Asia Pop Comic Convention

32°42′22.60″N 117°09′42.63″W

AsiaPOP Comic Convention
AsiaPOP Comic Convention logo
Status	Active
Genre	Multi Genre
Venue	SMX Convention Center (main) Metro Manila (various)
Location(s)	Metro Manila
Country	Philippines
Inaugurated	September 17, 2015; 9 years ago (2015-09-17)
Organized by	Universal Events & Entertainment
Website	asiapopcomicon.com/manila/

AsiaPOP Comic Convention, also known as AsiaPOP Comicon, or simply APCC, is an annual comic book fan convention held in Metro Manila, Philippines. APCC features international brands in the fields of comics, toys, animation, film, television and music within the pop culture phenomena. The convention has since included a larger range of pop culture and entertainment elements across virtually all genres, such as video games, books and sports.^[1] APCC is the largest pop culture convention in the Philippines^[2] and South East Asia, and one of the largest in Asia.^[3]

Organization

Comic books in the Philippines, locally known as komiks have been widespread and popular throughout the country.^[4] The first indigenous cartoons may be traced to José Rizal's illustration of the fable, "The Tortoise and the Monkey" (1885), but it was in the 1920s, Liwayway magazine began running comic strips under the direction of Romualdo Ramos and Tony Velasquez, such as the still-running Mga Kabalbalan ni Kenkoy (The Misadventures of Kenkoy). Valasquez is considered the father of Filipino comics.^[4] With various local talents gaining recognition abroad, comic books remain popular and widespread as Filipinos enjoy a wide range of selection of comic books from the local industry to mainstream western comics and Japanese manga.^[5]

APCC is organized by Universal Events & Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Al Ahli Holding Group.^[6] The inaugural Asia Pop Comic Convention was held from September 17 to 20 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila in Pasay with various big names cosplayers, artists and other entertainers both local and international were featured.^[7] Universal Events & Entertainment introduced APCC in the United Arab Emirates (known as Pop Con Dubai)^[8] and will introduce one in South Korea both acting as sister conventions to the Manila convention.

Events

Like most comic-book conventions, APCC features a large floor-space for exhibitors. These include media companies such as movie studios and TV networks, as well as comic-book dealers and collectibles merchants. Also included are autograph areas like the Walk of Fame where invited guest can sign autographs and sell or do free sketches. There are areas for sales of merchandises from clothing, toys, gadgets and other souvenirs. Creative Circle (used to be known as Artists' Alley) is for budding or independent artist and talents to sell their works to the public and also serve as a platform to showcase their talents to potential companies. APCC also offers panels, seminars and workshops with comic book professionals. Meet and greet panels are also available for different celebrity guests.^[9]

Since its inauguration, Cosplay Authority Global Challenge, or CAGE conducts cosplay competitions.^[10] There are also musical performances conducted by various artists. Different stage shows are also conducted ranging from local workshops, conferences, concerts and even wrestling shows. There are previews of upcoming feature films, and portfolio review sessions with top comic book and video game companies. In 2016, Marvel introduced its own panel, Hall M.^[9] In the same year, eSports have been introduced to the event.^[11] The following year Netflix hosted its own panel which evolved into Hall N. Disney followed suit introducing Hall D in 2018.

History

2015

The inaugural Asia Pop Comic Convention was held from September 17 to 20 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila in Pasay with various big names cosplayers, artists and other entertainers both local and international were featured. Paul Bettany, who portrays the Vision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, showcased a Civil War Panel to promote the next installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.^[12] Nathalie Emmanuel who plays Missandei of Game of Thrones also made an appearance.^[13] Colton Haynes, who plays Roy Harper in the series Arrow, also appeared. Jeremy Shada, the voice actor of Finn the Human in the popular hit Adventure Time was also present with a performance with his band Make Out Monday.^[14][15] The convention also hosted the inaugural Cosplay Authority Global Challenge (CAGE).

Also present were local comic book artists such as Steven Segovia, Mark Torres, Mico Suayan, and Carlo Pagulayan whose work span several renowned comic book companies, such as Dark Horse, Marvel, and DC. Renowned cosplayers such as Riddle (Riki LeCotey), Alodia Gosiengfiao, and Vampy Bit Me (Linda Le) were part of the festivities. Other attendees were Pop culture industry icons such as YouTube personalities Octopimp and Commander Holly (Holly Conrad), props and costume designer Bill Doran, and several others.^[16][17] Over 29,000 attendees were reported.^[14]

2016

The 2016 convention was held from August 26 through 28 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay.^[18] English actor Nicholas Hoult who is known for portraying a young Beast in the X-Men and Nux in the critically acclaimed film Mad Max: Fury Road appeared as one of the celebrity guests.^[19] Actress Millie Bobby Brown, who is known for her roles as Eleven in Stranger Things and young Alice in Once Upon a Time, also attended the convention.^[20][21]

Actresses Holland Roden and Hayley Atwell initially confirmed their attendance in the convention, but later dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.^[22][23] Both of them were replaced by Australian actress Claire Holt, best known for her role in The Vampire Diaries and The Originals.^[24] English actor Joe Dempsie, known for his roles of Chris Miles on the teen comedy-drama series Skins and Gendry on Game of Thrones, attended the convention.^[25]

Marvel Comics writer C. B. Cebulski hosted Hall M, which showcased never before seen footage for the upcoming Luke Cage television series and the next installment in the MCU Doctor Strange.^{[26][27][21][28]} The Philippine Wrestling Revolution held full shows.^[29] The Philippine eSports Organization (PeSO) hosted eSports competitions as part of APCC. The second edition of CAGE returned.^[30]

APCC Manila 2016 was also attended by various guests personalities and global cosplayers such as: J-Rock singer Hiroshi Kitadani from the anime music supergroup JAM Project, comic book illustrators Mike Zeck, Ken Lashley, Billy Tan, and Jason Palmer, as well as global cosplayers, Ani Mia, Lindze Merritt, Riki LeCotey, and Yugana Senshi Uon. They are joined by artist Simone Legno of tokidoki and representing Filipino artistry were cosplayers Alodia Gosiengfiao and Myrtle Sarrosa; beauty vlogger Say Tioco and artist extraordinaire Whilce Portacio, also known as the creator of Bishop of Uncanny X-Men.^[31] Over 40,000 people attended the event.^[32]

2017

Booth of Netflix during APCC 2017

The 2017 convention took place on August 25 to 27 at SMX Convention Center, Pasay.^[33] Marvel once again hosted Hall M which featured never before scenes from upcoming video games, television series^[34] and movies such as Thor: Ragnarok and Ant-Man and the Wasp.^[35] Netflix brought some of its Stranger Things' cast, namely Joe Keery and Noah Schnapp, who play Steve Harrington and Will Byers, and season two newcomers Dacre Montgomery, who plays Billy and Sadie Sink who plays Max.^[36][37] Ray Fisher who plays Cyborg in the DC Extended Universe and Tyler Hoechlin who is known for his roles as Derek Hale in Teen Wolf and Superman in Supergirl were the major celebrity guests.^{[38][39][40][41]} Japanese idol Serena Kozuki, also known as “Live Monster” was one of the guest entertainers.^[42] Voice actor Gaku Space known for his role as Genji of the critically acclaimed Overwatch video game was also present.^[43] The Cosplay Authority Global Challenge returned for the a third edition with notable cosplayers namely Alodia Gosiengfiao, Myrtle Sarrosa, Pion Kim, Jinbehindinfinity, Philip Odango,^[44] and Haiden Hazard serving as judges.^[45]

Various comic and graphic artists such as Carl Potts, veteran penciler/inker Rodney Ramos,^[46] Whilce Portacio and Shoji Kawamori, the renowned creator of the Macross anime franchise also graced the event with their presence.^[47][48][49] The Philippine Wrestling Revolution conducted house shows for the second time.^[50] Toy designers like Tokidoki co-founder Simone Legno; Jason Freeny, whom is known for his anatomical toy sculptures; and Quiccs, an illustrator, toy designer, and graffiti artist known for his love for Japanese robot culture where in attendance. APCC reported over 60,000 attendees.

2018

The fourth installment of APCC was held on July 27–29, 2018 at SMX Convention Center, Pasay, Manila.^[51][52] Celebrity guests include Finn Jones (known for his role as the titular character in Netflix's Iron Fist), Tye Sheridan (who plays the lead in Ready Player One and Cyclops in X-Men: Apocalypse) and Osric Chau (who portrays Kevin Tran on Supernatural) ^[53][54] Jessica Henwick was initially announced as one of the guests celebrity but cancelled citing unforeseen circumstances.^[55]

Marvel Vice-president of Creative Development Stephen Wacker hosted Hall M which presented clip from an upcoming episode of Cloak and Dagger.^[56] Disney Studios introduced Hall D featuring sessions from Disney artist Mark Henn. The hall also featured the internationally renowned furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue and the unveiling of his works on Star Wars themed furniture collections.^[57][58] The Netflix panel (reintroduced as Hall N) returned which featured special screenings and previews of future releases such as Castlevania^[59] and Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters. The showcase also included appearances from Luke Cage (along with Jones) star Mike Colter, showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker, Mustafa Shakir, who plays the villain Bushmaster, and Iron Fist producer Raven Metzner.^[60]

Convention regulars, Brian Mur, Stanley Lau, Simone Legno, Alex Sinclaire, Lan Medina, Mike McKone, Phil Noto, and Whilce Portacio made their appearances along with newcomers Artists Amanda Visell and Michelle Valigura. Professional cosplayers, Canvas Cosplay (Philip Odango), Leon Chiro, Vera Chimera and Yugana Senshiuon served as judges for the CAGE.^[61] ONE FC Heavyweight Champion Brandon Vera also served as a judge.^[56]

The convention was noted for the introduction of the Jollibee Funko Pop.^[62][63]

2019

The fifth installment was supposed to take place on August 2–4, 2019, but was postponed to 2020 citing scheduling conflicts with its partners.^[64]

Locations and dates

No.	Dates	Location	Attendance	Major Official Comic-Con Celebrity Guests	Notes
1	Sept 17–20, 2015	World Trade Center Metro Manila, Pasay	29,000	Paul Bettany, Colton Haynes, Nathalie Emmanuel	Inaugural. Jason Momoa initially confirmed his attendance but later dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.
2	Aug 26–28, 2016	SMX Convention Center, Pasay	40,000	Nicholas Hoult, Millie Bobby Brown, Claire Holt, Joe Dempsie	Holland Roden and Hayley Atwell initially confirmed their attendance, but later dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.
3	Aug 25–27, 2017	SMX Convention Center, Pasay	60,000	Ray Fisher, Tyler Hoechlin, Joe Keery, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Dacre Montgomery	Keery, Schnapp, Sink and Montgomery were the celebrity guests from the Netflix Panel
4	July 27–29, 2018	SMX Convention Center, Pasay	-	Finn Jones, Tye Sheridan, Osric Chau, Mike Colter, Mustafa Shakir	Colter, Shakir and Jones were the celebrity guests from the Netflix Panel. Jessica Henwick initially confirmed her attendance but later dropped citing unforeseen circumstances

References

1. Desiderio, Louella (November 27, 2014). "Asia Pop Comic Con 2015 set in Manila". The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
2. "Metro Manila Conventions For Every Kind Of Geek". looloo. Archived from the original on 2015-09-21.
3. "Asia's Biggest Pop Culture Con is Back in Manila". 25 August 2017.
4. "Filipino Artist Tony Velasquez – Founding Father of Philippine Komiks (Comics)," AllPhilippines.com.
5. "Filipino Komiks and History". www.comicscube.com.
6. AsiaPop Comicon Manila. "AsiaPop Comicon Manila 2017". asiapopcomicon.com.
7. "Why organizers chose PH to host AsiaPOP Comicon". 25 August 2016.
8. David Tusing, Deputy tabloid! (25 October 2016). "PopCon Dubai: Your ultimate guide to all the action".
9. "Ten ways to catch all the awesomeness at the AsiaPOP Comicon Manila 2016 - InqPOP!". 25 August 2016.
10. "AsiaPOP Comicon Manila 2016: The CAGE Experience". 4 September 2016. Archived from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
11. "5 Things You Can't Miss In Asia Pop Comic Con 2016 - Scout Magazine". 26 August 2016. Archived from the original on 24 October 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
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13. "15 reasons to go to the Asia Pop Comic Con Manila this weekend - The Manila Times Online". www.manilatimes.net. 17 September 2015.
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32. Reyes, Shiela. "What to expect from this year's AsiaPop Comicon".
33. "Asia Pop Comicon 2017 is Happening on August 25-27".
34. "Netflix's 'The Punisher' To Possibly Feature Another Marvel Hero". 27 August 2017.
35. "Descrizione delle nuove scene di The Punisher, Thor: Ragnarok, Ant-Man and the Wasp e Inhumans". 28 August 2017.
36. "'Stranger Things' cast coming to PH for AsiaPop Comicon 2017".
37. "Look: 'Stranger Things' cast members attend AsiaPOP Comicon Manila". Archived from the original on 2017-08-28. Retrieved 2017-08-28.
38. "WATCH: Scenes from AsiaPOP Comicon Manila 2017". 26 August 2017.
39. "'Justice League' star Ray Fisher headlines AsiaPop Comicon 2017".
40. "Ray Fisher announced as celeb guest at AsiaPOP Comicon Manila 2017".
41. "Justice League's Cyborg, Supergirl's Superman to head APCC 2017".
42. Rayan (1 August 2017). "Solo Japanese idol Serena Kozuki coming to AsiaPOP Comicon Manila".
43. "FROM AUGUST 25-27: AsiaPop ComiCon Manila 2017 promises a 'bigger and better' pop culture experience".
44. "Get Creative: AsiaPOP Comicon Manila announces first batch of international artists - InqPOP!". InqPOP!. 2017-07-12. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
45. "8 geeky things to do at the AsiaPOP Comicon this weekend, Aug. 25 to 27". 25 August 2017.
46. "AsiaPOP Comicon Manila 2017 Brings in Tyler Hoechlin and Rodney Ramos". 11 August 2017.
47. Melegrito, J. M. (5 August 2017). "AsiaPOP Comicon Manila 2017 to host Macross creator Shoji Kawamori".
48. "BREAKING: Macross Creator Shoji Kawamori Is Coming To AsiaPOP Comicon Manila 2017".
49. Olivares, Rick. "Gundam, Optimus Prime creator among AsiaPop's top draws".
50. "Philippine Wrestling Revolution". Our Awesome Planet. 2017-07-27.
51. "WATCH: Marvel stars, Pinoy art, endless cosplay at AsiaPOP Comicon Manila 2018". 28 July 2018.
52. "SNEAK PEEK: Interactive booths and toys galore at APCC 2018".
53. "'Iron Fist' stars Finn Jones and Jessica Henwick are the first confirmed guests for AsiaPop Comicon Manila 2018".
54. "Tye Sheridan joins AsiaPOP Comicon in PH".
55. "Jessica Henwick cancels appearance at AsiaPOP Comicon 2018". 29 June 2018.
56. "What you missed at AsiaPOP Comicon Manila 2018". Archived from the original on 2018-07-31. Retrieved 2018-07-31.
57. "Kenneth Cobonpue unveils 'Star Wars' collection at APCC 2018 – 2.O Magazine". Archived from the original on 2018-10-10. Retrieved 2018-10-10.
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59. "'Castlevania' Executive Producer Adi Shankar Unveils the Blood-Soaked Season 2 Trailer". Collider. 2018-07-28.
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61. "LIST: APCC Manila 2018 celebrity guest lineup". 17 May 2018.
62. "Pinoy fans line up for hours to get Jollibee Funko Pop! Toy".
63. "Jollibee Funko Pop! At AsiaPOP Comicon".
64. "AsiaPop Comicon Manila 2019 canceled".

External links

• Official website
• AsiaPOP Comicon 2016 Artists Panel Interview
• Haiden Hazard Interview