Do you realise, that Singapore Comic Convention (SGCC) starts this Friday, 3 December 2021? For an event that attracted over 50,000 attendees in 2019, this year's event is very low key. There are a few possible reasons for this. The convention has been taken over from Reed Exhibitions Singapore by a new event company called Generation Experience, and the show will run only on a virtual format. Generally, people are getting weary of staring at a screen after more than a year of Zoom and Google meetings. It is just not the same as an in-person gathering where connections and conversations happen in real time. And Red Dot Diva is sure that most of us sorely miss our annual geek huddle.
But still, the show must go on. At least something is happening, right? There have already been a few guests announced for the online panels, so if you are a huge fan of any of them, do remember to register for SGCC. Registration is FREE!!
It is Cartoons Underground's 10th Birthday this year! To celebrate this joyous occasion, South-East Asia's biggest independent animation festival has expanded to a 7-day event from 20 to 27 November 2021. It will run as a hybrid event, with both in-person and virtual segments.
Cartoons Underground, the brainchild of Singaporean festival director Vicky Chen and celebrated American animator Patrick Smith, launched a decade ago with just a 2-hour animated movie screening session. Through the years, as interest for animation grew, the event included workshops and panels, as well as the annual Golden Durian Awards for excellence in animation. It was boosted to a 5-day virtual event last year, despite of restrictions due to the pandemic.
This year's National Day has shown the kind of magic our homegrown indie animation studios can do, so the festival provides a great opportunity to give them more exposure. Not only that, Cartoons Underground offers opportunities to connect animation art students - most who come from NTU and LASALLE - to the industry's professionals.
“We always believed Singapore had this huge potential to be a hub for independent animation for the entire region,” she says. “When we launched Singapore was trying to tempt the big international studios. But it’s the independent studios that have stayed and ten years on we’re seeing more and more people buying into our vision,” says Vicky Chen.
Cartoons Underground 2021 will still centre on the screening of new animated short films. The screening helps to showcase and introduce an eclectic range of animation films to local and global audiences. These films are in contrast to the easily marketable styles by Disney or Dreamworks, or even some anime, that many are already familiar with.
Included in the festival programme are two international competitions. One of the notable entries for the international competition is The Visit by Morrie Tan (LASALLE College of the Arts BA(Hons) Animation Art), an intimate stop-motion story about a girl and her thoughts whenever she visits her father in prison. Red Dot Diva first watched The Visit as part of the seven animated short film anthology Spectrum, which was co-produced by Singapore-based Robot Playground Media and Malaysia’s The R&D Studio. The Visit draws you in with quiet emotion, and the film has already received awards and is currently in the film festival circuit.
Tan Wei Keong, Programme Director of Cartoons Underground, also recommends checking out other entries, like Canada-based director Liza Desyatkova'sDon't Think About Her. “It magnifies the agony of having a crush on someone and I love it that the director pushed the film over the edge to a laugh-out-loud effect,” Tan says.
There will also be a screening of films from students at Singapore’s NTU and LASALLE. In addition, the anniversary celebration will provide a nostalgic throwback of some of the very best films shown at Cartoons Underground over the last decade, including those by Singapore creators Sarah Cheok's The Growth and Davier Yoon and Joshua Tan's witty A Brief History Of Time. Incidentally, the latter is one of Tan Wei Keong's favourites.
“It's a joy to rewatch it a million times,” he says. “I always discover something new in the process. It's a gem in the local animation scene, so it's the perfect short to open the retrospective program.”
The expanded programme also includes three online panels about careers in animation. They are:
Developing the animation industry: The role of education (23 Nov, 8pm) looks at how Singapore’s animation industry can bring on the next generation of talent.
Beyond Animation: What’s next for creative graduates? (21 Nov, 2pm) brings together animation graduates who’ve built successful careers.
Future of monetizing in animation (25 Nov, 8pm) looks at the ways the new digital economy lets animator make money from connecting
directly or indirectly with audiences.
On this weekend and next weekend, Cartoons Underground 2021's partner *SCAPE is hosting a four-day development lab on-site and providing Zoom webinars on topics including Non Fungible Tokens on Animation. On the last day of the festival (27 November, 1 PM SGT), *SCAPE Gallery will be hosting a limited in-person screening of animated movie TATSUMI. The film about Japanese manga artist Yoshihiro Tatsumi, was directed by local auteur Eric Khoo.
“Ten years really flies by when you’re having fun,” says Festival Director Vicky Chen. “Cartoons Underground really has been a labour of love. But seeing the reaction of audiences, following young animators as they embark on their careers, and watching indie animation really take root in Singapore is awesome payback for everything the CU team puts in.”
Tickets for Cartoons Underground 2021 is already on sale! To view the animation films and panels online, buy your ticket from this link - https://cartoonsunderground.com/ticketing-2021
After having to cancel the event last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Singapore Comic Convention (SGCC) is back with an online format that will run from 3 December 2021 to 3 January 2022. The convention is still part of the Singapore Media Festival hosted by hosted by the Infocomm Media Development Authority.
Registration for SGCC 2021 Online is open right now on their website at www.singaporecomiccon.com, and it is free!
When you follow the ways in how people consume media in the last 3 decades or so, it is also intriguing to see how much Netflix has evolved from a DVD service company, to a streaming platform and later on, as a producer of its own original shows. Its growth and popularity surged when the Covid-19 pandemic struck last year. As in-person conventions and events have mostly halted, most media companies decided to host their fan outreach in the virtual space.
With TUDUM - you know, that iconic Netflix opening intro - Netflix's inaugural virtual fan event on 25 September 2021 (26 September in Asia) will include 145 of the biggest stars and creators of the streamer's over 70 original content. The 3-hour event will feature interactive panels that offer first looks, trailers, exclusives and conversations, specially curated for Netflix's fans from all over the world.
Can't wait for what's in store for the next season of “Stranger Things”? Super curious to see what Zack Snyder's “Army of Thieves”, the prequel to his zombie heist movie “Army Of The Dead”? Or, maybe, you want to catch another glimpse of Henry Cavill in the upcoming season of “The Witcher”. Well, there will be an entire list of celebrities and shows that will feed your hungry eager souls. Check out this page to see if you faves are slated to be at TUDUM.
DC Fandome is back again this year! The live global fan extravaganza will happen for one day only on 17 October, Sunday in the Asian region (i.e. 16 October, Sat, USA time). Just like last year, the streaming event is free for all fans to attend.
All you need to do is to suit up and enter into the DC multiverse at DCFanDome.com. The landing page for the event is already up, so you can sign up for a login right now to receive the latest news and updates. DC fans who will be entering DC FanDome for the first time this year can also check out the wonderful video highlights of last year's event on the website.
Back in 2019, Gamestart Asia, the premier gaming convention in South-East Asia, announced a collaboration with the gamescom team to launch their festival in Red Dot Island. gamescom, whose organiser is German company Koelnmesse, is the world's largest tech and gaming event.
The Asian edition was supposed to kick off in October 2020. But then... the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic happened, and it joined many other mass events that had to be postponed.
As everyone looks forward to “the new normal”, the eagerly anticipated event will debut with a hybrid format this year from 14 to 17 October.
It's a new year, and a new season of Live with Red Dot Diva!
One of the best things that happened in 2020 was the decision to launch a monthly Facebook livestream featuring mainly creators and artists based in South-East Asia. During these 1-hour livestreams, Red Dot Diva and her guests participated in lively discussions on a wide range of topics like writing for horror stories, creating modern folk tales, and the current state of genre films in Red Dot Island. These interesting conversations will continue in 2021, and Red Dot Island already have the first few guests lined up for the next few months.
The first guest for 2021 will be The Curious Unicorn a.k.a. Hammy. Hammy is an independent visual development artist, graphic designer and 2D animator who is currently based in Brunei. She used to live in Los Angeles as well as in Red Dot Island. Those of you who wandered around the Singapore Comic Con 2019 Artist Alley may remember her booth selling eye-catching artwork, in an unusual wooden scaffolding setup.
So what if COVID-19 a.k.a. the Big Bad of 2020 is still lurking in the corners of Red Dot Island, and has prevented festivals and events from taking place? Cartoons Underground 2020, the island's very own animation festival, has in fact expanded from a 1-day evening festival to an exciting 5-day online event from 9 to 13 December 2020.
Of course, the festival, which is also South-East Asia's largest, will not be happening in their usual physical venue. Instead, attendees will step into an interactive and vibrant 360° virtual world created by CG lead Enrique Caballero.
Love is in the air
Within this immersive neon-lit cyberpunk 'hood, festival goers will be able to hunt for easter eggs, view films and behind the scene footages, and attend Q&A sessions with directors. Red Dot Diva had a sneak peek of the 360° world, which had tributes to Lady & The Tramp as well as the chef couple from the movie, Ratatouille. According to Enrique Caballero, he felt that during this difficult year, we all needed more love. Since the locals love shopping online, there will also be an art market where you can buy unique items for your own collection or as presents.
While the pandemic continues to rage on in several parts of the world, live action TV and movie productions have either halted or have been delayed. But as the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. Seemingly pandemic-proof, the animation industry is set to boom in the next 5 years due to market demand, and for the practical reason that most of the work can be performed remotely.
Red Dot Diva welcomes the rise of animation movies. They are not just for kids and children. There are the cookie-cutter Disneys, Pixars, Dreamworks and well-loved Studio Ghibli films, and then there are so many others that fall in between or out of those familiar lines that are as beautiful and moving.
Red Dot Diva is excited to launch THE VERY SMALL GEEK FEST, an inaugural virtual pop-culture fan festival that will take place on 5 and 6 December 2020 (Sat / Sun) at the Red Dot Diva Facebook Page.
This is the same weekend that Singapore Comic Con (SGCC) would have been held. Sadly, SGCC 2020 has been cancelled due to safety measures in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is definitely not the same as lining up to meet your favourite artists, or discovering creative gems at the artist alley, but THE VERY SMALL GEEK FEST aims to keep the pop-culture geek spirit alive until we can all safely together for a large-scale event once more.
The virtual event may be “very small” - with just 3 Facebook livestreams held on each day - but the programming will pack a punch for those who enjoy comics and pop-culture.
Here are the list of the confirmed guests, who are based in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines:
* ROD ESPINOSA - Eisner Award-nominated comic book creator, writer, artist
* KELVIN CHAN - Art Director at Kinetiquettes, artist, comic book creator * KASIMIR POH CIESLAK - Actor, stunt performer
* PEPS GOH - Actor, fight coordinator
* SHIAN WEN - Videographer, editor, producer
* SAMARASKETCH - Illustrator, comic book artist, entrepreneur
* ILI ISA - Game concept artist, illustrator, cosplayer * ATTY - Blogger, gamer, pop-culture geek
In addition, local movie reviewer JEDD JONG and author WAYNE RÉE will be take on the role as moderator for a couple of sessions.
More details on THE VERY SMALL GEEK FEST's event schedule, guests' profiles, and giveaways, will roll out on the Red Dot Diva Facebook Page or Twitter feed. Keep an eye out for more information in the coming weeks, and save the dates so you can join us for a rush of endorphins on 5 and 6 December.
Even as cases of Covid-19 has been decreasing recently, Red Dot Island is still at DORSCON Orange. The local government has been very cautious about re-opening businesses and social activities, so it is not a surprise at all to see ReedPop's announcement that the local pop-culture event of the yearSingapore Comic Con (SGCC) 2020has been cancelled.
Do you love genre films, and wonder why they rare exist in Red Dot Island? Will the short lived TV series VR Man be the only local fictional superhero ever to be realised on screen?
Red Dot Diva and award-winning film-maker Perry Lam will attempt to answer these intriguing questions at a Facebook livestream entitled ENDANGERED SPECIES: GENRE FILMS IN SINGAPORE this Saturday, 26 September at 1 PM Singapore Time (GMT +8).
Holy Bak Kut Teh! The prequel comic to the local tokusatsu SACRED GUARDIAN SINGA project will be having its launch tomorrow, 12 September 2020 on local leading publisher AsiaPac Book's Facebook page!
The virtual launch party for the comic entitled SACRED GUARDIANS will begin at 3 PM. Writer Aydeel Djoeharie and artist Alan Bay will be appearing at the livestream (moderated by AsiaPac's Chong Lingying), ready to share their creators' journey in bringing this book to fruition.
“Writing Sacred Guardians was both challenging and fun. With inspiration from American and Japanese superheroes, the story blends in Southeast Asian history, heritage, cultures as well as positive values to create an exciting, relatable story for our young (and older) readers,” said Aydeel Djoeharie, who written and directed several film projects before.
As for the book's artist Alan Bay, “Sacred Guardians was a special project for me not only for its story and characters but because it also helped me get through the pandemic as I spent most of time staying at home and working on it.”
Just before tomorrow's launch, the five SACRED GUARDIANSpoofed in unexpectedly into Red Dot Diva's lair with a present - a limited preview copy of the comic. They declined her offer to stay for tea, but said that she could share a little about their origin story to her readers.
After the huge success of DC FanDome, other content owners are beginning to follow suit and organising virtual events to keep their fans engaged during this coronavirus pandemic. To celebrate the 54th Anniversary of the original STAR TREK show's premiere, CBS All Access has put together an all-day online streaming event where the pilots of every STAR TREK series and specially curated episodes from the different shows, will be made available on CBS All Access starting from 8 September, midnight Pacific Time. This viewing marathon is for USA fans only.
Local Trek fans will not be able to watch the marathon on CBS All Access. However, but there will be 8 key panels hosted by Wil Wheaton and Mica Burton available globally for free, starting at 12 PM (PT). The cast and writers are expected to appear in their respective panels, with Rod Roddenberry logging in for the session dedicated to the original Trek series. Details of the panels are as follows:
Because the initial schedule had so many panels and sessions which will be running simultaneously, fans had found it hard to choose which ones they wanted to attend. So, to cater to the fans' needs, DC FanDome is now expanded to two separate events. The panels previously announced in the other “Verses” like WatchVerse and KidsVerse, have now been postponed to the second event.
The original event on 23 August (Sunday) has been renamed as DC FanDome: Hall of Heroes with a more streamlined schedule. The live segment will begin at 1 AM (Singapore Time) for 8 hours, kicking off with its first panel on WONDER WOMAN 1984, followed by others for The Sandman Universe, THE BATMAN, THE SUICIDE SQUAD and THE SNYDER CUT of JUSTICE LEAGUE, alongside exclusive programming on comics, games, cartoons, TV series and more. The show will air two more times during the 24-hour period, so that fans from different countries will be able to enjoy the different sessions and announcements.
A second round of the mega fan event called DC FanDome: Explore The Multiverse will be held for 24-hours only on 13 September, 1 AM (Singapore Time). A kids-friendly event called DC Kids FanDome will also launch at the same time, and can be accessed separately as DCKidsFanDome.com.
At this event, fans will have full access to over 100 hours of on-demand programming spanning the vast DC Multiverse of TV series, movies, comics, cartoons, games and more. They can then customise their own schedule, and enjoy as many exclusive panel sessions, screenings and never-before-seen content as they wish within the 24-hour window.
It costs nothing to enter in DC FanDome, so don't miss the great lineup in store on both dates. The event can be accessed on all mobile devices as well as on your desktop and laptop computers. All you have to do is go to this link: https://www.dccomics.com/dcfandome
For Red Dot Diva's monthly Facebook livestream, she has moved beyond the shores of Red Dot Island to feature her first overseas guest - Carlo Jose San Juan (MD) of Callous Comics!
Yes, Carlo Jose San Juan is a medical doctor from Manila, the Philippines. He also churns out Callous Comics cartoons on an admirably consistent and prolific rate. As it turns out, Callous Comics is celebrating its 24th Anniversary this year, having shared numerous snapshots of physician Dr. Rianne Nicah's daily life, together with her Guardian Duck named Cal Duck, and her group of friends.
It has not been easy for Dr. Carlo as well as his main comic character Rianne during this on-going COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the tough challenges that have turned the world upside down, Callous Comics' outlook remains brave and hopeful.
The “A DOSE OF THE BRIGHT SIDE” livestream will set aside an hour of conversation where Dr. Carlo will share about his experiences navigating life with two interesting professions, and how he manages to remain positive during such difficult times. Red Dot Diva and her guest will also chat about the meaning of art during a worldwide pandemic and the rise of web comics in recent times.
The teaser reel that announced the talent roster was super long and varied, consisting of comic book creators, celebrities from the movies and TV series, those working behind the scenes, the people from WB Games, as well as the presenters and hosts.
Take a look at the guest announcement video here as the over 300 names scroll on and on.. and on...
The live event turned out to be more fun and interactive than expected, as their friends joined the two online discussing about Joelyn's new “UNSTABLE UNIVERSE”, a fictional world that is set to expand from the graphic novel UNSTABLE FOUNDATIONS, published by COSH Studios in 2019. There were hiccups like awkward sound echos, and ‘uh-oh where did Joelyn disappear to’ moments, but the live session felt casual and cosy, as if a bunch of friends dropped by to yak about geeky stuff.
This mega, immersive, 24-hour virtual global fan event by Warner Bros. is set to kick-off on August 22 (that is, Sunday August 23, starting at 1 AM Singapore time). It will cost nothing for the fans to step into the multiverse of DC's Super Heroes and Super-Villains from past, present and futures shows. There will be no queues, no badges required, and best of all, no heartattack-inducing hotelapocalypse!
Everything will happen at www.dcfandome.com, with exciting announcements on WB's game, film and TV properties, plus a chance to watch the cast, creators and those from behind the scenes who have worked in various comics, movies and TV series share about their experiences.
Some of the titles that will be featured at DC FanDome are:
The “Uncovering Unstable Universes” livestream event is a launch party for a new zine called UNSTABLE DIRECTIONS by local writerJoelyn Alexandra.
Joelyn writes mainly urban fiction, and her stories have been published by Two Trees, Math Paper Press, Ethos Books, and Buku Fixi. She also managed her own self-published indie zine, Pulp Toast, with saw a run of 4 issues that contained "snackable stories" about gaming, non-heroes, and the human condition. She has also participated in talks and writing workshops at various events, including Singapore Writers Festival, Read! Fest 2018, All In! Young Writers Festival, and Singapore Comic Con.
Those were the days when local Star Wars fans here would gather physically to celebrate May the 4th Star Wars Day by interacting with costumers and cosplayers, ogling at wondrous toy collections, learning how to fight with a lightsaber, or simply enjoying each other's geeky company.
However, it will be the school holidays next week, and the younglings will be off from HBL sessions. So, parents and their children can take part in a May the 4th celebration online with our favourite lightsaber performance and costume group, Fightsaber SG!
