CONSIDERED one of the biggest pop culture events in the country, AsiaPop Comicon Manila (APCC Manila) is returning on Aug. 25-27 at the SMX Convention Center, and much like its previous iterations, the three-day convention will welcome cosplayers, comic veterans, cast members of Netflix shows, and toy designers as well as their respective fandoms.

“When we came into the Philippines a few years back, we knew there was immense fan popularity of pop culture here and we were confident that this event would be successful. Three years on, we saw it has grown leaps and bounds,” Abdulla Mahmood, marketing and business development head of Al Ahli Holding Group (AAHG), told the media during an Aug. 23 press conference at the Conrad Hotel, Pasay City.

AAHG subsidiary, Universal Events and Entertainment, is the event organizer.

The three-day convention will feature event staples such as Netflix’s Hall N where the streaming service will present four cast members from its original production, Stranger Things in a panel discussion, namely Noah Schnapp, Joe Keery, Dacre Montgomery, and Sadie Sink. The hall will also feature a screening of Netflix’s movie adaptation of famous Japanese comic Death Note.

Marvel is also returning for the third year with its Hall M, which will feature exclusive previews from upcoming Marvel productions.

COMICS
Comic book artists Artgerm (Stanley Lau in real life) who is known for creating covers for Marvel and DC comics; Carl Potts who created Alien Legion; Rodney Ramos, who has also created covers for Marvel and DC; and Whilce Portacio, best known for his work on Iron Man, Spawn, and the Uncanny X-Men, among others, will also conduct a panel discussion.

Mr. Portacio noted during the press conference that Filipino artists should start crafting an original Filipino superhero now as the world will soon tire of American superheroes and wonder what’s beyond them.

“My dream is to create a global Avengers,” he said, though he cautioned that artists should create Filipino heroes not based on American or popular superheroes and instead create a character that will resonate with the Filipino market.

He pointed to Trese by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo as a good example. The crime/horror series, which started in 2005, tells the story of Alexandra Trese, a detective who deals with crimes of supernatural origin.

“I advise [Filipino artists] to ‘you do you,’” he said.

COSPLAY
The APCC Manila will also stage the annual CAGE cosplay competition which will see famous local and international cosplayers such as Alodia Gosiengfiao, Myrtle Sarrosa, Pion Kim, Jinbehindinfinity, Canvas Cosplay, and Haiden Hazard.

“Cosplay is a very personal experience,” said Jin Joson (Jinbehindinifinity’s real name) before adding that she’s happy that cosplaying is “becoming a celebrated hobby.”

Other stars coming for the conventions include Ray Fisher who plays Cyborg in the upcoming DC comic films, Tyler Hoechlin who plays Superman in the Supergirl CW TV series, and Gaku Space who provided the voice for Genji, a character from the Overwatch video game.

Shoji Kawamori, the creator of the long-running anime series Macross, will also be dropping by during the APCC Manila.

Local stars like Julia Barretto, Joshua Garcia, Kathryn Bernardo, and Daniel Padilla will also be present in the convention.

APCC Manila 2017 is from Aug. 25-27 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. Tickets are available via the SM Tickets Web site (www.smtickets.com) or at all SM Ticket outlets. Ticket prices are P600 (one-day pass), P900 (two-day pass), and P1,100 (three-day pass).

A limited edition Collector’s Pack is also available for P3,500. It will contain a 1/12 scale Iron Man “Shotgun” Collectible Figure, an APCC three-day pass, a special edition Captain America comic book from Comicave Studios, and a tote bag.

An Ultimate Merch Bundle is also up for grabs for P1,600 and will include a three-day pass, a special edition Captain America comic book from Comicave Studios, an APCC cotton T-shirt, a tote bag, a sticker set, two APCC lanyards, and a Star Wars lanyard. Only 100 pieces of the bundle are available. – Zsarlene B. Chua

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