Publika Comic Play 2017

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Posted 2017-11-29 by Leong Qi Tyng ⇒ follow

Tue 14 Nov 2017 - Sun 19 Nov 2017

was back again: gathering the anime, comics and games (ACG) communities in Malaysia. Comic Play 2017 promised to bring in loads of activities for hobbyists and enthusiasts alike and boy, did they deliver!

The activities throughout the week-long event were a collaborative effort from Retro Console Malaysia (RCM), Animangaki, All Aboard Community Gaming Centre, Comicore, Star Wars Malaysia Fan Club (SWMFC), My Comics Community, Outpost Productions, Garena Malaysia, MVP Mobile Arena, and iM4U FM. They set up sections and booths in The Gallery, The Square, Black Box and White Box in Publika.

With an array of activities available, I have categorized the things to see and do into sections. Among the activities available were:

GAMES

Retro Console Malaysia set up a Retro Game Section. They brought retro arcade games, toys and collectibles.

Other than video games, there were experimental tabletop gameplay sessions organized by All Aboard at The Gallery. Some of the games available and sold were Celestia, King of Tokyo, Ice Cool, Betrayal at Baldur's Gate and last but not least, Warhammer Underworld: Shadespire.

At The Square, iM4U FM had a cruiser throughout the week with games and giveaways. They were comical and witty with their jokes. Prizes included tickets to the film screenings held that day and Comic Play 2017 t-shirts.

Star Wars Malaysia Fan Club had Blast A Trooper, where guests were provided Nerf guns in place of phasers to shoot! Guests were supposed to shoot at the Stormtrooper cans instead of the helmets.

The Stormtrooper helmets on the table were made by a resident designer using 3D printing!

COMPETITIONS

For those with competitive streaks, Animangaki held a Cosplay competition and the winner takes home cash prizes up to RM 3000. The competition has two categories: Solo and Group.

The competition was judged by Yugana Senshi Uon and GG Twins.

ENTERTAINMENT & PERFORMANCES

On certain days, Crestfall Shuffle, Bin Yun and Dreamin' belted tunes from animated series, video games and films.

Star Wars Malaysia Fan Club organized a panel and exclusive screening of A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. The panel discussed The Last Jedi trailer.

Outpost Productions hosted a Geek Night Out on 14th November. They screened Man of Steel because it is a reboot of the Superman franchise and it leads up to the Justice League film. Outpost Productions preceded the film screening by introducing guests to the DCEU and shared their expectations about the upcoming Justice League film.

WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES

Warhammer Publika had a miniature figurine painting session. First timers were taught how to paint using the different brushes and colours. Guests were also introduced to the Warhammer board game.

For Star Wars fans, there were Star Wars Origami and Props Workshop. For the young padawans eager to wield a lightsaber, there was a Lightsaber Performance and School. Students were taught how to wield the lightsabers and how to use the Force (for those who are unfamiliar, it's very similar to our infamous Malaysian hand when we cross busy roads).

Outpost Productions held a conference entitled 'The Growing Influence of Geek Pop Culture,' targeting enthusiasts as well as corporates and entrepreneurs seeking business opportunities in the industry.

My Comics Community organized a few sessions to help budding comic artists. The five talks were:

1. Connecting to the Heart Through Comics by Sam Hepburn
2. Making Sense of Words: From Script to Comics by Zid and FsC
3. Journey of an Artist: Designing Video Games and Collectibles by Jarold Sng
4. How to: Collaborate, Plan, and Draw by Ariela Kristantina
5. How to Produce Comics for the Malaysian Market by Azhar Abdullah and Vomit Thunder

ART

Guests got to witness artists such as Stan CH Lee, Arif Rafhan, Gabriel, Jun Kang and Wen Wen live drawing for 60 minutes at The Square.

P.L.A.Y. Exhibition at the White Box showcased up to a hundred artwork, prints and Lego brick portraits by various local and international artists such as Adifitri Ahmad, Anson Ng, Ariela Kristantina, Foo Swee Chin, Hoi Mun and Daniel Kamarudin.

Guests could purchase merchandises from the mini library set-up in the vicinity. There were stores selling local Malaysian comics as well.

COSPLAY

What's a Comic Play fest without actually Cosplaying? SWMFC also organized a mall walkabout in costumes. I managed to have a quick chat with Zainal in his Obi-Wan Kenobi outfit. He has been cosplaying for about two years since The Force Awakens came out. It was through him that I found out there were a few Star Wars fan groups, each with a different focus, such as Fightsaber Malaysia.