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.


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

RELATED SINGAPORE COMIC CON (SGCC) 2024 ARTICLES

Singapore Comic Con 2024 (SGCC) - Tickets Now Available For Purchase, and Space Ranger Celebrities Announced

Singapore Comic Con 2024 (SGCC) - Meet Comic Book Guests Like Mike Zeck, Michael Gaydos, Ram V and Giuseppe Camuncoli
(Update: Francesco Manna, Michael Gaydos, OSHRed will no longer be attending as guests for SGCC 2024)

Singapore Comic Con 2024 (SGCC) Booth Highlight - Meet The Monster Bunnies By Raven Collectibles (L1-AA201)

Singapore Comic Con 2024 (SGCC) Booth Highlight - Genforcer Is All Ready to Protecc You! (L1-AA180-181)

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

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

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

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

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

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 - Meet The Monster Bunnies By Raven Collectibles (L1-AA201)

It has become an annual tradition that Red Dot Diva puts a few interesting guests and exhibitors of Singapore Comic Convention (SGCC) in the spotlight before the show. There are usually new convention attendees who may not be knee-deep in pop-culture, so she hopes that a quick guide would make them curious enough to check out some of the booths on the show floor. In addition, the articles are a good way to keep the local geek community strong and connected.

This year, Red Dot Diva first interview "victim" is Sharavanan Sora of Raven Collectibles, a homegrown local toy design studio that focuses on high quality 3D sculpted toys and figurines. Sharavanan (or Shara for short) works in the the civil service. When he gets off work, he would indulge in one of his main hobbies, which is sculpting. The love for the craft has led him to a journey in toy design and the start of Raven Collectibles. Other than sculpting, Shara has a list of interests including drawing, playing video games, watching movies, enjoying numerous animated series, listening to music, animation, and spending time with his family.

Shara also confesses that he is addicted to comic books and boasts of a dedicated library for his collection, which number in the thousands. He shared that his comic book obsession probably started with watching Super-Friends in the 80's, but he only started buying comics from the 90's onwards when his cousins introduced him to a local comic book shop in Ginza Plaza.

Let's find out more about Shara, Raven Collectibles and their latest toy line called Monster Bunnies:

Red Dot Diva: What inspired the beginnings of Raven Collectibles? Tell me your origin story!
Shara: I have always been obsessed with toys. Because growing up, my parents will always promise to buy me a toy only on my birthday, but somehow mysteriously stay quiet when the birthday actually comes. So once I had adult money, I buy all the toys I want. And I really really loved these cute toy designs by "The Loyal Subjects". All my favourite pop culture characters in chibi form. Absolutely beautiful stuff. But, I found out they were blind box toys. Which I absolutely loathe. I hate that gimmick of making people buy many repeated toys before finally getting the ones they actually want. It's greedy and preys on people with unhealthy obsessions... like me. So I thought, "I'm just gonna make my own toys!". And I guess that was my villain origin story.

But, it is my beautiful wife who owns the business. She puts up with my childish obsessions. So, she is a huge part of any success we have.

The Raven Collectibles family!

Red Dot Diva: How did you get into 3D sculpting?
Shara: So after realising my villainous goals, I looked into 3D sculpting and 3D printing. I started by looking at YouTube tutorials on the basics. Truly, YouTube has a wealth of knowledge for absolutely anything you wish to learn. It is not just for movie trailers and nonsensical memes.

I've always loved sculpting but could never truly get into it because of clay drying too fast. If you needed a couple of days' break, you'd come back to a dried up project. But now the technology was here. I could come back to a 3D sculpt project years later and the clay was still malleable. And whatever I sculpted, I could easily print out because we have 3D printers now. And so began my learning journey in toy making.

Having the ability to take something from inside your mind and bringing it to physical reality is a very powerful, positive feeling. Absolutely addictive. In a good way. I'd recommend anybody to try it.

Red Dot Diva: Where do you get your inspirations from? Do you have a secret sketchbook of ideas to use for future projects?
Shara: My inspirations are mainly from the comic books. I started out my journey into 3D sculpting with Superheroes. In fact, all my sculpts before the "Monster Bunnies" were all Superheroes and Villains. Honestly, ever since I started sculpting, I haven't really touched any sketchbooks. Been neglecting my drawing skills. Ideas just float around my head until I have time to spare to start on each new project. I do have a list of things to sculpt on notes in my phone.

Red Dot Diva: Please share more about Monster Bunnies. How did they come about?
Shara: These first 4 Monster Bunnies, I just randomly sketched in class back in the day in NAFA. I studied there for a year. I can't remember if a friend requested a monster bunny or the idea just popped in my head. But I do remember the unique pose I visualised and just had to pour it on paper. Once that was out, I wanted to see other bunny monsters in the same pose. I had never done multiple different characters in the same pose before and it seemed like a fun thing to do. I loved what I saw and really wished I had a toy of one of these. Interestingly that was in 2004. Twenty years later, that wish has come true!

Red Dot Diva: They look frightfully adorable. Will there be a Monster Bunnies version but with Asian ghoulies?
Shara: That is SUCH and INTERESTING question! So weird that you asked with those specifics. You will have to come to SGCC 2024 for the exclusive "Monster Bunnies Wave 2" reveal to find out. I type this with a cheeky smile.
Red Dot Diva: Ooooooh. I can't wait!

Red Dot Diva: I understand that it's not easy to run a small business. Do you have any practical tips to share with aspiring creators out there?
Shara: Make full use of the internet to run your business. It is not cheap to run any business, so avoid fixed costs as much as you can. I'm mainly referring to renting a space. Because that will burn a hole in your capital too quickly. You do have to spend money to make money. But do it wisely. Always look at alternatives, and resist jumping in to any commitment. If there are any big decisions to be made, give yourself time to calm down from excitement before making it. If spending can be avoided, always avoid.
So many great ideas never get to flourish because we run out of fundings fast.

Red Dot Diva: You were also exhibiting at SGCC last year. What are the things you learnt about the attendees' buying preferences?
Shara: They are there to BUY!!! They want only to buy things. They do not want to take down your number to do business later. Haha. Last year my booth was set up just to advertise my services as a custom 3d sculptor. I had my work on display. And everybody who came up to my booth wanted to buy everything on the spot. Unfortunately, that would leave me with an empty booth for 2 days. So, lesson learnt. This year I'm selling 200 Monster bunnies. Get them while stocks last.

Red Dot Diva: What can we expect from your booth at SGCC 2024?
Shara: We have our first soft launch of our Monster Bunnies as SGCC exclusives. After that, we will be taking pre-orders at our Amazon.com shop (still setting up). We also have the very first official reveal of Wave 2 of the "Monster Bunnies". Look out for 4 NEW interesting monsters! They are deadly and ferocious! And oh so CUTE!!! If Wave 1 does well, maybe we can expect a Wave 2 release just in time for Halloween next year! Fingers crossed.
Red Dot Diva: That sounds awesome! I'll definitely come by to say hi, and budget permits, to BUY!

Raven Collectible's MONSTER BUNNIES can be found at SGCC 2024, Booth L1-AA201.

Follow Raven Collectibles on Instagram, Youtube, or Tiktok.

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

RELATED SINGAPORE COMIC CON (SGCC) 2024 ARTICLES

Singapore Comic Con 2024 (SGCC) - Tickets Now Available For Purchase, and Space Ranger Celebrities Announced

Singapore Comic Con 2024 (SGCC) - Meet Comic Book Guests Like Mike Zeck, Michael Gaydos, Ram V and Giuseppe Camuncoli
(Update: Francesco Manna, Michael Gaydos, OSHRed will no longer be attending as guests for SGCC 2024)

Singapore Comic Con 2024 (SGCC) Booth Highlight - Genforcer Is All Ready to Protecc You! ( L1-AA180-181)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pop Toy Show Singapore (8 - 10 September 2023) - Meet Toy Designers Alex Solis, Jon-Paul Kaiser, Luke Chueh, Simone Legno and More!

Remember the time, one of our major pop culture event was called STGCC or Singapore Toy, Game and Comic Convention? And then, somehow, after a couple of years, both the “T” and the “G” segments became more and more non-existent? Even after the show was renamed, the gaming aspect came to almost zilch except for table top games. And last year, Hot Toys - who was usually a major exhibitor - did not even have a booth there.

This provided a lucrative opportunity for someone else to fill the niche regarding designer toys in the local scene. Enter POP MART, a leading China toy company that champions for collectible designer toys, coupled with their innovative marketing strategy. They have taken advantage of the popularity of the blind box culture amongst the younger crowd, and have sunk their roots in Red Dot Island with a flagship store at Funan mall, plus a few other shops spread around the island.

To expand their reach to pop-culture enthusiasts and toy collectors even further, POP MART Singapore has launched its inaugural POP TOY SHOW - the company's first festival held outside of China. POP TOY SHOW opens its doors this weekend from 8 to 10 September 2023 at Sands Expo & Convention Centre.

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

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

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

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

Jessica Emmett's Debut Exhibition "SHOW YOUR EEMO" Launches At BLAXK By Actioncity, 12 March 2022

A colourful and interesting art exhibition opens at BLAXK by Actioncity, located at Funan Mall tomorrow, 12 March 2022 (Saturday). It is the debut exhibition of talented UK toy designer, illustrator & 3D artist JESSICA EMMETT, entitled SHOW YOUR EEMO.

Full disclosure here - JESSICA EMMETT is Red Dot Diva's good friend. They first met at the Singapore Toy Games and Comic Convention (STGCC) 2016's Artist Alley, when she was promoting her illustrations and self-printed comics. It was love at first sight for Red Dot Diva and Jessica's various eye-catching and unique character designs. Jessica also designed the rebranded Red Dot Diva logo that you now see on all the RDD social media accounts. So, Red Dot Diva cannot help but feel very proud and happy that Jessica is given a chance to show off her works in her debut exhibition.