Every year, more and more nerds are born made. Thanks to Marvel movies and DC TV, our people have grown exponentially! And with that growth comes the rise in attendees in nerd conventions. One of the most prominent of which, is the Philippine ToyCon!
And ToyCon 2015 is right around the corner! June 19-21 to be exact! If it’s your first time going, or you don’t know what Cons are, let me tell you what you can generally expect from them. But for those (likely very few) nerds who have no interest in Cons, let me tell you what you’re missing!
1) Cosplaying
What I look forward to the most during these Cons is the cosplay. Cosplay is when a fan dresses up as one of their favorite characters. We’re not Japan level yet in terms of proliferation and quality, but the level of cosplaying here in the Philippines has gotten much, much better in recent years. Cons are always a great place to see some amazing Filipino creativity and showmanship.
I remember seeing these cool cosplays of Masked Rider Black, and Red Maskman, and Green Ranger - some of my favorite characters ever! And what’s great about Cons is that you get the chance to take pictures with your pop culture heroes and sort of relive your childhood! Aside from being genius costume makers, the Cosplay community is known for being friendly and very open. Just ask nicely and they won’t just take a pic with you, they’d even strike an action pose! Part of the fun of Cons is hunting down characters you love and take photos with all of them!
2) The Show
Just like in any convention, there are a series of events lined up for visitors to watch if they’re not roaming the Con grounds. There are usually talks, song numbers, dance numbers, rock numbers, home-made videos, movie or trailer screenings, and contests to name a few. It’s like watching a pop culture-themed noontime variety show!
One of the primary events in Cons is the cosplay competition. There are single and group divisions. The best and most elaborate cosplays gather and role play on stage to the audience’s utter delight. You gotta admire the commitment in these guys; they stay in character even in their post-performance interviews! And the group performances are even cooler! You get to see superhero TEAMS, like the X-Men, or all 6 Power Rangers, or the like. They dance, or fight, or, the one I enjoy the most, act out an iconic scene from the show they’re cosplaying!
3) Merchandise
The thing about us nerds is that we’re extremely proud of our many fandoms. We’re level-7 susceptible when it comes to cool merchandise that shows off our favorite shoes or characters. So if you’re planning on visiting this June’s ToyCon, expect your wallet to hurt. But it’s totally worth it! Contrary to popular opinion, you CAN has nice things!
There’s so much neat stuff to see on the convention floor - from shirts to action figures, to classic comics, to DVDs, etc. It can be as familiar as your classic Flash hoodie and Darth Vader plush doll, or as obscure as a Community meow meow beans shirt, or a replica of the 11th Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver. Anything related to anime, comic book, movie, tv geekery, it’s probably there!
Take note that you don’t see these vendors just anywhere. Most of them are only seen online or hidden some place you haven’t heard of. So Cons are a great place to find amazing and unique new merchandise or vendors for nerds.
4) Artists and Other Local Talent
What’s a Con without special guests? US Cons have become a de facto press conference venue for Marvel , DC and other sci-fi franchises. Locally, we have local and foreign cosplay icons and comic book artists!
Alodia Gosengfiao is a Con staple. I’m not sure if she’ll be at this year’s event, but here’s hoping she will. For cosplay novices, Alodia is a WORLD renowned cosplay artist. She can act, dance and sing. She’s even hosted a tv show on GMA 7 and countless events here and abroad. She even has a pop singing group in Japan! And, on top of all of that, she. is. gorgeous. My gosh, she’s gorgeous.
Aside from famous cosplayers, some cons invite local comic book artists. In case you didn’t know, our artists strive internationally. Francis Manapul, Leinil Yu, Carlo Pagulayan, all these Filipino sketch artists have drawn some of Marvel and DC’s most famous books! There are a lot more Filipinos with exemplary talent (even I don’t know all of them) you’re lucky if you get to meet some of them, or even better, get a drawing commissioned, in a Con you attend!
5) Toys! Models! Statues!
I’m not talking about just the action-figures sold in Cons, okay? There are crazy plenty of those, sure, but there are also the toys/models/statues that are either built or customized or collected for display. Without question, there’s going to be a section on the Con floor where you have glass exhibits of toys of different shapes, sizes, genres and rarity. Walking through the exhibit feels like being in a museum for the country’s coolest toys! It’s exhilarating!
6) Nerds. Tons and tons of nerds!
(And I mean that in the most loving way possible.)
Wala pa to at all.
But one final note: be ready for the people! Be ready for extensive lines and the MRT-esque hallways. It’s pretty bad, I’ll be honest, so try to come early, or try to bring excessive amounts of patience and good vibes.:) You’re in a ToyCon, that’s sure to come naturally!
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There you go Con noobs. Excited? You should be! Get your tickets early, be prepared, have the right mindset, and enjoy the Con!!!
ToyCon 2015
June 19, 20 and 21
Megatrade Halls 1 – 2 – 3
Tickets are available at SM Tickets for P150
Tickets will also be sold at the event itself, but I don’t recommend it.
*First seen on The Philippine Online Chronicles!
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