Disney+ Singapore's Super Fun Star Wars Lightsaber Workshop With Fightsaber (23 September 2023)

Last Saturday (23 September 2023), Red Dot Diva and her geek pal Leo Cheong had a chance to be part of Disney+ Singapore's special event for a bunch of subscribers. The streaming company hosted a Star Wars Lightsaber Workshop and it was a blast! 

It was the first time Leo attended a Disney event at their premises, and here is his short write-up about the fan huddle!

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Masks haven't been trendy or ubiquitous since the heydays of the Covid pandemic, but I happily donned my Darth Vader mask for this special occasion. Hosting winners of the latest Subscribers Perks Programme competition at their swanky HQ, Disney+ Singapore put on a literal light show that will not be forgotten anytime soon.

No party is complete without epic loot and it doesn’t get more epic than an Ahsoka Tano Legacy Lightsaber Set worth a cool S$529.90 (US$387.95). Reminds me of Shinomori Aoshi’s double kodachis from Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X.

Gamescom Asia - Grab Your Tickets For The Entertainment Zone!

Here's a reminder for the gamers out there. Have you got your tickets to this year's Gamescom Asia's Entertainment Zone? The consumer segment returns to a physical format from 20 to 22 October 2023, when Gamescom Asia's returns to Suntec Convention Centre.

Capcom Asia has already announced their presence at Gamescom Asia, and there will also be indie publishers showcasing their games. Other than the game publisher booths, attendees can enjoy watching e-sports on site, live panels on stage, play boardgames, buy merchandise, and take pics with cosplayers. Watch out for more exciting announcements as the gaming event of the year draws nearer.

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.

Singapore Comic Con 2023 (SGCC) - Tickets Are Available Right Now!

It is time again to gather your geek squad and get ready to strut into this year's Singapore Comic Convention (SGCC). The pop-culture event will return to Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre on 9 and 10 December 2023.

SGCC will be taking up 5 halls of the convention centre on two floors, Level 1 and B2. As in past years, the event is part of the Singapore Media Festival and supported by The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) Singapore and the Singapore Tourism Board.

Red Dot Diva wishes that organiser Generation Experience is able to announce at least one or two main guests at the same time tickets are available. Many of the geeks she knows are holding back on getting tickets right now, but it seems that they banking on generic traffic to be flowing in rather than hardcore geeks. Well, whatever works for them.

Last year's SGCC comic book guests were interesting. So, it would not be farfetched to assume that Generation Experience already has a list of fantastic guests in store for this year's show. We would just need to wait for the guests announcements on SGCC's social media channels.

Other than that, SGCC has started posting teasers on the exhibitor booths who will be on the showfloor. These include the insanely popular Aussie animated pre-school series BLUEY, local toy store Simply Toys, LEGO/ The Brick Shop and Art-2 Gallery.




TICKETING INFORMATION

Tickets are available right now from the Klook website. (Note: The prices exclude $2 Klook booking fee per ticket.)

For a 10% discount on tickets (capped at SGD 7.00), go sign up for a FRANK by OCBC Card before grabbing your tickets. More details on the codes to use are on the Klook website.

Early birds, which are those who purchase tickets before 31 August 2023, are automatically entered into the SGCC 2023 lucky draw. Prizes include a LEGO The Mandalorian N-1 Starfighter set, a Sabermach Xentinel V2 lightsaber and Pop! Star Wars: Star Wars Celebration 5pk SWC 22 iEX.



Regardless of who might be the guests for SGCC, there will be lots to do, like panels, cosplay competition, orchestral performances, and more. Even if you are not attending SGCC because of the guests, the event is a great time to reconnect with the local geeks and those who will be visiting from neighbouring countries. Red Dot Diva recalls that during last year's SGCC, the reunions with the Filipino artists like Harvey Tolibao, and Boey the creator of the When I Was A Kid book series, were such a joyous occasion for her and the friends of the Glam Bloggers Alliance. It is also an enriching adventure discovering artists and creatives at Artist Alley. In fact, the Artist Alley is Red Dot Diva's hangout venue during SGCC.

The geeks are what makes SGCC more fun than you expect. Red Dot Diva's cannot wait to make new memories with you all again!



SINGAPORE COMIC CON (SGCC) 2023
Where: Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre
Date: 9 & 10 December 2023 (Sat and Sun)
Admission: SGD 35.00 per person per day. SGD 65.00 per person for 2-day tickets.
*Kids under 12 enter FREE! (Each paying adult can be accompanied by a maximum of 2 children under 12)

Illustration Arts Festival 2023 - From Cute Designs to Demonic Girls and Shaolin Monks

This year's Illustration Arts Festival (IAF) is held at a hall within the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC). The event was organised by the Organisation of Illustrators Council (OIC Singapore) together with and 32CM32CM.

Red Dot Diva arrived at the venue just past 1230 PM. Registration at the ground level was smooth and quick. It saves time if you have pre-registered and booked your slot via the Eventbrite website. By the way, there is also a food and drinks stall just beside the registration lines if you need some nourishment. You will not be able to access to the IAF market space via the elevators. Instead, you would need to ride several levels of external escalators to Level 7.

Illustration Arts Festival 2023 - Meet Local and Regional Artists At Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, 29 and 30 July 2023

The fourth edition of Illustration Arts Festival (IAF), brought to you by the Organisation of Illustrators Council (OIC Singapore) and 32CM, is back in action at Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) on 29 and 30 July 2023. The first IAF was held in 2016 with foreign indie press East London Comics Arts Festival (ELCAF) and Nobrow Press making their presence felt on the showgrounds. There was supposed to be an IAF held in 2020, but like many other physical events scheduled in that year, the Covid-19 pandemic forced several organisers to cancel or postpone their plans.

With Red Dot Island back in business this year, the IAF will be hosting over 100 local and regional artists across 90 booths. These artists will be featuring their original artwork and content, so art lovers will have plenty of opportunities to connect with these creatives.

Gamescom Asia 2023 - Capcom Announced For Inaugural B2C Entertainment Zone

Here is a piece of exciting news for this year's Gamescom Asia, which will be held from 19 to 22 October 2023 at Suntec Convention Centre. Capcom, one of the largest gaming developers and publishers of the world, has confirmed their participation at this year's inaugural B2C Entertainment Zone. The B2C zone will be held on 20 to 22 October 2023, with 20 October open to business visitors and a limited number of pre-registered fans only. Gaming enthusiasts will be very familiar with Capcom's best-selling series like Resident Evil and Street Fighter.

For the last two iterations of the gaming festival, the B2C segment had been scuppered due to Covid-19 social restrictions. The key B2C highlights in 2021 and 2022 were broadcasted mainly via Gamescom Asia's online shows PRIMETIME and STUDIO, and it was just not the same as having gaming fans gathering physically on site, where you can wear your favourite costumes, or meet your friends and bond together over the love for gaming.