Last September 27-28, 2024, Valenzuela City hosted its very first comic convention at the Valenzuela City Academic Center for Excellence (ValACE) in Brgy. Malinta. I had the opportunity to attend on the second day, September 28, and it was an eventful experience worth sharing.
Though I arrived a bit late due to a hectic week, I got to the venue at around 3:00 PM and immediately headed to the 4th floor where the main event was being held. From there, I proceeded to the 5th floor to check out the Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas (SKP) workshop on Character Design and Comic Strip Making. As part of SKP, I helped document the workshop through photos and videos and was also a judge for the comic strip competition. The best entries won Funko Pops, courtesy of Filbars, one of the event’s sponsors.
The event was a fantastic opportunity for Valenzuela City to host its first comic convention. It was refreshing to see such a well-organized event outside Metro Manila. The venue was surprisingly spacious, with plenty of rooms for workshops and exhibitors. Komiket was also present, showcasing their “Secret HQ” comic lineup, offering attendees a glimpse into the current Philippine comics scene.
After the event, we headed to Halina sa Ciudad de Valenzuela for dinner, followed by an SKP meeting to wrap up the day.
It was a great experience overall, and I’m excited to see more events like this happening outside of Metro Manila. Stay tuned for more SKP events coming soon!