Singapore Comic Con (SGCC) 2023 Artist Highlight - Comic Book Artist Stephen Segovia Is Eager To Be Back In Singapore

As part of Scott Collectable's stable of artists, Stephen Segovia has been invited as a special guest at this year's Singapore Comic Convention (SGCC). Red Dot Diva first met Stephen Segovia more than 10 years ago when he was here in for an opening of a comics and toy shop located at Funan the IT Mall. Click here to see how young and innocent we looked back then!

Ever since he was a breakout artist in the comic book world as a teenager, Stephen has continued to produce fabulous artwork - the kind of mindblowing work that is in recent titles like Marvel's on-going Moon Knight series, and the Spawn spin-off called The Scorched.

Being able to reconnect with Stephen again this weekend will be a happy and long awaited occasion, for sure. Here's the joyful electronic reunion before both Red Dot Diva and Stephen gets to meet in person again!

Red Dot Diva: Welcome back to SGCC! It has been awhile since you are back as a guest of the show. How does it feel to be back as an established artist with a portfolio of work with major publishers?
Stephen: I can't believe it's been a whole decade since I was last in Singapore! I'm so happy to be back and excited to be a part of the SGCC once again. I have a bunch of published work to share with you all, so let's catch up and have some fun!

Red Dot Diva: Lately, creators around our South-East Asian region are seeing a resurgence in terms of demand. For example, Sonny Liew winning the Eisners, Netflix adapting Filipino horror graphic novel series Trese. Do you think there should be more South-East Asian stories out there in graphic novels?
Stephen: I really think that there's a whole lot of amazing content out there from Southeast Asia that hasn't been shared with the world yet. It's mostly because these stories and artworks are self-published and only circulated on a small scale. Wouldn't it be awesome to see these creations being celebrated on a global platform like Netflix? I think it would be really cool! :)

Red Dot Diva: How do you think South-East Asian artists and creators can help to get more of our stories published?
Stephen: I really believe in the importance of appreciating and celebrating the fantastic creations that different creators bring to the table. By sharing them on various media platforms, we can inspire people all over the world and help them learn about different cultures. It's an awesome way to promote understanding and bring people closer together!

Red Dot Diva: You did a number of awesome covers for Marvel's Moon Knight series. Did you watch the Disney+ adaptation, and what did you think of it?
Stephen: Moon Knight has been a favourite of mine since my childhood, and I was delighted when Marvel commissioned me to produce several covers for them. Although the live-action adaptation differs from the comic book version, it remains an engaging and entertaining viewing experience. Despite its deviations from the original, the show retains the essence of the character and provides a fresh take on the source material.

Red Dot Diva: You have drawn professionally since the tender age of 16. How different do you think your art style is now versus back then?
Stephen: I have noticed that my style has been evolving towards storytelling rather than line details. Although I still enjoy creating detailed work on covers and commission art, I have been able to find a good balance between the two, incorporating storytelling with line work details on sequential art.

Red Dot Diva: What most distracts you from getting your work done?
Stephen: PS5 games hahaha!

Red Dot Diva: What are you looking forward to most when you are back in Singapore?
Stephen: I just can't get enough of Singapore! It's always an absolute delight to explore this vibrant city, make new friends and spend time with amazing fans. I could spend an entire day chatting away and signing books, and it still wouldn't be enough! And let's not forget about the delicious food - it's simply divine!



You can find Stephen Segovia in Scott Collectable's section within the Guest Zone of the L1 Exhibition Hall. Do give him a super warm welcome!!


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Diva's Movie Review - Spider-man: Across The Spider-verse Is A Dazzling Work Of Art

Just after two weeks of its theatrical release, SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE raked in an impressive USD 400 million at the global box office. Achieving this box office number is no mean feat for a superhero animated film, and ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE, the sequel of 2018's SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, is now Sony's highest-grossing animated release in history. The film continues its money-making gains at the international box office by crossing the half a billion (USD) mark this week.

ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE follows about a year after the events of the first movie. Back at her own world, Gwen Stacey/ Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld) has been dealing with her personal demons. She is feeling emotionally fraught after losing her best friend Peter, and being not able to reveal her secret identity to her dad. Later on, Gwen is roped in to join the Spider Society, which is headed by Miguel O'Hara (Oscar Isaac), the intense and intimidating Spider-man 2099 from Earth 928B. The secret society had been created mainly to prevent the collapse of the multiverse, and consists of numerous Spider-variants as members.

The Hulks Smash Into Bugis Junction - She-Hulk Light Projection Show

Capitaland has been spreading the festive cheer with Disney-themed installations called “From Our Family To Yours” at their 16 malls around Red Dot Island. Besides the workshops, events and shopping deals, there are decor consisting of characters from Disney, Star wars, Marvel and Pixar.

Bugis Junction is host to the Hulks from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The Hulk in rage mode stands guard in between two Christmas trees. From 26 November to 4 December 2022, the mall had a fun, kooky light projection show to promote the Disney+ series, SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW.

Spider-Man: No Way Home Is A Fun Treat For Spidey Fans Young and Old

Sony Pictures' SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME, with the adorable puppyish Tom Holland back as Peter Parker/ Spider-Man, is the best comic book movie of the year. This is not counting ZACK SNYDER'S JUSTICE LEAGUE, which was more of a one-off special event than a blockbuster movie release. SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME is a load of fun, and an absolute treat for Spidey fans of all ages.

The movie continues immediately from SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME'S ending. Just before supervillain Mysterio died, he was able to throw Peter Parker's life into chaos by revealing Spidey's true identity as well as framing him for murder. As The Daily Bugle's relentless journalist J. Jonah Jameson (JK Simmons) and the authorities go after Peter, all whom he loves - Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and bestie Ned (Jacob Batalon) - are bearing the consequences of his newfound notoriety. He naively seeks Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for help, requesting that the wizard cast a spell to make the world forget that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Unfortunately, the powerful spell got bungled, and all goes awry.

Loki Will Be Back With More Mischief and Mayhem on 9 June 2021, Disney+

Figure that you have time for only one show this week? Then, it has got to be Marvel latest TV series LOKI. The limited series, which consists of 6 episodes, will premiere on 9 June 2021 (Wednesday), exclusively on streaming service Disney+. New episodes will be available on Wednesdays.

Tom Hiddleston and his inescapable charms will return as the once Asgardian baddie, now anti-hero Loki, also known as the God of Mischief and step-brother of Thor (Chris Hemsworth). Marvel fans will remember that the Loki we have grown to love had his neck snapped by Thanos in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR. However, in AVENGERS: END GAME, an alternate timeline was created by the Avengers during the Battle of New York, in a bid to undo Thanos' snap. And this quick thinking, still villainous Loki managed to escape, by jumping into a wormhole with the Tesseract.

If the summary still sounds confusing to you, perhaps you will understand it better when Tom Hiddleston gives you a 30-second rundown in the video below:

Soft Toy Hospital Helped Stan Lee Plushie Get His Voice Back

Marvel Comics icon Stan Lee passed away 2 years ago on 12 November 2020. In remembrance of him, Red Dot Diva wants to share a sweet story about one of her prized possessions.

Back in 2014, she had purchased a limited edition toy talking Stan Lee plush doll from Factory Entertainment as a San Diego Comic-Con 2014 exclusive. Ever since, she brought Stan Lee Plushie home, the toy had been sitting on a self amongst a collection of Marvel comics. Occasionally, she brought him along to events and conventions, and people are usually so amused with the rare Stan Lee doll that talks! He is such an integral part of her collection of pop-culture knick knacks.

On the day Stan Lee died, Red Dot Diva posted an Instagram video message with the toy, in tribute to the man's extraordinary life:

View this post on Instagram

Dear Sir, you will so sooo missed! ❤️ But I can always hear your voice over and over again, and be continually inspired to live life with meaning and passion. Thank you 🙏🏻 for all that you have contributed in the world of pop-culture for us. #StanLee #Marvel #collectible #popculture #comics #Spiderman #superheroes

A post shared by Red Dot Diva (@reddotdiva) on Nov 12, 2018 at 5:52pm PST

It was one of the last few times she remembered hearing Stan Lee Plushie's voice from the plush toy.

Recently, she wanted to hear the toy speak again, but it did not work. She thought it could have been the batteries, so she tried changing them. Nope, that didn't work either. Boo hoo. There has to be something that can be done about this.

She recalled reading about a toy repair company in Japan, and wondered if there was a similar thing in Red Dot Island. Upon Googling the key words, Soft Toy Hospital's profile came up immediately. The hospital had a Facebook page as well, with photos of the surgeries that they have done. Some of the repairs they performed on old and broken toys were amazing, and they have received positive comments from their customers.

Soft Toy Hospital is founded by husband and wife team, Isaac Kong and Pamela Theng. They were esteemed teddy bear artists, and in 2016, decided to offer toy restoration, repair and cleaning services to collectors and owners. With such a track record, Red Dot Diva had a good feeling that these wonderful toy doctors would be able to help recover Stan Lee Plushie's voice.

She emailed Soft Toy Hospital with a few photos of Stan Lee Plushie and the battery pack.

Dr. Isaac replied to her email within a couple of days. He told Red Dot Diva that it was difficult to see what was wrong (the mechanics were all hidden deep within the toy's body), and advised that Stan Lee Plushie be hospitalised so that they can have a better look. He even offered to collect the toy (via toy ambulance?) from her home!

Stan Lee Plushie was then warded at Soft Toy Hospital for about 5 days, and placed under the loving care of Dr. Isaac. Red Dot Diva hoped he was a good patient. Using Whatsapp, Dr. Isaac provided the diagnosis of Stan Lee Plushie's voice box. The contact plate within the toy has rusted and some wiring have been damaged. However, Dr. Isaac could operate on Stan Lee Plushie and get him fixed within a few hours at a cost of SGD 40.

OMG. Hooray! OF COURSE, YES. Please fix him!



That very same evening, Dr. Isaac brought Stan Lee Plushie back home, who was looking none the worse for wear. In fact, Stan Lee Plushie could talk again! It was an amazing superhero feat by Dr. Isaac indeed. Red Dot Diva couldn't be any happier and relieved. Thank you so much, Dr. Isaac!

View this post on Instagram

My Stan Lee plushie lost his voice recently. I thought a set of new batteries could perk him up again, but that didn’t work. I was a little sad about that. Luckily, I managed to find @softtoyhospitalsg, and Dr Isaac took Stan Lee Plushie to the hospital via a toy ambulance, and after a short surgery, the skillful toy doctor managed to recover Stan Lee’s voice! Amazing work with lots of TLV given. Thank you, Dr. Isaac! I have written about my experience in my latest blog post - link in profile. If you need your beloved toy or collectible to be repaired, go look for Soft Toy Hospital! ———— #stanlee #stanleetoy #stanleeplush #marvel #toyrepair #singapore #softtoyhospitalsg

A post shared by Red Dot Diva (@reddotdiva) on Nov 12, 2020 at 9:49am PST

Stan Lee Plushie now sits together with lots of other toy friends, and he still talks from time to time. Red Dot Diva hopes he continues to spout those heartwarming Stan Lee-isms for many more years!

So, if you ever need your precious soft toy or collectible to be repaired, do drop an email, Whatsapp (98820388) or Facebook message to Soft Toy Hospital. The toy doctors offer such skillful and affordable service. Best of all, it is all wrapped up with an awesome amount of TLC for the toys and their owners.

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!

Singapore Comic Con (SGCC) 2019 - David Mack Returns, Lineup Includes Jim Mahfood, John Layman, Tik Ka and Koh Hong Teng

The guest list for Singapore Comic Con (SGCC) 2019 is getting better and better!

In the latest news on the pop-culture convention's guest lineup, there will be fan favourites returning to Red Dot Island, like David Mack, Mirka Andolfo, and James C. Mulligan, as well as first-timer guests Jim Mahfood, Alexander Iacarrino and John Layman together with Asian-based creators Koh Teng Hong, Peach MoMoKo, Tikka from the East and Michael Sng.

DAVID MACK
It is always a joyous time of year when David Mack decides to return to our local comic convention. He has built up a loyal fan base in this region, and his booth is always busy!

David Mack is well known as the creator of the KABUKI graphic novel series, and as the co-creator of Marvel character Echo from the Daredevil comics. His beautiful brush strokes can be seen in varied and high profile projects like JESSICA JONES, FIGHT CLUB 2 and FIGHT CLUB 3, AMERICAN GODS, and Dynamite's new series released this year, XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS.

David was also involved with the exceptional, Emmy-nominated opening title sequence for Marvel TV Series “JESSICA JONES”, as well as the concept design, artwork and sequence for “CAPTAIN AMERICA: WINTER SOLDIER” together with with Sarofsky Designs. Fans of Showtime series “DEXTER” will be familiar with his art in the Early Cuts episodes, and noticed a his recognisable artwork featured in the series episodes.

Singapore Comic Con (SGCC) 2019: More Guests Announced - Sarah Andersen, Fishball, Donny Cates and Yasmine Putri

The rebranded Singapore Comic Con (SGCC) that will be held Marina Bay Sands' Convention Centre on 7 & 8 December 2019, is ramping up the excitement with an interesting, varied guest list!

So far, the headlining guests include comic book artist fan favourites like Greg Capullo and Jock. The convention will also be welcoming Transformers artist Livio Ramondelli, upcoming artist Creees, illustrators Tara McPherson, Joey Spiotto and Prema-Ja, as well as cosplayers Jin (BehindInfinity) and Astarohime.

This week, SGCC announced a new initiative called "WORK IN PROGRESS (W.I.P.)" for South-East Asian creators. There will be more details on this at the end of this article.

The convention also welcomes even more wonderful guests to the local pop-culture event of the year. They are:


SARAH ANDERSEN

You would most probably have seen Sarah Andersen's quirky webcomic called SARAH'S SCRIBBLES, which features a googley-eyed, introverted girl and her struggles in daily in life. Sarah's observations on the minute details on every day moments like going to a bathroom, the weird things pet cats do, dealing with the summer heat and life's anxieties are spot on.

Sarah Andersen's work of art are also available in books, like HERDING CATS, BIG MUSHY HAPPY LUMP and ADULTHOOD IS A MYTH.

It's X-Men Day on May 13th!

Gather your team - it's X-Men Day on May 13th!

This special international event marks the end of the X-Men film franchise by 20th Century Fox. The last movie of this franchise run will be “X-Men: Dark Phoenix”, starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Jessica Chastain and more. “X-Men: Dark Phoenix” opens locally at theatres on 5 June 2019.

To celebrate this occasion and the enduring support of the X-Men fanbase for the movies released in the last 10 years, there will be events happening all over the world, including various online activities. This include the debut of exclusive X-Men content, special events, and unexpected surprises for the loyal fans. This is going to be fun!

In addition, look out for hourly giveaways of “X-Men: Dark Phoenix” movie packs on TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX SG Facebook Page!

Advance tickets sales for “X-Men: Dark Phoenix” will also begin on X-Men Day. If you want to be the first bunch of X-Men fans to catch the movie, keep your eyes peeled on X-Men Movies (@XMenMovies) on social media!


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Watch the exciting latest trailer released for “X-Men: Dark Phoenix”



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Follow these Social Media accounts:

“X-Men: Dark Phoenix”
Official website: www.DarkPhoenix.com 
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/XMenMovies 
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/XMenMovies
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/XMenMovies 
Hashtag: #DarkPhoenixSG and #XMenDay

20th Century Fox SG 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twentiethcenturyfoxsingapore 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fox_singapore

Why “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is THE Best Spider-Man Movie

Sony Pictures' animated movie “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” has created waves across the geek world with its simple yet iconic storyline that has a lot of heart and chockful of easter eggs, accompanied by eye-popping dash of colour and a snappy pace. Red Dot Diva loved the movie too, and thought it was the best animated movie of the year.

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” translated the characters from the 2D comic book pages to animated form, by fleshing out the characters whom we love, like Peter Parker (Jake Johnson for the scruffy 'B' version), Gwen Stacy (Hailey Steinfeld), and the latest Spidey hero Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in such a delightful manner. It made us even feel a little for the villain, Kingpin (Liev Schreiber). 

The animated feature is also a beautiful, heartfelt tribute to Spider-man's creators Stan Lee (who passed away a month ago), and Steve Ditko. For those sniffle-worthy moments, do not forget to stay on for the movie's post-credits, for which there are two.

Red Dot Diva's fellow geek pal Wayne Rée watched the movie and loved it as well. Here's Wayne's review of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”:

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I’ll just say it right up front. “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” isn’t just my favourite movie of the year, it’s also one of my favourite superhero movies ever, one of my favourite Spider-Man stories in any medium, and easily my favourite Spider-Man movie.

Your mileage may vary on all the Spider-Man live action movies thus far. I personally think that Sam Raimi and Marc Webb’s respective series were both flawed overall, but with moments of brilliance, and while Homecoming very much got the spirit of the character right, a lot of the action was pretty choppy. (Don’t @ me, guys.)

Why Into the Spider-Verse tops all of them for me, however, is that it’s the one that didn’t just nail the spirit of the character, but it also tapped into the idea of why we al love Spider-Man.

Excelsior! To The Legendary Marvel Superhero Stan Lee (1922 - 2018)

It is hard to forget Stan Lee once you know of him - the bespectacled, mustachioed man with a booming voice, bright smiles and larger than life presence. He was the face of Marvel Comics, and even in his 70's, he was had more energy than those younger than him. The legendary writer, editor and publisher of Marvel Comics, who co-created several iconic comic book characters like Spider-man, Iron Man and Black Panther, loved being connected to the fandom as well as the people who worked in producing comics. Until recently, he attended a number of comic conventions meeting thousands of fans each year.

On Monday morning (13 Nov), Stan Lee pass away at the age of 95 in Los Angeles.

The last few years had been tumultuous for Stan Lee. He battled with pneumonia with legal issues and problems with trusted managers and caretakers which surfaced after his beloved wife Joan died in 2017 at the age of 69. Still, when long time friends like Todd McFarlane and Rob Liefield visited him while he was unwell earlier this year, he was energetic enough to offer positive messages to the fans and creators.

STGCC 2018: An Marvellous Interview with Ryan Meinerding

The media preview for Singapore Toy Games and Comic Convention (STGCC) 2018 was held at the lovely Funan Showsuite yesterday. Together with other invited media, Red Dot Diva got to meet some of the convention's guests, like David Finch and Olivia Mears. However, there was one particular guest whom she really wanted to meet - Ryan Meinerding, Marvel Studios' Head of Visual Development.

For those who love Marvel movies, Ryan Meinerding's concept art has appeared in the films, and is responsible for designing all of Captain America's costumes. Also, remember Coulson's vintage Captain America trading cards? Those images were Ryan's artwork as well!

Being typical Red Dot Islanders, Red Dot Diva and her geek bro Jedd Jong went all out kiasu-mode, and had planned to tag team for this interview a week ahead. They did not want to miss this precious opportunity at all!

When interview sessions opened, they were first to plonk down beside Ryan for their short 15 minutes with him. Cheong, ah!

HIS 10-YEAR JOURNEY WITH MARVEL STUDIOS
Jedd opened the interview by posing a question to Ryan about his 10-year journey working for Marvel Studios. "You know, I was brought on board by Jon Favreau previously, and I got to work on Iron Man I and got work on Mark 1, and did keyframe with Adi Granov on Iron Monger, and we were trying out, sort of the boot test sequence and what he was building in his suit in the garage, and a couple of other things. Then, after that project, Marvel asked me to come back, to stay on board and help them figure out on their next films. So, I got to early passes on Captain America and Thor, after that period of time, we went straight into Iron Man 2 and Thor."

Ryan Meinerding went on to mention that he got Charlie Wen on board for "Thor", and later on, for The Avengers movie, he expanded his team of artists to include Andy Park, Rodney Fuentebella, Jackson Sze and eventually Anthony Francisco. With a sense of wonder still in his voice, Ryan said, "The fact that the cinematic universe has grown from the singular movie to something that’s 20 movies large and still going strong is really incredible."

He has yet to visit the "Marvel Studios: Ten Years of Heroes" exhibition held at the ArtScience Centre, but said that he wants to find time to see it during his stay here.

Superfriends in Singapore Comic Art Gallery 2018 features Adi Granov, Mark Brooks, Agnes Garbowska

Next weekend's Singapore Toy Game and Comic Convention will please many comic book fans as a talented group of guests from the industry are set to converge at the Marina Sands Expo to appear on panels, or do signings and sketches.

To provide an appetizer for the island's pop-culture event, there is going to be a pop-up comic art exhibition launching a few days before. The "Superfriends" in Singapore comic art show will be held from 4th to 11th September at the Visual Arts Centre near Dhoby Ghaut, 11 AM to 8 PM daily. (Note: The gallery is closed to the public on 7th September.) .

Fan favourite artists Adi Granov, Mark Brooks and Agnes Garbowksa will have their original art featured at the exhibition. These include illustrations of comic book and pop-culture characters like the Avengers, Spider-man, Batman, Teen Titans and My Little Pony, as well as art pieces specially conceived and drawn for the show.

STGCC 2018 - Diva Chats with Mark Brooks about Han Solo and Star Wars' Toxic Fans

Artist Mark Brooks' eye-catching and vibrant artwork has graced the covers of many high-profile Marvel comic books like "Deadpool", "Secret Empire", "Avengers" and "The Amazing Spider-Man". He used to work exclusively for Marvel, but recently, he has been lured by DC Comics to be a variant cover artist starting with the iconic Detective Comics issue #982.

Mark Brook's lifelike rendition of the human figure is striking, especially for the female form. His drawings of female superheroes and villains show off their individual beauty and quirks, balancing strength and a kind of glowy softness.

When Red Dot Diva learnt that Mark Brooks was also asked to draw for Marvel's run on Star Wars comics, she thought that this was a brilliant choice, especially when he was asked to collaborate with writer Marjorie Liu to draw interiors for the "Han Solo" series.  

Mark Brooks will be back in town to meet fans at the Singapore Toy Game and Comic Convention on 8 and 9 September, Marina Bay Sands Expo. Red Dot Diva got in touch with him to chat about "Han Solo", his recent projects, and his thoughts on Star Wars being a hot bed for toxic fandom.

Red Dot Diva: This will be your 2nd time back in STGCC! Are you looking forward to do anything new in Singapore?
Mark: I’m really excited to be back! The last time I was there was 6 years ago.  I loved the city and the people so it will be great to get reacquainted. Mainly, I’m looking forward to eating the amazing food and do some general exploring. I’ll be coming into town a few days early just to do that.

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:

Diva Interviews OKAZU, A Sumi-e Artist & Live Art Performer

Last week's Japan Park SG exhibition was quite the cultural fest on all things Japanese. In particular, Red Dot Diva thought the events held on the Omakaze Stage was very engaging.

The schedule of stage events ran the gamut of talks with cosplayers, wrestler Jushin Thunder Liger, robotist Professor Tomotaka Takahashi, various types of traditional dances, a party with girl band Poppin'Party as well as veteran rockers Sunplaza Nakano Kun & Papala Kawai. However, Red Dot Diva's favourite performance on stage was the live drawing of samurai sumi-e art (Japanese black ink brush painting) by OKAZU, a talented artist who hails from Osaka.

OKAZU is well-known for his sumi-e art on historical samurai and warriors, but he also does fantastic artwork of characters from manga, anime, Western pop-culture, and even comic book superheroes!

A post shared by 墨絵師 御歌頭 (@sumieokazu) on Mar 20, 2018 at 6:00am PDT

On stage during the Japan Park SG show, in less than 30 minutes, OKAZU created striking warring samurai images that seem almost alive, as if they are to jump through the white canvases. Accompanied by a cinematic soundtrack, his live performances were both elegant and visually powerful.

At @japanparksg: a video snippet of OKAZU showing his sumi-e art style. Love it!! Swipe left to see the final artwork! #JapanParkSG #japan @sumieokazu #Singapore #sumie #sumieink #artist #Okazu #art #inkbrush #samurai @suntecsingapore

A post shared by Red Dot Diva (@reddotdiva) on Aug 4, 2018 at 5:52am PDT

Red Dot Diva had a chance to interview OKAZU at the Samurai Room on the 2nd day of the show, and learned more about his motivations and inspirations.

Welcome Comic Book Artists David Finch and Mark Brooks to STGCC 2018!

STGCC 2018 announced their first round of guests was well as opened online ticketing for the event yesterday.

Comic book artists David Finch and Mark Brooks will be meeting fans at the pop-culture event, held on 8 and 9 September at the Marina Bay Sands Expo!

David Finch started out in Top Cow Productions' "Cyberforce", working closely with creator and studio founder Marc Silvestri. After the run for "Cyberforce" ended, he created the titles "Ascension" with writer Matt "Batt" Banning, and "Aphrodite IX" with David Wohl.

In 2003, David returned to comics collaborating with Brian Michael Bendis on Marvel's "Ultimate X-Men" and "Avengers", as well as the relaunch of the superhero team called "The New Avengers". Sometime in 2010, David switched to DC Comics, providing covers for "Brightest Day" by Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi. He also wrote and drew for 18 issues of the "Batman: The Dark Knight" series, before moving on to "Justice League of America" and "Forever Evil".

As for comic book artist Mark Brooks, this is not his first time visiting Singapore. Mark, who has worked on various of Marvel's popular titles, like "Deadpool", "Ultimate Spider-Man" and "Secret Wars", made an appearance as a guest hosted by the now-defunct Invasion! Toys, back in STGCC 2012.

His career has grown in leaps and bounds since then, with his art gracing the covers and interiors of several Star Wars comics, like "Han Solo" which was published in 2016. The limited series garnered favourable reviews and earned Mark Brooks and writer Marjorie Liu an Eisner Award nomination in 2017. Not only that, his pencil work caught the eye of Star Wars creator George Lucas, and he had requested to buy every page of the original art from the first two issues of "Han Solo"! Wowzas, right?

ArtScience Museum's Marvel Studios: 10 Years of Heroes Exhibition Needs More Punch

The Marvel Studios: Ten Years of Heroes exhibition, which celebrates the 19 Marvel superhero movies in the last 10 years, opened to the public at ArtScience Museum on 9 June 2018. From now till 30 September, fans will be able to relive their favourite Marvel superhero movie moments at the show.

The project is part of a three-year collaboration between Singapore Tourism Board and The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia. For the exhibition, Taiwan-based toy company Beast Kingdom worked with Walt Disney for the concept and displays.

Attended a preview of @artsciencemuseumsg of Marvel Studios - 10 Years of Heroes exhibition which opens this weekend. #DivaatMarvel10ASM #Marvel10ASM #marvel #avengers #superheroes #exhibition #Singapore #artsciencemuseum

A post shared by Red Dot Diva (@reddotdiva) on Jun 9, 2018 at 6:36am PDT

Within the exhibit hall, there are 10 different galleries featuring places from the movies - for example, Stark Industries, Aasgard, and Wakanda. Each of these areas have life-sized statues, static displays, or interactive areas for fans to get their superhero fix.

Red Dot Diva was at the special preview for bloggers to take in the signs and sounds of the exhibition, and here are some of the things you can expect.

ArtScience Museum's "Marvel Studios: Ten Years of Heroes" Exhibition Begins 9 June 2018

"Avengers: Infinity War" is set to have an epic showdown of Thanos versus almost everyone's favourite Marvel superheros. The film, plugged as the biggest movie event of the year, premieres in Red Dot Island on 26 April 2018. It is going to be longest Marvel movie, with a runtime of 2 hours 36 minutes. So, do plan your toilet breaks accordingly!

After watching the "Avengers: Infinity War" movie, Marvel fans can indulge with even more superheroes fun at a special interactive exhibition called "Marvel Studios: Ten Years of Heroes", which will be held at ArtSci Museum. Curating from Marvel's decade of movies (which consists of 19 films in total), the exhibition will present the superheroes, like Iron-Man, Thor, the Hulk, Black Widow, Starlord and more, via cutting-edge AV and media technology.

Fans will be transported into these Marvel cinematic worlds, with interactive exhibits that include segments from the recent international hit "Black Panther", "Thor: Ragnorak", "Avengers: Infinity War" and the upcoming "Ant_man & the Wasp".