Events: Deadpool 2 Fan Screening

We were thrilled to have been invited to a very special Deadpool 2 Fan Event, which was hosted by SM Cinema and held at the Skypark at SM Aura, last Friday, May 11, 2018. 

Cosplayers came in dressed as their favorite Deadpool characters, while fans joined in the games and enjoyed a collection of Deadpool merchandise. 

As if that was not a great way to enjoy a Friday night-everyone also got to see the new Deadpool 2 movie! ~The first screening in the Philippines might I add and all I can say is that the film, definitely delivered. As it takes the merc with a mouth to a bigger playing field with more conflicts, new mutants and a whole new adventure-you aren't really sure which way its going. Full review up soon! 

You can catch Deadpool 2 as early as May 15 at 5PM for early screenings. Regular screenings will be on May 16. 

Click HERE for MORE PHOTOS! 

Events: Free Comic Book Day 2017

Free Comic Book Day has become an annual tradition and there's always something new every year. For 2017 it meant introducing the #LittleJedi to this tradition. So with my 6 month belly bump Paul and I went to Fully Booked in BGC, it was a little later than our usual time since we had some baby errands to do first but thanks to the baby bump, no need to get in line. :) 

The folks from Fully Booked were kind enough to accommodate this waddling pregnant lady. After getting our #FCBD haul, we made our way to the Artist Alley at Top Shelf and it was nice to see artist friends in their booths, getting to feature local talent at events like these is a plus to me! 

Featured FCBD artist and fellow music geek (we headbang with each other at gigs) Pejie Abia

Because we came in later in the day, we were able to see more cosplayers than usual and Paul had fun taking their photos! We dropped by Comic Odyssey to pick up a gift for Paul's goddaughter, who seems to be taking after us when it comes to hobbies and interests and coincidentally also celebrates her birthday at the first week of May. :) 

One Halloween Comic Fest we brought our nephew and nieces, we opted to go on FCBD2017 on our own, as I mentioned we had a baby errand earlier in the day. Maybe at the next event and if the #LittleJedi is big enough, we might bring him along as well. This annual tradition is becoming a family event (I also sometimes spend it with my siblings) and well, I wouldn't have it any other way! 

#FCBD2017 

A couple of Spider-Man (Spider-Men ?) rummaging through back issues at Comic Odyssey. 

Click HERE for MORE PHOTOS! 

  

Events: Meet "Zen" The 3-Year Old Show-stopping Stormtrooper

Day 1 of conventions are usually low key since the crowd pours in on the second day; but as Paul and I were going around the convention floor we zeroed in on a cute, little Stormtrooper.

He had just come across the Philippine Garrison and it was just adorable to see him look up to Stormtroopers who were twice his size. As if things  couldn't get even much more adorable, the "good guys" of the Philippine Garrison invited him to join them!

The little boy needed some coaching from his dad, let's say a guy dressed in all black with a red lightsaber scarred him a bit. (Yeah. I'm talking about you Kylo Ren!)   

The little kid left a big impression on us, so after the hustle and bustle of AsiaPOP Comicon we got in touch with his parents and sent some questions to find about the little show-stopping Stormtrooper - who goes by "Zen" by the way.

How old is Zen? 

Zen is three years old. (Cue in the awwwwwwwwws). 

 Was this his ever cosplay? Was APCC his first convention? 

Officially, yes. He did a wear a panda (costume) a year ago (More awwws) but only in school. 

Did he decide to go as a Stormtrooper on his own? 

Yes. When his Uncle asked what costume did he want. He said he wanted to dress up as a Stormtrooper, since he was two years old. We ordered it from ebay. 

Did he enjoy his cosplay for Day 1 of APCC? 

It was very memorable for him, since seeing his toys come alive was nothing he could have imagined at his young age. Boba Fett was his favorite. 

What was it like for Zen to meet the "good guys" of the Philippine Garrison? Do you think that he'll be an honorary member some day? 

The Philippine Garrison was very nice and considerate to kids. They allowed him to interact with them and join them. (As to whether he will be a member in the future) I'm not so sure yet, since kids change as they grow up but we'll see.

One of the boys. Zen hangs out with the "good guys" of the Philippine Garrison during Day 1 of APCC.

Any future 'Cosplans' (Cosplay Plans) for Zen? 

We don't really participate in Cosplays, but if Zen wants to dress up as another character then perhaps next year.. 

Is he looking forward to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story this December ? 

 Very much, even if he doesn't understand any of it. (He's only three after all). He saw "Episode VII: The Force Awakens" and "A New Hope" a few times already. Can't make him sit down more than 20 minutes for the other Star Wars movie. Hopefully he will watch Rogue One. 

Thank you to Zen's cool folks for taking the time to answer our questions and we hope to run into you in a convention in the future! Keep it up little Stormtrooper!

Toycon 2016: Reaching Unprecedented Heights

We have been attending Toycon for the past few years and when it was announced that Toycon will be moving from its home of 14 years at the Megatrade Halls in SM Megamall to the SMX Convention Center, I was admittedly a little bit sad since Megamall is close and traveling to Pasay would definitely be longer but I knew it was all going to be worth it and needless to say, Toycon delivered!

Hodor in Manila

Now those are word is never thought I would get to say or write down. I'm a big "Game of Thrones" fan, I've read all the books and consider "Game of Thrones Monday" as sacred and holy. So just imagine my seeking when Toycon announced that they would be bringing Kristian Nairn, who plays the gentle giant in the bit TV show to Manila! 

Not only will Nairn be holding panels, taking pictures with fans and signing autographs but he also played a couple of DJ sets for his Filipino fans. You see, aside from acting, the 6'11 native of Belfast is also a musician, he sings and plays the guitar as well.

As a result of the popularity of "Game of Thrones", Nairn has been traveling the world, playing DJ sets aptly called "Rave of Thrones" and I still pinch myself when I realize that I have been to one, thanks to Toycon 2016 and Pop Life Fan Experience.

Super Man Indeed 

I grew up watching "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" in the 90's. (The series ran from 1993-1997) They used to show it on ABC 5 (before it was TV 5) and yes, before they dubbed everything in Filipino. 

I was really surprised when I saw Dean Cain in person because damn! 

(Ang gwapo parin niya!) - I actually said out loud when he got up on stage. 

He was so nice to the PRESS and Media, remembering each name of the Press who came up to ask him a question. He would address them by name and you can tell that he really wanted to give a personal experience to everyone that was there. Giving hugs and kisses and even a recorded greeting. 

Local Heroes Make Debut in Toycon 

For the longest time, Toycon has been bringing the spotlight to our local talent as well by featuring artists and comic book creators. This year's Toycon was extra special as they were able to celebrate real life heroes in history through the cast of Heneral Luna, where in John Arcilla and Mon Confiado even appeared on the stage dressed as their counterparts, Heneral Luna and Emilio Aguinaldo. The crowds cheered and applauded at them as it was also June 12, Independence Day where they made their appearance-how timely indeed. 

The cast was also present to promote the exclusive DVD launch of Heneral Luna. 

Toys, Toys and Furniture?! 

Of course, a Toycon staple is the many impressive toy displays and there were a couple of new ones this year, such as Stan Lee's very own personal collection being on display and a whole lot of life sized Funko Pops! A booth that I found very interesting was Space Coaster which featured furniture and art pieces inspired from our favorite pop culture movies and TV shows! 

I'd love to have that Star Wars couch in our living room! 

I love that there was actually extra leg room to walk around in and places to sit and rest. Going around Toycon can be tiring but always fun. 

It was nice to see friends all around Toycon, of course each was busy with his or her Cosplay or helping out in a booth and despite being a tiring and challenging experience each and every year, it's something that we all do for the love of our hobbies and passion. 

Congratulations Toycon you really set the bar high up! Can't wait for next year! 

Click HERE for MORE Photos! 

What's In Store for You at: Toycon 2014

While most kids get excited because of the start of school in June; the kids at heart (no matter what height, shape or size) get excited once the month of June appears in all our calendars and that's because of Toycon! 

The annual Toy Convention has become a haven for geeks and different enthusiasts alike. And now on it's 13th year - The Philippine Toys, Hobbies and Collectibles Convention or better known as TOYCON will once more be the place to be for frenzied fans or even the casual onlooker. Needless to say, whichever you are - you will definitely have fun as there is so much to see and so much to do during Toycon! 

Paul and I have been going to Toycon for the past two years - you can check out the blog posts for 2012 here and 2013. 

Toycon is recognized as Asia's biggest and longest running convention for collectibles, toys, anime, comics, cosplay, gaming and anything and everything related to hobbies and collections. -- Simply put it is the biggest pop culture event in the country. 

While most would expect to see the amazing toys on display and the jaw dropping cosplayers strut their stuff. There are certain highlight each year for Toycon and this year, they will highlight the 75th Anniversary of none other than DC's caped crusader - Batman! There will be a huge Batman display area, as well as a life sized Batpod, a kid's activity area as well as exciting new Batman Merchandise as well as a gallery of art and collectibles of the Dark Knight Detective. Puts a whole perspective to that vernacular saying 'Bahala na si Batman!' eh?  

And since everyone is all a buzz with the Rurouni Kenshin Live Action Sequels, there will be a display of original costumes that were used in the movie! 

Another feature for Toycon 2014 will be Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy - there will be awesome displays, sneak peeks at the movie's trailers as well as behind-the-scenes features. There will also be fun fan activities as well as a Marvel roster of superstar artists such as Leinil Yu, Carlo Pagulayan, Stephen Segovia, Roy Allan Martinez and Kim Jacinto. 

Paul and I always look forward to the toy exhibits during Toycon and for this year there will be displays from the following prominent toy exhibits: 

The G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary exhibit, Philippine Lego Users Group exhibit, the Coca-Cola Collectors exhibit, One Sixth Republic and Pinoy Sixth Scale collectors exhibit and of course the awesome Toycon gallery exhibit area which showcases the best and local toy group community. 

If you have been following us you would know that Star Wars has a special place in my heart, especially since I have cousins who are part of the 501st Philippine Outpost. (You can read all about my interview with a Storm Trooper here.) Well they will be present during Toycon as they also celebrate their 10th year Anniversary. There will be a parade of those timeless Star Wars characters: Stormtroopers, Jedi Knights, droids, and of course, the Dark Lord of the Sith himself - Darth Vader! 

I also suggest that you guys check out SuperElite Props booth at Toycon! 

They produce locally made movie props (with the best materials and is made to be as close to the original as possible) so you can actually own your very own Storm Trooper Helmet, ROTJ Lightsaber, TK-E11 Blaster! :)     

Event Announcement: Marble Wonderland

Gone are the days when people would think that you are different for liking anime or anything out of the norm. Growing up I remember being ostracized and thought of as 'weird' because my friends and I were into anime, Japanese culture and music. I remember my mom begging me to stop listening to anime cassette tapes I purchased at Comic Alley (their first ever branch in Greenhills and if you don't know what a cassette tape is feel free to Google-yes, I feel old just writing this). 

Kids these days are lucky that individuality is celebrated, whether it is Anime, Cosplay, Japanese music or fashion (yes, even Korean Pop). Conventions and events are always happening and kids who are just looking for a venue to celebrate their passions and interest are (honestly) lucky enough to have these events where they can meet other people who share the same interests that they do. 

While conventions are mostly an annual event and the activities are pretty much predictable and the same, something brand new is around the corner and this is MARBLE WONDERLAND which is the BIGGEST Fashion and Cosplay event of 2014!

So what is Marble Wonderland all about? Well, it's concept was adopted from the "Cool Japan Project" which is sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), it's objective is to spread the Kawaii or 'cute' culture in the Philippines through various mediums in the media. 

The event will feature collections inspired by Kawaii (cute) Japanese culture (a fourteen year old me is just screaming inside) 

Aside from the fashion show and the exhibit the event also feature's the Philippines' very own Cosplay Queen Alodia Gosiengfiao. 

Kaoru Kamiya Inspired Cosplay Shoot

It's been some time since I shot a cosplay shoot, so when the opportunity presented itself I immediately jumped at it; even if  it meant having to wake at a God forsaken hour-for me. I work the night shift so the afternoon is my time to sleep. 

Nevertheless when my fellow camera enthusiast Pogs came knocking I got up for a Kaoru Kamiya from Rurouni Kenshin (inspired) cosplay shoot. If you have been following my photos and our posts you would recognize the hill in many of my sunset/sunrise shoots. 

One of the perks of living in our village is having a hill of sorts just walking distance from our house. So with a little hike we got up the hill to start shooting.  

From a photography perspective I liked to get the details of the grass, the sunset and of course the model, with this in mind we used the flash Canon 430 EX ii and the light box that we got from YesUSA, the product review of which you can find here think of this as the product review for an outdoor shoot. 

So far I find the soft box very useful since it diffuses the light coming from the flash and casts a nice and soft light, it pretty much serves its purpose, the only negative thing about the product is it becomes wobbly when on uneven ground, since we were shooting on a hill this was a challenge.   

As for the cosplay aspect of the shoot, Jocelyn Ga was our model we did a Kaoru Kamiya of Rurouni Kenshin inspired cosplay shoot even if in my opinion her features were more of a Megumi Tanaka but that's just the otaku in me. 

At first we started slow but we eventually got our momentum and Jocelyn was more confident and relaxed in posing and we were able to direct her. As the sun came down we got our shots and had fun. Hopefully we get more chances to work on cosplay shoots (with other characters and other settings of course we can only use that hill so much) and improve in our craft. If there is anyone who wants to do a cosplay shoot or any shoot just let us know! 

Cosplay Shoot: Shakugan no Shana

This is another super late blog post. Last October we had a Halloween Party in the office and of course with Halloween parties, comes costumes and the time to wear scary masks and the like. I decided on doing a cosplay, after all why put up all the effort just to look scary right? 

I decided to us 'Shana' from 'Shakugan no Shana' since we have the same body built. Research has led me to this great Cosplay shop on Facebook. Mame's Cosplay shop. You can rent/buy your cosplay needs from them. Any of my friends can tell you I'm not one for arts and crafts and sewing, so making my own costume would be far from reality. 

Good thing that there are cosplay shops that can help you with your cosplay needs :) I also ordered by contact lenses through Facebook. 

I just borrowed the wig and sword from my friend Kaye. I bought the stockings and borrowed the shoes from my sister. :) So I really didn't spend that much. ^_^ 

After work Paul and I had a little photoshoot while I was still in costume. Since I just rented the costume I had to return it after 3 days, so we made use of the chance that I was already wearing it.