A Decade of STGCC #onTOYSREVIL: 2011 (Year 4)
WHAT-IS: "With the 2017 Edition of Singapore Toy, Games & Comic Con celebrating it's “10 Years” anniversary this year, TOYSREVIL takes a look back through nearly a decade of covering this annual event on this blog … :)”Scroll thru to read more of my rambling and link-backs to posts, or you can simply CLICK HERE to view ALL blog-posts on #STCC2010!
The 2011 Edition of STGCC was held on 20th and 21st August, featuring 2-days “attracting close to 30,000 visitors in attendance”. The theme was “East-meets-West”.
Held at Suntec City Convention Center, this year also saw a new Logo launched (the Rubik’s Cube has since grown legs!) and website launch. I’ve always wondered why the mascot was never made into a commemorative figurine - I’m sure somewhere there had been plans for it thought, no doubt…
The Invited Guests featured prominently a comicbook-ccentric slant, while “toys” had Andrew Bell flying the flag - whom I moderated his talk on stage for (the only time I’ve even been on lol), and as well other folks’ toy-scores/hauls - as I’ve always been interested to see what other folks had bought and want to showcase them! The early stages of that always proved to be a mild challenge … but this was before Instagram took a hold of folks’ toylife - where folks would choose to showcase their own toys on their own IG-streams!
This was also the year where the event had adopted the “Graffiti Wall”, whereby members of the public were welcomed to put their mark on paper surfaces set up into the hall. The days where Invited Artists did live murals were by then a thing of the past.
I’ve always wondered what happens/happened to these graffiti’d surfaces? Chucked away immediately as the event ended? Perhaps a question no one has asked and no one needed answering LOL
(By now you cannot tell the difference between WHERE or WHEN these crowd pics are, innit?)
I’d focus my attention as much on Artist Alley, and begun to feature more post-event coverage, in the form of book reviews and flips, with interviews (like Ray Toh and Wendy Chew) - something which I subsequently continue to do on the blog, also because I refuse to just bank on just two days of activities, and would rather be able to promote artists beyond convection-days, but that’s just me.
(Blame the lack of “art toys” at the Con starting me on Pop!Vinyls, yo! MUAHAHAHA)
And while there had been news about exclusive collectibles and toys, I’d ended up lamenting about the lack of “art toys” representation, including the noticeable absence of Munnys, Dunnys and Bearbricks. Truthfully I’d initially resented the representation of Kidrobot locally, but on hindsight our market here might well be too small for them to turn their attention on, IMHO. But BBs were carried by Action City (the main distributors of Medicom Toy in Singapore), so the lack was somewhat glaringly obvious LOL
On the blog-front, I’d actually spent a whole lot of effort and time this particular year to
"One week ago today @ 10 minute before 10am, I was waiting to enter the premises of STGCC alongside my dad, who was my chaperone for this 'momentous' day. At 42 years of age (this year September) I still have a chaperone whenever I step outside of the house, imagine that.
'Momentous' because attending STGCC would be one of my most anticipated trip outside of the confines of my home, and my weekly visits to the acupuncturist, since my Stroke in mid-late-October last year. Since surviving my Stroke, I do not go out for tea, or meetup with friends to chat. I have a chaperone with me whenever, to look out for me and to make sure I am safe from harm, or falling or sumsuch recklessness. In time this might change of course, and I had thought going to STGCC would be that 'moment of change'. But I was" wrong" - although not "fully", thankfully.
This year, I walked into the convention hall with my walking cane, and standing tall, and the point-of-view was pretty different from where my vision was at, and it was invigorating! But alas, thy body's ability and tolerance did not seem to match my personal enthusiasm. " (I whine on more here)
(It’s Not “narcissism” but of being able to meet friends and fellow enthusiasts that keeps things excitable, IMHO. “I am not alone” means more than anyone imagines, I suspect… while some might argue; “I am not alone in this insanity”, and I cannot deny you or myself that hahahaha)
I had earlier won the Best Blog award in the first ever Designer Toy Awards (in July that year), which lasted about 2 seconds’ worth of recognition on the Con floor LOL - for which I am not surprised, as I wasn’t too sure how many folks in Singapore actually read my blog, or even cared that mine was a Singapore-based blog. I might have been proud to carry and wave the Singapore flag on the international stage, but it had remained oblivious locally - story of my bloglife here, innit? LOL
Maybe I should’ve lugged the trophy along to show-off to folks, innit? HAH! Just Kidding, of course AIYOOOOH! hahahahahaha
(I should’ve just rented a booth then, put the trophy on a pedestal, and surround
it with toys, and that’ll be it, innit? Boost my ego and non—existent-stature, innit? LOL)
This was also a year I featured a series of online-leading-to-offline contests, with Rocketraygun, Crazy Label and Ozzo Collection - which helmed Andrew Bell’s stock and releases - including the event exclusive Redfish & Coconut Edition O-NO-SASHIMI!
I always loved conducting contests, as I’d really want folks to score some goodies! Even if I may not be able to score much for myself, I’ve love to see others have fun. I’d love to do more contests every year for STGCC, frankly, but nobody’s really bothering about that these days, alas.
It never really is about the “fun”, but of the “quality” of the prizes, whether it is worth the effort to take part in getting whatever prizes it is, perhaps… Are folks in Singapore so CASH-Rich they can afford to buy anything and not bother about “fun”? hahaha
And thusly 2011 ended on a silent note, as I’d decided to exhibit at the STGCC2012 the following year … and of course I did not display my DTA trophy then lah hahahahaha :p
Cheers
Andy TOYSREVIL
[ Spolight on Andrew Bell @ STGCC2011 ]
