/ Firefly), Mark Sheppard (Supernatural/ Leverage/ BSG), Elizabeth Gracen (Highlander) amongst many others.

This animation film is an epic about the fight by a group of multinational soldiers from war machine Tripod Goliath, in their fearless attempt to ward off the relentless Martians returning for a second round of invasion.

And all the characters in “WoTW:Goliath” would not have voices if there wasn't an interesting story to tell.

Red Dot Diva - who loves things cerebral - had to find out what made an experienced writer like David tick:

SDCC 2012: Geeky, Offbeat Movie Premieres and Screenings!

You are heading to San Diego to get into the Comic-Con madness.

And you love geeky, off-beat movies.

But you do not have a SDCC pass. Ugh!

..... Not to worry!  

Red Dot Diva says that there are a number of movie screenings held off-site which one can still geek out over!

Here are those that Red Dot Diva is aware of: 

1. Roddenberry's "Trek Nation"/ "White Room 02B3"

This is a double-billed screening of "Trek Nation" and the premiere of "White Room 02B3". Both films are made by the people of Roddenberry Entertainment - built from the legacy of Gene Roddenberry, scifi's pioneer in television history, who created "Star Trek".

"Trek Nation" is a lovingly-made documentary about Trek for the Trek fans. In this 2-hour piece, "Rod" Roddenberry, son of Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, takes a personal journey to understand the impact of his father's work, and how the groundbreaking series amassed thousands of Trekkies/ Trekkers around the globe. 

SDCC 2012: Less Movie Madness This Year – Good or Bad?

... Let's just leave the Sparkly Vapid Vamps out of the blog post.

Precious squee time should be reserved for a certain Genius-Billionaire-Playboy-Philantropist, A Virtual Reality Mind Trip and possibly a pair of Furry Feet. Although it is highly unlikely there will be any Vulcans to ogle at.

In the last couple of years, regular SDCC-goers have long felt that the hype concerning movies was overpowering the "true meaning" of Comic-Con.

The Hollywood glitter invading the city for SDCC had led to unbelievably long lines, with some people even staying overnight in sleeping bags just to ensure they get good seats for the panels in Hall H or Ballroom 20.

Last year’s SDCC (which Red Dot Diva did not manage to attend) saw a number of studios promoting movies, like “The Immortals”, “The Amazing Spider-Man”, “The Avengers”, “Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1” (ugh) and “Prometheus”. There was also a red carpet premiere for “Cowboys & Aliens” which starred Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford. Unfortunately, that movie did not do so well at the box office when it was released later that year.

The Spell-binding Harry Potter Exhibition at ArtScience Museum

This is the exhibition that so many local pop-culture fans have been waiting for!

After packing up from Sydney's Powerhouse Museum, the Harry Potter Exhibition is finally here on Red Dot Island!

The Harry Potter Exhibition opened in the beginning of June with "the Weasley Twins" in attendance. Actors James and Oliver Phelps were here on Red Dot Island for the first time, and they were double the package of charm while meeting the press and excited Harry Potter fans alike. From what she heard, that weekend was a whole lot of Stupefy-ing Squee.

The twins with adorable Hogwarts students (pic taken from Tumblr)

Interview In The Dark With Comic Artist Mark Torres

There's always a first time for everything.

This was the Red Dot Diva's first face-to-face interview with indie comic book artist Mark Torres. Young and energetic Mark, who seldom sleeps and slurps bottles of Jim Beam Coke, owns the biceps behind the artwork of IDW's "Infestation 1 and 2: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "Zombies vs Robots".

(For more background information of Mark Torres, check out a previous Red Dot Diva interview post right here!)

The forces seem to sense that this is an unconventional interview held with an edgy personality. For in the midst of Red Dot Diva's interview with Mark at Invasion! Toys & Collectibles store, the lights decided to just go =POOF=.

Blackout.

Interview in the Dark.

Another Red Dot Diva first.

Please be alarmed assured. Nothing pervy happened. :(

Here's Red Dot Diva's nosy Q&A with Mark Torres. Conducted in the romantic (or is it horror-creepy?) glow of an iPhone flashlight app.

SDCC 2012: WB Heats It Up with Previews and Panels

After the mad frenzied rush for registration, passes, hotel bookings, airtickets - just to even get into the hallowed halls of SDCC, Red Dot Diva notes that the Number One question which is on everyone's lips right now is:

"When will SDCC's Schedule be OUT?!!!"

Answer: About two weeks before SDCC.

A certain silver fox-in-the-know has told her that suggestions for panels and panel attendees were to be submitted to Comic-Con by 8 June, so this means that details of the convention's schedule is being worked on right now.

Of course, some lucky media folks receive announcements and official press releases early, and some details are already posted in their blogs or social media timeline. It is very useful to scope out these information as they give important indications of what Comic-Con goers can expect to see and do during 11 - 15 July.

This year, WB has jumped the gun by being one of the first "big-timers" to announce their SDCC panels and special previews. Red Dot Diva couldn't help by squee when she saw the list.

STGCC 2012: Mark Out Your Calendar For These Guests!

The special blend of East and West that Red Dot Island has become well-known for, continues this year at the Singapore Toy, Games and Comic Convention with today's first announcement of guests and special booth exhibitors.

Red Dot Diva noted that fan favourites like Tokidoki's Simone Legno and Tadaaki Jacky Dosai of Cosmode will be back for this year's convention.

Vocaloids Creative band Zaneeds will also be returning to the convention, which should keep anime-Nippon-esque fans quite happy.

For those, like Red Dot Diva, who indulge in more Western pop-culture and comics, there are not one .. but two Marks to look forward to!

SDCC 2012: Are You Ready to PARTY?

After walking the cavernous San Diego Convention Centre halls for hours (actually running would be more like it), tired out SDCC attendees usually decide to either crash on their beds at the end of the day, or quickly freshen up and camp out for the next day's events.

But for some "energizer bunny" type people, there are parties and more parties to go to!

Here are some of the parties that will be happening at this year's Comic-Con:

1. 38th Annual Comic-Con Masquerade Ball
Sat, July 14, 8:30 PM
Ballroom 20, San Diego Convention Center

This is an annual event and a key segment of Comic-Con itself. It is a talent competition specially for the folks who have spent days and months labouring on their costumes and skits.

ILM Singapore's VFX Puts The Smash Into "The Avengers"

Making gazillions of fanboys and fangirls all over the world squee with utter delight, Joss Whedon's fun take on Marvel's "The Avengers" movie has now crossed the hallowed USD 1 billion mark in the worldwide box office.

This would not have been possible, if there were no uniquely creative and hardworking VFX artists involved in various segments of the superhero ensemble film. For "The Avengers", the digital magic was done by ILM, the fore-runner of all things VFX!

Last Saturday at The Cathay, ILM Singapore hosted a VFX talk about "The Making of The Avengers" and special screening of the movie in 3D, to a group of polytechnic/ university students and faculty teachers as part of their drive to get more talent into Jedi Masters Program, an apprentice-training initiative.

VSIFF 2012: Not Short of the Good Stuff!

Funny how things something happen the way they do.

A stray invite for VSIFF 2012 (that is Very Short International Film Fest to the uninitiated) dropped into Red Dot Diva's colleague's email inbox one morning. And knowing that Red Dot Diva is quite the film buff, astute colleague promptly forwarded the invite and said, "This is something I know you'd like."

And that's how Red Dot Diva found herself at a comfy theatre in the Marina Bay/ Raffles Place area for the preview screening of VSIFF 2012 on 9 May. She didn't even know that such an auditorium existed in the financial district!

To give the invited guests a taste of the range of Very Short Films that were going to be screened on 12 and 13 May at Alliance Francaise Theatre, Selection A of both the International segment and Singapore segments were shown.

FCBD 2012: Store To Store - The Hunt for Free Comics!

FCBD at Kinokuniya

As most comic fans knew in advance about DC artists Nicola Scott and Ardian Syaf's store appearance at GnB Comics, visiting Rochor Centre early in the morning seemed to be the majority's FCBD strategy.

Red Dot Diva was actually torn between heading to Kinokuniya first and then down to GnB. But not knowing if one would be able to grab some time with Nicola and Ardian before their allotted signing sessions, became the primary decision-making factor. Also, she wasn't too keen to stay out the entire day for their later appearance at the Cathay.

(For Red Dot Diva's Nicola Scott experience at GnB - click here for the blog article!)

Most of the geeks also expected the larger book store, Kinokuniya to have been able to stock up more than ample stocks of comics. But unfortunately, when Red Dot Diva and a small group of comic fans were at the flagship Ngee Ann City store before 12pm, all the bundled packs for members (20 comics!! plus a box of Thor Heroclix) were GONE. :(

Major Disappoints.

FCBD 2012: Nicola Scott at GnB Comics

Yesterday's FCBD 2012 was one of those simply wonderful, geeky-fun days.

Even the Red Dot Island weather cooperated with this year's FCBD. It was not typically humid, with just the right mix of sunshine and cool breeze, making it perfect for a comic book hunt.

To kick-off FCBD 2012, Red Dot Diva dragged herself out of bed bright and early (although not as early as some, so she heard!!) at about 8 am. She stopped by at Bugis Junction's Toastbox for a much needed caffeine infusion with fellow geeks, Ryan (from Steel Reviews) and Melvin (a frequent contributor for HereBeGeeks), before they headed to GnB Comics nearby.

FCBD 2012: More Comic Book Geekery In Local Stores!

Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) is approaching and more details have surfaced from this year's participating stores.

After a successful FCBD debut last year, Kinokuniya returns as one of the stores involved in this Saturday's events. And they have made a couple of cool announcements.

Firstly, privilege card members will be able to get their stack of free comics when they produce their membership card at the Kinokuniya's Orchard Road flagship store! (Don't be greedy, Red Dot Diva warns. One set for each member only!) Also, specially for members, there is a 20% discount going on for all comics purchased!

In addition, Kinokuniya has added a more family-friendly theme by inviting the local Star Wars 501st Legion for a store appearance. What better way to kickstart your children's geek cred than by getting them to meet Star Wars characters??

New to the FCBD fray this year is Paradigm Infinitum (PI) - the #1 Board & Tabletop Games store in Singapore! The shop is located at #03-01 of Midpoint Orchard, just a hop away from Kinokuniya. Head to PI to help them celebrate the soft launch of their new graphic novels section. They will be giving all store visitors 10 free comics! The freebies may not be the official FCBD comic releases but why would anyone turn down some cool comics for free?!?