Another thing I enjoyed doing at AsiaPOP was going around to see the merchandise. There were Funko Pops, hyperrealist action figures, board games, Bearbricks, and discounted comic books and graphic novels. My favorite section was the Creative Circle, where local illustrators sold illustrations, zines, and comic books. It feels good knowing that the local comic book industry is thriving, and has many titles to choose from. It feels great that so many guests were flocking to this area to check out locally-made comics. It was literally packed!
One of the featured guests was Whilce Portacio, the Filipino-American comic book illustrator who created Marvel’s Bishop. The talent pool in the Philippines is pretty strong: C.B. Cebulski, the senior VP of creative and creator development of Marvel was impressed with the volume of submissions and the “quality of art in every portfolio!”
Of course, the highlight (at least for me) of my two-day journey into geekdom is seeing the foreign celebrities in Manila! I got to see Millie Bobby Brown, a bubbly and energetic girl who readily answered questions from the media. When asked what her advice would be to Eleven, she said to slow down eating or else she’ll get indigestion. Joe Dempsie talked about his Game of Thrones experience, while my co-editor Anj tried to get Nicholas Hoult to sing “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” a number he sang in About a Boy when he was still a child actor. And Claire Holt looks really good!
Overall, the AsiaPOP Comicon in Manila was a great introduction to geek culture. In my generation, geeks were bullied and ostracized. Now it’s the geeks who are the stars. Call me a bandwagoner, but I’m going to enjoy the ride.
What was your favorite part about AsiaPOP Comicon 2016? Share your thoughts below!
Follow When in Manila Koji for more stories like this!
