Singapore Comic Con 2019: Reviewing the big picture

In case you missed it, Singapore Comic-Con (SGCC) 2019 opened its doors to comic book fans and geeks of all ages last weekend at the Sands Expo and Convention Center. Think of it as a reimagined version of the old Singapore Toy, Game and Comic Convention (STGCC), one that's been working out and pumping iron at a metaphorical gym. 

It's the gospel truth - we found that SGCC 2019 had way more to offer than it's predecessors, in terms of both the quality and the quantity of available content. 

For starters, SGCC naturally has the usual lineup of tabletop gaming, cosplay competitions and independent artists you'd expect from a geek convention. Gamersaurus Rex, Championships of Cosplay and the Artist Alley were all familiar, returning faces, although we did have some new "upstarts" too, in the form of Singapore Pro Wrestling (SPW) and PVP Esports at Singapore Comic-Con. The latter played an especially big part in diversifying what the convention had to offer since it not only opened up the option for in-house esports tournaments and events but also showcases of the latest games.

Here are some of the visual and noteworthy highlights from the convention. 

Esports!

There's no way around it - esports is growing exponentially, and the presence of Singtel's PVP Esports initiative at SGCC 2019 only further confirms it. Over the two days, teams from both the Corporate and Campus League battled it out in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Dota 2 for the top spots and of course, the glory of victory. 

On that note, here are the champions for each title!

PVP Esports Regional Corporate League

• Dota 2: Team Teletubbies
• MLBB: Team Realpage Esports

PVP Campus League

• MLBB: Team Unstable Network

Pokemon VGC and TCG Championships

The worldwide phenomenon that is Pokemon also found a place at SGCC courtesy of Maxsoft and Project EXT, who hosted both the VGC and TCG segments. For reference, the former was played using Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon versions, which means Dynamaxing was completely out of the question. Ahem. 

Still, we did see some fierce competition and even fiercer friendships formed as a result of the intense clashing of wills, not to mention they made for great entertainment too. Good show, everyone! 

All-new LEGO sets

For those who might not be aware, LEGO is as much a part of geek culture as Singlish is to Singaporeans, so it's only natural they'd show up at SGCC 2019. This year, the company unveiled its highly-anticipated 2020 Modular Building set. If anything, that's one more item on the list for all our avid brick collectors. 

Guest Panels and Cosplays

SGCC also played host to a stellar number of guest panels, with an even more stellar lineup of guests, including the likes of Andy Kubert, Jock, Donny Cates, Tara McPherson, and Jason Freeny, just to name a few. 

This year's edition of the Championships of Cosplay (CoC) also saw the emergence of its overall winner, Danniel Adi Putra, who managed to charm judges such as Bernard Phee, Astarohime and Jin (behindinfinity) with his Junkrat cosplay, performance and talents. Apart from cash prizes and tickets to SGCC 2020, he'll also be representing SGCC at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) next year, with a sponsored trip there to boot!

Anyway, read on to see what the team likes about this year's SGCC, as well as what we didn't.

Wei Song: SGCC, or STGCC, if we're going by the old name, certainly has grown a lot over the years, and 2019 is no exception. Looking through the offerings and guests for this year, it seems they're kicking off this revamp of sorts by encouraging bigger names from both comic books and anime to make an appearance.

Kenneth: No kidding. As more of an anime fan, I was pleasantly surprised to find writers and artists like Reki Kawahara and abec on the guest list. They're the brains (and pens) behind Sword Art Online, which is still extremely popular as a series, mind you - I wish I could have gotten an autograph from either of them, but I guess you win some, you lose some. On a more objective note, I think getting the big names in is a great way to get the ball rolling, and with PVP Esports as a new addition, now they've got a bigger pool of personalities to choose from. Good call.

Tim: Aw shucks - I certainly understand that "not being able to get an autograph" feeling! For me, SGCC 2019 was pretty much heaven if you're more inclined towards western comic houses like DC or Marvel, but the real kicker for me was that it had something for everyone, regardless of what aspect of pop culture they were into. Esports, cosplay, comics, art prints and what-have-you, it was all there, and the sheer variety made it really worth coming back on the second day just to check off everything on your to-do list.

Of course, the highlight for me was definitely sitting down with Batman comic artist Greg Capullo. Being starstruck was one thing, but he also made us feel right at home with him, as if we were talking to an old friend! It was a really enjoyable interview, in that sense.

Wei Song: To be honest, I didn't really check out the guest list that thoroughly, because the areas that had my attention were the tabletop and esports segments. Now, I'm primarily a tabletop and console gamer, so I confess I was mainly gravitating around the Warhammer 40,000 games in particular. That being said, while it's nice to see tabletop games becoming popular again, the lack of an indie game section surprised me. I kind of look forward to checking those out at such conventions, and it's a real pity they didn't have any to show this year.

Kenneth: Personally, I'm more of an art and trading card kind of guy when it comes to collecting geek stuff, so I hung around the Bushiroad booth and Artist Alley for the most part. The latter is pretty standard fare, but I felt Bushiroad itself was a little out of place, especially since they were only holding tournaments for Cardfight! Vanguard and Future Card Buddyfight. Now, I wouldn't have batted an eyelid had this been AFA, but it isn't, and the fact that there weren't any other events there didn't make it any less odd. 

Speaking of odd, I found SPW's wrestling segment to be a metaphorical sore thumb as well. Wrestling and geeks aren't exactly a match made in heaven, and while sports institutions like lightsaber academies can still make a case for being at SGCC, I can't exactly find a link between the latter and SPW. I guess it's just for visibility - they did put on some interesting performances, after all, and there's nothing inherently wrong with just increasing awareness for SPW.

Well, that pretty much sums up our take on this year's SGCC. It's been a fun, enjoyable, and definitely geeky experience for all of us, but hey, we wouldn't have it any other way.

Images: Singapore Comic Con 2019/HardwareZone

Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.