And It's A Wrap... For 2013!

Wow. 2013.

What an exciting and busy year for Red Dot Diva.

It was a year of the 3 comic conventions - Comic-Con at San Diego, NYCC and STGCC at home base. (Phew!) And she doubts she will be duplicating that time-travelling feat again in the next year.

Without the strong support of reliable friends (heyyyy there Glam Bloggers Alliance - Andre Chee/ Red Dot Dude, Agent W and Toysetc's Edward), people who care (Ryan - thanks for looking out for me and my stomach's needs when things get hectic!), a tight sisterhood that transcends geographical barriers (Sara, Chelle, @_mriel, Rita! - just to name a few) and a special silver fox behind the scenes, it would have not been possible to cover so many topics and events for the blog.

Sparkly Seasons Greetings From Red Dot Diva!

It's Christmas Eve. Right now, right here!

Red Dot Diva hopes to be able to smash out a blog or two before 2013 ends but before that...

A quickie. (heh.)

Wishing everyone a Merry and Happy Festive Season!

Thanks for the warm support, reading her blogs and madly interacting with Diva. She hopes this will
continue for many more years to come!

* GLITTERRY MWAHS *

SDCC 2013 Recap: Breakfast With The Walking Dead. Graaaiiinnnssssss! (Part 2)

Earlier this year, Red Dot Diva was at "The Walking Dead" press breakfast on Day 2 of Comic-Con 2013. To-date, that wonderful morning is one of her most memorable press moments ever.

If you've only stumbled on this blog article now, you can catch up on how the press event began in Part 1 of the recap right here.

For those who have yet to catch-up with "The Walking Dead" Season 4's intense and heart-breaking mid-season finale, Red Dot Diva sends you slimy sympathetic zombie hugs! And don't worry, everything mentioned in this article is S4 spoiler-free!

So... What Films Are There at Screen Singapore 2013?

Screen Singapore is returning next week at the Sands Expo, Marina Bay Sands (3rd - 6th December) in Singapore, together with the Asia Television Forum (ATF) - a content marketplace for industry players to network and interact with each other.

During the event, there will be a series of forums and panels for industry professionals to participate in. The topics discussed during the conference will range from financing to marketing to content programming, with a total of about 69 speakers from various countries. A list of these speakers can be found here.

Local Red Dot Islanders who will be sharing their insights include Jack Neo and Anthony Chen - fresh from the Golden Horse wins that he got for his movie "Ilo Ilo". "Ilo Ilo" has won 20 international awards to-date, including Best Feature Film at the Golden Horse Awards and Camera d’Or award at the Cannes Film Festival.

So far, Red Dot Diva has been informed of two films premieres during ATF/ Screen Singapore 2013.

SDCC 2013 Recap: Breakfast With The Walking Dead. Graaaiiinnnssssss! (Part 1)

Nothing beats encountering a starving zombie in a cramped elevator early in the morning.

But that was exactly what happened to Red Dot Diva on Day 2 of San Diego Comic-Con this summer.

The invite for "The Walking Dead" breakfast press event came as a surprise in Red Dot Diva's email inbox. How could she say no to it?? The event was way too special and too rare a chance to pass up. Especially for someone from the tiny Red Dot Island.

So on that Friday morning, she dragged herself out of bed and managed to find her way to Hotel Andaz at Gaslamp.

Matchbox 20 - Live in Singapore, Finally!

After a 10-year absence (and so sorely missed by their fans here), rock band Matchbox 20 finally made it to the Red Dot Island. The last time they were here, as Red Dot Diva remembers, it was during the MTV Asia Awards in 2003.

Their stint in this part of the world was in support of their latest album release called "North", and the Singapore Indoor Stadium was the last stop of their Asian tour.

It was unfortunate that they had to give Manila a miss due to Typhoon Yolanda, but the band is hoping to reschedule for a Philippines concert date in the future.

At the Singapore Indoor Stadium on 10 November, Sunday night, not only were there the locals and the expats, Red Dot Diva noticed that there were many regional fans from Malaysia and Indonesia who flew in just for the band's live performance. It was not entirely a full house but there was a good enough crowd, with many of the hardcore fans and music lovers at the free standing area near the stage.

Red Dot Diva and her concert buddies - Ryan and Jean - were about seven to eight people deep from the stage barrier, and they had a pretty good view of what was going on stage. Best of all, they got their spots at about an hour earlier before the concert began. Score!!

NYCC 2013: Diva Goes "Twisted Dark" With Indie Writer Neil Gibson

Those who already know Red Dot Diva pretty well, are quite familiar with her warped and dark thoughts - all which belies her petite, usually benign and sometimes chirpy demeanor.

It is probably why she was not too surprised when she first met indie graphic novel writer and TPub's founder Neil Gibson at the recent New York Comic Con. In person, Neil was jovial, articulate and funny. Other than his devious charms, one might not know that he is the mastermind behind a series of sinister and scary stories.

Well, on second thought, Red Dot Diva thinks it actually makes it even more shuddersome and creepy.

Armed with an incisive and wry sense of humour, Neil sat down with Red Dot Diva for half an hour to reveal more about the machinations behind the chilling "Twisted Dark" series. And .... well.... you might be surprised by what was revealed that day.

Ubisoft Singapore's First Exhibition - "Art In Video Games" on 8th and 9th November 2013

Curious about what kind of artistic endeavours are involved in computer and video games?

Here's a chance for folks to get a peek of what goes behind the scenes in game development. Ubisoft Singapore, the local outfit for global interactive game creator and distributor Ubisoft, will be holding its first art exhibition on 8th and 9th November, 2013.

The exhibition entitled "Art In Video Games" will be held at Ubisoft Singapore's partner school, FZD School of Design. And there is no admission charge for the exhibition!

Ubisoft is the developer for popular action-adventure game franchise "Assassin's Creed". "Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag", the new pirate fantasy based game series, is set for a worldwide release on Playstation and X-box 360 on 29 October, 2013.

Singapore Zombie Walk 2013: Where The Small Ones Are The Scariest!

The sequel to last year's Singapore Zombie Walk 2013 was held last night (Oct 26) at the Cathay. And as they say, it's difficult for a sequel to measure up to the original.

It could have been the venue (the Cathay is usually a dead zone on normal days anyway) but Red Dot Diva thought yesterday's walk was more than undead. There were hardly any interested on-lookers wandering around the mall to spur a starving zombie's appetite. Last year's walk held at Clarke Quay was definitely a more intense and thrilling zombie carnage.

(Read about the Singapore Zombie Walk 2012 at Clark Quay.)

Book Launch at MPH Parkway - Cheeming Boey's "When I Was A Kid 2"

Looking at Cheeming Boey promoting his new book  "When I Was A Kid 2" at the MPH Parkway store on Oct 6th, Red Dot Diva found it difficult to imagine him as a "fat kid" described in his blog and books. For in contrast, the adult Boey standing before her was quite the handsome, lean and muscly specimen.

The Malaysian writer-artist was back in the Red Dot Island that weekend to promote his second book with a series of book signing sessions at the Kinokuniya flagship and JEM stores.

And because the MPH Parkway store had opened its doors only a few days before, Boey was also specially invited to hold his book launch there.  

Introducing VLogger and Digital Media Producer - Richy!

Last weekend's New York Comic Con 2013 was a whole lot of craziness and fun!

Red Dot Diva has so much to write and recap about the convention. She has already posted a few NYCC photos on the RDD Facebook page , so do check them out while she work on catching up with articles.

Now that she is safely home, Red Dot Diva is getting right back into this serious-glam thing called blogging.

First on the to-do list is to introduce an exciting collaboration with exuberant, articulate and not to mention, very cute, 21-year-old Richy from Chicago.

Richy is a pop-culture v-logger and digital media producer and he talks about TV shows, trailers, movies, games, and conventions on a regular basis. He considers "The Walking Dead", "Bones" and "Grey Anatomy" his top three favourite TV shows that on air currently, and thinks "Adventureland" is the worse movie he's ever seen. (It stars Kirsten Steward, so no argument there. :P ) Richy also edits and produces his own skits, namely one hilarious scare-thriller called "Home Alone".

NYCC 2013 - Where Da Parties At?

Wondering where to hang out with your mob and your new found geek pals during NYCC?

Here are some places where you can get your groove on!


[AS]CENTRAL-TOONAMI FAITHFUL NYCC MEETUP PARTY
An "Adult Swim"/ "Toonami" meetup specially for fans on Thursday to kick off the geek-festive weekend!

Date: Oct 10, Thursday
Time: 7 PM
Venue: Junior's in Midtown

Red Dot Diva doesn't have many details about the event, but do check their FB event page, if you are interested in going!

Singapore Zombie Walk Returns - This Time At The Cathay!

The local zombies of the Red Dot Island variant have sure taken their time to shuffle across from Clarke Quay to Handy Road.

It has taken them about a year. Just nice for The Singapore Zombie Walk 2013 held on October 26th - a few days before Halloween!

The undead are expected to gather at The Cathay (Handy Road) and Red Dot Diva thinks they have managed to infect more humans in the span of one year. Last year's zombie infestation stood at 131. Early warnings have put the number to be a high of 500 this year.

A wonderfully scary thought indeed.

NYCC 2013: Many Exciting Guests, Exhibits and.... The Nerd Machine!

New York Comic Con (NYCC) just seems to get bigger and glitzier each year.

Red Dot Diva first attended NYCC in 2011, and the number of more TV or movie-related panels and guests have increased in the last two years.

Still, NYCC is a far more comics-centric convention compared to San Diego Comic-Con. The number of creators attending as guests in NYCC is any comic fan's wildest dreams. And the space set aside for Artist Alley is mind-blowingly huge, with rows and rows of comic artists eager to connect with people who are or will be interested in their work. Also, since NYCC has a far less hectic crowd than Comic-Con, the chances of one meeting and having more time with their favourite comic creators or artists are fairly high.

Check out the very LONG list of comic guests here!

How A Wonder Woman Film Should Be Like

Red Dot Diva was just about to head to bed when she saw this video clip that Absolutely Blew Her Mind.

For the many decades of fans wishing, hoping and pounding their fists on the ground for WB to come up with a decent Wonder Woman film or TV series, this short concept film from an LA-based outfit called Rainfall Films brings geekdom much hope.

If this level of quality can be achieved by Rainfall Films within a small budget, what other real excuses does WB have now?

History Asia Kicks Off A "Vikings" Raid On September 29th!

The juxtaposition of cozy eclectic Japanese cafe and barbaric b(r)aids of a Viking nature was a little jarring at first.

But as the cool rainy evening wore on, and Red Dot Diva was plied with decent food, drinks and was comfortably nestled in an armchair, she was somehow successfully lulled into the Nordic world of History Channel's first scripted TV series so aptly called "Vikings".

The series created by Michael Hirst ("Elizabeth", "The Tudors"), was already screened in the USA earlier this year. In fact, "Vikings" has been renewed for a second season consisting of 10 episodes. It is now finally arriving at our shores, and will be premiering on the History Asia channel later tonight, 29th October at 10 PM.

TNT's "Mob City" - New Gangster Noir Series by Frank Darabont

Mention mobsters, the 1940's and vicious gang wars, and Red Dot Diva suddenly feels the urge to flash her gams while inhaling a puff from a slender cigarette holder (*cough cough*).  Er .. yeah... Diva doesn't smoke....

It's a good thing then, that she doesn't have to kill her lungs softly via cigarette-puffing, or run helter-skelter through a bar ducking from wild gunfire, in order to get her mobster fix.

Thanks to creator Frank Darabont (from AMC's "The Walking Dead" fame), a new drama series called "Mob City" will premiere on TNT this December 4th.

From the trailer that was released not too long ago, "Mob City" seems all ready to dish out the pulp noir-ish violence and intrigue, and the montage also includes quite an impressive body count!

STGCC 2013 Final Roundup: The Year When Geeks Prove To Be Bicepstuous

Whoever said that geeks were not too good looking, svelte, buff or simply charming, must have not been to this year's STGCC 2013.

There were babes and hunks galore - from the guests, to the cosplayers, to the industrious folks at Artist Alley.... right down to the inanimate exhibits!

For one thing, Tony Stark and Iron Man were almost everywhere!

Fans flocked to the Hall of Armour put up by Hot Toys and Action City, and there was a line waiting to sofa-lounge with (... or in Red Dot Diva's case.. to admiringly perv) this particular Iron Man. It is not stationed at a booth called Play Imaginative for nothin', right?

STGCC 2013 Roundup: Bubbles of Thoughts and Comments

STGCC 2013 has ended a month ago, and the various guests have gone off to other scheduled appearances and meeting their work deadlines.

While several fans are still dealing with post-convention blues, The Glam Bloggers Alliance decided to poll a few people for their STGCC 2013 impressions. They include a geekgirl who was just a convention attendee, an illustrator working at Artist Alley and special guests Adi Granov and David Mack.

Here are what they said:

SDCC 2013 Recap: When The Legendary Stan Lee Launched Two Children's Books!

There are so many stories to tell from Red Dot Diva's Comic-Con 2013 adventures, and she is trying to find time to blog some of them for you.

Out of the many, there was one very short yet memorable moment Diva had with a very legendary man. He is none other than the beloved Generalissmo himself *salute!* - Mr Stan Lee.

This is the second time (yes! you've read it right.. t'is the second time!) Red Dot Diva has met the incredibly dynamic icon. At over 90 years old, the Generalissmo is still such a ball of energy that one cannot help but feel zapped with ((( POWER ))) just by being in his presence.

If you have missed the first Red Dot Diva vs Stan Lee encounter, you have also missed him in a special video message to his Singapore fans. So, click here to check it out!

STGCC 2013: The David Mack Boo(b)th Babe Experience

To those who have been wondering what it was like to be at David Mack's side for more than 7 hours for two days running, you can now calm your busybody-chest, drag a comfy chair and read this Exclusive Red Dot Diva Exposé.

It all started with a text message Red Dot Diva received from Reed Exhibition's Rita asking if she would like to be David Mack's helper/ minder during STGCC. After having done press and being a convention floor wanderer for the last 3 years, Red Dot Diva thought it might be fun to do something different for a change.

Now, if you have been to conventions in the U.S.A. and dropped by to see David at his booth, it is hard not to notice the lithe beauties whom he seem to have as his booth assistants. Alas! At STGCC 2013, David had to content with plain little ol' Red Dot Diva as his demi-boo(b)th babe.

STGCC 2013: About Toys, Star Wars and The Simpsons with Nathan Hamill

Things were busier than expected for Red Dot Diva at this year's STGCC. Because of that, she was not able to attend the scheduled interview with guest illustrator/ toy designer Nathan Hamill.

Being the observant creature that she is, Red Dot Diva initially found the adorkably bearded Nathan to be rather quiet. He had been mainly sitting and frowning in some kind of deep designer zone in his booth and at Day 1's Walk of Fame.

However, as the convention progressed, Nathan had let his guard down and was all smiles and hugs when Red Dot Diva found some time to say hello.

Watch Out For Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."!

*checks satellite scans on screen and activates secure lock-down*

Sssh.

You did NOT read this.

Last night at a movie theatre, Marvel rounded up the Red Dot Island's geeks and fans (of which Red Dot Diva sneaked in as part of the herd), confisticated all their electronic devices (even those that recorded nary a thing aka the Kindle!) and force-fed them popcorn and Coke while they underwent a V.E.S. (i.e. Very Exclusive Screening).

Word is, that the V.E.S. was so exclusive in Asia, that the film reel was hand-carried by a trusted personnel to Red Dot Island.

Red Dot Diva  is still reeling over what happened... what she has SEEN and HEARD. The sensory after-effects are strong but she says that any true geek deserves to know these vital information. And she puts her life in danger transmitting the following data.

*something.. a shadow? .... just moved on one of Diva's security cam*

( gulp)

She has to hurry. So... commit these down to memory. Quick.

STGCC 2013: Sitting Down With Adi Granov (SGCollect Exclusive!)

During last weekend's STGCC, Red Dot Diva was really busy assisting David Mack with his schedule and very HOT booth! (You might have spotted her!)

So, she was not able to make it for the allocated interview slot with comic artist Adi Granov. She did however, manage to snag a few questions with him on Sunday afternoon. And a separate article will soon be published relating to that.

In the meantime, here is Article "KOPE" #4, courtesy from Agent W, who was able to attend the media interview with Adi Granov on behalf of our Glamouring Bloggers' Alliance.

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

Iron Man conve... I mean STGCC 

Adi Granov walked into the interview room looking extremely relaxed and like any convention goer, but upon a little hindsight, I dare say, he is probably the reason why this year’s convention is almost entirely Iron Man centric, (as noted by Ed & Diva). With a little exposition, the whole iron Man phenomenon was probably due to this man! (I can hear Diva asking; not RDJ??) More on that later…

With a calm smile, he tells us he started reading comics when he was young, and went into University to be an illustrator. He began building his portfolio, showing it around until he got a little comic work, and, you know what they say, the rest is history. Marvel saw his work and invited him in and Iron Man! Happened.

STGCC 2013: Introducing Joe Mad (SGCollect Exclusive!)

Article "KOPE" #3 - Red Dot Diva brings you Agent W's mad article on special STGCC guest, Joe Madureira. 

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

Bursting into the scene and reinvigorating the look of X-men in 1994, Joe Madureira, known as Joe Mad!, 's dynamic Japanese animation style changed how we viewed the X-men for an entire generation. Not only content with giving X-men's Rogue (Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell's comic) Major Kusanagi's hairstyle in the alternate story "Age of Apocalypse", his manga inspired look for X-men was not only seen in comics but in toys as well.

Just as suddenly as he shot into stardom, he left Marvel in 1997 to go to Cliffhanger! with Humberto Ramos and JScott Campbell. Creating and crafting "Battlechasers", a sword and sorcery fantasy quest adventure, it started strong but the comic slowed and soon, after 10 issues, Joe Mad! left comics to venture into developing computer games on his own. Leaving a void in all our (my) fanboy hearts....developing Darksiders with Joe Kelly.

STGCC 2013: Top 5 Moments (ToysEtc + Red Dot Diva Exclusive Fan Service Variant)

ToysEtc regurgitates his top 5 moments of the Media Preview last Thursday while Red Dot Diva parries and adds more spice to his hot list.

1. The Media
Meeting friends, old and new, at the convention is an annual affair. This is usually the only time our lives intersect and this picture distills the essence - the overwhelming enthusiasm, the glorious geekiness and the must-take-picture-trophy fervor. Meanwhile, J*RYU's face tells another story.

Clicks and flashes

Red Dot Diva: Dude. What only time? We recently bonded over pandas, remember? :|

STGCC 2013: Untie Those Pursestrings and Grab Some COOL Goodies!

STGCC officially opens its door at 10 am tomorrow! Exhibitors and guests are already prettifying their booths at the convention centre at this moment.

There is just soooooo many wondrous things to buy at this year's convention that Red Dot Diva feels very very $orry for your bank account.

She knows you would already be quite familiar with the exclusives from the regular exhibitors, like Hot Toys, Tokidoki, and such. In addition, on her various articles leading up to this weekend (scroll down her blog archive on the left for the links), Red Dot Diva has also highlighted sketchbooks, figurines and art prints that will be available at their respective Artist Alley booths. One thing for sure, the local and regional creators have sure upped their game this year!

And still, there are a few MORE cool stuff that she thinks are worth loo$ening up your pur$e $tring$ for. Ready to break open your ATM / credit card/ hard cash/ sell a kidney?
Here goes!

Book Review: "Daredevil: End of Days" Hardcover - An Intense Coda for A Superhero

When she arrived at the page in "Daredevil: End of Days" (HC) where the titled superhero met his violent demise, Red Dot Diva's naturally morbid thoughts could not help but ponder what her last word(s) will be.

Would it be something uttered in a sinister fashion, odd and multi-syllabic like "Amortization". Or perhaps, it might be something whispered in reverence: "..coffeeeeee..".

In Daredevil's case, his last utterance was a cryptic word with no obvious meaning. Mapone.

But it was one that unravelled different reactions from the people surrounding Matt Murdock's battle-scarred life. Or death, as it may well be in this case.

(Quick Diva Interruption: Yes there will be spoilers in this review!)

In "Daredevil: End of Days" (HC) , its award-winning writers Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack have chosen to play out an intense and emotive coda following the very dramatic end of the superhero at the hands of Bullseye in a street in Hells Kitchen.

Ben Ulrich, Murdock's long time ally and journalist from the Daily Bugle, was tasked to find out what had happened to Daredevil during his many years of absence from the public eye, and to investigate what Mapone truly means.

While Ulrich speaks to the usual suspects from Murdock's life, each had their own say and perspective of the segment of Daredevil's as he faced tough sacrifices fighting against his personal dark enemies - from without and within. As each name was strike off Ulrich's list without a further clue as to what Mapone means, the investigation unfolded like an intense gritty version of a Hercule Poirot whodunit.

In the midst of Ulrich's trail, the Punisher escaped from prison and began to eliminate some very bad folks. And a younger new Daredevil was revealed.  Coincidentally, this version of Daredevil was placed in the same circumstances by which Murdoch began his superhero life, which dovetails neatly into the exposition on reincarnation.

Even then, Red Dot Diva thought there was something peculiar in one segment - the sudden death of Bullseye by his own hand. Apparently due to the terrifying effect of hearing the word Mapone. But hey, stranger things have happened in this world.

Another thing (probably not of the creators' fault) was that Red Dot Diva could have read way too many murder-mystery books since she was a child, so she had a good guess who the new Daredevil was and a near spot-on inkling of what Mapone meant by the last fifth of the book. That was a bit of a disappointment because it didn't turn out to be as much of a surprise as she thought it would be.

All the little nitpicks are soon forgiven due to the gorgeous artwork throughout the book, which was varied but very effective. There were the noir and action scenes by Klaus Janson and Bill Sienkiewicz that drove the story-telling along, and additional artwork by Alex Maleev (who was a guest at a STGCC 2010!) as well as sequences painted by David Mack. Red Dot Diva also enjoyed the double-page spread on some of the panels, which helped give a few of the scenes a widescreen cinematic feel.

In summary, Red Dot Diva thought "Daredevil: End of Days" (HC) was a solid page turner. The pacing was heartfelt, like a melancholic orchestral piece, and even the silent pauses (especially those pages of Daredevil and Echo painted by David Mack) were oh-so-sad-beautiful.


Going on a tangent here, Red Dot Diva has yet to meet the popular writer-creator Brian Michael Bendis, but she has met David Mack twice.

She had fallen in love with his eclectic, Asian-infused drawings and mixed-medium collages and decided to hunt him down at NYCC's Artist Alley back in 2011. When she arrived at his booth, David immediately remembered her from a Facebook message, and signed a Kabuki "Dreams" book for her. While she was getting more acquainted with the items on his booth, she recalled how David piled her up with not just one, but about five free books at one go! *overwhelmed*

Since then, it had been interesting social networking with David because he loves to interact with this fans. It is also a good way for Red Dot Diva to admire his brushwork, live drawings and other creations as well as slowly go green with envy with the knowledge that he hangs out with folks like Thomas Jane. But then, this diva fangirl has also help him touch base with Reed Exhibitions so that he could be this year's STGCC special guest.YAYYY!

Red Dot Diva managed to meet David (And his dimples. And his biceps.) again at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. David was exhibiting his artworks as part of Century Guild's booth, and she had grabbed her copy of "Daredevil: End of Days" (HC) and the lovely art print of Neil Gaiman's "The Goldfish Pool" there.

signed Neil Gaiman "The Goldfish Pool" art print

Here's a video recorded message from David to his fans in Singapore!



So, do come say hello to David during his autograph sessions at the Walk of Fame this weekend. He is an absolutely delight to meet, Red Dot Diva guarantees.

Or you could also drop by David's booth at the exhibition hall this weekend to nab his goodies that he's brought along like "Daredevil: End of Days" (HC). "Kabuki" books, the limited edition art print of Neil Gaiman's "The Goldfish Pool", original pages from "Daredevil", art prints and MORE!

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

David's schedule at STGCC:

Sat, 31 August
1.30 - 2.15 pm - as one of the panelists of "Marvel Artists Spotlight"
3-4 pm - signing at Walk of Fame

Sun, 1 September
1 - 2 pm - as one of the panelists of "Marvel Artists Spotlight"
3-4 pm - signing at Walk of Fame

STGCC 2013: A Quick Fire Round with Angry Woebots (Toysetc Exclusive!)

In a second Article "KOPE", Red Dot Diva brings you Toysetc's quickie Q&A with Aaron Martin aka AngryWoebots!

Just look at all those very pek-chek pandas! Grrrrrrr....

Is Aaron as angry as his iconic pandas? Read on and find out!

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

It isn't the first time that ANGRYWOEBOTS has created havoc in sunny old Singapore [EVIDENCE 1][EVIDENCE 2] but it's certainly a first for him, J*RYU and LUKE CHUEH to be caught together at our only toy convention. God knows what kind of mayhem we're going to witness (ACTUALLY WE DO) from the ArmyofSnipers collective, but before the whirlwind hits this weekend, I get to ask a sober and sane Aaron questions.

STGCC 2013: Introducing Ray Toh and Morning Rain Studio

There is a treasure trove of very talented artists in Red Dot Island, with design, illustration and concept work being the primary kinds of artwork you usually find here. Most of these artists may not be internationally-known names, but they are hard-working and accomplished professionals in their own right.

All one needs to do is to drop by the ART JAMMERS SG Facebook Group to admire the amount of creativity and perspectives of the many artists there, and on a wide range of subjects!

One of the artists who posts regularly in the FB group is local freelance illustrator and concept artist Ray Toh. Recently, Ray's artwork was used for the cover of teen-mystery book "Triple Nine Sleuths" written by Maranna Chan and published by local house, Epigram Books.

At STGCC 2013, Ray will be hosting his own booth at Artist Alley G45 under the name of his brand new company, Morning Rain Studios. His guest Jerry Teo of "Rex Regrets" will also be accompanying him there during the convention.

(More emo on Jerry/ "Rex Regrets" here!)

Red Dot Dude caught hold of Ray so that he could introduce more art-appreciators to his portfolio and what his new company has to offer:

STGCC 2013: Whips And Chains On The Horizon (Toysetc Exclusive!)

This year's STGCC is set to be a pretty WILD one!

Red Dot Diva says that you cannot deny that compared to last year, the balance toward Western comics or pop-culture is at a more respectable squee-worthy level, with guests like Joe Madureira, David Mack and Adi Granov. Plus, the toy folks are probably still trying to unravel their minds (and purse strings) over a slew of designer guests which include the guys from Army of Snipers, Luke Chueh and Nathan Hamill in addition to regular guests like Simone Legno from Tokidoki and DevilRobots.

So, in order to get as much convention coverage as possible, Red Dot Diva (and Dude) have formed an alliance with Toysetc and SGCollect Forum to share their interviews and still have Geek-Hot Fun this weekend.

This piece by Toysetc is Red Dot Diva's first article Kope (Note: Singlish for "steal or pilfer").

It is about something Evilicious (*slurp* coz EVIL PEOPLE are TASTY!!) found under the umbrella of a cheeky Malaysian-based merchandizing setup called Monkeys & Minions (STGCC booth F44)!

ICDS 2013: A Geek Girls' Chat With Cosplayer Alodia Gosiengfiao

Gotta admit. Cosplay is not an activity that Red Dot Diva fully indulges in or know a lot of, even though she is constantly amazed by the creativity, artistry and effort that passionate fans put in to their costumes.

Cosplayers are already a colourful mainstay at conventions around the world, and the costumes range from the regular and expected, to super-sexy and in some cases, just plain over the top.

Pixie-faced Alodia Gosiengfiao is considered one of the best cosplayers in the region and she is also known as "Cosplay Queen" back in the Philippines. Alodia was here in Red Dot Island last Sunday as a special guest of International Cosplay Day Singapore (ICDS) 2013, and Red Dot Diva managed to grab a few moments of her time for a chat.

STGCC 2013: (Regretfully) Introducing Local Illustrator Jerry Teo

Jerry's self-portrait

With STGCC happening just next weekend, I carry the burden of having to introduce a local artist whom I got to know many years back.

He is Jerry Teo, a Technical/ Military illustrator providing illustration services for companies and organizations that require infographics or artwork for their products, services or training purposes. Jerry is also a part-time workshop instructor with LaSalle SIA College of the Arts. He has been working in that capacity for the last 4 years and counting.

At STGCC, Jerry will be showcasing something new that he started working on not too long ago. I've always regretted being impressed by Jerry's artwork and this latest project of his, has made me regret it even more.

Here is a Q&A with Jerry, who probably also regrets answering our nosy questions:

STGCC 2013: Hot Toys To Exhibit Iron Man Suits; Nathan Hamill As Guest and More!

It may be slightly less than 2 weeks to STGCC 2013 but to this geek, it is one hell of a wait!!!

Late last week, the STGCC organizers announced their final wave of guests which include an AWESOME announcement that will make all Iron Man fans tremble-scream-squeal-faint with delight.

Hot Toys' The Iron Man Experience
As if Hot Toys' own toys isn't hot enough, the company has decided to team up with Action City to showcase an exact life-sized replica of the Hall of Armor from Tony Stark’s Malibu mansion! WOO HOO!!!

SDCC 2013: Catching Up with "Devil Inside" WebComic Creators Todd Stashwick and Dennis Calero!

Demons, a cannibalistic-fanboy, a Philistine giant with an infamous name and why not, the Devil himself.

Put them altogether and what you get is a free action-horror webcomic called "Devil Inside".

The good vs evil drama that come in full technicolour is the result from the vibrant imaginations of actor Todd Stashwick ("The Riches", "Heroes", "Revolution", "Supernatural", "Justified") and comic book artist, he-with-the-awesome-hair Dennis Calero ("X-Men Noir", Stephen King's "The Little Green God of Agony", digital "Legends of the Dark Knight: Riddler in the Dark" with writer Charles Soule).

STGCC 2013: Introducing Local Sculpture-Meister HairyAsHell

Regular STGCC attendees for the last few years would have probably noticed a small booth in Artist Alley named HairyasHell which featured clay sculptures with amazing details and creativity.

The man and real name behind the moniker is Adeeb Md Mynul Islam, who works as an animator with video games company Ubisoft Singapore. He also has a teaching stint at MAGES Institute of Excellence, a private tertiary school for Animation, Game Design and Computing.

But when the night shadows appear, his Master Sculptor alter-ego HairyasHell emerges and he painstakingly churns out these impressive sculptures and creations.

(By the way, Red Dot Diva has investigated and found out that Adeeb's alter-ego label has little to do with a certain level of hirsuteness. So he claims. Hmmm..... )

At this year's STGCC, Adeeb is listed as a special guest as part of the WDA (Singapore Workforce Development Agency) booth, together with animators and artists - Stanley Lau (Artgerm), Javier Secaduras and Derrick Song. The team will be doing panels and demonstrations during the convention.

SDCC 2013 Day 1 Recap: Nothing Important Happened Today Except A Morning Fracas and A Pair of Gorgeous Dimples

Rumour has it that there was an X-Files 20th Year Reunion on the afternoon of Day 1 of Comic-Con at a venue called Ballroom 20.

Red Dot Diva cannot reveal details about the so-called event at this moment.

There was also talk that a couple hundred people or so camped out at the entrance of the San Diego Convention Center the night before for this particular reunion.

Several photos of these people turned up on Twitter. Some were shown snoozing in sleeping bags, and others were chatting the night away while sitting on mats or foldable chairs on the pavement.

International Cosplay Day Singapore 2013 Just Around The Corner!

Local cosplayers must be having it real busy these days!

Not only would most of them be preparing for STGCC on 31 August to 1 September 2013 (and arguably the biggest local pop-culture event of the year), there is also a cosplay-centric event happening in two weeks!

Founded by cosplayer Jennifer Alice, International Cosplay Day is a fan-based celebration of the diversity in cosplay and pop-culture.

This year's International Cosplay Day Singapore (ICDS) 2013 will be held on 25th August at *SCAPE's The Warehouse (Level 2), from 10 AM to 8 PM. And the theme is all about Science and Magic!

Online Contest: Your Chance To "Kick-Ass 2" At A Superhero Showdown Screening Party!

Craving for more than just the kiddy-family, fun-filled kind of superhero movie?

Then, get ready to bloody-butt-kick it down while swearing when the sequel of "Kick-Ass" returns to the local movie screen this month!

Based on the comic-books by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr, "Kick-Ass 2" continues from the first movie when more people are inspired to don on costumes and become masked vigilantes.

Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) turns to the group called Justice Forever, led by an ex-mobster named Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carey), when Hit-Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz) tries hard to return to "normal life" as a high-school teenager. Then Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) transforms himself to become a revenging super-villian The Mother F**ker and amasses a loyal super-army to scr*w up with all their good intentions.

STGCC 2013: Toys, More Toys and Toy Designer Guests!

Did Red Dot Diva mention Toys?

Yes. TOYS?!!

Why, local toy collectors must have been rejoicing ever since STGCC's organizers have released the latest guest announcements for this year's convention!

Cult toy designers Angry Woebots, Jesse Yu aka J★RYU and Luke Chueh have been invited to set foot at this year's STGCC, together with perennial favorite Simone Legno - creator of Tokidoki.

SDCC 2013 Recap: Preview Night - Lawn Con, Screenings And A Very Packed Show Floor!

Like last year, Red Dot Diva's hotel room was host to a mini United Nations. There were roomies coming from East Coast USA, Canada, New Zealand and the Red Dot Island. And this year's home base was the very swanky, very nice Hilton Bayfront Hotel.

Except for Jasmine, who arrived late Thursday night, all the roomies and good pal Chelle were in San Diego by Tuesday afternoon, 1 day before Preview Night.

Rheanna and Dee managed to get Comic-Con 2013 passes for Sunday only, but they had lots of activities planned for themselves. And as the week went by, Red Dot Diva noted that they turned out to be very adept at the sport of celebrity spotting. ;)

That left three roomies + Chelle with access to Preview Night, and they decided to kick off the day with a hearty breakfast at the Broken Yolk. The cozy restaurant would soon become the roomies' favourite breakfast stop that week.

Hollywood Forever Cemetery: Where VIPs RIP

Right in the heart of Hollywood is one of Los Angeles' oldest cemetery. The 114 year-old cemetery is aptly named Hollywood Forever, for it was the chosen resting place by many starry VIPs.

No surprise there since the site is just next to Paramount Studios. And in addition, when one stands on the main driveway looking back to the front gates, the iconic Hollywood sign could clearly be seen.

Having a morbid interest in cemeteries (the older, the better), Red Dot Diva roped in good friend Chelle for a morning walk at Hollywood Forever last week. With the help of a $5 map purchased from the flower shop, the two set off to hunt down a few famous graves.

Supanova Perth 2013 Part 2 - Meeting Comics Legend Chris Claremont and Artist Alex Saviuk

Not only did Luke Caporn get to meet comic artist George Perez at the Supanova Perth convention recently.

He also got to meet a legendary creator and writer - Chris Claremont, as well as comic artist Alex Saviuk - best known for his particularly long and regular work with the Spider-man character.

Red Dot Diva is envious. And she wants you to join her envy with Part 2 of Luke's report.

STGCC 2013: Get Mad! Joe Madureira Announced as Guest

Pic credit: Luigi Novi

Local comic book geeks have gone Mad with the latest guest announcement for this year's STGCC.

For he is none other than Joe Madureira - artist, writer and game developer, who has a large international fan base.

Fans may know him best for his work in Marvel Comics' "Uncanny X-Men", his creator owned "Battle Chasers", and games like "Darksiders".

Currently, Joe Mad (as he is affectionately known by his fans) is working on Marvel's "Savage Wolverine" with writer Zeb Wells. The two used to work together in "Avenging Spider-Man".