Comics, cosplay and more
After a long wait, Thailand's very own Comic-Con makes its debut next month
Postponed to groans of disappointment earlier this year as political tensions heated up, the inaugural Thailand Comic-Con has now been inked in. It’s set for May 9 and 11 and Siam Paragon.
Organiser Milk Studio is billing it as the “first and biggest” pop-culture event to be held in Thailand, and with a budget likely to surpass Bt60 million and a total dedicated floor area of some 10,000 square metres, they are probably not far off the mark.
“Siam Paragon is considered to be Bangkok’s most convenient and comfortable venue and is also near Siam Square, the Harajuku of Thailand, which is known as the area for showcasing pop-culture trends and fads for teenagers. So I think it’s appropriate,” says Chanvit Vitayasamrit, Milk Studio’s chief executive.
“It’s taken a while to reschedule it but I think the timing is perfect, especially as the new academic year won’t yet be underway for most young people,” Chanvit says. “For us, the hardest part has been booking more than 20 wrestlers and more than 50 models from Japan to take part. Ensuring they are all free at the same time wasn’t easy.”
Surprisingly given Thailand’s love for pop culture, this is the first time the country is playing host to a comics convention.
“It’s been a long time coming,” says Chanvit. “I have travelled extensively and witnessed the high number of countries that organise comic-cons. This is particularly true in Asia. Cosplay seems to be one of the most popular activities with as many as 20,000 people dressing up in costumes in Hong Kong. Here, we’ve had tens of thousands dressing up for cosplay showcases at CentralWorld. I believe that this inaugural Thailand Comic-Con will become a benchmark for other countries.”
The US is comic-con paradise with, with San Diego Comic-Con being the most famous, but there are other regular events in New York, Seattle, Denver, Colorado, Baltimore and other cites. The UK tops the European list with festivals in London, Manchester and Birmingham. In Asia, there are comic-cons in India, Dubai and Bangladesh.
“Of course, America has lots of its own superheroes. I attended an event there and I didn’t see any content from Japan,” Chanvit says. “Here in Asia, Japan is the most influential country, though South Korea is coming up. Our version will stay away from the usual players in America and Japan, though our influences come from both the West and Japan. Thailand Comic-Con will be full of colour,” says Chanvit, who is self-confessed Superman fan.
“We’ll be holding a cosplay contest, the likes of which can’t be found in America nor Europe. People will dress up, chat with each other and take photos. They’ll approach the audience as if everyone is a friend. We won’t be playing loud music but rather encouraging people to talk to each other about their heroes.”
The event will be divided into six zones: Hobby and Toys, Games,Comics and Manga, Entertainment, Exhibition and Miscellaneous.
“One room will be devoted to foreign comics con and will be where fans can see their favourite artists, take their photos and ask for autographs. It has a capacity of 200 people so it won’t be too crowded,” Chanvit says.
The main stage will be set up outside at Parc Paragon. Here’s where they’ll stage the wrestling bouts and concerts. All the performers hail from Japan and include Tiger Mask, idol groups Yumemiru Adolescence and Kamen Rider Girls, plus the Tokyo Girls Collection.
Batman, Iron Man, Saint Seiya and Dr Slump will be on hand in the character zone to greet fans,
Tomomi Jiena Sumi, the Kamen Rider Girl who represents Kamen Rider Gaim, and New Japan Pro Wrestling hunk Hirooki Goto flew into Thailand to take part in the recent press conference at the shopping centre’s Infinity Hall. Both expressed their delight at being in the Thai capital.
“This is my first time in Thailand,” enthused Sumi, adding that her new single “Break the Shell” had been picked for the new PC game, “Battride War II,” that’s being launched in June. Goto on the other hand, came here seven years ago to learn Thai boxing.
The event will also feature two keynote speakers from Japan. Shin-Ei Animation’s president Michihiko Umezawa will talk about the success of Doraemon, Crayon Shinchan and Ninja Hatori, while Square Enix Holdings’ executive Shinji Hashimoto will focus on world famous games such as “Final Fantasy”, “Kingdom Hearts”, and “Tomb Raiders” “Final Fantasy XV” and “Kingdom Hearts III”.
Participants will also be treated to a screening of 3D movie “Doraemon: Stand By Me”, five-minutes of footage from DreamWorks Animation’s latest effort “How to Train Your Dragon II”, and special footage of “Godzilla 2014” prior to its premiere on May 15.
“We’ll also have an artist alley where illustrators and cartoonists can show off their skills and their works of art,” says Chanvit, adding that Thailand Comic-Con is slated to become an annual event and could also travel regionally as a kind of Asian road show.
Manga mayhem
_ Thailand Comic-Con runs from May 9 to 11 at Royal Paragon Hall on the fifth floor of Siam Paragon. It’s open daily from 10.30am to 8pm daily.
_ For more details, check www.thailandcomiccon.com.
