On The Spot: Collecticon 2009 -Story Ver.-

Another big event happened today, and it was another crazy moment for hobbyists everywhere. Once again, the annual Collecticon (short for Collector's Convention) was held at the Midtown section of Robinson's Place Manila, and from the moment I arrived, it was packed with all kinds of stuff, from the latest toys to the vintage items that collectors were dying to buy and own.

The view at the Collecticon as soon as the mall opened. What a crowd!
I entered the arena early in the morning to get an early bird's start, but the house was already packed by the time I arrived. Most of the stuff I looked for were comic related goodies, but I was able to scrounge up some Batman related items, which were pretty good deals in themselves.

This was but one of the many stalls with lots of toys and collectibles on display... woah...
While making my way around, I saw many friends, all of whom were eager to find and scoop something nice to add to their collections. Every convention I go to has a familiar face somewhere along the way, and the Collecticon proved no different. Towards the afternoon, the atrium started to pile up some more, particularly due to the auction and cosplay events that were scheduled for the day as well.

The crowd gathers as the auction and cosplay event begins...
There were lots of people dressed in all kinds of attire, and the auction was pretty successful in gathering bidders, as well as donations for the benefit of the victims of typhoon Ondoy. After taking a well deserved lunch break, I made one more pass before calling it a day in the early afternoon.

Overall, I had fun, and while it wasn't as crazy as the Toycon, the Collecticon had just the right amount of fun and activities to make it another spectacular event.

Metro Comic Con 2009 - Initial Thoughts...

Day One of the 1st ever Metro Comic Con is a wrap... and what can I say? We have another headlining event to look forward to each year... again.

I'm still burned out from everything that transpired today, but the first day turned out to be a pretty good time to go, despite not being able to arrive during the opening ceremonies in the morning. I got there after lunch, and I was worried that I wouldn't make it in time to see the good deals around. Fortunately, it was quite the reverse, and after some grabbing some tickets with my friends, I managed to get in and check what everything was about. The set-up looked less crowded than before, but there was no mistaking it - it was deja vu all over again.

After sizing up the place and getting acquainted with old friends in the area too, I realizied how intimidating the MCC could be. The entire place was a madhouse of popculture fixes come to life - you had sealed and opened toys up for grabs by buyers, lots of cosplayers imitating their favorite heroes (and villains) from various shows and strutting their stuff, and finally, an area dedicated to announcements, concerts, and shows for the audience to see and appreciate.
Of course, many prestigious pinoy comic artists were making a guest appearance in the show for special signing sessions, and in the end, it was just amazing to look at the talents. Literally, AMAZING.

My first reaction to all of this was "It's the Toycon all over again... except it's not as jam-packed or crowded as before". Then again, this was the first ever Metro Comic Con convention held, so it was new beginning and a chance for the pinoy fans to converge and recognize not only international stuff, but the works from our own country, as well. Overall, next to the cute cosplayers and the deals, it was all great stuff to see, and I'm pretty beat from it. More experiences to share the next time, and Day Two is tomorrow - the final chance for anyone still willing to attend!

*The Metro Comic Con 2009 is being held at the SM Megamall Megatrading Halls 2 & 3 on August 8 and 9. Ticket prices are 100 per head.