Jiangshi Galore At Daniel Yu x Blaxk's Altered Realities: A Jiangshi Introspection Exhibition (till 20 Nov 2022)

Local toy designer and sculptor DANIEL YU takes centrestage at an exhibition hosted by collectibles store and creative space BLAXK at Funan Mall. The exhibition entitled Altered Realities: A Jiangshi Introspection launched on 30 September 2022, and it is still running till 20 November 2022.

Red Dot Diva got to know about DANIEL YU'S creations when she spotted his toys displayed at a Singapore Toy Games and Comic Convention many years ago. His iconic Jiangshi (commonly known as “Chinese vampire”, although it is more like a zombie?) vinyl figures beckoned to her dark, macabre heart. There is something nostalgic about the jiangshi. The creature is such a classic Asian horror trope that has been ingrained in our psyche, especially those who watched a lot of the Hong Kong horror movies of the '80s and '90s.

Altered Realities: A Jiangshi Introspection is dedicated to DANIEL'S Jiangshi and other toy designs. Creative works by thirteen local artists have also been invited to put their visual spin on the Jiangshi. With that in mind, Red Dot Diva had to pop by BLAXK for a look. She visited the space during the First Wave of the exhibition that included art interpretations by Allison M. Low, Clogtwo, erikartoon, Claire & Pann Lim, Inkten Nadirah, Ratking, and Zan Cheong.

Celebrate Star Wars Day Online with Fightsaber Singapore on May the 4th

Sigh. Remember the pre-Covid-19 pandemic days??

Those were the days when local Star Wars fans here would gather physically to celebrate May the 4th Star Wars Day by interacting with costumers and cosplayers, ogling at wondrous toy collections, learning how to fight with a lightsaber, or simply enjoying each other's geeky company.

Earlier in March 2020, the organisers of May the 4th SG had wisely announced that due to safety reasons, there will not be a public event held this year. Then, Circuit Breaker happened, and no gatherings were allowed by law anyway.

However, it will be the school holidays next week, and the younglings will be off from HBL sessions. So, parents and their children can take part in a May the 4th celebration online with our favourite lightsaber performance and costume group, Fightsaber SG! 

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The school holidays are around the corner and so is May the 4th! This Circuit Breaker will not stop us from celebrating Star Wars Day and so we'd like to invite parents and children to participate in our exciting activities the next few weeks! We'll be organizing activities that you can take part in, all from the comfort and safety of your home! Watch this space the next few days as we announce more details on the activities and how you can also stand a chance to win prizes! #fightsabersingapore #fightsaber #starwars #starwarsday #maythe4th #maythe4thsg #sgunited #stayhomesg

A post shared by FightSaber Singapore (@fightsabersg) on Apr 29, 2020 at 7:20am PDT

It's Winter Time And Changi Airport Gets Frozen 2

Winter has arrived in Red Dot Island again!

To escape from the heat and humidity, enjoy a little frost and snow at Changi Airport's “A Frozen Wonderland” as Disney “FROZEN 2” is brought to life at the different terminals, from now till 5 January 2020.

The main installations are held at Terminal 3's Departure Hall.

TERMINAL 3

MEET ELSA, ANNA AND OLAF
Always dreamt of meeting Queen Elsa, Princess Anna and Olaf in person? Here's your chance!

Head to the frozen wonderland at Terminal 3 and get there early to line up because this opportunity is FREE of charge, and there are limited passes available.

Dates: From now till 24 November, and 29 November to 1 December,
Times: 11.30 AM, 2 PM, 3.30 PM, 5 PM and 6.30 PM

Red Dot Diva got to meet the lovely and elegant Elsa, who was freely giving warm, cool(?) hugs to wide-eyed kids who could not believe that they have finally met their favourite character. Elsa complimented on Red Dot Diva's colourful hair. Red Dot Diva suggested doing her signature pose, but Elsa leaned toward her and whispered that she rather not make the hall too cold. So, they both made this gentle snow flurry power pose instead!

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A post shared by Red Dot Diva (@reddotdiva) on Nov 21, 2019 at 8:01pm PST

Get Enchanted By ArtScience Museum's Disney: Magic of Animation Exhibition

Be ready to be enchanted (or bewitched) at the DISNEY: MAGIC OF ANIMATION exhibition, which opens at ArtScience Museum today, 26 October 2019. With displays consisting of over 500 over pieces of original drawings, concept art and paintings from the vault of Walt Disney Animation Research Library, this specially curated exhibition is something that a Disney fan should not miss!

Visitors are taken on a journey on Disney's 90+ years of animation, from a recreation of both retro and modern versions of an animator's work desk, to the various processes related to the iconic movies, like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) to The Lion King (1994), to recent hits, like Frozen (2013), Big Hero 6 (2014) and Moana (2016),

Upon entering the first gallery, Red Dot Diva felt like she had stepped into animation history. The area was about the brilliance and skill of 2D animation, and includes a tribute to Steamboat Willie (1928), the black and white short film that featured Mickey Mouse's very first appearance.

Fans can get step into a recreation of the famous steamboat and get their selfies, while the Steamboat Willie is screened beside it. Even though the art of animation has progressed in leaps and bounds by now, the old film is still as charming as ever.

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A post shared by Red Dot Diva (@reddotdiva) on Oct 23, 2019 at 10:39pm PDT

Gamestart Asia 2019 - The Cool and Awesome Games (and Mead!) to Look Out For!

Gamestart Asia, the region's premiere gaming convention for both hardcore gamers, casual gamers and industry players kicks off tomorrow for the 6th and probably, final time.

Red Dot Diva attended the Media Preview and had a peek of the show hall, which had a look and feel in tune with this year's theme “Asian Mythology”. Of course, the e-sports competitions like the SEA Major, will be the major highlight of the weekend, as well as the games in all its varied forms for fans to try out and play - tabletop, mobile, console, arcade, VR. You name it, the show has it. 

Some of the show's highlights and guests have already been mentioned an earlier RDD article (click here to read it), but there are even more exciting and fun things to look out for in the exhibit hall.


DISNEY/ MARVEL BOOTH

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A post shared by Red Dot Diva (@reddotdiva) on Oct 11, 2019 at 6:59am PDT

Disney/ Marvel's booth is the first thing you will see when one enters the hall, and it is brightly dressed with the trademark superhero colours of your favourite Marvel comic book characters.

This is the place to have a look at MARVEL Super War, the company's first MOBA game, where you can choose to be a superhero character, like Captain Marvel, the Hulk or Deadpool, and battle with your friends online.

At 2 PM on 12 October (Saturday), The Walt Disney Company will be making on the main stage with the Special Game Showcase. So, don't miss this segment if you love Disney/ Marvel characters!

Gamestart Asia 2018 - 5 Cool Things To Look Out For!

This weekend's Gamestart Asia 2018, South East Asia's premiere gaming convention, will be levelling up on a few areas.

There is an increased focus on industry related events with the launch of its Masterclasses on game art and design held in the last couple of days, which were led by experts Jacqueline Jocson and Carlo Arellano. During the convention itself, Gamestart Asia will also be holding workshops relating to building your own retro arcade machine and creating fun animations. These sessions are provided in collaboration with video production company, No Average Joe.

In addition, the arena of e-sports remains the major highlight, with the SEA Major 2018 hosting tournaments for 10 games, where international professional e-sports athletes will be competing for a prize pool of USD 50,000. Fans can get to watch their e-sports heroes in action, like Japan's Daigo Umehara, top female Tekken 7 player Tokido, home boy Ho Kun Xian and reknown multi-game champion Justin Wong.

Founder's Base will be back as well. This is where you can find the cutest, wierdest, quirkiest indie games built by local developers. Visit the area, try out the games there and vote for your favourite game at the Indie Awards. You will stand a chance to win a Wacom Intuos S BT tablet!!

Tabletop gamers will be happy to know that they are tons of opportunities to play their favourite games or try new ones. There are also cool prizes for grabs at The Gauntlet, where fans can show off their skills in a variety of games.

In addition, fans can shop at the the Doujin Market, and admire the awesome costumes at the Cosplay Runway. There is so many exciting things happening on both days, but if you are a casual gamer and are more interested in pop-culture/ entertainment, here is Red Dot Diva's pick of the Top 5 Cool Things to Look Out For at Gamestart Asia!

1. Meet Elise Zhang - Voice of Overwatch's Mei

The lovable voice actor from China will be at the convention meeting fans of the immensely popular game Overwatch during these times at the Gamestart Booth:

13 Oct - 3 to 4 PM
14 Oct - 1 to 2 PM

Photo prints are available at the Gamestart Booth as well. These cost $30 each. Limited meet and greet tickets are at $35 each, and you can bring 1 item for Elise to autograph.

Also, don't miss catching Elise on the main stage at 5:30 PM on 14 October.

Gamestart Asia 2018 - Elise Zhang, Overwatch Voice Actor Announced as Guest

Missing your favourite gaming convention in South-East Asia? Then, get ready to gather your friends together for Gamestart Asia!  The show is returning to Suntec City Convention Halls 401, 402 and 403 on 13 and 14 October 2018.

Just announced by the organizers today, Red Dot Diva is delighted to spread the word that The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia will be exhibition at the convention for the first time! Look out for more news on how their involvement will be at this year's show.

This piece of news is going to get Overwatch fans excited. Chinese talent Elise Zhang, voice of Mei in both English and Mandarin versions of the game, will be a guest Gamestart Asia! She also voiced Symmetra in the Mandarin version of Overwatch. Other voice work she has done includes "Power Puff Girls", "We Bare Bears" and "Lego NEXO KNIGHTS".

The other usual content that Gamestart Asia is well known for, will also be featured at the show. These include tabletop gaming, previews of games, e-sports, indie and retro games, as well as cosplay! Check out some of the highlights below:

Sentosa Sandsation 2018 presents a MARVEL Edition from 1 to 16 September 2018

This September, not only will you be able to enjoy the warm sun, salty air, and waves splashing at your feet, you will also get to admire 15 larger than life sand sculptures of comic book superheroes.

The Sentosa Sandsation returns with a MARVEL Edition at Silosa Beach from 1 to 16 September, 10 AM to 9 PM daily. The largest sand festival in South-east Asia, Sentosa Sandsation is part of the 3-year collaboration between The Walt Disney SouthEast Asia and Singapore Tourism Board.

Award-winning sand sculptor JOOHeng Tan and his team will be building sculptures of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk - just to name a few.

14 of the world's best sand sculptors will be showing off their skills by taking part in The Sentosa International Sand Sculpting Championship. The theme of the sculptures will be MARVEL-inspired creations, of course!

It's a great way to enjoy a fun day out with the kids during the school holidays, or hang out with your crew, as there are many other activities to participate in. Here are some of them:

STGCC 2017: Take a Digital Tour of Star Wars Props with Stefan Cembolista of Belgian Costume Division!

Are you a Star Wars fan??

If you are, there are two main reasons for you to buy a ticket to attend STGCC tomorrow, 10 September, at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre!

Reason No. 1 - The life-sized replica of Rey's Speeder

Reason No. 2 - An iconic section of the Millennium Falcon's interior.

Both these life-sized and near-accurate replicas were made by a group of talented prop-makers and craftsmen called the Belgian Costume Division (BCD). Their models have toured around the world at conventions, particularly at the Star Wars Celebration events.

The head and founder of BCD is Stefan Cembolista, a wiry, energetic man, who is first and foremost a dedicated Star Wars fan. Stefan, who was tactically dressed in a kilt (which Red Dot Diva thought that was most swoonsome!), was on site at the convention today.

Upon Red Dot Diva's request, Stefan leapt at the chance to give a tour of both installations to the Star Wars fans out there.

Watch the video below to see what little "secrets" Stefan revealed about BCD's prop-making adventures relating to the Millennium Falcon and Rey's Speeder:



How awesome is that?

The BCD has built other Star Wars replicas like the AT-AT and Tie Fighter. Red Dot Diva hopes that the BCD crew will have the chance to bring these and showcase them in Red Dot Island too!

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

Red Dot Diva's geek bro Jedd has also managed to interview Stefan Cembolista.
Read his interview here!

Disney's "Beauty and the Beast": The Giant Rose in Bell Jar at Raffles City and other Limited Edition Product Collaborations

It's time to countdown to the live action movie of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast", which will launch at Red Dot Island movie theatres on 16 March 2017.

The movie stars Emma Watson as Belle, Dan Stevens as the Beast, Luke Evans as Gaston, Josh Gad as LeFou, amongst many others including Emma Thompson as Mrs Potts and Sir Ian McKellen as Cogsworth.

Ever since the animated movie back in 1991, the image of a red rose in a bell jar has become synonymous with "Beauty and the Beast". In the original movie version - which Red Dot Diva could watch over and over again - the enchanted floating rose represented a clock, a visual reminder of what beauty really means, counting down to the end of the spell placed on the Beast, when he would return back to human form if he found everlasting love by his 21st birthday, or forever remain as a monster. Of course, for the romantics, the red rose is also a symbol of true love.

From now till 26 March 2017, fans can revel in the larger than life Rose and Bell Jar on display at Raffles City mall.

A post shared by Disney SG (@disney_sg) on Feb 28, 2017 at 8:10pm PST

Photo Post: Vivocity's Launch of "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" Activity Area

Vivocity's ground level atrium has gone "rogue"!

The mall is currently hosting a "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" display and activity area, featuring a 8-metre tall AT-ACT and life-sized Death Troopers.

Lady Raine and kampongchicken, both Red Dot Diva's friends who happen to own rather peculiar handles, were on site at the launch yesterday (29 November 2016) evening. The opening ceremony was also graced by the presence of the folks from 501st Legion SG, Cathar Rebel Base and FightSaber!

Here is a quick photo preview of what you can expect when you visit Vivocity from now till 18 December. The towering AT-ACT is gigantic!!

Imperial forces gathered around the AT-ACT, awaiting deployment.

Get Your Blasters (and Credits) Ready for the Advance Sales of "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"!

Local fans of the Star Wars franchise, information on the advance ticket sales for "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" has just been announced!

As Citibank is a major corporate sponsor for "Rogue One", their card holders will have the exclusive chance to buy IMAX 3D tickets on 28 November 2016, 10.00AM for the earliest slot on 14 December 2016, 7.00PM only.

After which, the public will be able to purchase tickets for IMAX 3D and all other formats from 29 November 2016, 12.01AM on the following cinema websites:

Cathay Cineplex
Golden Village
Filmgarde
Shaw Theatres [IMAX 3D]
Shaw Theatres
WE Cinemas

For those who want to avoid spoilers and watch the movie as soon as it premieres, it is time to plan and camp out!

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.

Now Official! Team Captain America in Singapore - Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie and Joe Russo for "Captain America: Civil War" Blue Carpet & Promo!

It's now official!

Captain America himself, Chris Evans and two other members from Team Cap - Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie will be in Red Dot Island together with director Joe Russo for the promotional junket of upcoming Marvel superheroes movie "Captain America: Civil War"!

SO EXCITING!!

They will make their way to Marina Bay Sands for this special event, starting 21 April 2016, with the blue-carpet event held at the Skating Ring from 6PM on Thursday, 21 April 2016.

Keep that date on your calendar free for this superhero extravaganza!

The cast will be split into two teams for their international promo, with Team Iron Man making their way in another part of the world.

Red Dot Island will be the welcoming stage for Team Cap as the cast members meet fans and media from across Asia-Pacific!

More details will be announced when as soon as Red Dot Diva gets the details from Disney/ Marvel.

Even though Red Dot Diva is firmly on the side of Team Rich Guys, there's no harm in appreciating ALL kinds of Biceps. Including the yummy ones owned by Team Cap! :D

Artist of "The Zodiac Legacy" Book Series Andie Tong Meets Fans at Kinokuniya

Locally, there are still many who are not familiar with Singapore-based artist Andie Tong, but Red Dot Diva is pretty sure this is going to change very soon due to the success of his work with Disney's illustrated book series "The Zodiac Legacy", created by the legendary Stan Lee, and co-written by Stuart Moore. It is also Stan Lee's first illustrated book series.

"The Zodiac Legacy" is about the power of the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac that have been unleashed all around the world. Chinese-American teenager Steven Lee absorbs the power of the Tiger and gets caught up with the whirlwind of events battling with the Vanguard - a group of mercenaries - who are trying to collect the powers from other hosts and use them for their own selfish means.

The action-packed first book "Convergence" was launched in early 2015. The follow-up book entitled "The Dragon's Return" was released last month, and was listed as a NYT best-seller for Children's Middle-Grade Hardcover!

Andie has worked in Australia and the UK, and is well-known with regular comic conventions goers around the world. He is definitely a familiar face to those who attend STGCC, and Red Dot Diva notices that his booth is usually swamped with fans.

It's "Poe to the Rescue" in LEGO "Star Wars: The Resistance Rises" Animated Series!

Coming up in this post are minutes of mini bricked cuteness!

And Red Dot Diva is pretty sure you won't be able to resist it.

Noooooooooooooooo!

Following soon after the news and teaser trailer of the upcoming video game for LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a precious mini movie called "Poe to the Rescue" has just been released online by Disney XD. It is the first from LEGO "Star Wars: The Resistance Rises", a series consisting of short animated films which serves as a prequel to Episode VIII. (BTW, did you catch the production teaser trailer for the Episode VIII movie?! Ahhhhh! Just those few glimpses has gotten Red Dot Diva super-excited about the sequel!)

Fans in the USA were lucky enough to catch LEGO "Star Wars: The Resistance Rises" which premiered on February 15th. But now, everyone else is able to enjoy this 6:46 minutes of awesome Poe-ness.

Click the link below to watch "Poe to the Rescue"!

Have You Seen the Gameplay Teaser of upcoming Marvel Tsum Tsum Game from Disney Japan?

What villainous sorcery is this?!!!

The latest incarnation of Disney's Tsum Tsum mobile game includes beloved characters from Marvel's universe, like Spider-man, Agent Carter, Iron-Man, The Hulk, Loki, and OMG!! They all look as cute and cuddly as one can possibly imagine.

For those who are wondering what the heck Tsum Tsums are, they are small bolster-shaped plushies that are meant to be stack on top of one another like a pyramid. Tsum Tsums have captured the hearts of many Disney collectible and toy fans ever since the line was introduced in Japan.

The mobile game was announced last year in Nov 2015. It is a joint effort between Walt Disney Company Japan, NHN PlayArt and digital media company Mixi, who is best known for its hit game Monster Strike. 

The official game website with a few screenshots as well as a sample gameplay of the new game has just been released! One can also register on the website to get early information and access to the game when it is released some time in Spring 2016.

Check it out here:

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.

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*

STGCC 2015 Causes Local Geekdom To Squee By Announcing Adam Hughes As Guest

STGCC 2015 finally announces their first round of guest announcement, and they certainly did not skimp on the surprise factor.

ADAM HUGHES

This year, internationally reknown and Eisner award-winning comic cover artist Adam Hughes will make his way to the convention! Red Dot Diva could almost hear the local geekdom squee with delight upon knowing that Adam Hughes will be here. She was aware that the fans have been hoping and requesting for Adam to attend STGCC for many years. 2015 is the year that this wish is set to come true.

For those who are not familiar with Adam Hughes he is well-known for drawing women figures beautifully in a pin-up art style, and has worked for the biggies like DC and Marvel, as well as Dark Horse, Archie and Lucasfilm. His variant art covers are highly sought after. A few years ago, he returned to sequential art and was the artist for mini-series "Before Watchmen: Dr Manhattan", written by J. Michael Straczynski.