Singapore Comic Con 2024 (SGCC) - Interview With Comic Book Legend Joe Rubinstein

Josef “Joe” Rubinstein is a comic book legend who has inked a multitude of characters. He has also worked with all of the major comic book publishers.

When he knew he had fallen deeply in love with comics, Joe considered Neal Adams to be his main idol. At age 13, he managed to work in Continuity Studios running errands. Continuity Studios is a studio started by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano that focused primarily on comic-based products. He caught the attention of Dick Giordano and was mentored by him during his early years working on comic books. A few years later, at about age 17, he got his first professional comic book gig. Comic book lovers will also be familiar with Joe's acclaimed ink work in Marvel Comics’ “The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe” as well as the 1982 four-issue Wolverine miniseries by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. So as you can see, Joe has been in the business for a very, very long time.

At Singapore Comic Con (SGCC) 2024, Joe Rubinstein will be making an appearance as a special guest of Fat Snake Comics. He is eager to meet and interact the local and regional fans, so do not miss the opportunity to visit Booth L1-AA218, and give him a warm welcome, Red Dot Island-style!

Even though Joe has a very busy schedule, he found the time to answer Red Dot Diva's nosy questions. Thank you so much, Joe!

Red Dot Diva: Your extensive portfolio acquired throughout the years, like X-Men, Wolverine, Star Wars, Action comics, X-files, etc, is the who's who list of pop-culture's greatest works. Which franchise(s) is/ are your favourite(s)?
Joe: I really like all the versions of the JLA. They are well drawn with a mix of funny and drama.

Red Dot Diva: Comic book readers may be more familiar with your inks, but you also showcase fantastic oil paintings and portraits on your social media. Would you consider doing a project with your oil paints or maybe a creator owned work, if the opportunity presents itself?
Joe: Absolutely. I would love to collaborate with a creator and paint some paintings. It would be a lot of work, but I'd consider it. I'm just waiting to be asked.

Red Dot Diva: Which character would you have liked to have worked on but have not had the chance to do so yet?
Joe: I loved James Robinson's SANDMAN, but I never worked on it.

Red Dot Diva: As an industry veteran, has comics writing / creation changed in recent times, and how so? In your opinion, is it for the better? Or for worse?
Joe: It looks like a lot of comics are all created digitally. I would hate for the old-school art skills to be lost. I still ink with a brushes and nibs. And I still take classes in painting so I am always learning and improving.

Red Dot Diva: Having been an industry veteran, what are the key qualities that help a creator enjoy a long lasting career doing comics or related projects?
Joe: Be good at what you do. Take classes. Practice. And then get lucky with a gig that turns into a career defining legacy.

Red Dot Diva: Have you visited Singapore before? What are you looking forward to most while you are here as a guest of Singapore Comic Con?
Joe: It was an honor to be invited. Thank you Eric Chong for hosting me on this trip. I am looking forward to meeting the comic fans in Singapore and seeing if their interests are the same as fans in the US. After the con, I hope to stop into an art museum or just tour through the city.


Meet your favourite comic book creators and artists, including Joe Rubinstein at Fat Snake Comics/ Pink Ponk Comics - SGCC 2024 at Booth L1-AA218.

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Singapore Comic Con 2024 (SGCC) Booth Highlight - Meet Eric Chong, Avid Comic Collector And Owner Of Fat Snake Comics

Local comic book fans are already familiar with Pink Ponk Comics, located at a cosy corner of Katong Plaza. One of the owners of Pink Ponk Comics is Eric Chong, an avid collector of comic books who grew up reading stories in that medium. Curious about what specific comicsEric has in his collection? You can gawk at his amazing and valuable comic book collection at this 2021video by Straits Times. Oh, one more thing - you might also know him as one of the co-creators of beloved local comic book character, Mr Kiasu.

Pink Ponk Comics has been making their presence felt at Singapore Comic Con (SGCC) - Red Dot Island's largest pop-culture event of the year. Their booth at past events had featured a number of overseas and regional comic book artists, like Ivan Tao, Marco Santucci, Emma Wu and Maria Laura Sanapo, providing fans with ample opportunities to meet their favourite illustrators.

This year, Pink Ponk Comics' involvement at SGCC will be through Fat Snake Comics (FSC), a new company also owned by Eric Chong. On their SGCC 2024 guest list are the veteran comic book creators Mike Zeck and Joe Rubinstein, as well as Rudy Nurdiawan (aka Rudy Ao) and Roland Amago.

Despite the rush to prepare for SGCC 2024 this weekend, Red Dot Diva managed to steal a few precious minutes of Eric Chong's time for a quick Q&A:

Red Dot Diva: You already own a local and well loved comic book store called Pink Ponk? Why did you start up Fat Snake Comics?
Eric: I guess it is God's Calling. After the passing of my beloved Mother in July 2024, I felt a spirit telling me to setup an online comics store, and I decided to name it Fat Snake Comics. My mother was born in the Year of the Snake and she was, you could say, overly chubby. My Dad always teased her about her weight, and so I decided to call the store Fat Snake Comics in memory of her.
The setting up of FSC will not only serve the local and regional comic communities on a separate platform, but more importantly, Fat Snake Comics will allow me and my siblings to remember and honor our Mum, who has sacrificed so much to care and love us unconditionally and against all odds.
Red Dot Diva: Thanks for sharing this. It's really touching.

Red Dot Diva: How is it like to own a comic book store?
Eric: The feeling is priceless. It has been my childhood dream to own a comic book shop, since I am someone who frequents so many comics shops, both local and foreign. I always feel great walking into a comics shop, as I can meet up with other comic book nerds, and to buy and sell comics. The feeling of owning one is even better. I have so many beautiful comics around me, which makes me extremely happy, and it helps take away all the worries and stress in life.

Eric meets Joe Rubinsten at NYCC 2024

Red Dot Diva: What has your experience been like working with veteran guests (e.g. Mike Zeck, Joe Rubinstein) for a big show like SGCC?
Eric: It is my honour that both Mike Zeck and Joe Rubinstein have agreed to be guests at Fat Snake Comics' booth. Initially I was a bit nervous, because I am speaking to two highly respectable and top level artist in the comics industry. But, when I spoke to them, negotiating about the terms and conditions of their agreements, I soon discovered that that they were both of them very nice, humble and easy to work with.

Both Mike Zeck and Joe Rubinstein are very passionate and proud of their works but they are not arrogant at all. They are thoughtful and so kind to me. I suggested that they should be specified "break times" for them during the show, but they insisted on spending more time at their respective booths so the fans will not miss them and for them to mingle with the fans. Now that is what I call "Very Pro", lor. Respect!
Red Dot Diva: Oh gosh. I cannot wait to meet them this weekend. My heart warms up hearing you speak about how they are like. I've met a few big time comic book pros myself and 99% are absolutely lovely, kind people, and you come away from the experience on an absolute high!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Fat Snake Comics (@fatsnakecomics)

Red Dot Diva: What do you aspire to achieve with Fat Snake comics at SGCC and beyond?
Eric: Firstly, I hope that FSC and her guests will have a fun-filled and successful show, just like back in 2022 and 2023.

I am blessed to be able to travel to comic cons each year in USA, and the opportunity to meet most of my childhood favourite writers and artists. My heart skipped a beat when I got to shake Frank Miller's hand. For my fellow comic books kakis who are not able to do the same, I hope through FSC, they will be able to meet and talk to their favourite writers and artists here at SGCC.

I hope SGCC 2024 would allow more people to know about the new online comics book store, Fat Snake Comics. The store is not just about buying and selling comics or arts; it also has a vision of revitalising the local comics market and community through shows like SGCC and other events similar events. It is my hope that the fans and collectors will appreciate and support FSC's vision, so that everyone will benefit in the end, as FSC will be able to keep bringing in top writers and artists, both local and foreign, and together, we can make collecting comics and art a joy.
Red Dot Diva: This sounds ambitious, but absolutely lovely. Comic books are for everyone. It is such a special medium that fuses text and images, and I too hope that more people would enjoy the myriad of stories told in this form through FSC's initiatives. See you at SGCC this weekend!


Meet your favourite comic book creators and artists at Pink Ponk Comics/ Fat Snake Comics' SGCC 2024 booth at Booth L1-AA218.

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RELATED SINGAPORE COMIC CON (SGCC) 2024 ARTICLES

Singapore Comic Con 2024 (SGCC) - Meet Comic Book Guests Like Mike Zeck, Michael Gaydos, Ram V and Giuseppe Camuncoli
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Singapore Comic Con 2024 (SGCC) Artist Highlight - Marvel At Rudy Ao's Photo Realistic Artwork (L1-AA218, Fat Snake Comics)

Singapore Comic Con 2024 (SGCC) - Interview With Comic Book Legend Joe Rubinstein

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Singapore Comic Con 2024 (SGCC) - Meet Comic Book Guests Like Mike Zeck, Michael Gaydos, Ram V and Giuseppe Camuncoli

If you have attended Singapore Comic Convention (SGCC) before, you know the drill! Get tickets to the show, gather your squad, attend the event and have the best geek fun of the year.

The largest pop-culture event will be back at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre on 7 and 8 December 2024, with over 400 exhibiting companies and 480 brands at the show that spans two floors (Level 1 and B2). All in all, there will be four exhibition halls taking up about 200,000 sq ft in space.

The show's organiser has been rolling out the guest announcements, and there are some heavy hitters in the list of comic book guests. This year, artist agency Scotts Collectables will be bringing in creators Ram V, Alessandro Cappuccio, Bjorn Barends, Dan Quintana, Fernando Blanco, Javier Fernandez, Belen Ortega, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Francesco Manna and David Messina.

Red Dot Diva is putting award-winning writer/ artist Ram V on her "die die must meet" list. Ram V has written graphic novels including GRAFITY’S WALL, THE MANY DEATHS OF LAILA STARR and BLUE IN GREEN. He has also written for iconic DC Comics and Marvel titles like Detective Comics, Swamp Thing, Venom and Carnage.

It will also be really cool to see Italian artist Giuseppe Camuncoli back on the island again. 14 years ago, he was a guest at Singapore Toy Games and Comic Convention 2010, and he was Red Dot Diva's first interview victim! Welcome back, Giuseppe!

When both RDD and Giuseppe were younger and more innocent (circa 2010)

Scotts Collectables has been making their presence felt at SGCC in the last couple of years by connecting popular comic book creators, like James Tynion IV, Lee Bermejo and Martin Simmonds, to fans in this region. The autograph lines at the booths can be quite long. So, if you are intending to get your comics signed by their creators, do arrive at the event hall early!

At SGCC 2024, fans can get to meet veteran comic book artists like Mike Zeck and Joe Rubinstein, who are co-hosted by Fat Snake and local comic book store Pink Ponk. Mick Zeck's artwork on Spider-Man and Punisher has influenced the look of these characters, creating iconic images that have been imprinted in the minds of comic book fans. He is also the creator of the black-and-white suit won by Spider-Man in Marvel's 1984 limited series, SUPER-HEROES SECRET WARS.

Inker Joe Rubinstein has contributed to countless comic books with his talent. He holds a Guinness World Record of inking the most number of artists in the comic book industry - with credits in over 2,500 comic books. One of those books is the THE OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE, which he worked on for 20 years. Besides Marvel titles, Joe Rubinstein has worked in titles by major comic book publishers, including DC's AQUAMAN, ION: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE and GREEN ARROW/BLACK CANARY series, and Dark Horse's ARCHENEMIES.

Other guests hosted by Fat Snake and Pink Ponk are Michael Gaydos, who is the co-creator of Jessica Jones for Marvel. With over 30 years' experience in the comic book industry, Michael Gaydos has worked on mini series POWERLESS and DC Comics' PEARL. Joining him, are artists Elia Bonetti, OshRed, Emma Wu, and Indonesian Rudy Nurdiawan aka Rudy Ao. Red Dot Diva has not seen Rudy in years!!! So, she cannot wait to catch up with him again at SGCC. Rudy is such an awesome guy, and he draws uber-detailed, near hyper-realistic renditions of comic book characters.

As a pop-culture show, SGCC has also invited guests who do not work mostly on Western comic books. Announced so far are HK manhua artist Khoo Fuk-Lung 邱福龍, award-winning Japanese American illustrator Yuko Shimizu (not the Hello Kitty creator!), local illustrator Darren Tan (best known for his Star Wars and MTG art), a convention favourite and official Disney artist James C Mulligan (he's so friendly, and his booth is a popular hot spot), as well as local concept artist and illustrator Julian Kok.

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A post shared by The Square Comics (@thesquarecomics)

Oh, and the creators of webtoons The Square Comics are special guests of the event too!

There should be more guest announcements as the show date looms nearer, but Red Dot Diva can bet your bottom dollar that one of them would be Simone Legno of the insanely popular tokidoki lifestand brand. If you haven't noticed before, Simone Legno has a legion of super-loyal fans, and they will always go all out to get to meet him whenever he makes a stop in Red Dot Island.

Last year, SGCC attendees got to meet DC Comics' Executive Editor Ben Abernathy. In the year before, Marvel's Editor-In-Chief C.B. Cebulski was back in town. Red Dot Diva wonders if fans will have the opportunity to meet ditors from the Big Two again this year?

Do the current list of guest announcements stir up some nerd excitement for SGCC 2024? Who do you think would be announced as SGCC guests next?


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UPDATE ABOUT GUESTS

These guests are no longer able to make it to SGCC 2024:
- Dan Quintana
- Alessandro Cappuccio
- Francesco Manna
- Michael Gaydos
- OSHRed

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Want to see what SGCC 2023 was like, check out my Youtube videos for last year's show!

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If you enjoy Red Dot Diva's content, feel free to help her efforts going by showing your support through ko-fi. Thank you!