The annual Singapore Toys, Games and Comic Convention (STGCC) concluded over the weekend, and boy was it a packed affair! This time, we see new brands attending the convention, with a lot more variety in terms of offerings.
Big brands like LEGO was one of the major anchors of this year’s event, showcasing their latest Harry Potter collection. Not forgetting retro fans, Voltron also made an appearance – fans even got to participate in a speed building challenge on the spot.
Singer was another major name this year – the sewing machine brand not only brought in their brand ambassador, international cosplayer Olivia Mears, they also sponsored workshops and the cosplay competition.
This year was also a preview showcase for two upcoming movie titles: Spiderman (the animated version), and his arch-nemesis Venom (played by Tom Hardy). No wonder there were so many Spidey cosplayers around – even tiny ones.
Rounding out the new segments was the Sketchcards Meet & Trade segment which featured an extensive collection of vintage comics.
Toy collectors of all kinds were in for a treat – especially those who favoured Marvel and DC! Tamashii Nations was back with their samurai recreations, this time making your favourite Marvel characters – like Deadpool, Spiderman, and Captain America – into samurai-inspired figurines. They were so very, very cool.
Not to be outpaced, DC’s Batman – thanks to the release of the Batman Ninja animated movie this year – was possibly the most re-iterated hero this year. He is interpreted by Tamashii Nations, as well as Royal Selangor and XM Studios – so you can collect him in basically all sizes and materials, looking uber cool as the dark ninja/samurai.
Of course, those preferring kawaii stuff weren’t left out – there was merchandise from brands like tokidoki, devilrobots, Bearbrick and more.
On stage, there were discussions and live drawing sessions featuring renowned comic artists like Frank Cho, Joyce Chin, Sonny Liew, David Finch, and many more. There was even a live DJ performance by Japan’s Polyphonix and Shouya Namai to bring beats to the STGCC floor.
For gamers, the Good Game Experience (GGXP) was a showcase of local talent, with an area totally dedicated to locally-produced games, both digital and tabletop. STGCC was also the venue for the Electronic Sports Games (WESG SEA) Singapore qualifiers, organised by Singapore’s Cybersports & Online Gaming Association (SCOGA) where teams battled it out to win the right to represent Singapore for Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, Starcraft II and Vainglory in Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai.
STGCC 2018 wrapped up with a bang, and we all look forward to next year’s event!
