Events
SUPERMANILA COMIC CON
Launched in 2019, SuperManila Comic Con celebrates Filipino creativity in comics, entertainment and pop culture! This epic two-day event offers a deep dive into the incredible world of Filipino artists making a major impact in comics, animation, film, collectibles, and more. From legendary creators to rising stars, SuperManila Comic Con showcases the full spectrum of talent shaping the future of entertainment
I’ve heard some very positive feedback in Supermanila 2024. I’m excited for the next one, so I made sure I will sign up for the Supermanila 2025 event. Fast forward to the event. The ingress in Ayala one went smoothly, so it was easy to set up the booth and rest. Got a bit nervous about the event. For one, flying in from Iloilo to Manila is already expensive with the plane fare and the accommodation.
DAY 1
Morning was a bit slow. Few people were passing by the artist’s booth since it’s when VIP attendees get to browse an hour before the event opens. Slowly, the crowd starts to build up. Given that we’re near the event stage, it starts to get congested, and we’re already in the inner back area where it’s the dead end. I’ve been tabling enough to know which crowd is browsing or just more occupied in looking for an exit; I think it’s the latter. I did make a couple of sales, though mostly from Ilonggos who are based in Manila. It was pretty awesome talking to them. That got me thinking maybe my stuff is just too Ilonggo-centric that only these people can relate. The whole day is just me waiting for the event to end for the day since I can’t wait to go back to my hotel and nurse these terrible cramps that I’m starting to feel. The only silver lining for this day was I was able to book MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE concert tickets. At this point, I just decided to lower my expectations and admit defeat that I’m not gonna make the money back. So I think on Day 2 I will just go around and try to enjoy the event as an attendee. After covering our table and calling it a day, I was relieved to have some dinner.
DAY 2
I woke up feeling much worse than usual, so I had to force myself anyway to show up since my good friend Noelle will be helping out with the booth. So I spent all day going around and just enjoyed the event. I immediately can see what kind of event it is. There’s lots of Sanrio, Bandai, and corporate toy merchandise. Then there are long lines of people getting signatures and commissions from international artists. Independent creators are on the sidelines in a maze-like alley, well, given that it’s an artist alley, so I can’t complain about it. I did a bit of shopping therapy to distract myself from the terrible cramping. We checked out the Darna exhibit that features the memorabilia and history. When the event finally concluded, I was able to get a sneaky pic with Marvel editor CB Cebulski.
Final thoughts
All in all, Supermanila 2025 delivers as a Comics and Pop Culture event. People got to meet International comic artists, even got Social media personality Dino Cornel as one of the event hosts, and he knows how to work the crowd. I think it fills the gap left by Asiapop, which, for me, remains the Gold Standard when it comes to organizing pop culture events. I hope the event will be big enough to have it on SMX Convention Center. One Ayala is just too small and cramped. I wish that we got some tote bags or any kind of souvenir. We got a tote bag and freebies from Asiapop Manila at least.
As an independent creator, I think two back-to-back Manila events are the final nail in the coffin for me. It made me rethink the stress of traveling and going home with heavy luggage. I’ll just save my money for vacation instead since I would at least have some great memories instead of PTSD (J/K). The main reason for me for signing up for events is to get people to check out my work, but having my work out there and still remaining invisible. I’ll focus instead on building up my visibility online. For now, I’ll stick with independent comic events such as Komiket, PICOF, and Komikon.
