Happy New Year! Geek Onward to 2016!

A quick thank you to followers, media/ PR contacts, readers, fellow nerds, geek bros + seestras, friends, frenemies, the Glam Blog Alliance and my Evil Twin for going along on a wild online/ offline ride with Red Dot Diva in 2015.

It has been a busy but supremely fun year.

A photo posted by Red Dot Diva (@reddotdiva) on Dec 28, 2015 at 6:50pm PST

Red Dot Diva knows she has not been blogging as much as I want to.

However, taking into consideration a heavier day job workload, and her bout of hospitalization/ convalescence and the awful Indonesian haze which caused havoc to her sinuses, she managed to post as much as she could.

Do check out constantly on her Instagram or Twitter feed or Facebook Page for mini photo logs of events, as these days Red Dot Diva often reports about events "on the go". She also occasionally live tweets about the TV shows or movies she is watching! So, do feel free to join in or comment :D

Red Dot Diva sends warm, *Flexy* and Happy New Year wishes to everyone.

Owner: unknown (contact me if you own this graphic image!)

PS: Red Dot Diva has no apologies for the torrent of Star Wars posts or tweets.

Also, May The Force Be With You!

or LLAP.

So Say We All.

Whichever you prefer. :D

Here's to more FUN Geeky Adventures in 2016!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Singapore Edition

*CHEWIE ROAR* YEAHHHH!

Red Dot Diva has already seen the "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" twice - once in 3D and once in IMAX. Both versions were awesome!

If you are a long time Star Wars fan, you will love this movie and have lots of feelz. If you are a new fan, it would make you more curious about the Star Wars mythology and get you started on a thrilling adventure of a lifetime.

Out of respect of her Star Wars-loving pals and readers, The Diva non-spoiler-free movie review will be posted next week.

Meanwhile, thanks to Livan Goh, Red Dot Island Star Wars fans would dream of the day this version of the film come to fruition.

The Force is certainly Strong in This One.

Star Wars: Singapore Edition from Livan Goh on Vimeo.


If you have already watched "Star Wars: The Force Awakens", did you like it?

Go take part in Red Dot Diva's snap poll on Twitter now.


She is curious to know what you think of the movie!

If you've already watched it - Did you like #StarWars #TheForceAwakens?

— Red Dot Diva (@reddotdiva) December 17, 2015

SRT's Musical "Treasure Island" Is A Delight, Especially for Families

The Singapore Repertory Theatre's (SRT) year-end play "Treasure Island" is not the scary sort with pillaging pirates running amok committing bloody murders on board a schooner. Rather, this adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson famous book by SRT's The Little Company is a delightful, G-rated musical that will appeal to children young and old, as well as most adults, and makes for 1.5 hours of fun family time.

The musical follows quite closely to the novel except for one main twist to the storyline - Jim Hawkins (Ann Lek) has been genderbent to an adventure-loving 13-year-old girl who works at the Bentbow Inn. With Jim stumbling upon a map owned by the late Captain Flint (and the scariest pirate that has ever lived), she sets sail on an adventure to a Caribbean island together with a crew led by Captain Smollett (Erwin Shah Ismail) and Squire Trelawney (Tan Shou Chen).

Unfortunately, on board as well is Long John Silver (Dwayne Lau) who pretends to be friends with Ann Lek while plotting a mutiny together with his comrades Hands (Kimberley Chan) and O'Brien (Michell Lagos), so that they can get their greedy hands on the treasure map.

Diva's Movie Review: "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2" Plods To A Series' End

"Real or not real?"

This phrase and question echoed throughout "The Hunger Games: Mockingay - Part 2", the finale of the series of movies adapted from the novels of the same name by Suzanne Collins.

Carrying on right after a still-brainwashed Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) attacked Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) at District 13's rebel base camp, the movie is mainly about the insurgents' planned siege of the Capitol in the bid to save Panem from President Snow's (Donald Sutherland) dictatorship.

Here's a Red Dot Diva warning - the movie's pace is slow.... very slow, and angsty, with short bursts of action happening only in two main parts. To get through the movie, one requires a lot of patience. The final instalment clearly suffers from the case of Two-Parter-citis. "Mockingjay" the movie would have been more compact and more effective if it was just one film.

#TBT: Diva's Biceps Hunt at AsiaPop Comic Con Manila 2015

It's Throwback Thursday! (yes, actually it's Friday here already on Red Dot Island but Red Dot Diva is allowing the slow-pokes to catch-up. :P)

To add on to the occasion, it is also Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.! *gobble gobble*

As the year is winding down to the last 5 weeks, Red Dot Diva looks back on one of her most epic biceps hunt of 2015.

The fabulous haul of biceps happened at Asia Pop Comic Con (APCC) Manila 2015 during a merry September weekend. The pop-culture convention held at the World Trade Centre was the first for the organizers Al Ahli Holding Group, and had a wide range of guests including comic creators, cosplayers, toy designers and celebrities.

With the help of fellow Glam Alliance Bloggers pal, Ed from toysetc as cameraman, the APCC Manila Biceps Hunt was ceremoniously captured on camera.

Nanoblock Exhibition at Liang Court by Christopher Tan - 21 & 22 November 2015

Nanoblock lovers, there will be a special exhibition by Christopher Tan at Liang Court, this weekend, 21 to 22 November 2015.

Based in Malaysia, Christopher is an award-winning, full-time Nanoblock artist with an international cult following. Recently, Christopher was conferred the title of "Tatsujiin" (Master of Nanoblock). His detailed masterpieces range from the tiny to large-scale sculptures, and cover a wide range of subjects from everyday items, buildings & structures to pop-culture icons.

Christopher's Nanoblocks were recently showcased in exhibitions held in Hong Kong and Malaysia. At the Hong Kong show in 2014, he constructed the largest Nanoblock piece - a staggering 250,000-brick recreation of the city of Rio de Janeiro.




Now, fans who have previously only managed to admire them through photos on social network will now be able to admire these actual pieces in real life as well as meet Christopher in person!

HBO Asia's Jakarta-based Supernatural Thriller "Halfworlds" To Premiere on 29 November 2015

Cable channel HBO Asia has been busy these past few years!

Their latest Asian-based production, "Halfworlds" is set for a premiere date on 29 November 2015.

"Halfworlds" is HBO Asia's fourth production and Red Dot Diva really appreciates their constant effort to create as well as develop stories that are recognizably Asian but are also set to appeal to a wider audience. For those who have not caught up with HBO Asia's recent works, their first original title was "Dead Mine" in 2012, followed by their first prime-time series "Serangoon Road" and a four-part horror mini series "Grace".

An eight-episode supernatural thriller set in the dark and mysterious alleys of Jakarta, "Halfworlds" is about the Demits - a host of demons huddled in a covert society, who have lived among humans for centuries. When Sarah, a street artist uncovers the secret and tips the balance, a chain of events sets off, leading to a clash between the two sides. 

Gamestart Asia 2015: Where Diva Explored The World of Gaming

Gamestart Asia 2015 kicked-off with a bang yesterday at Suntec Convention Centre.

There was a grand official ribbon-cutting ceremony by special guests and an industry/ business conference.

The gaming convention occupied 2 halls this year, which offered far more space for fans to wander and try out the gamut of titles available.

Red Dot Diva (together with Ed from Toys-etc and Andre the Red Dot Dude) was at the Media Preview yesterday and from the looks of it, this year's convention had definite buzz to it.

Royal Selangor Launches Gorgeous Star Wars Collectors' Items at Suntec City

Premiere pewter manufacturer and retailer Royal Selangor, officially launched their new Star Wars product line yesterday at Suntec City, and Red Dot Diva was there to view the collection.

Without a doubt, the craftsmanship of the 16 Star Wars products shown was beautifully detailed, and they all looked gorgeous, especially the armoured characters like Darth Vader and Boba Fett. This was due to the metallic nature and look for pewter, of course.

Red Dot Diva had a little chat with Royal Selangor's Training Executive Vance Khaw about the Star Wars collection, which consisted of iconic characters and emblems from Episode IV, V and VI.

The Artimus Gives His Lowdown on NYCC vs SDCC

East side vs West side... Well, you know how that usually goes!

Red Dot Diva has had the opportunity to experience both San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) and New York Comic Con (NYCC) more than once, and because she has such a wide range of interests, she still has difficulty deciding which one she likes more! 

Both have their own unique advantages and disadvantages. It really depends what kind of fan you are, what your budget is and what you are really looking for.

Diva's geek pal, The Artimus made his way to NYCC for the first time this year. He has attended SDCC several times so here is his lowdown on what he thinks about the different aspects of the two biggest comic conventions in the USA.

Gamestart Asia 2015: Things A Gaming Noob Can Enjoy at the Show

Some very exciting things are in store for those who are heading to Gamestart Asia 2015 two weekends from now!

This year's edition is a pumped-up version of last year's inaugural show, and will occupy double the space at Suntec Convention Centre, and held over 3 days (13 to 15 November 2015), including a business conference day for those who want to get to know more about the ins and outs of the gaming industry.

To build interest leading up to the convention, the organizer Eliphant Pte Ltd, has even joined hands with developer Seow ‘Sonic’ Zong Hui to build their very own game app. Have you all downloaded and played the Gamestart app already?

Naturally, local gamers are excited about attending the show so that they can get their hands dirty on the new and upcoming titles, as well as cheer for their favourites at the Capcom Pro Tour Asia Finals. But, what if you are gaming noob like Red Dot Diva?

If you are kinda tech-savvy, or generally interested in the visual arts form of story-telling, Red Dot Diva suggests a few interesting things that might capture your interest at Gamestart Asia 2015.

The "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" Trailer Is Here!

There was much stirring of the Force yesterday as Disney and Lucasfilm finally released the long awaited official movie trailer for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens".

And boy, did the sneak peek give Red Dot Diva even more feels!

There were some teeny hints about Rey, Finn and Kylo Ren the Darth Vader fanboy, but other than that, the trailer still played coy about the actual premise of the upcoming movie. Nothing too obvious was revealed on how the new characters are related to each other and to those from the older movies.

Which is probably a good thing, because Red Dot Diva may decide to swear off seeing any more trailers/ teasers/ sneak peeks after this, so that she can be truly "wow"-ed when she's watching the movie for the first time.

Behold! The "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" Movie Poster; New Trailer To Be Released Later Today!

The Imperial troops march closer as it is less than 60 days to the premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" here in Red Dot Island.

To mark the occasion, Lucasfilm and Disney have released the official movie poster!

Red Dot Diva loves how the female character, Rey portrayed by Daisy Ridley, has a prominent image on centrestage. She hopes this means Rey gets loads of screen time!

Then, there's John Boyega's character, Finn (who's supposedly not a Jedi) is shown yielding a lightsaber. Strangely enough, the main Jedi most of us are rooting for (unless you're already on the Dark Side) is not in the poster. Where is Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill)? Is this related to the notion of a recluse Jedi Master or something else? Hmmmmmmmm.........

Hello Kitty Go Around Singapore Faces The Ire of Fans

*Angry MEORRwWsssWSs*
*HISsssSSSSSsssssssss*

Hello Kitty may not have a mouth, but her fans sure do!

What was marketed as a fun and exclusives-filled event called Hello Kitty Goes Round Singapore, drew the ire of fans just within hours of its opening at The Coliseum, Hard Rock Hotel Singapore earlier today.

According to the announcement given to the media, several exclusives, games and special Kitty events were to take place during the show.

As the Red Dot Islanders know too well.... DO NOT Mess, Ever, with the Hello Kitty Fans! Never, Ever. They are Fierce. *shudder*

Red Dot Diva heard that early bird attendees (who mainly were also going for the SG50 pack) got enraged when they found out that entry tickets were being sold at a much lower price on site. To add to that was the devastating realization that the super-exclusive paper figurines which were to be part of the SG50 package were not produced "due to unforeseen production issues". The hardcore Kitty fans have also noticed other items like artbooks missing from their goodie bags.

Daniel Wu (吳彥祖) Leads New AMC Martial Arts Drama Series "Into The Badlands" - Premieres 16 November 2015

Who loves watching kick-ass martial arts movies?

Red Dot Diva does.

She was brought up on a constant fodder of martial arts movies. Ever since she was a kid, she has been relishing those action movies churned out by Shaw Brothers Studio, with actors Ti Lung, David Chiang, Wang Yu and Brigitte Lin gracing the big screen with their moves. In later years, Red Dot Diva continued to get kicks out of watching Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, Donnie Yen, and Jet Li movies. Thanks to her Dad and an uncle who loved kung fu movies. She even has a cousin named after famous wuxia actress Chen Pei-Pei!

Which brings about how excited Red Dot Diva about AMC's new drama series "Into The Badlands", created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar ("Smallville"). The 6-episode show is set in a dystopian world, 500 years from now, where guns have been outlawed. This gives a great excuse for AMC to bring back martial arts to our TV screens.

AsiaPop Comic Con Manila 2015: An All-Encompassing Sensory Pop-Culture Experience

It has been two weeks since Red Dot Diva and Ed from Toys-etc have returned from AsiaPop Comicon (APCC) Manila, and they are both still suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms. That was how awesome APCC Manila was.

APCC Manila, which ran from 18 to 20 September 2015, was the organizer's first show. Naturally, there were some hiccups and room for improvement, like a possible re-think about Friday's program line-up, more consistent camera men for the photo ops, and better beverage/ snacks service for media room, please. (Press people do need their supply of coffee from the start!) Still, compared to other shows in the region, the convention encompassed a meatier range of Western pop-culture for a true-blooded geek to gnaw on.

There were comics, cosplay, VFX, games, designer toys, LEGO, collectibles, promos of TV shows, movies, and of course the lineup of celebrity guests Paul Bettany, Colton Haynes, Jeremy Shada, Natalie Emmanuel and band Make Out Monday, who fueled the Cacophony of Squees that weekend. Red Dot Diva thought the convention was a much needed breath of fresh air to an overly-saturated anime and pseudo "East vs West" scene over at Red Dot Island.

Movie Review: Attack on Titan (進撃の巨人) 2 : End Of The World - Not Enough Crunchy Bits

Even though the live action movie "Attack on Titan" Part 1 did not meet most of the fans' expectations, it still had a pretty good box office run both in Japan and locally in Red Dot Island.

Part 1 made SGD 3.8 million (USD 4.8 million) in its opening week in Japan, and over here, gross takings was over SGD 818,000 after four weeks of screening at only 15 locations.

Red Dot Diva watched the preview of Part 2 earlier this month and was all set to enjoy a similar "fear experience" that was the most enjoyable aspect in the first movie.

To her surprise and disappointment, the follow-up film had fewer hungry Titans stomping and much less gore, with hardly any character development. In fact, some of the characters were hardly even seen or had spoken dialogue - like Sasha, for instance.

Instead, there was a lot of dialogue which slowed down the pace considerably, making the movie harder to sit through without feeling impatient. The action did pick up toward the end but by then, one would hardly care enough for the young cadet team to root for their victory.

Hello Kitty Go Around Singapore - The Purrfect Catnip For Fans

Even while Red Dot Diva was busily admiring biceps at AsiaPop Comicon in Manila, she got wind of the news (accompanied by very loud purrs) about a big Hello Kitty event coming up in Red Dot Island.

Knowing how a large number of Red Dot Islanders get catnipped by the mere mention of Hello Kitty and her friends, Red Dot Diva assigned fan Special Agent H.Y. to find out more about the upcoming Hello Kitty Go Around Singapore.

Here is Special Agent H.Y.'s report:

Download the Retro-style Official Game and Get Ready for Gamestart Asia 2015!

Go download the retro pixel-art style official mobile phone game for Gamestart Asia 2015. It's available on both iTunes and Google Play, and it's FREE! (Yes, FREE with no in-app purchases necessary!)

The game, which features Gamestart mascot Alyse, all battle ready in her Version 2 gear, kicking ass battling obstacles and unlocking other playable characters who have have their own unique powers. This specially created game was done by the Gamestart Asia organizer Eliphant, in collaboration with Seow ‘Sonic’ Zong Hui, a developer of Street Fighter vs MegaMan.

Check out the introductory game preview video here:

Here Are The STGCCBiceps Instagram Contest Winners!

The Glam Bloggers Alliance held the 2nd Edition of the STGCCBiceps Instagram photo contest during STGCC two weeks ago, together with the Global Beards team.

Here are the selected winners who have posted very nice pics showing off some wonderful STGCCBiceps. Congrats!

Check them out here:


First Prize - @markangelorivera
DAD Biceps are the best!!

A photo posted by markangelorivera (@markangelorivera) on Sep 14, 2015 at 3:25am PDT

The Red Dot Diva AsiaPop Comic Con Manila Experience Hyperlapsed!

AsiaPop Comic Con (APCC) Manila kicked-off yesterday at the World Trade Centre yesterday, in a large event hall filled with wondrous giant displays of characters from Marvel, like the Hulkbuster, as well as gorgeous exhibits from "Alien vs Predator" and "X-Men: First Class" courtesy of the folks from Amalgamated Dynamics!

Here's a quickie video, edited by the wonderful Ed from toys-etc.com on Red Dot Diva's adventures.

Biceps Included!




Tomorrow is the last day of the epic comic-con filled with comic book guests, local artists, cosplay guests, toy stores and celebrities!

There was even a very nice fireworks display to wrap out Day 2 (Saturday) just now.

Don't miss being part of this inaugural international pop-culture convention in Manila!

And if you see Red Dot Diva prowling the showfloor on Sunday, do come up and say hi!

Post-STGCC 2015: Videos! A Quick Roundup, Greeting From Adam Hughes and Talking Comics Panel!

Was STGCC 2015 a fun weekend for you?

Red Dot Diva had a great time with fellow geeks and friends, despite the haze and a severe bout of exhaustion due to lack of sleep. Also, the convention guests were stellar, especially Agnes Garbowska's, Adam Hughes' and Simone Legno's lines were never-ending, and both worked so hard to sign, chat and sketch for their fans.

Red Dot Diva and Toys-etc's Ed are rushing to head to Manila for AsiaPop Comicon Manila in a few hours. So, here's a post-STGCC round-up.... in video!

STGCC 2015: Camilla D'Errico Shares About Her Artistic Journey

Today was the first day of STGCC 2015 and boy, was it a busy day for the Glam Bloggers Alliance (GBA)!

One of the interview sessions GBA had was with Canadian surrealist artist Camilla D'Errico with a unique visual style. Camilla is also the creator of graphic novel "Tanpopo" (published by BOOM! Studios), a story about a mysterious girl who has no emotions and is set on a poetic quest for self-discovery.

So excited for @singaporetgcc to start tomorrow! Got my exclusives ready at my booth B29 😄 Check em out on the #exclusives wall 😙✨👍 see you guys at the show! #camilladerrico #stgcc #anime #manga #PopManga #popculture #exclusive #print #toy #kuro #tanpopo #merch #singapore #weekend #convention

A photo posted by Camilla d'Errico (@camilladerrico) on Sep 11, 2015 at 8:16am PDT

Camilla first exhibited at STGCC 6 years ago in 2009, and it is great to see her back in the show, with more of her latest art for sale. At the interview, she was very upbeat about meeting the fans (both new and old) here at the convention, and it was interesting to see how much she has progressed in the last few years.

On a side note, Red Dot Diva's pal Ryan had asked Camilla to do a special commission of his son as a superhero, and this was her piece:

A photo posted by Red Dot Diva (@reddotdiva) on Sep 12, 2015 at 9:50am PDT

Don't you think it's just lovely?

GBA's Agent W rounds up this evening's interview with Camilla about her art journey:

STGCC 2015: Media Preview with Adam Hughes, Huck Gee and Stella Chuu at the Flashy New DC Superheroes Cafe!

To be honest, Red Dot Diva wanted to type in "Spanking New" in this article's header, but she did not want no DC Superheroes suddenly crashing into her room and delivering the necessary punishment.

Although....... if it were Batman bringing her some Batman sliders... Hmmmmmm.... *wriggles eyebrows*

A photo posted by Red Dot Diva (@reddotdiva) on Sep 9, 2015 at 11:01pm PDT

STGCC 2015: Toys-etc Reviews The Exclusive SG50 Unico by Tokidoki!

When it comes to reviews, there is undoubtedly always a personal bias within. Especially so, when it relates to someone or something you adore or look up to.

As a fair blogger though, one tries to place some amount of balance to the opinion. Red Dot Diva finds it difficult to judge about lifestyle brand tokidoki's toys, simply because they are all generally SO CUTE.

However, Glam Bloggers Alliance buddy, Ed from Toys-etc dares to tread into dangerous territories. Here is his "Totally Unbiased" review of the SG50 Unicorno!

STGCC 2015: Adam Hughes Arrives in Singapore! Others Are On Their Way

Master and super-popular artist Adam Hughes was announced as a guest for this year's STGCC a few months back, and comic book fans here have been patiently waiting for the convention weekend to arrive.

The two-day convention will kick off this Saturday 12 September, and earlier today, Adam Hughes and his wife Allison Sohn have finally arrived in Red Dot Island after a super long 20-hour flight from the U.S.A!

The first tweet upon the couple's touchdown was this:

Here we are! Singapore! And all the chili crab we can eat! pic.twitter.com/3fTMCLnvCq

— Adam Hughes (@AH_AdamHughes) September 8, 2015

They must have heard about the traditional pre-convention guest dinner, which consists of dishes of local yummies, including the "must-have" chilli crab!

Ubisoft Set To Open Theme Park in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!

This just in!

And what exciting news this is!

Fans of "Assassin's Creed" and other games by Ubisoft will be able to indulge in the imaginary worlds that they are familiar with as the game company targets to develop a next-generation theme park. The first of such parks will be an indoor establishment with an expected area of 10,000 square metres, and is set to open in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, sometime in 2020

STGCC 2015: Time to Flex Those Muscles Again! It's the STGCC Biceps Instagram Contest!

The Glam Bloggers Alliance's Instagram Contest held at during last year's STGCC was so much fun, that they have decided to run one again this year!

Attendees of the convention can pump up their biceps and FLEX to take part in the 2nd edition of the STGCC Biceps Instagram Photo Contest! This time, there will be a special Bonus Round, with the help of the team of Global Beards.
 
Here is how one can join in the fun:

Terms & Conditions: Glam Bloggers Alliance (GBA) STGCC Biceps Instagram Photo Contest

Pose a selfie or pose with a friend or STGCC guest showing at least one arm’s biceps in the photo. Three of the most creative interesting posed photos with caption wins.

Note: If you are posing the photo with someone or having someone to pose in the pic, please do remember to ask the person for permission to be included in the photo. Stalker pics will not be accepted as a contest entry.

STGCC 2015: Gilamon Studio's Lefty Will Be Swinging By With Some Very Limited Edition Art Goodies!

STGCC has become a bonding time between many of the region's artists and fans, especially if they only get to see each other once a year or so!

It's also Red Dot Diva's opportunity to be able to catch up with Lefty from Gilamon Studio again. She has always liked his art style, and she has to blame him for always tempting her with his art goodies. Bad, Lefty! Very bad! ;)

If you have been to Penang's Georgetown in the last few years, you would have noticed that there are notable street art located in several places. Lefty has contributed many pieces, including this steel rod sculpture based on this artwork called "Win Win Situation".

Pic found on Pinterest (Source unknown?)

This year, Lefty will be dropping by local store GnB Comics this coming Friday as well as roving around STGC. He has VERY LIMITED pieces of his art available for pre-order! Most have 10 pieces or fewer left! (Scroll down toward the end of this article for the description and prices.)

Red Dot Diva last did an interview with Lefty about 3 years ago. Wow. Time sure flies. (Check out the article here.) She has bumped into him at conventions between then and now, but since he has some really cool stuff available for sale this coming Friday, she grabbed him for a quickie online Q&A.

AsiaPop Comic Con Manila 2015: Jason Momoa No Longer Attending; Look out for Amalgamated Dynamics

NEWS ALERT!

Celebrity guest Jason Momoa will no longer be attending AsiaPop Comicon Manila (APCC Manila).

This is very unfortunate, but as in the case of actors, their film schedules and opportunities can come up in the last minute, and such guest cancellations are quite common in the convention scene.

Do not feel too disappointed though! Red Dot Diva says that APCC is still set to heat up the convention floor on 18 to 20 September. Their current guest list is one of the best seen in this region so far, encompassing a very broad range of genres for any respectable geek.

One exhibit area to look for is the one hosted by Academy Award-winning special effects studio Amalgamated Dynamics (AD), a leader in prostethics and animatronics.

AsiaPop Comic Con Manila 2015: Clear Your Vision! Paul Bettany Joins Celebrity Guest List!

SQUEEEEEeeeeEEEE!!

This fantastic news drops early in the evening for all geeks who will be attending APCC Manila two weeks from now.

Paul Bettany, who made waves recently as the powerful android Vision, joins the growing celebrity guest list for the convention!

Red Dot Diva first noticed the talented Brit actor when he shared screen time with Heath Ledger (one who is still greatly missed) in the 2001 movie, "A Knight's Tale". In the movie, Paul Bettany had many memorable scenes as the charmer Geoffrey Chaucer but mainly also because he flaunted his adorable nakedness in the first few scenes, like so:

le sighs...

STGCC 2015: Meet Seth Adams At Artist Alley - But Look Out! There's Going To Be An XMas Zombie Apocalypse!

There is an XZA coming to STGCC.

Yep. An Xmas Zombie Apocalypse. In the middle of September. Never mind that it's not the winter solstice yet. (Zombies, after all, aren't the most reliable source for time-keeping.)

But you have been duly warned, and it would be best if you head to Artist Alley Booth 96 during STGCC to get prepped about the XZA. Ask for Seth Adams. He will tell you more about the impending invasion of the undead.

Who? You ask.

Seth Adams. Artist. Creator. The tough-looking, bald, beardy, bicepstuous one-half of the booth occupant who knows the details behind XZA because he is the source. (Besides, the other guy who will be there is neither bald nor beardy, tho' still bicepstuous, so it would be doubtful you'll make a mistake. Also, the other dude's name is Kelly Bender. ;) )

To help you get a little more comfortable with Seth Adams, Red Dot Diva huddled down with him, all whispery and in camouflage, so as not to attract any hungry zombies who may be lurking around.

STGCC 2015: Do You Know The Story of Instinctoy?

The Glam Bloggers' Alliance are back again for STGCC 2015! The alliance aims to cover a broad spectrum of geeky topics for fans who will be heading to the convention next weekend.

In a first cross-post for the year, Red Dot Diva is "koping" an article by Ed of Toys-etc about Japanese toy brand Instinctoy.

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

The Story of Instinctoy 

The journey of Hiroto Ohkubo began with a Be@rbrick.

He was doing design and fine art and, other than having an growing interest in toys, he knew next to nothing about them but he was drawn to the three inch figure. This was Be@rbrick's first run. It was an opportune moment, just before the explosion of global interest in designer toys and he decided to act on his childhood dream of having a toy that showcases his artistic expression.

For the next three years, rest and vacations were something other people had. To dismiss the success that Instinctoy is having today, to call it a lucky break, would be to ignore the hundreds of drafts, many of which were just spent on perfecting the position of the eyes, ears and paws while coming up with the final version of Inc; the thousands of hours poured into market research, trying to understand the volatility of appeal before he picked up enough confidence in a design that would win the audience over without compromising his aesthetics; the solo trips to Hong Kong to find a factory willing to bring his toy to life, and then the process of getting the eyes right, one that spanned two years (start of 2006 to end of 2007).

AsiaPop Comic Con Manila 2015: Colton Haynes Joins Guest List and Show Tickets are On Sale NOW!

WHOA. Those collective squees are sure loud from here!!

Three weeks ago, model/ actor Colton Haynes hinted on Twitter, that he will soon be meeting his fans in Manila. His tweet causing a flurry of excitement and speculation as to which event he will be attending.

Finally, just a few hours ago, the mystery has been solved! AsiaPop Comic Con Manila (APCC Manila) has confirmed that Colton is a guest for the show! APCC Manila will be held at the World Trade Center Metro Manila on 17 to 20 September 2015.

Colton Haynes is best known in his roles on MTV's "Teen Wolf" as Jackson Whittemore/ Kanima and as Roy Harper/ Red Arrow in CW's popular superhero series "Arrow". He was also recently on the big screen together with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in the disaster movie "San Andreas".

Unbox Your Star Wars Toy Together With Fans Around The Globe - 3 to 4 September!

Star Wars toy collecting fans! This one is specially for you!

Save a date this Force Friday when an epic "The Force Awakens" toy unboxing event will take place around the globe. This is the first time such an event will be carried out live in 15 cities and 12 countries in the span of over 18 hours!

The event kicks off in Sydney, Australia on 3 September, 7:45 AM local time, and then proceed to roll across to Asia, Europe, Canada and North & South America, before ending with a finale at Lucasfilm in San Francisco, 3 September, 8 AM local time.

Check out the cities, their respective timings and featured talents at the Star Wars page here!

STGCC 2015: Creative Strokes From Global Beards (Gene Whitlock/ Wayne Rée) at Artist Alley

Beards have made a come back. They are getting a lot more attention lately. They even get themselves into all kinds of hairy situations - like travelling around the world, fostering international geek-lationships and even publishing books!

Two sets of Red Dot Island-based beards will be making a combined appearance at the coming STGCC 2015 at Marina Bay Sands next month. Under the banner of GLOBAL BEARDS, they are very eager to show off their dark and handsome hirsuteness by peddling their books, artwork.. and other stuff at Artist Alley Booth AA98.

Showing great restraint from stroking these hardworking beards, Red Dot Diva spoke to the two dudes - Gene Whitlock and Wayne Rée - whose faces the beards call home for several years.

Last year, the beards of both Gene Whitlock and Wayne Rée were part of a cohort of writers based at Book Actually's The Comic Strip. Gene-beard had produced a mischievous noir-style detective story called "The Unsavoury Alphabet", and Wayne-beard had written "Tales From A Tiny Room", an absorbing anthology of unique stories.

It will be most interesting to see what kind of the crazy creative synergy the pair will come up with in this year's STGCC!

Want to find out what's in store at GLOBAL BEARDS? Here are some details to tickle your curiousity!

ICDS 2015: Diva's Interview with Special Guest, Cosplayer Jin (BehindInfinity)!

This year's International Cosplay Day Singapore (ICDS) was held on 21 and 22 August at SCAPE.

The annual event is a lively celebration of cosplay and friendship, with a cosplay competition, a small range of exhibitor booths, a doujin market, panels, cosplay chess, quizzes and even exciting lightsabre fight displays on stage, courtesy of the performance group called FightSabre.

Internationally popular cosplayer Jin Joson (behindinfinity) is this year's Guest-of-Honor. Jin is well-known for her incredibly realistic versions of Naruto, Kenshin Himura from Rurouni Kenshin, and more recently, the loveable Hiro Hamada from Disney's animated movie "Big Hero 6". (For insights as to how she and her friends pulled off the almost unbelievable "Big Hero 6" cosplay, read her blog post here.)

Just before doors opened for ICDS attendees at 10AM, Red Dot Diva arrived at SCAPE, eager to meet Jin in person. Jin was already backstage, dressed in her cosplay as the wizard Howl Jenkins Pendragon from Studio Ghibli's "How's Moving Castle".

There was still spare time before her meet-and-greet with the fans, which made it the most appropriate opportunity for Red Dot Diva to find out more about Jin and her adventures in the cosplay community.

AsiaPop Comic Con Manila 2015: David Mack, C.B. Cebulski, David Yardin, Leinil Yu and More Announced As Guests

With just 3.5 weeks to go, AsiaPop Comic Con Manila announces a long list of fantastic guests for the event that includes several comic book guests and a couple more toy designer guests!

Included in the list of guests announced in this round is one of Red Dot Diva's personal favourites, the multi-talented and very bicepstuous David Mack, creator of the Kabuki series and writer/ artist of Marvel's "Daredevil" and "Daredevil: End of Days".

David has also written a children's book called "Shy Creatures". But the most mesmerizing part of having DMack in a convention show is when he whips out his brushes, paper and ink, and starts drawing live. Biceps flexes included.

Don't believe Red Dot Diva about the biceps? Just view this interview video of DMack and "Fight Club" creator Chuck Palaniuk with CBR.


*ogle, ogle*

Star Wars Characters and More Arrive in Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition!

Love playing video games? Better still, love playing games *and* consider yourself a total Star Wars fan? Then... *cue John Williams theme song*... the Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition is guaranteed to bring more fun into family or personal gaming time!

Red Dot Diva attended the launch for the popular toy-game hybrid at the Sandcrawler earlier this week. She has to confess that she is not a gamer (personal decision: she gets too easily addicted!), but she still finds the gaming world an extremely creative and imaginative domain.

Mostly though, she fell in love with the Disney Infinity toys on display. *sheepish Diva grin*

"Attack on Titan" Movie: Interview with Haruma Miura, Kiko Mizuhara and Director Shinji Higuchi

Add caption

Meeting a fandom's high expectations is a rough deal, especially when a beloved anime is adapted to a different medium. So, it was inevitable that there was a gamut of reactions from those who have already watched "Attack on Titan" (AoT) Part One.

These ranged from the sheer disappointment of hardcore AoT lovers, to the "it's pretty OK" mentions by those who are not too invested in the franchise. Then, there are also the horror fans who relished the uncomfortable existential terror that ran through the course of the film, and those who loved the movie anyway.

AoT's creator Hajime Isayama, who is involved in the production, said that he was perplexed by the hate hurled at the movie adaptation, and assured that he as well as the director, writer and producers are taking in various opinions to better understand the fans' reactions.

Nevertheless, "Attack on Titan" topped the box office in Japan, with takings of about 600 million Yen (about SGD 6.8 million) on opening week.

Fans outside of Asia are eagerly waiting for the English version, and this week, FUNanimation announced the North American premiere dates. The Titans are set to stomp into theatres on September 30 for Part 1 and October 20 for Part 2.

Thanks to local distributor Encore Films, Red Dot Diva had a chance to ask AoT actors Haruma Miura (Eren), Kiko Mizuhara (Mizaka) and Director Shinji Higuchi a few questions:

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

STGCC 2015: Meet Australian Writer James Gilarte at Artist Alley!

While scrolling through the list of peeps who will be exhibiting at this year's STGCC Artist Alley, the Glam Bloggers Alliance noticed an unfamiliar Aussie name.

All that was stated in the blurb on STGCC's website was: "James Gilarte - Australian Comic Book Writer of series such as Vengador, A Fractured Mind, Time Vox & more."

As it is very unusual for Aussie creators to make their way to STGCC by themselves, Red Dot Diva did some mini research on James Gilarte.

She found out that he has written a comic series called "Vengador" that features a teen by the name of Eric Martin who adopts a vigilante-style alter-ego to fight corruption and injustice in his city.

Get A Dose of Nostalgia At The Little Red Brick LUG SG50 LEGO Show

A long list of free activities began this week in celebration of Red Dot Island's 50th birthday.

Many attractions and sites are either offering free access (like the various museums) or discounted ticket prices (the zoos/ Gardens by the Bay), which would most probably mean snake-long queues and equally long waiting times. So, here's an alternative SG50-related event that is both free and would not need lining up in order to have some family fun!

Red Dot Diva highly recommends a trip to the National Library Singapore (Victoria Street) atrium for the Little Red Brick LUG's LEGO Exhibition, called "Past Forward: Hearts and Crafts".

These lovely structures - over 40 of them - were build by a group of passionate brick builders from the local community. From the displays, it was evident to Red Dot Diva that a lot of heart and soul was lovingly put into the pieces - many of which evoke much Nostalgia Feels.

Gardens By The Bay's Merlion Redesigned: So Majestic, So Hunky! Diva Tracks Down His Concept Artist, Lynette Wu

The Jubilee Weekend is here! :D

ICYMI (Red Dot Diva says that's understandable, since there are all these #SG50 stuff happening all over town), there's something .. no, actually.... *SOMEONE* very sexy, who is eager to meet you!

With his long wind-swept mane that would make Thor Odinson jealous, eye-popping muscular abs and overall bicepstuousness, Merlion Redesigned will be standing tall and strong at a special exhibit held at Gardens by the Bay.

Merlion's hunky transformation is a far cry from his familiar, comfy Dad bod, which looks like this:

Now, this is what the reboot Merlion looks like in Gardens by the Bay's promo collaterals!

STGCC 2015: Huck Gee, C.B. Cebulski, Agnes Garbowska and Jason Freeny Added to Guest List!

STGCC 2015 is only 5 weeks away, and more guests have just been added to the billing!

There are toy & comic artists, anime-related guests and a familiar face who will be returning to the show after a two-year absence!

Huck Gee's Tago the Blank Demon

For custom toy collectors, here's your chance to meet reknown designer Huck Gee!

Well-known for his Asian-inspired creations, his art has been featured in a myriad of publications and installations and he has a design in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in NYC.

Huck Gee will be selling an exclusive version of “The Blank!” toy at STGCC. "The Blank" is his very own platform for custom toy, and his special item will be a sought-over collectible for toy fans!

Movie Review: Attack on Titan (進撃の巨人) Part 1 - More An Appetiser Than A Main Course

Whether the live action movie adaptation of "Attack on Titan" (進撃の巨人) is worth feasting one's eyes upon would depend on one's palate.

Essentially, "Attack on Titan" is about the remaining clusters of mankind battling to survive against enormous creatures who stampede through the cities' barricades, and whose single purpose is to devour every single human being in sight.

Both the original manga written and illustration by Hajime Isayama, as well as animated series, are hugely popular with anime fans. For such fans, the live action movie may turn out to be a disappointment.

Red Dot Diva understands that there is an almost impossible challenge to adapting the character-rich world of manga and anime into a two-part movie, but in this case, she felt that the key changes made were not entirely to the film's advantage.

Celebrate SG50 at The Fullerton Hotel with a Gorgeous 3D Light Show!

The Red Dot Island's 50th Birthday is next weekend, and there is already a long list of free SG50 activities and places of interest for locals and tourists to join in the big birthday bash.

Red Dot Diva says you can add one more to your list - the very special SG50 3D Light Show at the Fullerton Hotel, a heritage building with a 87-year-old history. The original landmark, the Fullerton Building, was constructed in 1928, and starting from today 1 August, the grand old lady will be dressed in fancy colours for 9 days.

Last night, Red Dot Diva was invited to a preview of the light-up called "A Celebration of Our Heritage". She had mistakenly thought the registration was at the hotel itself, and when she could not find any signs leading to the event, she asked for help from the nearest hotel personnel she could find.

Diva's Movie Review: China Box Office Hit "Monster Hunt" Needs More Bite (Minor Spoilers)

"Monster Hunt" (捉妖记) is probably one of those movies you may not have heard of, but it is the biggest hit movie in China right now.

On opening day alone, the movie raked in 162 million Yuan (SGD 35.8 mil) of box office takings. In addition, it also earned over 669 million Yuan (SGD 147.8 mil) during the first weekend. It is currently the highest-grossing film in China, having earned 1.32 billion Yuan (SGD 286.7 mil) since its first day at the box office.

These record-breaking feats got Red Dot Diva curious enough to see whether "Monster Hunt" was worth all the hype, even though generally, her taste in films do not coincide with those of most viewers in mainland China.

Directed by Dreamworks animator Raman Hui, who was also co-director on "Shrek the Third", "Monster Hunt" is a blend of live-action and VFX footage in a Sinicized-fantasy world where monsters and mankind are at odds with each other, and the monsters are driven by the humans to flee deep into the mountains.

Dreamworks Animation - The Exhibition: Diva Took A Peek Into What Happens Behind the Scenes

As a fan of many of Dreamworks' animated movies, like "Shrek", "Puss in Boots", "Kung Fu Panda" and "How To Train Your Dragon", Red Dot Diva was eager to step inside the special exhibition that is held at the ArtSci Museum.

So once her calendar was available on Hari Raya Puasa, she made her way to the museum together with her Evil Twin. Not surprisingly, there was a long line for tickets because it was a public holiday, but the queue moved quickly enough and they did not have to wait too long to buy their passes.

The exhibition, which is curated by the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in collaboration with DreamWorks Animation, showed the flow of the film-making process in a logical sequence through three different galleries called Character, Story and World.

STGCC 2015: Adi Granov Returns Together with Jim Cheung and Stella Chuu!

The second wave of STGCC 2015 guest announcements has been released!

Returning to the Red Dot Island is artist and concept designer Adi Granov. Adi was at STGCC two years ago, as a guest under the umbrella of Play Imaginative. If one can recall, it was the year when Iron Man fever hit the convention floor. As the man behind the concept designs of the Iron Man suits featured in the movies, Adi was a hot fan favourite then, and he is *still* a hot fan favourite now.

Recently, Adi provided the variant cover art for "Star Wars #1", "Darth Vader" and "Princess Leia" comics and cover artwork for "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" and "Star Wars: Episode VI - The Return for the Jedi".

Adi will be making announcements on commission sign-ups and other items that will be made available at STGCC. Stayed tuned for the info on his Facebook page. If you missed the chance to say hello to Adi back in 2013, don't miss meeting him and his lovely wife Tamsin this coming September!

Diva's Movie Review: "Ant-man" Is Packed With Oodles of Charm (Spoilerish!)

After the noisy, over-the-top "Avengers: Age of Ultron" that resembled and felt more like a video game than a satisfying movie, Red Dot Diva toned down her expectations on the next Marvel superhero movie.

Sure, she adores Paul Rudd and his work, but Ant-man has never been totally mainstream as a superhero, even when, in the comics, he is actually one of the founding members of The Avengers. Most people could never quite envision Paul Rudd (who mostly did comedies) to be a superhero either.

Moreover, after nearly 9 years in the making at the hands of British director Edgar Wright, "Ant-man" saw his suddn departure in May 2014 due to "creative differences". He was later replaced by Peyton Reed as director, who also re-crafted the script together with Paul Rudd and Adam McKay.

Will this be another storytelling mess filled with too many characters? The promotional trailers for "Ant-man" were very low-key, so would that mean it was going to be a bland movie? She knew she was not alone in her skepticism.

But those niggly feelings fell apart within minutes of the opening scene that set the tone of the entire movie - thanks to the engaging script and innate charm of Paul Rudd as burglar-genius Scott Lang.

WARNING: SOME SPOILERS AHEAD!

ICDS 2015: Meet Guest-of-Honour Cosplayer Jin (behindinfinity) at *Scape 22 & 23 August 2015!

Red Dot Diva tips her hat off to cosplayers in general. These hardworking folks invest a lot of their time and soul into their craft. With many cosplay and anime events happening all year round in Red Dot Island, active cosplayers are almost always hard at work imagining, planning, designing and working on their costumes.

What's different about International Cosplay Day compared to other similar events is that it is an annual worldwide celebration that occurs on the last Saturday of August. So, even if one does not have a convention to go to, it would be a good excuse to get into a costume and gather with some friends to celebrate the joy and camaraderie of cosplay.

In Red Dot Island though, International Cosplay Day Singapore (ICDS) has taken on a local flavour. Fellow geeks from The Neo Tokyo Project have been organizing a fan-driven weekend gathering for the last 6 years!

This year's edition of ICDS, which will remain at *Scape, is held on 22 & 23 August, 11 AM to 7 PM. The website was updated a few weeks ago, and holds some interesting information, including the name of a special guest.