Philippines’ independent art scene is stronger than ever. The enormous crowd at Sticker Con Manila 2019 shows that the Philippine art scene has so much untapped potential not limited to fan art.
Sticker Con Manila 2019 was held last March 16, 2019 at the Bayanihan Center in Pasig. The venue has been home to numerous medium-scale conventions such as Summer Komikon, Komikon Grande and more.
I had the chance to hang out and chat with a few artists and got to know their perspective on an event such as Sticker Con. The event only began last year in March 2018. Personally, I did not know much about the event besides its self-explanatory title. A common response I got from friends in the art community is how unexpected Sticker Con was to begin with. Most of the time, events such as Komiket and Komikon are the must-visit events to spot artists who are on the rise. You can find a blend of fanart stickers and comics in Komiket or Komikon but, Sticker Con had more original artwork.
One artist, Blue Toaster Art, focused on her original artwork of cats in different costumes. Carawrrr concentrated on her original psychedelic, 80s-themed stickers. Sticker Con had more original artwork than you would see in the convention circuit. I have attended my fair share of conventions in the past three years and Sticker Con had the most original artwork out of the events I have been to.
What made Sticker Con 2019 was the fact that we saw a blend of industry veterans along with up and coming stars which was evident in the return of the popular Googly Gooeys. I remember growing up reading their antics online but, the artist had to take a break for motherhood. The Blue and Pink Gooeys seem to be making their triumphant return soon.
We had the chance to talk to Meow Project who even dropped some breaking news that there will be Meow Project toys in the near future! One of the biggest highlights of the interview focused on the different art events and the Manila-centricity of it all.
Here’s the interview, for those interested.
Another person we got to talk to was Spider-Dan Geromo who was selling Spider-Man themed artwork along with his friend, Gabby Navarro. Steven was even featured on his YouTube Channel which you can find here
Overall, I think Sticker Con 2019 was a success because of the blend of industry veterans and up-and-coming artists who found a new home where they may not always be seen.
The Geeky Juans 