Netflix APCC 2018 Sizzle Reel

Still got post APCC blues? We sure do ~ well to help you get through that, check out this AWESOME Sizzle Reel which features highlights from the amazing and interactive Netflix booths to the super exclusive Hall N. 

Legendary Animator Mark Henn Headlines Disney’s “Hall D” At APCC, Touts Latest Film “Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2”

MANILA, July 27, 2018 -- Legendary Disney animator Mark Henn flew-in to town to spearhead and serve as the main attraction in Disney’s first-ever `Hall D’ in Asia through AsiaPOP Comicon scheduled at SMX Mall of Asia on Sunday, July 29.

“It’s an incredible honor to be part of Disney’s first-ever `Hall D’ in Asia, and I’m as excited as ever to meet and engage with Disney fans in the Philippines,” said Henn who’s a first-time visitor to the country.

A veteran animator at Walt Disney Animation Studios for 38 years, Henn is currently serving as the 2D animation supervisor for the studios’ upcoming feature film, “Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2” (in Philippine cinemas November 21).

Lifestyle: Microtel Work-from-Hotel for APCC

When I was younger I saw an article that featured three girls cosplaying as "Slave Leia" for San Diego Comic Con. They had a photo series which featured all three girls checked in a hotel, getting ready with their Cosplay and going out together as a "Tree Slave Leia" of some sort. I thought to myself, "Wow! They even checked in a hotel for SDCC" which is probably nothing new for con goers, especially abroad. 

I never thought that I myself would stay in a hotel for two days for a convention until #TeamPCheng stayed at Microtel Mall of Asia for Asia Pop Comicon. We were fortunate enough to have scored a 50% off discount thanks to Blogapalooza and Microtel. So it was like just paying for a one night stay. Since we were covering all three days with photos and blog posts needed, it was such a big convenience to just walk "home" after a long day at the convention. Especially given the traffic situation plus living all the way in Antipolo. 

Posting content photos and blog posts real time and right after-the-fact is very important and having the strength to do that can be challenging if you have to travel about two hours to get home, so at least when you're checked in a hotel it is possible. 

These are all work photos and the stay was strictly business but still definitely a pleasure. I also saw a lot of con-goers who were staying at Microtel as well, fellow Geek bloggers, a family from the province and yes, even the Singapore counterparts of the 501st and of course Kylo Ren who came all the way from Cebu.

 Given that most of today's conventions are being held in SMX, then Microtel Mall of Asia can easily be the "home away from home" for "geeks on the go" like us or cosplayers, you know with all that costume, make up and props that they have to bring. It definitely helped us survive APCC and get all that work done, editing photos for Paul and writing for me. 

Each floor had it's own water dispenser and ice (Yes!) - which is a big deal for us since Paul is a big water drinker. Getting the ice in the middle of the night just reminded me of that "American Horror Story: Hotel" scene. No worries, there were no vampire children or serial killers lying in wait. 

Unfortunately the package we got, did not include breakfast so we had to eat outside but ordered Jollibee delivered to our room during our second day. Maybe next time we will get to try their breakfast and even lounge around the pool. By the way, Microtel has different hotels all over the country Baguio, Palawan so looking forward to getting to visit those as well, for business or pleasure it doesn't matter, it's always nice to have a home away from home. :) 

Events: APCC Day 2 Goes Geek Crazy! Day 2 + Photos

Excited friends just got their Day 2 passes. 

As I am writing this, the sun is slowly making its way up the Manila skies. In a few hours the last day of the biggest pop culture event in Manila is about to conclude. Pardon the lack of literary eloquence in this post as time is always against me and we would seen be preparing to check out of the hotel and make our way for Day 3 of Asia Pop Comicon. 

With most of the guests arriving at Day 2 the crowd was noticeably larger and all the booths and exhibits were in full swing. Now, the thing about these kind of conventions is that you don't get to go to all of the events happening, since they are all happening at the same time. So it would be presumptuous to write about a "highlights of Day 2" features. What I will be writing about are my experiences around the convention.

First up was the sit down of celebrity guest and Hollywood headliner Nicholas Hoult with the local press. Nick Hoult has been acting for a long time, you may not remember him as the adorable Marcus in "About A Boy" but he was literally just a boy when he starred across Hugh Grant on the 2002 romantic comedy and has since played a variety of characters, from a zombie, a giant slayer, a mutant and the war boy, "Nux" in Mad Max: Fury Road. 

When asked if this is a conscious decision, Hoult replied: "Outside of working with great people and telling a good story, the aim for me is to play as much varied characters ion  and the stories that I play. I would be bored if the I played the same characters again and again." Will be posting a separate post on the sit down soon! You ca catch him at the Main Stage at 4:00 PM on Sunday. 

Right after the sit down we had to rush to the Main Stage for Millie Bobby Brown's first appearance at APCC. As expected, the hall was filled to the brim with fans eager to see the twelve year old actress, who took the world by storm with the fan favorite and critically acclaimed Nextflix series "Stranger Things" which, since it's debut in July has become a big hit. Brown plays the mysterious and telekinetic "Eleven" and has become a fan favorite. 

Millie spotted local cosplayer Spider-Dan in an Eleven Cosplay in the crowd and took photos. Talk about highlight of his year right!

A fan asked if Millie could pretend that she was breaking everyone's neck with her "Eleven stare".

To which, the surprised actress asked "You want me to pretend to hurt you guys?" and the crowd responded with a resounding "YES!". That's such a weird request, host Delamar Arias said but Millie gladly obliged to the crowd's delight.


Will be posting more on the "Conversation with Millie Brown" on the blog soon. 

We rested for a bit and went around the convention floor to take photos, I was really happy to run into friends from work and in the music scene around the con, some members of my family will be coming on the last day. 

The last media time for the day was with "Game of Thrones'" Joe Dempsie and I was really excited to see him, being a big Game of Thrones fan and all.

When asked if there was a superhero he could play, Joe said he always wanted to be the Red Power Ranger. He went on to say that when he was five years old, he had a falling out with a friend because they both wanted to be the Red Power Ranger. Full post on Joe Dempsie on the blog soon. You can catch him at the Main Stage at 11:30 AM. 

Our last stop was Hiroshi Kitadani's live performance and it was as energetic as we expected as he sang songs from "One Piece" and "Yugi Oh". You can catch another performance later at 6:00 PM. 

I hope you guys come back when I do another write up for my overall APCC 2016 experience, which would probably be the case, we just want to get these photos out, we're just excited to share them with you :)

For our Day 1 highlights you can click here - it has photos too! 

Click here for more photos from Day 2.

#apccph2016 #asiapopcomicon 

Events: Coffee and Macarons with Asia Pop Comicon's Finest

Apologies. This is such a late post, as I am writing this Day 1 of AsiaPop Comicon has already transpired and Day 2 will begin in just a few hours but we still wanted to share what went down during the Press Conference for AsiaPop Comicon. We were not able to upload this right away, since after the press conference, Paul and I still had to sleep for work, go to work and then it was already Friday, the first day of AsiaPop Comicon. Phew. I know. More Enervon please? 

Overlooking the waters of Manila Bay at the posh Conrad hotel. Members of the local press were teased with what to expect during the upcoming Asia Pop Comicon, which promises to be the biggest pop culture event in Asia last Wednesday, August 24.

Bringing back that wonder we all used to feel when we were children, AsiaPop Comicon promises to bring the ultimate fan experience by bringing a wide range of pop culture elements in one venue, slated for August 26 to 28 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

They raised the bar by bringing a world class convention last year with over 30,000 attendees and inviting guests such as Paul Bettany, Nathalie Emmanuel, Colton Hayes and so much more and they are surely continuing that tradition this year,

Joining the press conference was a stellar line up of artists in their own fields and they got to sit down with the local press to pick at their creative minds.

Whilce Portacio. 

Whilce Portacio is no stranger to the field of comic books, whether it is the international arena or the local scene. The creator of Bishop (of "Uncanny X Men"), Whilce broke in the comics industry by inking Marvel Comics' classic book "Longshot" in 1985. He has then been a sought-after inker at Marvel and worked as a penciler on "The Punisher" in 1988.

"APCC will help open up Manila to the worldwide stage." Portacio told members of the press. "We're always looking for new people and new ideas." he continues. "I would like to see more Filipino mythology" (on new material) he adds.

Mike Zeck. 

Mike Zeck's work has graced the pages and covers of "Captain America", "Aquaman", "Batman" "Legends of the DC Universe," and many more. He has been visiting the Philippines since 1991.

"I love the beaches. I love the people." He says. "Just get rid of a few cars." He adds, referring to the traffic, which got members of the local press to laugh.

A first time visitor to the Philippines, Ken Lashley has been a veteran working on such titles, such as "Excalibur", "Black Panther", "X-Men", "Spider-Man", "Flash", "Superman" among others. 

"I was so excited to get here, I didn't care how many airplanes I took." he said.

Ken Lashley. 

When asked about the state of comic books in 2016, Lashley answered that "The (Comic Book) movies have done a lot of things, but it does not translate to comic sales. People easily recognize what you do though." 

He gives a shoutout to all aspiring artists out there, "Draw all the time. For every artist, there are a 1000 bad drawings. Always hustle. 

Jason Palmer.

"I've never felt so welcome, even before I left" says illustrator Jason Palmer, who is best known for his illustrations of "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" among others. 

"I was already getting messages, even before I left for Manila." 

Shinichiro Kitai. 

Shinichiro Kitai, art director of DEVILROBOTS, a design team of five from Japan are well known for their whimsical, yet sometimes sinister characters and designs. When asked what he was looking forward to in the Philippines, Kitai answered "Jollibee" which was met with laughter from the press. 

Kitai explains that Jollibee shows the Philippines as a happy people. 

"Somebody get this man, his fast food." Host Justin Quirino said laughing. 

Rounding up the line up of guests during the Press Conference is the Queen of Cosplay herself, Alodia Gosiengfiao, who is a household name when in comes to Cosplay.

Alodia Gosiengfiao. 

"It's nice to know that even world renowed artists are looking for new talent." Alodia said, aside from Cosplay she is also an artist herself and an avid gamer. When asked to give advise for the CAGE Cosplay Competition participants, she says "Have fun and be careful. Some people are starting to work with dangerous material." she added, laughing. 

Catch all of these guests and much, much more at AsiaPop Comicon happening this weekend! 

Click HERE for MORE PHOTOS!

Be happy. Love Your Life Now.

Quick Dip in the Sofitel Pool :) 

Life is never easy, there are always challenges, struggles and trials but sometimes all we need is a positive perspective and a little luck to help us be happy and love our life.

Lifestyle TV has this beautiful campaign about loving your life now and with all the negative energy and bad news going around we definitely need this touch of optimism in our lives. 

I saw online that they were having a Love Your Life contest, mechanics were to simply cut out paper hearts and have a photo taken of holding this up against something that makes you love your life now. 

It was very simple and had such a positive outlook that Paul and I jumped at the challenge. From the different things that we love in life we decided to feature photography/photos. We took some printed photos we had, an old Minolta film camera and an old film and set them up on a piece of wood which was actually cut from one of the trees in the house. We cut paper hearts and scattered them on our set up and had one hand (mine) hold one paper heart. It was fun working on the styling and the shoot and doing the write up for the piece. 

This was our entry in the contest :) 

With a little hard work and a little luck we won an overnight stay for two at Sofitel Manila with breakfast and Statement Tees! 

We were so lucky and winning the hotel stay came right in time for our 10th anniversary (as a couple) and Asia Pop Comiccon (will be posting more on that soon!) which was held at World Trade Center -just across Sofitel! Talk about great timing and coincidence right?! 

Sofitel was just so beautiful and luxurious it was so easy Love Your Life! We were working hard covering APCC and we got to go home to what was literally a stone's throw away and it wasn't just any home but a room in Sofitel! We had only won a Superior Room but we were upgraded to a Luxury Suite! After a long day covering the event we got to rest, in the best way possible. 

The next morning we enjoyed the Manila Bay view, swam a bit in the pool (which my Grand Uncle designed by the way) and had a hearty breakfast. After relaxing for a bit it was time to Check Out and go back to covering Day 3 of Asia Pop Comiccon. 

It was an unconventional way of celebrating an Anniversary but Paul and I are very passionate about what we do and getting the chance to take photos, cover events and write makes us love our life! 

Thank you to Lifestyle TV and Sofitel! It was a great misadventure! 

#LoveYourLifeNow ❤️❤️❤️

Click Here for MORE photos! 

Filbar's brings exclusive Toy Collectibles for Asia Pop Comic ConManila 2015

It's not a convention without mouth-watering toy collectibles and Filbar's-the country's one stop shop for all pop-culture needs is sure to bring it's A game to Asia Pop Comic Con Manila 2015 on September 17-20, 2015 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. 

The Hot Toys Booth, powered by Filbar’s or Booth K#19, will delight action figures hobbyists with four Hot Toys 2015 Toy Fair Exclusives—the Iron Man Mark XXIV Tank, Maria Hill, Luke Skywalker (Stormtrooper Disguise Version), and Metal Gear’s Raiden (Inferno Armor Version). Special Edition Hot Toys based on Marvel and Star Wars properties are also available for preorder in limited quantities during the event.

Known for its realistic diecast figures, Hot Toys fittingly found its Philippine distributor, Filbar’s, in showcasing its detailed and high quality products. It previously partnered with Filbar’s for its “Avengers: Age of Ultron” exhibition last May.

Exclusive Filbar’s products available at Asia Pop Comicon Manila 2015 include:

Hot Toys

Iron Man Mark XXIV Tank

Expand your House Party Protocol and add this Iron Man armor to your collection. This Heavy Combat Suit features metallic brown and gold-colored armor, Unibeam and thruster effects accessories, LED light-up functions, a dynamic figure stand, and Mark IX and Mark XXVII (Disco) mini collectible figures that are perfect for recreating the iconic Iron Man 3  poster where the House Party Protocol Suits are flying into action. Php14,000

Maria Hill

A great addition to your Avengers: Age of Ultron collection, this movie-accurate collectible is specially crafted based on the image of Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill in the film featuring a newly developed head sculpt, finely tailored outfit, weapon and accessories. Php 10,500.

Luke Skywalker (Stormtrooper Disguise Version)

Based on Luke Skywalker’s disguise in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope,  this features a newly painted head sculpt, finely tailored Stormtrooper armor, an interchangeable Stormtrooper helmet with mechanically detailed interior, weapons and accessories, and a figure stand. Php11,000

Metal Gear’s Raiden (Inferno Armor Version)

From “Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance,” this figure comes with a highly detailed head sculpt, specially applied metallic red and gold colored armor, meticulously constructed body, a high-frequency blade, a HF Murasama with sheath, an assault rifle, a newly designed visor with digital pattern, and figure stand. Php14,000

Beast Kingdom

Floating Iron Man Mark III 

Shellhead is a flashy, new updated color variant of Beast Kingdom's Floating Iron Man Mark III featuring red and chrome markings. The statue includes an arc reactor base, with Iron Man floating above it in a flying pose. Php 8,500

Star Wars Egg Attack Action Darth Vader

This six-inch limited edition Beast Kingdom rendition of the iconic villain is constructed with compound materials and painted with expert techniques that perfectly capture the texture of Darth Vader's armor and clothing. It also features a light-up LED lightsaber and life-supporting device on the chest.Php 5,500

Funko

Science Bros 

Set of 2: Iron Man Unmasked and Glow-in-the-Dark Hulk

If you love the friendship between Iron Man and the Hulk on screen then you should grab the Science Bros set. This includes two Filbar’s Philippine Exclusives Iron Man Unmasked and Glow in the Dark Hulk.Php 1,600

Keep updated for more surprises from Filbar’s on Facebook (www.facebook.com/filbarsonline) and follow us on Instagram and Twitter (@filbarsonline). Join the conversation using the hashtag, #FilbarsAPCC.

About Filbar’s

Filbar’s, the country’s premier store for pop culture goodness since 1979, carries toys, comics, magazines, and young adult novels from both local and international publishers. Filbar’s is an official Philippine retailer of Hot Toys, Diamond Comic Distributors, Marvel, The Wand Company Ltd., Dark Horse Comics, RubberToe Replicas, Beast Kingdom, Funko, Wizards of the Coast, infoThink, Star Ace and Badali Jewelry.  Under the management of Collecticons, Inc., Filbar’s now operates seven major stores and three magazine stands in malls across Metro Manila.