TNL Radio is the official radio partner of the Geek Xmas Market!
You will be hearing radio spots about the event on TNL Radio from the 29th of November, to 3rd December.
You can follow TNL’s Facebook page here.
Sri Lanka’s first All-Geek Christmas Shopping event is happening on the 4th
17 different geek vendors (so far) are coming together for The Geek Xmas Market. Three, yet to be announced, are international brands. This is going to be the best local opportunity to buy geek gifts for your loved ones. Perhaps more importantly, it's their opportunity to buy them for you.
You’ll find collectibles, posters, comic books, shirts, jewelry, handmade pieces - you name it. We even have someone making bantha milk shakes (you're going to love those). We are building a list of the vendors, here.
The Collectibles exhibition
For the first time in Sri Lanka, we are also having a collectibles exhibition. This is being organised by the Geek Club of Sri Lanka's Collectors Page. You can hear more about this from the founders, Tony and Shanil, here.
We would not be Geeks, if you were not also having some games. For one, the LARP Guild of Sri Lanka will be holding a sword fighting tournament - no prior training (or swords) necessary for this child-friendly event. However expect some cardio. You can hear the founder, Johann Balasuriya, talk about what’s planned, here.
“This is going to be the best local opportunity to buy geek gifts for your loved ones. Perhaps more importantly, it’s their opportunity to buy them for you. ”
They're also going to be some interactive presentation and a hands-on workshop on how to shoot collectibles. If you want to get the most out of the macro photography workshop, please bring your camera.
“TNL Radio is the official radio partner for the Geek Xmas Market.”
The Geek Xmas Market will be happening at Trace Expert City in Maradana. You can follow the event on Facebook, here.
Sri Lanka's Biggest E-Sports Event is This Weekend (It's gonna be Yoooge)
Sri Lanka Telecom is holding the SLT eSports Championship at the BMICH this weekend.
“I got to tell ya, the SLT eSports Championship, it’s tremendous.”
The tournament will feature a number of popular, new online multiplayer and single player gaming titles.
TEAM TITLES
- Dota 2 (5v5)
- Counter Strike: Global Offensive (5v5)
- League of Legends (5v5)
- Overwatch (6v6)
INDIVIDUAL TITLES
- FIFA 16
- Project Cars
- Mortal Kombat XL
- Call of Duty Black Ops 3
“They’re doing it bigly. Like the burgers Chris Christie eats. ”
In a progressive change in the male-dominated hobby (unlike in US politics), the SLT eSports Championship will have a women’s gaming event, as well as a unisex team event.
Oh, and did I forget to mention?
The prize pool is 2 million rupees.
“Two million rupees? That’s bigger than my hands. ”
Competition Results
Saturday, Day 1
Best Books / Comics Character
Chakrapani Marage - Raven
Sajith Kandanaarachchi - Peter Parker, Spiderman
Best Anime / Manga
Vinu Ramanayake - Lambo
Dilon Perera - Himura Kenshin
Best Movie / Show Character
Lake - Stahma Tarr
Shyamal Makalanda - The Predator
Best Video Game
Nadine Mendis - Prestigious Leblanc (tied)
Sonia Jayatissa - The Crystal Maiden (tied)
Sahan Perera - Daedric
Best Group Cosplay
Ishan and Aric Seneviratne - Darth Maul and Apprentice
Best Original Cosplay
Eefaa Hassan - Melted Daenerys Targaryen
Best Kids
Aiden Perera - Starlord
Sunday, Day 2
Best Books / Comics Character
Uvini S - Dark Enchantress
Chathurinda Sumithraarachchi - Nightwing
Best Anime / Manga
Janithri Kariyawasam - Gaara
Tilan Dhanuka - Uchiha Itachi
Best Movie / Show Character
Eliza Shivani - Evie Frye
Shaun McLean - Green Arrow
Best Video Game
Chathumi Wijesekara - Kindred
Ishaq Deen - Arthas
Best Group Cosplay
Opula Fonseka and Ethan Perera - Corpse Bride and Victor
Best Original Cosplay
Jeevan Sukumaran - Angelic Harambe
Stephanie Siriwardhana is a Geek, and she’s coming to Lanka Comic Con
Stephanie Siriwardhana represented Sri Lanka at Miss Universe in 2011. She was Miss Asia Pacific World Sri Lanka in 2013; is a Senator for the Youth Parliament of Sri Lanka; and a Curator Global Shaper of the World Economic Forum.
She is also a Geek.
Exhibit A: Stephanie draws castles. Only Geeks draw castles.
“It is always been an ambition of mine to go a Comic Con in cosplay,” she told us.
Stephanie grew up in Dubai, where she attended conventions regularly. She enjoyed them, but never got the chance to cosplay.
“If I had had more time, I would have come as Catwoman.”
Stephanie is going to be one of our cosplay competition judges. She may or may not bring this sword with her.
You can follow her official Facebook page, here.
Exhibit B: Only Geeks think cool swords, are cool.
Chinese Special Forces raid the Galle Face Hotel...
Picture credit TheNationalInterest.org
(These are actually Indian special forces)
… In my new book, The Hundred Gram Mission.
It launches at Lanka Comic Con, on Saturday.
TL:DR
If you like spaceships, realistic spaceships that could actually be built one day - you should like this book.
If you like reading about Modern Warfare, and the near-future directions it may go - you should like this book.
If you think laser satellites should snipe at terrorists from orbit, and that Search and Destroy drones should climb down stairs, and check basements, you will definitely like this book.
This pic, plus lots of shooting,
pretty much sums up the book.
Picture Credit: Blastr.com
The Hundred Gram Mission DRM-free Ebook, is available for pre-order now on Amazon, for just $0.99. The print edition - for Lanka Comic-Con, and only on sale there - will go on sale on Saturday (at 500/= a copy).
If you let me autograph your copy, I will write things like “you better get that rash checked,” or “there's this guy following you everywhere don't you see him?” or “I have told your parents that you never flush, on purpose. They believe me.”
Traveling to Another Star?
Take Elon Musk's goals, but put them in Donald Trump, and you have the book's main villain, Daryl Spektorov.
Many (boring and smelly) people, still find problems with space programs. Most recently, many question why India is sending probes to Mars, when it has plenty of domestic poverty.
There are many answers to that question - In my book, I list some of the popular ones. Neil deGrasse Tyson I think has the best: when a country sets itself difficult engineering or science goals, it moves forward. There are nations that explore, and then there's everyone else. If you want to get ahead, you have to get serious about Science and Exploration. For our ancestors, that was getting in a ship and coming to Sri Lanka. For our children, that will be getting on a ship, and going to Mars.
The Hundred Gram Mission is set just 35 years from now. Sea levels have risen. Climate refugees are everywhere. Terrorism is on the rise, many Third World countries have become Failed States.
The battle isn’t just against chaos, but also between Western-style democracy, and Chinese-style order. America is tired of military adventures, and ascendant China has troops all over Africa and Asia. As during the Cold War, between Communism and Capitalism - the contest is for the hearts and minds of the entire world.
““What the hell was that about?” asked the shooter.
Vasanth smiled. “I always wanted to kick a Sri Lankan bus driver, in the ass.””
In the middle of this, a rich asteroid miner decides that he wants to send a private expedition to the nearest star. Can he do it? Should he do it? And is there anyone he won’t harm, to get what he wants?
If you have actually read this far, thank you for indulging me.
See you at Lanka Comic Con.
The founder of Comic Con India, is coming to Lanka Comic Con
Jatin Varma, the founder of Comic Con India, is dropping by to say Ohai! Comic Con India began in 2011, in New Delhi. “We didn't really have any event experience,” Varma said, “But we thought why not experiment? Let's try and put this together.” At that very first event, 15,000 came.
“We had to first explain to people what a Comic Con is,” Varma said. “Everyone comes in with their own meaning. Some think it would be a very artistic event, others think it's more about entertainment. Most just relate to what they see on television.”
Comic Con India has expanded since then into a properly, national event. The main exhibition, is Delhi Comic Con. Comic Con India now also hosts Hyderabad Comic Con, Bangalore Comic Con, and Mumbai Comic Con. These are all part of the Comic Con India. Varma has always identified as a geek. Before Comic Con India then there was no one who understood his passion, there was no one he could talk to. Now, he's surrounded by people who can talk for hours about characters and costumes and storylines. Now it's cool to be a geek.
Jatin will be one of the judges at the cosplay fashion show, on Saturday. This article by Mridu Khullar Relph has been heavily sampled in the above write up.
Lanka Comic Con's Moms
“It’s a different category of people. Not like the usual company - It’s enjoyable.”
Karen Bahar. Navy Lieutenant. Jedi. Geek Mom.
"Is that van following us?"
"No, no. It's just one of the cosplayer's moms."
It is easy to forget that easily half the geeks you meet in Sri Lanka, are under 21. They are the energy behind any event, but that energy was permitted by parents - who more often than not struggle with what it is their children are so excited about.
Moms seem to have one - or all - of three opinions about geek culture:
1 - I'm a Geek too, and always have been.
2 - Seems like a good crowd.
3 - What are these children doing, men?
"I'm a Geek Too, And Always Have Been"
“When I was about 3, I tied a red hanky on my doll and called her Superman. After that my parents just gave me action figures.”
The Tennekoons (and Barad-dur)
Whether vindicated or perplexed, Comic Con's moms are quite supportive of their children's efforts. Taking them to meet ups, allowing them to volunteer, or building a 1:1 scale styrofoam statue (you think I'm kidding).
"I started becoming a geek by reading Herge's 'The Adventures of Tin Tin' Books and also Asterix books," said Visakha Tennekoon, mother of Aishwarya Tennekoon - builder of last year's Barad-dur sculpture.
Jessica Kwatick Perera and boffer-weapon tester, Aidan
"I was very happy to see him with such a big crowd last year. He got hundreds of likes and comments for his epic creation. And the people who came there were very friendly!"
"I am thrilled that my boys are geeks!" said Jessica Kwatick Perera. "With all the academic pressure on children in this society, I am so glad that they have a creative outlet like this. I think that geekiness is truly a form of creativity, and their geekiness is not the same as my geekiness, or my husband's geekiness, and that is perfectly okay."
"Seems Like a Good Crowd"
Kanchanamala Marage, Chucky, and That Guy.
"Seeing everyone on the day of the LCC promo tour was exciting, especially the ones running around in their costumes," said Kanchanamala Marage, mother of "Chucky" Chakrapani Marage. "Even at the movie shoot, everyone was extremely friendly and it’s actually good to know such geeky, cheerful souls existed!"
“I have always encouraged my sons to do what makes them happy and take on things that interest them.”
Aleifia and Naveed Rozais
"I have always been an open-minded and hands off mother," said Aleifia Rozais, mother of LCC organizer, Naveed Rozais. "I am very happy that he has got involved, and really appreciate how they treat him."
While it's quite self-serving for us to share these "Geeks! They're so friendly!" perspectives, it is what's being said. It also helps remind that outside of these spaces, geeks are not always welcome, to be themselves.
"What are these children doing, men?"
Shirani and Thilani Samarasinha
"We would have called them nerds," said Shirani Samarasinha, Mom of Lanka Comic Con's principal organizer, Thilani Samarasinha. "But now, its a more of a fun thing. People dress up, even weirdos like these Twilight Book people."
There are no shortage it seems, of moms who are perplexed. However, they are just as supportive of their children.
"I was shocked," said Karen Bahar of her son Kashan's cosplaying. "But later, i thought it was cool. Otherwise I wouldn't have gone on the road when he was dressed up."
Lanka Comic Con would like to thank all the supportive Moms (and Dads), who are helping us along. Thank you for encouraging your kids to be themselves.
No, you do NOT have to Cosplay to Come to Lanka Comic Con
There's a rumor going around that you HAVE to cosplay to come to Lanka Comic Con.
This is utter rubbish.
Cosplay is just a part of any Comic Con. There's so much more to one. There's comics (hence the name!), games, books, geek collectibles, film, Anime and manga, live action role play - and really so much more.
Here, finally, is the event schedule.
(Sorry it's so late.)
You will find plenty of things to do, see, and buy. Including, something we don't believe anyone else is doing, a Marvel vs. DC duel.
See you at Comic Con.
ලංකා කොමික්-කොන් ගැන කෙටි ලිපියක්
“කොමික්-කොන්” Comic Con කියන්නේ මොකක්ද කියලා කෙනෙක් හරියටම ඇහුවොත් දෙන්න පුළුවන් අර්ථකථනය වෙන්නේ මේක එක්තරා ආකාරයක සැණකෙලියක්. දැනට ජාත්යන්තර මට්ටමින් ලොව පුරා පැවැත්වෙන මෙවැනි සැණකෙළි ප්රධාන වශයෙන් ඉලක්ක කරන්නේ ලොව පුරා වාර්ෂිකව නිකුත්වෙන චිත්ර කථා සහ විද්යා ප්රබන්ධ ෆැන්ටසිවලට අදාල වෙන පොත්, චිත්රපට ඇතුළු එයට අදාල විශාල උපසංස්කෘතික අංග ගණනාවකට අදාලවන නිර්මාණයි. මෙසේ බිහිවු උපසංස්කෘතින් ගණනාවක් උනන්දුවෙන් වැලඳගත් ශ්රී ලාංකිකයිනුත් විශාල ප්රමාණයක් අද මේ රටේ දකින්න පුළුවන්. ඒ විශාල කොටසකගේ එකමුතුවෙන් තමයි මේ “ලංකා කොමික්-කොන්” කියන උත්සවය බිහිවෙන්නේ.
1960 දශකයේ ඇමරිකාවේ ආරම්භවූ මෙම විචිත්රවත් සැණකෙලිය ඉතා වේගයෙන් කාලයත් එක්ක පරිණාමණය වෙමින් ලොව පුරා දස දෙස පැතිරෙන්නට පටන්ගත්තා. එක් දිනක් පුරාවට පැවැත්වෙන මෙම සැණකෙලිය, කාලයත් සමග දින කීපයක් පුරාව ට පැතිරෙන තරමට විකසනය වුනා. වර්තමානයේ වාර්ෂිකව ඇමරිකාවේ සැන් දියේගෝ (San Diego) ඇතුලු නගර කිහිපයක් සමගින් ඕස්ට්රේලියාව, එංගලන්තය,ඉන්දියාව, මැදපෙරදිග, ජපානය මෙන් තවත් රටවල් ගණනාවක මෙම “කොමික්-කොන්” සැණකෙළි ඉතා උත්කර්ෂවත් අයුරින් පැවත්වෙනවා. ශ්රී ලංකාව තුල මුල්වරට මහා පරිමාණයෙන් සංවිධානය “ලංකා කොමික්-කොන්” උළෙල මෙවරත් දෙවන වතාවට අති උත්කර්ෂවත් අයුරින් කොළඹ JDA කලාගාරයේදි අගෝස්තු 20 සහ 21 දිනයන්හීදි දවස පුරා පැවත්වීමට නියමිත වන අතර. ටිකට් පතක මිල රුපියල් 100ක් පමණයි. Geek Club of Sri Lanka Facebook සමූහය විසින් සංවිධානය කරන මෙයට සිත්ගන්නා විශේෂාංග ගණනාවක් ඇතුලත්.
“ලංකා කොමික්-කොන්” උළෙලේ දී ලාංකිකයන් නිර්මාණය කරපු ප්රබන්ධ වගේම චිත්ර කතා කීපයකුත් එළිදැක්වීමට නියමිතයි.
සචිත්ර එදිරීවීර කියන්නෙ දෘශ්ය මාධ්යයෙන් ඉතා අගනා නිර්මාණ ගණනාවක් බිහි කළ කෙටි චිත්රපට අධ්යක්ෂවරයෙක් මෙන්ම චිත්ර ශිල්පියෙක්. ඔහුගේ ප්රථම චිත්රකථාව “ලයන්බෝන්” (Lion Born) නමින් ලංකා කොමික්-කොන් උළලේදි නිකුත්වීමට නියමිතයි. ඒ වගේම ඔහුව හමුවී එය පිලිබඳව ඔහු සමග අදහස් බෙදාහදාගැනීමටත්, ඔහුගේ අනෙකුත් නිර්මාණ රසවිඳීමටත් ඔබට පුළුවන්.
“Podi” නමැති තවත්ශ්රී ලාංකිකයින් කණ්ඩායමක් විසින් නිර්මාණය කළ චිත්ර කථාවකුත් මෙහිදී එළි දැක්වෙනවා. “පොඩී” නිර්මාණය කර තිබෙන්නේ ඉසුරි දයාරත්න, නවීන් රත්නායක සහ දේශාන් තෙන්නකෝන් විසින්. පිටු 120ක් පුරාවට දිවෙන “පොඩී” චිත්රකථාව Oni Press ලොක ප්රකට චිත්ර කථා ප්රකාශකයින් විසින් ප්රකාශණය කරනු ලබනවා. “ලංකා කොමික්-කොන්” හිදී පළමු වරට මෙරටදීම පොඩී රස වින්දින්නත්, නිර්මාණකරුවන් හමුවෙන්නත් ඔබට අවස්ථාව ලැබෙනවා.
ශ්රී ලාංකික විද්යා ප්රබන්ධ රචකයෙක් වන නවීන් වීරරත්නගේ නවතම විද්යා ප්රබන්ධය, The 100 gram mission. “ලංකා කොමික්-කොන්” හිදී එළිදක්වනවා. ඉංග්රීසි බසින් ලියවුනු මේ නව ආරක ප්රබන්ධය, ඈත ග්රහලෝක වල ජනාවාස බිහි කිරීම කියන කාරණාව වටා ගෙතුණු කතන්දරයක්. ඔබ සංකීර්ණ විද්යා ප්රබන්ධ වල රසිකයෙක් නම් අනිවාර්යයෙන් කියවල බලන්න වටින කතාවක්.
‘Cosplay’ තරඟය
ගමේ විකට ඇඳුම් තරඟය ගැන අහලා ඇතිනේ. මේක ඊට ටිකක් එහාට ගිය එකක්. “කොමික්-කොන්” උළෙලක තියෙන තවත් එක් විශේෂාංගයක් ලෙස මෙය හඳුන්වන්න පුළුවන්. කිසිඳු වයස් භේදයකින් තොරව ඔබේ කැමතිම සුපිරි වීරයා, වීරවරිය හෝ එදා මෙදාතුර තමන්ට ආසාවෙන් වැළඳගත් කුමන හෝ චරිතයක් ලෙස හැඳ පැළඳගෙන ඉදිරිපත් වීම මූලික වශයෙන් මෙහි අදහස. මෙහිදී තමන් නිරූපණය කරන මෙම චරිතයට ගොඩාක් ආසන්න ලෙස හෝ ඊටත් වඩා හොඳට නිරූපණය වෙන අවස්ථා දකින්න ලැබෙනවා. ඇතැම් නිරූපණ ශිල්පීන් මුළු උළෙල පුරාම එම චරිතයට අවතීර්ණ වී සිට විනෝද වන අවස්ථාත් දකින්න ලැබෙනවා.
බොහෝ වේලාවට තමන්ට පුලුවන් අයුරින් තමන් කැමති චරිතය නිරූපණය කරන්න ගොඩක් අය තමන්ගේ උපරිම උත්සාහය දෙනවා. කවුරු කෙසේ කීවත් ඒ හැම අය්ගේම උත්සාහය අගය කිරීමකින් නැතුව යන්නේ නෑ කියලා බය නැතුව කියන්න පුලුවන්. ගිය අවුරුදේදි 150කට අධික පිරිසක් මෙසේ නිරූපණය සඳහා ඉදිරිපත් උනා. මෙවර ඊටත් වඩා වැඩි පිරිසක් උනන්දුවෙන් බලාගෙන ඉන්නවා කියන එකනම් රහසක් නෙවේ.
මෙවරත් හොඳම Cosplay නිර්මාණ සඳහා ත්යාග ලබාදීමක් සීද්ධ වෙන අතර එය සඳහා මෙතනින් තම නම සහ චරිතය ඇතුලත් කර නොමිලේම ලියාපදිංචි වෙන්න පුළුවන්.
පසුගිය වසරේ සහභාගී වූ නිරූපණ ශිල්පීන්ගේ ඡායාරූප කීපයක් මෙතනින්
http://www.lankacomiccon.lk/lanka-comic-con-2015/
විනෝදාත්මක ක්රීඩා
පෙතක් සහ ඉත්තන් යොදාගෙන වගේම විවිධ කාඩ් වර්ග යොදාගෙන කරන Monopoly වගේ ක්රීඩා ඔබ අහලා, ක්රීඩා කරලා ඇති. ඊටත් වඩා විනෝදය ගේන, විවිධ විද්යා ප්රබන්ධ හෝ ෆැන්ටසි ආරක සිද්ධි ඇතුලත්වෙන නොයෙක් ක්රීඩා මේ වතාවේ “ලංකා කොමික්-කොන්” උළෙලට එකතු වෙනවා. අද්භූත සිද්ධි වෙන පරණ මන්දිරයක් ගවේෂණය, එහෙමත් නැතිනම් වසර හතලිස්දාහක් අනාගතයේ පිටසක්වල ජීවීන් එක්ක කෙරෙන යුද්ධ වගේ අමුතුම සිත්ගන්නාසුළු සිද්ධි අඩංගු මේ ක්රීඩා ඔබට තනිව හෝ මිතුරන් සමග රසවිඳීමට “ලංකා කොමික්-කොන්” අවස්ථාව ලබා දෙනවා.
මේ විශේෂාංග වලට අමතරව තවත් විශේෂාංග ගණනාවක් මෙම උළෙලට ඇතුලත්. ඔබ ආදරය කරන චිත්ර කතා ගණනාවකට අදාල වෙන පොත්, චිත්ර, ඇඳුම් සහ විවිධාකර උපාංග ගණනාවක් කොමික්-කොන් උළෙලේදි මිලදී ගන්න ඔබට පුළුවන්. ඔබ වගේම චිත්රකතා, ප්රබන්ධ සහ ඒ වගේ වෙනත් සංස්කෘතික අංගවල ලංකාව පුරා සිටින රසිකයින් හමුවෙන්නත්, කතා බහ කරන්නත් “ලංකා කොමික්-කොන්” අපූරු තැනක් වේවි කියලා අපි හැමෝම විශ්වාස කරනවා.
වැඩි විස්තර සඳහා www.lankacomiccon.lk වෙබ් අඩවියට සහ අපගේ Facebook Event පිටුව https://www.facebook.com/events/1009003762496470/?active_tab=posts වෙත පිවිසෙන්න.
එහෙනම් JDA පෙරේරා කලාගාරයේදී හමුවෙමු!
written by Rashantha Nanayakkara and Vishva T.K. Herath