Rebranded Singapore Comic Con (SGCC) Shifts Dates to 7 & 8 Dec 2019!

The signs were already there during last year's Singapore Toy, Game and Comic Convention (STGCC). Remember the huge signage made out of post-its with the new name, near the food court? It was a hint of what's to come concerning the rebranding of Red Dot Island's main pop-culture show.

Since then, there has been a fair amount of hearsay with bits of information flowing through from exhibitors and those who signed up for booths at this year's Artist Alley. However, for most local fans, things have been kept on the low-down... Until last night. 

At an exclusive fan party held at retro gaming bar NINETEEN80, ReedPOP Singapore made three important official announcements to a group of about 25 specially invited fans. 

#1 - STGCC Has Been Rebranded as Singapore Comic Con (SGCC)
The event's lengthy name - Singapore Toy, Game and Comic Convention - has always been a tongue twister. Red Dot Diva noticed that guests usually fumble when they need to mention the show's name at a promotional video or during interviews. Many local folks (especially those who are not so hardcore) sometimes call it Singapore Comic Con for short.

Also, the new name is more in line with all the other pop-culture conventions that ReedPOP organises internationally, like New York Comic Con, Oz Comic Con, Seoul Comic Con and Indonesia Comic Con. ReedPOP assures that other segments like toys, will still have their presence at the show even though it is not mentioned specifically in rebranding.

The show's acronym/ hashtag itself though, is rather unfortunate. It is a running joke that SGCC stands for Serangoon Gardens Country Club, so... will there be a pop-culture mini golf competition at the show? Red Dot Diva thinks that will be quite a fun and novel idea. Hahaha.

Apparently, SGCC was chosen over SCC in order not to cause confusion for those who associate the latter's acronym with Singapore Comics Community.

Tumble into Artscience Museum's Wonderland Exhibition, Opens 13 April 2019

Photo: Phoebe Powell

Look out for the White Rabbit! Then, follow him down the rabbit hole into Wonderland, a new exhibition at Artscience Museum that opens on 13 April 2019. The interactive and whimsical exhibition is based on Lewis Carroll's beloved book series “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There”.

Red Dot Island is the first stop of Wonderland's global tour. Developed by Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), Wonderland aims to enchant readers and audiences with immersive environments consisting of theatrical sets, stunning props and audiovisual works.

Alice and her adventures in Wonderland has inspired countless movies, comics, games since 1865, and has also become a pop culture icon through the ages. The Wonderland exhibition shows how she has been interpreted and adapted through the centuries, by pulling together an amazing range of original behind-the-scenes material that includes over 300 artefacts and objects, like original 19th century manuscripts, first edition books, imaginative drawings, fantastical costumes, films and so much more.

In addition, Wonderland will also show the technological advances and progress with animation, puppetry and special effects from the era during the first Alice movie adaptation by Cecil M Hepworth in 1903 to the recent TV shows and films produced and screened in the 21st century.


Wonderland at ArtScience Museum

Here is a brief run down of what visitors can expect in the upcoming Wonderland exhibit.

Starting from Lewis Carroll's drawing room, visitors will be given their own Lost Map of Wonderland to use as a guide in exploring the area. But first of all, you have to choose to be one of the four characters – the White Rabbit, Cheshire Cat, the Queen or the Mad Hatter - which will set you on a path consisting of secret doorways, winding corridors, and interactive props that beg to be touched and fiddled with.

Photo: Phoebe Powell

The journey continues through the Hallway of Doors, to the Pool of Tears, the Looking Glass House and then, to the Queen's Croquet Ground, where you can become one of those on screen taking part in a croquet game.

Photo: Phoebe Powell

Most wondrous of all is the immersive centrepiece of the exhibit - the Mad Hatter's Tea Party! Sit down and be one of the kooky guests at a table served with giant tea cups, surrounded by a digitally projected dreamscape.

Photo: Phoebe Powell

Leave the adult world of logic behind when you step into topsy-turvy Wonderland, as things get curiouser and curiouser, and where it is OK if you think you have spotted a glimpse of the Cheshire cat's mysterious grin from the corner of your eye.  


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

Tickets are available for purchase from 1 April onwards at all Marina Bay Sands box offices and website. Wonderland opens its trippy doors on 13 April till 22 September 2019

For more information, head to this link - https://www.marinabaysands.com/museum/wonderland.html

Gamestart Asia Is Ready for Another Edition at Suntec Convention Centre, 12 & 13 October 2019

Gamestart Asia has announced their convention dates for 2019!

Back for the 6th year, South-east Asia's premiere gaming convention will be back at Suntec Convention Halls 401 to 403 on 12 & 13 October 2019.

Last year's show had attendees excited for the high-stakes e-sports competitions including the SEA Major (SEAM), game releases as well as meet and greet sessions with special guests Elise Zhang, voice of Mei from Overwatch, as well as wrestler and celebrity gamer Kenny Omega.

The convention is set for even more exciting gaming and pop-culture events and activities in its next edition, so keep your eyes on Gamestart Asia's social media sites, as well as here on Red Dot Diva!

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

Gamestart Asia links:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GameStart.Asia/
Twitter - http://twitter.com/GameStartAsia
Instagram - http://instagram.com/GameStartAsia

Triple Frontier Biceps Ben Affleck, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund at Red Carpet Event, Singapore

WOWZA!

Not only was the weather scorching hot yesterday, the area at Marina Bay Sands' Digital Light Canvas rose to a few hundred degrees Celsius in the evening as well.

Why, you ask? Because three-fifths of the Special Ops Boyband aka as Netflix's action thriller-heist-drug cartel war movie called “Triple Frontier” - Ben Affleck, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedland plus producer Chuck Roven - were in town for a red carpet event.

Red Dot Diva was there to check out those hunky biceps and here are some of the details of what went down during those couple of hours.

The fan area opened at about 4 PM for those who had tickets for the event. Unlike other red carpet events, this one seemed pretty chill. The layout was neatly designed with clearly marked out areas for fans to stand in. Security and crew also seemed clear with their instructions given, and there was a generous space for the media folks right in front of the stage.

There was only a handful of fans who were very early. Up till 6 PM or so, there was a still lots of space available for more people to get onto the fan pit. Before the Netflix PR folks arrived, Red Dot Diva was still unsure if she wanted to stand with the fans (better chance of selfies and autographs), or get into the media pit. In the end, she decided to sacrifice the chance for possible (sometimes blurry) selfies, for the opportunity to take clearer pics up close for social media and the RDD blog. You can thank her much much by following her blog and social media accounts. ;)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Red Dot Diva (@reddotdiva) on Mar 8, 2019 at 12:11am PST

Check out the striking red carpet, all ready for the stars to walk on. While everyone was waiting, Class 95 DJs The Muttons got everyone warmed up, gave out some swag, and introduced the fans to the “Triple Frontier” trailer.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Red Dot Diva (@reddotdiva) on Mar 8, 2019 at 4:18am PST

Celebrate Barbie's 60th Anniversary at the Singapore Flyer!

She may be 60 years old, but Barbie® still kicks ass by inspiring girls all around the world. Whether she's a fashionista, an engineer, an astronaut, teacher, dentist or presidential candidate, Barbie® has shown that a girl can reach for the limitless possibilities ahead of her, and be who she wants to be.

Just a day after International Women's Day (8 Mar), Barbie® 's 60th Anniversary celebration will begin at the Singapore Flyer Observation Wheel. From 9 March to 30 June 2019, visitors and fans of Barbie® can soar the skies, and admire the 360° panoramic view of Red Dot Island in a specially decorated Singapore Flyer capsule called Barbie® Flight.

Barbie Flight
(pic credit: Mattel, Inc)

From 6:30 PM, there will also be a scintillating pink light-up on the Singapore Flyer, as it overlooks the iconic Marina Bay and waterfront area. The illumination lasts till 21 March 2019.

To fly high with Barbie® the Singapore Flyer, here are the ticket details:

Opening Hours: 8:30 AM - 10:30 PM daily (last entry at 10:15 PM)
Adult (13 years and above) - SGD 69
Children (3 to 12 years) - SGD 31
You can get tickets on site, or via the online booking portal: http://www.singaporeflyer.com/unique-experiences/


To find out what the timings are for Barbie® Flight, check out http://www.singaporeflyer.com/promotions.

How To Get Access Netflix's "Triple Frontier" Red Carpet Event at MBS on 8 March, 5:30 PM

You might have got wind of this piece of news from the grapevine already.

The cast of Netflix's new action thriller movie directed by J.C. Chandor called “Triple Frontier”, will be swinging by Red Dot Island for a red carpet event at Marina Bay Sands!

The stars who will be here are... *drumroll please* ... Ben Affleck, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund and producer Chuck Roven. Unfortunately, Oscar Isaac and Pedro Pascal will not be able to join the party.

In order to reserve your spot at this awesomely bicepstous red carpet event, do this:

RSVP your attendance via Whatsapp - 9338 4207

with the message - YOUR NAME, CONTACT NUMBER, NO. OF TICKETS

The collection of fan tickets will be at the Triple Frontier Registration Counter @ Digital Light Canvas.

UPDATED on 4 Mar 2019, 10 PM: The collection of reserved tickets is now from MBS info counter, Level B2 (opposite That's CD) from 6 Mar 11 AM onwards. Do note that tickets not collected by 7 Mar 10 AM will be forfeited.

The details of the “Triple Frontier” red carpet event are:

Date: Friday, 08 March 2018
Time: 5:30 PM (Fan registration)
Venue: Digital Light Canvas (B2, Next to the Rasapura Masters Food Court) at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

So keep your date free this Friday!! It's so rare to see Batman, a Pacific Rim Jaeger Pilot and a TRON adventurer all in one place! More so, right here in our little Red Dot Island.

“Triple Frontier” is a action-packed heist movie about five former friends from Special Ops, who intends to rob a South American drug lord for their own self interests. However, an unexpected chain of events occur, and the group face consequences testing their skills, friendship, loyalties and morals.


You can catch “Triple Frontier” on Netflix beginning March 13!

EnBlock - Singapore's First Lego Convention to Launch on 19-21 April 2019

Something special for LEGO builders and collectors of Red Dot Island is happening in April. The EnBlock Brick Convention, is set to launch on Easter weekend April 19 to 21, at Funan Showsuite @ Hill Street.

Organized by the LEGO gallery and retail shop My Little Brick Shop, EnBlock is touted as the island's first Lego convention. Various builds by LEGO artists will be on display for fans to ogle at. Red Dot Diva is not much of a LEGO builder, but she is constantly amazed at how creative LEGO artists can be, especially the intricately-designed dioramas.

To gain entry into the brick convention, you would have to purchase a ticket.

Regular ticket for 1-day entry
SGD 4 (early bird price), SGD 6 
Access to the convention, bazaar, 1 lucky draw, and all activities and contests on a first-come, first-served basis
Link: https://shopee.sg/mylittlebrickshop/1930516210

All Access VIP 3-day pass
SGD 18
Access to the convention, bazaar, 3 lucky draws (1 on each day), and all activities and contests on a first-come, first-served basis
Link: https://shopee.sg/mylittlebrickshop/1930613049

Purchase a pass before 8 March, and you will also each receive a unique collectible for FREE - a personalized LEGO Peranakan Microfigure that is worth SGD 7.98.

Cinemax's Martial Arts Series "Warrior" Based on Bruce Lee's Writings, Premieres on 6 April 2019

Rich Ting as Bolo,  Jason Tobin as Young Jun
Pic credit: HBO/ David Bloomer

Wuxia fans will now have a new martial arts action drama to indulge in. On April 6, CINEMAX will premiere “Warrior”, their first tentpole 10-episode series which is based on the writings of the one and only martial arts legend Bruce Lee.

Back in the 1970's, Bruce Lee tried to get his 8-page pitch called “The Warrior” to be produced, but at that time, the Hollywood studios were not confident that audiences would accept an Asian lead actor as the hero. Things have changed a lot in recent years, with more Asian actors leading Hollywood movies and TV shows, and gaining prominence for their work. With such a pedigree behind it, “Warrior” should prove to be a worthy a fix for those who love to watch martial arts shows.

How did the back story of how Bruce Lee's script finally came to fruition? This amazing journey from idea to TV series is now chronicled in Cinemax's 8-part docu-series, “Becoming Warrior”, and all 8 episodes are now currently available on Cinemax's Youtube Channel!