South-East Asia seems to be the hot spot that comic-convention organizers are targetting recently. The convention market is getting rapidly saturated in North America, with a burgeoning number of conventions held stateside in the last couple of years. There are all these various Wizard World Cons, Comikaze's, Walker Stalker cons, Creation Cons and several others, held in different cities around the continent.
Red Dot Diva has noticed that the spillover appears to have also hit Australasia and the U.K. Over in Australia, different editions of Oz Comic-Con are now held regularly in the various major cities throughout the year. Even in small Red Dot Island, there were several anime-cosplay type fests almost every other month last yea. Not forgetting also, that there was GameStart 2014, which saw the return of a gaming convention in the island after a 5-year absence. In addition, exhibitions company Reed-Pop kicked off the Indonesia Toy Games and Comic Convention in Jakarta not too long ago in November 2014.
So, with the Philippines being one of the largest English-speaking countries in the region, and the homebase of a notable list of well-known comic book artists, it is not a big surprise that another player would be keen to tap into the sizeable and active fanbase there.
Set to kick off in Manila sometime this year (September, it seems?) is Asia Pop Comic Con, run by a Dubai company called the Al Ahli Holding Group (AAHG). These are the same folks who own Comicave located in Dubai Outlet Mall, which they claim to be "the largest comics and collectibles superstore". After all, it does have a jaw-gaping store space of over 17,000 square foot of geeky goodness.
From what Red Dot Diva heard, some big names are set to make their presence felt in Asia Pop Comic Con. These are the familiar brands like DC, Marvel, Sanrio and Disney - companies that have somehow seem to have withdrawn or decided not to be actively involved at our very own STGCC. Which is kinda sad.
A not-so-little bird has also hinted to Red Dot Diva the possibility of a few very popular celebrities (*gasp* Hiddles-Biceps, please!!) making their appearance during Asia Pop Comic Con. This makes the convention even more appealing, taking into account how accessible Manila is from here, with cheaper flights/ accommodation (compared to Australia), shorter distances and all. It will be easy to do a quickie weekend geek-fling for the convention for those hoping to get close to their favourite stars.
The main consideration would be how close the convention would be held in relation to STGCC. No matter what, as a local fan and firm supporter of pop-culture events here, STGCC takes precedence over other regional conventions, as far as Red Dot Diva's calendar goes.
Regardless, for the hardcore convention goers, this will be one developing story to keep an eye on. It will be most interesting to see who else AAHG will be able to sign up and officially announce as guests or exhibitors in the next few months. The convention would undoubtedly have a Pinoy flavour, of course. But, with the large market in existence there, Red Dot Diva thinks it may be a feasible event for some of the local-based talents to boost their visibility and fanbase to yet another level.
Will you be one of those who might consider heading to Manila for Asia Pop Comic Con? Do share with Red Dot Diva what would tempt or deter you from making a trip there!
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