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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Singapore Comic Con (SGCC) 2023 Artist Highlight - Digital Artist OSHred's Dark Fantasy Works Is A Sumptuous Blood Bath

Local comic book store Pink Ponk Comics returns to this year's Singapore Comic Convention (SGCC) with a bang. They have invited notable comic book artists to grace their booth at L1-AA14 - 25. During the weekend of 9 and 10 December 2023, comic book fans will be able to meet overseas artists OSHRed, Emma Wu, Maria Sanapo, Marco Santucci and Ivan Tao as well as well as artists from our local community like Johnny Lau, creator of Mr Kiasu, Ye Zhen, James Leong, Collin Yap, Kang Jing (Chiral Comics) and Shahril Azizi - just to name a few.

While admiring the artwork of these special guests, Red Dot Diva is especially attracted to the dark fantasy, gothy style of Philippines-based digital artist and illustrator OSHred (S. Red Amparo). Red Dot Diva is quite the macabre soul, you see. OSHred has mentioned that she loves the colour blue, and that is so evident with her liberal use of indigo hues in her recent portfolio. It's absolutely ravishing.

Besides variant comic book covers for titles such as W0RLDTR33, Good Boy, Vampirella, and Red Sonja, OSHred has drawn book covers and album covers for independent creatives. To get to know her a little better, Red Dot Diva managed to catch OSHred for a quick interview:

Red Dot Diva: Hello OSHred! Your art is simply sumptuous. Did you start drawing when you were very young, like many other artists out there?
OSHred: I've loved drawing ever since I was a kid and spent a lot of time copying from manga, children's books, and drawing the Powerpuff Girls. I discovered digital art by drawing in MS Paint on my mom's laptop using a mouse. I've been doing digital art for about 14 years now and I take a great deal of enjoyment in composing my artworks and connecting with other artists online.

Red Dot Diva: I read in one of your sites that you graduated from 3dsense Media School in Singapore? What was the experience like?
OSHred: I graduated from 3dsense Media School in Singapore in 2017 from their 1-year diploma course in digital illustration and concept art. It's frequently described as an "intense" course and they truly do mean it. My days were jam-packed with studies, exercises, lectures, and illustration homework. My sketchbooks were filled with figure drawings, skeletons, and musculature studies. We studied fundamentals such as perspective, anatomy, light and colour, as well as more advanced subjects such as character, creature, and environment design. I was able to connect with likeminded people who were passionate about art and some of them are still my friends to this day. I learned a lot from the instructors and I had the opportunity to study under Artgerm, whose work I'd admired since I was a young teen. I'm certain that studying at 3dsense significantly altered the trajectory of my art journey.

Red Dot Diva: I am most interested to know what inspires your art style. Which artists’ work have influenced your style?
OSHred: Artgerm inevitably had a great deal of influence on my art. Some other artists whose works inform my current style are Phil Hale, James Jean, Dave McKean, and João Ruas. I also draw a lot of inspiration from horror & psychological thriller films; I enjoy the work of directors such as Park Chan-wook, Robert Eggers, Alejandro Jodorowsky, and the Cronenbergs. In my free time, I also enjoy consuming dark media in various forms (film, books, music, manga) all of which help inform my work.

Red Dot Diva: I see your love for the macabre, but mostly with a cutesy spin to it. Do you love visiting actual physical sites that are macabre, like gothic cemeteries and catacombs? Some of these historical sites have beautiful sculptures and art.
OSHred: I have been lucky enough to visit places in Europe and the Middle East (such as France, Germany, Egypt, Turkey, to name a few) where I spent some time observing very old churches and surrounded by very dead things. There is a lot of beautiful architecture out there which take on a frightening air because of time and dust. I think because of the religious nature of these trips, the effect is that some of my artwork has a subtly blasphemous flavour (although when actually visiting, I am always respectful of these sites). That said, the most macabre places I visit are frequently in my own head and in the heads of other people.

Red Dot Diva: Which kind of supernatural creature or monster do you love drawing? And why?
OSHred: My favourite monster to draw is the human being. :) But to answer more seriously, I love drawing vampires (which is basically human-shaped anyway). I read Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles when I was a kid, which I think had an effect on my preferences. A few years ago I was playing a decent amount of Vampire: The Masquerade, so I drew a lot of art of my vampire character, as well as the characters of others. Vampires are easy because if you add a splash of blood to any character, you can basically get away with saying they're a vampire.
Red Dot Diva: I get ya. Vampires are also my thing!

Red Dot Diva: How did you become the cover artist for W0rldtr33 and Source point’s Good Boy? Do you have any tips on how artists can get noticed by publishing companies?
OSHred: I hesitate to give advice on getting hired, because what worked for me might not work for others, and I don't know how applicable the advice will be in a few years considering how fast our industry tends to change. That said, as embarrassing as it may be, don't underestimate the power of networking. I was lucky enough to be noticed by a comic retailer through social media (Instagram specifically), who saw that I was connected with Artgerm and he apparently requested that Stan help establish communication between the two of us. Stan was kind enough to do so, which led to me getting hired for my first variant covers for comic retailers. I like to think it was not one element, but many, that led to me getting hired and continues to help me get hired: I put effort into creating decent quality work with a consistent, recognizable style, as well as maintaining a solid presence on social media and connecting with artists I admire. Maintaining good relationships with current clients also makes them more likely to recommend me to others, and few things are more effective than word of mouth.

Red Dot Diva: Is this the first time participating at Comic conventions in Singapore? Please let us know what can we look forward to, along with your appearance in this year's SGCC.
OSHRed: Yes, this is my first time participating in a comic con in Singapore. I've attended a couple for fun in the past, but it will be my first time tabling. I'll be offering signatures and remarques, dropping off some pre-convention commissions, as well as selling prints of both my original artworks and more popular fanarts. If you are friendly and vaccinated, I might provide hugs (free of charge).

Red Dot Diva: That sounds like a plan! See you soon at the convention!.


You can check out more of OSHred's artwork at her DeviantArt page!

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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!

Singapore Comic Con (SGCC) 2023 Artist Highlight - Nathelie Yong's Emo Trash & Etc! Is A 90's Pop-Punk Music Fan's Dream Booth

Gosh. This year's Artist Alley at Singapore Comic Convention (SGCC) is giving Red Dot Diva lots of exciting vibes. There is such a wide range of creative talent offering intriguing collectibles and wares. While scrolling through the list of exhibitors, the unusual booth name of Emo Trash & Etc! caught Red Dot Diva's eye. She did some digging and found that it belonged to Malaysian illustrator Nathelie Yong.

Nathelie found her niche designing merchandise of bands of the early 2000's. You know, popular bands of that era like My Chemical Romance, Simple Plan, Paramore and Fall Out Boy. Nathelie got into art when she was very young, and went on to study Illustration as a major at university. Red Dot Diva  admires how Nathelie is able to combine her love for music and her art by putting her own spin to the concepts of band album covers and songs. It is pretty amazing!

Read on for Red Dot Diva's nosy interview with Nathelie Yong:

Red Dot Diva: Hi Nathelie! I couldn't help but notice your illustrations while checking out artist-creators who will be at SGCC. What made you decide to start "Emo Trash & Etc!"?
Nathelie: Hi there! My artwork came from doing fanart for the recent revival of 2000's pop punk music as a way to pass time during the pandemic, and it eventually led on to me turning it into a small venture! I found myself surrounded by music too when I was growing up and combining art and the music I love is something that keeps me going. Since then, I have been setting up my booth at gigs and conventions around Malaysia and Singapore, and hopefully further in the future!

Red Dot Diva: How did you decide on your moniker "Emo Trash & Etc!" ? Tell me more about Emo Nights!
Nathelie: When I first started boothing at conventions under that brand, I realized my booth needed to stand out among others to set myself apart from the anime-centric crowd. With garbage bags, shipping boxes and duct tape lying around the house, I decided to use that to as my set-up as my budget-friendly solution to solving my branding issues. So it's not me deeming my artwork as trash, it's just me finding a way to settle my decor within a budget to fit the theme of my artwork, especially for a genre of music that some closed-minded public considers as "trash" in the early 2000's. After scrawling my shop sign with markers and using it at every event since, the name stuck till today!

Since then, I have boothed for numerous ACG events,festivals and gigs, including the ones thrown by S4D.KL in Malaysia where everyone enjoys emo and pop punk music together. Emo Nights are like a louder, wilder version of karaoke where everyone who loves this same kind of music gathers together and sing-along to our favorite 2000’s music! It’s a perfect opportunity to make friends who like the same genre and sing-along in unison!

Red Dot Diva: What (or who) inspired you to be an artist?
Nathelie: Being raised in an environment where both my parents are artists in their own right, making art wasn’t a foreign concept in my household! I am also exposed to a lot of music from the 2000’s by my older brother, and that in turn led to the influence of a lot of my interests. From there, I drew a lot of band portraits and random doodling of artwork inspired by lyrics from that time. After drawing many things within that subject matter, it made me comfortable with the idea of being an artist, and I guess it sort of shaped me to become who I am today.

Red Dot Diva: Do you work with any local bands? How do you go about collaborating with these bands/musicians, e.g. deciding on the aesthetics that would best suit their merch?
Nathelie: Well, I am in the process of working with some projects with local musicians in Malaysia ! For this one band I am working with currently, they do invite me to watch them record their music. Meeting the people and hearing the stories behind their music lets me gauge what artwork best visualizes their sound! From there I will try to pick up elements that call out to me from their lyrics and try to reference things from their personal stories as much as possible to make their album art and merch. Besides that, I also occasionally provide illustration services to emo event organizers too,. Depending on the theme of the event, I am mostly given total creative freedom to draw based on how I feel about the event at that very moment!

Red Dot Diva: What has been the most interesting critique you have ever received regarding your works?
Nathelie: I think so far, I have gotten a lot of encouragement and support from the public to keep going with what I do! As far as I know, there are not a lot of people doing this in the market. I do enjoy seeing familiar faces come back to support me, and it brings me so much joy when they recommend me to their friends as well! The community has been generally amazing to me and I do cherish everyone’s support for me so far. Oh, and I also get requests to get my designs translated into tattoos at almost every event in the past.

Red Dot Diva: If you were not an artist, what do you think you’d be?
Nathelie: I think being an artist has always been my plan A. Though I did consider journalism as I enjoy writing as well. Being an event coordinator may have been an option too cause I enjoy going from event to event and talking to people!

Red Dot Diva: Do you feel that there is more competition in the artist alley/ art fairs & market spaces these days? What are some tips you can offer with regards to making your art, your booth and wares stand out amongst the rest?
Nathelie: Yes I do, and I think the market will keep on expanding as more and more talented artists will come up to share their artwork as well. I think the best way to navigate this is to be true to yourself and your interests no matter how niche they may seem to be. There will always be someone out there who will enjoy the same things as you and it’s up to us to fill that gap in the market! The best way is to ask yourself what would you really like to see at these events, and go all out to make them with whatever skills and capacity we have, and keep improving yourself! It will always be tempting to do a fandom or character that is most popular at that time period, but here I am completely happy with doing merch of bands that have existed for around 20 years, so you do you!

Red Dot Diva: Is this the first time you are boothing in SGCC? Please let us know what we can look out for at your booth.
Nathelie: Yes, this is my first time! This year, you can expect to see stickers, prints, charms and you can event pre-order band T-shirts from me! I have merch of Bands like My Chemical Romance, Paramore, Green Day and more. With the arrival of the band Fall Out Boy in December as well, I am teaming up with Emo Night SG too to do a free sticker giveaway at my booth, as well as on the day of the concert itself! I am so excited to see everyone at this event, so see you guys there :)


Visit Nathelie Yong's Emo Trash & Etc booth at SGCC's Artist Alley, L1-AA107 to get uniquely designed emo music merch for your collection!


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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!

STGCC 2018: Booth Highlight - Spice Up Your Art Collection with Graphicurry!

Pop-culture icons, well-known personalities and celebrities are transformed into colourful, humourous yet spot-on caricatures in the deft hands of Bangalore-based artist Prasad Bhat. His design studio and company name Graphicurry is as wittily conceived as his art pieces.

With Prasad's special knack of being able to distill the essence of a person's features into impressive and unique Vector artwork, he has amassed a large number of followers and fans spanning across the globe. Red Dot Diva herself is quite a fan of his "Evolution of" graphic series.

This year, Graphicurry will be making an appearance at the Singapore Toy Games and Comic Convention (STGCC) Artist Alley for the very first time. Red Dot Diva managed to ask the company's brainchild Prasad Bhat some nosy questions, before he makes his way to Red Dot Island.

Drowning In Kawaii-ness at the Tokidoki x Kumoya Cafe

Kumoya Cafe has collaborated with lifestyle brand Tokidoki for a pop-up cafe. The entire set up is filled with wildly colourful Tokidoki characters, making it an Instagrammer's dream come true!

This is the world's first Tokidoki cafe, and it is open till the end of June 2018.


LAUNCH OF CAFE ON 29 MARCH

Red Dot Diva went to the official launch two weeks ago. Simone Legno, co-founder of Tokidoki, was back in Red Dot Island for the opening as well as meet and greet for 30 fans at a first-come, first-served basis.

A post shared by Red Dot Diva (@reddotdiva) on Mar 30, 2018 at 11:56pm PDT

When she arrived, there was already a long line of hardcore Tokidoki fans waiting to meet Simone. Luckily, she managed to score the last ticket for the meet and greet.

Ta-dah!! Red Dot Diva Unveils a New Brand Identity!

*DRUM ROLL and GLITTER*!

Red Dot Diva is thrilled to announce the launch of her new brand identity, with a new logo and blog banner!

The Red Dot Diva (RDD) blog began in July 2010 when pop-culture blogs were still relatively uncommon in Red Dot Island. Pop-culture news mainly flowed downstream from press agencies in the USA to the handful of printed newspapers and magazines here. This was prior to the recent boom of blockbuster superhero movies, and many of these media publications did not cover geeky comic book related news and personalities, like comic conventions, Free Comic Book Day, reviews of scifi/ fantasy shows, local/ regional comic book artists as well as cosplay personalities. It was uncommon to find such topics reported and discussed within the local context; it was even rarer when made from a female geek's perspective.

RDD aimed to fill that space, and in time, the blog has also expanded to cover entertainment and lifestyle related events, including local theatre, concerts, computer games and arts events.

The new branding, designed by illustrator Jessica Emmett, embodies the Red Dot Diva personality, and reflects a more vibrant and still eclectic approach to reporting on pop-culture and lifestyle. RDD also deepens its commitment to build awareness to local talent and events, and aims to provide a platform for thoughtful discussions in the pop-culture scene in a diva-tastically positive way.

Do flex your biceps in celebration, and RDD looks forward to your support for many more years to come!

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ONLINE CONTEST
To celebrate the Red Dot Diva's re-branding exercise, you can join a special online contest!

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

STGCC 2016: Booth Highlight - Meet Newcomers Allena & Samuel Lee

While scrolling through this year's STGCC exhibitors list, Red Dot Diva noticed several newcomers who will be setting up their own booths.

One of them has a simple booth name called Allena and Samuel Lee. This straightforward branding may not have caught your attention right away but the two young and talented illustrators are motivated and eager to showcase their art to the world.

Red Dot Diva delighted to introduce Melissa (aka Allena) and Samuel to art fans out there:

Nanoblock Exhibition at Liang Court by Christopher Tan - 21 & 22 November 2015

Nanoblock lovers, there will be a special exhibition by Christopher Tan at Liang Court, this weekend, 21 to 22 November 2015.

Based in Malaysia, Christopher is an award-winning, full-time Nanoblock artist with an international cult following. Recently, Christopher was conferred the title of "Tatsujiin" (Master of Nanoblock). His detailed masterpieces range from the tiny to large-scale sculptures, and cover a wide range of subjects from everyday items, buildings & structures to pop-culture icons.

Christopher's Nanoblocks were recently showcased in exhibitions held in Hong Kong and Malaysia. At the Hong Kong show in 2014, he constructed the largest Nanoblock piece - a staggering 250,000-brick recreation of the city of Rio de Janeiro.




Now, fans who have previously only managed to admire them through photos on social network will now be able to admire these actual pieces in real life as well as meet Christopher in person!

Disney's Live Action Movie "Cinderella" - A Throwback to Childhood that includes Beautiful Dreamy Dresses

Even though Disney's animated movie "Cinderella" is not Red Dot Diva's favourite fairy tale princess, it still brought back happy childhood memories when dreams were simpler and untainted by adult cynicism.

The live-action movie directed by Kenneth Branagh, and starring the wispy Lily James (from "Downtown Abbey") as Cinderella and the dashing Richard Madden ("Game of Thrones") as Prince Charming, is a lush production that fills up the screen with so much details, that it wouldn't take much effort to imagine that one might indeed be actually be living in the imaginary kingdom.

One of the best things to soak your eyeballs in during the movie are the costumes. Naturally, every "little girl at heart" wants to be dazzled by the iconic blue ballgown that Cinderella wears to the ball, and rest assured, they shall not be disappointed.

The bigger than life dress has been brought to life on screen by the hands and brains of Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell. Red Dot Diva thought the gown's shade of blue seemed to have a life of its own as warm studio/candlelight bounced off the flow of ruffles, little Swarovski crystals and butterfly detailing around the neckline. It was magical indeed.

Ubisoft Singapore's First Exhibition - "Art In Video Games" on 8th and 9th November 2013

Curious about what kind of artistic endeavours are involved in computer and video games?

Here's a chance for folks to get a peek of what goes behind the scenes in game development. Ubisoft Singapore, the local outfit for global interactive game creator and distributor Ubisoft, will be holding its first art exhibition on 8th and 9th November, 2013.

The exhibition entitled "Art In Video Games" will be held at Ubisoft Singapore's partner school, FZD School of Design. And there is no admission charge for the exhibition!

Ubisoft is the developer for popular action-adventure game franchise "Assassin's Creed". "Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag", the new pirate fantasy based game series, is set for a worldwide release on Playstation and X-box 360 on 29 October, 2013.

STGCC 2012: Spotlight On Newcomers - Firestarter & Bleufish

What makes a pop-culture convention energetic and vibrant lies mostly in the people who participate in the event. This includes the organizers, creative guests, fans, promoters and of course, the booth exhibitors!

Many of the larger booth exhibitors are well-known retail store or industry names, but quite a few, especially in Red Dot Diva's favourite area Artist Alley, are manned by indie but equally talented folks. Many may not be household names right now, but who knows? With time, some of them may take their creative work to higher places!

One of the new booth exhibitors at this year's STGCC is the artistic team of Firestarter & Bleufish. Such a fantastical and intriguing name!

Red Dot Diva managed to get hold of one-half of the duo Firestarter, for an introductory piece before the convention kicks off on 1-2 September. She thinks that those who love monsters and colourful whimsical artwork would find their booth interesting!

Firestarter is the moniker behind 25-year-old Sarah Isabel Tan, who is currently a concept designer/ illustrator in a local game company. Sarah confesses that she loves animation, video games, movies, travelling and wheeeeeeee! theme parks!

Here's Sarah telling us more about herself and all poised to bring her fiery artistic passion into the world at large:

STGCC 2012: Mark Out Your Calendar For These Guests!

The special blend of East and West that Red Dot Island has become well-known for, continues this year at the Singapore Toy, Games and Comic Convention with today's first announcement of guests and special booth exhibitors.

Red Dot Diva noted that fan favourites like Tokidoki's Simone Legno and Tadaaki Jacky Dosai of Cosmode will be back for this year's convention.

Vocaloids Creative band Zaneeds will also be returning to the convention, which should keep anime-Nippon-esque fans quite happy.

For those, like Red Dot Diva, who indulge in more Western pop-culture and comics, there are not one .. but two Marks to look forward to!

Diva's Choice Targets At STGCC 2011

Different folks have different strokes.

And Red Dot Diva knows it is simply not possible to please everybody.

Hence, Red Dot Diva credits the organizers and exhibitors of STGCC for making a valiant attempt to offer a range of "hot specials" for the mixed bunch of local and regional fans who will be attending the convention next weekend.

Red Dot Diva will be stirring up her own of recipe of desirable strokes during STGCC weekend. Here's a list of what she will be aiming for (in no particular order):

DC Comics Leaps Into STGCC 2011 With A Few Surprises!

The Red Dot Island may be small. And our conventions may be very much niche-based and less crazy than those held in the USA.

The locally-hosted conventions like ComiFest and Anime Festival Asia tend to serve the sizeable anime and manga crowd here and around the region instead of running a more generic pop-culture program.

Still, with a continued focus on a mix of East and West, Red Dot Diva thinks that the Singapore Toy, Games and Comic Convention (STGCC) 2011 has managed to get some pretty cool "Western-comics" guests this year.

Being so far-flung from most Westernized pop-culture hubs, she is always grateful when those who hail from USA, Canada or UK are willing to travel such long distances to our Red Dot Island, just to meet their Asian fans. That shows *a lot* of heart.

For one thing, it seems that DC Comics will be back at STGCC 2011 in a bigger way than before! DC has been a strong supporter of STGCC in the past years and last year, happy fans got to meet Gail Simone and Ivan Brandon.

Diva-Smooches To Mabes and SArmy!

... for this lovely glittery spankin' new header that suits the tone of the blog really well!!

Just look at that shiny image above!

Thanks to the sweet classy @Mabetini for helping the Red Dot Diva out.

BTW, @Mabetini helped created Sylars_Army (or SArmy.. maybe soon renamed to ZArmy) -- a sanctioned Zachary Quinto fan group that raises money for charities - like The Epilepsy Foundation and more recently, the drive to help Haiti. There will be charity drives, contests, and auctions from time to time.

Red Dot Diva gives a strong stamp of Red Dot approval for SArmy. Join the SArmy, or buy some of their merchandise and help make a difference!