Marina Bay Sands is about to enter a whole new world.
When you hear the words ‘Comic Con’, the first thing that comes to mind would most probably be the annual convention held in USA. But little did you know, Singapore has one of her own! The Singapore Toy, Game and Comic Convention (STGCC) is returning to Sands Expo and Convention Centre on September 9-10. Two full days of games, cosplay, manga, anime, comics and collectibles. Count us in!
Comics
Ever wanted to meet the man who officiated Batman’s wedding? As part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 10th anniversary, fans can expect to meet David Finch, a comic artist who contributed to Marvel and DC Comics (New Avengers, Moon Knight, Ultimatum, Wonder Woman, Batman).
Also on the line-up are Marvel Studios’ Head of Visual Development Ryan Meinerding, who worked on titles such as Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther. And Eisner-nominated comic illustrator and designer Mark Brooks, who recently unveiled his rendition of the Batmobile for the Detective Comics series.
Frank Cho, comic book writer and artist for popular works such as Shanna the She-Devil, Mighty Avengers and Hulk, returns to the convention for a second year. You will also get to meet Arthur “Art” Adams, the artist for Longshot. Last but not least, meet illustrator and author, Joyce Chin, who has worked on both Marvel’s and DC’s comics. Another highly anticipated person is the artist for hit show My Little Pony, Agnes Garbowska.
Special Zones And Events: Spider-Man + Game of Thrones
[UPDATED 6 SEPT] On top of those, there are two zones based off popular franchises:
Spider-Man
This is where Spider-Man and his arch nemesis Venom will appear at STGCC, ahead of their movie release later in the year, thanks to Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Firstly, there’s a booth dedicated to the iconic supervillian, where you’ll get to play around with his iconic black slime, which we’re told is free of sentient alien symbiotes. Sony will also be launching a special Facebook camera filter; the first 1,000 visitors who post selfies taken with it, on Sony’s FB page, will receive a limited-edition Venom mask.
Of course, our main hero, Spidey, deserves the stage too. “Spiderverse SG”, an extension of the international fandom, will celebrate the release of
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, an animated film that centres around Brooklyn teen Miles Morales. Fans can also take plenty of photographs at the specially constructed 3D photo-corner, where they can pose with cosplayers from the Spiderverse club.
Game of Thrones
Winter is here. And along with that, an invasion of the White Walkers who will make their imposing march at the convention, led by the chilly Night King. Who knew Singapore was part of Westeros too?
There’ll be photo opportunities at scheduled times, and a special GoT booth too. Details are pretty minimal at this point, but hey, do you really wanna be spoiled?
LEGO + Harry Potter Universe
[UPDATED 2 AUG] Can’t get enough of witchcraft and wizardry? Immerse in the world of Harry Potter by visiting the Hogwarts campus constructed entirely from LEGO bricks. There will be a massive diorama of minifigs and microfigs from the Harry Potter universe, while both kids and the young at heart can build their favourite HP characters, creatures, locations or artefacts from LEGO bricks. You might even spot a couple of dementors lurking close by (all guests are advised to have their Patronuses ready).
Fans can get their hands on The Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle, consisting of over 6,000 LEGO bricks, which officially launches on 1 September, available in limited quantity at STGCC.
On top of this, there’ll be more merch, obviously, in the form of Harry Potter brickheadz x Go Brick Me collections zone, where you get to construct your own interpretations of the characters using Brickheadz materials. After that, you can go for a picture at the official Harry Potter backdrop.
Don’t be disappointed if you can’t meet a real lion. Instead, meet five interactive lion figurines from Voltron. Assemble a full-size Voltron model with LEGO bricks and stand a chance to walk away with a limited-edition autographed LEGO Voltron set. Or even better, meet the designer of Voltron – Defender Of The Universe, Leandro Tayag. There is something for everyone!
Cosplay
Manga and anime fans unite! Prepare your hearts to meet character designer Range Murata, known for anime series such as Blue Submarine No.6, LASTEXILE and Shangri-La and chart-topping composer, YUC’e. Veteran voice actress (Rin Tohsaka from Fate Series, Hayate Yagami from Nanoha Series), Kana Ueda will be making her Southeast Asian debut at STGCC this year. AkaiRyusei and TAM, two legends in the Japanese doujin music scene, are also coming to STGCC. Dance along to ChuLa‘s (winner of STARS Girl Grand Prix) energetic, high-speed music numbers!
Dress up as your favourite character and take part in the STGCC “Championships of Cosplay”, where contestants will compete for the grand prize of a fully sponsored trip to Chicago to enter the “2019 Crown Championships of Cosplay Finals”. For a more unique outfit, SINGER® Sewing Company’s Experience Zone provides capes for 1000 lucky fans to sew.
The younger ones will not lose out either! The STGCC’s Kids Cosplay Parade encourages imagination to run wild.
An Impressive Fan Zone
[UPDATED 6 SEPT] Here’s another series of activities that will excite fans! The Fan-Tastic Zone, a dedicated fan-run space that will feature workshops, cosplay collections and displays of unique merchandise. It’s announced this close to the actual event, but we’re glad it’s happening because it seems like STGCC just got a whole lot more exciting! So really, thank you geeks and superfans.
Here’s a summary of what you can expect:
- Lightsaber-building workshop for children and adults, hosted by FightSaber Singapore
- Screenings: selected anime titles from Aniplus, as well as episodes of BBC’s Dr Who Christmas special
- Trade or source rare sketchcards at the Sketchcards Meet & Trade and Scavenger Events organised by the Singapore Comics Community, showcasing its extensive collection of vintage comics
- Cosplaying: the Mandalorian Mercenaries Costume Club will be making their debut, along with other cosplaying communes including characters from TokuCos Singapore
- Browse notable comic titles at the National Library Board booth and be privy to extensive pop culture knowledge at hosted book talks
Contests
A mammoth-sized monster named Merzilla is featured as part of STGCC 2018’s official artwork. What is your interpretation of this creature and who are the heroes that will defeat it? Submissions are open from now till 20th July 2018, and artists can express their ideas via any medium.
For hardcore to casual gamers, attend the new event, Good Game Experience (GGXP). Board games, esports, virtual reality — you name it, they’ve got it.
If this isn’t enough to fuel your excitement, we have one last thing! All attendees will receive a dedicated STGCC x Heroes merchandise collection featuring a t-shirt, posters, sticker packs and lanyards.
STGCC 2018 brings us closer to the creators and artists of Marvel and DC Comics. With a wide range of exhibitions and showcases, unleash your inner geek at this convention!
Singapore Toy, Game and Comic Convention 2018
Marina Bay Sands Expo, Halls D, E, F
8 – 9 September, 10am – 8pm daily
All Access Pass: $20.50 for a limited period of time
Skip the queue and get your passes here and at Kinokuniya islandwide.
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