The hype is real. AsiaPOP Comicon Manila 2016 (APCC Manila) announced today its first Hollywood celebrity guest to invade the second installment of the biggest pop culture convention in the country.
Slated on August 26 to 28 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, APCC Manila revealed no less than Agent Carter herself, Hayley Atwell, as its first Hollywood celebrity headliner. Atwell also played Peggy Carter in the first two Captain America films.
The British-American actress has been in the industry for more than a decade now. Having a background in classical theatre, Atwell also lent her voice to the recent Audible production of The Oedpius Plays as Antigone. For her next project, Atwell will play the lead role (Hayes Morrison) in the upcoming American legal drama television series, Conviction.
With more additions on the way to this epic roster, APCC Manila 2016 also revealed its initial lineup of Cosplay Authority Global Challenge (The CAGE) cosplayers: including Ani Mia, Lindze Merritt, Riddle, and Yugana Senshi Uon. They are joined by artist Simone Legno of tokidoki, who is all set to bring the brand’s crazy-kawaii cool style to the event.
Legno is the world-famous artist and graphic illustrator best known for being one of the brains behind art giant tokidoki, through which he has collaborated with names such as Karl Lagerfeld, LeSportsac, Onitsuka Tiger, Marvel, and Hello Kitty, among others.
For the cosplayers, Mia currently writes for Otaku USA magazine, covering topics relevant to the cosplay hobby, in addition to travelling all over the world to judge costume contests and appear in different media. Merritt, for her part, combines her degrees in fashion, business, and aesthetics with her hobby. She has been featured in numerous magazines through the years.
A reality TV star, Riki LeCotey, aka Riddle, was one of the most popular characters in reality TV series Heroes of Cosplay, as well as the creator of Cosplay for a Cause, a charity outfit; while Yugana Senshi Uon is one of the newest rising stars in the cosplay scene, having started just a few years ago. Despite this, she has gained recognition all over Southeast Asia for her creative costume renditions, appearing in magazines and conventions.
Unique Content
For this year, APCC Manila has expanded from being more than a comic con as it will incorporate more elements of pop culture by integrating the existing comic con format with pop culture lifestyle trends, where beauty makeup artists, fashion influencers, unique children play zone, sporting section, digital and social media activation will tap into various segments of consumers to make it one great experience under the same roof.
“The energy of fans from the Philippines and in Asia is nothing like we’ve seen before. It’s these sorts of things that excite us to bring the best pop culture experiences in the world to this colorful country. This year we shall be bringing unique content where we can go beyond the usual movies, music, animation, gaming, toys and cosplay and offer fun elements within beauty, fashion, sports, lifestyle, digital activation and F&B; making it truly a pop culture carnival not witnessed before in the country” said Abdulla Mahmood, Director – Marketing and Business Development of Al Ahli Holding Group.
During its first run last year, APCC Manila featured a powerhouse Hollywood guest lineup that included Avengers star Paul Bettany, Game of Thrones actress Nathalie Emmanuel, Arrow heartthrob Colton Haynes, and Adventure Time voiceover genius Jeremy Shada, along with a roster of internationally-acclaimed cosplayers and artists.
For three days, visitors from all over the world dropped by to see the latest and greatest offerings in pop culture: exclusive merchandise, memorabilia exhibitions, even a life-sized Hulkbuster armor and an exclusive never before seen footage from Captain America: Civil War.
Cosplay Competition
For the second time too, APCC Manila is proud to partner with The CAGE, the world’s biggest and first-of-its-kind cosplay competition. It aims to promote the spirit and craftsmanship of cosplay through costume and prop-making workshops, as well as provide a platform for cosplay enthusiasts and fans to compete on an international level.
It is currently inviting the best cosplay talents around the region to join the competition. The grand champion of the Open category will be determined by an impressive panel of expert judges from various areas of cosplay and will receive a record-breaking payout of up to USD$10,000. The CAGE also has a Kids category to cater to the younger audience.
“We were off to a good start last year with AsiaPOP Comicon and The CAGE competition. Now that we’ve seen just how hungry the Philippines and the entire region is for pop culture, we’re going to come back, even bigger and grander this time around. Watch out for more surprises,” Abdulla Mahmood added.
At APCC Manila 2016, fans will get a chance to get autograph and photograph sessions with the celebrity headliners and more, with tickets to be announced soon.
For more information and event updates, please visit www.asiapopcomiccon.com/manila and official Facebook Page www.facebook.com/apccmanila.
