Red Dot Geek: How Sri Lanka Finally Got a Comic Book Store

If you've ever been to a comic or game store, you know it's more than just a place to buy things. You'll see the store manager arguing with the Annoying Guy (about an unknown movie with dead actors). There's the teenagers in the back who are always too loud and don't really buy anything. Then there's the person with the nice job, who would rather spend more time in the store, instead. Comic book stores are community anchors. Each grows the other. It's a good deal. 

“I love the blockbuster superheroes. But, if you want to get to know their characters, you’ve got to read the comics.”

— Sulakshana Soysa, Red Dot Geek

As such, its surprising that Sri Lanka developed a comic book culture, at all. Comics at regular book retailers have always been expensive, and with limited selection. Marvel and DC movies mainstreamed comic book IPs, but not reading them. Piracy created access, but also consumers who didn't like paying.

Could a comic book store start in Sri Lanka, and succeed?

Sulakshana Soysa, founder of Red Dot Geek,  thought so.

"We Should Start this in Sri Lanka"

"I love comics," said Sulakshana. "I love the blockbuster superheroes. But, if you want to get to know their characters, you've got to read the comics." As a comic book reader, Sulakshana didn't much care for the challenges involved. "They were hard to find, and always expensive," he said. "The latest comics weren't available, at any cost."

Like many readers, Sulakshana would have to buy his comics online, or go abroad. In a comic book store on one such trip, the idea came to him and his partner. "We thought 'wow, we need this. We should start this in Sri Lanka.' "

They discussed the idea between themselves, and did their research.  In 2016, they saw their moment. "DC Rebirth was about to happen," said Sulakshana. "The reboot of the DC universe. It was now or never." 

And so Red Dot Geek was launched.

Overwhelming Community Support

One of the first thing that strikes you about Red Dot Geek is how popular they are in the community. Here's their satisfaction score, on Facebook:

Even the trolls are nice to them. If you read the testimonials, you can see why.

Early this year, Red Dot Geek took another big chance, and brought Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) to Sri Lanka. Community members volunteered at their booth, and they invited Lanka Comic Con to coordinate activities with them. with them.   

"We're still taking risks," said Sulakshana. "But we think it's worth it because so many people are helping us. We're always thankful."
 

A Brick and Mortar Store

Sulaksana's biggest priority is opening a brick and mortar, retail store, in Colombo. Him and his partner (who has asked to remain anonymous) are also planning more FCBD-style giveaways, like Halloween Comic Fest.  

Red Dot Geek has also broadened it's range to action figures, board games, and posters. You can meet Sulakshana and the rest of the Red Dot team, at the Asus Lanka Comic Con 2017. 

.

Lanka Comic Con Wins US Grant to start Nonprofit Comic Book Press

Work In Progress from the upcoming Extra Ordinary

The Lanka Comic Con Trust has been awarded a grant by the US State Department, to start a nonprofit, comic book press in Sri Lanka. It will be an art and literature platform for local creators, in all three, national languages.

"I wanted to create a sustainable comic book industry by offering printing at close to cost as possible," said Thilani Samarasinha, who came up with the idea for the press. 

Cost Kills

“I wanted to create a sustainable comic book industry by offering printing at close to cost as possible. ”

— Thilani Samarasinha, head of Lanka Comic Con

You see at lot of "Issue 1" comics in this town, but you don't always see them reach "Issue 2." Cost is the biggest challenge for local writers, artists, and comic book storytellers. It means creating is something they see looking back in the mirror, while getting ready for work.  

But what if that changed?
What if the cost of printing was brought down, dramatically?

"I looked up the prices of printers, their specs, whether they could handle both volume and the right quality," said Thilani. "I went to Pettah and talked to paper suppliers, getting their bulk rates. Even my useless husband came, complaining."

Gradually she built a business model, for low cost, sustainable printing. The numbers worked, it just needed the equipment and supplies.

The American Center 

Joshua Shen of the Office of Public Diplomacy helped us here. He liked the idea: he felt that after so many years of conflict, young Sri Lankans could use comics to to help bring communities together. He pointed out they could help, we just needed to apply and go through the process. Whenever we got discouraged, he urged us to keep working at it. 

None of us have ever written a grant before. It was a bit like this: 

Extra Ordinary

The first comic the Lanka Comic Con Press will be producing is a Extra Ordinary, a supernatural story set in modern day Sri Lanka.

Work In Progress sketches from
Extra Ordinary

"I love comics by the big publishing houses, but they're about cultures that are not my own," said Thilani.  "I wanted to write something about who we are. Contemporary, but about our history and culture."

Thilani was also keen to make sure that Extra Ordinary be written in all three languages, to make it a a properly 'Sri Lankan' comic. Translation services will also be on offer from the Lanka Comic Con Press. 

"There are a lot of new comic artists in Sri Lanka now," said Nimesh Niyomal , the artist for Extra Ordinary, who previously did The Grey Walker. "But they are being pushed to digital because of costs. I feel a comic needs to be on paper." 

"Nimesh, is a a total professional," said Thilani. "And he too wants to see a body of original, local comics, by other Sri lankan writers and artists." 

“ I feel a comic needs to be on paper.”

— Nimesh Niyomal

Diana, by Nimesh Niyomal

We are hoping to have Extra Ordinary ready in time to launch at the Asus Lanka Comic Con 2017, but if not the creators will be on hand to talk about it. And of course, the Lanka Comic Con Press. 

We're not ready to go public with the pricing yet, but expect a dramatically cheaper structure, allowing for both retailer and distributor margins, while maintaining a low price for the reader, and high quality printing. 

Today, I am a very proud, useless husband.  

Stigmata will play at the Asus Lanka Comic Con

The heavy metal band Stigmata will be playing at the Asus Lanka Comic Con, on Saturday the 26th (August). "Everyone in the Band are colossal fans of all things that the Comic Con culture stands for," said Suresh de Silva, Stigmata's front man and co-founder. "We love it all man."

Sri Lankan Originality - Carving Away for 18 Years

Stigmata is an unusual band. Consider their run - many bands don't last that long. Outside pressures of work and life push against practicing and performing. Then there's internal dynamics: butting heads, working out what performing means to each other. Bands are expert specialists who have to learn to work together - and relearn when new members join.  

Considering this, it's even more unusual that Stigmata won't do covers. Sri Lanka's frequently "I'll like it if someone else likes it" market, is punishing on creators. Covers mean gigs. Covers mean safety.

"In 1998-1999 the scene was rampant with bands that only played cover versions," said Suresh.  "Save for the exception of Independent Square who inspired us in a big way." 

Suresh, along with co-founders Tennyson Napolean and Andrew Obeyesekere, formed Stigmata specifically to play heavier and harder edged music than anyone else was playing. They played a few covers in the early 2000s, but quickly moved away. They left safety, to work on their own material - something they could be remembered for. "It was our prerogative and passion to conceive our own music," said Suresh. "There was no infrastructure for originality ... It was a tedious time where we had to learn the ropes and grow step by step."

Over the next two decades, Stigmata released 4 albums (Hollow Dreams 2003, Silent Chaos Serpentine 2006, Psalms of Conscious Martyrdom 2010, The Ascetic Paradox 2015) and numerous singles.
They've performed in India, New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, the Maldives, Dubai, and Bangladesh. They headlined at the Southern Ultimate Explosion metal music festival in Malaysia, and at Rockstorm in the Maldives. In Bangladesh they played at the Dhaka Army Stadium for 40,000 people. 
Their single  "A Dead Rose Wails for Light" was on Out of Bounds on the Discovery Channel. In 2016 they were featured on the BBC's Daily Arts Show, presenting them to 50 million people. 

It takes great skill and talent to play covers admits Suresh. "But ... anything revolutionary has always been original." 

It's dedication that hasn't been without cost. Suresh doesn't go into details but he certainly tells it how it feels. "We have faced every unfathomable and inconceivable obstacle a band could face in a lifetime."

A feeling anyone who has truly had to struggle, knows well. 

“It’s alright to have an escape from the material world to a place where you can be whatever you want to be. ”

— Suresh de Silva, Stigmata

Why Comic Con?

Like most of us, Suresh and Tennyson became geeks early on. They grew up in the 80s: Transformers, He-Man, and Thundercats were on TV. Comics were DC and Marvel (how Archie survived that era, I'll never know). They played Super Mario and Mortal Kombat on their game consoles. 

Comic Con speaks to them more than as a celebration of geek identity though. To Suresh, Comic Con is a crossover of creative media, a sanctuary that encourages people to create. 

Hobbits Back from Mordor: "Sau-Who?"

Stigmata shares a problem with more than a few Sri Lankan brands - they are more recognized abroad, than in their own country. I asked Suresh what's it's like being like the hobbits, known in Middle Earth for their work, but under-reported in the Shire.

"It used to be annoying, I’ll give you that. But you grow and evolve."  While Stigmata has a larger following abroad than at home, the band just focuses on making music. Their goal is a large and impressive body of work they can be proud of, and hopefully inspire others, especially those "tethered and tamed and fit into society’s little convenient boxes."

“It used to be annoying, I’ll give you that. But you grow and evolve as people, as musicians, artists and learn to take the bad with the good and the great with the crap.”

— Suresh De Silva, Stigmata

After two decades - their entire adult lives - Stigmata doesn't have anything nice to say about the painfully boring smugness of society here. "Fuck that, no really. If you believe in yourself and your art, if you are passionate and you have patience as a virtue and are willing to work relentlessly for a very long time before you see results ... The only thing limiting us, is ourselves."

Join us at the Asus Lanka Comic Con Bus Mob (and Partay)

On July 29th, we're packing a double-decker full of cosplayers, and driving around Colombo. There will be waving at random strangers (who may wave back).  There will be picture-taking and instagramming. Security guards will chase us away, for no good reason.  Then we're taking over Crescat, where we'll hang out with other cosplayers, and people coming to see us. 
 

Get on the Bus!

If you want to ride the bus with us, you need to:

- Cosplay
- be the legal guardian of a cosplayer who is under 18 (who is also on the bus) 
- be a journalist covering the event (Journalists, please fill out this form)
 

If you want to cosplay and ride the bus, we need you to fill out this form.

There are limited spots on the bus, so priority is: 

- First come first served
- Cosplayers who participated last year
 

 

The Route 

We're still confirming the details, but didn't want to delay announcing so people working on their cosplays would at least have a month's notice. What we can tell you is:

- We're starting at 9am
- We're visiting some of our partner sites
- We're ending up at the ROG Masters at Crescat, for games and giveaways 

 

 

The Partay

At 12:30, we're gathering at the Crescat mall, at the ROG Masters Event. We'll be having games and giveaways and will also be selling Lanka Comic Con 2017 badges  - limited run souvenirs, that also get you into Asus Lanka Comic Con, 2017. 

You don't have to cosplay to come join us at Crescat. If you do want to cosplay, but don't get a place on the bus, please join us at Crescat instead. 

Cosplayers, sign up here to join the bus mob.

Yamato One: Sri Lanka's first Anime and Manga Startup

The Yamato One Team. Arigato! 

There are plenty of things harder than starting a business. Going to war. Doing surgery on yourself. Watching Transformers. But few trials are as a sustained as starting a business, especially in a town with so many negative nancies.  You give up a full-time income. You work 12+ hour days. Your friends wait patiently, for you to fail. 

But you do it. And sometimes, you're the one who succeeds.

"Lots of people advised us that anime is not popular in Sri Lanka," said Tami Fukii, co-founder of Yamato One. "But we thought there must be lots of anime/manga fans here and just need an opportunity." 

Tami and fellow founder Clinton de Kretser, had had the idea of starting a dedicated anime and manga business in Sri Lanka, for years. It would be something new and fun for Sri Lanka, especially for teenagers and adults. "You see toddler's shops full of toys, but it's hard to get gifts for teenagers, isn't it?"

While some say anime is childish, Clinton and Tami hold it to be entertainment for all ages. Topics range from romance and adventure, all the way to sports (Slam Dunk, Initial D), to biographies (Osamu Tezuka), even food (Yakitate).

The product was there; but was the market? 

“Lots of people advised us that anime is not popular in Sri Lanka.”

— Tami Fukii

After a trial event, they decided to take the plunge, and and bought a stall at Lanka Comic Con 2016. "We we're hoping, hoping, and hoping that people would come along who knew anime and manga," said Tami. "We underestimated Sri Lankan anime fans. Their knowledge and passion for anime/manga was amazing."

Yamato One is now the most popular anime and manga seller in the country. They actively engage their enthusiastic customer base on their Facebook page. They have an online store that delivers Island-wide. Next, they are opening physical store in Rajagiriya. "It's in a shopping complex under construction at the Rajagiriya junction. If the complex is completed soon, the store will be open by the end of the year." 

“We underestimated Sri Lankan anime fans. Their knowledge and passion for anime/manga was amazing.”

— Tami Fukii

Tami ami and Clinton have a larger vision than just buying and selling, and want to support the anime/manga community.  "We'd like to do a project with local anime and manga artists and fans." 

Yamato One will be at Lanka Comic Con, 2017. 

Seer: Death Sight - a Sri Lankan directed, Sci-Fi Action Series

Seer: Death Sight is a sci-fi action web series, starring Joey Ansah (The Bourne Ultimatum) and Christian Howard (Street Fighter: Assassin's fist). It was written, directed, and produced by Sandun Seneviratne. Together with executive producers Ray Martenstyn and Udana Fonseka they are Grindout Productions, a Sri Lankan production and distribution company.  

You can see the video, here (or click the picture, above).

“Human beings are hardwired to enjoy and tell stories.”

— Sandun Seneviratne

Sci-Fi Storytelling

"Human beings are hardwired to enjoy and tell stories," said Sandun, who has wanted to make films since he was a child.  "That's how we make sense of the world."

To Sandun, film-making is about telling stories through moving images. Hollywood genre movies in particular, he finds to be the most accessible and entertaining storytelling, in our culture.

"I am also a huge fan of Science Fiction," he added,  "it looks to the future and examines the limitless potential of humankind."

Seer: Death Sight is a web series about a psychic assassin, in a nuclear ruined world dominated by corporations. "I wanted to prove that it is possible to make a genre film with high level production value, stunts and visual effects with a limited budget," said Sandun. "My goal is to make these types of movies in Sri lanka, using Sri Lankan resources and involving Sri Lankan and international talent, which will appeal to a global audience."  

Hollywood Actors

If you find the actors in Death Sight familiar, it's because you should. 

"I was looking for the right leading man with the necessary action chops," said Sandun. "We were at the cinema watching The Bourne Ultimatum when we saw this mesmerizing action sequence where Matt Damon Fights an assassin (Joey Ansah) on the rooftops in Morocco. The sequence is still one of the best action scenes ever put on film. We found out that the actor who played the bad guy 'Desh' was living in London and decided to contact him. He loved the script and not only wanted to be involved but also brought in his stunt team and choreographed a brilliant action/martial arts sequence on a small budget."

Here's that fight scene. 

Ansah has also played the villain opposite John Cusack in The Numbers Station and appeared in smaller roles in several films including Snow White and the Huntsman He also wrote, directed and starred in the popular Web series Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist and its sequel TV series Street Fighter: Resurrection. In Street Fighter, he plays the main villain 'Akuma'. 

Christian Howard who plays bad guy 'Kano' in Seer: Death Sight appears as the the main character 'Ken' in the series 'Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist' and 'Street Fighter: Resurrection'.

'Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist' 2014

Tsuwayuki Saotome who plays another villain has appeared in 'London has Fallen', the sequel to 'Olympus Has Fallen,' opposite Gerard Butler.

Touring Conventions

 Seer: Death Sight has been screened at many top Sci-fi film festivals, including the Phoenix Comic Con Film Festival, Intl Sci-Fi and Fantasy Film Festival of Athens and Fantastic Planet: Sydney. It will be screened at Lanka Comic Con, where you can also meet the Grindout team. Grindout will be joining a panel on independent film making. 

“Science Fiction it looks to the future and examines the limitless potential of humankind.”

— Sandun Seneviratne

Inside Comic Con: Akila Weerasinghe creates a Tuk Tuk Hero

Last year we held a logo competition, for Lanka Comic Con 2016. We were so pleased with Akila Weerasinghe's entry, we decided to make it an official logo for Lanka Comic Con, period.

I talked to Akila about "Tuk Tuk Man," and how he came up with the design. 

"Firstly," he said, "this was an event celebrating things that I hold so dear, I wanted to try and make some contribution. Secondly, I was just stepping out as a designer and wanted more exposure."

Akila wanted to make the logo feel truly Sri Lankan, one people could look at and immediately see a connection. Like so many Sri Lankans, Akila grew up abroad, and the Tuk Tuk was always part and parcel of visits home.  

“I looked towards something I loved about Sri Lanka from my times spent here. Tuk-tuk, three wheeler, trishaw, whatever you wanna call it, was definitely something Sri Lankan.”

— Akila Weerasinghe, Graphics Designer

Version 1

His ever-supportive mother suggested he ditch his more complicated initial design, for plain colored, silhouettes:

Version 2

Later, his friend Sinthujan suggested adding boots, gloves, and an eye mask to bring out the superhero in the character. This design is what won the competition.

 

Version 3 

Finally, after consulting with the Comic Con team, Akila changed the font and made the colors match the national flag. 

 

 

 

An Early Calling

Since early childhood, Akila has been drawing. His parents encouraged him and sent him for art classes, where his interests broadened. Pencil portraits, watercolor landscapes, even pen and marker to graffiti. 

For the past four years Akila has worked in digital illustration and design. What started as a university pastime, has grown considerably. To see more of his work or for commissions, you can contact Akila on his page.
 

Lanka Comic Con wins Interim Injunction Against Raveen Wijayatilake

In December 2015, we discovered that Raveen Wijayatilake had acquired LankaComicCon.com, .net, and .org urls through GoDaddy.com. This was immediately following the breakdown in our relationship with him, after he demanded we give him the Lanka Comic Con trademark, which we refused. 
 
We then requested the urls be returned to us, and were ignored. We then made a second request, which was also ignored. We were informed by GoDaddy.com that we needed a legal decision before they would give us the urls, so we filed an injunction against him (H.C. (Civil) Case No. 33/2016/IP), in July of 2016. 
 
The injunction was that: 
He could not interfere with our event in any way
He could not infringe on our trademark
 
Following this, Raveen Wijayatilake announced along with his own event, SLCG, “Colombo Comic Con”. Further infringement followed by proxy, through mislead partners and vendors. For example: 
 

Interim Injunction

We received the interim injunction in our favor, on May 30th. It remains in place until we receive the permanent injunction. As such please be advised, that: 

Raveen Wijayatilake and/or his agents and/or his servants and/or any third party acting through him, are now prohibited by law, from using the Trade Mark ‘Lanka Comic Con’ and or any variations of it in any way including inter alia in any promotional activities or events or brochures, internet sites and/or domain names. 

 “We are pleased we won the interim injunction," said Thilani Samarasinha, Head of Lanka Comic Con. "Now we’re just going through the motions till we get the permanent one. It is high time this nonsense ended though. Comic Con is for all geeks to come together and celebrate our shared culture. It is not a celebration of personal egos.”

Documents

Domain Registration, LankaComicCon.COM
Domain Registration, LankaComicCon.NET
Domain Registration, LankaComicCon.ORG

Edit: Previously, we had stated SLCG had been rebranded as "Colombo Comic Con." This has been corrected.

Monday is the last day to get your Comic Con stall at 40% off

Comic Con stalls and tables are at 40% off, only until Monday (May 15th). 

If you want a stall (18,000 LKR) or a table (6,000 LKR) ** : 

1)  contact us here*
2) Make the payment to:

The Lanka Comic Con Trust
Commercial Bank, Thummulla Branch,
Current Account: 111 602 2457

3) Send us a pic of the payment slip

From Tuesday, the prices go up, to 20% off.   

*Do NOT Facebook me.
** Stalls get preferential placement over tables. For full details, click here.

Get a Comic Con All Access Pass, at Free Comic Book Day

We're selling all access badges to Asus Lanka Comic Con 2017, at the Free Comic Book Day and Geek Art Show.

Badges are 150/-. For that you: 

- Can attend BOTH days (and save 50 bucks! That's like 3 french fries) 
- Go the front of queues, for celebrity autographs and such. 
- Edit: They are limited souvenirs! 

These will NOT be available at Asus Lanka Comic Con. If you want to get one, you got to come to Free Comic Book Day. 

Come early, these are going to sell out.