Experiencing "My First STGCC" @ #STGCC2017
One week ago yesterday, I attended my āfirst ever toyconā at the 2017 Edition of Singapore Toy, Games & Comic Con, and while I have had indeed covered the annual convention for nearly a decade (this year is their ātenth editionā) as āMEDIAā (I even covered in in a wheelchair right after-Stroke, for peteās sake hahahahaha), THIS would be the āfirst timeā I aim to experience the geek-fest as an āAttendeeā!
Disclaimer: Things might get extremely āpersonalā here, and if you are looking for general overview
These are just some of the things Iād experienced :)
DOWN THE RABBIT-HOLE
Located in Basement 2 of MBS convention center, pass a heightened security check- point on the first level, I saw this massive queue at about 11am (Saturday, Day 1) and thought āWah! The queue getting in so long ah?ā ... Then realised this was the queue for collection of online tickets! Thank goodness, as Iād have struggled to queue that long! (Physically I am not that agile, f :p).
Purchasing entry tickets however, was relatively fuss-free, with negligible queue ā¦ and all I had to do after was slap on my wristband, to enter? #EXCITED, was Iā¦
The walking thru a seemingly underground corridor (which technically was), felt like I was walking thru a ābehind-the-kitchenā access corridor - like in the spy movies - was āinterestingā hahaha
NEARLY, BARELY, ULTIMATELY
The fact of the matter was, I very nearly did not make it to the event (I will not bore you folks with āspecificsā) ā¦ but I managed to struggle and pull thru, and am glad I did - not just for what I had experienced this one day - which somehow encapsulated the local scene - and for the āclarityā it helped me achieve, with the people Iāve met, and not meet. THAT walk down the ābasement corridorā, along with my heightened imagination, became more ādramaā than I expected it to be ā¦ and emerging into the wider space at the entrance of the event, was weirdly (on hindsight), quite āenlighteningā, actually! HAH!
And admittedly, THIS post also serves as the equivalent of āpatting myself on the backā, unashamedly so, thank you very much for reading and indulging in my words! *grateful-smile*
OLD HABITS DIE HARD(ER)
āHabits die hardā, indeed! Funnily enough, I had to literally hold back on my habits of ācoveringā the event, with videos and multiple snaps of the exhibits - something which I admittedly regret not doing so, as I selfishly indulged in āmeā, and setting the āneedsā go the blog aside, this year.
From missing out on Wetworks & Clogtwoās signing of their Shinigami release (Sorry, guys!), to having the chance to meet / been-introduced to artists, I had chosen to āengageā instead of āphotographingā it. No doubt folks can exclaim āDO BOTH!ā
A DECADE LATER
Had the good opportunity to visit STGCC with my friend Andrew and his wife Josephine at the beginning of the day. We had attended the first ever STCC back in 2008, and a decade later doing so again, was pretty swell a happenstance!
Check out the video Andrew made (for his Skunkworks Interactive), which Iāve previously posted here ā¦ and daymn I WANT a GoPro camera! Just need to strike new weekās lottery, is all MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA
AIM TO ENJOY
This snap is supposed to be me going insane over the Gladiator Hulk (for the movie āThor: Ragnarokā) by Hot Toys and having loved āWorld War Hulkā? This was epic! hahahaha), and this is perhaps my ātrue face" of me as a fanboy hahaha (thanks for taking the pix, Desmond!), hopefully looking not as āconstipatedā :p
Truthfully my initial intention was to enjoy this year's #STGCC as a literal attendee (I did not register as āMedia" & paid for my own ticket in) and just indulge in my own geek dom for ONCE in covering nearly a decade of toycon hahaha
I had realised that my āenjoymentā of local cons had been done though āphotographsā I had snapped through the years ā¦ Everytime at a Con, I would be trying to snap as many pictures as I can and need (for bloggery, of course) within a specific timeline (which inevitably has ALWAYS been sorely inaccurate and āover-runā hahahaha), and end up not spending that much time actually LOOKING AT the items on display, instead of at the digital images, which āworksā for the blog, but for the geek in me? Well, maybe not so much ā¦
I cannot explain the muffled-toy-joy I felt, walking amongst the Hot Toys display booth, and just gawking at the figures - instead of frantically taking pictures of, and avoiding reflections (*One of the reasons why I wear a black tee to conventions), and light reflections on the glass-panels - the smile I felt on my face then ā¦ warms my own heart still hahahaha
(In the end, THIS was the only image I had taken of/from the Hot Toys booth :p)
TRYING TO LIVE MY TOYLIFE
The toylife I have led in the past was not just about buying/collecting/hoarding toys+collectibles (*besides making friends with fellow toy-addicts :p), but also of gawking at them, or even longingly desiring them WHILE looking at them, and that is something I really miss in recent years hahaha.
Iām the sorta bloke that likes to look at stuff at a store, and ask for help when I want to ask or need something, and really appreciate not having to spend time talking to the shop-assistant who comes up to me and suggests stuff, ya know? LOL
āTalking shopā or āgeeking outā with friends are totally different, of course - now THAT I can do for hours hahahaha
STAND FAST WALK FREE
One of the biggest challenges for me these recent years, had been my physical ability to stand for long periods, or being able to withstand long-periods of standing or walking. And while it would be easy to blame it all on my Stroke, I am frankly so gawddamned over whining about it!
BUT the reality is, I would need to rest, to shore up my energy and ability to carry on, especially once my leg (mostly left) quivers and wobbles. More likely diabetes is taking its toll on the leg, and even the week before I had to limp around with my walking cane - even hobbling to school with it - but after a few nights of āpain relief patchingā, I could attempt to conquer STGCC, walking free! Well, at least during the times I could āwalk freeā, that is :p
Thank goodness for āstage panelsā!
CHAIRS! MANY MANY CHAIRS!
Like an old man these days, whenever I step into any mall or establishment, I'd be looking for where the public seating is/are. I am not making fun of it, as my late-Dad had done the same, later on in his life, and I'd since picked up on doing that, whenever we went out together.
"STGCC" had not exactly been a place where you'd find public seating, except for the event cafeteria, and perhaps the "Media Lounge" (in the past, when I was "Media", so could access it freely). Failing which, the only available option is, the Main Stage Seating.
I am grateful to have been able to sit down for two panels at STGCC this year, the first was for Invited Guest Frank Cho (watched him finish a Wolverine and Venom sketch), and the All-Women āHeroines at the Frontlineā panel both which I enjoyed sitting in and being ātalked toā and not needing me at all to ātalk backā or respond hahahahaha
And not just for a chance to sit and rest, but I also realised Iāve not necessarily sat in for a stage panel all these years! Except for that one time with Andrew Bell ON stage, but not much memories of WATCHING the stage, as Iād either be busy running around taking pics (for blog coverage), or taking pics of whatās going ON stage (also for blog coverage) ~ hahahaha!
So THIS is how it feels like to be taking part of a convention ... and I like it! :)
Wouldāve loved to have sat in for Cheng Tjuās āMade in Singapore lah!ā comicbook panel the next day, but I had not planned to return on Sunday, or rather my ābodyā decided I needed to rest in :p
Missed his panel at IAF2017 too! We not fated lah, C.T.! (But at least we met hahaha) :p
HEY YOU! I KNOW YOU!
One of the corner-stones of a convention (for me, anyways), has always been about meeting folks - and in this instance, like-minded folks - who share in the hobby, the scene, the subculture we choose to dwell in, a convention such as this being a physical manifestation of (at least on the immediate surface the ācommercialityā aspect of it lol).
Having the chance to bump into folks, is always a plus, and something I look forward to at these annual events! And especially being able to meet friends from YEARS - at both STGCC and the 1/6th hobby - is something I always cherish.
I am grateful to have met old friends and made new ones, and am saddened I did not get to meet a few folks Iād been looking forward to, but not planned ahead to meet, especially this year celebrating the eventās 10th anniversary ā¦ *tear*
And I cannot deny my vision is not exactly āperfectā, more probably walking by someone without noticing, although there had been a couple of times Iād not want to disturb them as they were in seemingly deep conversation, and apparently visa versa, finding out post-event too! LOL
ITS ALL ABOUT THE TOYS LAH
Aaahhhh who am I kidding? At the end of the con-day, itās all about the TOYS for me at STGCC! As much as I do look forward to independent artists and illustrators + story teller friends in the local/Asian scene, my geek-heart is still with ācollectible toysā, and this year was a banner year (at least for me) for āaffordable toysā! Alas, my āspending abilityā has been the lowest I have had experienced in the past ten years of toycon, but the is my burden to bearā¦
Cashing-out my piggie-bank coins a few days before the weekend, really helped in being able to pay for my One-Day Entrance Ticket, and a few toys Iāve blogged about ā¦ and for those toys Iāve missed scoring? Iāll think of that as being able to afford my āmonthly medication costsā coming soon! So I comfort myself ā¦ :p
Featured here today are a mixture of purchased items, while others had been via the generosity of folks! You guys really helped make my STGCC a uber-splendid one - I mean it! #GoodMemories are made of this :)
DRAW SOMETHING FOR ME, CAN?
And while I had previously āconvincedā myself āmy enjoyment of STGCC is NOT just about āBUYING TOYSā, but also of getting sketches and autographs - for which Iād actually brought along a stack of blank cards for! But never actually did take them out to ask ANYONE for doodles OMG hahahahahaha #loser :p
I truly think if I were ever able to truly enjoy toycons, is that I have to develop a thick(er) skin, at the very least in asking folks to sign/doodle/sketch for me, IMHO. I had eventually used the event guide book to ask folks to sketch on (Thanks Mark Nagata & Quiccs for indulging me), but could not pluck up the courage to ask anyone else, even when opportunity stared at me! *facepalm*
Nevertheless, this is my first event guide sketches memorabilia, and I am psyched! WHOO-HOO!
EATING AIR
Was there actually a "cafeteria" in #STGCC2017? If there was I couldn't find it (Dennis told me where it was after I bitched about it on IG hahahaha), thank goodness they were selling boxes of snacks (*YOU ROCK, WORLD SNACK BOOTH!), otherwise I would starved the f88k and not be able to take my meds.
The initial plan for the day, was to visit STGCC after Iāve had my lunch, but plans change and we live with the consequences somehow ā¦ BTW, I am fussed about āeatingā only because I need to eat āpreā and āafterā medication with food. I am no longer a āfoodieā nor can I afford to be one hahahaha
Perhaps I should have stared at the event floor plan much closer, to find the cafeteria, instead of āexpectingā to find it where it āhas always been situatedā ā¦ the STGCC I know of, has changed, and I shouldāve remembered THAT instead.
Or, I couldāve brought along a larger bag, and stuff FOOD inside of it, just in case ā¦ From what Iāve read about overseas conventions (SDCC/NYCC/etc), THAT would work! hahahahaha
Oh look, THEREās the ācafeteriaā!
GOT FREE STUFF MEH? QUEUE FOR WHAT?
OMG the queues! And while I cannot deny the orderly manner of folks here in SG, Iāve not been a āwilling-fanā of queuing, only for the fact I cannot physically stand (still-ish) that long! I had miscalculated my abilities and chances to queue for toys (like tokidokiās Adios Beabrick, or Ice Cream Dino), to even to (finally) meet Jason Freeny and Simone Legno at their signing panel in Mighty Jaxx ā¦ and when I did queue up for Arthur Adams - to buy a sketchbook + print - by the time it nearly reached me, I was told that he would be leaving for an interview, and ābe back in an hourā, which alas by then I was at the tail end of my energies at STGCC, and instead choose to hobble away from the event hall, leaving STGCC this year ā¦ āArthur Adamsā, leh!!!!! KNN.
In the heat of my enragement, Iād mumble under my breath that āthe event is only meant for physically abled folks to enjoy!ā, when the fact of the matter is, no one owes me a living :p
Thank goodness for ā*kor-yorkā afters! (*Pain Relief Patches). Heh.
EYE GOT STAMP
I am thoroughly vexed that I had actually MISSED some select exhibits! And while I cannot totally blame my eye-patched vision (well, I CAN, and willā¦ :p), there needs to be said about ābakāchew-tak-stampā (*Postal Stamps stuck over eyes, hence cannot see) - I could not find the FLABSLAB Booth (I found out online they were actually exhibiting within Falconās Hangar), I totally missed the PACIFIC RIM UPRISING display (I still have no idea where they were *facepalm*) ā¦ but I am thankful folks online have shared snaps, and Iāll just have to enjoy the event via said images - ironically as I have been doing to my own snaps for the past 9 years! HAHAHAHAHAHA
I WALK A LONELY ROAD
It has been ok thru the past years to visit and cover the event on my own, as Iād the freedom to gauge and indulge in the time needed to do what I do - taking pics, talking with peeps etc ā¦ but this year, without occupying myself with these tasks, it truly felt to be a lonely affair, even as I was surrounded by throngs of crowds and the night-market din filling up the air.
Times like these really reminds me of bloggery being a solitary pursuit. Itās one thing to geek-out online to a blog, read by folks all over the world, of course ā¦ and another to experience them in-person, alone.
Nah, perhaps I am self-indulging in negativity a tad much here, aren't I? Like sobbing to myself silently at the bottom-corner of my ceiling-tall toy-shelves, innit? Cradling my favourite art toy? Hahahaha WHERE MY TOY-KAKIS BE AT? LOL
Thank goodness for meeting friends at the con :)
So YES, I survived my "First STGCC", enough to blog about it, thanks for asking!
MEMORIES FADE, BUT BLOGPOSTS DO NOT
One week ago yesterday, Iād experienced my āfirst toycon/STGCCā, and while feeling "guilty" for indulging in my own selfish-pursuits, I am admittedly thankful and grateful for the opportunity to be able to do it on my own two feet, thru my own means and ability.
And for the friends and folks whom Iāve met, and the generosity Iāve experienced - My Humble and Hearty THANK YOU. And see yāall again next year!
Cheers
Andy TOYSREVIL
