Singapore Comic Con 2025 (SGCC) - Booth Highlight - A Gamut Of Kawaii Merchandise By Fuzzballs (L1-AA170)

Popular merchandise brand Fuzzballs has grown by leaps and bounds since it's humble beginnings on Tumblr in 2013. Its creator Marc Sach has managed to keep his ever-growing fans interested and invested with his cute, rotund fuzzball creatures by expanding the brand's reach through various licensing deals. Now, you can see Fuzzballs' designs on a gamut of merchandise like t-shirts, plushies, pins, stationery, games and even a colouring book.

Fuzzballs is bringing its trademark kawaii factor at this year's local pop-culture party, the Singapore Comic Con (SGCC). The event will be held at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre on 6 and 7 December 2025.

To ensure that geeks attending SGCC do not miss the Fuzzballs colourful booth, Red Dot Diva had a short chat with Marc about his brand, and his adorable little creatures:

Red Dot Diva: How did Fuzzballs get started?
Marc: I started Fuzzballs as a silly webcomic back in 2013, which exploded online with requests for our cute characters on merch. We started selling at comic cons in the uk in 2015 and from there have continued to grow thanks to our social media sticker success with over 2 Billion sent to date! We’re now in loads of retailers across the globe and bringing out unique brand of pop culture cuteness to Singapore. The fuzzballs are all about making friends, going on new adventures and eating yummy snacks.

Red Dot Diva: For those not familiar with Fuzzballs, how would you describe your aesthetics and style of the brand?
Marc: We’re a kawaii pop culture brand that’s a mix of east meets west. The fuzzballs love anime, video games and of course yummy food and we riff on that in everything we do. We’re very relatable and fans always have a favourite character who reminds them of themselves.

Red Dot Diva: Where do you find your inspiration to keep on producing new creations?
Marc: A lot of our inspiration comes from our fans, they constantly tell us what they want to see next or cool ideas. But mostly it really comes from our own love of pop culture and having fun with it.

Red Dot Diva: Do you have a favourite part of your creation process? And Why is that so?
Marc: I love meeting the fans, whether it’s the first time and seeing their eyes light up as they laugh at my stupid drawings or the 100th time as they tell me what they love about their favourite character and how it always makes them smile. I also just love to draw what makes me happy and what I think others will enjoy.

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A post shared by Fuzzballs (@fuzzballs)

Red Dot Diva: You have a Fuzzballs colouring book published with Waterstones. How was the process to get published like? Any tips?
Marc: Our publisher, Quarto approached us. They’d seen how successful we’ve been, other products we have in retailers and just how much the fans love what we do and knew a colouring book would be a perfect fit for our range of characters and adventures.

Designing the book was very tough as there’s over 96 pages of original artwork and I wanted to make sure we had easy designs so people could relax but also complex ones so people could focus. My tip would be to just make it yourself first, we did that originally with sample books for fans and that gave us a good understanding of how to make a book when our publisher approached us.

Red Dot Diva: Is this the first time you will be boothing in Singapore? Do you has a bucket list on what you want to do when you are here?
Marc: This is our 3rd time in Singapore and our 2nd at SGCC. We can’t wait to be back to see new and old fans alike with an even better booth and even more products! You’ll be seeing us in Singapore a lot more in the future too. As for bucket list, just trying out more yummy food, enjoying the beautiful weather and meeting the kind and amazing people. I do love bike rides around the Marina Barrage too!

Red Dot Diva: What can people expect to see and buy at your booth at this year’s SGCC?
Marc: We will have a catalogue on our socials, but deep breath, we will have t-shirts, coasters, lots of stickers, plush toys, our colour book, our card game Fuzzballs Pizza Thief, loads of enamel pins, mystery bags which are perfect for first time fans wanting a lot of cute things, tote bags to carry it all home in, badges, note pads, our brand new desk pads, and loads more things. So make sure you come by and check out our cuteness overload!!




SINGAPORE COMIC CON (SGCC) 2025
Where: Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre
Date: 6 & 7 December 2025 (Sat and Sun) with special Preview Night on 5 December 2025 (Fri)
Time: 10 AM to 8 PM on 6 & 7 December 2025
Admission: Refer to details at SISTIC - https://www.sistic.com.sg/events/sgcomic1224


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Singapore Comic Con 2024 (SGCC) Artist Highlight - Marvel At Rudy Ao's Photo Realistic Artwork (L1-AA218, Fat Snake Comics)

If you are not familiar with Indonesian artist Rudy Nurdiawan's (aka Rudy Ao) portfolio, you might think that his photo realistic pieces of superheroes and movie characters are AI-generated. You can rest assured that Rudy Ao is the real deal. He draws and paints his portraits by hand using different oils, acrylic paints, copic airbrush markers and pencils.

In the 2010s, when Rudy was living in Singapore, Red Dot Diva would bump into him at various comic book fan meet ups and art shows. It was hypnotising just to watch him draw his amazingly detailed sketches and commissions on site. You will have the chance to see him work too at Singapore Comic Convention (SGCC) 2024. Rudy is a guest of the pop-culture convention, and will be hosted by Pink Ponk Comics/ Fat Snake Comics.

As Red Dot Diva was preparing for this pre-SGCC interview with Rudy, she found an older article of a Q&A with the artist circa 2011. Click here to read more about Rudy's artistic background. She also reminisced about the time Rudy drew for her a commission of naked Wolverine in Hugh Jackman form. Hahaha. The art print still sits right beside her work desk for mental stimulation.

Rudy, Red Dot Diva and Nekkid Wolverine

Before Red Dot Diva and her friends get to reunite with Rudy Ao this weekend, here is a new interview with the man himself:

Red Dot Diva: Hey Rudy! It has been so long (over a decade?) since you have returned to Singapore as a guest for an event. We miss you! I know it’s been many years, but what have you been doing since you returned to Bali? And, what do you miss most about Singapore?
Rudy: Yes! It has been a long long time! I miss hanging out with so many of you. I went back to Bali in 2012, I worked in architectural company while continuing to do comic covers and commissions. I quit that job in 2013, and decided to be a full time professional artist. What I miss most about Singapore is the food! And somehow, strangely enough, I miss Orchard Road too.

Red Dot Diva: Your artwork and portraits are so life-like and detailed, what does it take for someone to be able to pick up the nuances and unique features of each individual’s faces and their attitude?
Rudy: First of all, you must love and enjoy drawing faces and bodies. Everyone has their unique physical features, especially their faces, and I found this aspect the most interesting about people. Since I was young, I loved drawing portraits of my family and friends. Drew Struzan, who is well known for his photo realism art style, is one of my main artistic inspirations. Throughout my career, I continue to practise and drawing different subjects, especially comic book characters based on the movies or TV shows, so that I can nail their characteristic looks. But, as I said, you really really have to love drawing portraits!

Red Dot Diva: Having been a professional artist for many years, how do you keep the craft emotionally and creatively interesting to yourself?
Rudy: You always have to keep practising and finding new ideas. This is the era of the internet, and you can easily find a treasure of information online. Before the internet, I will frequent bookstores to browse and buy various artbooks. It wasn't easy to physically find a good artbook as reference. Now, it is so much easier to find them on the internet, and these references continue to inspire me to try new things on my artwork.

Red Dot Diva: Name one or two movies that are still your top favourites.
Rudy: I love Marvel's The Avengers movies. It was amazing to see your favourite characters that you have been drawing and seeing on paper come alive in the live action movies. And, any Batman movie. After watching a Batman movie, I am always inspired to draw more of him. He is so iconic and cool, and with his trademark costume, he looks dynamic in most poses.

Red Dot Diva: Going into the business side of things, as an artist, how do you continue being successful financially?
Rudy: Try to do the best that you can do, that is giving your best effort. When you are going full time in this field, it is also good to have a manager to help with the business side of things and helping you get more opportunities. There are always going to be different kinds of opportunities, and you would have to accept the projects after weight the pros and cons, as well as how you might enjoy doing it

Red Dot Diva: What are some practical advice you can offer to young aspiring artists who are just getting started in the "real world"?
Rudy: I am a believer that you have to truly love what you do. It's the start of the journey. After that, you have to continue to be curious... to keep learning and be open to new ideas and techniques. And to never stop practising!

Red Dot Diva: What are some of the first things you will be doing when you touch down in Singapore?
Rudy: I am really craving for fish soup noodles with milk! I have been dreaming of the taste of that dish.

Red Dot Diva: What can we expect from your booth at SGCC 2024?
Rudy: I am happy that Pink Ponk Comics/ Fat Snake Comics invited me to be at their booth. I am open and ready for any commission, signings, sketches. And I will also be showcasing how I use draw portraits with oils and acrylic. So, come look for me!
Red Dot Diva: It'd be so lovely to see you draw live again, Rudy. I still have the precious art print of nekkid Wolverine right by my study desk that I got from you back in 2014. See you soon!


Visit Pink Ponk Comics/ Fat Snake Comics' SGCC 2024 booth and marvel at Rudy Ao's photorealistic art pieces of your favourite comic book and pop culture characters. You can find him at Booth L1-AA218.

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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 2024 (SGCC) Booth Highlight - Delight In Rachel Tan-Hwee's (RattanHwee) Colourful and Whimsical Art (L1-AA95)

While doing research on the long list of exhibitors at this year's Singapore Comic Convention (SGCC) 2024, Red Dot Diva was attracted to the delightful visual compositions by local artist Rachel Tan-Hwee aka Rattanhwee. Her colourful art pieces and craft work are like a breath of fresh air; they all carry a sense of cheerfulness and optimism. Her art style is also the reason why she was chosen to be the illustrator for a children's book series called Butternut by author, illustrator and award-winning filmmaker Jill Dana.

Rachel's current obsession is painting a series of Plein-air works featuring Japan titled "ケシキ (Keshiki; Sceneries)". She also does whimsical art between paintings for fun, and to placate her inner child as well. Curious to know more about Rachel's artistic journey, Red Dot Diva sat her down for a quick interview:

Red Dot Diva: When was the “aha” moment you knew that you wanted to become an artist as a profession?
Rachel: I started drawing as a kid and just never stopped. I guess I never really had an 'Aha' moment because it just felt like it was a natural progression.

Red Dot Diva: In most Asian cultures, people tend to want their children to join careers in more practical roles, e.g. doctors, jobs in business, IT. Did you receive a lot of parental support and encouragement when you knew you wanted to become an artist?
Rachel: I had supportive parents! (even though I know deep inside they would rather I be a doctor or lawyer haha. I mean which Asian parent wouldn't want a scholarly child?) I would definitely not have been able to pursue this line of work had it not been for their support. Studying and practicing art can be costly because of art materials needed, etc. so their investment, both financial and emotional, is something that I really appreciate.

Red Dot Diva: I noticed that you have ventured into diverse artistic forms to create your work, like animation, illustrations, graphic design, crafts, live sketches, etc... Is there an art form that you have yet to try but really want to?
Rachel: I'd love to do more large format traditional paintings and pottery! It's something that's been on my to-do list for a long time!

Red Dot Diva: How did you get to work with Jill Dana for the Butternut children’s book series, published by Marshall Cavendish? For the benefit of tose who are not familiar with the books, tell us a bit about Butternut. 
Rachel: Marshall Cavendish reached out to me and introduced me to Jill as well as Butternut! Butternut is about a little Butternut Squash learning about himself and navigating his new life in a Supermarket. It's full of puns (which I LOVE) and is full of heartwarming moments. The Butternut characters are something I hold close to my heart because they were developed at a tumultuous time in my life and represent a dream of mine to illustrate a children's picture book. I'm honoured to have been given the opportunity to fulfill this dream!

Red Dot Diva: What are the most fulfilling aspects of being an artist?
Rachel: I think art forms of all kinds are so important to the human soul. It gives us a language to express ourselves in a way that's not possible verbally or in writing. For my Keshiki series of paintings, I've had people come up to me to say that it reminds them of home or of their travels to those places. It's lovely that in this whole wide world we're all connected by invisible threads of experiences and memories.

Red Dot Diva: What do you think makes a successful booth experience at an event? Any practical tips for boothing newbies?
Rachel: I'd say it really depends on what you want to get out of an event. Are you just starting out and just want to get your name out there? Boothing helps! Want to make art your bread and butter? Boothing is an avenue for that too! My tip would be to visit events of all kinds before settling on one to booth at. Look at what the crowds gravitate to at each event! Is the demand more for indie artwork or character and fan art? Homework is SO IMPORTANT. Each booth application is an investment of your money and time, so you have to use your resources wisely!

Red Dot Diva: What can we expect from your booth at SGCC 2024?
Rachel: I've got new paintings that I'm excited to share with everyone! There are also going to be bundle deals (by popular demand) and STICKERS. LOTS OF NEW STICKERS.
Red Dot Diva: YAY, STICKERS! A superb reason to visit your booth at the show!

Do say hello to Rattanhwee and check out her imaginative works of art at SGCC 2024, Booth L1-AA95.

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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 2024 (SGCC) Booth Highlight - Merthewiz and Rhinomee Return With New Merchandise (L1-AA174)

Some of the more memorable experiences that Red Dot Diva gets from attending Singapore Comic Convention (SGCC) are the new connections made with artists and creators exhibiting on the showfloor. At last year's SGCC, her friend Jessica Emmett was invited to share booth space with two other toy maker, and that was how Red Dot Diva got to meet the convention's most lovable duo Merthewiz and Rhinomee. They were so warm and welcoming, and made her laugh a lot when she visited their booth.

Young Merick Chong is the face behind the brand name, Merthewiz. Merick loves collecting designer toys, as well as toy and pop-culture vintage items, for example, a PokeDex from Pokemon, old Simpsons VCR tapes, and Batman Hot Wheels. Despite being relatively new to the designer toy industry, Merick's figurines are incredibly detailed and well made. Not to mention that his original character named Beefy Boi, which essentially is a very buff cow, is udderly amoosing. (Sorry, can't help it with the puns!)

Mr.Xianffy, a native Sarawakian and the creator of the adorable Rhinomee, is a production graphic designer, and has been working locally in this industry for 10 years. Hobby craft is a kind of therapy for him whenever he needs to take my mind off work. He enjoys experimenting with different types of materials to design and craft his art pieces. Currently, Mr.Xianffy depicts his favourite subject Rhinomee mostly in the form of a one-shot Instagram pictorial journal.

As they say in Red Dot Island - “good things must share!”, so here is a pre-SGCC 2024 interview for you to get to know the creators behind Merthewiz and Rhinomee:

Merthewiz and Rhinomee at SGCC 2023

Red Dot Diva: When I met the both of you at last year's SGCC, I could sense that you had a special kind of synergy and worked really well together. How did you two meet?
Merick: I met the lovely talented MrXianffy through mutual friends. These friends noticed that we are both creatives and then after speaking to each other, we gelled really well and thought of pursuing our toy making career together, like including each other on local and some oversea events.
Mr.Xianffy: We were linked up by our mutual church friends when they found out that we are toy makers. Since then, we have shared and exchange our resources in toy making, as well as sharing our trials and errors regarding boothing experiences to source our market.

Red Dot Diva: How and why did you embark on the toy designer journey?
Merick: I got into toy making by working under a skill share at an art gallery. It was where I discovered my passion for sculpting and collecting, and thought it would be nice to fuse the two interests together and sculpt something that I would personally collect.
Mr.Xianffy: Some time back, I encountered difficulties in making my graduation project. Then, I met Taiwanese animal sculptor Mr. Lu unexpectedly through Facebook. I gradually became interested in simulation sculptures due to his posts sharing about his works. While exploring different types of materials, I met two prototype designers from Taiwan Dreamworkers, who specialise in model prototyping and manufacturing. At the time, I only explored the craft through online sharing via Facebook. Later, I slowly started to practise based on theoretical knowledge acquired from the designers, and in 2017, I completed my first 1:1 common kingfisher model. Since then, I have been constantly trying to practise different themes and communicate with different creators on sculpture techniques. When I was at Singapore Toy Games and Comic Convention, I met a group of Malaysian toy designers such as Sean Studio, Littlegoodthing, Tekxtoy, and MY Toy Hoard. Thanks to the patience and encouragement from everyone in the group, I took the step to join the designer toy community, and started participating actively in exhibitions.

Red Dot Diva: I am curious about the ideas and story behind your main IP/ design. Tell me more about their origins.

Ox-idised Beefy Boi by Merthewiz

Merick: Why did I decide on the design of a buff cow? It was because I simply like cows (and their meat). I find them adorable, plus I also love to lift weights. Beefy Boi is not only my original character, but also somewhat of a motivation.

Mr.Xianffy: Rhinomee was inspired by the rhinoceros hornbill, a bird species native species to the island of Borneo. It is also the state bird of Sarawak, Malaysia. Rhinomee takes after a running joke. There are a lot of people who assume that the rhinoceros hornbill is a rhinoceros. So, birdwatchers have brought the hornbill around the world to explore different cultural and emotional stories. The rhinoceros hornbill is not just my hometown national bird, it is also a threatened bird species. I feel connected to this bird species, and decided to develop it as one of my main character design.

Red Dot Diva: Will Beefy Boi and Rhinomee go on an adventure together in the future?
Merick: 100% we are teasing some adventures as of right now, but in the future, I think people will see the physical form soon. And it probably wouldn’t be just one, but multiple adventures in different environments and contexts. For my personal adventures, Merthewiz might go for more overseas adventures in the future, and BEEFY BOI might make some friends in the process, making this his own Beefy-Universe.
Mr.Xianffy: Will my Rhinomee and Beefy Boi adventure together in future? I guess probably yes. We both try different styles, and hopefully, one day in future, we will be able to collaborate and present a unique visual experience for everyone.

Red Dot Diva: How long was it before you felt confident enough to show off your designs and toys in public, for sale?
Merick: It was about less than a year after much building and refining of the character. But selling them in the market was a different matter. I only felt confident that it could work as a marketable collectible after my participation at my first event, Pop Toy Show 2023.

Mr.Xianffy's Roly-Poly toys

Mr.Xianffy: I took a very long time with many, many baby steps. Due to my corporate workload, I was unable to commit fully, and could only indulge in some hobby work when I took breaks from the day job. It was 7 years of self-learning with considerable doses of self doubt. I lacked confidence and kept going around in circles. Then, when Covid-19 hit, I told myself I should be bold and launch my Roly-Poly toys. These were my toy creations before the creation of Rhinomee.
Red Dot Diva: I really admire your tenacity, Mr.Xianffy! To those fledging toy designers out there, don't give up!

Red Dot Diva: Do you think the designer toy market is too saturated?
Merick: Yes and No. It could seem saturated with the more experienced toy makers in Singapore as they have been networking and gaining experience longer. However, there are still new people who are dabbling and making their own figures and collectibles, and pushing it more and more publicly, which is very exciting for the designer toy market.
Mr.Xianffy: Hmm... I don't think so. People tend to compare our hard work with big brands, like blind-box toys, but I don’t think the designer toy market is saturated. Every artist has their own unique art sense that attracts a specific type of collector, and usually the interaction between the indie artist & the collector is a more personal relationship. This is unlike blindbox brands, or others huge toy manufacturers, where you can only interact with the artist during special occasions for that few minutes, or only on a TV screen.

Beefcake by Kayotoyco x Merthewiz

Red Dot Diva: What can designers do to make their toy stand out amongst all the competition?
Merick: They could start marketing more frequently and publicly either on social media, or at local and international events. Another suggestions is also to collaborate with other artists to build that connection with people in the designer toy scene. That also helps to increase the awareness of your brand in each other’s audience.
Mr.Xianffy: Unfortunately, I don’t have a 100% true and tried way. I am still learning along the way too, and making changes to my ideas and processes from time to time. It is not easy for sure. If the subject decide to go for is unique, there would be little or no reference for you to get a satisfying result quickly. It really also depends on timing, geography, people and the trends.

Red Dot Diva: What are some practical tips you can share to those who are thinking about launching their own designer toy products?
Merick: Start small, if it’s too intimidating. Some cost friendly alternatives could be with air-dry clay, or digital sculpting with some free websites. If you have an iPad, I highly recommend, Nomad Sculpt, as it’s a one time payment app, has a low barrier entry, is able to render to higher realism, and can export to 3D print ready files.
Mr.Xianffy: Begin by doing research on the subject you are passionate about. You can start from brainstorming to sketching, and sharing those on the social media platforms. Do remember to protect your copyright, no matter how small or worthless you think your pencil sketch is. It may not be suitable now, but you might never know if your old sketches may become popular one day!

Red Dot Diva: What are the things you learnt about the attendees' buying preferences from your booth experience at last year's SGCC?
Merick: I noticed that it would be better to have a range of different items at different prices, as people have different budgets. Another point would be to have more pop culture and game references for your products because the event is a comic con, so having those kind of items would interest a larger audience.
Mr.Xianffy: The metric changes every year due to the market's pursuit of trends, so I cater to a variety of merchandise for different age groups, at a comfortable price range.

Red Dot Diva: What can we expect from your booth at SGCC 2024?

Beefy Boi Titan by Merthewiz

Merick: Fun, friendly vibes and cool new characters in new forms and designs. There will also be supporting products in the form of artist trading cards with fun packaging.

Sneak peek at new merch by Rhinomee

Mr.Xianffy: Both of us have collaborated on trading cards. Besides that, both of us are also part of the Made in Singapore initiative at SGCC. So, Rhinomee will launch a new series of merchandise. There are limited hand crafted Rhinomee keychains as well as other exclusive items, like bottle caps and art prints. Come look for us at the show to find out more.
Red Dot Diva: You have piqued my interest! I'll definitely be visiting your booth, and we have to flex our biceps together again!
To find out what cool items Merthewiz and Rhinomee will be offering at their SGCC 2024 booth, please follow their social media accounts:

Merthewiz
Website: https://www.merthewiz.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/merthewiz

Rhinomee
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rhinomee
Xiaohongshu: https://www.xiaohongshu.com/user/profile/5f9326320000000001002d2a

Merthewiz x Rhinomee will be participating as part of Made In Singapore cluster at Booth L1-AA174.


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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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Singapore Comic Con (SGCC) 2023 Artist Highlight - Discovering Artistry: Allen Erie (Andrea Rosaline)

The Singapore Comic Convention (SGCC) may feature a smorgasbord of activities, like opportunities to meet esteemed comic book creators, a cosplay competition, stage activities and talks by industry professionals. However, Red Dot Diva thinks the soul of SGCC lies in the talented creators at Artist Alley.

It has been a Red Dot Diva blog tradition to interview a selected bunch of creatives who will be boothing at SGCC's Artist Alley. This year, Red Dot Diva's friend Edward helps to kick off this year's slate of interviews with a chat with Canadian freelance illustrator Allen Erie (Andrea Rosaline). Read on to check it out!

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Like any other kiasu attendee, I religiously combed through the exhibitor list and stumbled upon a treasure trove of creativity that left me utterly spellbound. The moment my eyes laid on Scaramouche, I knew I was doomed. As I scrolled through her entire IG, her fanart of mobile titles Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail, held my attention a willing hostage; generic chibi wares have a hard time registering a bleep on the radar of a convention veteran like myself but this - this - was something else.

Singapore Comic Con (SGCC) 2022 Artist Highlight - Filipino Illustrator Bea Gomez aka BlueToaster

It is just two more weeks to Singapore Comic Con (SGCC) (previously known as Singapore Toy, Game and Comic Convention), the island's pop-culture event of the year! The comic convention, featuring over local and international 40 guests (Red Dot Diva is beginning to lose count!) and 350 exhibitors, will return to Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay on 10 & 11 December 2022.

Having a slew of renown guests appearing at SGCC is exciting for sure. However, Red Dot Diva has a soft spot for what used to be called “Artist Alley”. This segment of the exhibition show floor, filled with booths from aspiring artist, craters and writers to well-known one, is the indie heartbeat of the creative community. Generally, everyone there is friendly, which helps when you are hoping to make new connections!

In previous years, Red Dot Diva publishes interviews with a few indie artists before the physical convention kicks off. After a two-year hiatus due to the recent pandemic, the RDD pre-SGCC interview tradition returns! To kick-off this year's “Artist Alley” spotlight, Filipino creative Bea Gomez aka BlueToaster bravely fielded Red Dot Diva nosy questions:

Join The Rebellion At Raffles City - Star Wars: Andor Light Projection and X-Wing Fighter Display

Calling all STAR WARS nerds! It's time to gear up, and head to Raffles City mall to join the Rebellion.

For this year's Christmas festivities, CapitaLand is bringing Disney-themed installations called “From Our Family To Yours” to their 16 malls around Red Dot Island.

In Raffles City, STAR WARS fans get to step into a small section of the galaxy far far away from now till 25 December. The highlight is the scaled replica of the Incom T-70 X-Wing Fighter on Level 3.

Power Up With Dwayne Johnson's Under Armour Project Rock x Black Adam Training Collection

The BLACK ADAM movie from the DC Extended Universe is now out at the theatres! Black Adam (whose real name is Teth-Adam) is based on the DC character who originates from the same comic book series as Shazam. Unlike the superheroes most people are familiar with, Black Adam is not a “nice” guy. For one thing, he has little compunction in killing people to get what he wants or needs.

Superstar Dwayne Johnson, who stars as the titular anti-hero, has mentioned that the BLACK ADAM movie is his passion project. This is the first time Black Adam is appearing on the big screen. So, to celebrate and promote the movie's release, Dwayne Johnson has created a striking line of performance wear called the Black Adam Training collection as part of Project Rock, his global partnership with sportswear brand Under Armour.

“Black Adam deserved more than a portrayal,” said Dwayne Johnson. “He deserved a transformation. Every training session, every rep, every drop of sweat was my commitment to disrupt the very notion about this character and myself.”

Geek Out At XM Studios' Life-Sized Batcave at - So Instagrammable!

Holy Bat Lair! Red Dot Diva has finally visited XM Studios' life-sized Batcave at their show area in Kitchener Complex, and it made her geek girl heart sing.

The award-winning premium collectibles studio launched its 1:30 scale Batcave on Batman Day 2022 in collaboration with with Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC. As you enter the Batcave, you would immediately be drawn to this gorgeous and intricate Batman: White Knight (Batcycle Edition) figure. Love the "flying cape", which imbues the sculpture with a sense of energy.

Happy Batman Day 2022 - Visit the Batcave at XM Studios, Catch The Batman Premiere on HBO and more!

Nana nana nana nana BATMAN!!!! Happy Batman Day, all you geeks!

On 17 September, also known as Batman Day, fans celebrate the World’s Greatest Detective's adventures for over 80 years! And he's still going strong.

So, what are the Batty things you can do with your squad on Red Dot Island for the festivities? Check out the following list of things to do:

Experience The Batman "Unmask The Truth" Pop-up at Shaw House

One of DC's most enduring and iconic superhero is back to the big screen. Matt Reeves' THE BATMAN, starring Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader, premiered in local theatres on 3 March 2022. To ramp up the hype and excitement for the new Batman movie, WarnerMedia has turned Orchard Road into an interactive experience for the fans with The Batman “Unmask The Truth" pop-up event.

Its main "Gotham City" is located at Shaw House's ground level. Enter into Gotham's shadowy world to check out the Bat-signal, a life-sized figure of Batman the "Battinson" version, and a cool toy display that includes XM Studios' intricately sculpted collectible "The Batman’s Greatest Battles". Against a replica of the Batcave console, Secretlab has also unveiled their The Batman chair, with a special magnetically detachable bat emblem.

Don't forget about taking your selfies! The movie backdrops provided Red Dot Diva with lots of fun and wacky photo opportunities.

Get A Taste of Museum of Ice Cream Singapore - Pop-up at Design Orchard (30 April to 27 May 2021)

Curious about how the Museum of Ice Cream (MOIC) will look like when it opens at Dempsey in August 2021? Here's your chance!

The attraction has set up a pop-up retail showcase at Design Orchard from 30 April to 27 May 2021, 10:30 AM to 8 PM daily, and admission is free!

The pink California oasis theme of the pop-up space is a sneak peek of one of the 14 installations in the museum. A pretty pink beach hut and rows of similarly coloured ‘palm trees’ offer a few moments of candy coloured dreams, and an opportunity for selfie lovers. (Hint: there is also a mini surprise if you peek into the window of the beach hut. Go check it out for yourself!)