APCC 2017: Day 3 Highlights

APCC 2017 just ended, but the SMX Convention Center still reeks of awesome after the three-day convention. Here are some highlights for the third and final day of the convention!

FightSaber Philippines showed awesome stunts to open the third day of APCC 2017. Attendees are back to enjoy the last day of festivities at the convention, and the highlights did not fail them.

Hall M: Make Ours Marvel

C. B. Cebulski of Marvel showed 1,000 lucky participants the newest in the hit publisher’s line of television series, video games, and films. Marvel will also launch a new line of clothing based on Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther and Thor: Ragnarok. Gamers can expect new entries in the coming months such as Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite and LEGO Marvel Heroes 2, where our heroes have to face Ultron Sigma and Kang the Conqueror, respectively.

Meanwhile, Rocket Raccoon and the rest of the Guardians have to beat Thanos (no pressure) in the Telltale Games iteration of Guardians of the Galaxy. Players can also enter a virtual reality realm as the Hulk, Rocket Raccoon and Captain Marvel in a Marvel-Oculus collaboration. Lastly, Spidey will have to face Mr. Negative in the PlayStation 4 exclusive Marvel – Spiderman. Players can expect these games within the year, or early next year.

Cebulski also showed a string of videos. This includes the Rocket and Groot “A Piece of Cake” video, which showcased the modern age of animation effects. ANT-MAN’s “Science Fair” showed a return to classic animation techniques. The symbiote suit also makes its debut in the latest Marvel Spider-Man animated series, with a clip also shown to audiences.

Audience also saw new clips from Netflix’s The Punisher and The Defenders, which showed off some of the Netflix heroes fans have waited for to unite as a team. Except the Punisher, as his show is brutal (and Frank Castle might not be the only hero there). The Inhumans also showed off some of the awesome special effects fans can expect from the upcoming series.

Lastly, fans have seen exclusive footage from Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther, as well as concept art from Ant-Man and the Wasp and Captain Marvel. There’s no Infinity War trailer, but all the more reason to be excited for the May 2018 film.

APCC 2017: In Conversations, Panels, Workshops

Genji (Overwatch) voice actor Gaku Space and Cyborg actor Ray Fisher imparted insight to fans in their respective “In Conversation” segments.

Comic fans and enthusiasts have gotten a more in-depth look at the industry thanks to a Comic Panel with Artgerm, Carl Potts, Rodney Ramos and Whilce Portacio.

Meanwhile, cosplay fans can get more tips and tricks from some of the biggest names in the Philippine cosplay scene. This is thanks to a Cosplay Panel session spearheaded by Alodia Gosiengfiao, Canvas Cosplay, Haiden Hazard, Jin and Pion Kim. Alodia shared how cosplay improved her confidence through the years. Moreover, Jin told audiences that cosplaying has helped many fans enter various industries such as costume design.

Macross co-creator, mecha designer, and anime producer Shoji Kawamori conducted a workshop for fans and anime enthusiasts. Kawamori encouraged fans to create original designs out of everyday objects they see. Moreover, simple concepts and designs work best especially if they change the points of views of their audiences, and creators can pull out better works if they insert inventive originality and unique personality in their works.

Art fans who couldn’t get enough of Artgerm would have been in his workshop! Titled “Infecting the World With My Art,” Stanley Lau walked aspiring artists and fans through his various experiences in the field. He reminded artists that one must have a stable foundation of art principles in order to develop a style. He also recommended artists to allot a part of their daily schedule to sketch concepts they think about, so they never run out of ideas everyday.

“Don’t invest in people who don’t believe in you,” Artgerm said, advising artists to continue doing what they love to do. “The first ‘like’ on your works should be from you.”

More Cosplay!

Fans of G.R.R.M’s A Song of Ice and Fire can see some of their favorite characters (especially the previously-alive ones) come to life in a Game of Thrones cosplay competition.

Cosplay fans have also seen cute kiddos donning their awesome costumes at The CAGE (Cosplay Authority Global Challenge) Kids finals. Winners of The CAGE on all categories were called for a final group photo while showcasing their amazing costumes. Cosplayer Vien Testa was declared Grand Champion in the Open Category with an awesome Winston (Overwatch) cosplay. Princess Joviel Espos won in the Kids Category.

Gaming characters dominated this year’s CAGE, all brought to life by cosplayers. Techies, Doom Bringer, and Monkey King (DoTA 2) cosplays showcased brilliant props. A female gunner from Monster Hunter (with a glowing costume!) also stunned the crowd. Blizzard’s Overwatch once again proved its popularity thanks to cosplays of Mei, and Genjis with different skins.

Meanwhile, the Night King was declared champion of Sky Cable’s Game of Thrones cosplay competition. Cosplayer Xidge Evangelista wore quite a realistic rendition of the Night King costume (with glowing eyes).

APCC 2017 is the third iteration of the AsiaPOP Comicon series of conventions. Pop culture fans and geeks hopefully had their three-day dose of fun and awesome, thanks to quite a number of booths and guests who shared their experiences.

AsiaPOP Comicon 2017 was held at the SMX Convention Center on August 25 to 27, 2017.