Red Dot Diva

Just as Red Dot Diva was wondering when the Singapore Toy, Game and Comic Convention (STGCC) was going to announce their first wave of guests for this year, when .BOOMZ!. a list of interesting names turned up on their social media and website.

First up on the guest announcement is artist Phil Noto, who has worked in Disney Animation for 10 years before focusing on comic book art. Phil's artwork retro artwork style is especially gorgeous when it comes to portraiture.

His artwork has graced covers on comics published by DC ("Batgirl", "Chuck", "Superman/ Supergirl"), Marvel ("Avengers: The Origin", "Thunderbolts") including the current series on "Star Wars: Poe Dameron" together with writer Charles Soule as well as Dark Horse ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine"), Image and many others.

Accomplished toy designer Jon-Paul Kaiser will also be heading to STGCC. Jon's designs focus on mainly black and white figures and has collaborated with Toy2R, Kidrobot, Pobber and DYZ Plastic. He will be bringing specially designed exclusive STGCC x JPK “Captain Tigris Jackson” Pins to the convention, so that fans can purchase them at his booth!

If you are a comic book fan but haven't heard of the inroads made by award-winning series BOOM! Studios'"Lumberjanes", you probably need to expand your horizons! The female-led, female-friendly comic book series created by a group of women, Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis and Noelle Stevenson together with artist Brooke Allen, won two Eisner Awards in 2015 for Best New Series and Best Publication for Teens. The series also nabbed the 2015 Harvey Award for Best Original Graphic Publication for Younger Readers.

Artist Brooke Allen's colourful, lively and engaging artwork is a key feature of "Lumberjanes", which is about a 5 best girl scouts who encounter and battle all kinds of supernatural and strange happenings. And guess what?? Brooke will be making her to STGCC to meet all the Lumber Jumbies here! W000t!

As in the past, fan favourite designer Simone Legno will be bringing his Tokidoki brand again with him to STGCC.

In addition, those who love Japanese anime/ manga, will be happy to know that illustrator VOFAN of hugely popular Monogatari Japanese anime series is on the guest list. Joining him are also doujin artists Masayoshi Minoshima and nomico.

STGCC will be held at Marina Bay Sands, Level B2, Halls E & F on 10 and 11 September 2016.

Ticket prices and packages for STGCC are now available for purchase on the website, as well as at authorized retailers and on site during the convention weekend.

VIP Packages, which are limited to 300 fans, come with a bag of goodies, fast passes and seating priority. These cost SGD 120 per package.

For 1-day tickets, the price has gone up from to SGD 19 this year. 2-day tickets cost SGD 28. These are the same prices as last year's convention.

Sunday will be Kids Day as usual, with children below the age of 12 gaining free entry into STGCC.

There is a list of merchandise that fans can purchase online. Red Dot Diva is eyeing those beautiful Phil Noto variants. If you purchase the convention tickets online, there is a 10% discount on the merchandise too!

Do keep a look out for more guests announcements leading up to the convention, Red Dot Diva has a feeling there will be some more surprise ones that might make fans really happy. She is still hoping that Reed is somehow able to invite a geek culture-related celebrity guest over for STGCC?

After all, competitor Universal Events and Entertainment has managed to invite Hayley Atwell of Agent Carter fame to Asiapop Comic Con Manila. So, it is about high time Reed Singapore should up the ante and add a little celebrity sparkles into the local pop-culture convention scene!

Red Dot Diva digs some of mega pop star Rihanna's tunes from time to time, but when she heard her latest song "Sledgehammer" featured in the new "Star Trek Beyond" trailer, Diva thought it was such a perfect fit! Her sultry vocals in the haunting melody provided the other-worldly, uplifting feel that the Trek franchise is known for.

Don't believe it? Check out the trailer here:

And, no wonder. Rihanna has double confirmed that she's a long time Trekkie, and "Sledgehammer" was specially written by Rihanna, Sia Furler and Jesse Shatkin for the "Star Trek Beyond" movie."This has been something that's been part of me since my childhood," said Rihanna

Her trippy music video, shows Rihanna in alien-like garb being a bad ass lady shaman in space. As the music soars to a climax, rocks rise from the ground, the Starship Enterprise makes its appearance, glowing orbs are conjured and at the end of the video, she transcends to become a celestial being with the stars.

"Sledgehammer" is the first music video to be filmed entirely with IMAX cameras. Directed by award-winning music video filmmaker Floria Sigismondi, the video was filmed using the revolutionary next-generation ALEXA IMAX® camera. The camera, which captures and delivers a high quality of images, was also used in the main battle sequences for "Captain America: Civil War".

To view the "Sledgehammer"in its glory, the video will debut in IMAX Theatres on 6 July! Red Dot Diva is not sure if that will happen on the same day here in Red Dot Island but watch out for it anyway!

"Star Trek Beyond", directed by Justin Lin of "Fast & Furious" fame, is the third installment of the Trek reboot by the team from Bad Robot with Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Simon Pegg and Doug Jung write the screenplay.

The movie is going to be a bittersweet moment for the cast, crew and fans due to the recent and untimely passing of young actor Anton Yelchin, who played Pavel Chekov for all three movies.

Current Spock aka. Zachary Quinto was a guest at "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert"on 1 July and said, "This has been absolutely devastating for all of us and I think our goal has to be just to celebrate his incredible life and honour him."

"Star Trek Beyond" opens in cinemas islandwide, with seemingly fewer lens flares but more adrenaline, on 21 July 2016. Red Dot Diva can't wait!

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Get “Sledgehammer” now:
Download: http://smarturl.it/dSledgehammer
TIDAL: http://smarturl.it/tSledgehammer
iTunes: http://smarturl.it/iSledgehammer
Spotify: http://smarturl.it/sSledgehammer
Google Play: http://smarturl.it/gSledgehammer
Amazon: http://smarturl.it/aSledgehammer

“Sledgehammer” is written by Jesse Shatkin and Robyn Rihanna Fenty. Produced by Jesse Shatkin. Performed by Rihanna. Courtesy of Westbury Road Entertainment, LLC/Roc Nation.

The fortunate people who scored tickets to the National Day Parade (NDP) 2016 rehearsal parades last week and this weekend will get to watch a preview of re-enactment about the legend of Badang.

Badang was a local and hunky (he must be, right?) Malay superhero around about the 14th century. Story was that, he defended his village and Singapura from many challengers, including the ruler of India and Java. From one of the notable challenges, Badangmanaged to throw a large rock into the sea, near the mouth of the Singapore River.

One of the fragments, consisting of ancient inscriptions, resides in the National Museum of Singapore. It is called the Singapore Stone.

Included in the goodie bag for attendees of the parade rehearsals and NDP 2016, there will be a little comic adaptation by well-known writer Michael Chiang ("Army Daze"/ "Beauty World") and illustrated by a talented local artist named Elvin Ching, who has done artwork for the MacDonald's "Samurai Burger Returns" commercials.

Also, check out his bicepstuous cover artwork of the "The Legend of Badang" comic above. Red Dot Diva loves the way he made Badang looked determined and gallantly heroic.

Red Dot Diva knows people who knows Elvin Ching. So, she tracked him down and inflicted a list of her trademark nosy questions on him.

Red Dot Diva: As an introduction to RDD's readers, tell us something about yourself in 5 sentences.
Elvin: Hello RDD readers,
1. I’m Elvin and I currently work as a freelance storyboard artist and illustrator.
2. I am actually a dog person even though I have 2 cats. Don’t tell my cats. Please.
3. I make it a point to watch Kill Bill and Transformers the 1986 animated movie once every year at least.
4. My gravestone will say “Here lies Elvin. He tried his damn best to make it. Have a nice day :D”
5. I hate drawing bicycles. I just do haha...

Red Dot Diva: As a storyboard artist, do you feel that your skills in that area translates more easily into comic book sequential art, compared to other artistic styles and fields? What were the challenges you faced?
Elvin:It was actually my interest in being a comic artist that led to me doing storyboards. But over the years, storyboards in turn, have contributed back to my comic art. Being a bit of a film buff, drawing storyboards helped me to pay attention to mood and coherence in visuals. In a sense, laying out a comic page does feel similar to directing a film except that I’m taking on all the roles of cinematographer, director and actor at the same time. Other than that, commercial illustration and graphic design has never really affected my comic work greatly except in introducing me to some tools. It’s always been the other way around - I try to incorporate some element of comic art into my projects if there’s allowance for it.

I think the challenge I face in drawing comics is that I always feel untrained. Everything I know I learnt by throwing myself into the thick of it and of course, some say that’s the best way to learn. But then the theory of comics does matter and that’s a department I’m lacking in.

That, and drawing bicycles. I will die cursing bicycles.

Elvin's "Girl and Dragon"

Red Dot Diva: I love your linework in your art. The images seem alive on paper. I wonder if your style has organically evolved with the kind of work that you did, or there was a conscious practice on getting to a particular style that you felt that you could call your own.
Elvin:Thanks a lot, I’m glad you like the art! I think I’ve been influenced by many styles since I started drawing haha… the problem with me is that I get bored of drawing one style quickly because there’s just too much good art out there. To me, it feels like a waste not to explore anything and everything that catches my interest.

I’m still evolving actually, and I don’t know if this is going to be a style I stick to for long. I guess it would depend on the kind of story I’m interested in drawing at the time. But what matters isn’t the style but the determination to produce good art. There are artists known for drawing one style and that’s fine, but I’m one of those who want to try all kinds of styles and genres. I would say that generally, I’m drawn to dynamic and/or intricate linework.

Red Dot Diva: So fill us in on how you scored this momentous NDP comic gig called "The Legend of Badang"?
Elvin:I got a call from Michael Chiang who was helping out with NDP. To promote the theme of NDP this year (The story of Badang), Michael came up with this brilliant idea of doing a comic book to be distributed to the attendees of NDP. And it wasn’t just going be a comic book, it was going to be a superhero comic book! It was just one of those lucky breaks where my name was dropped and the project was pointed in my direction.

Red Dot Diva: What was it like working with Michael Chiang? Were you nervous? Any funny anecdotes from your experience working with him during this project?
Elvin:Working with him was incredibly fun! Actually it was mostly stressful due to the tight deadline (nobody’s fault, it was just the circumstances at that time) but we just bitched about it and that helped a lot haha… I loved that in spite of the deadline we were handed, and in spite of how flippant both of us seemed to be on the outside sometimes, we were always in serious work mode inside and fighting hard to make this happen because we believed in it.

I think it’s a shame that people don’t know some of the behind-the-scenes stuff we tried to pull off but failed haha… Like for instance, the cover you see now isn’t the original cover. And we had planned to make the NDP logo look more like DC Comics.

Red Dot Diva: What were the thought processes when into creating the look for our first badass superhero, Badang?
Elvin: I didn’t really need to think too far into inventing a look because I wanted him to remain true to his Malaysian/ Indonesian origins. So I kept him as a simple fisherman. The superhero element would easily come through in the artwork, especially when he “hulks” out… Okay, the other thing was that I kept him topless because I wanted to draw muscles for him to show off haha…
Red Dot Diva:(blissful grin on face) Absolutely no complaints about Badang-toplessness there!

Red Dot Diva: What's your favourite music jam when you're working on your art?
Elvin: I don’t play music when I work, I play horror movies on youtube… is that weird?
Red Dot Diva: Ooooo. So what's your favourite horror movie jam then?
Elvin: Arrgh you can't make me name a favorite because there are too many! I love Vampire films. The original Fright night series is still awesome. And right now I'm digging anything and everything James Wan puts out like "Insidious" and "The Conjuring" movies.
Red Dot Diva: Oooh. James Wan. I'm digging your horror movie choices.

A page from "Badang" comic

Red Dot Diva: How can folks get hold of an issue of "The Legend of Badang"?
Elvin:I’m afraid the only way you can get an issue of “Badang” now is to attend NDP2016 or one of its rehearsals. Or you could ask anyone attending to keep their copy for you if they don’t want it.

I’m hoping that it will be reprinted in the future and be more available to the public. The response to it has been encouraging. I’ve had friends and acquaintances tag me in pictures whenever they managed to score a copy at the rehearsals. One guy even prepared protective comic book packaging!
Red Dot Diva: I'm really hoping they will do a reprint! It would be a good collectible, especially for those who like comics of localized folklore and stories. Such comics are quite rare to come by.

Red Dot Diva: What's up for you next? Any new projects that you're flexing your biceps for?
Elvin:I’m considering retiring my cape… haha. I couldn’t even if I wanted to!

I’m still working on an ongoing comic project with Kelly Bender called “The Drift” which has been interrupted due to my hectic schedule. But it’s a really exciting project and I’m determined to see it through! Coming up in awhile is my small contribution to “LONTAR: The Journal of Southeast Asian Speculative Fiction”, a 10-pg short graphic story called "Falling". Other than that, I’m still working on illustrating the new Danger Dan and Gadget Girl book series. The project I’m really passionate in doing right now is a fantasy story that I have written in my head. But due to a full schedule, it’s going to have to wait. I’ll definitely let you know about it if it happens!
Red Dot Diva: For your sake, I hope there are no bicycles in those projects! Do spaceships with Elvin, people. Or maybe, a Time Travelling Dragon!

Elvin's drawing of Harley Quinn. Love this!

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Can't get hold of a physical copy of "The Legend of Badang" comic? Don't worry.
6 pages of the comic are available in the Gallery section of the NDP 2016 official website.

Go check out the energetic story and artwork at https://www.ndp.org.sg/gallery
Scroll all the way down to view.

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Also, here's NDP 2016's video featurette about the legend of Badang using graphics and wayang kulit ("shadow puppets"):

The announcement for the second wave of Singapore Toy, Game and Comic Convention (STGCC) guests was released when Red Dot Diva was having her holiday in the UK.

Unlike in previous years, Red Dot Diva is glad to see that there are a few more noteworthy women creators in the guest list. She hopes that their presence at the convention will help boost the profile and confidence of other female creators locally in the region.

One of the female creator guests is Spanish artist Emma Rios, who has her very own graphic novel called "I.D." published with Image Comics. She is also part of the creative team for "Pretty Deadly" with popular writer Kelly Sue DeConnick and thescifi-fantasy series "Mirror" with artist Hwei Lin. Prior to these published works, Emma has also illustrated for Boom! Studios ("Hexed") and Marvel ("Doctor Strange", "Amazing Spider-man").

Thanks to Image Comics, "Mirror the Mountain" will make its global debut exclusively at STGCC. For this special occasion, Malaysian artist Hwei Lin, will be joining collaborator Emma Rios as a guest at the convention.

"Mirror", which is connected to the 8House universe, focuses on the House of Healers with narrative and epilogues that bring to light questions about freedom of choice and the meaning of humanity.

Hwei Lin's flowing and effortless water colour brushwork makes the "Mirror" seriesa beautifulvisual fest.

Another female artist who will also be meeting fans at STGCC in September is Stephanie Hans, who has worked with Marvel as a cover artist and in interior art for "Angela", "Thor", "Guardians and the Galaxy" and "Black Widow". Recently, she was also working on Vertigo's "Lucifer" series.

Her vibrant, dramatic artwork is instantly eye-catching,and as noted by Ed from Toys-etc, Stephanie sure loves those splashes of red (Red Dot Diva's favourite colour!) in her drawings. So lovely! :D

Stephanie has been touring around Asia for the last few months, making stops in China, Japan and Korea. She had teased about her appearance in Red Dot Island since earlier this year, and her fans here are all eager to take her around to well-known, yummy local food haunts!

Who doesn't love Tsum Tsums?? Those adorable creatures have made their way to the hearts of pop-culture fans and collectors, as well as into the pages of a new Marvel comic book mini-series, written by cartoonist Jacob Chabot.

As part of his appearance at the convention, a special exclusive STGCC variant cover for Marvel's "Tsum Tsum" #1 by Jacob Chabot is available for sale. Fans can purchase a copy at http://singaporetgcc.com/Tickets-Merchandising/merchandise/. Look at those adorable faces. Aiyoh! How to resist?

Jacob has infused his sense of humour into his various works of art which can be seen in the Spongebob, Hello Kitty and The Simpsons comics. Recently, Jacob's "Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare" hit the New York Time's bestseller graphic book list!

Adding to the guest list is prolific and respected artist from Japan, Haruhiko Mikimoto. A fan favourite, Mikimoto is well known for his anime character designs for "The Super Dimension Fortress Macross", "Macross 7", and "Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress".

Digital artist Sakimichan will be making her first convention appearance in Asia. Her mainly fantasy-themed fan art consist of elves, faeries, faunsand demons. She is also skilled in depicting gender-bend art of iconic characters, including those from Disney, like the female Hades in the pic above.

This isn't the last of the guest announcements though! STGCC will be putting out another round of names on 4th August 2016. So look out for them!
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Red Dot Diva attended Star Wars Celebration Europe in London two weeks ago, and bumped into STGCC 2016 guest Phil Noto at a restaurant!

Phil Noto was listed as one of STGCC 2016's guests in the first wave of announcements made in June.

Phil said hi to everyone in Red Dot Island and that he is very excited to meet his fans at the convention!

A photo posted by Red Dot Diva (@reddotdiva) on Jul 16, 2016 at 12:38pm PDT

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The Glam Bloggers Alliance - a collaboration of four geeks - Red Dot Diva, Ed from Toys-etc, Agent W and Andre aka Mr Million Dollar Smile - will be back at STGCC 2016 being busybodies checking out the guests, exhibitors, cosplayers and all forms of biceps during the convention.

Both Red Dot Diva and Toys-etc blogs are also proud to continue their Supporting Blog status with STGCC.

If you spot usthat weekend, do come up and say hi! :D

Commercially successful and given the thumbs up by gamers as well as reviewers, Ubisoft's online third-person shooter video game Tom Clancy's "The Division"™ is set to crossover to the big screen as a live action-adventure movie.

The game was released in March 2016 and sold more copies in one day than any other games in the industry. It reportedly garnered sales of over USD 330 million globally in the first 5 days of its release, and is also Ubisoft's best-selling game.

Oscar-nominated Jessica Chastain ("Crimson Peak", "The Martian", "Zero Dark Thirty") and Jake Gyllenhaal ("Everest", "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time", "Brokeback Mountain") for "The Division"™ have been attached to the project. Red Dot Diva is looking forward to seeing the two capable actors kick-ass on screen while fulfilling the mission to rebuild post-pandemic Manhattan.

“We are excited to collaborate with Jessica and Jake, two of Hollywood’s most talented actors and perfect creative collaborators to help bring Tom Clancy’s The Division™ to the big screen,” said Gerard Guillemot, Chief Executive Officer, Ubisoft Motion Pictures. “Attaching Jake and Jessica is part of our development philosophy of working closely with top talent from the earliest stages to collaborate on a high quality film,” added Matt Phelps, Vice President, Ubisoft Motion Pictures.

The collaboration brings Ubisoft, Chastain'sFreckle Films and Gyllenhaal's and Riva Marker’s ("Beasts of No Nation") Nine Stories production companies together in the coming months.

"The Division"™ game to movie adaptation follows several other movie projects by Ubisoft Motion Pictures, including the "Assassin's Creed" film, which is based on the popular game franchise. "Assassin's Creed", which stars Michael Fassbender, has a 21 December 2016 release date at the theatres by distributor 20th Century Fox.

Other film projects in-progress by Ubisoft include "Splinter Cell" starring Tom Hardy, "Ghost Recon", "Watch Dogs" and "Rabbids". It is indeed exciting times for Ubisoft and their venture into the world of movies.

Have you been counting down to Red Dot Island's geekiest event of the year?

Red Dot Diva has been keeping track of the countdown. And it's now 31 days to STGCC! The pop-culture event is held at Halls E and F, Basement 2 of MBS' Sands Convention Centre on 10 & 11 September.

A list of interesting and well-known guests ranging from comic book creators, concept artists and illustrators, toy designers and cosplayers have already been announced, and among them is Brooke Allen, one of the creators of award-winning graphic novel series "Lumberjanes", published by BOOM! Studios.

Red Dot Diva loves her lively quirky art style. Peek into Brooke's tumblr and you'll spot drawings of monsters, funny animation gifs, a peek into her various works in progress, and many tributes to her pet dog, Linus. Brooke not only draws, she also crafts unique resin figurines and collectibles!

To get more local fans acquainted with Brooke and her work, Red Dot Diva got her to answer a few nosy questions:

Red Dot Diva: How would you describe "Lumberjanes" to new/ future readers?
Brooke: "Lumberjanes" is light hearted all ages comic that centers around five girl scouts who fight monsters, solve mysteries, and champion friendship above all things! If you’re a fan of Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, or Saturday morning cartoons in general it should be right up your alley.

Red Dot Diva: When you started drawing professionally, was there a conscious method/ technique you used to have your art evolve to become more and more "you"? As in, something that would be instantly recognized as Brooke Allen's artwork.
Brooke:Initially when I started drawing professionally, I gave very little conscious thought to my own style, I mostly was just focused on drawing something that looked appealing to me. Working on "Lumberjanes" I had to adapt my own natural style to accommodate Noelle Stevenson's covers and character designs resulting initially in a kind of a clunky hybrid but the more I drew in this style and refined it I felt pretty comfortable. I think my best work is in the later issues. My style nowadays is dynamic and energetic like earlier work but I’m trying to reign it in and refine some of the sloppiness. Ultimately if people look at my art and liken it to a Saturday morning cartoon both in style and in spirit then I’d be pretty happy.

Red Dot Diva:"Lumberjanes" has touched the lives and imagination of so many girls and women readers. Has the success made a big impact to any of you and the other creators’ thought process for the series?
Brooke:I think the success was definitely not something I was ready for and suddenly I felt very much like I was learning how to draw these characters and this world under a spotlight. But I think the success has had very little in the way of changing the initial outline or feeling of the story, if anything it's just put the pressure on to make it better, more thoughtful, and more inclusive.

Red Dot Diva: Who are some of your comic book creator heroes?
Brooke:Such a hard question! I have so many comic book heroes but a few are Chynna Clugston, Claire Wendling, Cyril Pedrosa, Enrique Fernandez, Akira Toriyama, Katsuhiro Otomo and Walt Kelly. I also draw a lot of inspiration from my cartoonist friends like Coleman Engle, Paulina Ganucheau, Carey Pietsch, Carolyn Nowak, Natalie Andrewson, Rebecca Mock, and Jen Bartel.... And I could go on!

Some Street Sharks by Brooke Allen

Red Dot Diva: Before making your way here to Singapore, have you asked around to see what interesting things you could do and try while you are here?
Brooke:I have! I don't know anyone personally who has been (I'll feel like quite the tourist with my Lonely Planet Guide to Singapore in hand) however I have had some lovely recommendations from helpful people on Twitter (thanks guys!). I love nature so I will definitely be checking out the zoo (I hear it's one of the best in the world!) and botanical gardens. I'll definitely have to seek out any local shops selling toys and comics. And last but not least: food! I’m pretty intrigued by the carrot cake and I might just have to waive my vegetarian diet to try out this Chicken Rice I’m hearing so much about (sorry Chickens)! If anyone has some other great recommendations don't hesitate to tweet me at @brookeaallen on Twitter.
Red Dot Diva: That would be the easiest thing for us to do! We love our food, so you will definitely find people who will be very eager to take you around to their favourite food haunts!

This will be Brooke's first time visiting Red Dot Island, so please make her feel super-welcome at the convention! For fans who like to get their sisters, daughters or young female friends started on a comic book series, buy them a "Lumberjanes" comic and get them to come to STGCC and meet Brooke!

Also, go on... feel free to make your best carrot cake, chicken rice and local food recommendations to Brooke on Twitter. Red Dot Diva knows you have your favourite hawker stalls right at your fingertips.

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Check out Brooke's interview with Wacom here, and you get to see Linus her doggie!

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Here's the part where Red Dot Diva talks about carrot cake:

Carrot cake or "Chai Tow Kuay" is not a dessert. It is a savoury fried dish made out of rice flour, and what locals call "white carrot", which is a loose translation from what the root is called in Hokkien. "White carrot" is actually a radish or daikon.

There are two versions of the dish - the "white" version fried with egg, and the sweeter "black" version, which is fried with dark soy sauce. You can check out pics of the delightful carrot cake from YourSingapore.com! (Warning: may cause drooling.)

As mentioned in previous posts, the Glam Bloggers Alliance (GBA) is all poised to strut their glittery biceps at this year's STGCC.

Although, at the rate that rival Asia-Pop Comic Con is announcing their celebrity guests at the Manila convention held just 2 weeks before STGCC, the GBA might be the glitteriest biceps around on the MBS showfloor.

Right now, the GBA already has a list of geeky articles to get every one of you acquainted with the STGCC guests. So get on the GBA blog ride, and you will feel right at home at STGCC once it opens its doors on 10 & 11 September 2016!

Ed from toys-etc.com is the designer toy expert of the GBA, and with the toy segment having an exciting return in this year's show, he is all ready to go gaga over the various exclusives including those from the fan favourite brand, tokidoki.

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STGCC 2016: The Usual Drooling after Tokidoki

We are definitely seeing a record-breaking number of returning toy guests - Huck Gee, Jason Freeny, Sticky Monster Lab - and toy exhibitors - 1000Tentacles, Blackbook Toy, Cacooca, Genesis 4, Instinctoy, Mighty Jaxx, Pobber, Unbox Industries, Imaginarium, Kinetiquettes, Bandai, Tamashii Nations, XM Studios - to STGCC 2016. This is definitely a far cry from the years when I would sit and lament about the lack of a toy focus in the convention (WE SHALL NOT TALK ABOUT GAMES!). While there are new toy vendors/exhibitors, I would prefer to go back to my first love.

Among the San Diego exclusives, the Sanrio collaboration Kittypatra is the most coveted in its platinum magnificence. Gold complements my skin tone but that limited run of 500 is proving too formidable for my wallet, as is with about anything that doesn't put food on the table. Still, I would starve unconditionally for this. I'll even settle for the Kittypatra snapback. Just give me something!

tokidoki did a number of tee collaborations, including the popular Marvel crossover, but this is the one that sets my tiny closet goth heart beating. Wait. This isn't goth? Nobody really cares at this point. It's kawaii metal. This is the stuff that brings metalheads to their knees and tears to their eyes. Sorry, Sylvannas and Arthas have no game face advantage over this.

Reboots are real. Reboots of reboots are real. Variety says so. The recycling of pop culture has now officially and inevitably crossed over to toys. In the past, it was just one singular platform with surface cosmetic variations. Even then, there's no denying that a lot of these reworkings and redesigns validated the release of series after series. I'm not saying I don't want a Prima Donna Unicorno Metallico but I wish the pearlescent application and glitter were reserved for really really really special ponies. That said, it seems that Fumo is the only one that SDCC-goers have managed to crack. STGCC people! Metallico is coming! Let's find the crown!

All pictures from tokidoki

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This article was originally posted in Ed's own website, Toys-etc!

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The Glam Bloggers Alliance - a collaboration of four geeks - Red Dot Diva, Ed from Toys-etc, Agent W and Andre aka Mr Million Dollar Smile - will be back at STGCC 2016 being busybodies checking out the guests, exhibitors, cosplayers and all forms of biceps during the convention.

Both Red Dot Diva and Toys-etc blogs are also proud to continue their Supporting Blog status with STGCC.

Looking for a graphic novel or book that is funny, adventurous and suitable for all ages?

Do a search for the name Jacob Chabot, and a list of lively titles like "Plants vs Zombies", "Hello Kitty", "Spongebob Comics", "X-Babies" and his creator-owned New York Times best-selling book "The Might Skullboy: Garden Warfare" will crop up.

Jacob Chabot, who has been announced as an STGCC guest, is also the writer for Marvel's new "Tsum Tsum" mini series. A limited edition variant of the #1 issue will be available as an exclusive at this year's STGCC.

Before Jacob heads to the convention on 10 & 11 September 2016, Red Dot Diva had a chance to bounce a few quirky questions off the prolific cartoonist:

Red Dot Diva: Your creative work is known to be fun and humourous. They say that comedians are sometimes the saddest people. Do you agree with that notion?
Jacob:Sometimes, I'm sure that's true. Sometimes they're probably the happiest people! And sometimes they're probably the sleepiest people. What I'm saying is that comedians are complex creatures and may never be fully understood by modern science.

Red Dot Diva: There have been known to be fights and scuffles for Hello Kitty merchandise in Singapore. What do you think is so special about her, and how do you put that across in the comics?
Jacob:Hello Kitty is a worldwide icon. Her visual is instantly recognizable across the globe, and her simple design allows anyone to identify with her. As a character, she always has a sunny attitude and is a true friend. Nothing can get her down! So, in the stories, it's all about putting her positive nature to the test and seeing how she triumphs!

Exclusive STGCC variant!

Red Dot Diva: I think Tsum Tsums are evil. They are simply too adorable! Do you have a favourite Tsum Tsum character, and why?
Jacob:You're probably right. I like The Hulk because he's basically a big, fluffy, superpowered Hulk baby. That leads to a lot of funny moments in the comic.

Red Dot Diva: Which Tsum Tsum do you think would be the baddest villain, and are you finding a way to make him/ her turn up in the comic book series?
Jacob:It all depends on who they make into a Tsum Tsum next, but as it stands now, Ultron is probably the top villain. If you want to see how this plays into the comic book, check out issue #2! It's a doozy!

Red Dot Diva: What's the most memorable fan encounter you've ever had?
Jacob:I don't know about anything specific, but it's starting to feel strange seeing the kids that grew up with my work. I'd meet them at conventions when they were like 7 or 8, and then ten years later they're practically an adult! I'm glad they still remember me!

Red Dot Diva: Have you heard much about the fans and comic industry here in Singapore? And what is most exciting to you about your impending trip here as an STGCC guest?
Jacob:I haven't heard much, so I don't know what to expect! This will be my first time in Singapore and I'm really excited about it. I'm especially looking forward to checking out the food!

Haha! It seems like many of the guests seem to be excited about the local Red Dot Island food!

So, dear local geeks - Red Dot Diva knows you know what to do in order to make them feel welcome!!

Next month, the Red Dot Island comics scene will be given the spotlight in a special almost month-long event called Speech Bubble held at Basement 1 of the National Library, from 2 to 30 September.

Organized by media company Potato Productions and local comic book artist Sonny Liew. Sonny has also been in the spotlight in recent times, mainly due to the accolades he received for his brilliant brainchild, "The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye". "The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye" won the Singapore Literature Prize for fiction this year - the first graphic novel to receive such a recognition!

Speech Bubble event consists of an exhibition of original works, books and comics-related collectors items, like those by featured artists Johnny Lau, who is best known for the iconic Mr Kiasu comic series, and pioneer Malaysian artist Nora Abdullah, who published her first comic called "Cik Siti Wan Kembang" in 1955. Other creative works on display include those by Sonny Liew, Eric Khoo, Troy Chin, Otto Fong, Koh Hong Teng, Colin Goh, Gary Zhu, Cheah Sinann and many, many more!

A strip of "The House of Lim" by Chean Sinann

In addition, there will be various panels and workshops with subjects ranging from financial management to character design and storytelling. These interesting talks will be hosted by panelists like Sonny Liew, artists Gary Zhu& Cheah Sinann, Malaysian artist Lefty Kam, Jerry Hinds, "Sherlock Sam" writers Adan Jimenez and Felicia Low-Jimenez, and financial advisor Karen Tan.

Ahhhh! The Kiasu Ruler!

Red Dot Diva is looking forward to marvel at the display of original art, book and memorabilia at the event. She is pretty sure it will be a fun and visually appealing way to get more people to learn about comics as a medium, especially those created by Red Dot Island's very own pool of talent. Word is, there is also going to be a little corner where folks can get cozy and bury themselves in comics donated by local creators as well as those offered by the library. So Shiok!

Do check out the schedule that is currently listed in the Speech Bubble website and reserve some time in your calendar to check out the exhibition or attend a panel or two. Better still, grab your friend or ask your family members to join in a foray into the world of local and regional comics. Who knows? You might even get inspired to create a comic of your own!

AsiaPop Comic Con Manila (APCC Manila) kicks off later today with its second edition. The 3-day convention will see fans in Manila mingling with celebrities, comic book guests, cosplayers, and have fun participating in other activities, like panels, meet and greets and autograph sessions.

This year's celebrity guest roll includes Nicholas Hoult of the "X-Men" franchise, "Warm Bodies" and "Mad Max: Fury Road" fame, young breakout star Millie Bobby Brown known for her memorable role as Eleven in Netflix's "Stranger Things", Claire Holt of "The Vampire Diaries" and Joe Dempsie who is most familiar to fans as Gendry in the international hit series, "Game of Thrones".

However, as the convention is still called a "Comic Con", a few comic book artists have also been invited as guests. One of them is reknown illustrator Mike Zeck, whose various definitive artwork have impressed fans' visual psyche through the many years of his career. One notable image is the shift of Spider-Man's red and blue costume to the black version in the 1984 Marvel limited comic book series, "Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars".

Mike Zeck has also worked on covers for several DC Comic books like "Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight" and in recent times, for the "Deathstroke the Terminator" series.

At the APCC Manila media preview yesterday, Red Dot Diva's Pinoy brother, Mark Cerbo (who owns the fantastic blog called Geekmatic), had the chance to interview Mike Zeck at the venue.

Check out the video interview below, where Mike Zeck gave some tips to artists on how to advance in their career and shared where he got his inspiration for his covers:

(Note: Unfortunately, the background cacophony was loud so do tune up the volume to listen to Mike's answers!)

It's too bad that Red Dot Diva is unable to make it to APCC Manila this year. The main reason being that it is running too close to STGCC, and when it comes to a tight scheduling like this, Diva's priority is to support the local event.

Thanks to geek bro Mark Cerbo and other fellow friends already in Manila for the convention, Red Dot Diva might still be able to get some interesting news and photos about the show in the next few days. So, look out for the deets in Red Dot Diva'sTwitter and Facebook feeds!

Some APCC Manila guests at the media preview

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Special thanks to Mark Cerbo for the photos and video!

The Glam Bloggers Alliance pal Ed from Toys-etc is shimmering with glee about another tokidoki Unicorno variant by toy designer Jason Freeney and Skullhead Samurai by Jon Paul Kaiser.

Jason Freeney was a guest at last year's STGCC, and he will be returning to the show again this September. Thanks to his host MightyJaxx (booth H3) & Pobber (booth AA83 & AA85)! The art collectible makers are also bringing back Huck Gee to the convention. It is wonderful that Huck Gee has decided to return to Red Dot Island, especially after the unfortunate incident where someone stole his precious prototype at last year's show.

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STGCC 2016: Three ain't always a crowd

Stellina is one of the very first Unicornos and was featured in Series 1 (and also in the upcoming Metallico Series) and prominently in many of LeSportSac x tokidoki bags. Here, it gets Jason Freeny's withering touch and well, you won't be finding stars and rainbows inside. I'm thinking aloud but who else would want to see the entire Series 1 XXRayed and released blindboxed? No matter how ugly one half the unicorn is, there's nothing like pulling a Prima Donna. Yes. I am obsessed. MightJaxx. You will find me stalking you.

Then, there's the Skullhead Samurai by Jon Paul Kaiser X Huck Gee X Pobber.

I can hope for a rainbow version till the cows come home. JPK and his monochromatic philosophy is the bane of my existence. This is undeniably awesome as a Chinese New Year decoration, especially around superstitious veteran mahjong players, but it can only unlock awesomest achievement when it slips into chromatic armour.

Skullhead Samurai and XXRay Unicorno make their debut at STGCC and will be available either online or at other conventions but it's going to be hard to find all the artists in one location!

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This article was originally posted in Ed's own website, Toys-etc!

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The Glam Bloggers Alliance - a collaboration of four geeks - Red Dot Diva, Ed from Toys-etc, Agent W and Andre aka Mr Million Dollar Smile - will be back at STGCC 2016 being busybodies checking out the guests, exhibitors, cosplayers and all forms of biceps during the convention.

Both Red Dot Diva and Toys-etc blogs are also proud to continue their Supporting Blog status with STGCC.

One of Red Dot Diva's favourite things to do in STGCC is wandering around Artist Alley. More of than not, there is a credible level of accessible and appealing artistic endeavours in that section of the show floor.

Red Dot Diva is excited to note that there are several new exhibitors and booths by local and regional creators in this year's convention. One of those exhibitors is HRJoe Photography.

Fans might be familiar with HRJoe Photography's cheeky superhero toy images, like the one show below. This photo has also been noticed and shared by Iron-Man himself, Robert Downey Jr. A couple of his other images have also been shared by the legendary Stan Lee!

A photo posted by hrjoe Photography (@hrjoe_photography) on Jun 12, 2015 at 10:46am PDT

With an increase in fan interest, HRJoe Photography has started boothing at various conventions, including Asia Pop Comicon Manila which just wrapped up yesterday. He will soon head to STGCC where he will be offering art prints for sale. After which, he has plans to exhibit at Italy's Festival del Fumetto in September and then back home for Indonesia Comic Con in October.

As you can see, HRJoe Photography has a very busy schedule ahead of him! So, Red Dot Diva is glad to be able to catch him for a few minutes to answer some nosy questions. And in case you are wondering, his name is not Joe!

Red Dot Diva: We'll like to get to know a little about you. Could you give us a short introduction about yourself?
Edy: My name is Edy Hardjo, I usually use pseudo name of hrjoe in social media and other online forum. I am an 1/6th action figure collector from Jakarta, Indonesia. I started my hobby of toys photography since 3 years ago.

Red Dot Diva: Do you remember your first toy photography shoot? How did that go, what was the subject, and what inspired you to start on this hobby?
Edy: As a 1/6th collector, I join several toys collectors group in Facebook where I saw many collectors take cool photos of their collection, and that made me want to try it myself. I remember my first attempt where I try to create a battle scene of Hulk vs Iron Man, and if I look at that photo again today, I must say it was really bad. Later, after more practice by trial and error, I got better. Till one day, I tried to create a parody scene, the Hulk Pee photo, my first parody photo with very rough digital editing. This photo was soon become quite popular in those groups. This encourage me to create more, and since then, I realize that my specialty would be super heroes parody photos.

Red Dot Diva:Ladies and gentlemen, here's the Hulk Pee photo for your viewing pleasure.

A photo posted by hrjoe Photography (@hrjoe_photography) on Sep 13, 2014 at 11:29am PDT

Red Dot Diva: On average, how long does it take to set up your shoots, and what was your most elaborate diorama?

Edy: It really depends on the complexity of the scene. I usually start with a simple idea in mind, about a small scene that includes 1 or 2 characters, then try to put more characters in the scene to make it more complex. This includes what each character's role and pose will be, and whether it is possible to pose the figure that way because of limited articulation.

After I feel that the scene can be created, I start to pose the real figures. Posing can take 30 minutes to hours, the more character involved, the longer it takes. After posing is done, then I prepare and arrange my photography equipment and shoot the picture. This also can takes lots of time, 30 minutes to hours, because sometimes I must re-arrange the position to get a better composition in the photo, which sometimes means that I have to change the initial scenario.

Besides posing, lighting arrangement also takes time. Sometimes I have to take couple of shots of the same picture with different lighting position to be combined later in digital processing. Finally, there is time needed for digital processing, which also depends on the complexity of the scene. Sometimes I must create a practically impossible pose using this graphic manipulation. It can take 2-5 hours.

A photo posted by hrjoe Photography (@hrjoe_photography) on Jul 22, 2015 at 8:15am PDT

Red Dot Diva: I see you use a lot of action figures from Hot Toys. Is that your favourite brand and why? Do you use action figures from other brands as well?
Edy:Yes, Hot Toys is my favourite since it’s the best and the only 1/6th movie-based superheroes action figures available today. The detail and quality are very good. The other brand that I love is King Arts. This is the 1/9th scale diecast figure. Their products are always designed creatively.

Red Dot Diva: How do you process your ideas? Do you jot them down, or record them with mock ups?
Edy:I never write/record any of my ideas. When ideas strike, I only circle it around my mind. For example, when I get ideas of Black Widow was going through labour, I was just brainstorming in my head what I can include in the scene. She should be grabbing someone hands, pull someone hair, somebody should be passed out/or scare when he saw the labor process, etc, etc… everything that usually happens when giving birth. I plan on who should do what? and where should be put on the scene.

Red Dot Diva: What are you thoughts with regards to "too much photoshopping"? For you, how do you judge what is a good balance when using Photoshop after the shoot?
Edy: No, for me in digital photography, Photoshop is inevitable. Especially when the action figure itself is always limited in articulation, expression and accessories. For example, I want Batman to hold a breast pump. There’s no 1/6th breast pump available. So, I have to photoshop it. For me, to create a scene, if the real item is not available, then I will photoshop it. No limitation.

Red Dot Diva: Do you have any fave toy photographers?
Edy:Hernandez Dreamphography. His toys photography is really hardcore. Creative and detailed arrangement, perfect execution and excellent digital editing.

A photo posted by hrjoe Photography (@hrjoe_photography) on Oct 25, 2015 at 10:16am PDT

Red Dot Diva: How do you think your own photography stands out amongst the other toy photographers out there?
Edy: I just want to create something different but also enjoyable for everyone. And my style is superheroes parody.

Red Dot Diva: Any practical tips for those starting out?
Edy:High-end equipment is not a must. The most important is your technique. Secondly, don’t be afraid to do something different. For example, some might say that Photoshop is cheating. I say no, in the end, the only thing matter is will people love your work. Finally, keep learning for more.

Red Dot Diva: I suppose this is your first time putting up a booth at STGCC? What will you be exhibiting and what do you have to offer to those who will be attending the convention?
Edy:I will sell some prints of my existing photos, but my main intention for joining STGCC is exposure and meet new people.

Remember to swing by STGCC's Booth AA84 to give Edy a warm welcome and appreciate his wonderful toy photography. Perhaps, Edy will also be able to offer an advice or two to novice toy photographers attending the convention!

There's nothing that most Red Dot Islanders like more than scrumptious seafood. Hence, there's no stoppin' art lovers and collectors in getting their hands on the fishy and crabby concoctions created by Japanese toy designer Mame Moyashi.

Mame Moyashi is a designer toy chowder consisting of the twisted brain sauces of three artists - Producer Clinton Kenny, Designer Chino Lam and Sculptor Seanjob. The trio will be exhibiting for the first time at STGCC 2016, and Red Dot Diva'sGlam Bloggers Alliancegeek bro, Ed from Toys-etc, managed to bait them for a quick Q&A.

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STGCC 2016: Spotlight on Mame Moyashi

toysetc: Mame Moyashi is a trio. How did you come up with the name and what does it mean?
MM:The full name should be Mame Moyashi Shacho. In Japanese, Mame Moyashi means Little Beans and for anyone who watches enough anime, Shacho is the respectful term for Chairman. It might seem like it came from the idea of how small we are as a company but we produce toys that are big in the wow factor, but no, it's just for fun

toysetc: Well, your toys are indeed packing punches. All of them revolves around food and in particular, sashimi. There's Maguro (tuna), Badass (lobster) and also the 2 new figures Tako and what seems like to be a stack of Uni. Can you tell us more about these food kaiju?
MM:You got Tako right. The other should be Awabi. LOL. We are not aware of the food production chain and beyond the slices on the plate, most people have never seen before a complete tuna. I wanted to start a conversation, especially for sushi-eating folks so Maguro was born - head + sashimi + tail. This is the fish.

toysetc: So, are they making the ultimate culinary sacrifice or coming back from revenge?
MM:Neither. As much as there is an embedded commentary, we are creating a universe for them. Clearly Badass is the evil boss, and Maguro hides from him.

toysetc: From the sound of it, it looks like it's going to be some great comedy. I can't wait for you to reveal more of the backstory. Now, if there are no limitations, what is the perfect toy you would make?
MM:I would like to have a toy imbued with a soul, to make it come alive.

toysetc: Thank you very much for your time. Is there anything you would like to say to Singapore? :)
MM:Singapore is a great country and I've heard people are very kind. Please let me move there!

Mame Moyashi will be offering the exclusive extra fresh, pinkish Magura (see pic above) at Booth AA-51, *only* during STGCC. There will be no online sales for this special Magura, so if toy sashimi is your thing, grab it quick at the convention!

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This article was originally posted in Ed's own website, Toys-etc!

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The Glam Bloggers Alliance - a collaboration of four geeks - Red Dot Diva, Ed from Toys-etc, Agent W and Andre aka Mr Million Dollar Smile - will be back at STGCC 2016 being busybodies checking out the guests, exhibitors, cosplayers and all forms of biceps during the convention. Both Red Dot Diva and Toys-etc blogs are also proud to continue their Supporting Blog status with STGCC.

Every year without fail, STGCC organizer Reed Exhibitions would send out a survey to attendees and guests asking them for their views about different aspects of the year's show. And in every single survey form, Red Dot Diva would request that Reed should invite more female creators as guests.

Red Dot Diva's wish has finally come true as there will be at least four women comic book creators on the guest list in the upcoming STGCC 2016. (Yes, there have been female guests before, but for several years, the male comic book guests far out number the women ones!)

Spanish graphic book artist and creator Emma Rios will be heading to Red Dot Island together with other stellar female artists - Brooke Allen, Stephanie Hans and Hwei Lin. Each of these artists have made their mark in the comic book sphere with their enriching and noteworthy creations.

In Emma Rios'case, she has built a solid fan base through the years drawing for comic, ranging from Boom! Studio's "Hexed" series to Marvel's "Dr Strange" with writer Mark Waid. She then worked with high profile writer Kelly Sue Deconnick on "Osborn" and the collaboration continued again with twisted Western-horror folklore "Pretty Deadly", published by Image Comics. Her fluid and wildly imaginative art style lends a kind of unearthly quality to the images, making them seem as if they are about to pop up from a fuzzy dreamscape or bloody nightmare.

Beyond just providing artwork for books, Emma Rios has also written original stories and designing new worlds, for example in the dystopian tale called "I.D". She has also been working closely with best friend Hwei Lin for fantasy series "Mirror", which was also published by Image Comics. The two ladies will join forces as guests of STGCC 2016, and will be launching the convention-exclusive "Mirror: The Mountain" book during the show.

In the short Q&A below, Red Dot Divagot to know a bit more about Emma Riosand her creative preferences.

Red Dot Diva: Both "Pretty Deadly and "Mirror" are surreal and filled with allegories and symbolism. Is this kind of story-telling a personal preference to you, and who are your favourite authors who write in similar styles?
Emma:Yeah, I think that the comics I enjoy the most are those where you can play a bit of an active role as a reader, without having everything over-explained. Books like Daisuke Igarashii’s "Children of the Sea" or Frederik Peeters’ "Lupus". Or even games like Bloodborne. Immersive experiences where you don´t need exactly to know what’s happening, but whose worlds feel very personal,believable and attractive in a way that makes you want to discover them, making the observer part of the experience in a meta sense, as if they were another character in the story. These kinds of world-building choices always ask for a bit of trust and attention, but normally the rewards are beautiful memories that hopefully stick in your head for a while.

@madaoba and I will be guests at #STGCC this September! https://t.co/1buk8H26k2 Love this pic of us by @laseraw pic.twitter.com/zXwGbGLGwc
— emma ríos (@emmartian) July 18, 2016

Red Dot Diva: I understand that you and Hwei Lim are best of friends. Has collaborating in the "Mirror" series brought the two of you closer or has it highlighted even more personal differences (which may not necessarily be bad ones!) between the two of you?
Emma:Hwei and I got to know each other through comics thanks to a program called Lingua Comica in 2008, in which a few cartoonists from Asia and Europe were invited and paired to work together to create stories. That year it was celebrated in Japan and having been part of it was one of the best experiences of my life. The work we did back then was a short of 20 pages in which we tried to introduce ourselves to each other before even meeting in person. Having been in touch since then, getting to collaborate again in Mirror brought back that feeling, and definitely took it beyond. Aesthetically, at first sight, probably our styles look rather different but I think our priorities in terms of taste and storytelling are really close. That, and a total respect, trust, and admiration, for what each one does separately is, I think, what allows us to always, or almost, be on the same page. Teamwork means inspiring one another. Trying to surprise your partner as much as possible, and take it one step further each page at a time. Mirror is not Hwei’s, nor mine, it belongs to a mixed persona that comes to life when we think together.
Red Dot Diva:"Mixed Persona." That's a cool and very organic way to describe the partnership!

Red Dot Diva: Would you be excited if you are given the chance to write for a different media (like TV)?
Emma:Aside from comics, what attracts me the most as a narrative medium would be video games.

Red Dot Diva: What practical advice would you have for those who are starting out on developing their own creative stories?
Emma:To never forget to have fun. As a cartoonist I’m always in this point in between the need to express myself through some kind of exhibitionism, and always wanting to hide under the blanket and forget about the world. Comics are tough, they demand so many hours and also to have a lot of security in yourself. But being self conscious and afraid of reactions cannot stop you from doing them.

Red Dot Diva: What's the most memorable fan encounter you've ever had?
Emma:I met Frank Quietly in a small convention called Viñetas desde el Atlántico, that is held in my city, Coruña, on the North West Coast of Spain. This con is very intimate and I’ve known the organization for quite a while so I got to talk with him but never told him I was a cartoonist myself haha. But finally he found out from a friend and apparently he knew some of my work at Marvel. He wrote me a really nice email after returning home, and it was super lovely. Another amazing experience was getting to meet Yoshihiro Tatsumi. I gave him a mini comic and got a pack of cigarettes in return. I still keep the empty box as a precious memory.
Red Dot Diva: Awww. These are sweet stories!

Red Dot Diva: Have you heard much about the fans and comic industry here in Singapore? And what is most exciting to you about your impending trip here as an STGCC guest?
Emma:I have a couple of friends there, but I’m afraid I don´t know much about Singapore’s comic scene. I’m dying to see a bit of it, and buy as many fanzines and mini comics from local artists as possible.

So, local creators, you got that direct from Emma Rios. She is eager to meet you and get her hands on your original works! Don't forget to bring a few copies along with you when you head to the convention on 10 to 11 September 2016.

Oh, and another thing. Grab your geek pals and do not miss the "The Women Talk Comics: Make Good Art" panel, held at 3 PM to 4 PM on Sunday, 11 September.

Joining Emma Rios on the main stage will be the other wonderful women artists - Brooke Allen, Stephanie Hans, Hwei Lim, Sakimichan and Rachta Lin. Red Dot Diva is certain that the panel will be a lively celebration of diversity and women creators' contribution in comics. Hope to see you there!

Mighty Jaxx, the local indie studio producing unique toy collectibles, is getting pumped up to drop a list of exclusives at the upcoming STGCC.

The outfit is also hosting two toy designers and guests of STGCC at their booth - Jason Freeny and Huck Gee. Both artists have been featured as STGCC guests before, and it will definitely be great to see them back here to meet their fans!

Here's Ed from Toys-etc providing the deets on what kind of goodies Mighty Jaxx will be offering at the convention!

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STGCC 2016: Mighty offerings from Mighty Jaxx

Mighty Jaxx is having a morbid STGCC party with all things skullish and dead. It's time to plan and prioritise your buy list because 2016 is the bumper crop year. Seriously, I have never seen a better drool-worthy selection. It's certainly putting Singapore on the map and hopefully it can catch up to Taipei Toy Festival.

The only way to top Jason Freeny's Micro Anatomic last year is to rainbow-fy it. Everybody knows, for a fact, that if it's rainbow, it's good to go - rainbow churros, rainbow lattes, rainbow handrolls. So I mightily approve of this. In fact, I demand that there be more colours in this! Think big, think pantone colour chart big.

Rainbow Anatomic will be sold in boxes of 3. To get the seventh colour, you have to purchase a set. Who wants half a rainbow anyway?

Also from Jason Freeny are the convention exclusives XXRay Batman and Green Lantern. If you've been collecting the series, these two are must-haves. Limited to 500 onsite, you can get a matching horsie for them.

Next up is the revival of Huck Gee's Gold Life series - a world populated with anthropomorphic samurais and ninjas. First up in the series is Soul Collector (Shadow version), wielding a tinier version of what could easily have been a Cloudbuster from Final Fantasy. How big is this geta-wearing mercenary going to be? Scant details on that but this will be a convention exclusive as well, limited to 500 pieces.

This. This will be the super exclusive. There's only 50 of Lauren YS's Skull Girl (Ectoplasm) which comes in a translucent gradient, and though, as many have pointed out, the illustration looks more dynamic, it doesn't lessen its awesomeness. I would get it, if it looks less like a creepy Japanese doll...

Mighty Jaxx has two more in the line-up but there's zero details on them. I've managed to dig out pictures from their emailer and facebook so hang on tight!

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This article was originally posted in Ed's own website, Toys-etc!

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The Glam Bloggers Alliance - a collaboration of four geeks - Red Dot Diva, Ed from Toys-etc, Agent W and Andre aka Mr Million Dollar Smile - will be back at STGCC 2016 being busybodies checking out the guests, exhibitors, cosplayers and all forms of biceps during the convention.

Both Red Dot Diva and Toys-etc blogs are also proud to continue their Supporting Blog status with STGCC.

Banner Artwork by Ed of Toys-etc

Dramatist. Screenwriter. Songwriter. Comic Book writer. Best-selling author.

WOW.

Wait. There's more.

Professional Juggler. Fire-eater!

The awards and achievements of rising star Tom Taylor is simply astounding. Comic book fans will be familiar with Tom's works in the DC Comics series "Injustice: Gods Amongst Us", as well as a list of Star Wars comics published by Dark Horse, before the property was handed over to Marvel in 2015.

Tom has also co-created his own graphic novel by Aussie publishing house Gestalt, together with illustrator James Brouwer, called "The Deep: Here Be Dragons". The book, about the Netktons, a family of sea explorers, won Australia's Aurealis Award for Best illustrated book/graphic novel in 2012. "The Deep" is now a Netflix CG animation series, and was recently aired in the USA beginning June 2016.

Other than books, he is also known for his various plays. The short "The Example" is probably the most well-known, and has been performed at homeground Australia, the UK, and even in Red Dot Island's The Esplanade in 2009! "The Example" is about the collision of opinions, prejudices, superstition and feelings of distrust when two people meet at a train station where a bag has been abandoned on the platform. The story has also been adapted into a Gestalt Publishing graphic novel, with Tom roping in the help of artist Colin Wilson.

There certainly must be a multi-coloured cloud of fun, clever and thought-provoking ideas floating in Tom Taylor's brain. So, Red Dot Diva and Glam Bloggers Alliance pal Agent W neural probed Tom's brain to see what makes it tick:

Agent W: Between theatre, TV, film and comics (all of which you have worked on), which would you say is the most challenging medium?
Tom:Good question. Different mediums offer different challenges. When you’re working in animation, you can have a great idea, but it’s too expensive to make happen. Similarly, if you’re writing theatre, there’s only so much you can do on a stage. I think comics are the most freeing medium for a writer. Anything you can imagine can be done. A great artist can blow up a planet as easily as they can have two people talking in a kitchen.

Agent W: What’s the difference between working for the big 2, Marvel and DC compared to the smaller publishers, like IDW? Do you prefer complete creator freedom?
Tom:There’s not a lot of difference if you’re working on licensed properties. The years I spent writing Star Wars were very similar to writing Iron Man or Green Lantern. Your characters exist in a world where their actions have consequences for other stories and other creators. Complete creator freedom, on a creator-owned book, can be great. But few things are as awesome as writing Batman or Wolverine. I’m basically being paid to play with the best toys in the world.

Red Dot Diva: Unlike many of us who sit in our cubis at a 9 to 5 job, how do you plan your day as a writer? How do you hone that discipline to meet deadlines and keep coming up with something fresh and creative?
Tom:Ha! Nooooo. I am incredibly ill-disciplined. I can spend hours procrastinating. Similarly, if I get in a flow, I can write all night. The trick is the deadline. You can be terrible at time-management. But that deadline doesn’t change. In comics, editors, pencillers, inkers, colourists and letterers are all relying on you to hit that target or you make their job harder. The chain in TV is even scarier. It starts with the writing. There can be hundreds of people waiting for you to finish so they can start. So, the best motivation is the panic that comes before a deadline, or just really wanting to tell a story.

Agent W: I've personally enjoyed reading your Earth-2 and All New Wolverine. However, even with a strong cast of very interesting women characters in these titles, most comics are still very skewed towards male readers. How do you think the industry can bring more diversity in terms of story-telling into the medium?
Tom:Simple. Employ more women. Employ more people from all walks of life. The entertainment industry as a whole needs to start looking like the world around us. And then, maybe, the stories will actually begin to reflect the real world.

Red Dot Diva: What practical advice would you have for those who are starting out on developing their own creative stories?
Tom:Just create them. I hear from so many people who ‘want to make something’ but don’t start. The secret is to start. And then, the even bigger secret is to finish. If you want to write. Write. Every day. If you want to draw. Draw. Every day. There’s never been a better time to get your work out there. The internet makes it possible for anyone to see your work and, if it’s any good, people WILL notice. Create something. Put it out there. Start now. Don’t even finish reading this interview.

Agent W: What is your opinion regarding the number of critics offering very negative reviews about Suicide Squad compared to a large number of worldwide fans embracing the movie?
Tom:Entertainment is subjective. We all go into an experience hoping to get something out of it. If it delivers what we want, with a few pleasant surprises, we’re happy. If we’re looking for more, something that isn’t present, then we’re not.

Agent W: You've worked with Nicola Scott and Mark Torres (and followed Paul Levitz on Earth-2), all of whom have been to Singapore. What have you heard about Singapore, and what made you decide to come and visit us?
Tom:I actually visited Singapore when I was about eleven years old and I still have very fond memories of it. I remember the night markets well. I remember buying a scorpion in a frame – that was about the best thing ever for an eleven year old. I also remember how welcoming everyone was. I’ve been keen to get back there for a long time. So, I leapt at the chance to when I got the invite. I’m really looking forward to visiting! I hope to see many of you at my signings and panels. But you don’t have to bring me a scorpion, I still have the one I bought when I was eleven. :)

Well Tom, Red Dot Diva pretty sure the fans here and from the region will make your return to the Red Dot Island even more memorable!

Those wanting to meet Tom Taylor, do get your books ready and head to the STGCC on 10 to 11 September. Perhaps, he could even show off his fantastic juggling skills when he is on stage during his panel on Saturday. If not, fans could try see if he'll sing a song or two while he signs books at Walk of Fame or Kinokuniya's booth H21 on both days. :P

It's been 4 years since Red Dot Diva got to know artist Mark Torres. Back then in 2012, he was making rounds in Red Dot Island, meeting art collectors and comic book fans. Red Dot Diva and a few other geeks had a chance to hang out with him a few times, which included a rousing rock 'n' roll party at Garbage's concert.

Since then,she would consider that they have both become pretty good friends. It is always a joy to meet, chill and Jim Beam with Mark. There is hardly a lack of topics to talk and discuss about!

Plus, Red Dot Diva thinks Mark's art is awesome. It has evolved organically since she first met him, and she noticed he has experimented in a few different styles but yet retaining his unique linework (especially those inks!) and an eye for the dramatics. So much love for it!

For those who might want to check out and grab some comics with Mark's mark on it, go check out IDW's "The Shrinking Man", "Jinnrise", "Zombies Vs Robots: Undercity", "Infestation 1 and 2: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "Judge Dredd".

Thanks to Flabslab, Mark Torres is making his way back to STGCC this weekend as a convention guest! WHOOPEE!! To celebrate his return to STGCC, Red Dot Diva and Agent W tagged team Mark with some nosy questions:

STGCC 2016: GBA induges in a little of Mark Torres

Preview of Tales from the Acker-mansion

Agents Red Dot Diva and W, went deep with Mark Torres who will be back this year at Booth B19. If you love TMNT, Judge Dread or the X-files comics, this dude is your guy. You can drool over his Mike Mignola-esque aesthetics in the upcoming Tales from the Ackermansion but before that, let's get down to business.

Jinnrise #3

Red Dot Diva: Sohaib Awan, creator of Jinnrise is of Middle Eastern origin, and hence, is very familiar with the world of jinns. How different were his story-telling styles compared to Tom Taylor, who also wrote a few issues of the series?
Torres:The back-ups I did with Sohaib was ala “Marvel way”, plot-based. He’d give me a general idea of what’s supposed to happen on a page, then I break it down to how I feel would best capture the story, especially the beats per panel. With Tom, it was more detailed scripting, he lays it out per page and panel, camera angles and specific graphic elements.

Different approaches, both equally fun to work with.

Red Dot Diva: Jinnrise is steeped in Middle Eastern mythology about the jinns or "genies". They are actually very different from what most people think about when you mention "genies" - the Westernized translation and more pop-culturally known version of the those beings. What were the new things you learnt about jinns when you were illustrating for the series?

Torres:The world that Sohaib is building with Jinnrise is MASSIVE! Literally spanning not only continents, but also galaxies & eras, with a narrative bursting with many possibilities. Qualities akin to one of the most beloved sagas, Star Wars (both Sohaib and myself, being huge fans).

It was awesome to now only draw the various Jinns already inhabiting the world, but design new ones too. Taking inspiration from Sohaib's notes of these mythical creatures watching over mankind and cohabiting the planet, even adapt to certain countries. There's indeed more to the "Genie in a Bottle" concept. A bit on the sinister side even. Wink!

**Must know STGCC fact: Mark worked together with guest Tom Taylor on Jinnrise! One can only guess if there would be any special event involving both writer and illustrator! Moving to Agent W!

Agent W: When are you releasing your own creator owned work?
Torres: Creator-owned has always been a main goal. Anything more and I’d have to sic Liam Neeson on you.

Agent W: Having worked on covers, some interiors for Zombie vs Robots, Judge Dredd, who would you like to draw next?
Torres: I maintain a short(ish) bucketlist outside my IDW family: Hellboy/ BPRD (Dark Horse), Spawn/ Darkness (Image), Daredevil/ Punisher/ Moon Knight/ Ghost Rider (Marvel), Batman/ Hellblazer (DC).

Agent W: Any upcoming gigs coming up?
Torres: New work can be found via Famous Monsters / American Gothic Press’s Tales from the Acker-Mansion, a star-studded anthology in honor of the legendary Forrest J. Ackerman’s 100th birthday. As well as a cover for an upcoming series from Action Lab Entertainment. There’s a couple in the oven as well that’s just about to pop.

Agent W: Do you prefer analog or digital and what is the future of illustrating comics with the digital comics scene taking some buyers off monthly floppies?
Torres: Analog or digital… I’m biased to the former because I love the feel of lead/ink touching paper, and the fact that there’s no CTRL+Z/Undo, so all the years drawing and the lessons learned be it through other media or in real life, are constantly put into practice. Plus, the happy accidents. Though Digital brings with it convenience, being mobile when I’m not in my home studio, or for fixes, so I’m not against it either.

I think the industry’s taken critical steps to the right direction with the digital format. As with everything in this world, there’s no fighting the future, and with society living more of a “fast food” culture, you really need to deliver the goods straight to the consumers’ hands, because not everyone have the luxury anymore of heading out to a shop to pick up books, especially for casual walk-ins, just playing it by chance to score specific titles. There just needs to be a balance so that everyone (publisher, creators and readers) benefit equally out of it. Brick and mortar shops are still essential, and a great way to enjoy the hobby, especially with other enthusiasts.

Get your affordable and fantastic art from Mark Torres!

Agent W: This isn't your first rodeo in Singapore 😃 what do you hope to see and experience at this year's show? Hottoys? Urban art? Cosplayers?
Torres:It’s always the people. Seeing old friends and meeting new ones. The Philippines and Singapore share a mutual appreciation for pop culture events, so the goodies and activities are never that far apart. The experience makes it always something to be excited for.

I will definitely be hanging out with old friend Mark, or JD. Remember, Booth B19. He has a stash of loot available and if you like something a little more personal or customised, hit him up for some sweet commissions. He's accepting pre-con orders at artinktoxicated@gmail.com.

Also, thanks to Agent RDD and W for doing the heavylifting!

Red Dot Diva really really really can't wait to see Mark Torres again. She happily volunteers to be his booth babe!! :D :D :D

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This article was originally posted in Ed's own website, Toys-etc!

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The Glam Bloggers Alliance - a collaboration of four geeks - Red Dot Diva, Ed from Toys-etc, Agent W and Andre aka Mr Million Dollar Smile - will be back at STGCC 2016 being busybodies checking out the guests, exhibitors, cosplayers and all forms of biceps during the convention.

Both Red Dot Diva and Toys-etc blogs are also proud to continue their Supporting Blog status with STGCC.

While scrolling through this year's STGCC exhibitors list, Red Dot Diva noticed several newcomers who will be setting up their own booths.

One of them has a simple booth name called Allena and Samuel Lee. This straightforward branding may not have caught your attention right away but the two young and talented illustrators are motivated and eager to showcase their art to the world.

Red Dot Diva delighted to introduce Melissa (aka Allena) and Samuel to art fans out there:

Red Dot Diva: Please introduce yourselves, and tell us how you got into the career of illustration and graphic design.
Melissa:Hi! My name's Melissa aka Allena, currently a Designer/Illustrator at O&M. I got into illustration after realizing that maybe animation wasn't really a route I wanted to go down, nor into 3D. I enjoyed drawing people and sceneries in a single image that told a story, and came to realize that it was something that I wanted to improve and work on.
Samuel:Hello, I'm Sam and I'm currently an illustrator at Comicave Studios. I wanted to tell stories through my drawings so I studied animation in school. Melissa and I were classmates!

Sam's "Beneath The Stars"

Red Dot Diva: What have been your favourite or most interesting creative/ art projects to-date?
Melissa:I've been working on a comic for the last year or so, something that I thought of while studying in Nanyang Polytechnic, about a girl and her (mis)adventures in life, love etc. Other than that I've been exploring with styles and mediums I could play around with for it!
Samuel:My favourite project to date would be the postcards commissioned by Noise Singapore. I was really pleased with how both designs turned out, even though only one would be selected. I was also recently commissioned to customize a pair of sneakers for Converse for an exhibition so that was pretty interesting.

Mel's "Here Comes A Thought"

Red Dot Diva: Do you think local artists have something unique to offer to the world?
Melissa:There's a lot of stigma around local talent and how 'local talent isn't good enough' but I've seen a lot of very, very talented artists and I do think that we have something unique to offer to the world! Singapore is such a small and new country but we still do have quite a bit of history and culture and I believe that a lot of Singaporean artists do take inspiration from the little things in our small red dot to add to their works.
Samuel: Yes, definitely. There are plenty of talented artists in Singapore that I look up to, like Drewscape, Gary Choo and Teressa Ong, just to name a few. Sonny Liew's 'The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye' is a great example of what Singaporean artists are able to do.

Red Dot Diva: What is your all-time most favourite piece of art? And why?
Melissa:John Singer Sargent's "Portrait of Madame X" is probably my favourite piece- It's so striking and elegant but yet the pose and little details say so much more.
Samuel: It would have to be all the Studio Ghibli movies! I first watched Whisper of the Heart, Ocean Waves, and The Cat Returns when I was younger and they took me places no animated film had been able to before.

Sam's "In The Making"

Red Dot Diva: Have you exhibited your artwork before? Which were they and what have your experiences been like at those shows?
Melissa:It's actually my first time exhibiting! So I'm really nervous this year but excited as well.
Samuel:I have had my works exhibited at the Noise Festival, Pameran Poskad and Light Grey Art Lab. It was inspiring to see so many beautiful pieces by the talented artists exhibiting there!

Mel's "Death of Liberty"

Red Dot Diva: What made you decide to exhibit at this year's STGCC? And what will you be showcasing at your booth?
Melissa:Sam actually asked me if I wanted to booth with him earlier this year- if it wasn't for him I don't think I'd have the courage to do it by myself! But I'll be exhibiting a couple of fanworks, namely Star Wars, Steven Universe and Overwatch!
Samuel:STGCC seems like a great place to meet new people. I'll be having a few original works as well as fan art prints and stickers from Pokémon and Star Wars.

You can see more of my work on:

Instagram: samflowerpants
and Tumblr: samflowerpants.tumblr.com

To check out more art by Melissa and Samuel, do head on to Booth AA21 at this weekend's convention. You might find an artwork or two by the duo which may call out to you!

More toy exclusives are in store at STGCC with local art collective and designer toy studio, Flabslab, and fellow Glam Bloggers Alliance pal, Ed from Toys-etc has the details!

STGCC 2016: Flabslab x Koraters x T9G reveals Byron & Rangeron exclusives!

If there's anything you need to know about Byron and Rangeron, just know this - they don't last minutes after the doors open. The numerous event exclusives are a constant source of frustration for international collectors, and even if you have access to the exhibition (oooo jealous much!), the queues are insane. I've learnt to cope with the crushing sadness, skimming over announcements as fast as my lingering heart can bear.

So, it's with great pleasure that I reveal STGCC's marbled Byron exclusive. The mastermind simply dropped off the Flabslab signature black and gold Byron on Instagram but of course, I have more information. There will be 2 colourways (see my super special picture below!) in a limited run of 160. 80 black and white and 80 black and gold Byron and Rangeron, and if you break it down even further, it's just 40 of each.

Details are scarce but from what I know, it will be lottery-based and each ticket is only entitled to one blingbag purchase. The lottery will be done over two days of the convention and there will be likely other eligibility requirements to discourage scalpers. Good going Singapore! *beams*

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This article was originally posted in Ed's own website, Toys-etc!

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The Glam Bloggers Alliance - a collaboration of four geeks - Red Dot Diva, Ed from Toys-etc, Agent W and Andre aka Mr Million Dollar Smile - will be back at STGCC 2016 being busybodies checking out the guests, exhibitors, cosplayers and all forms of biceps during the convention.

Both Red Dot Diva and Toys-etc blogs are also proud to continue their Supporting Blog status with STGCC.

Freelance artist Stephanie Hans has been working with Marvel for quite some time, most notably in titles like "1602 Witch Hunger Angela" and "Angela: Queen of Hel". Her artwork is stunning, and Red Dot Diva found herself instantly captivated by Stephanie's penchant for strong, contrasting colours that stand out against her fluid painting style. In particular, Red Dot Diva loves how Stephanie is able to portray the women characters being defiantly strong and beautiful.

For the last few months, Stephanie has been on a personal road trip and getting on the convention circuit whilst she is at it. She has since visited Japan, China and South Korea, posting travel photos on her Instagram as she experienced new sights and things. In fact, Stephanie is already in Red Dot Island. She arrived earlier this week, with the local zoo as one of her first touristy stops. She will then make her appearance as a guest atSTGCC 2016 this weekend.

Despite Stephanie's busy schedule, Agent W managed to get hold of her for a quick pre-convention Q&A.

STGCC 2016 : Stepping up with Stupendous Stephanie Hans

Everyone who has picked up "1602 : Angela Witch Hunter", would surely be mesmerized by that cover of Angela rendered in the woodcut style art that graced the original covers of the first series 1602 (that was witten by Neil Gaiman, coincidentally one of the original creators of Angela, but that's another story...). The cover art and interiors are by our STGCC guest, simply stupendous Stephanie Hans!

Grabbing the opportunity to follow her on all the social media, i reached out to her and asked her a few questions and she gamely replied, YAY! :

W: You mentioned you'll be "travelling for 8 months though 7 countries and 8 conventions", some of which I've gathered are China, Japan, Korea and very soon Singapore, how are you enjoying visiting these countries in Asia, I mean, would it translate to some work that would be inspired by your time here (like David Mack)? Or would you intend to publish some autobiographical work of your travels like Craig Thompson's Travelogue?
Stephanie: I haven't decided yet what I will do about my travels. I thought about writing a book, with some illustrations, or a comic book, but really, I didn't start with anything else in mind than finding inner peace, pushing my limits and confront my fears. In a way or another I imagine it will have an impact on my whole self, and since art is a huge part of me, it will also get affected, I just don't know exactly how, but I am sure it will be positive anyway.

W: You're a big fan of Neil Gaiman and excited for Angela to come to the Marvel Universe and your job is "to draw a warrior in a really tiny armour & still make her look scary & full of dignity. She's a warrior, an assassin, that's how I'll paint her". Whew, ok, are you excited that at the recent SDCC, they announced that they'll be making a new Hasbro Marvel Legends action figure that is based on your/Joe Quesada's design. Do you think that you have succeeded in creating a fearsome warrior? (I personally think you have, I think for her and Wonder Woman, it's believable that they wear little as they are Goddesses/ Immortals, I'm not sure about Red Sonja whom I think needs chain mail), and Do you feel any pressure drawing Neil Gaiman's character?
Stephanie: I gave Angela my best. I was particularly happy to be able to design her outfit and everybody's in "1602 Witch Hunter" and in "Queen of Hel". Concept art is one of my old fantasies. I didn't have a lot of occasions to try my hand on it but each time was deeply satisfying. I didn't know about the Hasbro figurine but I hope I can get one. Honestly, all the credit goes to Joe Quesada for the design of the new bikini armor. As for me, I am used to working with a lot of pressure on my shoulders. Deadlines, expectations from fans or from myself already are enough, if I got used to them, adding the one of working on the creation of Neil Gaiman was not so much more pressure in the end.

The Angela Hasbro action figure

W: Your art is extremely beautiful and reminiscent of classical paintings, although I noticed you are a digital artist who also does some traditional painting. At the moment, what other characters do you hope or wish to be able to draw/ paint?
Stephanie: First of all : thanks! To be honest, I would love to be able to paint every single one of them, maybe even give them a bit of redesign! That would be great!

W: Will this be your first time in Singapore, and what have you heard (from your fellow creators who have come to Singapore before) and what do you wish to experience? any food that you have heard about? (its very hot and humid for your info)
Stephanie: It will be my first time in Singapore and right now I don't know anything about it beside the fact that fans seem awesome and incredibly helpful. Ho, and apparently food is a very important thing there, so I am curious to try that.

W: Tell us more about the contest you are having :D on your instagram.
Stephanie: ho it is finished already but I will certainly do another one when I get back in France. I just Have a lot of books and I am happy to know somebody will be happy to have them.

W: OK thanks very much for taking the time to answer our questions, the last question I was going to ask is which is your favourite recent work but I saw that you have posted your 10 favourite covers done recently on June 7th post so I will include them here for the fans to see.

Click here to view Stephanie Hans' List of her own 10 favourite covers.

Please check them out! Here are some of these beauties!

With that, I would just like to end by wishing Stephanie a great time at STGCC and hope that her travels have been useful and fruitful to her and for her!

You can also read a recent interview with the creators of Angela on Comics Alliance.
Find out more about her and her art and follow her on Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter and her Facebook!

W!
comic weporter
Toys-3tc

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This article was originally posted in Ed's own website, Toys-etc!

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The Glam Bloggers Alliance - a collaboration of four geeks - Red Dot Diva, Ed from Toys-etc, Agent W and Andre aka Mr Million Dollar Smile - will be back at STGCC 2016 being busybodies checking out the guests, exhibitors, cosplayers and all forms of biceps during the convention.

Both Red Dot Diva and Toys-etc blogs are also proud to continue their Supporting Blog status with STGCC.

STGCC 2016 Welcomes Guests Phil Noto, Jon-Paul Kaiser, Brooke Allen and More!

Rihanna Warp Drives into "Star Trek Beyond" with "Sledgehammer" - Music Video Debuts in IMAX Theatres 6 July!

Meet Elvin Ching, Artist of Singapore NDP 2016's Comic About Local Superhero, Badang!

STGCC 2016: More Guests Announced, Including Emma Rios, Jacob Chabot and Stephanie Hans

Ubisoft Casts Jessica Chastain and Jake Gyllenhaal for "The Division" Movie

STGCC 2016: "LumberJanes" Creator Brooke Allen Is Intrigued by Carrot Cake!

STGCC 2016: Toys-etc is all ready to go gaga over Tokidoki's Unicorno Metalico!

STGCC 2016: Jacob Chabot Chats About Tsum Tsums and Hello Kitty!

Speech Bubble - A Celebration of Comics in Singapore, 2 to 30 September 2016

AsiaPop Comic Con Manila 2016: An Interview with Comic Book Artist Mike Zeck

STGCC 2016: More Unicornos and Skullhead Samurai on the Toy Front!

STGCC 2016: Booth Highlight - HRJoe Photography Talks About His Techniques and His Fave Toys!

STGCC 2016: Something Fishy Is Going On with Mame Moyashi

STGCC 2016: Artist & Creator Emma Rios Reveals Her Own Memorable Fan Encounters

STGCC 2016: What Exclusives Will Mighty Jaxx Showcase At the Convention?

STGCC 2016: Tom Taylor Reveals How He Plans His Regular Day As A Writer

STGCC 2016: Artist Mark Torres Talks About Jinns and His Art Jobs Wish List!

STGCC 2016: Booth Highlight - Meet Newcomers Allena & Samuel Lee

STGCC 2016: Going Marbles About Flabslab's Byron & Rangeron Exclusives

STGCC 2016: Artist Stephanie Hans Ponders About Travel and Art