Diva Visited GnB Comic's Spanking New Place for Halloween Comics Fest!

Yesterday (29 October 2016), Red Dot Diva visited GnB Comic's spankin' brand new shop at Kitchener Complex for Halloween Comics Fest!

Halloween Comics Fest is an annual worldwide event when free horror comic books are given out to fans of all ages at participating stores. This was also Red Dot Diva's first time attending the celebration.

One of the few comics bookstores existing in Red Dot Island, GnB Comics has been operating at Rochor Centre for several years. Unfortunately, the blocks of old but colourful apartments and shops were marked for demolition, and as that time drew nearer, fans and members of GnB were getting twitchy wondering if the shop will carry on at another site or close its shutters for good.

Then, in late September, a surprise announcement was made on GnB Comics' mobile app. The comic book store has found a new home at Kitchener Complex, which is just a hop and a skip away from Lavender MRT Station! Woohoo!

Meet Benjamin Chee, Writer/ Artist of Comic Book Charsiew Space!

As someone growing up in Red Dot Island, where most people are food-crazy, reading Benjamin Chee's self-published comic book "Charsiew Space" was like nomming on comfort food. To be more exact, it was like savouring yummy local dishes while nonchalantly trotting about on a wild space adventure.

In a sector of a certain galaxy, pork including the traditional roasted version called charsiew, has been banned. Sow, a shrewd elderly Ah Mm (i.e. "old lady") teams up with a space smuggler and his robot to bring the delicacy back on the menu, but not without re-pork-ussions from the citizens of Pig Planet.

Red Dot Diva thought "Charsiew Space" was such a lively and hilarious comic that she recently sent a copy of it to Paul Levitz (formerly the president and publisher of DC Comics) as a small birthday gift . He thought Benjamin's art was "charming".

Today is #PaulLevitz's birthday. If you could sit him down to talk about the history of comics, especially in DC, and in other various general topics, you will learn and be enlightened by so many things and information. He is a rare kind of man (so far in my short life) who lights up thousands of my brain cells at one time. I sent Paul a copy of my friend's little self-published comic #CharsiewSpace as a small birthday gift and he said, "Benjamin's art is charming, and it's making me itch for a local NY restaurant called Pig Heaven..." Happy birthday, Paul!! 🎈🎂 🎈 🎉 Wishing you more fun and happy birthday years to come! #Comics #Singapore #Malaysia #artist #writer #CharsiewSpace #books

A photo posted by Red Dot Diva (@reddotdiva) on Oct 20, 2016 at 7:10pm PDT

She also wants to share the love for this delightful piece of work to the comic book geeks out there, and enticed Benjamin (via a portion of fragrant charsiew) to answer a few nosy questions:

The Inaugural Illustration Arts Fest Held on 28 to 30 October and 4 to 6 November, 2016

Red Dot Diva has covered local creative events for a few years now. In the last couple of years, she noticed that the indie art scene in Red Dot Island has become even more vibrant. Generally speaking, there is now a bolder level of confidence emanating from artists and creators, as a newer generation seeks to consume a wider range of topics and forms of expression that resonate with their sense of being.

So, it is a great time for the Illustration Arts Fest (IAF) to make its debut this year. Organized by the Organisation of Illustrators Council (OIC Singapore) in celebration of its 10th anniversary, the festival will be held in two locations (LASALLE and at SWF/ The Arts House) over two weekends - 28 to 30 October, and 4 to 6 November.

Voice Actor Auli'i Cravalho, Producer and Animators from Disney's Moana Surfing into Singapore, 9 November!

Surf's up!!

Actor Auli'i Cravalho, who voices Disney's newest princess Moana from the upcoming CG-animated movie of the same name, will sail into Red Dot Island for a press junket and meet and greet at a special event held on 9 November at Marina Bay Sands.

15-year-old Auli'i Cravalo, a Native Hawaiian, was selected to be Moana from hundreds of talent from the Pacific Islands who had auditioned for the role.

Alternative Animation Festival Cartoons Underground Returns on 22 October 2016

Poster art by Jia Lee

Looking for animated films that are more edgy and more adult? Then, head to Cartoons Underground, a festival consisting of alternative animation films which will be held at Kult Kafe on Mt Emily, on 22 October, from 6 PM.

Many movie and art fans might not be aware that the festival has actually been around for the past few years, and this year's show will be their fifth edition.

Cartoons Underground is also the jump-off point for many new animators in Asia as selected projects get to be screened during the event. The festival organizers receive film submissions with 487 applications from around the world, three times more than last year's! As a result, the festival director Tan Wei Keong has curated a total of 20 films listed in two programs called "Time Loop" and "Time Warp". Red Dot Diva imagines it must been be really tough for him to narrow the slew of interesting shorts to just 20!

Gamestart Asia 2016: The Gaming Scene Got Even Bigger and Louder!

The Microsoft X-Box booth (Pic Credit: Gamestart Asia)

The third edition of Gamestart Asia, the region's premiere gaming convention, wrapped up last Sunday after a rousing 3-day run.

The organizers reported that over 20,000 gaming enthusiasts and fans made their way to the show, where they could immerse themselves in the gaming world by trying out new titles, watching e-sports and participate in quirky events, like SecretLab's chair race!

Secret Lab's chair race, with mascot Alyse 3.0 (Pic Credit: Gamestart Asia)

Adding colour to the event were the several cosplayers who wandered around the hall in their skillfully crafted costumes, of course.

Cosplay competition (Pic Credit: Gamestart Asia)

It was unfortunate that Red Dot Diva was not able to take in the Gamestart action because she was overseas at the time. However, Andre aka Million Dollar Smile and the rest of the Glam Bloggers Alliance was at at the event to check out the various games and booths.

Here's Andre's photo blog of the event (with some additional boosters from Toys-etc's Ed!)

After 2 very successful events, Gamestart Asia was back for its third year. Some of the highlights for this year’s events were the first appearance of the Microsoft’s Xbox booth where recent and upcoming releases like Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3 and Final Fantasy XV were showcased, and the South East Asia Major (“SEAM”), the Southeast Asia's first and largest console tournament, which will pit Asia’s very best against one another.

So what else happened at Gamestart Asia 2016?

Check out the quick photo post of what went down on the day I was there.

Gamestart Asia 2016: Esports and Indie Games Are in the Forefront

At Gamestart Asia's press conference held on 28 September 2016, Red Dot Diva was glad to see that the organizer Eliphant, continues to have its heart in the right place regarding this annual event.

Other than the usual gaming competitions, game launches and cosplay, they have included more variety into the show with madcap events, pop-culture related geekery, like a Grand Prix chair race held by Secretlab. Imagine getting decked out in helmets or goggles, zooming down an isle and propelling mad levels of speed with while sitting on a Secretlab chair! (Click here for more information about this crazy race held during the convention.)

For its third year, there is a marked increase in the show's focus toward local and regional gaming talent, especially in the area of esports, with multiple tournaments being carried out during the weekend, like the Overwatch Champions Singapore Tournament, which will grant the top-voted indie a trip to exhibit at the Taipei Game Show 2017.