tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91822889674528629042024-03-13T12:49:59.741+08:00Singapore Comixcthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.comBlogger558125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-46917794582432792662022-11-04T09:13:00.003+08:002022-11-04T09:40:09.875+08:00Review of Cockman by Ken Foo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTiq69MmR1aU13F4pNVRc3n-2LMi9gp-DnylQg7kxd5j3n-LOgmk-xTNAVV3DHqmGuKeBJlYDc41ZSkcWMycvlyaXmLabz0EMoRwGjEkV90RMZguQmyeFuN5mWUrGQGp_0I9K7MshzynyYmhAlx0WZNAgS8guQ8DZ2f1eOlgL6WYtnqxhyQR4tlHGY/s4032/313899687_3014392015526642_9213378776245034370_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTiq69MmR1aU13F4pNVRc3n-2LMi9gp-DnylQg7kxd5j3n-LOgmk-xTNAVV3DHqmGuKeBJlYDc41ZSkcWMycvlyaXmLabz0EMoRwGjEkV90RMZguQmyeFuN5mWUrGQGp_0I9K7MshzynyYmhAlx0WZNAgS8guQ8DZ2f1eOlgL6WYtnqxhyQR4tlHGY/s320/313899687_3014392015526642_9213378776245034370_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Can one write an objective review about a book they have
helped to sponsor? Should you write a review of a book drawn by a friend? Can
you be critical or should you be ‘nice’ and go gentle on said friend? But if
you have helped to sponsor the book, wouldn’t it be in your interest to write a
positive glowing review to recover your cost? After all, if you don’t look out
for yourself in this country, no one will. That will be a very cock thing to do
- to talk about maintaining journalistic integrity when no one gives a shit.
Cronyism and capitalism are more important to get ahead in life. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">[to digress. All great magazines (like this one) face this
moral and philosophical dilemmas. Just like BigO giving a 5-star review to the
Oddfellows. And The Comics Journal giving a full hard-on review of Love and
Rockets. We learn best practices only from the bestest.]<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But that’s the thing. Ken Foo doesn’t give a shit about all
these. Of course, he wants to be loved, to be famous, he wants the
chicks and sell thousands and thousands of Cockman. But the fool wants to do it
on his own terms. And that’s why I’m friends with him. He is a no nonsense,
take no prisoners, no retreat, no surrender kind of artist. In other words, he
is a cock. Only fools think that they can don’t sell out and survive in
Singapore. This place just makes you compromise little by little until you have
no pride and no integrity left. Life is full of disappointments and filled with
compromises. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is just damn fucking sad. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So to pick myself up, I read Cockman. It is the best book I
have read this year. But you guys know I don’t read ‘real’ books. I only read
books with pictures. Gin nah cheh with ang kong kia inside. Ang kong kia like
Cockman, Policeman, Gym Master, Dr Sanjay Bala aka Buttboon, Uncle Lee and
Blackcock. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgLOgxgQCc3hsabRqfll6g9dNwhkssbe514ElXpQOC_cS0yvQPpRH7YuCTzFxyeKqoZ5yleP-rAN-JfpYzKia8IvLDoru9SyNfPnk8NVrlTk4n5JLKCRrZ1hh-bFr5lgy1LZVM9NeX-DmJDfYHwEQ5EisomKLGy-QkxGkZXPW4G6hkiHOv34BishY/s4032/313976175_548705817081438_5418241502450660988_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgLOgxgQCc3hsabRqfll6g9dNwhkssbe514ElXpQOC_cS0yvQPpRH7YuCTzFxyeKqoZ5yleP-rAN-JfpYzKia8IvLDoru9SyNfPnk8NVrlTk4n5JLKCRrZ1hh-bFr5lgy1LZVM9NeX-DmJDfYHwEQ5EisomKLGy-QkxGkZXPW4G6hkiHOv34BishY/s320/313976175_548705817081438_5418241502450660988_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUn4HxQ3WFwTpMQAo9e5sBvrmaIre70blzMzZfVqY0rSjmGVnlO7unbVslekRePbiILkP0lHWOZMCuqF_fo4jsiEfLYXiLFqirFAxIWWubk9ExxKa0DkHqXTFeI5Lc44zJno-o2RwiFRtWJDjKyQZTikY5QS-8TAaOaL2roaj7wOscRyvp8dR7_4LB/s4032/314205980_1225882424630514_6861663090204901921_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUn4HxQ3WFwTpMQAo9e5sBvrmaIre70blzMzZfVqY0rSjmGVnlO7unbVslekRePbiILkP0lHWOZMCuqF_fo4jsiEfLYXiLFqirFAxIWWubk9ExxKa0DkHqXTFeI5Lc44zJno-o2RwiFRtWJDjKyQZTikY5QS-8TAaOaL2roaj7wOscRyvp8dR7_4LB/s320/314205980_1225882424630514_6861663090204901921_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">All these are classic characters who will join the pantheon of other
classic Ken Foo characters. Like Darby. What? You have not heard of Darby?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Shame on you.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To share a backstory of how cool Cockman is, it was actually
completed before covid. Ken asked me to recommend foreign and local comics
companies to publish Cockman. They refused to do so. Some didn’t even bother to
write back to tell him to fuck off.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">How rude.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Anyway, Ken decided to self-publish his cock at great cost. Then
he threatened to beat us with his cock if we don’t buy his book.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ok he didn’t really do that.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s just a bit of rubbing. <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HfIvvfBOvpnk8oybD9Oj4O5jz3eWjMsSLzZu3Ng5HpqDVszi55CUGSxgO1b8ta1wom7Di-Xg3JQCF5855TYQuW3HdVWt_sGHJ8D7ETlSlqBigeb3dfJ1MB74WbYoTkhOJzPJ1s-MiDGnEUfxqSkPF7qCx_Hl0SJMe_6gpQ5VxyY8v-r9JjYe5MBC/s4032/313908753_649154296873529_2594496476122812451_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HfIvvfBOvpnk8oybD9Oj4O5jz3eWjMsSLzZu3Ng5HpqDVszi55CUGSxgO1b8ta1wom7Di-Xg3JQCF5855TYQuW3HdVWt_sGHJ8D7ETlSlqBigeb3dfJ1MB74WbYoTkhOJzPJ1s-MiDGnEUfxqSkPF7qCx_Hl0SJMe_6gpQ5VxyY8v-r9JjYe5MBC/s320/313908753_649154296873529_2594496476122812451_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But before you think we are bending over backwards (or just
bending over) for some ken love, let’s acknowledge how difficult it is to be
published overseas when your content is so local. Should you change your story
/ art to accommodate to the foreign market? But even if you stay local, you can’t
sell either because the local readers won’t buy. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There lies the rub. Ken insists on local content, low brow,
tasteless, obiang humour. He claimed it is not offensive at all. That his
cockness is very mild. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>“Can’t you losers take a joke?”</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(anyway I told Ken no one will be offended because hardly
anyone will buy and read it in the first place)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is no censorship, editing or changes made to the book.
Ken would not allow it. He will beat you very hard with his cock.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is pure unadulterated Ken Foo in his full glory. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We are so lucky to live in this age.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To prove that there is character development in Cockman, see
these. <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhap1KUvHVG1PxqTVvxL8VzUdcnCNQMm2mFAJfB3OAxgSu9ry0sGA67bYhjzvQHfnmj3X2jAXk_gLopTG0oe3ptBKhqTemkuKEbSmIB11QtgCKBhZkWDe1ie6R2N6ucKBYMfQgQVrFwREn_p6wx4JMzpMBMejZuBTyAj6gVw7ku1f24vBoTc7SxmylN/s4032/314424630_825112922025459_1242048218646498444_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhap1KUvHVG1PxqTVvxL8VzUdcnCNQMm2mFAJfB3OAxgSu9ry0sGA67bYhjzvQHfnmj3X2jAXk_gLopTG0oe3ptBKhqTemkuKEbSmIB11QtgCKBhZkWDe1ie6R2N6ucKBYMfQgQVrFwREn_p6wx4JMzpMBMejZuBTyAj6gVw7ku1f24vBoTc7SxmylN/s320/314424630_825112922025459_1242048218646498444_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifFzjS-vCcGZQLFjnNVT5BeHmBc4sJ-BxHju9J4Rl47ZxzAH5z0AeelDYuFr5kX4StRCWOEF35aNIAc89h0-gmACITtXdU7ZvizSVlx8nTqNE_-jWRkjvHADW89-ERN-wILIipPlU5v7G-TZZ8NWrJIoB9wQqSPJjE74kbX3y6viTPL9BUe0wLh_oc/s4032/314344072_815965453073030_2002152946544611944_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifFzjS-vCcGZQLFjnNVT5BeHmBc4sJ-BxHju9J4Rl47ZxzAH5z0AeelDYuFr5kX4StRCWOEF35aNIAc89h0-gmACITtXdU7ZvizSVlx8nTqNE_-jWRkjvHADW89-ERN-wILIipPlU5v7G-TZZ8NWrJIoB9wQqSPJjE74kbX3y6viTPL9BUe0wLh_oc/s320/314344072_815965453073030_2002152946544611944_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0C69x4qloq3cNCKA7fS4TtsYd9mtnl_vfy8N90n60HHrLg7rhnW7uEyDMRVj42ZGxZWTbJA-1C-l4HFpb7K_9JsLmuqXAyx9v6pawpmR0KLkRpEOXZqjMG_eAxq6BBky7HJZpqME3jB14ZEJHMAUU704H3U9dd5uTQfON4sevVKfCQjQDmpF2bqR/s4032/314400280_816595926316286_30154779513034592_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0C69x4qloq3cNCKA7fS4TtsYd9mtnl_vfy8N90n60HHrLg7rhnW7uEyDMRVj42ZGxZWTbJA-1C-l4HFpb7K_9JsLmuqXAyx9v6pawpmR0KLkRpEOXZqjMG_eAxq6BBky7HJZpqME3jB14ZEJHMAUU704H3U9dd5uTQfON4sevVKfCQjQDmpF2bqR/s320/314400280_816595926316286_30154779513034592_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7YLg47HL9ZHj8voKZ9fqCbfy1Ln5_mLtun2gU2M0eV5Gh0MYOhkn8zlN0ktxubAeeM5OXknCaMG4Cz60XEu0JQASVbzeQfjUAqbQHpKh16ueCBU0unp_7YORAJUnyn2Ewwz6ImCVbjOds5KacbMqBL73HX8FWxnRwk1EHaMwrkzkurFzcKmudXC-/s4032/308846733_688710952688629_543382277237890168_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7YLg47HL9ZHj8voKZ9fqCbfy1Ln5_mLtun2gU2M0eV5Gh0MYOhkn8zlN0ktxubAeeM5OXknCaMG4Cz60XEu0JQASVbzeQfjUAqbQHpKh16ueCBU0unp_7YORAJUnyn2Ewwz6ImCVbjOds5KacbMqBL73HX8FWxnRwk1EHaMwrkzkurFzcKmudXC-/s320/308846733_688710952688629_543382277237890168_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">My only request – for ken to bring Cassandra back.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNjpXUSkWZJdenQ47CoW1-_27Y8XlKr-7HKILL-O980F98cM91lbei-NDlZwX36TgfcR5AO_tlqhPXxAXC-CdwULAOydZPkwRvMGVLuaK3k1vGomjvf8Z0NfnI9r9mNRZZbWnpY0_zlOQ5GD-azaHpi6iJ1ynk4AoBVAlfOCRqzs_bj3MNG9R9-BS/s4032/313890730_1914114682253540_139055459566542554_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNjpXUSkWZJdenQ47CoW1-_27Y8XlKr-7HKILL-O980F98cM91lbei-NDlZwX36TgfcR5AO_tlqhPXxAXC-CdwULAOydZPkwRvMGVLuaK3k1vGomjvf8Z0NfnI9r9mNRZZbWnpY0_zlOQ5GD-azaHpi6iJ1ynk4AoBVAlfOCRqzs_bj3MNG9R9-BS/s320/313890730_1914114682253540_139055459566542554_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">If you really want to buy the book despite of my review, try
Kinokuniya and WH Smith. Don’t bother with Popular, MPH, Times and all other not
so good bookshops. <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_kxtE9CVA3DwNW2x5OrTrOU2exvCv5TxTJIuW0RHD6h80f5BMD9xvgPAk44IZn5sdHlA8uDqgI2IJE7CFHn_QNurFykzAwT_O8yQkaF4XQHN-n5_cTCQ8oOXCsc9BVJih77BBv3FKPE2QNmT8c2umtL9Q4Z0VcRkuQD1ErYfGyh4oSg4q0NUhCqS/s4032/308787997_5553614568008041_4918795296836192172_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_kxtE9CVA3DwNW2x5OrTrOU2exvCv5TxTJIuW0RHD6h80f5BMD9xvgPAk44IZn5sdHlA8uDqgI2IJE7CFHn_QNurFykzAwT_O8yQkaF4XQHN-n5_cTCQ8oOXCsc9BVJih77BBv3FKPE2QNmT8c2umtL9Q4Z0VcRkuQD1ErYfGyh4oSg4q0NUhCqS/s320/308787997_5553614568008041_4918795296836192172_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">I agree. The aunt / mom is hot. I like it how ken's character only have whites in their eyes. most of them do not have pupils. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-47066880468886143172021-11-12T23:02:00.001+08:002021-11-12T23:17:51.235+08:00Drawing the Line<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wdijqeQn6tg/YY5-Japy7OI/AAAAAAAAMzU/G-Ygl8UCrqAGWbVMnzBBvzRTl1DrdT6MgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1500/Drop-Your-Weapons-kal-econ-9-2-17synd-e1511120910353-1500w-compressor.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="982" data-original-width="1500" height="363" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wdijqeQn6tg/YY5-Japy7OI/AAAAAAAAMzU/G-Ygl8UCrqAGWbVMnzBBvzRTl1DrdT6MgCLcBGAsYHQ/w556-h363/Drop-Your-Weapons-kal-econ-9-2-17synd-e1511120910353-1500w-compressor.jpeg" width="556" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>The first piece of comics scholarship I wrote back in the 1990s was on political cartooning in Singapore. Since then, I have written about comic books, graphic novels, manga but not so much on comic strips, except for The House of Cheah exhibition I curated in 2020 on Cheah Sin Ann, the comic strip artist of The House of Lim. I focused largely on Singapore and Southeast Asian comics. But things have a funny way of circling back. </p><p>My assessment of political cartooning in Singapore back then, and unfortunately still holding true today, was that the form was stunted after the country gained independence in 1965. A new nation did not need frivolous political cartoonists to criticize its policies and to make fun of its political leaders. The new government required consensus, not cartoons, for national building. In their minds, politics was a serious business, a matter of life and death, of political survival. They had enough trouble from their political foes, economic woes and social problems. If you want to comment on political issues, you either get into the ring and run for the polls or you shut up. </p><p>This had two long lasting effects. It determined the kind of political space and discourse that we had from the 1960s to the 1980s. Politics was only meant for the serious-minded, the elites and not for the semi-serious, the armchair critics who snip from the side. This led to a disengagement of political affairs among the young which was detrimental when the state sought renewal of its political leadership and raise civil consciousness. </p><p>The other long lasting effect it had was on the medium of political cartooning itself. We had a strong tradition of political cartooning in the 1950s and our best caricaturist was Tan Huay Peng. His caricatures were spot on and anyone could identify the politician he was satirizing. But caricaturing a political leader was seen as disrespectful and subverting the institutions of power and authority from the 1960s onwards. The message was sent out that politics was no laughing matter and political cartoons and caricatures were a no no. </p><p>Some editorial cartoons were allowed in the 1970s and 1980s but they were largely about foreign events and politicians. If you want to comment on local current affairs, you could reflect the policies but you could not caricature the politicians. Cartoonists should be supportive of government policies and only gentle humor was allowed. Nothing in your face, do not wield the savage pencil or hold up the mirror. It is not for you to comment on the emperor’s new clothes. To me, these are not political cartoons, they are just illustrations. </p><p>There was no official ban on political cartoons but when editors stop stopped accepting local political cartoons for publication, the artists got the hint. </p><p>There was some improvement in the 1990s with a change of political leadership (gracious society and the need for Singapore to be a cool city in the global economy) and we did have some political cartoon books by George Nonis, Joe Yeoh and a just returned from HK Morgan Chua. But these were older artists. The damage was done, the young cartoonists did not draw caricatures or did not have the skills to do so. A cartoon book about young Lee Kuan Yew (the first prime minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990) was quickly rushed out after the run away success of Lee’s memoirs in the late 1990s. Lee did not like to be caricatured in the 1960s and 1970s and his dislike of political cartoons became the unofficial policy. So when caricatures of Lee were ‘allowed’ to return in a cartoon book aimed at younger readers, they were some of worse cartoons drawn of Lee that I have seen. It was just badly drawn. </p><p>The lack of caricaturing ability is debilitating. This could be seen in the case of Leslie Chew. After the 2011 general elections in Singapore, Chew started to draw political cartoons using the moniker Demoncratic on social media. Chew would be the first to admit he was not an artist but just fooling around with cartooning software to depict certain injustice he witnessed. Two years later, he got into trouble with the law for his cartoons and he was initially charged with sedition and later that was amended to contempt of court. Part of problem was that there was no subtlety in Chew’s cartoons as he did not use the tools of political cartooning in his computer generated drawings. I am not sure if he was aware of our rich history of political cartooning in the 1950s, but if he was able to draw proper caricatures and avail to himself other tools like the use of symbolism, metaphors and puns, he might not have given up drawing cartoons after his brush with the law. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wepWjpXviYk/YY6BaSz3GII/AAAAAAAAMzs/eNtZr9QLzWclY8lSejkDlGvPSAHVMEkBgCLcBGAsYHQ/s763/200624_anngee_Facebook.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="763" height="304" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wepWjpXviYk/YY6BaSz3GII/AAAAAAAAMzs/eNtZr9QLzWclY8lSejkDlGvPSAHVMEkBgCLcBGAsYHQ/w457-h304/200624_anngee_Facebook.jpeg" width="457" /></a></div><br /><p><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>(Anngee Neo)</p><p>Which brings us to today’s political cartoons found on online. The local newspapers still do not run many political cartoons about Singapore, much less caricatures of local politicians. One would expect more of the latter on social media since many of the cartoonists are drawing for themselves and using IG to express their opinions. But looking at the works of Anngee Neo and Highnunchicken, they do not draw caricatures much either although their political cartoons are no less hard-hitting. Both are some of the more interesting current affairs cartoonists to emerge in Singapore in recent years. Anngee, the more polemic of the two, specializes in PSA - public service announcements, especially during the period of general elections in Singapore. Highnunchicken, a collective of artists, draw in The New Yorker style of one panel cartoons, making digs at Singapore life. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NPfX-ChubfE/YY5_l-iRADI/AAAAAAAAMzc/WlNfR3endZs3PggSyokFw7ugqh2LtR_5ACLcBGAsYHQ/s225/highnunchicken.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="376" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NPfX-ChubfE/YY5_l-iRADI/AAAAAAAAMzc/WlNfR3endZs3PggSyokFw7ugqh2LtR_5ACLcBGAsYHQ/w376-h376/highnunchicken.jpeg" width="376" /></a></div><p><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>(Highnunchicken)</p><p>I moderated them in a political cartoon panel called Where to Draw The Line for the Singapore Writers Festival 2021 and I wanted them to exchange views with an international veteran, KAL, the famed political cartoonist of The Economist. To reclaim our heritage, we need to look back and look beyond Singapore and at places where political caricatures speak truth to power. </p><p>But these days, it is difficult to know where to draw the lines. As much as the state still makes the call of what is permissible such as the recent banning of Red Lines, ironically a book about political cartoons and the struggle against censorship, cancel culture is also a threat to what political cartoonists can or cannot draw. Anngee is being realistic when she said there are some topics she would not touch because she knows there will be a shit storm if she goes there. She was not referring to government sanctions. The people can easily turn on you.</p><p>There are more political satire and humor in Singapore now as seen in theatre and social media. Maybe we need not be so hung up about the lack of political cartoons and caricatures. But the space afforded to political cartoons by the politicians and the people says very much of the kind of society we live in. Can we laugh at ourselves? Do we know how to after so long? </p><p>Check out Anngee Neo, Highnunchicken and KAL on Where to Draw The Line, happening on 13 Nov, 2.30 - 3.30 pm. </p><p><a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/programme-details/conversations/where-to-draw-the-line">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/programme-details/conversations/where-to-draw-the-line</a></p>cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-81127730684553897192021-11-04T11:51:00.000+08:002021-11-04T11:51:26.519+08:00SWF 2021 - Year of the Rabbit by Tian Veasna<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gDfpL15i5VA/YYNYSvWjxQI/AAAAAAAAMyQ/RzZJV9htC8MwFG1odgWBsc5DT5k13x4sACLcBGAsYHQ/s585/year%2Bof%2Brabbit.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="400" height="514" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gDfpL15i5VA/YYNYSvWjxQI/AAAAAAAAMyQ/RzZJV9htC8MwFG1odgWBsc5DT5k13x4sACLcBGAsYHQ/w352-h514/year%2Bof%2Brabbit.jpeg" width="352" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>The thing I like about the Singapore Writers Festival is that it exposes me to new writers and new books. I tried to keep up but there are so many books out there that sometimes you just need that push to read that book that is under your radar.</p><p>I have heard good things about Tian Veasna’s Year of the Rabbit (Drawn & Quarterly, 2020) but never got the chance to explore it. Until I got to moderate a panel related to Southeast Asian comics for SWF 2021. I proposed the panel and Tian’s name came up, so why not? Any gentle nudge to read a new book is good. </p><p>And I am glad I did as Year of the Rabbit is one of the best books I have read this year. Tian was born three days after the Khmer Rouge took control of Cambodia in 1975 and this book detailed his family eventual escape to the Thai border in 1979. It is a harrowing story told with much of the actual violence taken place off panel (intentional of Tian). He is not the ‘hero’ of the story as he was only a baby between 1975 and 1979, but this family story of running, hiding and the years of living dangerously had a big impact on him and his psyche. I have always wondered how people live their lives during wartime and in long periods of chaos and instability. It is to be in a constant state of stress but the human mind is an amazing thing - you adapt and you adjust. I realized that after visiting cartoonist friends in Jakarta in 2000, just two years after the riots and the physical city was still recovering from the violence. </p><p>What struck me about the Year of the Rabbit is why this book had taken off. I am revealing my vintage, but stories of Indochinese refugees have been in my cinematic consciousness since the 1980s. From Hong Kong, we have Ann Hui’s The Story of Woo Viet (1981) and Boat People (1982). The actual events of Khmer Rouge’s Year Zero were explored in The Killing Fields (1984), the Oscar winning film. In recent years, the experiences of Vietnamese refugees have been documented in GB Tran’s Vietamerica (2010) and Thi Bui’s The Best We Could Do (2017). Online, there is also Matt Huynh’s interactive comic, The Boat (2015). </p><p>For what happened in Cambodia, Tian is not the first comic artist to mine his family history. French-Cambodian comic artist, Sera is probably the first to do so. He is older than Tian and could remember entering the French embassy with his French national mother in 1975 but his Cambodian father could not enter the compound. His father did not survive and for years he was angry with the French for letting his father die. We invited Sera for SWF in 2017 and we had beer and makan at Newton Circus. Benjamin Dix, who wrote the graphic novel, Vanni, about the Sri Lanka civil war and refugee crisis, was also a guest of SWF in 2017.</p><p>So, in my mind, what happened in Cambodia was not that remote or unfamiliar. I was teaching Southeast Asian history in the late 1990s and saw together with my students history unfolding in front of us - the final defeat of the Khmer Rouge by Hun Sen, the death of Pol Pot and the arrest and trial of the Khmer Rouge leaders. </p><p>During our discussion, I asked Tian have the people really forgotten about the Khmer Rouge and the killing fields. He shared that that was one of the reasons he did this book. Other than to find out more about his own family history and to make sense of who and where he came from, from his visits to Cambodia, he had realized that many of the young people in Cambodia did not know about this tragic past. He felt that such stories need to be told and retold and every generation should be reminded of what happened in 1975. It was not a story with lessons confined to Southeast Asia but it has parallels to similar events in Serbia, Croatia and Rwanda. I am reminded of my own trip to Cambodia many years ago. I saw many young people and old folks but the in-betweens I was told by a local guide were killed. The person i spoke to is the only survivor in his family. I looked at the young people in the streets of Phnom Penh and they were just hanging around, doing the things young people all over the world do, and I wondered if they knew. </p><p>Tian’s answer is that many of them don’t. And thus the Year of the Rabbit. To me, the book testifies to the power of comics in telling stories, in communicating, in putting us in communion with the past and learning about ourselves and our failings. There are still many stories to tell - the Rohingya crisis and what is happening in Myanmar now. I wondered how the political cartoonists I met in Yangon are doing. </p><p>Tian will be featured in this SWF panel on 10 Nov, 7-8 pm.</p><p><a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/programme-details/conversations/from-disposable-to-desirable-talking-trash-about-comics">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/programme-details/conversations/from-disposable-to-desirable-talking-trash-about-comics</a></p>cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-4797061957178213062021-08-24T07:23:00.003+08:002021-08-24T10:25:22.836+08:00Let's Not Talk Anymore - Chatting with Weng Pixin again in 2021<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aKRSqfXDMug/YSQeofSxgwI/AAAAAAAALlE/C8IiW6gWISAeA1dRRBNjZJwtbnHuJ-t_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Photo%2B4-5-21%252C%2B10%2B35%2B58%2BAM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aKRSqfXDMug/YSQeofSxgwI/AAAAAAAALlE/C8IiW6gWISAeA1dRRBNjZJwtbnHuJ-t_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Photo%2B4-5-21%252C%2B10%2B35%2B58%2BAM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>I can’t remember when I first heard about, met or read Weng Pixin’s comics, but I suspect it got to do with Andrew Tan/drewscape. He drew this comic about us visiting Pixin at her Bali Lane shop. </b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CiDMu6rsH9s/YSQnS82e0vI/AAAAAAAALls/fHi4F0rvr8AahUPuRODzCfb4ZlvNJ8V0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/image%2B%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CiDMu6rsH9s/YSQnS82e0vI/AAAAAAAALls/fHi4F0rvr8AahUPuRODzCfb4ZlvNJ8V0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/image%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /><b><br /></b></span></span><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lSfFH31LBPI/YSQnbGh-QvI/AAAAAAAALlw/FBFtTnay1DURyScfaaMwq7VsF86fuLBxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/image%2B%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lSfFH31LBPI/YSQnbGh-QvI/AAAAAAAALlw/FBFtTnay1DURyScfaaMwq7VsF86fuLBxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/image%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>That's a long time ago and I think drew had a crush on Pixin, but what do I know?</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>In any case, I bought many of her early mini comics, read them and this was my assessment of her works back in 2012:</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>Weng Pixin is a 28-year old artist who graduated from the Lasalle College of the Arts in Singapore in 2004. She sells her own handmade toys from recycled materials in a shop she opened in 2008. Currently she also teaches part time at Lasalle on how to draw comics.</i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i> </i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>Pixin, as she is known, is not a professional comic artist. But she has created a few mini comics over the last few years, which she sells at her shop and book shops like Books Actually. At last count, she has made 8 mini comics and 3 poster comics.</i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i> </i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>Pixin did not want to be interviewed for this paper so I do not know her print run, sales or target audience. But according to Books Actually, there is no fixed demographic for those who bought Pixin’s comics. About 20 to 30 copies were sold over a one-year period, which was decent for a zine or mini comic in Singapore. But there is no way Pixin is depending on her comics to make a living even though they are priced at SGD$10 and above, double the price of most other mini comics in Singapore.</i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i> </i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>Pixin’s influence are Harvey Pekar and Jeffrey Brown. She seeks to emulate the emotional and intellectual intensity of the former but is closer to the latter’s lovelorn remembrances.</i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i> </i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>Pixin does some fictional works, but her major comics so far are the 2-parter, Please To Meet You and I’ve Lost An Ocean, which detailed the fallout of her breakup with her boyfriend in 2006.</i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i> </i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>Pixin described these 2 works as diary-entries, and doing these comics is meant to be therapeutic for her. In the afterword, she said she was advised by family and friends to not be overly edited. Thus, Pixin’s comics falls within the category of what Hillary Chute described as reimagining trauma, whereby artists return literally to events to re-view them. </i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i> </i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>In that sense, Pixin is in good company. Some of the best comics by female artists are autobiographical ones about relationships. More specifically, father-daughter relationships: Fun Home (2006) by Alison Bechdel and You Will Never Know (2009) by Carol Tyler.</i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i> </i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>Pixin does not have issues with her father. (the father made a rare appearance in I’ve Lost An Ocean to ask how she is) But she is left wondering why her boyfriend broke up with her. At the end of the 2 books, she and us are still in the dark about that. No real reasons were given. We catch a few glimpses of the boyfriend in the comics, but he remained a mystery man.</i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i> </i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>The first book, Please To Meet You is a blow by blow account of the fallout. But obviously one book is not enough. The catharsis is incomplete. The second book, I’ve Lost An Ocean is more reflective. It takes place immediately after the events of Please To Meet You – it shows how Pixin picked herself up, recovered from the experience and reconciled with the breakup. She still described her boyfriend as kind and gentle even though she was dumped for no good reason. And truthfully, she presented us with no reasons. There are no answers, just ellipsis.</i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>---</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>While I presented the above (very raw) analysis at a comics conference in Hanoi, they were never published. Reading them now, I think ellipsis, whether intentional or not, has become a narrative trope of Pixin’s. You don’t have to explain everything. Some things happened for no reason. You just got to let go and accept.</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b> </b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>Since 2012, I continue to follow Pixin’s works, buying them when I can find them. I finally got a chance to interview her in 2016.</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><a href="http://singaporecomix.blogspot.com/2016/11/illustration-arts-fest-singapore.html">http://singaporecomix.blogspot.com/2016/11/illustration-arts-fest-singapore.html</a></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>(mm…I have reused what I wrote above in the interview)</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>I moderated Pixin in comics panels at the Singapore Writers Festival in 2019 and 2020. The latter was about her book, Sweet Time, which I reviewed for my friend’s Paul Gravett’s website. Here’s the review:</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>Wendy Pixin is the first Singapore comic artist to be published by Drawn & Quarterly, so that is a big deal. Pixin has been making her heartbreak comics for more than a decade and she has grown over the years. She still pours her heart out, but it is more controlled with a stronger sense of narrative and the use of colours to widen the palette of emotions of this cruel thing called love (before her zines were in black-and-white). The stories in Sweet Time can also be classified under travelogues, as they are vignettes of leaving things behind and sorting out your emotions in a foreign land. I asked Pixin if travelling is a way of leaving your problems behind. She replied, you can’t, you carry them with you wherever you go.</i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><a href="http://paulgravett.com/articles/article/best_comics_of_2020_an_international_perspective_part_1">http://paulgravett.com/articles/article/best_comics_of_2020_an_international_perspective_part_1</a></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>That’s pretty much brings us up to date to 2021 with the publication of Pixin’s second book with Drawn & Quarterly, Let’s Not Talk Anymore, which is about her matrilineal line - her mother, grandmother, great grandmother and her yet to be born daughter. </b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>While Sweet Time is a collection of Pixin’ stories she created when she was 25 to her early 30s, Let’s Not Talk Anymore is an ambitious long form narrative that cris-cross time, space and emotions. Nothing quite like anything we have seen in Singapore comics. So I wanted to interview her again.</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>---</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>Q: I first heard about this project at our panel at the Singapore Writers Fest in 2019. How did this book come about and what made you want to do such a book? </b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>I wanted to think about the figures along my matrilineal line because I knew very little about my mother’s side of the family. It became quite clear that they - the women along my matrilineal line- came from a time, culture and environment that discouraged them from developing the ability to communicate and express their internal world. I see the negative consequences of that manifest in their discomforts in communicating their needs and desires in the present times. This has also led little to no meaningful stories being passed down from one generation to the next. So art came in to help me acknowledge and address this gap.</i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>The matrimonial line:</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>Kuan (great-grandmother) - who left China for Singapore in 1908 at age 15</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>Mei (grandmother) - abandoned by Kuan and adopted by a seamstress in 1947</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>Bing (mother) - a student in 1972 who has to take care of her two younger brothers. Her mother, Mei is a bitter woman.</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>Bi (aka Pixin) - a moody student in 1998. She doesn’t get along with her mom, Bing.</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>Rita (imaginary daughter) - Bi’s daughter in 2032 who hangs out with her cousin, Solar. Rita also visits her aunty (Solar’s mom).</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>Q: In 2032, Rita recalls coming across a big leaf with her mom (that's you, Pixin). And that leads to a discussion on water, blood and family ties. "Everything must start somewhere." I am curious. Why is it important (for you) to know who was at the start and to start somewhere…?</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>I am generally curious about a person’s story - how they have come to be in different stages and in different moments of their life, in the choices they make…in the choices they don’t make. In particular to “Let’s Not Talk Anymore”, in the choices they cannot make. I like to think about the layers of reasons behind that, and wanted to find a visual metaphor to represent those cycles or paths, in reference to Rita’s big leaf moment. </i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IPfFqrmeCrU/YSQhhVqOgOI/AAAAAAAALlM/DxpxDiZbanwR1a-jbgTCSlgQQ8HoTFqQQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Photo%2B11-9-20%252C%2B9%2B23%2B26%2BAM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2038" data-original-width="2048" height="318" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IPfFqrmeCrU/YSQhhVqOgOI/AAAAAAAALlM/DxpxDiZbanwR1a-jbgTCSlgQQ8HoTFqQQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Photo%2B11-9-20%252C%2B9%2B23%2B26%2BAM.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>There’s almost no negative outcome I can think of, in the pursuit to understand one’s past. Even if something felt to be unpleasant or soul-crushing be discovered, I reckon it can only serve as lessons to be made sense of, and to give us opportunities to learn something in order for us to be better people to ourselves and to others in the present moment. In the comic, Rita was created to express these sentiments. </i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>Q: In 2032, Rita wanted to draw from memory. Pixin, did you draw from memory and did you draw from memory?</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>Rita’s interest to “draw from memory” was perhaps my way of saying: our memory shifts, our memories are not an exact replica or copy of what had happened a second ago…or a generation ago. Every time we recall a memory, we have reshaped our narratives with time, with bias and with our internal emotional landscapes. Rita and Solar’s conversation on memory earlier on in the book was also a way (for me) to say: This is not an autobiographical story, but rather an imagination and glimpse into these characters’ lives at the typically tumultuous age of 15.</i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>Q: On this topic of drawing, in 1972, w</b></span></span><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 17px;">hen Bing first appeared with her younger brothers and walking with them to school, she is drawn way much bigger than them. Almost like a giant. I take it that this perspective is intentional?</b></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>Why the flatness as an artistic style / choice? I kept looking at the image of Bi drawing at the table in 1998. (when she spilled her water and her mom was kind to her) The squares on the floor just accentuate the flatness of the drawing. </b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>I’ve always been drawn to art that are composed of flat shapes and colours (such as the motifs found in ancient Peruvian textiles), or art that leans towards unrealistic perspectives or are visually ‘off’ in certain ways. As an art student, I loved art made by outsider artists (and I still do!). I remembered subscribing to RAW magazine, a magazine that provided tons of information on outsider art. I was always immensely happy when a new copy has arrived in the mail. I found myself drawn to Henry Darger’s works, where his drawings are composed of a mix of tracings that he had made from found printed materials, alongside drawings of his own. Darger would arrange them one over the other or side-by-side, creating a world that was chaotic, incredibly beautiful and intricate. </i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>I imagine working with children as an art teacher has also influenced me to find inspiration in carefree approaches towards picture-making. I’m always in awe of how children’s style of mark-making and line-drawings take on very unexpected routes. It is impossible to copy children’s drawings! It is quite similar to the drawings made by adults who have very little art experience. I usually find those drawings kinda special to look at, as they have been made using a different set of decision-making sequences. </i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>A funny story to this, is how I once took a picture of a drawing that my colleague had made while she was on the phone. My colleague did not come from an arts-based background. So she drew this smiley face while concentrating on her phone call. I took a photo because there was just something about the way she had drawn that smiley face…that looked and felt extra right and extra goofy. She wasn’t convinced when I told her I really liked her drawing, as she knew of my art and the work I do. I replicated her drawing in front of her, and tried to tell her why my replica did not capture the goofy essence that I see in hers. She was still not convinced (haha) but was definitely flattered that her smiley face won a fan. </i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>Q: As much as the book is about mothers, it is also about absent fathers. In 2032, Rita recalls her grandfather, who is Pixin's father. But he is no longer around by then. In 1972, Bing misses her father. Her mom said to her, "People come and go. That's life. No point crying." You thanked your own dad at the back of the book for instilling in you a sense of curiosity in your storytelling. Why the focus on mothers in this book? Or will there be a book about fathers in the future?</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>The inspiration at the root of “Let’s Not Talk Anymore” is my frustration with the lack of stories through the generations along my matrilineal line. I’ve always been drawn to depicting the dysfunctions in life and in particular - relationships between people who are complex and contradictory. While my father’s chirpy and curious personality has always been a source of comfort and support for me, it hasn’t quite resonated into an inspiration for a story yet. </i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pg3HS7uqT8I/YSQjVSRBn-I/AAAAAAAALlU/zLL9xqMeJiE-wI23pNBs6dhFDmiYpNoWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IG%2BPost%2B3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pg3HS7uqT8I/YSQjVSRBn-I/AAAAAAAALlU/zLL9xqMeJiE-wI23pNBs6dhFDmiYpNoWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IG%2BPost%2B3.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>Q: 1998 - growing up is hard. Being a teenager is tough. The adults don't understand you. You just listen to Smashing Pumpkins all the time. You don't even understand yourself, like why you are crying. How long did it take you to grow out of melancholia? Or not.</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4dLlne0nWPg/YSQjdQvEMZI/AAAAAAAALlY/IKJFiN0ulZIuIq0-EksfoXGR7CYXArQmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IG%2BPost%2B3a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4dLlne0nWPg/YSQjdQvEMZI/AAAAAAAALlY/IKJFiN0ulZIuIq0-EksfoXGR7CYXArQmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IG%2BPost%2B3a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>One of the things I was interested to explore in “Let’s Not Talk Anymore” is a person’s capacity to attend to others’ emotional needs. This can be learnt from how our own emotional needs or feelings had been attended to during our developing years. Referring to this particular segment you’ve picked up on, my character Bi is frustrated with her mother Bing’s conflicting behaviour: Bing has been shown to be rather cold, and generally unable to attune to Bi’s needs, yet demands Bi to speak up. In Bing’s own story, we noticed that her mother Mei, is dismissive of her troubles and hurt. Same goes for some clues left in Mei’s story, I wanted to capture a pattern of emotional unavailability that’s been passed down from mother to child. I chose mothers rather than fathers because of my personal experiences and observations of my mother, because of my interest in women’s lives of that particular period (1890s - 1970s) and because in that particular time frame, primary caregivers within a household tended to be mothers or female caregivers.</i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>Q: In 2032, Rita and Solar were chatting. </b></span></span><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 17px;">Solar talked about how her mom felt stifled while growing up. </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 17px;">Is it bad to pretend we are fine when we are not?</b></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 17px;"><br /></b></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>I generally avoid thinking whether something is good or bad, where it is much more helpful to tease those out a little. I think it can be a survival and coping mechanism to “pretend we are fine”. In certain situations, it can be vital. For example, if you are in a life-threatening situation such as an abusive relationship, it may be necessary to “pretend we are fine”, just so you can be intact in order to strategise an exit. In a less intense example, it might be helpful to“pretend we are fine” after a disagreement with a friend. This can be a necessary momentary pause from the tension. </i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>In reference to Solar’s statement about her mother feeling stifled and “pretended everything’s fine”… there is little to no good that comes from prolonged periods of being discouraged to communicate, especially when you’re being censored by the very person whom you’re suppose to trust. In this scenario, pretending does more harm than good, because in pretending- you learn to believe your words and your life don’t matter enough, and that ultimately the love you receive is conditional. </i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>Pretending one is fine is a very complicated thing and in certain ways, exploring that complexity is part of the reason I worked on “Let’s Not Talk Anymore”. Whatever form of “pretending we are fine” takes, it is always due to a lack of communication.</i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>Q: In 2032, Rita and Solar talked about what life would be like to live in a world where you have no control over your life. </b></span></span><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 17px;">But is it possible at all to have control over one's life? Or is it an illusion? </b></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 17px;"><br /></b></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>For “Let’s Not Talk Anymore", I wanted to talk about a certain kind of lack-of-control, one that emerges in the lives of women who felt small, hidden and forgettable. </i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>This was said in reference to Rita and Solar talking about female figures along their matrilineal line living in the times of 1800s - 1970s, women who had very little opportunities to live a life where they can thrive as individuals due to many reasons such as poverty, gender and cultural beliefs, to name a few examples. This is still a very grave problem in some countries around the world in the present moment. A woman facing these particular set of circumstances will have no control over her own life. This one life she has would be defined, affected and dictated by a person of power, of resources and whose voice maintains the status quo. </i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>Q: I read through the whole book and realized that Bi is missing in 2032. She is referred to and appeared in a flashback when Rita was younger (finding the big leaf). </b></span></span><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 17px;">Why are you missing in 2032? </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 17px;">(just like Solar's observation that Kuan's life is missing in the family photo album) </b></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 17px;"><br /></b></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 17px;"><i>"All we're left with are the missing pieces and stories."</i></b></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>I wanted a world where not everything’s wrapped up or have a definite conclusion. So I made the decision to leave some characters absent in some segments. I liked the ambiguity and the guesses one makes when encountering the missing pieces, as I myself wondered along those similar paths when working on “Let’s Not Talk Anymore”. </i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>Speaking of missing pieces, one lingering thought that came up when I was working on the book was: If my great-grandmother had come from an affluent background, then she might have stood a better chance of having had a photograph taken of herself and her family. And us living in the future would have a physical object or memento of hers to hold onto and cherish. Without her stories or clues, I was left to do my own style of research. </i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>The research process for Kuan and Mei’s stories were actually fun. One of the processes involved googling for images into an olden time period and location. For Kuan, it was farming in China in the 1890s, and for Mei, it was Singapore in the 1950s.</i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><i>Curious about what farming life might have been like in China in the 1890s, I remembered searching “do farmers have hobbies or pets?”, and came across an article that talked about how children of farmers in the 1800s might keep crickets or grasshoppers (or some other legged insect found in the fields) as pets by tying a string around the insect’s legs. Although I wonder how an insect (or insect’s leg) would survive a string tied to it, I found the detail fascinating and so included that in Kuan’s story: of her having a bug companion to help lighten everything else in her story. </i></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>---</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>Pixin did not answer all my questions. But these are some of my concluding thoughts about Let's Not Talk Anymore.</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>In 1972, Bing was ill and her dad paid attention to her. Her parents quarreled. Her mom said, "It's like, I think I am looking at what's in front of me, but then it changes the second I look away from it" Then Bing was jotted back to the 'present' in her art class. Her classmate said to her, "Maybe I wasn't looking at it closely enough in the beginning."</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>To me, that's a function of art - to capture the subtle changes when one is looking away. The artist tries to capture a glimpse of the real. But it is just a glimpse as none of us can see the whole elephant, just like the children feeling the different parts of the elephant. Some are even blindfolded!</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>In Let's Not Talk Anymore, Pixin plays with time and our sense and perception of time and narrative. </b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>---</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>The ties that bind and the threads of time - almost all the characters in the book at one point or another were weaving, sewing, drawing. It ties the whole book together, this image of creativity, domesticity and femininity. Community is obviously important to Pixin. And she has said she finally found her tribe with Chicks on Comics, an international feminist group currently composed of five cartoonists from Argentina, Portugal and Singapore. </b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>As Rita says goodbye to her aunt, she said, "It was lovely making the space to wonder about the women who made us."</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>Thanks, Pixin, for the interview.</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"></span></b></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b>
</b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_zZTIeXyH-0/YSQkuUPiSYI/AAAAAAAALlk/SWsi5fWkRgMkNyK0qSaqbRoa_M_M62uSQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Photo%2B30-8-19%252C%2B4%2B36%2B24%2BPM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_zZTIeXyH-0/YSQkuUPiSYI/AAAAAAAALlk/SWsi5fWkRgMkNyK0qSaqbRoa_M_M62uSQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Photo%2B30-8-19%252C%2B4%2B36%2B24%2BPM.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /><b><br /></b></span></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zj2fKWXKQCg/YSQoLdVcn8I/AAAAAAAALl8/DIf-WKP6inU8R5PG-5G068gAnIeaILRmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/image%2B%25283%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zj2fKWXKQCg/YSQoLdVcn8I/AAAAAAAALl8/DIf-WKP6inU8R5PG-5G068gAnIeaILRmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/image%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6RTk7QcepBs/YSQoR68kNxI/AAAAAAAALmA/auy_dbeIrscv9uV-faHb3xFeKz6RhHDrgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/image%2B%25284%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6RTk7QcepBs/YSQoR68kNxI/AAAAAAAALmA/auy_dbeIrscv9uV-faHb3xFeKz6RhHDrgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/image%2B%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /><b><br /></b></span></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bYVq1LNaVag/YSQoXg0w71I/AAAAAAAALmE/W3nDlYyoWeAJXWbwRECA1A9AERKsF94SwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/image%2B%25285%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bYVq1LNaVag/YSQoXg0w71I/AAAAAAAALmE/W3nDlYyoWeAJXWbwRECA1A9AERKsF94SwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/image%2B%25285%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Qoxlxmfy3Y/YSQodcGXrCI/AAAAAAAALmM/E9Dku6xvxOYh3f6azI7N4Mb0GYfYg9lYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/image%2B%25286%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Qoxlxmfy3Y/YSQodcGXrCI/AAAAAAAALmM/E9Dku6xvxOYh3f6azI7N4Mb0GYfYg9lYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/image%2B%25286%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-44350175633754924502021-04-18T13:13:00.003+08:002021-04-18T13:13:44.048+08:00Wild Pig Mandibles and a Drawing: An Adventure in the Bay of Bengal<p>Once a while something good comes your way and you wonder why you have not heard of the artist before. Except that <i>Wild Pig Mandibles and a Drawing: An Adventure in the Bay of Bengal</i> is Amitabh Deshpande’s first book and a very laudable attempt. The title could be catchier (one cannot really tell what the story is about from it), but this a minor complaint. </p><p>Amitabh is a software engineer from Pune, India who worked for many years in America. But he has always been writing and drawing. He recently returned to Pune and drew this story in a month and self-published it on Amazon using their Self-Publish Kindle platform. </p><p>For a first attempt at a long form story (the book is 53 pages), Amitabh has done a good job. Based on a trip he took with friends to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India in February 2019, the story fits in well with the travelogue genre in comics. Ambitah draws in a sketchbook style using watercolors, which makes reading the story a dreamy experience. And it makes sense because Ambitabh’s travels to the island of Little Andaman is almost like a dream, one which pushed him to question his own thoughts and memories and maybe even to re-evaluate his life. I won’t spoil the ending, but things do turn slightly macabre when Amitabh encounters the pig skulls referred to in the title. It was an uneasy revealing. </p><p>There is a poetic quality to the writing. It is easy to read, a light flow in the narrative and some interesting observations and quick turn of phrases.</p><p><i>The absurdity of asking the driver to reset the fare-meter didn't strike me till later. Here is the middle of the Bay of Bengal, on an island that was just a pinprick on the map, my mind brought all the suspicion and caution of urban India with me.</i></p><p>My favourite is right at the end:</p><p><i>Life throws things at you. Can’t figure it all out. Some things you keep. Some things you let go.</i></p><p>That is very true. People romanticized the freedom and liberation of letting go. But some things, you do want to keep and hold on to. </p><p>I enjoy the story, but this might appeal to readers who are more familiar with the travelogue genre. Those fed on a diet of superhero comics will find it too slow. Things don’t really happen till page 13 when narrator decided to visit Little Andaman. But the first few pages set the context for self-discovery despite some typical reflections found in most travelogue comics. </p><p>A suggestion: to have a glossary at the end of the book to help readers wrap their head around the different things, locales and islands. I had to scroll up and down the pages a few times to recall certain details. I had to google what is a dugong too. </p><p>Ambitah has shown he is good at creating moods and evoking feelings of not wanting a leave a place, the respite one finds when traveling. I look forward to his next story.</p><p>You can order his book here.</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Pig-Mandibles-Drawing-Adventure-ebook/dp/B08TCHG8NN/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=wild+pig+mandibles&qid=1611886339&sr=8-1">https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Pig-Mandibles-Drawing-Adventure-ebook/dp/B08TCHG8NN/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=wild+pig+mandibles&qid=1611886339&sr=8-1</a></p><p>And you can watch a video of the book here.</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKso2fdSKyI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKso2fdSKyI</a></p><p><br /></p><div><br /></div>cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-88655346687866974052020-08-22T18:29:00.001+08:002020-08-22T18:34:50.168+08:00Mr Tino: Interview with Russell Molina and Ian Sta. Maria<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lYZgo-BDE4o/X0DzG0XA_zI/AAAAAAAACsU/dDyS7-KuWHYHnO-Sn65lq-Vj4GtzqohQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1620/MrTinoVol1-CVF.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: none;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lYZgo-BDE4o/X0DzG0XA_zI/AAAAAAAACsU/dDyS7-KuWHYHnO-Sn65lq-Vj4GtzqohQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/MrTinoVol1-CVF.jpg" /></a></div>
Mr Tino (original title in the Philippines: Sixty Six) by Russell Molina and Ian Sta. Maria was a breakout indie comic title in 2013. I described it as Superman coming to Earth as an old man instead of a baby and you have Mr Tino, the newest and oldest superhero on the block. Two collected books have been released by Anino in the Philippines so far and now Epigram Books has translated the first volume from Tagalog to English for the Singapore market. This is the second graphic novel from the Philippines Epigram has released since they re-launched their graphic novel line earlier this year. The first was Gerry Alanguilan’s Elmer. <div><br /></div><div>From the Epigram bio: </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Russell Molina is a Filipino children’s book author and graphic novelist. Some of his notable works include Titoy’s Magical Chair, A Dozen Brothers and 12:01. Many of his books have been recognised in award shows such as the National Children’s Book Awards and the IBBY Honour List. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Ian Sta. Maria is the author and artist of Salamangka, co-creator and artist ofthe Skyworld series, Kadasig and Seven Gifts of the Skygods. He lives in Denmark where he works as a senior concept artist for Lego.</i> </div><div><br /></div><div>By the way, sixty six refers to Mr Tino’s age but don’t mess with him. </div><div><br /></div><div>Russell and Ian spill the beans in this email interview. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>CT: </b>Both of you are in advertising. How does that affect the way you tell your stories? </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Russell: </b>In advertising, we were trained to tell stories in 30 seconds or less. So we need to pick the right words and push it at the right time for maximum impact. As a writer, advertising taught me brevity, solid storytelling, a cinematic perspective and a sense of writing structure and discipline. </div><div><br /></div><div>Having had the chance to work with Ian also on numerous ad projects in the past, we already have a process in place and we know each other’s pace. So we knew how to move as one unit already. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>I</b><b>an: </b>Advertising gave me many mentors - in writing, directing, art directing, photography. I learned a lot in different ways of telling stories from them. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>CT: </b>Who are your influences? </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Russell: </b>I’m inspired by films actually when I do comics. I love Kurosawa, Wong Kar Wai, Zhang Yimou and our local greats Lino Brocka, Peque Gallaga, just to name a few. I think cinema plays a big part in the way I write comics because I really think film when I do framing and even the pace of my story. Mr. Tino for me can very well be a storyboard for a movie (Hello, Netflix!). Also, movies, especially the Filipino classics, provide good reference materials for those flashbacks. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>CT: </b>Yes, I could see the social realism influence from Lino Brocka and even Mike de Leon. Many Philippines movies in the past were adapted from popular komiks. How about you, Ian? </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Ian: </b>Comic books are in my core and I'm a pop culture geek. I love being inspired by film, video games, manga, anime, board games. I get inspiration wherever I can get it. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>CT: </b>How did the idea for Mr Tino come about? (Russell was doing children's books before this and Ian was drawing Skyworld) </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Russell: </b>We belong to a circle of friends who are mostly comic creators – Budjette Tan (Trese), Mervin Ignacio (Skyworld), JB Tapia and Bow Guerrero (Mikey Recio) and we usually, over beer or during breaks, toss around ideas for comics. It’s a good way to test if your idea works or not. I was looking for a unique superhero who would represent the Pinoys. During that time, there was a national discussion on senior citizen rights and maybe that influenced me in molding the character of Mr. Tino. When I did a scan, there were no big senior citizen super heroes then, so I thought it was worth pursuing -- with the egging of these friends too.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LLzxvlgE5Zs/X0DzTIFfk0I/AAAAAAAACsY/ggrUYPr1NmMS4c4RIluMwrVcxg1G0Bz6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1022/66.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: none;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="1022" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LLzxvlgE5Zs/X0DzTIFfk0I/AAAAAAAACsY/ggrUYPr1NmMS4c4RIluMwrVcxg1G0Bz6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/66.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<b><div><b><br /></b></div>CT: </b>Is Mr Tino a comment on ageism? </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Russell: </b>When we released the first ashcan in 2012, the comic had an accompanying Filipino line that said, “Huli man at magaling, naihahabol din.” Which roughly translates to: Better late than never. The idea was really to celebrate possibilities – you can have something amazing in your life albeit later in your years. It’s a story of hope and the struggle of dealing with unexpected gifts. </div><div><br /></div><div>But I do welcome the commentary on ageism, if that’s the take away for some. I truly believe that powers, of any kind, can come from anyone, at any age. If the book can start a conversation against discrimination, then I’m all for it.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Ian:</b> Never underestimate senior citizens. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>CT: </b>How did the Epigram deal come about? </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Ian: </b>I just got a very happy email from Ani Almario, our publisher, that Epigram was interested in adapting Mr Tino. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>CT: </b>Philippines comics has seen a revival. From Zsazsa Zaturnnah (2002) to Trese (2005) to Elmer (2006), Mr Tino/Sixty Six (2013) builds on this body of diverse work which mix action with social commentary. What is the future of Philippines comics? </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Russell:</b> AND we’re just scratching the surface. More and more, we see very innovative comics coming out like Dead Balagtas’ Mga Sayaw ng Dagat at Lupa and Rob Chan’s silent comics Lost and Light. These are exciting times for Komiks. And we still have unexplored myths and folklores which I think are good source materials also. With the entry of new comics titles and young comics creators, I think new voices and new styles will emerge. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>CT: </b>How are the both of you dealing with the covid situation in the Philippines and Denmark respectively? </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Russell: </b>Yes, we are back in lockdown here in the Philippines and the cases are rising. Different people have different ways of coping and I guess I find comfort in doing comics. Together with friend and colleague Argem Vinuya, we created Covid Comics PH – short 5-panel comics that just talks about our feelings during this pandemic. It’s therapeutic and it’s great to share it with a community which also needs both entertainment and affirmation that they are never alone in this. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Ian: </b>Working from home in Denmark really works for me. But I do miss Manila very much. I would love to be able to go home soon and see friends and family. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>CT: </b>What can we expect from Book 2? </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Russell: </b>Book 2 is already out here in the Philippines (released earlier this year), with illustrations by Mikey Marchan. I hope Epigram Books pick that one up too. </div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>CT: </b>Thanks, guys!</div>cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-50727685371291056992020-07-02T00:17:00.000+08:002020-07-02T00:17:13.009+08:00Comics Studies by Clio Ding<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZfZ3GF6KDpE/Xvy0JrLJbtI/AAAAAAAACng/XIuZzZT92YsJ4Vdwkds5l67DygDW1RoSgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/clio%2Bding.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZfZ3GF6KDpE/Xvy0JrLJbtI/AAAAAAAACng/XIuZzZT92YsJ4Vdwkds5l67DygDW1RoSgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/clio%2Bding.jpg" width="390" height="400" data-original-width="800" data-original-height="820" /></a><br />
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Clio Ding is a comic artist friend who went overseas recently to do a master’s in comics studies. Although I have been researching and writing about comics for some years and have contributed to edited volumes like Comics Studies: Here and Now (Routledge, 2018), I am not schooled in comics studies. So I asked Clio to write something about her experience at the University of Dundee, why she wanted a MA in this field and what she has learned. <br />
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This is Clio’s bio in her own words:<br />
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<i>A comic dabbler who loves to enjoy binging on snacks and alcohol while watching cartoons. To satisfy its immense appetite it became a full-time art educator. Clio started drawing weekend comics for the Singapore Press Holdings and messed around with doujinshi for a decade, before debuting with a gothic short story Libera Nos A Malo in the ARENA Fantasy anthology. It has contributed to the SG50 commemorative comic Our Months Together with Crisis.D featuring a pretty useless durian superhero. Currently, Clio has been making a 4 panel comic strip titled Kev!n, a humorous slice of life adventures of a food-motivated dinosaur and its bizarre friends like magical ice-creams, a ninja, aliens and broccoli. Libera Nos A Malo has also evolved into an ongoing series about a cyborg exorcist who runs a demon-busting agency with his academically overqualified assistant. </i><br />
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Here’s her reflections.<br />
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I have been an art educator since 2012. As a thirty-something comic enthusiast and dabbler, I felt the need to further improve myself academically as well as to give more attention to the passion that I’ve been neglecting. In September 2019, I embarked on my sabbatical to pursue a one-year Master’s degree in Comics and Graphic Novels at the University of Dundee (UoD). In this post I will be sharing my learning experience with the course, for those of you who might be keen to pursue a higher education related to this field.<br />
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Prior to my teaching career, I studied animation at the School of Art, Design and Media, Nanyang Technological University because I felt that animation techniques could help me improve my comic skills and broaden my aesthetic exposure. In my younger days I used to read mostly Chinese-translation shonen and seinen manga, because they were widely available, easier to read, and cheaper as compared to English comics. I tried reading American comics, but my English was not strong enough to appreciate all the puns. I was an otaku who didn’t really know about comics from the rest of the world till after university, but I also read very selectively and avoided the mainstream like the plague. Some of my favorite titles are EATMAN by Akihito Yoshitomi, Black Lagoon by Rei Hiroe, Biomega by Tsutomu Nihei, Hellboy by Mike Mignola, Atomic Robo by Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener. In a sense, my taste in comics was shaped by economic constraints and linguistic inability, but my fellow comic enthusiasts abhorred my ignorance on the seminal works that all self-respecting nerds should know about, and so begin the process of learning.<br />
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I have kept on drawing while working as a fulltime teacher and have self-published my own comics as well being published by TCZ Studio. I have also gotten to know more about the comics community in Singapore through events like the 24 Hour Comics Day. <br />
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Drawing comics got me interested in Art, and I was able to have a teaching job because of an art school education, so when I was deciding what to do for my sabbatical, I eventually gravitated back to learning more about comics. Like everyone else, I consulted the ancient spirit of Google to guide my path. There were very few institutions in the world where one can study comics at the master’s level. Most of them focus on making comics, but I came across University of Dundee, that offers something different — comic studies.<br />
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<b>What is Comic Studies? </b><br />
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Comic studies is a relatively new academic domain. It involves theorizing and analyzing comics in terms of their history, form, content, context and impact. These are done by comic scholars, who are experts in comic history, culture and theories, making them the most qualified human to talk about comics. Scot McCloud is one example that some of you probably know. Comic studies was normally carried out by various university departments such as American studies, English Literature, Sociology, History, Philosophy, Linguistics and Psychology (but not art school…). Each of these disciplines takes a slightly different approach to analyzing comics. For example, American studies would be looking at comics (mostly superheroes) as a uniquely American cultural phenomenon; sociology might be gathering data on how comics influence certain social behavior; linguistics deconstructs the unique structure of comics and compares them to languages. Therefore, comic studies straddle multiple academic disciplines.<br />
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Having been a science student since secondary school, writing was never my strength. But my career in teaching art history and theory exposed me to the importance of art writing. Art, film and literature became important because of the attention was given to them in academia. But comic has always been much marginalized, narrowly associated with juvenile literature and popular culture, and never taken seriously in the universities until recent years. The growth in comic studies would therefore give comics the attention it deserves, as an important cultural artefact, and a unique form of art. Choosing a masters that deals with theories and writing instead of practice would be challenging myself to learn new skills and knowledge, and it could facilitate my future teaching practice. <br />
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UoD’s Masters in Comics and Graphic Novel was launched in 2011 by the English department, and is led by Dr Chris Murray, one of the UK's leading authorities on comics, and editor of the Studies in Comics journal. Currently it has two tracks, MLitt and MDes. MLitt (Master of Letters, somewhat similar to MA) is the original comic studies track with written dissertation as the final outcome, whereas the relatively newer MDes (Master of Design) mainly focus on creative practice, catering to those who prefer drawing rather than writing, as the final output is a comic project of at least 22 pages. MDes is anchored by the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, whereas MLitt is from the School of Humanities.<br />
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<b>What can one learn?</b><br />
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The two tracks differ in their core modules and modes of final assessment, but all the core and optional modules from one track can be taken by students of the other track, subjected to the amount of credits per semester. I was in MLitt, but I shamelessly crashed almost all of the modules except for The Pictured Page, which was unfortunately cancelled due to low sign-ups for my year.<br />
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Here is an overview of all the modules available and what they are essentially about: <a href="https://www.dundee.ac.uk/subjects/comics">https://www.dundee.ac.uk/subjects/comics</a><br />
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Or the full information for each module: <br />
<a href="https://www.dundee.ac.uk/postgraduate/comics-graphic-novels-mlitt/teaching-and-assessment">https://www.dundee.ac.uk/postgraduate/comics-graphic-novels-mlitt/teaching-and-assessment</a><br />
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What are the classes like?</b><br />
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Learning comics at master’s level involves a lot of self-studies and readings. The modules are taught via 2-hour long seminars on a bi-weekly schedule. My timetable is thus shockingly empty, with lessons on only two or three days a week, sometimes none. We were given a lot of materials that has to be read before the seminar, both the comics being discussed as well as secondary readings on theories. Most of the materials are digitized and made available through the university learning portal, but regular trips to the college library are expected for physical materials.<br />
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On top of reading, there are bi-weekly journals to be written for the MLitt Core modules Critical Approaches and International Comics Cultures. Each journal entries are 400 words close analysis of any chosen comics relevant to the topics of the upcoming week. The journals need to involve citations of some secondary sources such as theories, so reading up is extremely crucial. In some sense it is Flipped Classroom where the bulk of work is done before the seminar.<br />
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Seminars usually begin with the lecturer invoking response from students regarding the reading materials and what they have written in their journals, with some commentaries and inputs. This is followed by an hour-long lecture where more theories are introduced, before finishing with group discussion on particular works or selected pages. The quality of discussion depends on the responses of the entire class or group, therefore being responsive and involved in discussions is essential. This might not be very comfortable for those who are used to being spoon-fed with information, those who are passive and less vocal, or those who are plain lazy and did not read anything beforehand. <br />
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This year we had a very small cohort of nine, only two of us were in MLitt and the rest were MDes. Students came from all over the world: we had two Scots, a British, a Canadian, a Greek, an Ecuadorian, a Peruvian, an Indonesian, and me the Singaporean. Some graduates have remained in Dundee for PhD in Comics, while others found jobs in the industry. <br />
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What else besides classes?</b><br />
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Apart from lectures, there are comics related events which we could attend. We made regular visits to Dundee Comics Creative Space, a comics event hub just across the campus where external talks, book launches, and workshops are made available to the public. We got to know some graduate students doing their PhD in the space, and they were very enthusiastic to form a little community that supports us outside of curriculum time. We saw Pat Mills and Ian Kennedy at the launch of Great War Dundee comic. It takes one’s own passion and initiative to seek out and attend these sessions and meet ups outside of curriculum times to make the learning experience worthwhile. <br />
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Dundee is also where DC Thompson is located. In Comics Production module we did a life project with The Beano. The editors came down for our critique sessions. You can read about it here: <a href="https://downthetubes.net/?p=117765">https://downthetubes.net/?p=117765</a> During the days without lectures, it is also recommended to take excursions outside to see more exhibitions and visit places. I attended Thought Bubble—the largest original comic con in the UK with my classmates. The train fare and lodging were expensive, but the loot was worth it! <br />
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The academic calendar of universities features long stretches of holidays. In academic year 2019-2020, Semester one was from September to November, and Semester two was from January to March, and Semester three is currently running from May to August. Seminars are only in semester one and two, and semester three is purely for dissertations or final project. That means a lot of unregulated free times which requires self-discipline. Due to disruptions caused by COVID-19, physical seminars have been replaced with online seminars since the last two weeks of semester two. I have chosen to return to Singapore and continue with my dissertation at home, and I am also meeting my tutor bi-weekly online. I felt that the seminars and especially workshops were too far and few in between. As the tuition fee for international student was over 17 thousand pounds for a year, I wish the modules could be more intense. Maybe years of stressful Singapore education has shaped me to expect the unsurmountable as the norm!<br />
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Overall, the course has broadened my knowledge horizon. This experience has allowed me the space to read and write more than any other occasions in my years of study. The most important module was Critical Approaches, because it introduces the various theoretical aspects of comic analysis. International Comics Culture is also one of my favorite because it introduces comics from around the world and how these global comics cultures have influenced one another. Throughout the many modules I have written and presented on interesting and strange topics: The Place of Comics in Art Education (for Critical Approaches); The Death of the Artist in the Age of Machine Intelligence; Love & Sex with Robots: The role and significance of androids in romance Manga (for Sci-fi); Hysterical Form: Chinese Lianhuanhua in the Cultural Revolution Era; Defining the Superhero in Contemporary Asian Comics; Asian Aesthetics in Digital Comics (for International Comics Culture); Adult Content: Sexual Politics in Adaptations of Comics to Film; and one about Hentai Kamen called The Male Nude – a Vulgar Spectacle (for Comics and Film). I am currently doing my dissertation on the negotiation of national and cultural identity in Singapore Comics.<br />
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Currently, comic studies are gaining tractions globally, with the most number of conferences and publications from North America, the UK, Franco-Belgian regions and Japan. Outside of the academia, comics are still presented to the public as commercial entertainments. Comics related exhibitions are sporadic, and most are exhibited within conventions, curated by publishers or fans. Apart from small scale showcasing of individual talents, very few are curated by educational institutions, museums, and historians. Fortunately, there has been an increasing number of comics related events in Singapore such as Singapore Writers Festival and Singapore Original Comics Festival (organized by TCZ Studio), and also some recent niche exhibitions featuring political cartoonists and alternative comics. I wish more of such exhibitions can be held for the public to appreciate not just the aesthetics of comics but also to gain insights about the relevance of their themes in the wider social context.<br />
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Thanks Clio for sharing.<br />
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To read Clio's comics:<br />
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Read Kev!n on webtoon: <a href="https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/kevin/list?title_no=400275">https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/kevin/list?title_no=400275</a><br />
Read Libera Nos A Malo on webtoon (censored as Mature):<br />
<a href="https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/libera-nos-a-malo-deliver-us-from-evil-b/list?title_no=439339">https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/libera-nos-a-malo-deliver-us-from-evil-b/list?title_no=439339</a><br />
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Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CyborgsandDinosaurs/">https://www.facebook.com/CyborgsandDinosaurs/</a><br />
Insta: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/clio.ding/">https://www.instagram.com/clio.ding/</a><br />
URL: <a href="https://cliod.carbonmade.com/">https://cliod.carbonmade.com/</a><br />
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cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-38532492189854461802020-06-28T16:46:00.001+08:002020-06-30T01:01:49.196+08:00The Art of Ian Kennedy<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LylClNOfJZY/XvhWXCCT0TI/AAAAAAAAClo/TaRBX98XA9IAfb635xKg9KQc37dApreaACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/i_kennedy_book.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LylClNOfJZY/XvhWXCCT0TI/AAAAAAAAClo/TaRBX98XA9IAfb635xKg9KQc37dApreaACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/i_kennedy_book.jpg" width="282" height="400" data-original-width="494" data-original-height="700" /></a><br />
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In his new book, Masters of British Comic Art (Rebellion, 2020), David Roach described Ian Kennedy as “perhaps the most important artist at Air Ace (for Fleetway) where he drew strips and painted covers for nine years, meanwhile at Thomson he crafted light-hearted girl strips for Judy and Bunty, mixed with boys strips for Hotspur” in the 1960s.<br />
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Roach went on to say the 1970s and 1980s consolidated Kennedy’s position as “one of the country’s top adventure artists with crisp, dynamic strips for Wizard, Warlord, Bullet and Crunch along with IPC’s Valiant, Battle, Starlord and Eagle where he memorably drew Dan Dare for several years.”<br />
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The assessment is:<br />
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<i>Kennedy’s work is characterized by energetic drawing, beautifully crafted ink work, a mastery of paint and a gift for bringing anything mechanical to life, all of which has been thrillingly evident in his long association with Commando which began in 1970 and continues to this day, resulting in over 1,200 exquisite covers. (p. 55)</i><br />
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Now that makes Kennedy the link between the pioneering postwar generation of British comic artists (he started his career in 1949 at the age of 17) of the 1950s and 1960s and the new wave of the 1970s and 1980s. Kennedy was one of the few who successfully transited to the adventure and science fiction strips of the 1970s and 1980s, and still working today. He even drew Judge Dredd in the mid 1980s, although he didn’t quite approve of some of Joe’s more violent punishments. <br />
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But it will be his Commando covers that will stand the test of time. In War Stories: A Graphic History (Collins Design, 2009), Mike Conroy praised Kennedy’s ability to draw a seemingly simple action scene but in actual fact, the cover is a master class in balance and design (p. 109).<br />
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Now, wait. Some of you are asking Ian who? Ian Gibson? Cam Kennedy? If you are unfamiliar with British comics history, now is the time to brush up on its rich heritage other than the writers and artists that most of us only know when Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Brian Bolland, Dave McKean and others invaded American comics in the 1980s and 1990s. A good place to start is the above-mentioned David Roach’s Masters of British Comic Art, a hefty hardcover tome of 386 pages.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dJOKWH5EHm8/Xvod_0zIsHI/AAAAAAAACm0/T1Gj96wzSD4LlAdlokhobyq8v5KsdLXWQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/masters-of-british-comic-art-9781781087596_hr.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dJOKWH5EHm8/Xvod_0zIsHI/AAAAAAAACm0/T1Gj96wzSD4LlAdlokhobyq8v5KsdLXWQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/masters-of-british-comic-art-9781781087596_hr.jpg" width="305" height="400" data-original-width="1218" data-original-height="1600" /></a><br />
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Back to Ian Kennedy. From his website:<br />
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<i>Ian Kennedy (born 22 September 1932, Dundee, Scotland) is a UK artist.<br />
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Growing up in Dundee in the Forties, Ian was enchanted by aircraft. An ear infection ended his dream of becoming a pilot, but a trip to Dundee Royal Infirmary led to meeting his wife to be, Gladys, who was a nurse and he pursued a career that involved drawing aircraft rather than flying them.<br />
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Ian started at D. C. Thomson & Co. in 1949 as a trainee illustrator, and in 1954, with a wife and son to support, took the decision to leave D.C. Thomson and go freelance. He has had a career in illustration and comic books ever since.<br />
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During the 1950s Ian turned his hand to illustrating anything and everything. His work appeared in Hotspur, Rover, Adventure, Sun, Buck Jones and many other comics. <br />
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In the 1960s the Picture Library became a popular format and Ian worked on Air Ace, Bunty, Battle and War Picture Libraries. That's not to neglect the work he did for many of the weeklies such as Adventure, Hotspur and Bunty.<br />
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From the 1970s onward, Ian began to specialise in science fiction comics, regularly producing work for IPC's 2000AD and Star Lord. He also worked for Battle Picture Weekly, Buddy, Blake's 7, Eagle (Dan Dare), M.A.S.K., Victor Summer Special, Wildcat and D. C. Thomson's pocket books (including Commando).</i><br />
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For those of us of a certain vintage, we grew up reading his Commando stories and Dan Dare in Eagle in the 1980s in Singapore.<br />
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I did an email interview with Ian recently. He still lives in Dundee.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2I2VU3KVR-U/XvhX06l3KuI/AAAAAAAACmM/QATHA-nd6yYcUgGuVuhVE4lLglhlIfhWACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Scan_20200613.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2I2VU3KVR-U/XvhX06l3KuI/AAAAAAAACmM/QATHA-nd6yYcUgGuVuhVE4lLglhlIfhWACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Scan_20200613.jpg" width="400" height="276" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1102" /></a><br />
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<i>What is your typical day like these days?</i><br />
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My typical day is much less structured than in previous times when, the only way to cope with a heavy workload was a strict daily routine of roughly eight hours with a break for lunch and, to a degree, relaxing in the evening. Now, as I do not have to meet so many deadlines, I am more relaxed as to when I go to the studio, which, I feel, has led to, in some aspects, an improvement in my work.<br />
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I am not much of a sports fan, although I do enjoy tennis, bowling and snooker on TV.<br />
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<i>How is your health these days?</i><br />
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I have enjoyed a fair measure of good health over the years. However, since contracting prostate cancer 10 years ago, my health has deteriorated to quite a degree, mainly due to the chemotherapy which, although successful in treating the cancer, has had drastic side effects.<br />
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<i>You had wanted to be a pilot when you were young. When was the last time you took a plane and where did you travel to?</i><br />
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Yes, that was the burning ambition, sadly not to be! Last flight was a short one - Edinburgh to Belfast return!!<br />
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<i>What is heroism in this time and age? </i><br />
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Heroism? I believe it manifests itself in all walks of life. Disregarding one's safety for that of others, might well be considered heroism.<br />
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<i>Are characters like Dan Dare and Judge Dredd still relevant today? (this year is the 70th anniversary of Dan Dare)</i><br />
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Dan and the Judge relevant today? I really do hope so as I make a living out of portraying them!<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Kr83tsyVRM/XvhXIE5tK5I/AAAAAAAAClw/ipxlzVsFrP8l1OIkNMRosJ1iWI4Gd6INACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Scan_20190116%2B%252810%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Kr83tsyVRM/XvhXIE5tK5I/AAAAAAAAClw/ipxlzVsFrP8l1OIkNMRosJ1iWI4Gd6INACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Scan_20190116%2B%252810%2529.jpg" width="241" height="400" data-original-width="964" data-original-height="1600" /></a><br />
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<i>It is 2020. War – what is it good for?</i><br />
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A bit of a dilemma here. Although earning a living portraying war, I find the very thought of mankind going to war totally abhorrent, especially when it is, frequently, to further the aims of politics or religion.<br />
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<i>You drew many science fiction and futurist comics. What are your hopes for the present and future?</i><br />
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I consider Scifi and Fantasy publications to be the natural successors to the traditional Fairy Tale and, therefore, hope they will continue, with one proviso. In recent years, there has been a proliferation of the grotesque to the exclusion of all else. I feel we can do without this unnecessary trend!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5dgihAaRSUg/XvoeJnCPT1I/AAAAAAAACm4/dv4sFzY5_TwUgrqPbO6TTVxorPZY7yIqwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/image-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5dgihAaRSUg/XvoeJnCPT1I/AAAAAAAACm4/dv4sFzY5_TwUgrqPbO6TTVxorPZY7yIqwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/image-3.jpg" width="300" height="400" data-original-width="480" data-original-height="640" /></a><br />
<i>(M.A.C.H. 1 from 2000AD Annual 1982 - you can always expect planes in a Kennedy comic)</i><br />
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<i>Do you still read any comics today? What about books, music, movies or plays?</i><br />
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I do glance/examine current publications including those for children, especially for the ones in their middle age! That apart, I do not do much reading of books as I tend to doze off, having then, to reread that last paragraph - very boring! I enjoy TV documentaries and music, especially DVDs.<br />
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<i>You are still making appearances at comics conventions and events like the Lakes International Comic Art Festival (2018), the 40 Years of Thrill-power Festival (2017), a celebration of 2000AD and the launch of your own art book, The Art of Ian Kennedy, published by DC Thomson last year. Are you seeing a revival and reassessment of your career and now more famous than ever than?</i><br />
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I took some persuading, mainly by my friend Phil Vaughan of Duncan of Jordanstone Collage of Art and Design at the University of Dundee, to attend some of the local conferences. My reluctance was based on the belief that all I had done was earned a living, like so many others, using a talent I was lucky to possess. I soon realised that I was part of an industry providing entertainment for many members of the public of all ages. I, very quickly realised, that having had such an interesting and rewarding life in comics etc, there was an opportunity to put something back by making myself available to discuss, for instance, my "apprenticeship" among the unsung professionals in the Art Department of D.C.Thomson & Co. Dundee. The knowledge I gained then has proved invaluable, and has played a great part in any subsequent success that has come my way. As for the "fame" - I must admit, I find it, at times, somewhat difficult to cope with as, although I enjoy company, I am essentially a bit of a loner which is rather fortunate in that I have never had any trouble in spending many solitary hours in the studio.<br />
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<i>How do you explain your longevity? </i><br />
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I can only put my longevity down to sheer luck in having my wife Gladys look after me all these years, ensuring a healthy diet and, most of the time, ironing out the creases in life. In addition, it must be noted that apart from my talent, I have been extremely fortunate in that my professional life coincided with what I term "The Golden Days of British Comics" when there was no need to search for work.<br />
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<i>What do you think about the fact that comics are taken more seriously now and are given more respect and research? (there is a Scottish Centre for Comics Studies at the University of Dundee, which offers a Masters in Comics and Graphic Novels, the only course of its kind in the UK)</i><br />
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The recognition is long overdue! I mentioned earlier, the artists in the department at Thomson. Each one was a talented professional who, today, would get the recognition they richly deserved. Along with many others around the land, they laid the foundations of comic illustration as we know it today. You mention Dundee University's interest and initiative in the world of comics. I am rather proud to be connected, albeit only in a very minor way, in that from time to time, Phillip Vaughan, the Senior Tutor invites me to meet and talk with the students on that particular course.<br />
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<i>Are you working on any new projects?</i><br />
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I am fortunate in that I am still contributing covers for Commando combined with commissions mainly from private individuals. This is more than enough as I now find it difficult spending more than three to four hours at the drawing board. At present, there are five commissions and a cover awaiting attention.<br />
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<i>Can you show us some work in progress pages or art you are working on?</i><br />
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I prefer, out of respect for my clients, not to publicise current work. However I shall attach some of my recent efforts.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gfL_skiOeVo/XvhXTLdqARI/AAAAAAAACl4/yH2K0OL7yaIaurs52ZvpZX_jks-IvsVtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Scan_20181230%2B%25288%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gfL_skiOeVo/XvhXTLdqARI/AAAAAAAACl4/yH2K0OL7yaIaurs52ZvpZX_jks-IvsVtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Scan_20181230%2B%25288%2529.jpg" width="289" height="400" data-original-width="1154" data-original-height="1600" /></a><br />
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<i>Thanks, Ian!</i><br />
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One could say that other than being bloody talented with the pen, Ian is also lucky to be at the right place, at the right time. From being the tea boy and doing up the crossword in the DC Thomson office in the late 1940s to drawing adventure and romance strips in the 1960s, and cementing his contemporary reputation as one of the pioneers of 2000AD and his long time association with Commando, Kennedy is one of the few postwar giants of British comics still with us today. Younger readers should read more about his work and learn from him. That’s why I wanted to do an interview with him. <br />
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There are still new areas to research for his comics. His war stories would have been studied but given the interest in early romance comics in the UK, Kennedy’s girl strips for Judy and Bunty are up for a reevaluation. <br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w6-Xas1_JfQ/Xvgggf-9MoI/AAAAAAAAClc/hL2uziq-tPkYq6u-qtvOeSu_IIqFBrFHgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Ian_Kennedy.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w6-Xas1_JfQ/Xvgggf-9MoI/AAAAAAAAClc/hL2uziq-tPkYq6u-qtvOeSu_IIqFBrFHgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Ian_Kennedy.jpg" width="400" height="240" data-original-width="620" data-original-height="372" /></a><br />
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I did an interview with Calum Laird, the editor of Commando comics, back in 2015.<br />
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<a href="http://singaporecomix.blogspot.com/2015/04/commando.html">http://singaporecomix.blogspot.com/2015/04/commando.html</a><br />
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cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-68944230277997181252020-06-18T23:13:00.000+08:002020-06-18T23:25:39.868+08:00Reality Bitchslap: Interview with Arif Rafhan<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iiJJSCqOZMU/XuuCuMIEI7I/AAAAAAAACj0/RAnjjeGlqn4g6i27ucn5BmhLvgJoLnPbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/RealityBitchslap-CVF_1024x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iiJJSCqOZMU/XuuCuMIEI7I/AAAAAAAACj0/RAnjjeGlqn4g6i27ucn5BmhLvgJoLnPbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/RealityBitchslap-CVF_1024x1024.jpg" width="267" height="400" data-original-width="683" data-original-height="1024" /></a><br />
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Epigram Books is restarting their line of graphic novels, this time getting the rights of comics from the region and translating them into English for the local market. Earlier this year, they published the late Gerry Alanguilan’s award-winning Elmer (the Philippines), a timely read in these troubled times about race and discrimination; and Tita Larasati’s Coming Home (Indonesia), a graphic diary of Tita’s own return to Bandung after 10 years away from home. <br />
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This month, a new title is released, Arif Rafhan’s Reality Bitchslap (Malaysia), a travelogue of twentysomethings on the verge of adulthood and on the road to explore Southeast Asia and their own future. Sounds very Gen-X, which it is as the story is set in the early 2000s when Arif and friends took some time off to see the world. <br />
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It is a breezy read, reminding one of hanging out at the Central Market in KL and plucking the courage to cross the road in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Originally published by Maple Comics in 2015, Reality Bitchslap (Malay title: Pelempang Realiti) reminds me of the other travelogues by Mimi Mashud published by Maple. Mimi documents her family holidays while Arif’s encounters in Reality Bitchslap should not be experienced with family members. So kudos to him for laying bare his misadventures with the seedier side of Southeast Asian backpacking. <br />
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All these have to be taken with a pinch of salt, of course. You wonder if Arif and his friends are really that naïve and innocent about the ways of the world – after all, KL is a big city too with sex and drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Arif shared that he was inspired by the Dead Kennedy’s song, Holiday in Cambodia, to visit Phnom Penh. I wish there were more personal insights like these which would be more interesting than the boys avoiding sexual advances in the different cities. While sex tourism is prevalent in certain parts of Southeast Asia, to highlight it frequently in the story can also be a stereotypical depiction of the poorer places in the region (circa early 2000s).<br />
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I found the ending rather abrupt. It reads like Arif could still go on as we do not know his solo travels in Jakarta and Bandung when his travel companions returned home first. Perhaps he was constrained by the page limit but a sequel of his recent travels with this same group of friends (all married with kids) could show how they and the world have changed. After all, Maple publishers shared that their entire run of Pelempang Realiti is sold out.<br />
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I did an email interview with Arif recently.<br />
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<i>How did this book come about? Is this your first book and what else have you done?</i><br />
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The pitching process started with a small zine I made for my booth at KL ZineFest back in 2014. It's an 8-page zine made out of A4 paper. The story was about a flower girl who was a bit too friendly and ended up hanging out with an old white man at the back of the restaurant (that story is featured in this book as well). I sold them for RM2 each and 100 copies were gone in a few hours. I have attached the picture here (the mini zine is on the top right of the picture. Photo credit: AkuNapie):<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9rALn3UBdf8/XuuDB3ONCiI/AAAAAAAACj8/JbcERh-RzGs03iMvXSbnIlpjC3KKwivnwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/24879516_10213703240209319_5194961580314611868_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9rALn3UBdf8/XuuDB3ONCiI/AAAAAAAACj8/JbcERh-RzGs03iMvXSbnIlpjC3KKwivnwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/24879516_10213703240209319_5194961580314611868_o.jpg" width="400" height="332" data-original-width="960" data-original-height="797" /></a><br />
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Since people liked the story, I came up with a 10-page sample of the book in English. <br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fIQf461zIxk/XuuDPFM6aRI/AAAAAAAACkA/-YplkGcbxCEMREye_4sfs5xKv58SpzB9ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/reality-english.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fIQf461zIxk/XuuDPFM6aRI/AAAAAAAACkA/-YplkGcbxCEMREye_4sfs5xKv58SpzB9ACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/reality-english.jpg" width="290" height="400" data-original-width="697" data-original-height="960" /></a><br />
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Together with the treatment of the story, I started to pitch to a few publishers at that time. After a few rejections, I approached Amir Muhammad (Buku Fixi, Kuman Pictures) with my idea and he suggested for me to approach this new comic publisher, Komik Maple. I met Amir Hafizi and Roy Ablah at a mamak stall and they suggested for Reality Bitchslap to be made in KL slang instead and to be renamed to Pelempang Realiti. This helped me build a strong foundation locally at this initial stage (I was a newbie with two illustrated books and only one graphic novel under my belt). I obliged and that's how this graphic novel was officially kicked off.<br />
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<i>Why did you call the book Pelempang Realiti? (pelempang = slap) Were you thinking of the phrase Tiada rotan, pelempang berguna juga?</i><br />
Haha! That's a very good proverb. However, I'm not that deep! I remember Ben Stiller's film, 'Reality Bites' (1994), a movie about these struggling Gen X graduates facing the reality of adulting, which is different from what they expected back in college. I am also a big fan of the Dead Kennedys, a hardcore punk band from San Francisco back in the 80s, especially their hit song, Holiday in Cambodia. The song 'bitchslaps' most of these so-called middle class educated graduates who think they've seen everything; compared to what the Cambodian people were facing under the Khmer Rouge. So, I combined Winona Ryder and Jello Biafra (of the Dead Kennedys) together and came up with Reality Bitchslap (Pelempang Realiti). <br />
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A big fierce slap to me as I faced the reality of the Third World countries through our backpacking journey and how it realigned my perspectives and attitude towards our fellow Southeast Asians with some comedic flavor.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3bwKoANWFkE/XuuEGtunBCI/AAAAAAAACkY/OYZBMtnyAGYkOVOEm5_XVBFa-w6Q9ZxugCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/arif.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3bwKoANWFkE/XuuEGtunBCI/AAAAAAAACkY/OYZBMtnyAGYkOVOEm5_XVBFa-w6Q9ZxugCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/arif.jpg" width="400" height="274" data-original-width="1398" data-original-height="958" /></a><br />
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<i>How did the deal with Epigram come about? What do you hope to achieve with the English translation? (new audience in Singapore and English-reading readers?)</i><br />
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Epigram contacted Komik Maple and Amir informed me about the intention. I said okay and I was included in the discussion from then on. As I mentioned earlier, the original idea of this book was in English and translating it to English was not a big problem for me. It's just that some of the details needed explanation for relevance purposes. <br />
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<i>Do you think non-KL, non-Malay readers will relate to this book?</i><br />
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The theme of this book is very general; it's a road story. Some of the jokes were funnier in KL slang but I personally changed them so it would sound funny in English as well. To begin with, this story was set in the early 2000s, so I already set my mind writing the story to be relevant with today's readers. But again, 99% of the book is a true story, my own experiences, so I had to make sure the narrative and context are general enough so it will be relatable to most people around the globe, but with some local hints here and there.<br />
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<i>How close is the English title Reality Bitchslap to what you have in mind?</i> <br />
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Reality Bitchslap was the original title. So coming up with Pelempang Realiti was the challenge actually! Pelempang is quite harsh compared to 'tampar' and 'sepak', so I think the chosen word pretty much captures the essence of the story. <br />
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<i>How do you find the English translation? Were you involved and what is gained and lost in the process of translation? </i><br />
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I was heavily involved in it. Actually, I was the translator, haha! I worked with my old friend, Yanty Ishak as my personal editor on the translation. I also worked very closely with Sylvia from Epigram and she helped me with the context and relevance from English readers' perspective. I can safely say that there is no lost in translation in the process. What makes me happy is that now the book has its own international face whilst promoting local flavors as well.<br />
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<i>Who / what are your influences? (punk rock and dead kennedys..) I am thinking of someone like Fatah who used the Terengganu dialect in his comics.</i><br />
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Fatah, Lat, Jaafar Taib (to name a few) are my heroes. These Godfathers of local comics created success stories for us younger generations to study, adjust, adapt and practice in today's age. I was lucky to get the chance to work with Jaafar Taib for a year as a Gila-Gila contributor in 2018 and now I'm working closely with Lat for his latest graphic novel as his inker. <br />
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Dead Kennedys obviously was the main reason I wanted to go to Cambodia in the first place. My other influences are Robert Crumbs and I read Joe Sacco a lot before I wrote this book. I was intrigued by Sacco and Crumb’s honesty in their stories even though it makes them look weak in their own stories. I tried to include the 'nakedness' of the protagonist in this book as well, especially his thoughts and impressions. <br />
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<i>What is your 'day job'?</i><br />
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I'm a full time visual artist and an animator. Currently I'm partnering with a few interior design companies and municipal bodies, providing mural artworks for new offices and public spaces such as libraries and street art. I'm also involved in the animation industry, both pre-production (concept art, environment design, storyboards) and the principle animation as well. <br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3sxmiE23wIw/XuuDqGF1paI/AAAAAAAACkQ/ukZZfbh8XJoeGKNCIFrCRybNB_tare3ZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/comics-cover-ASH.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3sxmiE23wIw/XuuDqGF1paI/AAAAAAAACkQ/ukZZfbh8XJoeGKNCIFrCRybNB_tare3ZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/comics-cover-ASH.jpg" width="280" height="400" data-original-width="350" data-original-height="500" /></a><br />
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On graphic novels, I'm currently working with my long-time collaborator, Melanie Lee on a new book (Amazing Ash and Superhero Ah Ma), hopefully coming out by the end of this year by Difference Engine in Singapore. My next personal project is to compile my webcomics, #SeketulSina (comics on parenthood and a kid named Sina) into a physical format. I am also currently writing a new graphic novel about a kid who is experiencing his coming-of-age in a small town in Taiping, Perak in the late 80s.<br />
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<i>Heard you are working with Lat now on Mat Som 2. How is the progress on that?</i><br />
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We've been working together on this project for two years now and at the moment we are on the last leg of the inking phase. This is considered as my best 'achievement unlocked' moment as a comic artist, having an opportunity to work closely with a master and to learn not just the technicalities and history of KL & Perak, but also the mindset and attitude from Lat in creating a comic that 'talks, sings and dances' to the readers in a unique and beautiful way. Hopefully the book will be published this year, it's all up to the Big Man himself.<br />
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An old interview with Maple from 2015:<br />
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<a href="https://singaporecomix.blogspot.com/2015/06/maple-comics.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR1i-sMNheDVzZDGBB8qh_WY2rBpKs3aOFrHrnwHvVhUZ79EuS3zB03RTek">https://singaporecomix.blogspot.com/2015/06/maple-comics.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR1i-sMNheDVzZDGBB8qh_WY2rBpKs3aOFrHrnwHvVhUZ79EuS3zB03RTek</a><br />
cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-75733579605653377302020-04-20T11:39:00.000+08:002020-04-20T11:41:29.749+08:00Tatsumi and Liquid City Vol 2Times flies. 5 years ago, Tatsumi sensei passed away on 7 March and 10 years ago, Liquid City Vol 2 was released.<br />
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In September 2011, gekiga pioneer Yoshihiro Tatsumi returned to Singapore for the premiere of Tatsumi (dir: Eric Khoo), the animated film of A Drifting Life, the autobiography of his early life. We met up at the poolside café of Goodwood Park Hotel where he and his wife were staying. I gave him a copy of Liquid City Vol 2, the Southeast Asian comics anthology I co-edited with Sonny Liew and published by Image Comics just the year before. He flipped through the book and asked through a translator whether the artists were paid. I replied no. He paused and said I must be very powerful to get the artists to work without money. <br />
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I thought about what he said. It was not power that got this volume done, but it was a collaborative effort and a constructivist approach was taken. The objective of the Liquid City volumes is to highlight the diversity of talent and stories from the region. Comics anthologies do not sell well, a fact confirmed by Eric Stephenson, the publisher of Image, when I met him at the Thought Bubble comic con in 2013. For this anthology, the artists and editors were not paid. The stories were fuelled by passion. As such, my editorial approach was to have a light touch as I wanted to retain the artist’s vision as much as possible. If you are not paying someone, it is not reasonable to ask them to make extensive changes when it could affect their schedule for other paying jobs. Editorial changes were suggested to improve the overall story. <br />
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For example, in the original WIP (work-in-progress) pages for The Box by Chin Yew, he made it explicit that he had a problem with pornography ala Joe Matt and Chester Brown. Porn made him feel guilty and doing this story could be therapeutic for him. But it was too much like Matt and Brown. I suggested for him to make the story more universal and replaced the word pornography with addiction. I explained this could make the story more identifiable with readers with other forms of addiction. Most of us are addicted to something in one way or the other. Given our love for autobiographical creators, Chin Yew and I did a tribute to Harvey Pekar when he passed away.<br />
(<a href="http://www.ideaship.com/CAA/uncleJAM/harveyPekar.pdf">http://www.ideaship.com/CAA/uncleJAM/harveyPekar.pdf</a> )<br />
<br />
Another challenge for the editor is following up with the artists. Some stories come in late and it is the job of the editor to chase them. And sometimes, you have to cross the border to do it. I contacted the Malaysian artist Lat for a story and the deadline was looming. Lat has always welcomed us to visit him at his hometown in Ipoh, Malaysia. I decided to take up his offer and it would be a chance to chat about the story for Vol 2. Lat showed us his kampong (the Malay village where he grew up), drove us around town in his old sedan car, played Roseanne Cash’s The List CD on the stereo and we were just cruising. We talked about old John Wayne movies and he casually mentioned he would offer a story about a soccer match for the book. That was how it was done, over curry cooked by his wife. For this road trip, I travelled with editorial cartoonist, Dengcoy Miel who also promised a story for Vol 2. I think he was sufficiently inspired by the journey to come up with the excellent wordless crime story he did for us. <br />
<br />
Working with artists is about building a relationship with them. I got to know some of these artists quite well and have worked with them on comic stories. It is not about having power over them but to have the power to help them realise their vision and bring their stories to a wider audience. <br />
<br />
As for Tatsumi sensei, he offered us some of his older stories to be published in Singapore as gratitude for all we have done for him. I was fortunate to be involved in Midnight Fishermen: Gekiga of the 1970s (Landmark Books, 2013), writing an introduction for the volume. <br />
cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-2282084201843466992019-10-31T21:18:00.001+08:002019-10-31T21:18:33.833+08:00Interview with Chris Riddell (SWF 2019)<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I-EwUk3l698/XbrdSuo1i5I/AAAAAAAACX0/dMqtezT9mVwUJ88ALT7TwF755AnqmmNhACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/chris-riddell-brexit-observer.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I-EwUk3l698/XbrdSuo1i5I/AAAAAAAACX0/dMqtezT9mVwUJ88ALT7TwF755AnqmmNhACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/chris-riddell-brexit-observer.jpg" width="400" height="220" data-original-width="1500" data-original-height="824" /></a><br />
<br />
Chris Riddell is in town this weekend for SWF. The UK Children’s Laureate is promoted as a major illustrator of children’s books by the festival, and rightly so as Riddell’s books like The Edge’s Chronicles, Gulliver’s Travels, Ottoline and Goth Girl are well loved. For comics fans, Riddell is also the illustrator for several of Neil Gaiman’s books such as The Graveyard Book, Fortunately, the Milk… and The Sleeper and the Spindle. Their latest collaboration is Art Matters, which came out last year. But I am more interested in the fact that Riddell is the political cartoonist for The Observer newspapers. I still think political cartoon is a powerful medium today.<br />
<br />
Riddell took time out from his busy schedule to answer some questions of mine. <br />
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<br />
<i>Many outside the UK are familiar with your work as a children books' writer and illustrator, especially with your drawings for The Graveyard Book and other stories written by Neil Gaiman. How do they react when they find out you are a political cartoonist too for The Observer?</i><br />
<br />
Many people are surprised when I tell them that I’m the political cartoonist for The Observer but they recognise my style which isn’t significantly different from my illustration work. Lately I’ve been drawing Brexit unicorns, Chinese dragons and Tory trolls.<br />
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<i>You have said that you did not find that much a difference in the tools you utilized when drawing a children book or skewing Theresa May or Trump. How do you feel about Brexit, Boris and the state of British politics now?</i><br />
<br />
The only thing I can say about the state of politics right now is that it is a great time to be a political cartoonist!<br />
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<i>You are optimistic about the state of political cartooning in the world today, given the affordances of technology and the antics of sometimes-too-exciting world leaders like Trump. But what's good material for political cartooning can be bad for humanity. Can political cartoons change the world?</i><br />
<br />
I don't believe political cartoons change the world but they can help to articulate people’s thoughts and change the political mood sometimes. People change the world.<br />
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<i>Political and social satire was not confined to the editorial pages in the past. One of my favorite books is The Tin-Pot Foreign General and the Old Iron Woman by Raymond Briggs. We have less of that these days. Would you want to do combine the two one day? (political satire and children books)</i><br />
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I would love to combine political satire and children’s books and my subject would be climate change – my medium, the graphic novel.<br />
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<i>As you can probably tell, I'm a big fan of Raymond Briggs too. Are you excited about his new book? </i><br />
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Raymond Briggs has been a huge influence on me. He was my personal tutor at art school and we have kept in touch ever since. ‘Ethel and Earnest’ is Raymond’s masterpiece but I’m looking forward to his new book.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_vUEzOYHeY/Xbreo6BlVAI/AAAAAAAACYE/v_EtA_SOjkM8USlan_ybeFFhU-a8ZzxbQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/riddell%2Beurosceptics.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_vUEzOYHeY/Xbreo6BlVAI/AAAAAAAACYE/v_EtA_SOjkM8USlan_ybeFFhU-a8ZzxbQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/riddell%2Beurosceptics.jpg" width="400" height="214" data-original-width="620" data-original-height="332" /></a><br />
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<i>Drawing political cartoons can be dangerous - Charlie Hebdo and closer to Singapore, the various lawsuits against Malaysian cartoonist, Zunar and Singapore cartoonist, Leslie Chew. Did you have any close encounters yourself?</i><br />
<br />
My encounters are on social media and I can choose what to look at and take onboard. Trolls are easy to spot.<br />
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<i>Some have confused satire with fake news. Is it a thin line?</i><br />
<br />
Satire doesn’t hide under bridges, fake news trolls do.<br />
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<i>Is gif the future for political cartooning and satire?</i><br />
<br />
Gif is one tool. There are many. I post a ‘visual diary’ drawing on social media every day and film myself drawing live. I’m also interested in podcasting.<br />
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<i>I am a school teacher. You have talked about the need for creativity in the British education system and the importance of the school libraries. If you are the Education Minister for a day, which policy would you change or introduce?</i><br />
<br />
If I were the Education Minister for a day, I would make it a statutory requirement that all schools have a library and a qualified librarian to run it.<br />
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<i>Neil Gaiman visited Singapore twice (once for SWF) and is hugely popular. Readers would want me to ask: how was it like working with Neil?</i><br />
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Working with Neil is like a fairy tale – often literally. He sends me magical words and then allows me to imagine them visually with complete freedom. <br />
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I think of Neil as ‘the wise wizard’ and myself as his rotund hobbit companion.<br />
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<i>Gaiman and Riddell’s love for libraries.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/gallery/2018/sep/06/neil-gaiman-and-chris-riddell-on-why-we-need-libraries-an-essay-in-pictures">https://www.theguardian.com/books/gallery/2018/sep/06/neil-gaiman-and-chris-riddell-on-why-we-need-libraries-an-essay-in-pictures</a><br />
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<i>You can find out about Riddell’s SWF appearances here:</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/author-speaker/Chris-Riddell.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/author-speaker/Chris-Riddell.html</a><br />
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<i>Thanks to Catherine Alport for her help!</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QvgcmiDlssU/XbreizXnt5I/AAAAAAAACYA/uIY4Bu-W3aEzYACsMQqtlnp0HYtaFP0MACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/graveyard%2Bbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QvgcmiDlssU/XbreizXnt5I/AAAAAAAACYA/uIY4Bu-W3aEzYACsMQqtlnp0HYtaFP0MACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/graveyard%2Bbook.jpg" width="400" height="400" data-original-width="540" data-original-height="540" /></a><br />
cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-90650185267529759372019-10-14T15:24:00.000+08:002019-10-15T13:44:32.503+08:00Forgive but not forget: Interview with Rani Pramesti (SWF 2019)<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QwnU5zUwbF0/XaQhYn7hdyI/AAAAAAAACW0/VkPwDT8T8G4JQaY8q4yMVyqR9yTpJIrvQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/chinese%2Bwhispers.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QwnU5zUwbF0/XaQhYn7hdyI/AAAAAAAACW0/VkPwDT8T8G4JQaY8q4yMVyqR9yTpJIrvQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/chinese%2Bwhispers.jpg" width="400" height="258" data-original-width="960" data-original-height="620" /></a><br />
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The politics of remembrance and commemoration is complex. One can forgive but one should not forget. In places like South Africa, East Timor and Aceh, truth and reconciliation commissions have been set up to investigate and reveal the atrocities committed by the colonizers, the complicit and the compliant. It is not just a tabling of reports and mere presentation of facts and figures, but it is important how narratives are shaped and shared. It is through storytelling that ideas are spread and kept alive.<br />
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This is where comics is a powerful medium for such a purpose – giving voice to the silenced and speaking truth to power. In 2012, a young woman was raped on a bus in Delhi, India. She died from her injuries a few days later. A comic book based by the tragic incident was produced in 2014. Priya’s Shakti makes use of augmented reality tech and is available for online reading. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://professorlatinx.osu.edu/comics/priyas-shakti/">https://professorlatinx.osu.edu/comics/priyas-shakti/</a><br />
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Closer to home, the events of the May 1998 riots in Indonesia have inspired comic artists like Mice to reflect on the aftermath of the riots on the ordinary citizens in Jakarta. Now, adding to the list is Rani P Collaborations’ Chinese Whispers, a digital comic that has its first incarnation as a performance installation in 2014. It traces lead artist, Rani Pramesti's journey from Indonesia to Australia, from citizen to diaspora.<br />
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Growing up in a privileged Chinese family in Indonesia, Rani was sent off to live in Australia when the riots happened. Her story is not uncommon. I have colleagues from Indonesia who came to study and live in Singapore after 1998 for the same reason. Some came to Singapore. Others like Rani went to Australia and she grew up safely in the comfort offered by her adopted country. But she wondered about her past, which formed the basis of her art practice. Having graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2013 with a Bachelor of Dramatic Art, Rani formed Rani P Collaborations to work on productions which explore history, memories and trauma. She mined her own family history for the world to see and reflect. In Sedih//Sunno, she shared her mom’s story as a sexually abused child. In Surat-Surat (Letters), she used her grandparents’ letters to each other to tell a love story. <br />
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For her appearance at the Singapore Writers Festival in November, she returns to her first performance installation, Chinese Whispers, whose lifespan as a performance piece has been extended to a new platform of digital comics. For Chinese Whispers, Rani collaborated with illustrator, Cindy Saja; composer, Ria Soemardjo; and web developers, Martin Harusetyanto and Gondo, to develop this new version of Chinese Whispers for the cyberspace. <br />
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I was curious about the politics of race and identity in Rani’s story and I asked her these questions. <br />
<br />
<i><br />
What is the main difference (in intent, if any) between the performance installation and the digital graphic novel?</i><br />
<br />
My team and I created the digital graphic novel as a way to reach more people, particularly younger generations of Indonesian people first and foremost, with this work. The intent of the work remains the same, which is to create time and space to reflect on a part of Indonesian history that is still often shrouded in ignorance. Just as the performance installation guided audiences one by one through a labyrinth, to engage in meditative reflection, so does the digital graphic novel. One of the key messages to reflect on is how "we cannot heal, what we will not face". My hope is that this question is a relevant one across many of our shared histories, although I use the May 1998 politically motivated racial and sexual violence as one 'launching pad' from which to reflect on this key message. <br />
<i><br />
What is it that you hoped to achieve when you first started this project in 2014 and what has been achieved now with the digital graphic novel?</i><br />
<br />
At the beginning of the research and development for Chinese Whispers, back in 2013, I wanted to find a way to tell Chinese-Indonesian stories on Australian stages. As I delved deeper into the conversations I was having with Chinese-Indonesian diaspora women in Melbourne, however, I slowly realised that what I actually wanted to talk about was May 1998. I then went back to the women I had interviewed and informed them of this shift in my intention with the work. With their consent, I focused the storytelling on my personal experiences with May 1998 and also on socio-historical sources on May 1998, including the human rights activist, Karlina Supelli and the journalist, Dewi Anggraeni. <br />
<br />
What I hoped to achieve in 2014 continues to apply today- which is to pass on a story to the younger generations of Indonesian people (whether Chinese identifying or not), about a part of our history that needs to be remembered and a part of our history that we all need to work on learning from, in order to stop it from happening again. <br />
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What has been achieved now through the graphic novel is a contribution to a global conversation on the legacies of colonialism. It's really exciting to hear people's responses from Australia to Indonesia to the US, to France, to Italy, to Taiwan... Just to name a few responses I've received since Chinese Whispers went digital! <br />
<br />
<i>How has the project been received in Australia and in Indonesia? Have you encountered any cynicism?</i><br />
<br />
Far from cynicism, during the premiere of the performance installation in 2014 at the Melbourne Fringe Festival (where we won Best Live Art and Innovation in Culturally Diverse Practice Awards), younger Indonesian people have come up to me to thank me, because this was a part of our story that their parents were too afraid to expand on. So for them, Chinese Whispers gave a way 'into' this disturbing part of Indonesia's history and the ways this has shaped Indonesian diaspora globally. <br />
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In 2018, we launched the Indonesian language digital graphic novel to commemorate the 20-year anniversary of May 1998. The digital graphic novel was launched by the Indonesian Director General of Culture, Dr Hilmar Farid, and moved many to tears! We were also blessed because the timing meant that our work was picked up by many media outlets. Far from cynicism, our readers continue to leave us very generous messages of forgiveness, of unity, of pledging to never forget. <br />
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<i>Since the 2000s, there are more works that dealt with the violence against the Chinese in Indonesia, eg. The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence. And also the books of Dewi Anggraeni such as My Pain, My Country. Have things improved now? Are people more aware?</i><br />
<br />
My experience of viewing The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence is that it very much focused on the widespread politically motivated violence of 1965, rather than necessarily being focused on the racially motivated violence towards Chinese-Indonesian people. Is that correct? <br />
<br />
I think in terms of works about 1998, there has definitely been more and more. In fact I think there has been twenty years' worth of works dedicated to May 1998. But that does not mean that there is more awareness of how anti-Chinese violence is just one colonial tactic that continues to divide our nation, whenever it suits people in power to use for their own ambitions. I would love it if more people asked themselves, "who does it actually benefit when I participate in this kind of hatred" whether towards Chinese, towards West Papuans, towards LGBTIQA+ communities and so on... It's been heartening to see the key demands of the current student led protests which have called for an end to the violence in West Papua, amongst other demands, because that is a show of solidarity for another group in Indonesia that has always been "othered" since being colonized by Indonesia. <br />
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<i>Why is the denial of racism (both ways) so strong in Indonesia?</i><br />
<br />
I think it's less a "denial" of racism and more a "normalization" of racism. <br />
<br />
Firstly, I want to say that one of the flaws of Chinese Whispers, which I can now see in hindsight is the lack of focus on how the heinous violence of May 1998 was orchestrated to happen. If you read the report of the Fact Finding Team (there's a link to this report at the conclusion of the final chapter), you'll see ample evidence of provocateurs literally being offloaded into majority Chinese areas and then provoking/ inciting violence. So, May 1998 was able to happen because there is a level of normalized "othering" by both Chinese/ non-Chinese (so-called "Pribumi" or "native") but also because the violence was deliberately stoked to explode. <br />
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Secondly, in terms of the normalization of racism from "both sides", I do think it's interesting to study the different social, economic and political roles that Chinese played throughout pre-colonial, colonial and postcolonial times. For example, even before the Dutch came, the Chinese already played the role of tax collector for many kingdoms in Java and Madura. This was a role that the Dutch exploited and exacerbated during three and a half centuries of colonial era, for example by appointing Chinese Kapiteins which had more political, social and economic powers than the so-called "natives". <br />
<br />
When social, economic and political structures are created to divide people, racism is a natural by product of these structures. <br />
<br />
<i>Chinese Whispers is also your personal story. Was it hard adjusting to Australia at 12 years old when you move there after the May 1998 riots? Do you consider yourself as part of the diaspora? </i><br />
<br />
Yes, it was very hard. The hardest thing was coming from a very politically charged context (a literal political revolution) and then moving to a very privileged all girls' private school boarding house. Materially speaking, my class privilege has always sheltered me from material hardship and for that I am thankful. <br />
<br />
However, the challenges came more in the form of culture shock. More and more as I accumulate years of being based in Australia, the most challenging thing is how to survive and attempt to thrive in a white supremacist society like Australia. I absolutely consider myself a part of the Indonesian, Chindo and Asian diaspora. I wouldn't have lasted this long living on Kulin Country (Melbourne) without my friends who hail proudly from First Nations and diaspora communities. <br />
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<i>What are your feelings about Indonesia ?</i><br />
<br />
I love Indonesia. It is a beautiful country with beautiful people. In terms of from my perspective as an artist, I am excited by the explosion of arts and culture (both in terms of artistic practice as well as arts infrastructure) in the past twenty years of relative democracy. I am excited by the embracing of technology by the younger generations. Jokowi recently opened the "1000 startups" conference in Jakarta and to see government ministers in conversation with the younger generations- it's evidence of real future thinking at the national level. At the same time (and this is what Chinese Whispers tries to remind us of), in order to move knowingly into our future, we must embrace the lessons of our past so that we don't repeat our past mistakes. That is my feeling and my hopes for Indonesia.<br />
<br />
<br />
You can view Rani’s SWF programmes here.<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/author-speaker/Rani-Pramesti.html"><br />
https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/author-speaker/Rani-Pramesti.html</a><br />
<br />
You can read Chinese Whispers here.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://thechinesewhispers.com/">https://thechinesewhispers.com/</a><br />
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cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-37481193051344885802019-10-11T08:23:00.001+08:002019-10-11T08:25:04.544+08:00sexsexsex: interview with dave cooper (swf 2019)<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ze03msmhu8E/XZ6gortQp7I/AAAAAAAACVY/V5KytwkN_wsLSy6pWCOsecoATcQ95MM7gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/dave%2Bcooper%2Bbalancing%2Bprojects.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ze03msmhu8E/XZ6gortQp7I/AAAAAAAACVY/V5KytwkN_wsLSy6pWCOsecoATcQ95MM7gCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/dave%2Bcooper%2Bbalancing%2Bprojects.png" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1044" data-original-height="783" /></a><br />
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<br />
Thanks to the Canadian Embassy, the Singapore Writers Festival are receiving some cool comics guests for the last 2 years. (in fact, Canada is the country of focus for this year’s SWF) Last year, it was David Collier, quintessential down-to-earth Canadian artist whose appearance in Singapore even got Lat to come down from Ipoh to catch up with this old friend of ours.<br />
<br />
I interviewed Collier here:<br />
<a href="http://singaporecomix.blogspot.com/2018/10/swf-2018-interview-with-david-collier.html"><br />
http://singaporecomix.blogspot.com/2018/10/swf-2018-interview-with-david-collier.html</a><br />
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This year, it is alternative comics provocateur of the 1990s and 2000s, Dave Cooper, who will be coming to town. A rather odd choice for a guest as only old time fans of Fantagraphics Comics (Dave’s publisher) will be familiar with his comics like Suckle, Weasel, Crumple and Ripple. They are fantastical tales of people who are overwhelmed by sex, society, technology and … women. <br />
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Some have stood up to rereading like Ripple, which can still make you stand. (Dave is doing a lecture on sex comics at SWF) But Dave has been off the comics grid for some time. He became a fine art artist, a children’s books artist and got into animation for the past 10 years. These are all interesting projects, but thankfully for his comics fans, he has returned to comics with Mudbite (2018), a book collecting 2 new Eddy Table (Dave’s alter ego) stories, Mud River and Bug Bite. Sex and all its bodily fluids return in a big way in Dave’s comics. Maybe he should have a meeting with the minister of population here to talk about sex. <br />
<br />
I did an email interview with him and the first question I asked was …<br />
<i><br />
What is the obsession with sex?</i> <br />
<br />
Good question. I’m exploring that very question as I write the lecture for the Singapore Writers Festival. I won’t spoil it for you, but it seems to all come down to a number of imprinting experiences I’ve had since childhood, pared with a strange absence of stigma around using sex as a central theme. It just seems to be the thing that drives my work. I find writing and drawing really exhausting most of the time, I’m not the type to doodle constantly in a sketchbook for pleasure. Drawing is more like pushing a car up a hill. But I’ve found from experience over the years that as soon as I insert sex into the equation it’s like I’ve put a key in the ignition.<br />
<i><br />
I just reread Ripple, about the perfect orgasm. After all that build up, we never get to see it. What is it like? Have you experienced it before?</i><br />
<br />
Ha ha! At the time of writing that, it was only a plot device, I’d never experienced it first hand. It was a highly amplified, exaggerated version of the bliss you can feel the first time.<br />
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<i>Underground comix artist, Robert Crumb is obviously a big influence for you. But he recently came under heavy backlash in light of the #metoo movement. Any thoughts on that? Are you worried about your portrayals of the female body and physique? </i><br />
<br />
I’m not informed on the Crumb thing. But as for my work, I do wonder how the new generation processes this kind of intentionally provocative and morally ambiguous work. Only time will tell. I can say that the only feedback I ever get from women is enthusiastic. That’s always been a hugely gratifying thing for me. It tells me that my work is often understood, and that my loving sentiment comes through all the confusion.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ao0gRtkNpnk/XZ_LxOWNcVI/AAAAAAAACWc/VK7FdzakTxEA-M1bkLnMdGTzyYI_iPfIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/dave%2Bcooper%2Bww%2Bsupergirl.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ao0gRtkNpnk/XZ_LxOWNcVI/AAAAAAAACWc/VK7FdzakTxEA-M1bkLnMdGTzyYI_iPfIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/dave%2Bcooper%2Bww%2Bsupergirl.jpg" width="400" height="356" data-original-width="700" data-original-height="623" /></a><br />
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<i>Do you see yourself as part of the underground comix tradition or linage?</i> <br />
<br />
I never feel like a part of anything. I never have. Comics, painting, animation, filmmaking. I’m lucky that my work is well regarded and I love these communities, but there’s something about my personality that keeps me feeling a bit on the outside. Maybe it’s from feeling the black sheep in my own family as a child.<br />
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<i>When you were starting out, was there like a Canadian alternative comic artists scene? Drawn & Quarterly and people like Chester Brown, Seth, Julie Doucet and Collier. </i><br />
<br />
Nationalism is another where I feel apart. I’ve never thought of myself as “Canadian” per se. If anything, I may have felt a bit less connected to those authors because I imagined some sort of expectation. I love all those artists you mentioned but their Canadian-ness was never a factor that drew me to them.<br />
<i><br />
Your stories deal with the dissonance between pastoral and civilization, nature and technology, desire and morals, and the child and the man. Do you see the world in such dichotomous terms?</i> <br />
<br />
As a person, no I don’t. But when I write and draw, I always seem to slip into these patterns. I’m transported back to my childhood in the woods of Nova Scotia where I became obsessed with nature, with things growing from the earth, or with the way my father could build machinery out of raw metal and wood, or to my pubescence when my obsession with the female form began. I sink under, into a world where exploring all these ideas was an escape, a place where I could feel like I controlled things and my explanations were law.<br />
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<i>You moved from comics to music, back to comics, then paintings, children’s books, animation and comics again. Are you ADHD? </i><br />
<br />
Absolutely! Not formally diagnosed, but I definitely need the constant thrill of new projects, unfamiliar challenges. It creates a spark that is absent when I’m doing the same kind of work day in and day out. Initially it happened within the discipline of comics- I’d change my drawing style from book to book. But eventually I started craving the challenge of jumping from one discipline to another. The latest is live-action filmmaking, and after that possibly sculpture.<br />
<i><br />
You moved into animation and you brought along your alter ego, Eddy Table. Eddy is your most enduring character. What makes Eddy so versatile?</i> <br />
<br />
He’s just a guy that I never get tired of visiting. I can’t explain it. I just like drawing him. And the fact that he is my alter-ego for my own dream stories, and nonsense stories means that I’ll never run out of stories for him. I don’t enjoy writing real stories with serious intentions and structure so making Eddy stories is always enjoyable.<br />
<br />
<i>Eddy gets to do lots of fun thing. Are you Eddy? </i><br />
<br />
Yes. He started as a stand-in for my dream stories. I wanted to use an actual dream, but cartoonize the visuals. I thought it would just make the whole experience more universal if the protagonist was a cartoon character.<br />
<i><br />
Any connection between Eddy Table and Ed the Happy Clown by Chester Brown?</i><br />
<br />
No, that would make sense though. Ed the Happy Clown was one of the most seminal works for me at that time. But no, Eddy Table comes from the word “editable”, meaning easily changed- in other words, malleable to my needs as fickle artist.<br />
<i><br />
Eddy has new adventures in your new book, Mudbite. But Eddy is also the hero in your short animation film, The Absence of Eddy Table. Now what is exciting is that Eddy is voiced by Mike Patton of Faith No More! Was it a kick to work with Mike Patton?</i><br />
<br />
It was comically mundane actually. Our composer is friends with Mike. We asked if he’d consider doing a voice in exchange for us re-purposing footage from our film to make a little music video for him. We never got to meet him, we just sent the movie and soon received his tracks. The director was thrilled, but he had a couple of “notes”- places where he’d like a take 2. Mike’s response was, “there’s no take 2”. Ha ha! Anyway, we were beyond thrilled to have him attached to the project, his work was phenomenal.<br />
<i><br />
What is your process like these days? Still pen and paper or a mix of digital now?</i> <br />
<br />
I use digital only for colouring and lettering, and in fact, I'm starting to get a bit fed up of using it to colour. i think i may just go back to black and white drawings, i usually prefer them. Drawing on a computer is something I avoid. I love soft graphite on letter paper, I love ink on strathmore, I love oil paint on canvas. These are visceral experiences for me that I don’t want to give up for expediency. I draw on a computer if there’s a nasty deadline and there’s no other way.<br />
<i><br />
Can tell us more about your new projects, Pillowy and Squash?</i> <br />
<br />
Pillowy is the most beautiful publication I’ve ever been associated with. It’s a 400-pg retrospective. All the work I’m still pleased with from the past 30 years. When I look at it I still can’t believe my luck that Cernunnos Publishing would put so much love and care into a book about my work.<br />
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Squash is my first foray into live-action filmmaking. A 4-minute film about a jiggly, obsessive woman and her giddy self-gratification. It’s highly stylized and I think it will make a great first effort. Making it was a thrilling challenge. My first day on set as a director I was gratified by an overwhelming feeling of belonging and confidence.<br />
<i><br />
What’s next for you? </i><br />
<br />
I always answer that question with “more of the same, I hope”. I love my career and I just want to keep pushing myself to dig deeper into the same themes that have always motivated me. Bigger paintings, longer films, maybe sculpture. I just love it all and I want to keep finding ways to make it fresh for me.<br />
<i><br />
What have you heard about Singapore?</i><br />
<br />
No chewing gum?<br />
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<i>Some say we are really uptight. But then one of our ministers said you don't need much space to have sex and make babies. What do you think of that? Can ripple be achieved in a small space?</i><br />
<br />
Just enough space for two people. Or just one in a pinch.<br />
<br />
<br />
You can find Dave’s programmes at SWF here:<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/author-speaker/Dave-Cooper.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/author-speaker/Dave-Cooper.html</a><br />
<br />
I am moderating a panel on Outsider Comics with Dave, Ye Zhen and Weng Pixin on 3 November, 3 pm.<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Outsider-Comics-.html"><br />
https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Outsider-Comics-.html<br />
</a><br />
You can watch The Absence of Eddy Table here:<br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/blog/post/staff-pick-premiere-the-absence-of-eddy-table-by-rune-spaans/">https://vimeo.com/blog/post/staff-pick-premiere-the-absence-of-eddy-table-by-rune-spaans/</a><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XLKemhNAvNY/XZ_K7jWok3I/AAAAAAAACWE/2YJm9NctFqwm4AXaPDH-ul9rbw_JcpVWQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/dave%2Bcooper%2Bsuper%2Bdumped.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XLKemhNAvNY/XZ_K7jWok3I/AAAAAAAACWE/2YJm9NctFqwm4AXaPDH-ul9rbw_JcpVWQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/dave%2Bcooper%2Bsuper%2Bdumped.jpg" width="398" height="640" data-original-width="995" data-original-height="1600" /></a><br />
cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-7435048876537831642019-10-08T10:11:00.000+08:002019-10-10T11:04:36.633+08:00Life is not shit and you survive: Interview with Ancco (Bad Friends)<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BuPWUWTSA64/XZvvqGC6UpI/AAAAAAAACU4/JD3n_OZLqfIN8Nt8H2SlHGd63D7mRlU_ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bad%2Bfriends.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BuPWUWTSA64/XZvvqGC6UpI/AAAAAAAACU4/JD3n_OZLqfIN8Nt8H2SlHGd63D7mRlU_ACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/bad%2Bfriends.png" width="400" height="243" data-original-width="796" data-original-height="483" /></a><br />
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Memory is a tricky thing and sense making of the past is important. What is remembered of a particular event, how we remember certain friends and why - they are our ways of navigating through the landscapes of our mind. Sometimes these are places we do not want to revisit. They can be horrific events. <br />
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The Korean comic book, Bad Friends by Ancco, awarded the Prix Révélation at the Angoulême International Comics Festival in 2017, is a horror story. There are no ghosts or monsters to contend with. Just terrible situations involving really bad friends. But what makes these friends so bad that parents, teachers and society are constantly warning you about them? What has happened to them that turned them so bad – family, circumstances and wrong personal choices? And if you ‘wake up’ and abandon them to better yourself, does that make you a bad friend to them?<br />
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Some of us experienced these situations, such moments of survivor guilt when you have to let go of your buddies to move on with your life. Friendship and loyalty is a theme much explored in books, music and movies like Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets (1973) where the character of Charlie (Harvey Keitel) was dragged down by his friend, Johnny Boy (Robert de Niro), which explains the opening line, “You don't make up for your sins in church. You do it in the streets. You do it at home. The rest is bullshit and you know it.”<br />
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Bad Friends tells a similar story from a female point of view, situated in post-Asian financial crisis Korea in the late 1990s, and a slightly different ending. Pearl (Ancco’s alter ego in the story) meets Jeong-Ae, a bad friend. They had lots of fun, getting into fights and giving the finger to the world. They only have each other. They are physically abused by the men in their lives, their fathers and boyfriends. If their mothers and siblings try to intervene, they are beaten up too. It is not a good situation. But in the end, Pearl survives better than Jeong-Ae. Pearl becomes a comic book artist like Ancco in real life. Jeong-Ae disappears and Pearl wonders what has happened to her best friend and how she is doing. She is plagued by questions and survivor guilt.<br />
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I will be moderating a panel on The Power of the Graphic Memoir with Ancco as one of the panelists at the Singapore Writers Festival on 3 November and I will be engaging her about Bad Friends. But Ancco asserts that the story is not her autobiography. She told me:<br />
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“I mixed many episodes into one story for it to be understandable for the readers. There are parts which I made up as well. I thought it is not important how much of it is based on my life. The important thing is how does it makes the readers focus on the story. I wrote every single characters with my friends in my mind.”<br />
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Ancco, whose real name is Choi Kyung-jin and born in 1983, is the first Korean comic artist to win a prize at Angouleme, and Bad Friend was picked up by Drawn & Quarterly, the Canadian comics publisher, for translation and publication in 2018. I am curious why Ancco wrote and drew this book and I did an email interview with her.<br />
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<i>Why did you write this book?</i><br />
<br />
I have been constantly thinking that I should write this story since I graduated from high school. Back then, after I became friends with school mates who were known as ‘bad friends’, I started to have a different view of them. When I visited and saw where and how they lived, I felt as if I found where their ‘badness’ came from. Their lives seemed so hard and inappropriate for a teenager. I didn’t mean to advocate for them and their lives, but I just wanted to tell what their lives are about. <br />
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<i>There is a lot of guilt in Bad Friends – survival guilt, that we have survived better than some of our friends. Does that necessarily make us bad friends?</i><br />
<br />
For those of us who survived, it doesn’t mean we are ‘bad friends’. But it is true that Pearl (my alter ego in the story) felt guilty about Jeong-Ae. She turned away from Jeong-Ae. That is the choice and reality for some of us. <br />
<i><br />
Another side of the story of Bad Friends is how female friendship can help us get through bad times. Korea is known sometimes for its toxic masculinity, the need for boys and men to be macho. In your opinion, is it true? How bad is it?</i><br />
<br />
I don’t think anyone is forced to be uber masculine and to be macho. Even if the older generation did so, but it is not so now. The men in my comic are in unusual situations. They are also victims of their home situation, their parents, and by extension, of our society. The story is about the darker side of our society. But the men ‘Bad Friends’ cannot be generalized.
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<i>You are born in 1983. You grew up as a child during the period of the Asian Economic Miracle when Korea was one of the Four Asian Tiger Economies. Asian values were celebrated. But the bubble burst in 1997 when the Asian financial crisis happened. Would you say your book is a critique of those times – overconfident capitalism and its problems? (the irony is that the other friend of Pearl who survived now worked in a bank)</i><br />
<br />
I didn’t mean to write about social problems consciously. But I thought it is important to be careful to share the background of the story without distorting the facts. I grew up and lived through that period, I would have been influenced by the environment of a recession struck Korea in the late 1990s. So I thought if I tell the facts, it would work in many ways. And the readers would interpret the story as they like.<br />
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<i>For tourists who visited Korea, they may only have a K-pop view of the country and its people. But when I watched movies like Parasite (Bong Joon-ho), I get a very different story. It is the same for manhwa. In 2014, Korea was the Market Focus at the London Book Fair. I attended a presentation by Yoon Tae-ho and the audience associated Korean manhwa with popular webtoons. But reading your comics gives me a very different picture of Korea. What is the truth?</i><br />
<br />
No one vision of Korea can be the truth. There are various forms of life in Korea. I met so-called bad friends in high school. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known about their lives and existence either. This comic is about the lives which we cannot see easily in our daily life.<br />
<i><br />
In Bad Friends, the characters did not have a good time in school. Is there something about the school system that we should change?</i><br />
<br />
The problems of school system in ‘Bad friends’ have changed and have largely disappeared now. Korea is changing very quickly today. But it doesn’t mean that everything has cleared up. There will be other problems that we have not encountered and we still have to solve. <br />
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<i>How do you work with the translator, Janet Hong, on the English translation for Drawn and Quarterly?</i><br />
<br />
She has worked more with novelists than with comic artists. As far as I know this is the first time she has translated a comic book. The publisher D&Q requested for her to translate ‘Bad Friends’. I didn’t have to do much for the translation though. When she was trying to come up with an English name for the character of ‘Pearl’, she contacted me and I gave some of my opinions. She understood the comic and the story very well. It was very lucky for us to have her as a translator.<br />
<i><br />
Did winning the prize at Angouleme change your career?</i><br />
<br />
It is almost the same as before actually. As a matter of fact, this kind of serious comics is not popular in Korea. To win the prize at Angouleme as the first Korean comic artist to do so has helped somewhat to let the Korean public know there are such heavy comics like this. And personally, it was meaningful.<br />
<i><br />
What are your new projects?</i><br />
<br />
I am preparing a new project. I was full of darkness when I was working on Bad Friends. After I finished this chapter of darkness, I began to learn what is the brightness in my life. About the brightness which defeats the darkness is my new project.<br />
<br />
<i>Finally, did you find out what happen to Jeong-Ae?</i><br />
<br />
My ‘bad’ friend who inspired the character Jeong-Ae? She went through many adversities but she has become a great mother of two children now.<br />
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<br />
You can look up Ancco’s programmes at SWF here:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/author-speaker/Ancco.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/author-speaker/Ancco.html</a><br />
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You can read parts of Bad Friends here:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://pen.org/bad-friends/">https://pen.org/bad-friends/</a><br />
<br />
Here is an interview with the translator of Bad Friends, Janet Hong:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.rochester.edu/College/translation/threepercent/2019/05/14/interview-with-janet-hong-graphic-novels-in-translation/">http://www.rochester.edu/College/translation/threepercent/2019/05/14/interview-with-janet-hong-graphic-novels-in-translation/</a><br />
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cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-15211784096040682412018-10-25T14:05:00.001+08:002018-10-25T23:22:45.573+08:00SWF 2018 - Interview with Lewis Trondheim and Brigitte Findakly<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LWZdwr_5mGs/W9Fbz8IceQI/AAAAAAAABp8/1K5KCRWx5mYvsOoViudtglllFDtxmkVPwCLcBGAs/s1600/9781770462939_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LWZdwr_5mGs/W9Fbz8IceQI/AAAAAAAABp8/1K5KCRWx5mYvsOoViudtglllFDtxmkVPwCLcBGAs/s640/9781770462939_cover.jpg" width="482" height="640" data-original-width="1205" data-original-height="1600" /></a><br />
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Some of us have been hoping that STGCC would bring in indie comics creators like Chris Ware or Adrian Tomine. But the chances of that happening are higher with SWF. Thanks to Guy Delisle who made the intro, this year we managed to invite Lewis Trondheim and his wife, Brigitte Findarly for the writers fest. If you have been reading comics seriously, especially the BDs from Europe, you might know the the voluminous work by Lewis. A pioneer in the contemporary French comics scene, Lewis has been working with Brigitte for a long time - she is the colourist for his books. Last year, they did a book together, Poppies of Iraq, which is about Brigitte's childhood in Iraq. It is critically acclaimed and has been translated into English by Drawn and Quarterly.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e5CAIOyW4PI/W9Fb6GAr4GI/AAAAAAAABqA/2g4gJtH-rR4nNieEPQKwR_uYTfyakAxPQCLcBGAs/s1600/ClxyLBKUoAAdmH2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e5CAIOyW4PI/W9Fb6GAr4GI/AAAAAAAABqA/2g4gJtH-rR4nNieEPQKwR_uYTfyakAxPQCLcBGAs/s640/ClxyLBKUoAAdmH2.jpg" width="466" height="640" data-original-width="800" data-original-height="1098" /></a><br />
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Lewis' bio reads: <i>Born in France in 1964, Lewis Trondheim is the co-founder of the French publisher L’Association in 1990. He is also a comics author, writer and illustrator.</i><br />
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Brigitte's: <i>Born in Iraq in 1959, Brigitte Findakly has been a colourist since 1982 for many cartoonists (like Manu Larcenet and Joann Sfar). She has co-written, with Lewis Trondheim, her biography entitled Poppies of Iraq.</i><br />
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Their panels:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Lewis-Trondheim-and-Brigitte-Findakly--Drawn-to-Each-Other.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Lewis-Trondheim-and-Brigitte-Findakly--Drawn-to-Each-Other.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/What-Makes-a-Strong-Comic-Industry.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/What-Makes-a-Strong-Comic-Industry.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Drawing-for-Peace-.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Drawing-for-Peace-.html</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Drawing-a-Blank---and-How-to-Overcome-It.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Drawing-a-Blank---and-How-to-Overcome-It.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Navigating-Emotional-Pitfalls.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Navigating-Emotional-Pitfalls.html</a><br />
<br />
Lewis is also conducting a comics workshop with the Singapore Book Council on 12 Nov. A rare opportunity to learn from a master.<br />
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<a href="https://academy.bookcouncil.sg/courses/detail/crafting-for-comics-with-lewis-trondheim">https://academy.bookcouncil.sg/courses/detail/crafting-for-comics-with-lewis-trondheim</a><br />
<br />
I'm looking forward to meeting them when they are here in Singapore.<br />
(thank again to Cheryl for the translation!)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZTKbWqhHGA8/W9FcBtMwlBI/AAAAAAAABqE/AjVBAEG_zkAamAYf4eznEJGnf9Or_nwqACLcBGAs/s1600/post49.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZTKbWqhHGA8/W9FcBtMwlBI/AAAAAAAABqE/AjVBAEG_zkAamAYf4eznEJGnf9Or_nwqACLcBGAs/s640/post49.10.jpg" width="640" height="538" data-original-width="500" data-original-height="420" /></a><br />
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<br />
<i>Lewis, you have worked on so many different types of comics. So what are comics to you?<br />
<br />
C’est un moyen de m’exprimer et de m’amuser. Imagine-t-on jouer au même jeu toute sa vie ? Il existe des milliers et des milliers de jeux. En bande dessinée, c’est pareil, il existe encore mille façons de s’exprimer, de jouer avec le dessin et le texte, de créer des surprises pour le lecteur, et pour moi-même.</i><br />
<br />
It is a way of expressing and entertaining myself. Can you imagine playing the same game throughout one’s life? There are thousands of games out there. Similarly in comics, there are thousands of ways of expressing and playing with illustrations and text to create unexpected surprises for the reader and for myself.<br />
<br />
<i>Is it schizophrenic to do so many different things - ie. hard to keep track of the different genres/ series and characters, story lines? (I supposed the same can be said for Joann Sfar...)<br />
<br />
J’ai un cerveau qui fonctionne très bien en mode multitâche. Il est même fait pour ça. Donc ce n’est pas un effort mais c’est naturel. Je pourrais dire que c’est beaucoup de travail pour me vanter mais ce serait un mensonge. C’est du travail, si. Mais je peux aisément passer d’un projet à l’autre en 2 secondes. </i><br />
<br />
My brain thrives on and is built for multi-tasking, hence, instead of being an effort, the ability to multi-task comes naturally. I could have easily said it is really tough juggling so many different things but that would be a lie. True, it is a bit of work, but in reality I can switch easily from one project to another.<br />
<br />
<i>What's with all the funny animals in your comics? <br />
<br />
C’était une façon pour moi d’éviter de dessiner les humains. Parce que les humains sont plus difficiles à faire. Et comme je suis assez paresseux, et qu’au début de ma carrière, je n’étais pas dessinateur du tout, il fallait que je trouve un système graphique simple pour pouvoir raconter mes histoires. Et puis j’ai aussi l’influence de mes lectures d’enfance avec le Mickey de Floyd Gottfredson est le Donald de Carl Barks. Sans doute que j’ai voulu continuer à faire des pseudo-histoires de Disney, mais pour des enfants qui auraient grandis.</i><br />
<br />
It’s a strategy to avoid drawing humans because humans are complicated subjects. Since I’m rather lazy in nature and was not an illustrator at the start of my career, I had to find a graphically simple vehicle for telling my stories. I was also influenced by my childhood reads of Mickey Mouse by Floyd Gottfredson and Donald Duck by Carl Barks. Beyond doubt I wanted to continue with Disney-like stories for children who have grown up into adults.<br />
<br />
<i>You even did a Mickey Mouse book - was it very tedious working with Disney? Did they want to vet everything?<br />
<br />
Quand on a lu Disney enfant, on connait les codes et les contraintes. On sait ce que Donald, Dingo et Mickey peuvent faire et dire intuitivement. Donc les contraintes ne sont pas énormes.</i><br />
<br />
When one has read Disney as a child, one is familiar with all the codes and constraints of each character. One already knows instinctively what Donald, Goofy and Mickey are capable of doing and saying hence, I did not find the constraints too daunting.<br />
<br />
<i>You started drawing comics late in life and learned how to draw in full view of the public. Would you recommend this pathway to be a comic book creator?<br />
<br />
Il n’y a pas de méthode universelle pour devenir auteur de bande dessinée. Chacun doit trouver son mode personnel. Par contre, il faut beaucoup écrire et dessiner. C’est une gymnastique. Moins on en fait, moins on y arrive.</i><br />
<br />
There is no one fixed ( universal ) way of becoming a comic strip writer. Everyone has to find his own way. However, one has to write a lot and draw a lot. It is like a gymnastic act, which comes easier with practice. <br />
<br />
<i>What would you say to someone who want to do comics but they are not sure if they are good at it?<br />
<br />
Le principal est d’avoir quelque chose à dire. Puis d’écrire les textes proprement. Si les dessins sont faibles, peu importe tant que l’histoire tient en haleine, est intrigante, ou fait rire.</i><br />
<br />
Fundamentally, one must have something to say. Then pen it out succinctly. Even if the illustrations are weak, so long as the story catches your breath and is intriguing or makes you laugh, it will capture your readers.<br />
<br />
<i>Are you acclaimed in Europe?<br />
<br />
Je ne suis pas acclamé en Europe, non… J’ai un petit public fidèle mais je ne suis pas un auteur mainstream.</i><br />
<br />
No, I’m not ‘ acclaimed’ in Europe. I have a small loyal following but I am not a mainstream author.<br />
<br />
<i>Do you want to 'make it big' in America?<br />
<br />
Pas du tout. L’Europe est l’endroit dans le monde où il y a le plus de diversité de bande dessinée. Dans les formats, les styles graphiques, les styles narratifs. Il y a plein d’auteurs américains qui aimeraient « make it big in Europe ». Par exemple, Robert Crump vit en France depuis plus de 30 ans. Je pense qu’il s’y sent mieux qu’entouré de super-héros en sous-vêtements et en collants.</i><br />
<br />
Not at all. Europe is the place in the world that has the most diversity for comics in terms of format, graphic styles and narrative styles. On the contrary, there are many Americans who dream of “making it big in Europe”- For example Robert Crumb who has been living in France for more than 30 years. I think he must feel better in France than being surrounded by super-heroes in underwear and tights (back in the US). <br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bzzJziCrKqQ/W9FcMTpTL6I/AAAAAAAABqU/i-0YnefXyDEg8G_0htXc_YjSKb2a4oIwwCLcBGAs/s1600/ClxyHmqVEAAUZQH.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bzzJziCrKqQ/W9FcMTpTL6I/AAAAAAAABqU/i-0YnefXyDEg8G_0htXc_YjSKb2a4oIwwCLcBGAs/s640/ClxyHmqVEAAUZQH.jpg" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Brigitte, how did you feel when Lewis started to draw you into his comics all those years ago? (Approximate Continuum Comics, 1998) And then the children too? (Monster Mess, 2012)<br />
<br />
J’aime particulièrement Approximate Continuum Comics parce que Lewis y raconte entre autre nos premières années ensemble et beaucoup de moments qui y sont liés. Pour Monster Mess, même si c’est une fiction, cela me touche d’y retrouver nos enfants et certains de leurs dessins. Dans tous les cas, je n’ai jamais été gênée que Lewis me dessine ou dessine nos enfants (comme dans Littel Nothings) ce sont des souvenirs qui resteront pour toujours.</i><br />
<br />
I particularly liked Approximate Continuum Comics because Lewis recounted, besides other subjects, many moments closely-tied with our first few years together. For Monster Mess, even though it is fiction, it touched me deeply because you find the drawings of our children in there. In any case, I was never troubled by the fact that Lewis drew me or our children and included our family in his stories such as Little Nothings. These are our souvenirs (memories) that will stay forever.<br />
.<br />
<i>You colored most of Lewis' books. How was the collaboration for Poppies of Iraq different? Do you still have relatives there? Have you gone back recently?<br />
<br />
La différence pour Poppies of Iraq est que j’ai participé au scénario puisque j’y raconte mon enfance. Lewis m’a beaucoup aidé à mettre en forme chaque souvenir, chaque anecdote. Il me reste 3 cousins à Bagdad. Tous les autres membres de ma famille ont émigré un peu partout à travers le monde. Je ne suis pas retournée en Iraq depuis 1989.</i><br />
<br />
The difference for Poppies of Iraq is that I participated in the scenario-making as I was recounting my childhood. Lewis helped me a lot in putting into form every souvenir and anecdote. I still have 3 cousins in Bagdad. The rest of my family members have migrated here and there all over the world. I have not returned to Iraq since 1989.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3QzqKlVGTEk/W9FciWlQB7I/AAAAAAAABqs/3rhCIAMiGJw2dwfu6FXdrGNGvp7W8CRgwCLcBGAs/s1600/nucrumbtrondheim.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3QzqKlVGTEk/W9FciWlQB7I/AAAAAAAABqs/3rhCIAMiGJw2dwfu6FXdrGNGvp7W8CRgwCLcBGAs/s640/nucrumbtrondheim.jpg" width="640" height="565" data-original-width="650" data-original-height="574" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>Poppies of Iraq taps into the current trend of graphic memoirs. Why do you think there is such a demand for such comics?<br />
<br />
Heureusement que Lewis a fait parti du renouveau de la bande dessinée autobiographique en France dans les années 90, sinon, on aurait pu croire qu’il voulait juste exploiter cette mode. <br />
Je ne pense pas qu’il y ait une demande particulière pour ce genre de récit, par contre, nous avons affaire à une génération d’auteur qui, plus jeune, a lu de la bande dessinée provenant de l’Association, cornélien, Ego comme X, tout le mouvement indépendant des années 90. Ils écrivent naturellement sous forme de band dessinée, et toutes sortes de récits, reportage, autobiographie, biographie, autofiction… Donc le type de récit s’élargie, le nombre d’ouvrage augmente, ainsi que le nombre de lecteurs.</i><br />
<br />
Fortunately, Lewis was part of the rebirth / renewal of autobiographic comics in France during the 90s, otherwise the public will assume he was trying to exploit this trend of graphic memoirs. I do not think there is a particular demand for this type of story-telling. However, we do have at hand a generation of authors who have, in their youth, read comics originating from L’Association, Cornelien, Ego Comme X; all the various independent movements from the 90s. They all write naturally under the genre of comics all kinds of stories: documentary, autobiography, biography, autofiction. Hence, with the diverse range of stories, the scope of work expands as a result, along with the number of readers.<br />
<br />
<i>What's next? - will there be such future collaborations? Eg. Bryan Talbot and Mary Talbot have formed a very successful team.<br />
<br />
Il n’y a rien de prévu pour l’instant.</i><br />
<br />
Nothing planned for the moment..<br />
<br />
<br />
cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-74411996554668311232018-10-16T10:09:00.001+08:002018-10-17T06:12:15.133+08:00SWF 2018 - Interview with Margaret Stohl<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-frR032vT_oA/W8VHTrobZiI/AAAAAAAABpM/AGJej1DcrVMNuqDqDX_FncLEa7V1vJM8gCLcBGAs/s1600/clean.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-frR032vT_oA/W8VHTrobZiI/AAAAAAAABpM/AGJej1DcrVMNuqDqDX_FncLEa7V1vJM8gCLcBGAs/s640/clean.jpg" width="416" height="640" data-original-width="1041" data-original-height="1600" /></a><br />
<br />
The news is real. YA comics are selling way more than your regular superhero titles. If you have not heard of Raina Telgemeier, you are missing out on the true makers and shakers of the comics industry today. Thus the corporate response by DC and Marvel in recent times - get the YA writers in to write their titles. It is not just for diversity; there is an economic imperative and it makes good business sense. This year's SWF sees the invitation of two YA comics writers - a sign of the times. I interviewed Mariko Tamaki in the previous post - she is edgy and she tackles LGBTQ issues in her work.<br />
<br />
Margaret Stohl writes the Beautiful Creatures series and also Captain Marvel. I enjoy the Beautiful Creatures movie back in 2013. I wish there is more to the filmic series. <br />
<br />
Her bio: <i>Margaret Stohl is the internationally bestselling author of 12 novels, including Beautiful Creatures, which was adapted for film in 2013. She writes The Mighty Captain Marvel comics and Black Widow books for Marvel, and just released Cats Versus Robots: This is War for younger children – co-written with her husband and illustrated by her child. She is the co-founder of Yallwest and Yallfest, the largest YA book festivals in the US.</i><br />
<br />
I had a great time reading Margaret Stohl's answers to my questions too. Her thoughtful replies confirm the need for us to invite and engage more comics writers to learn from them and to grow our industry. We have invited many artists for events like STGCC. We should get more writers, editors, publishers, critics and even translators in to build our ecosystem. <br />
<br />
Margaret's events:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/The-Power-of-Superheroines.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/The-Power-of-Superheroines.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Worldbuilding-in-Video-Games-.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Worldbuilding-in-Video-Games-.html</a><br />
<br />
You can watch these videos featuring her and Captain Marvel too:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0FIZIBf30c">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0FIZIBf30c</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP_T0tWsN5g">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP_T0tWsN5g</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQQYuFn9pD4">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQQYuFn9pD4</a><br />
<br />
Thanks to Tori, Letitia, Shauna and Leo for setting up the interview.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VsqKbwh4o30/W8VHj7Z0IeI/AAAAAAAABpY/X0qgqaOuijc5shFpVJTxRyhXkCTr1XT5wCLcBGAs/s1600/50b6958dbf67218c8827879339307aa5.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VsqKbwh4o30/W8VHj7Z0IeI/AAAAAAAABpY/X0qgqaOuijc5shFpVJTxRyhXkCTr1XT5wCLcBGAs/s640/50b6958dbf67218c8827879339307aa5.jpg" width="422" height="640" data-original-width="1054" data-original-height="1600" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>How did you end up writing for Marvel, and specifically, Captain Marvel?</i><br />
<br />
From videogames, actually. After I became known as a YA writer from the Beautiful Creatures novels, an editor at Marvel Press discovered I had worked on Spiderman for the original playstation and Fantastic Four for the Playstation 2; that led to a job writing two prose novels for Marvel -- Black Widow Forever Red and Black Widow Red Vengeance -- which is how I got to know Sana Amanat, Marvel's VP of Content and Creative Development. I had never written an ongoing monthly comic at the time -- just a few standalone issues called "one shots" within comics -- but she had a lot of faith in me. And now we've done -- let's see, for Captain Marvel we've released Alien Nation, Band of Sisters, Generations, Dark Origins, and Life of Captain Marvel, so we've created more than four hundred and fifty pages of comics together. It's been a wild ride.<br />
<br />
<i>How different is it writing for comics, and writing novels and for games?</i><br />
<br />
Sometimes very different, and sometimes no different at all. Some truths are always true -- like, hard things are always hard, whether in comics and books and games -- and hard things take time, in any genre. The best work I do always correlates painfully and directly to my greatest investments of time and greatest number of iterations. I wish there was some secret to getting to the good stuff, but there isn't. The secret is...that there is no secret. Important things are usually important across all genres; for example, characters are always the handle by which we hold on to any world, and readers only care about them if they feel real, which usually happens when you are feeling vulnerable and truthful and human, on the page. But still, some things are different. My first attempt at a novel, Beautiful Creatures (cowritten with Kami Garcia) was about twice as long as a usual YA book -- so try to imagine how many dialogue balloons covered my issue zero of Mighty Captain Marvel! I learned the hard way that no matter how beautiful or clever or funny I thought my dialogue was, my artists' panels were usually better. And comics taught me to think visually as well; for each comics script, I had to describe the general visual detail of every panel, even the basic "shots" as if I were defining camera angles for a screenplay. Before that, when I wrote novels, I would normally "hear" my characters tell me their stories. Now find myself writing out what would have been the panel descriptions for my comics scripts, even in my novels, before I let my characters open their mouths at all!<br />
<br />
<i>You tackled the refugee issue in Captain Marvel. How did the readers respond to it?</i><br />
<br />
Predictably, some readers were moved, while others accused us of being social justice warriors. That's comics for you, especially as a girl creator. I actually love how passionate Marvel fans are, comicsgate bots notwithstanding. But Sana and I wanted to do that story even before the refugee crisis was getting much attention, and it was horrifying to watch how the real life version of that crisis unfolded. Marvel has always been really brilliant at telling the human side of superhuman stories, and I think alien stories are always stories that investigate the nature of humanity. And Bean, the Kree "Hala Child" refugee that Carol discovers, is really just a foreshadowing of the larger storyline that inscribes Carol's whole personal identity. It's a story that took two years to tell, so I do really love that my time began and ended with Captain Marvel on this same theme of what it is to be alien and what it is to be human.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3LWUx1sY7Ec/W8VHaX5yjPI/AAAAAAAABpQ/VhU7c5PaWnsMnfrzuCTBIuTVLzi-LTWBgCLcBGAs/s1600/tumblr_pbz7blwkk31qzye0so1_r1_1280.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3LWUx1sY7Ec/W8VHaX5yjPI/AAAAAAAABpQ/VhU7c5PaWnsMnfrzuCTBIuTVLzi-LTWBgCLcBGAs/s640/tumblr_pbz7blwkk31qzye0so1_r1_1280.png" width="640" height="640" data-original-width="800" data-original-height="800" /></a><br />
<i>(Margaret's appearances at this year's SDCC)</i><br />
<br />
<i>Was it difficult to navigate the Marvel continuity? (keeping track of the history and what happen to Captain Marvel in other books)</i><br />
<br />
Yes, so difficult! For Captain Marvel and for Black Widow, before that, when I was writing the books. I always started by sitting down and reading every single issue I can get my hands on -- single issues, trade paperback collections, digital issues. Then I picked the brains of all my editors over the years -- Sana, Mark Basso, Sarah Brunstad, and especially Charles Beacham, who was like a Captain Marvel encyclopedia. After a while, you eventually get your own sense of the convoluted comics timeline, and how you fit into it. But until you do -- it's very intimidating!<br />
<br />
<i>You are the second female writer to attend the Marvel creative summit. What was the experience like?</i><br />
<br />
Those creative summits were sort of incredible, like a crash course in modern comics, especially listening to Mark Waid and Tom Brevoort, who between them can recite the entire storyline of every Marvel (Tom) or DC (Mark) hero. Until Kelly Thompson arrived, I was the only girl creator in the room, and aside from Ta-nehesi Coates, the only novelist, so that made me a little nervous at first. But honestly, the guys were great, my brothers from another mother, right off the bat, and it took maybe a day until they were scrapping with me just like I was one of them. Gerry Duggan, who wrote Deadpool -- Nick Spencer, who now writes Spiderman -- and Mark Waid, who has done everything -- they're my neighbors in LA, and we became great friends as a result of the room. The comics community is really tight. They're just good people -- and yeah, totally brilliant.<br />
<br />
<i>(NB: Mark Waid was a former SWF guest while Nick Spencer visited Singapore before for STGCC)</i><br />
<br />
<i>Female comics writers are in the news these days. Marjorie Liu (who we invited for SWF last year) won a Hugo and an Eisner for Best Writer for Monstress and the book also just won the Harvey Award’s Book of the Year. These add diversity to the creative pool. Eg. Black Panther (Ta-Nehisi), Mockingbird (Chelsea Cain) and the previous run of Captain Marvel (Kelly Sue DeConnick). So putting it to you - who else would you want to write?</i><br />
<br />
Everyone at Marvel knows my bucket list is Tony Stark. He's my favorite character to write in the whole Marvel universe; I have a bad Tony Stark sitting on my shoulder telling bad Tony Stark jokes the way some people have an angel or a devil there. But I also happen to love Dan Slott, who currently writes Iron Man, just as I loved Brian Bendis, who wrote it before him. So I've made peace with writing Tony into most of my comics as a side character, as well as both of my Black Widow novels. I think Sana cut about seventy pages of extra Tony Stark dialogue out of my first book; I was so excited to be writing him I may have gone *a <i>little</i> overboard :) <br />
<br />
<i>More published writers are engaged to write comics now. What are the pros and cons of this arrangement?</i><br />
<br />
So many of my YA friends are now writing graphic novels, I think it's amazing. It's not as easy as they expect, so there's a little bit of learning there for everyone, just as there was for me. But I do think the YA community is incredibly diverse in comparison to the mainstream comics community, so hopefully this will help. <br />
<br />
<i>Will there be a Beautiful Creatures movie sequel?</i><br />
<br />
Never say never! In this world of streaming content, who knows? I still keep in touch with the actor who played the main character in our movie, Alden Ehrenreich, so it was especially fun to see him play Han Solo this year; he's building an amazing career for himself, but still, I'll probably always think of him as our "Ethan Wate.” <br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fVnQjEumNdg/W8VHeWW4siI/AAAAAAAABpU/240b7aCS6BAck4yo_UvHmclYtA4x5yfFQCLcBGAs/s1600/Beautiful-Creatures-Wallpaper-beautiful-creatures-movie-33031035-1280-800.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fVnQjEumNdg/W8VHeWW4siI/AAAAAAAABpU/240b7aCS6BAck4yo_UvHmclYtA4x5yfFQCLcBGAs/s640/Beautiful-Creatures-Wallpaper-beautiful-creatures-movie-33031035-1280-800.jpg" width="640" height="400" data-original-width="1280" data-original-height="800" /></a><br />
cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-26750146134288992272018-10-15T10:25:00.002+08:002018-10-23T09:59:54.031+08:00SWF 2018 - interview with Mariko Tamaki<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4BxSEIPh08g/W8P4ckvmYwI/AAAAAAAABn0/d3V3DjWQL4Eh6VufCbkh50SpTWgg49j2QCLcBGAs/s1600/8142aKGn9FL.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4BxSEIPh08g/W8P4ckvmYwI/AAAAAAAABn0/d3V3DjWQL4Eh6VufCbkh50SpTWgg49j2QCLcBGAs/s640/8142aKGn9FL.jpg" width="434" height="640" data-original-width="1084" data-original-height="1600" /></a><br />
<br />
Mariko Tamaki requires little introduction. From her coming of age graphic novel, Skim to She-Hulk, Mariko has been exploring issues of identity and what it takes to be comfortable in one's own skin - well, green or otherwise in the case of the She-Hulk. An unlikely writer of mainstream superhero comics, Mariko is enjoying herself writing the adventures of Supergirl and X-23 in recent years. <br />
<br />
Her bio reads: New York Times bestselling author Mariko Tamaki is the co-creator of graphic novels, Skim and This One Summer, with illustrator Jillian Tamaki. Mariko has received Eisner, Ignatz, Caldecott and Printz honours. She is currently working on a Harley Quinn comic for DC Ink with Steve Pugh.<br />
<br />
These are the SWf prograames she will be in:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/ticket-events/How-to-Write-Comics.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/ticket-events/How-to-Write-Comics.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/The-Power-of-Superheroines.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/The-Power-of-Superheroines.html</a><br />
(with Margaret Stohl, the current writer of Captain Marvel)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/The-Unspoken-.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/The-Unspoken-.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NdE_e8VNA5M/W8P4vrjtQiI/AAAAAAAABoA/UUZXX_ziHTkoyltiq4b2x6Z8-5kgaTbWACLcBGAs/s1600/91vKcMpg2HL.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NdE_e8VNA5M/W8P4vrjtQiI/AAAAAAAABoA/UUZXX_ziHTkoyltiq4b2x6Z8-5kgaTbWACLcBGAs/s640/91vKcMpg2HL.jpg" width="411" height="640" data-original-width="1028" data-original-height="1600" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>How did you end up writing for Marvel and DC, specifically, She-Hulk and Supergirl?</i><br />
<br />
I was invited! By that time I had written a few graphic novels (Skim and This One Summer with my cousin Jillian Tamaki), and I had worked with Dark Horse on their Tomb Raider series (With Phillip Sevy), and Adventure Time, amongst others. I suppose at some point I came up on someone’s list and someone emailed me.<br />
<br />
<i>Was it intentional for the mainstream to get you to write female characters like She-Hulk, X-23, Harley Quinn, Supergirl and Tomb Raider?</i><br />
<br />
I’m not sure. I’m very pleased to have had the chance to write such incredible, complicated characters.<br />
<br />
<i>How different is it writing for the mainstream comics companies as compared to your own indie / personal stuff like Skim?</i><br />
<br />
It’s very different and in some ways not at all different. The format is different, writing in issues of 20 or so pages, in arcs where the individual issues have to connect into one long story, but work as individual issues. Writing someone else’s character, writing into an existing mythology requires different writing muscles. I write, I think, different stories when I am working “my own” books, which is to say when I’m creating an original work with an artist. At the same time, both processes involve figuring out story and character, and sitting down and writing.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BTibe6zJ74k/W8P6eGvWpOI/AAAAAAAABo8/R76P6eGnhdkB4swsxzQBQEUZyc7thsLtQCLcBGAs/s1600/skimEmbodied-Subtext-Skim_original_530x%25402x.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BTibe6zJ74k/W8P6eGvWpOI/AAAAAAAABo8/R76P6eGnhdkB4swsxzQBQEUZyc7thsLtQCLcBGAs/s640/skimEmbodied-Subtext-Skim_original_530x%25402x.jpg" width="640" height="476" data-original-width="600" data-original-height="446" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>How have people responded to Skim (2005) after all these years? (That's the first book of yours I read)</i><br />
<br />
I have talked to people who have a very strong connection to Skim. For some people, it was their first queer comic, which to me is such an honor, because I have a VERY strong bond with my first queer works.<br />
<br />
<i>How much of your own life is in your stories? For example, Emiko Superstar features performance art and you were a performance artist. (btw, there is quite a vibrant performance art scene in Singapore)</i><br />
<br />
I’m very glad to hear that! Emotionally a lot of what I write is inspired by my experiences, and from what I’ve observed in the world. I definitely mine my past for inspiration. I try to think of things that have meant something for me that I haven’t seen in other books and use that where I can. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QTW1ygexJjs/W8P5t5Xt0SI/AAAAAAAABos/9kn8TUuHUNo_R0ydV9zU1Z1W00ISZb4ewCLcBGAs/s1600/page15.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QTW1ygexJjs/W8P5t5Xt0SI/AAAAAAAABos/9kn8TUuHUNo_R0ydV9zU1Z1W00ISZb4ewCLcBGAs/s640/page15.jpg" width="640" height="454" data-original-width="580" data-original-height="411" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>Would you say a central theme in all your comics (Skim, This One Summer, She-Hulk, Supergirl, Lumberjanes) is about growing up, coming to terms with oneself, that need to belong and the desire to resist?</i> <br />
<br />
I would say identity is definitely a common theme: the identity of the outsider, the struggle with identity (which is a big superhero thing), how it is we come to embrace an identity, or leave one behind.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SbTdZczyWEA/W8P43kVC6iI/AAAAAAAABoE/Mxf4ZDETKusVOX-qby5Zd02XHEtP8UDQQCLcBGAs/s1600/51V48dRtEYL._SX354_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SbTdZczyWEA/W8P43kVC6iI/AAAAAAAABoE/Mxf4ZDETKusVOX-qby5Zd02XHEtP8UDQQCLcBGAs/s640/51V48dRtEYL._SX354_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="457" height="640" data-original-width="356" data-original-height="499" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>This One Summer was number one on the list of top 10 most banned and challenged books in USA in 2016. Were you surprised by this? Are cultural wars still being fought in America, especially in this age of Trump? (Singapore is also trying to deal with LGBTQ issues currently. The National Library had its own Penguingate 4 years ago. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/18/singapore-halts-pulping-gay-themed-childrens-books">https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/18/singapore-halts-pulping-gay-themed-childrens-books</a>)</i><br />
<br />
LGBTQ content is a large reason for books being on the challenged list in the United States, which is not to say it is a good REASON to challenge or ban a book. I was not surprised because This One Summer had received quite a bit of attention after receiving a Caldecott Honor, but I was sad to hear how many amazing books about LGBTQ experience were being pulled from shelves and made unavailable to young readers.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gbM0Ye2jm4I/W8P5QN1H4UI/AAAAAAAABoY/ru3o4xi-QXQrrFnMGF3GUvN5Xk5fZWK0gCLcBGAs/s1600/32940366.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gbM0Ye2jm4I/W8P5QN1H4UI/AAAAAAAABoY/ru3o4xi-QXQrrFnMGF3GUvN5Xk5fZWK0gCLcBGAs/s640/32940366.jpg" width="416" height="640" data-original-width="309" data-original-height="475" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>Female comics writers are in the news these days. Marjorie Liu (who we invited for SWF last year) won a Hugo and an Eisner for Best Writer for Monstress and the book also just won the Harvey Award’s Book of the Year. These add diversity to the creative pool. Eg. Black Panther (Ta-Nehisi), Mockingbird (Chelsea Cain) and Captain Marvel (Margaret Stohl). So putting it to you - who else would you want to write?</i><br />
<br />
There is a long and amazing history of female comic writers that I am honored to be a part of, people like G. Willow Wilson, Gail Simone, Alison Bechdel, and now writers like Nalo Hopkinson, are making amazing works. I have been so thrilled with the characters I have written so far, I would love to write a Hawkeye, and Batman, and Batwoman, and Jessica Jones. Really, I have a VERY LONG list of comics I would like to write.<br />
<br />
<i>More published writers are engaged to write comics now. What are the pros and cons of this arrangement?</i><br />
<br />
Are their cons? I think it’s a good thing. I think more comics are always a good thing.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-77hYu4tGCP8/W8P56Pnc3VI/AAAAAAAABow/qsJasDvapJMTtSsd5V4XyaAY4kYQtx0RACLcBGAs/s1600/x-23-cover-600x922.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-77hYu4tGCP8/W8P56Pnc3VI/AAAAAAAABow/qsJasDvapJMTtSsd5V4XyaAY4kYQtx0RACLcBGAs/s640/x-23-cover-600x922.jpg" width="416" height="640" data-original-width="600" data-original-height="922" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>Can you tell us more about the new project, adapting Carole Maurel's Luisa: Now and Then?</i><br />
<br />
I was given the translation of the comic from French to English, and my job was to make sure the comic read well in English, to make sure it felt…I guess the word could be “natural.” I compared it to moving around the cutlery on a well dressed table, just making sure everything is in the right place. Maurel is an incredible comic artist and writer.<br />
<br />
<i>What comic books do you read these days?</i><br />
<br />
A LOT. I’ve recently discovered Warren Ellis, so I’m reading a lot of his comics. Also I’m really enjoying Rainbow Rowell and Kris Anka’s Runaways. I loved Emil Ferris’ My Favorite Thing is Monsters, and Eleanor Davis’s Why Art?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VQC1Egx_3q4/W8P5ZTarU6I/AAAAAAAABog/2JzExoYRMRoNCAYiq1IjDzLm3qk5Rp38QCLcBGAs/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VQC1Egx_3q4/W8P5ZTarU6I/AAAAAAAABog/2JzExoYRMRoNCAYiq1IjDzLm3qk5Rp38QCLcBGAs/s640/maxresdefault.jpg" width="640" height="360" data-original-width="1280" data-original-height="720" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>Mariko and Jillian</i><br />
cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-80772099784398026502018-10-09T17:55:00.000+08:002018-10-09T17:55:15.078+08:00SWF 2018 - Interview with Meguru Hinomoto<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yFQseOhRFSY/W7xLX7apXlI/AAAAAAAABmw/YEZom76gFkMNxv3tobt9t7_Mp0gvcKfMwCLcBGAs/s1600/Meguru%2BHinomoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yFQseOhRFSY/W7xLX7apXlI/AAAAAAAABmw/YEZom76gFkMNxv3tobt9t7_Mp0gvcKfMwCLcBGAs/s400/Meguru%2BHinomoto.jpg" width="400" height="388" data-original-width="340" data-original-height="330" /></a><br />
<br />
Fans of shojo manga would be happy to know that another shojo manga artist is coming for SWF next month. Meet Meguru Hinomoto who made her debut as an artist of girls’ manga in 2003. According to her bio, her works can be found as web and mobile manga, which include girls’ manga for school children, adult manga for female readers, and manga focusing on teenage romance. Meguru is also talented in turning novels written by other authors into manga.<br />
<br />
Her SWF panels are:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Turning-Japanese--Manga-and-Romance.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Turning-Japanese--Manga-and-Romance.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/The-Digital--Dis-Advantage-for-Comics.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/The-Digital--Dis-Advantage-for-Comics.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Drawing-a-Blank---and-How-to-Overcome-It.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Drawing-a-Blank---and-How-to-Overcome-It.html</a><br />
<br />
Thanks to Keisuke Koizumi for the translation, Kitakyushu Office City and JCC Singapore. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LJz7ipHfGFI/W7xLiOnm4PI/AAAAAAAABm0/lCf7tojfm_U_YapvlD5buarHsRaDrcMwgCLcBGAs/s1600/NEOBK-1968779.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LJz7ipHfGFI/W7xLiOnm4PI/AAAAAAAABm0/lCf7tojfm_U_YapvlD5buarHsRaDrcMwgCLcBGAs/s640/NEOBK-1968779.jpg" width="447" height="640" data-original-width="349" data-original-height="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>You started out very young as a mangaka. What are the advantages of being a professional manga artist when you are fresh out of high school? </i><br />
<br />
I started writing manga when I was about 12 years old. I had intended to keep doing so as my hobby even if I didn’t become a professional manga artist by the time I reach 20 or 22 years old. I posted out as many works as possible to the publishers and several publishers started approaching me when I was 16 years old. In the year of my graduation from a vocational school, one of my works got awarded and I debuted as a manga artist. <br />
<br />
<i>Did you have a regular job before becoming a full time mangaka?</i><br />
<br />
Not before my debut. I concentrated on my own manga work and school. After the debut, I worked as an assistant for other professional manga artists until my own manga works were constantly published. <br />
<br />
<i>At SWF, you want to share about the sensitive emotions woven in shojo manga. How does shojo manga express such sensitive emotions in the storytelling? </i><br />
<br />
Girls and ladies often treasure something cute and tiny, like a treasure box only for herself that she wouldn't show to anyone. Manga is like this small treasure box. I consider manga as a treasure box in which the readers put their private memories, emotions or passion, like memories about family or friends, emotions for the persons they love etc. I would draw carefully but it is also to describe such important emotions woven inside the characters' words and the whole scene itself. <br />
<br />
<i>What are the conventions of shojo manga? How is shojo manga different from shonen manga?</i><br />
<br />
I guess one of the characteristics of shojo manga and a main difference from boys' manga (shonen) is 'monologue', where characters' emotions are expressed by sentences. In shojo manga, together with the drawings, monologues often emphasize how harsh their (characters) agonies are, how different their reality is from their ideals, how ugly they are inside and so on. Many of the shojo manga artists keep making efforts to improve their skills of monologues. <br />
<br />
<i>How is your manga different from other shojo manga?</i><br />
<br />
I am trying not to make my work too sensuous because I expect male readers to read my work too even though they are meant for girls and ladies. And especially in shojo manga, panel layout can be often complicated, I usually try to avoid that. <br />
<br />
<i>What are some of your favourite shojo manga?</i><br />
<br />
I loved the 'Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon' anime when I was 10 years old and its comic was the very first comic I bought in my life. Apart from Ms. Naoko Takeuchi, the artist of Sailor Moon, there are many authors I loved, for example Ms. Nami Akimoto and Megumi Tachikawa whose work were published through the shojo manga magazine 'Nakayoshi' at that time. Other than that, I often read the manga by Ms. Rina Morimoto whose works were published through another shojo manga magazine "Ribbon" and the ones by Ms Jun Fukami who is a ladies' manga artist. <br />
<br />
<i>What is the future for shojo manga?</i><br />
<br />
In 1990's, though I know only the latter part of it, Japan faced a new trend where adults read manga which was originally meant for boys and girls and it was the era when the manga culture or industry was enriched. After that, manga played a big role in the movement of women into society too. I truly hope Manga will stay as something to lead the society as it has been doing. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6bSastJdhOI/W7xL6ud421I/AAAAAAAABnI/iA-5n61N9eUaJBfAAa4Ak09mMU6uAlKpgCLcBGAs/s1600/25489048.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6bSastJdhOI/W7xL6ud421I/AAAAAAAABnI/iA-5n61N9eUaJBfAAa4Ak09mMU6uAlKpgCLcBGAs/s640/25489048.jpg" width="453" height="640" data-original-width="318" data-original-height="449" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>I have read some of your manga - A Cup of Perfection, My Boyfriend the Home Boy and Host Taxi. <br />
Are you a big fan of coffee? (you should try Nanyang coffee when you are in Singapore)</i><br />
<br />
Thank you very much for reading my works. You may have realized some are expressed with poor skills because these comics were published quite long time ago when I was not a fully matured manga artist yet. Well, coffee is indispensible when I am working, I would love to go to a local coffee shop in Singapore. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G62F4hRjJQg/W7xL1tlw03I/AAAAAAAABnE/d8-3sq67GbsfXcTVcgQxsCae886QFg4XACLcBGAs/s1600/51C76hJ4RYL.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G62F4hRjJQg/W7xL1tlw03I/AAAAAAAABnE/d8-3sq67GbsfXcTVcgQxsCae886QFg4XACLcBGAs/s640/51C76hJ4RYL.jpg" width="452" height="640" data-original-width="353" data-original-height="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>There are some negative portrayal of male-female relationships in Host Taxi and the male character in A Cup of Perfection forced a kiss on the heroine. Maybe male characters should be non-aggressive and be like the reclusive male lead in My Boyfriend the Home Boy. What do you think?</i><br />
<br />
To be honest, I was very much worried when I was working on those comics.<br />
<br />
I believe there are many things and events that we should absolutely stay away from in our actual daily life. From my comics, I expect the readers to experience such things virtually, feel disgusted and think what to do if it was them through the eyes of the characters in the manga. And eventually I hope my manga will be a trigger to review and improve readers’ own daily lives and their relationship with the people around them. <br />
<br />
Social problems are being reflected in manga. I never avoid such problems when I am starting a new work or content. I always aim to describe a woman who can value the people around her as much as she value herself.<br />
<br />
<i>You are interested in the collaborations between different artists. What is your experience like working with other artists? </i><br />
<br />
I wrote manga works with my own stories originally, but the story making gradually lost its attraction for me and that triggered my collaborations with other artists. Even though it is not easy to express someone else's thoughts and stories with my own drawing, and I feel a very heavy responsibility in re-making their work, those jobs are worthwhile and enjoyable for me, I think. I want to do as many collaborations as possible. 5 years of experience in collaborations have reconfirmed my own strong points too. <br />
<br />
<i>Can you tell us more about more about the Kitakyushu Manga Museum? How does the Kitakyushu City Office support manga and mangakas? </i><br />
<br />
Fukuoka prefecture is big and it includes Fukuoka City, Kitakyushu City and some other cities. While the biggest city, Fukuoka focuses on IT, games and performance arts mainly, Kitakyushu City focuses on manga as the first priority. In typical small cities in Japan, people read manga as part of mass entertainment. On the other hand, Kitakyushu wants to transform such pure mass entertainment into something more meaningful by organizing popular events like pop culture festivals, manga contests and exhibitions and also by transmitting the latest information related to the manga industries. It becomes a culture or tradition for the city, which would become a place to 'experience' and not just 'reading' of manga. Kitakyushu City and the Manga Museum is indeed a manga hub that entertains you with various aspects of Manga culture.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-az1sdwqs3dE/W7xLthRYxkI/AAAAAAAABm8/zsdIk1UHsRM28Z4zHVD7QOqFTlecSSSbgCLcBGAs/s1600/51s44IcE1qL.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-az1sdwqs3dE/W7xLthRYxkI/AAAAAAAABm8/zsdIk1UHsRM28Z4zHVD7QOqFTlecSSSbgCLcBGAs/s640/51s44IcE1qL.jpg" width="452" height="640" data-original-width="353" data-original-height="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>I met you in June at the 17th International Comic Artist Conference (ICC) in Taipei. The Mayor of Kitakyushu City attended as well as the city will be hosting the 18th ICC in October next year. How did you find the ICC event in Taipei? What are your impressions of comics from other Asian countries like Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Macau?</i><br />
<br />
That was my first time joining a comic conference and I was shocked to see how much overseas artists admire Japanese manga culture. I realized that manga is one part of the Japanese culture that we can be truly proud of. It was great to see different types of manga there, some reminds me of the Japanese ones and some don't. They clearly had characteristics of the countries or culture where they are from.<br />
<br />
Recently, we can enjoy so called 'Panel reading' (1 page 1 panel only) and 'webtoon types' (scroll vertically) on our gadgets thanks to the new technologies developed in mobile phones and the internet industry. There are pros and cons about that idea depending on the characteristics of each manga. But it convinced me manga culture will keep expanding from now on.<br />
<br />
<i>What are your aspirations? What's next for you?</i><br />
<br />
I recently introduced to 'webtoon' and started working on vertically scrolled manga. In traditional manga, the artists lay out the panels on each page and carefully arrange the content so the most exciting or thrilling moment comes just after flipping the page. This method is called 'Mekuri' In Japanese, meaning 'Flipping'. But for webtoon, there isn't any chance for 'Mekuri'. This is a new challenge for me. It's a really exciting challenge and I am trying my best to find my own expression or method in webtoon.<br />
<br />
<i>Is this your first trip to Singapore? What do you hope to visit? Or hope to eat!</i><br />
<br />
Yes, this is my first time in Singapore.<br />
<br />
Sadly, the Merlion and Marina Bay Sands are the only things I know about Singapore for now. Thus, I want to experience as many places and food as possible during this trip, especially the famous food among the Japanese people, though I can't enjoy some of the food because of my flour allergy, lol. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-74549113083141041412018-10-09T10:17:00.002+08:002018-10-09T10:17:50.344+08:00SWF 2018 - Interview with Aisha Franz<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uXgXkIZydFs/W7wM5ABzaJI/AAAAAAAABks/R90KFqGMLQcOyp09TbnrGyVoYIR5_2c4wCLcBGAs/s1600/aishafranz.selfportrait2017.1400.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uXgXkIZydFs/W7wM5ABzaJI/AAAAAAAABks/R90KFqGMLQcOyp09TbnrGyVoYIR5_2c4wCLcBGAs/s400/aishafranz.selfportrait2017.1400.jpg" width="400" height="400" data-original-width="1400" data-original-height="1400" /></a><br />
<br />
There are so many good comics out there these days that it is hard to keep track, especially those from Europe and not translated into English. I wish I could read French or German, but I can't. So I am glad that publishers like Fantagraphics, Self Made Hero and Drawn & Quarterly have been translating these new graphic novels. Aisha Franz is one of the most exciting comics creators from Germany in recent times and we will have a chance to interact with her when she is here for the Singapore Writers Fest next month. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-azrx55gerjM/W7wNMdnScuI/AAAAAAAABk8/KfLwOgBA3EIEKLjWi-BZCnKBd9QCGaCtACLcBGAs/s1600/9783956400636.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-azrx55gerjM/W7wNMdnScuI/AAAAAAAABk8/KfLwOgBA3EIEKLjWi-BZCnKBd9QCGaCtACLcBGAs/s400/9783956400636.jpg" width="348" height="400" data-original-width="900" data-original-height="1035" /></a><br />
<br />
Her bio:<br />
<br />
<i>Aisha Franz is a Berlin-based comic book artist. In her work, she explores the possibilities of self-publishing while trying to push the boundaries of storytelling within the comic medium. She has published three graphic novels, her latest being Shit is Real. She teaches illustration at Kunsthochschule Kassel, a college of fine arts in Germany.</i><br />
<br />
Here are a list of her panels:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Stayin--Alive--The-Fate-of-Indie-Comics.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Stayin--Alive--The-Fate-of-Indie-Comics.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Aliens-and-Outsiders.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Aliens-and-Outsiders.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Between-Me-and-Make-Believe.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Between-Me-and-Make-Believe.html</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>How did you get started drawing comics? I understand you only got into comics when you were in art school.</i><br />
<br />
In my first year as a student I was moving in between illustration and animation but wasn’t really aware of comics as an option because I had such a limited idea of what it was. Our professor Hendrik Dorgathen who is a comic artist from the 90 German avant-garde introduced us to everything there was aside from the mainstream and it instantly made so much sense that that was the thing I needed to do!<br />
<br />
<i>What happened after that?</i><br />
<br />
Earthling was my thesis project which then got published by Reprodukt, a Berlin-based publisher of independent comics. Kassel, the city I studied in, is quite small so I was eager to move to a bigger and culturally interesting place with a bigger DIY scene. So Berlin it was.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8ujMCjL0DZw/W7wO7sRuoGI/AAAAAAAABl8/jdFayKXuOvc4HS6E2B58zWCi1U1ZRGG1gCLcBGAs/s1600/AishaFranz_Main_920_500_90.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8ujMCjL0DZw/W7wO7sRuoGI/AAAAAAAABl8/jdFayKXuOvc4HS6E2B58zWCi1U1ZRGG1gCLcBGAs/s640/AishaFranz_Main_920_500_90.jpg" width="640" height="348" data-original-width="920" data-original-height="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>I visited the Millionaires Club, the annual comics and graphics festival in Leipzig, in 2014. What is the German comic scene like these days?</i><br />
<br />
You might have gotten a pretty got idea of the German comic scene if you went to the Millionaires Club - that’s definitely the right festival to visit for that. In the meantime, I think the scene has been constantly growing, more young artists joining the game, small publishers becoming more established and style-wise it has gotten more diverse I would say. The Millionaires Club is still happening every year and has moved from a complete diy project to a funded event which now manages to invite international artists and therefore bring the community closer together. The German comic scene has definitely gotten more international. Many artists from all over Europe and overseas have been moving to Berlin (it’s still relatively cheap here).<br />
<br />
<i>Can you tell us more about the Treasure Fleet comics collective (now defunct), and Colorama and Clubhouse?</i><br />
<br />
Treasure Fleet was a distribution collective. We were 7 comic artists self-publishing our own work so the idea was to get together and promote our work at international festivals as a group rather than each of us trying to do that on their own. You create more visibility this way, you share cost and it’s just more fun! It’s important to have a project or a close community to give meaning to what you do. The Clubhouse project is trying to do a similar thing in essence - to provide a reason and platform for all the artists scattered around in the city or close-by to come together. It’s a collaboration project co-curated by me and the riso studio and publishing house, Colorama. Several artists are invited to come in person and collaborate on a small zine or book (clubhouse week) which is printed on the risograph right after being finished. As a publishing house, Colorama has managed to bring the Berlin comics scene closer together and to publish projects that wouldn’t really fit into any other publishing house. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IDtTYNjRFsY/W7wPJq3FAkI/AAAAAAAABmA/NPniH1KtAh0fnmQyYbw1xtSg1xMTPSP3wCLcBGAs/s1600/franz_alien.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IDtTYNjRFsY/W7wPJq3FAkI/AAAAAAAABmA/NPniH1KtAh0fnmQyYbw1xtSg1xMTPSP3wCLcBGAs/s640/franz_alien.jpg" width="640" height="422" data-original-width="700" data-original-height="462" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>Tell us about your first long form story, Earthling which was published in 2011 and translated / published in English by Drawn and Quarterly in 2014. </i><br />
<br />
As I mentioned, Earthling (orig. Alien) was my thesis project in art school so I already had the ambition to make something longer. I didn‘t plan it to be that long though, the story and content just kept evolving in the process and I was happy to take on the challenge of developing an entire storyline from beginning to end.<br />
<br />
<i>Your second book published by Drawn and Quarterly just came out, Shit is Real. How is it different from Earthling?</i><br />
<br />
Shit is Real is my third book published in German (2nd in English) so there was quite a big time-gap between the two. During that time my drawing style certainly changed (and keeps changing constantly) but also my interests and ideas. Not sure how to answer this question otherwise though - it‘s a whole other book so it has to be different from Earthling?<br />
<br />
<i>How has the response like for Shit is Real so far?</i><br />
<br />
I guess quite ok or at least the bad reviews haven‘t reached me yet :)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9GJ7x-Zewrk/W7wPT8surMI/AAAAAAAABmI/d_1iPrxiyaYf69VFiLA1AA3DGD2vDg8IgCLcBGAs/s1600/EARTHLING94.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9GJ7x-Zewrk/W7wPT8surMI/AAAAAAAABmI/d_1iPrxiyaYf69VFiLA1AA3DGD2vDg8IgCLcBGAs/s640/EARTHLING94.jpg" width="640" height="390" data-original-width="623" data-original-height="380" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>Both books deal with alienation and the worlds that may or may not exist only in our minds – are you a fan of Philip K Dick and alternate realities? (you said you are a fan of David Lynch and Haruki Murakami)</i><br />
<br />
I wouldn’t say I’m a fan of Lynch and Murakami but I can say that I‘m interested in how they deal with reality and dreams or parallel realities. For me, it‘s a very natural thing that in our lives these two collide sometimes or get mixed up - the lines are not always clear.<br />
<br />
I Philip K Dick‘s work a lot but I wouldn’t place it next to mine. His work is very universal and touches bigger philosophical ideas and problems while my stories circulate within very personal and small universes of the (female) character‘s mind and issues. <br />
To me, Earthling is about growing up and Shit is Real is about adulthood and loneliness. Is there a connection between the two books?<br />
Not intentionally but, well, they come from the same author. I guess it‘s all here. These are the things that occupy my mind that I feel I have to deal with. In general I would see certain themes reappear in my work over and over again and I wouldn‘t even have to do it intentionally. <br />
<br />
<i>Male figures seem to be marginal in your stories. (even for the character of Anders in Shit is Real – Salma ‘chose’ Yumi over him..) Is that intentional? </i><br />
<br />
Not really intentional but then again yes. It’s more like my focus lies strongly on the female characters so that there’s not so much space left for the males. Sorry guys :)<br />
<br />
I’m happy though to enforce positive and empowering female representation in comics as a female comic artist in a still male dominated industry with very objectifying imagery.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_9crIJxAsbM/W7wPc8Z_McI/AAAAAAAABmQ/QtGlMZylKtcLtxBRl0NBTR_jenaHmWuMwCLcBGAs/s1600/aisha_franz_08.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_9crIJxAsbM/W7wPc8Z_McI/AAAAAAAABmQ/QtGlMZylKtcLtxBRl0NBTR_jenaHmWuMwCLcBGAs/s640/aisha_franz_08.jpg" width="640" height="391" data-original-width="900" data-original-height="550" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>I found your comics to be quite different from some of the other German artists I have read, Mawil, Sascha Hommer or Carolyn Walch. For your comics, you are going for a raw and almost naïve art look, especially the pencil drawing in Earthling. Is there a movement? (I am thinking of someone like Chihoi and Jesse Moynihan..) </i><br />
<br />
Not sure if there is a movement as such but like in any other subculture there is certainly a connection between a certain group of people creating work simultaneously and sharing particular aesthetics. In my case I was inspired a lot by Art Brut and ”trashy” diy aesthetics but also by the bareness of only needing a sheet of paper and a pencil to spontaneously create whole universes.<br />
<br />
<i>You used the comics form to tell your stories – using panels instead of just words to push the narrative and emotions. Is this a conscious decision to tell your stories this way?</i><br />
<br />
Of course! Not everybody would be crazy enough to start making comics :D I would be far better off mentally, time-management wise and probably financially if I had decided to be a writer but I’m bad at writing so I hardly had a choice. On the other hand anybody who has discovered the comic form for themselves will have to admit that it’s the most magical and most fun to work with!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g0njlZ9WFCM/W7wPkS8irEI/AAAAAAAABmY/eywcw_zKDvMs_9zi-t0EtDLUHMpmAjjkwCLcBGAs/s1600/01-boomfest.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g0njlZ9WFCM/W7wPkS8irEI/AAAAAAAABmY/eywcw_zKDvMs_9zi-t0EtDLUHMpmAjjkwCLcBGAs/s640/01-boomfest.jpg" width="486" height="640" data-original-width="759" data-original-height="1000" /></a><br />
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<i>You have said that graphic novels are mostly about historical things, autobiographical stories and famous people, but not so much fiction. Have things changed?</i><br />
<br />
It’s just that these are the type of graphic novels that sell. Fiction is still niche on the market but I’m optimistic it will keep changing as there are more people who get into reading comics. <br />
<br />
<i>Graphic novels have entered the literary festivals like the Singapore Writers Fest. What are your expectations of SWF? </i><br />
<br />
To be honest, I have no idea of what to expect! I can say though that I really enjoy being part of events that exist outside of the comic bubble. It’s a very recent thing that comics are being represented elsewhere as an artform of iots own and I’m very glad it’s happening. The comic form can only grow and be enriched by stepping out and meeting, mixing up with and competing with other art forms. And the other artsforms would also benefit from meeting us comic nerds! :)<br />
<br />
<i>When you do your presentations and slideshows, you will play music to create moods. What sort of music do you play during the slideshows and what is on your current playlist?</i><br />
<br />
I write the music and record sounds for each specific scene I’m reading/showing. Image + music works very well together and is super fun to do.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wss0-VXeSBo/W7wPrU1tXkI/AAAAAAAABmc/JVy3_luc2mEgS2dapCYMKUdibxnC2q9GACLcBGAs/s1600/aisha_franz_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wss0-VXeSBo/W7wPrU1tXkI/AAAAAAAABmc/JVy3_luc2mEgS2dapCYMKUdibxnC2q9GACLcBGAs/s640/aisha_franz_03.jpg" width="640" height="391" data-original-width="900" data-original-height="550" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>What kind of future do you think we will live in?</i><br />
<br />
Um... my guess is a very dark one. Unfortunately.<br />
<br />
<i>What kind of human relationships/ interaction will we have in the future? Will it be like what you described in your books?</i><br />
<br />
Shit is Real is not so much about the future actually. It is already happening now. The social dynamics are pretty much the same from what I experience right now: individualistic and egotistical tendencies. If I think of human relationships in the future my guess is that we will have to rely much more on one another if is in times of actual war or nature catastrophes - not to mention surviving on planet earth without any resources...<br />
<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OF6EwcV7dTU/W7wNGNl3j9I/AAAAAAAABk4/7kwgznkPvDsTrSaJK2iWO1ta1wPMXNtXACLcBGAs/s1600/Aisha%2BFranz.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OF6EwcV7dTU/W7wNGNl3j9I/AAAAAAAABk4/7kwgznkPvDsTrSaJK2iWO1ta1wPMXNtXACLcBGAs/s400/Aisha%2BFranz.jpg" width="400" height="388" data-original-width="340" data-original-height="330" /></a><br />
cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-3756049816823641122018-10-08T08:17:00.002+08:002018-10-08T08:24:40.868+08:00SWF 2018 - Interview with Harumo Sanazaki<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4syhHmGjLuc/W7coL2epGbI/AAAAAAAABj8/ohZMV5zNZmACSMthJwoYujeOPGwxP0CbACLcBGAs/s1600/harumo-sanazaki-cover.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4syhHmGjLuc/W7coL2epGbI/AAAAAAAABj8/ohZMV5zNZmACSMthJwoYujeOPGwxP0CbACLcBGAs/s640/harumo-sanazaki-cover.png" width="544" height="640" data-original-width="433" data-original-height="509" /></a><br />
<br />
Shojo manga has always been popular in Singapore, although we may not always be cognizant of the differences between shonen and shojo manga. From the classic Candy Candy series of the 1970s to Sailormoon in the 1990s, girls comics cut across the gender divide among the manga reading audience. As I graduated from Shonen Tai to Shonen Knife, I also learned there was much to research about shojo manga within and outside of Japan. <br />
<br />
In February 2011, a women manga conference was held at the National University of Singapore. This year, SWF is featuring two shojo manga artists - Harumo Sanazaki and Meguru Hinomoto. The following are Harumo's programmes:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/ticket-events/How-to-Adapt-A-Story-Into-a-Comic-.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/ticket-events/How-to-Adapt-A-Story-Into-a-Comic-.html</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Turning-Japanese--Manga-and-Romance.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Turning-Japanese--Manga-and-Romance.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Adapting-Literary-Classics-for-Modern-Tastes.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Adapting-Literary-Classics-for-Modern-Tastes.html</a><br />
<br />
Here's a short interview with Harumo ahead of her visit. (an interview with Meguro Hinomoto will be up next)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DSBqLIlcLAE/W7coTz9kvHI/AAAAAAAABkA/JO78JUYi1Ec5FlMFMMEwp4FmbfiM3Aa-ACLcBGAs/s1600/29003811_1621282351282354_520591663_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DSBqLIlcLAE/W7coTz9kvHI/AAAAAAAABkA/JO78JUYi1Ec5FlMFMMEwp4FmbfiM3Aa-ACLcBGAs/s640/29003811_1621282351282354_520591663_n.jpg" width="480" height="640" data-original-width="720" data-original-height="960" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>Did you have a regular job before becoming a full time mangaka?</i><br />
<br />
I worked at small graphics workshop. I designed some characters for stationery like Snoopy.<br />
<br />
<i>What are the conventions of shojo manga?</i> <br />
<br />
Shojo manga is lyrical…delicate expression.<br />
<br />
<i>How is your manga different from other shojo manga?</i><br />
<br />
At the start of my professional career, my editor said to me, "Your manga like a movie or stage." That is a good comment for me. Because I hope it is so.<br />
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<i>What are some of your favourite shojo manga? </i><br />
<br />
The Rose of Versailles, The Heart of Thomas, To Terra…Yes, I love them all. And I love Toshie Kihara, Kyoko Ariyoshi. After the 70s, many kinds of shojo manga appeared. Currently, there are many good artists who worked closely with the editors. So through collaboration, shojo manga has also changed over the years.<br />
<br />
<i>What is the future for shojo manga?</i><br />
<br />
No border, many types, but sensitive.<br />
<br />
<i>Yaoi is very popular in Japan and other parts of Asia like Singapore. What do you think is the appeal of BL for readers and who are some of your favourite BL artists?</i><br />
<br />
I have many friends who are BL manga artists. I like their works. The story is fantasy for girls and far from real. BL has become shojo manga. Beautiful, not real, is an important element of Shojo manga which BL has taken from. My favorite BL manga artists are Romuko Miike and Makoto Tateno.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tBf8lc_f72I/W7cocyjPKXI/AAAAAAAABkM/OylC2NYAhEwWaN9YuznFQlQnojmcMamlACLcBGAs/s1600/hamlet.png.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tBf8lc_f72I/W7cocyjPKXI/AAAAAAAABkM/OylC2NYAhEwWaN9YuznFQlQnojmcMamlACLcBGAs/s640/hamlet.png.jpg" width="640" height="360" data-original-width="400" data-original-height="225" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>I found some BL elements in your Hamlet puppet adaptation: between Hamlet and Horatio. Is that an intentional pairing? </i><br />
<br />
My story portrays the friendship of boys, and sometimes between men. (Like Sherlock) My friend who is a manga artist has said to me, “Your manga story has elements of BL.”<br />
<br />
<a href="https://asadelhi2016.wordpress.com/2016/11/13/film-screening-hamlet-a-reinvention-of-the-tragedy-with-puppets-yuichi-abe-and-harumo-sanazaki/">https://asadelhi2016.wordpress.com/2016/11/13/film-screening-hamlet-a-reinvention-of-the-tragedy-with-puppets-yuichi-abe-and-harumo-sanazaki/</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-93tDMf03Q2U/W7coYtXARxI/AAAAAAAABkE/gn5U98ZeGEsMlPnbspyGQDySif5EMwIcwCLcBGAs/s1600/40352568_306236219955192_3739010726157615104_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-93tDMf03Q2U/W7coYtXARxI/AAAAAAAABkE/gn5U98ZeGEsMlPnbspyGQDySif5EMwIcwCLcBGAs/s640/40352568_306236219955192_3739010726157615104_n.jpg" width="480" height="640" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" /></a><br />
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<i>Have you met the writers of the Harlequin books you adapted like Marion Lennox and Lynne Graham? What do they think of your adaptations?</i><br />
<br />
I did not have the chance to meet them. But I did receive messages from them. Someday I want to meet them to thank them.<br />
<br />
<i>How are your own stories different from your adaptions?</i><br />
<br />
My own stories are very different in terms of visual expression. The adaptations required more visual expression for the characters. <br />
<br />
<i>What do you think of the stereotypical portrayal of women and male-female relationships in stories like Married to A Mistress? (part of the Nancy Leeward's Goddaughters series)</i><br />
<br />
I sometimes feel the need to resist …to tell the truth. It is difficult for me. Romantic novels have these kind of stereotypical portrayal of women and male-female relationships in their stories. I try to change that sometimes as far as it is permitted.<br />
<br />
<i>What's next for you?</i><br />
<br />
I hope to adapt Othello and Beauty and the Beast. For my own stories, I want to do more Japanese historical fantasies.<br />
<br />
<i>Is this your first trip to Singapore? What do you hope to visit? Or eat!</i><br />
<br />
Yes it is. I want to feel the energy of the people. I would like to visit the markets and I love chicken rice! So I hope eat Singapore food.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--zKSVz0xNTg/W7cog8jHt4I/AAAAAAAABkQ/XQ0b5ykJk3sN-aJdWows85CduzdZnfYFgCLcBGAs/s1600/harumo08.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--zKSVz0xNTg/W7cog8jHt4I/AAAAAAAABkQ/XQ0b5ykJk3sN-aJdWows85CduzdZnfYFgCLcBGAs/s640/harumo08.jpg" width="640" height="475" data-original-width="944" data-original-height="700" /></a><br />
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cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-40146519152313154912018-10-03T08:26:00.000+08:002018-10-03T10:03:01.468+08:00SWF 2018 - Interview with David Collier<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EYwTqquZUOU/W7QLOVmDbrI/AAAAAAAABic/oCk4QID1o0k_k8VwUaxVjbHzuNWwABE2ACLcBGAs/s1600/collierinAVZL.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EYwTqquZUOU/W7QLOVmDbrI/AAAAAAAABic/oCk4QID1o0k_k8VwUaxVjbHzuNWwABE2ACLcBGAs/s400/collierinAVZL.jpg" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="650" data-original-height="488" /></a><br />
<br />
In March 2002, David Collier and I were driving around in his car in Hamilton and we were tempted to visit Devan Nair, the at-that-time disgraced ex-President of Singapore. We didn’t, wanting to give the old man some piracy. Like why would he want to meet a Singaporean comics researcher and a Canadian comic artist from nowhere? Would he throw us off his lawn? Did he even have a lawn? I don’t know and I have since regretted not plucking up our courage to say hello to Devan Nair. <br />
<br />
Damn.<br />
<br />
Anyway, Collier is coming to town for SWF. Here’s the spiel on him:<br />
<br />
<i>As the only uniformed member in the history of the Canadian Forces Artists Program, David Collier has participated in the therapeutic benefits of soldier’s art. An inveterate traveller in a big country, he explores these twin themes in his most recent book-length comics, Chimo (2010) and Morton (2017).</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H1qTRTRLMGA/W7QLU93DEmI/AAAAAAAABik/6CvqGARYFR46E5lXGRx_WB05tKEb8pZXgCLcBGAs/s1600/Morton-Cover_Newweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H1qTRTRLMGA/W7QLU93DEmI/AAAAAAAABik/6CvqGARYFR46E5lXGRx_WB05tKEb8pZXgCLcBGAs/s640/Morton-Cover_Newweb.jpg" width="462" height="640" data-original-width="650" data-original-height="901" /></a><br />
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Collier has his comics published by the great Robert Crumb in Weirdo and later he was published by Fantagraphics, Drawn and Quarterly (D&Q) and now, Conundrum Press in Canada. To me, he is up there with Chester Brown, Seth and Joe Matt in terms of autobiographical comics, when all four of them were active in the Toronto comics scene of the late 1990s and early 2000s.<br />
<br />
Collier is featured in the following SWF programmes. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Stayin--Alive--The-Fate-of-Indie-Comics.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Stayin--Alive--The-Fate-of-Indie-Comics.html</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Desconstructing-the-Narrative.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Desconstructing-the-Narrative.html</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Finding-Oneself-in-the-Landscape-of-Fiction.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Finding-Oneself-in-the-Landscape-of-Fiction.html</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Your books are about history, memories and the disappearance of our past – how do you avoid sentimentality in your storytelling?</i><br />
<br />
By putting my present-day foibles in there.<br />
<br />
<i>To me, Chimo is about masculinity and Morton is about mortality. Do these two issues weigh heavily on your mind?</i><br />
<br />
Yeah. Told my wife Jen a statistic from a newspaper: When your kids graduate from high school, you will have spent 93 per cent of your in-person parent time with them.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2ksDcgSnhaI/W7QLcmewmWI/AAAAAAAABis/ybLL9H-nJE08Bmn5wZG7MKhZloIxK6A9ACLcBGAs/s1600/chimowebcover2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2ksDcgSnhaI/W7QLcmewmWI/AAAAAAAABis/ybLL9H-nJE08Bmn5wZG7MKhZloIxK6A9ACLcBGAs/s640/chimowebcover2.jpg" width="501" height="640" data-original-width="605" data-original-height="773" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>When we started corresponding in the 1990s, you were living in Saskatoon and you would tell me about your Chinese landlady. You visited Saskatoon again in Morton – how is the old girl doing?</i><br />
<br />
She’s dead.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZvZjKiZ_y9g/W7QL0UH-GqI/AAAAAAAABjI/Q_QKKfITeqMdsk1A6HK4bQR8lr5YxSrzwCLcBGAs/s1600/collierpp02.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZvZjKiZ_y9g/W7QL0UH-GqI/AAAAAAAABjI/Q_QKKfITeqMdsk1A6HK4bQR8lr5YxSrzwCLcBGAs/s640/collierpp02.jpg" width="528" height="640" data-original-width="650" data-original-height="788" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>What did D&Q publisher Chris Oliverios say when he found out what you did in his garden in Morton?</i><br />
<br />
He was relieved, it seemed, to find out Jen wasn’t there in real life. The book Morton is fictionalized to the extent that about seven separate trips were rolled into one manic adventure. The travels in Quebec were just my son James and me while Jen finished a university degree. So Chris saw, after we talked, my reluctance to leave James alone and I had to do what I did in his garden.<br />
<br />
<i>After taking train rides throughout the whole book, you went home on a plane. Isn’t that irony?</i><br />
<br />
Yes.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bGjRMHLqehc/W7QMyMkOJfI/AAAAAAAABjk/vB3Z4aDojkMJIUs0VBWz20H67cGt4uEmgCLcBGAs/s1600/collier100web.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bGjRMHLqehc/W7QMyMkOJfI/AAAAAAAABjk/vB3Z4aDojkMJIUs0VBWz20H67cGt4uEmgCLcBGAs/s1600/collier100web.jpg" data-original-width="650" data-original-height="842" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>You also did not mind putting yourself in unflattering situations like your encounter with a counter staff at a train station and you were thinking how your dad would do in such a situation. It’s almost a R Crumb moment of just putting yourself out there. How does it feel?</i><br />
<br />
They say literary fiction is valuable to the reader in that it lets us see others making decisions.<br />
<br />
<i>How come you didn’t approach Fantagraphics for your recent books?</i> <br />
<br />
Geography. Conundrum Press is based in Canada. My most recent, a “25th Anniversary Edition”, of Collier’s #3 was published by Anhtry Pham, who runs his press out of his family’s Vietnamese sandwich shop, down the street.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NgPkbTkN0iw/W7QLpS9kplI/AAAAAAAABi8/lKB3ra3sfgwOOLGhxeW3EF6RUX41emLjACLcBGAs/s1600/conundrum-press-logo-og.gif" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NgPkbTkN0iw/W7QLpS9kplI/AAAAAAAABi8/lKB3ra3sfgwOOLGhxeW3EF6RUX41emLjACLcBGAs/s640/conundrum-press-logo-og.gif" width="212" height="640" data-original-width="531" data-original-height="1600" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>We connected because of the army (both of us were combat engineers) and R Crumb. What has changed in the 25 years since we have known each other? Are you still in the army reserve?</i><br />
<br />
Have realized that an artist is a “man of the people” and that it’s good that I’m still a corporal that few are intimidated by.<br />
<br />
<i>Train connections remind me of connections in life. 20 years ago you got off a plane for a ticket to anywhere in the world and you came to visit me in Singapore. After that, you even took a train to visit Lat in KL. What places in Singapore do you hope to visit again in 2018 and where would you bring your son, James? What is the one Singapore dish you would like him to try? </i><br />
<br />
Would like to explore the history of Singapore’s industrial seaport. James can’t come, after all, due to his studies. Would’ve liked to have taken him to that area near your parent’s place, where we shared a meal.<br />
<br />
<i>You used to send me political cartoons by Heng Kim Song that appeared in the Canadian papers. Have you been following Singapore news since the 1990s?</i><br />
<br />
People here are most interested in how Singapore deals with housing. As shelter gets too expensive everywhere in the western world, Singapore’s approach is treated as a positive example to be studied.<br />
<br />
<i>How do you think Singapore is like now? (would it still be a Disneyland with the death penalty ala William Gibson?)</i><br />
<br />
It seems to be an outward- looking place dealing with the tensions of living in a tough geo- political neighbourhood with art.<br />
<br />
<i>We last saw each other in 2002 when I visited you and the family in Hamilton. I had a great time playing with your dog Large who has since passed on. I miss Large…</i><br />
<br />
Here’s a photo of Large for you.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OyW-eEJiYIc/W7QLjoZhHLI/AAAAAAAABi0/BZGVAS8ghB4LojEuMP-lzpCl83chS7OFQCLcBGAs/s1600/Running%2BLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OyW-eEJiYIc/W7QLjoZhHLI/AAAAAAAABi0/BZGVAS8ghB4LojEuMP-lzpCl83chS7OFQCLcBGAs/s640/Running%2BLarge.jpg" width="640" height="419" data-original-width="444" data-original-height="291" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>Would you want to work on other people’s stories like what you did for Harvey Pekar’s Unsung Hero (2002)?</i><br />
<br />
Working with my old boss Gary Topp from the days of helping to stage concerts in the early 1980s, now.<br />
<br />
<i>Do you still exercise every day? Skipping? You gave me a skipping rope!</i><br />
<br />
Yes, paddling my boat or skiing. Dead friends give me motivation.<br />
<br />
<i>Are you still taking cold baths?</i><br />
<br />
Yes! Hope my room in Singapore has a tub.<br />
<br />
<i>What’s the next book about?</i><br />
<br />
Gary Topp (see above).<br />
<br />
<i>A bonus question - did you listen much to Joni Mitchell when you were living in Saskatoon?</i><br />
<br />
Listened to Joni Mitchell not far from where she grew up.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vWAxHTBjFVo/W7QLvdIyUFI/AAAAAAAABjA/xGM-Vyem3egpVZRh8DyqqQ3kMykRIwcDgCLcBGAs/s1600/chimoweb1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vWAxHTBjFVo/W7QLvdIyUFI/AAAAAAAABjA/xGM-Vyem3egpVZRh8DyqqQ3kMykRIwcDgCLcBGAs/s640/chimoweb1.jpg" width="640" height="586" data-original-width="400" data-original-height="366" /></a><br />
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cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-29094517333872448792018-09-28T10:16:00.001+08:002018-09-28T16:55:43.920+08:00SWF 2018 - interview with Paul Gravett Part 2<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LLfa9LOQvxk/W61_TqC2M_I/AAAAAAAABhQ/aF-PUYYisWwduIpdpxMcNeLd4Rwl57d4gCLcBGAs/s1600/comics%2Bunmasked.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LLfa9LOQvxk/W61_TqC2M_I/AAAAAAAABhQ/aF-PUYYisWwduIpdpxMcNeLd4Rwl57d4gCLcBGAs/s640/comics%2Bunmasked.jpg" width="537" height="640" data-original-width="1073" data-original-height="1280" /></a><br />
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Here's Part 2 of my interview with Paul Gravett who is coming for SWF in Nov. Check out his two events here:<br />
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<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/ticket-events/Comics-As-Mirror-for-Change.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/ticket-events/Comics-As-Mirror-for-Change.html</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Comics-Events-As-Connectors.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Comics-Events-As-Connectors.html</a><br />
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As I typed this now, Paul is on his way to Taiwan, his first trip there after writing about Taiwanese comics for years. The work of a comics evangelist never ends.<br />
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The first part of the interview is here:<br />
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<a href="http://singaporecomix.blogspot.com/2018/09/swf-2018-interview-with-paul-gravett.html">http://singaporecomix.blogspot.com/2018/09/swf-2018-interview-with-paul-gravett.html</a><br />
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<i>9. I visited Comics Unmasked, the big exhibition on British comics, at The British Library in 2014. How does Mangasia compare to Comics Unmasked in terms of scale and scope, etc? </i><br />
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Comics Unmasked was another turning point for me, and I owe so much to co-curator John Harris Dunning for knocking the door of The British Library at just the right moment to get us inside! We made a Dynamic Duo! Mangasia is bigger as we show nearly 300 originals as well as rare printed matter, paintings, fashion, videos, paintings, more complex as it spans many countries and histories, longer-lasting as it is touring worldwide for 5 years max, and we have some stunning impact pieces too, not least the inflatable sculpture by Aya Takano at over 6 metres tall and an interactive mecha robot on a giant screen! Both shows, however, show and tell things about comics that have not been done before.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wvZMM2xSoTk/W61_ZJB9uQI/AAAAAAAABhU/wKxM0yOSyS0aCMEPv6-BvyXeuHdQS2JCACLcBGAs/s1600/mangasia.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wvZMM2xSoTk/W61_ZJB9uQI/AAAAAAAABhU/wKxM0yOSyS0aCMEPv6-BvyXeuHdQS2JCACLcBGAs/s640/mangasia.jpg" width="499" height="640" data-original-width="312" data-original-height="400" /></a><br />
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<i>10. Mangasia, your biggest show to date and travelling around the world for 5 years – pitch it to us in 10 words. </i><br />
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A mind-expanding voyage into Asian Comics’ diversity and dynamism.<br />
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<i>11. Okay, I’m sold. How did that come about?</i><br />
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First came the opportunity, after the Comics Unmasked exhibition and book for The British Library in 2014, for me to develop a new book for Thames & Hudson. They were interested in manga, as was I. But I wanted to expand the exploration to contextualise Japanese comics in the much bigger landscape of Asian comics and they gave this the green light. Shortly after, Barbican International Enterprises approached me, again thanks to the BL show, to develop a comics exhibition as part of their range of touring exhibitions. I told them about my new book and they immediately saw its potential as their next exhibition. It’s taken since then to bring everything together in October 2017, when the book was published in English, French, Korean and Italian and the exhibition began its proposed five-year world tour in Rome at the stunning Palazzo delle Esposizioni. <br />
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<i>12. Sounds like the Comics Unmasked exhibition at The British Library was indeed a turning point. <br />
There were so many Asian creators to be featured in Mangasia - how did you choose? What was the criteria and curatorial framework?</i><br />
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Some key criteria were that the comics had to be created by Asian artists in Asia and for Asian readers - so not for the American, French or other markets, and not by Asian artists based outside of Asia. Another was that we were less interested in direct imitations of Western characters or themes - such as manga Batman. Another rule was the work must have originated as a comic, so we were less interested in comics versions of other media, for example adapting TV shows. We are also showing Asian comics in their original language, and only in English if they were originally published in English (or English was one of a number of languages the work came out in).<br />
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We were not totally strict and inflexible in applying these criteria, but they gave us some guidelines. By organising and filtering the exhibition into six quite broad themes - An Introductory ‘Mapping’, Fables & Folklore, History, The Artist’s Processes and Lives, Censorship, and Multimedia crossovers - we could seek out strong, distinctive, diverse, original, representative, high-quality examples that also fitted well thematically. Connections, comparisons, contrasts, counterpoints, contradictions, all were helpful in searching and selecting. <br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ds3lay9mmn0/W62BAbrqw8I/AAAAAAAABhk/ajuEJ5qoMx4av6NQs-i5FALGufMwJ0y5QCLcBGAs/s1600/8vV3rN6g.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ds3lay9mmn0/W62BAbrqw8I/AAAAAAAABhk/ajuEJ5qoMx4av6NQs-i5FALGufMwJ0y5QCLcBGAs/s640/8vV3rN6g.jpeg" width="427" height="640" data-original-width="800" data-original-height="1200" /></a><br />
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<i>©Nicolas Joubard for le lieu unique</i><br />
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<i>13. Obviously there was a lot of international collaboration (Hikmat Darmawan from Indonesia, Nicolas Versatppen from Thailand and Gerry Alanguilan from the Philippines, to name a few). In 2011, you wrote <a href="http://singaporecomix.blogspot.com/2011/10/1001-comics.html">1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die</a>, which featured contributors from Asia. And you have been featuring the <a href="http://www.paulgravett.com/articles/article/best_comics_of_2017_an_international_perspective#singapore">annual best of world comics list</a> on your website for years. When and how did this awareness of Asian comics come about? At which point did you move beyond North America and Europe? (John Lent is the other one I know who has been plugging this away..)</i><br />
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You too were a vital part of Team Mangasia, Ct! From the start, for the book and exhibition, I relied hugely on my networks of friends, some I have yet to meet in person, who share my passion for understanding the wealth of fascinating comics around the world. They bring an essential foundation of expertise, taste and insight. One key early influence on my desire to learn about comics from Asia and indeed all over the world was reading, entry by entry, a library copy of Maurice Horn’s World Encyclopedia of Comics. That was truly mind-expanding. So too have been my annual pilgrimages since 1984 to the Angoulême International Comics Festival, the hub of world comics. I’m lucky to read French, a comics culture like no other, with more translations of international comics than any other, as well as some German, Spanish and Italian. And I can always look at the pictures! And John Lent remains a vital inspiration to me - I was so pleased that he could be there at the exhibition’s opening in Rome - and I could introduce him for the first time to comics creators from Mongolia.<br />
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<i>14. And as a result of that, John visited Mongolia recently to interview artists for his new book on political cartooning in Asia. Networks and connections. <br />
What is the most surprising find from doing this show? (could be a creator, a comic series or artwork)</i><br />
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Too many to list, too hard to choose just one. I’d say that it was a delight to be able to find comics artists in countries where the medium is nowhere near as developed and vast as Japan. I mentioned Mongolia, but we also found present-day creators making comics for example in Cambodia, North Korea, two in Bhutan (one retired), and one from Tibet. And it was a thrill that The Barbican could commission two new, hand-painted, wooden ‘kaavads’ from folk artists in Rajasthan, India. These are compact, portable shrines that work as visual accompaniments to live spoken storytelling and literally unfold their stories by opening door after door of comics-like panels. <br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qxHsySyNp4M/W62BLiJ2d0I/AAAAAAAABho/kjZnWQbCASU43rzW5OcwAbtydKIsCm3IgCLcBGAs/s1600/3_Sabrina_Nick_Drnaso.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qxHsySyNp4M/W62BLiJ2d0I/AAAAAAAABho/kjZnWQbCASU43rzW5OcwAbtydKIsCm3IgCLcBGAs/s640/3_Sabrina_Nick_Drnaso.jpg" width="447" height="640" data-original-width="370" data-original-height="530" /></a><br />
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<i>15. Finally, back to the UK. What is the future of British comics?</i><br />
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Continuing surprises, growing diversity. Who would have thought that a graphic novel would be long-listed this year for the Man Booker Prize? Nick Drnaso’s Sabrina is American, but it marks the first graphic novel published by Granta Books and bodes well. Other non-specialist and literary publishing houses are also releasing their first graphic novel, such as Virago and Profile. Away from the graphic novel, the so-called small or independent presses, and their online equivalents, are more prolific and productive than ever. Some of the greatest work is in short-form and often self-published comics, essential spaces for innovation, self-expression, experimentation. The remarkable contributions of women continue to expand the medium, as will increasing diversity and inclusivity, hopefully from more of the UK’s Asian population and other under-represented voices too. And this will all be helped by crowd-funding, Patreon support, awards, competitions, and grants from the Arts Council of England, Creative Scotland and other bodies. Britain is not France, let alone Japan, and it’s not easy making a living by making comics your own way, but the talent and drive are here and are unstoppable.<br />
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<i>16. What’s next for you in the promotion of comics appreciation and reading? </i><br />
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I’m immersed in webcomics right now, curating an exhibition for next month’s 2nd Busan Webtoon Festival in Korea about innovative Korean and international digital comics, from Scott McCloud to Augmented Reality! And I’ve completed a monograph on the brilliant Posy Simmonds, to be published next Spring to launch a new Thames & Hudson series on illustrators, in association with House of Illustration. And to coincide, I am curating two exhibitions of Posy Simmonds work, for HoI in London and PULP Festival in Paris. Also on the horizon, co-curating next year an exhibition on where comics go next…<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XHi5QdHKC4c/W62BUmFyDxI/AAAAAAAABhw/1ITs4G2Ffd8yRFY9D8xlGFYJ9-g2zuD3wCLcBGAs/s1600/mind-the-gaps.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XHi5QdHKC4c/W62BUmFyDxI/AAAAAAAABhw/1ITs4G2Ffd8yRFY9D8xlGFYJ9-g2zuD3wCLcBGAs/s640/mind-the-gaps.jpg" width="640" height="219" data-original-width="675" data-original-height="231" /></a><br />
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<i>17. What’s next for comics scholarship in general? (The Comics Studies Society just had their first conference at Champaign, Illinois)</i> <br />
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The flourishing of conferences, journals, research, books, festivals etc. is incredibly encouraging and stimulating. I’d like to see even more connectivity and collaboration internationally (and that is one of the motivations behind Mangasia - and really behind everything I do - and you too, I think, Ct?). We can all learn so much from each other and today that’s more important than ever.<br />
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<i>18. Can comics really be mirrors for change? (this is the talk Paul is giving on 4 Nov 2018 and it will moderated by Ian Gordon)</i><br />
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Totally, and Sonny Liew’s acclaim in Singapore is evidence of that. I think it’s because cartoon art in its many forms can be very persuasive and influence how we see ourselves and others, for better or for worse as well. At their best, comics can build empathy and understanding, but they can also distort, divide and demonise. The medium is powerful, in part because (in print at least) it doesn’t go away, you can’t swipe or click it away, you can return over and over to its fixed images and text. In our ephemeral Floating World of spin, that staying power is strong. Great cartoonists can make difficult, unsettling stories and experiences accessible and relatable through their comics. The world is a little bit wiser thanks to Spiegelman’s Maus, Satrapi’s Persepolis, Mattotti’s Fires and with every other work of humane, enriching comics.<br />
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<i>19. I believe this will be your first trip to Singapore? What do you want to see (that you have heard about) or eat? </i><br />
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Most of all I want to get to know the assorted local comics communities, visit studios, publishers, archives and collections, discover the huge Kinokuniya and lots of surprises too! <br />
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<i>20. What is your favourite comics of all time? </i><br />
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On my reading table at this moment are: Slum Wolf by Tadao Tsuge, Vol 2 of Ken Reid’s Complete Power Pack Comics, Follow Me In by Katriona Chapman, Herbert Crowley: The Temple of Silence, Panorama de la BD Chinoise exhibition catalogue, The Mythology of S. Clay Wilson, Tetra by Malcolm McNeill, and Austin English’s new zine ‘But is it… Comic Aht?’. My apologies, but my curiosity is too insatiable to narrow down to one favourite. Even ‘1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die’ was not enough! Plurality in comics, in people, in life, is my favourite thing.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r5bI5GRnxDw/W62BqaRa-3I/AAAAAAAABh8/jqq0PTK3b2okAnlRFwSYSwH--6UstkDwACLcBGAs/s1600/man%2Bat%2Bcrossroads.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r5bI5GRnxDw/W62BqaRa-3I/AAAAAAAABh8/jqq0PTK3b2okAnlRFwSYSwH--6UstkDwACLcBGAs/s640/man%2Bat%2Bcrossroads.jpg" width="640" height="271" data-original-width="345" data-original-height="146" /></a><br />
cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-40313143569091964542018-09-24T13:56:00.000+08:002018-09-26T09:57:33.437+08:00Interview with French Comics Writer Regis Hautiere <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ALngEX-RgNQ/W6h7gCQUrlI/AAAAAAAABgQ/yQIhrJLdP7kfdtaS8ctEw0QVLRGExhWCQCLcBGAs/s1600/9782203034426.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ALngEX-RgNQ/W6h7gCQUrlI/AAAAAAAABgQ/yQIhrJLdP7kfdtaS8ctEw0QVLRGExhWCQCLcBGAs/s640/9782203034426.jpg" width="480" height="640" data-original-width="342" data-original-height="456" /></a><br />
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September has a good month for comics. We have STGCC and AFCC, and then IAF last weekend (and if you were in Jakarta, there was Popcon Asia). To end it off, the Alliance Francaise (AF) has brought in the writer of La guerre des Lulus, Regis Hautiere. To me, it’s important we get more comic writers in to share with us their craft. We have many visiting comic artists in the past for workshops and some masterclasses, but we need more writers, editors and others from the comics industry to grow the ecosystem.<br />
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To side track: this year’s SWF will see more comic writers coming in – Mariko Tamaki and Margaret Stohl. I will be writing more about them soon. And if you are interested in the industry, check this out:<br />
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<a href="https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/What-Makes-a-Strong-Comic-Industry.html">https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/What-Makes-a-Strong-Comic-Industry.html</a><br />
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But I digress. <br />
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So who is Regis?<br />
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Régis Hautière is a French comic book writer with an impressively eclectic bibliography; he has published many award-winning books. In early 2013, he teamed up with illustrator Hardoc to create the comic series, La guerre des Lulus.<br />
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It’s about this four orphans who took to the streets and the forests to survive during WWI. You can learn more about this series here: (hope you understand French)<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIBGXFT_WgY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIBGXFT_WgY</a><br />
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In any case, I will be moderating a dialogue between him and Cheah Sinann (The Bicycle - published by Epigram Books in 2014 and translated to French by La Boite à Bulles in 2017) as I’ll get them to talk about writing comics set in the two world wars of the 20th Century. Many might have forgotten that 2018 marks the centennial of the end of WWI. Many books and events have been written and organized to commemorate the Great War that failed to end all wars. But history books can only tell us so much. Comic books offer new ways of looking at WWI and WWII and the ravages of war. In the case of Regis and Sinann, they have chosen to portray German and Japanese soldiers in a non-stereotypical way, which might be controversial for the older folks who still remembered the atrocities of the Japanese army in the case of the Japanese Occupation in Singapore and Malaya.<br />
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Details of the events are here:<br />
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<a href="http://alliancefrancaise.org.sg/event/meet-the-authors-session/">http://alliancefrancaise.org.sg/event/meet-the-authors-session/</a><br />
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It’s held at the AF. <br />
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Date: Saturday 29 September 2018<br />
Time: 5.45pm<br />
Place: la médiathèque<br />
In English | Free entrance (but do RSVP in the link above to secure your seats)<br />
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Thanks to AF (Anne-Garance and Catherine and many others) for bringing Regis in and organizing this event. Here’s a short interview with Regis and kudos to Cheryl Heng for translating. She is also the translator for the event. <br />
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Regis is obviously interested in geopolitics and the flow of capital in our present world order. It is a pity many of his books have not been translated to English. We hope it is a situation that will change soon.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-89knSbCTWF0/W6h7slBPLjI/AAAAAAAABgU/y6-F3jvyaOkbQ72aZz5lRzfjSku3s9MxACLcBGAs/s1600/15294.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-89knSbCTWF0/W6h7slBPLjI/AAAAAAAABgU/y6-F3jvyaOkbQ72aZz5lRzfjSku3s9MxACLcBGAs/s640/15294.jpeg" width="640" height="324" data-original-width="745" data-original-height="377" /></a><br />
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<i>How did you become a writer?</i><br />
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I've always loved to write. Since the age of ten, I would tell the stories I imagined through writing. However it was only later in life, when I was in my thirties, that I embarked upon writing as a professional occupation. I initially attempted writing a novel but I realized quickly that I did not have enough self-discipline to see myself through such long-term solo projects. This is the reason why I redirected myself to work as a scenario-writer for comic strips as teaming with an illustrator spurs me and gives me the moral obligation to focus on accomplishing the storyboarding. If not, the illustrator will not be able to proceed with his illustrations. I set up my earlier projects in collaboration with a group of illustrator friends who were all amateurs like myself. The great sense of achievement we gleaned from conceiving these projects convinced me that I had found my vocation. However it took four or five years before I clinched my first professional contracts and the appearance of my first books that I began to make a living out of my art.<br />
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<i>What other series have you written?</i><br />
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I've written the scenarios for approximately sixty works. Some are part of a series like "La Guerre des Lulus", "Les Spectaculaires Aquablue", "Les Trois Grognards", "Heros du Peuple" ... and others are singular works told in one or two parts like "Abelard de Briques et de Sang", "Perico", "Un Homme de Joie".<br />
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<i>What is the premise of La guerre des Lulus?</i> <br />
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The main inspiration behind "La Guerre des Lulus" series was my daughter. I wanted to create a story where the protagonists were children, as well as my relocation to Picardie. Picardie is a French region that was greatly affected by World War I (1914-1918). Picardie was divided into two during the entire duration of the war, one portion occupied by the German troops and the other by the French and English troops. The massive scale bombardment of the region ravaged its landscape and transformed it into military cemeteries, war memorials, old trenches and mine fields or large expanses of vacant land devoid of trees. Traversing through the Picardie region, and trying to comprehend the 'raison-d'etre' of its contemporary landscape, I felt an immense urge to talk about the war which had long-term consequences in deeply transforming its landscape.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9qdel_xXgQo/W6h7ylhFN4I/AAAAAAAABgc/3beLkbt_16c-A-5yjWg5C_kJRKxKOOXBwCLcBGAs/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9qdel_xXgQo/W6h7ylhFN4I/AAAAAAAABgc/3beLkbt_16c-A-5yjWg5C_kJRKxKOOXBwCLcBGAs/s640/images.jpg" width="640" height="424" data-original-width="276" data-original-height="183" /></a><br />
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<i><br />
2018 is 100 years of the end of the Great War. What are your thoughts? Are we on the verge of another world war? (USA-North Korea)</i><br />
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Well... I hope not. And I don't think so. It is unlikely. The actions of Trump and Kim Jong-Un bring to mind two monkeys, each trying to outdo the other in proving who is the alpha-male, targeting at swaying their respective public opinion in their favour. It is in neither one's favour to spark off a war. For Kim, it would merely subject his country to massive bombardment that it is incapable of reciprocating. For Trump, it would simply trigger a major diplomatic crisis with China which has become the principal economic partner and financial backing to the US. The economies between US and China are so intricately interdependent that such a diplomatic crisis will rapidly deteriorate and lead to a financial crisis. Which is most certainly something Trump would want to avoid. Let's not forget that before becoming president, he was a businessman.<br />
<i><br />
Or will the next war be trade wars (USA-China) or cyber warfare (Russia)?</i><br />
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This is highly probable. In fact these two wars are already taking place but they surpass the Nationalistic framework/ agenda. The capital of large multi-national companies (MNCs) is derived from multi-national investors whose interests overlap. Their profitable gains are rarely driven by Nationalistic reasons. The companies will not hesitate to uproot themselves, social seating, factories and capital to a foreign country if this proves more cost-effective. They have become so wealthy and powerful that they are in position to dictate and influence the conduct of the directors welding great power.<br />
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<i>What's next? Will there be a sequel to La guerre des Lulus? What is the final fate of Lucien, Lucas, Luigi and Ludwig? </i><br />
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There will be two "Sequels". <br />
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The first is neither a prequel nor sequel, it is just a recount of how the 'Lulus' lived when they were in Germany between the Spring of 1916 and Summer of 1917. This will be told in two parts. The first part is already out in France.<br />
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The second is in chronological order following part 5. The story starts on 11 November 1918 and it allows us to find out what become of the post-war 'Lulus' and how they succeeded in reuniting. It will be written in five parts, each, being told through the eyes of each 'Lulu'. The First is told by Lucien followed by Luigi, then Luce, Lucas and finally Ludwig. <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ARAhXEQfVU/W6h74LeokSI/AAAAAAAABgg/wDKjbFBHz5EA5pZneYv6SXHdooSP_-6BwCLcBGAs/s1600/la-guerre-des-lulus-min.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ARAhXEQfVU/W6h74LeokSI/AAAAAAAABgg/wDKjbFBHz5EA5pZneYv6SXHdooSP_-6BwCLcBGAs/s640/la-guerre-des-lulus-min.jpg" width="640" height="375" data-original-width="700" data-original-height="410" /></a><br />
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<i><br />
I notice most other characters are 'L' too. Luce and the villain, Leandre. Is that intentional?</i><br />
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Yes, it was deliberate. For 'Luce" the name starts with a 'LU" to hint at her integration with the "LULU" gang. The 'L' of Leandre was to lead one to think he could have joined the "LULU" gang but the second alphabet 'E' in his name to imply 'EXclude", hints that he is a traitor and will betray our LULU friends here.<br />
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<i>What are some of the influences for your story? I am reminded of Au revoir les enfants and also the French comic series, Seuls (Alone).</i><br />
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There are many conscious and sub-conscious sources of inspirations. "Au Revoir les Enfants" and the series "Seuls" play a part of it. We can also cite " Lord of the Flies", "Peter Pan", "La Guerre des Boutons", "Les Disparus de Saint-Agil", the television series "Here Come the Double Deckers" or "Walking Dead".<br />
<i><br />
What are you looking forward to in Singapore?</i><br />
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I look forward to discovering a part of the world that I am not at all familiar with. Travelling for me is a great source of inspiration as it allows me to better understand the world and it enriches my imagination. I often return home with new ideas, desires and of course, sometimes new stories.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cuic7RJcCjk/W6h8LJmKAXI/AAAAAAAABgw/43bvWZJU_BYKqc2vekL8h9sOSIKW1RhKACLcBGAs/s1600/AF_Logo_singapour.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cuic7RJcCjk/W6h8LJmKAXI/AAAAAAAABgw/43bvWZJU_BYKqc2vekL8h9sOSIKW1RhKACLcBGAs/s400/AF_Logo_singapour.jpg" width="400" height="272" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1088" /></a><br />
cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-91747529718791736272018-09-20T18:06:00.000+08:002018-09-20T19:45:39.385+08:00IAF 2018 - Interview with Rukmunal Hakim<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sddKfBNPZwU/W6NwQEcU5NI/AAAAAAAABfY/dLvIFWBV9KIk0wz4H8S4W2JUmp-fsVlngCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled_Love_IV.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sddKfBNPZwU/W6NwQEcU5NI/AAAAAAAABfY/dLvIFWBV9KIk0wz4H8S4W2JUmp-fsVlngCLcBGAs/s640/Untitled_Love_IV.jpg" width="640" height="640" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1600" /></a><br />
<br />
I first met Rukmunal Hakim some years ago (circa 2012) at STGCC when he was boothing together with Ario Anindito. They were a pretty savvy pair because they actually attended STGCC as audience the year prior to get a sense of the convention and the market (what sells and what don't) before deciding to purchase a booth the following year. Their prints were spot on and were hot sellers. They figured out what would appeal to the STGCC crowd.<br />
<br />
So it was good to see Hakim again at IAF when it first started 2 years ago because it was more of a natural 'home' for him.<br />
<br />
I got the chance to chat with Hakim before the craziness start at IAF again this weekend. Do check out his booth with buddy Elfandiary and also the talk show I'm doing with them on Sunday, 23 Sept at La Salle (Room F202) from 2pm to 3 pm. It's called Illustrating in Indonesia and it should be fun. Dee Dee Rakham is helping out with the translation on that day. Tickets available here:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://iaf2018elfandiary.peatix.com/view">https://iaf2018elfandiary.peatix.com/view</a><br />
<br />
<i><br />
Can you tell us more about yourself and your work?</i><br />
<br />
My name is Rukmunal Hakim. I live and work in Bintaro, South Tangerang. Not far from Jakarta. Besides being an illustrator, I am also a Visual Consultant and Creative Director for 3 Indonesian musicians. I host my own podcast channel, “Podluck Podcast”, which talks (mostly) about illustration in Indonesia. I am also the founder and Creative Director for Gesut!, a collective that moves in the realm of silkscreen prints.<br />
<br />
My work talks about a lot of personal experience, and how it intersects with many things around me.<br />
<br />
<i>How did you get started?</i><br />
<br />
I started drawing, learning from scratch, self-taught, at practically a late age of 25 years old. And I entered the professional world 3 years later. I’m 34 years old this year, so it’s almost 10 years since I started…<br />
<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LwUul19YRZE/W6Nw53Sxs9I/AAAAAAAABf4/TKjbv1FtfIAJ71Tyl_mUXsEECQzO_xmcACLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled_Love_III.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LwUul19YRZE/W6Nw53Sxs9I/AAAAAAAABf4/TKjbv1FtfIAJ71Tyl_mUXsEECQzO_xmcACLcBGAs/s640/Untitled_Love_III.jpg" width="453" height="640" data-original-width="1132" data-original-height="1600" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>What sort of art training did you receive?</i><br />
<br />
My school is the internet and my colleagues. I learned most of my skills from both.<br />
<br />
<i>How is your work different from others in Indonesia and the rest of the world?</i><br />
<br />
It will be difficult for me to explain what is the difference in my work when compared to other artists.<br />
I think, the difference will be seen from the background where we live, our education, family, the references to the music we listen to, the movies we watch, and so on. As a self-taught illustrator, I have a different visual language from those who have an art education. And in the end, the theme brought out will vary, even though most human problems – well, most of them - are almost the same. But the story will always be different.<br />
<i><br />
Is there a Bandung scene? How is it different from Jakarta and Jogjakarta?</i><br />
<br />
If we talk about the 3 major cities in Indonesia in the realm of art, namely, Jakarta, Bandung and Jogja, all three have different atmospheres. Bandung is known as a creative city, which deals directly with industry practice. Whereas Jakarta is an industry, a place where all money is located, and Jogja is a place where we can live as artists in full, and freely.<br />
<br />
<i>What is the power and role of illustrations in society? </i><br />
<br />
Illustration is one of the disciplines of fine arts that has good adaptability with other disciplines. This is what gives illustration the special advantage and an important role. Many important and crucial things, such as aircraft safety guidelines, medical books, etc., can be better understood when there are illustrations in them. And this is only a small example where illustration has a role in society.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pdwFa80BPEE/W6Nw1bVeckI/AAAAAAAABfw/F7M5OVaTiGkgjfm_7vl-0RNfLNo4zwQzwCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled_Love_VI.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pdwFa80BPEE/W6Nw1bVeckI/AAAAAAAABfw/F7M5OVaTiGkgjfm_7vl-0RNfLNo4zwQzwCLcBGAs/s640/Untitled_Love_VI.jpg" width="640" height="453" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1132" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>What do you hope to achieve with your art?</i><br />
<br />
I hope more people can enjoy my work.<br />
<br />
<i>How many times have you attended IAF and what do you think of it?</i><br />
<br />
This year is my third IAF (the second time with Elfandiary). My first event in Singapore was STGCC with Ario Anindito, and for me, IAF is more relevant to my profession. And so far the experience with IAF is very fun!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SOk_KLNrJz8/W6NwU1i6e4I/AAAAAAAABfc/QQMegjpnosA4W_pfsE95Qj9_Cg3M37eEwCLcBGAs/s1600/Copy%2Bof%2Bfinals.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SOk_KLNrJz8/W6NwU1i6e4I/AAAAAAAABfc/QQMegjpnosA4W_pfsE95Qj9_Cg3M37eEwCLcBGAs/s640/Copy%2Bof%2Bfinals.jpg" width="640" height="296" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="739" /></a><br />
cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9182288967452862904.post-25780050405587710922018-09-18T16:44:00.002+08:002018-09-18T16:44:27.011+08:00IAF 2018 - Interview with Li Chitak<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DWWesV8PhOI/W6C616j2wvI/AAAAAAAABeo/DgNbad4ZS68Qkmbg8OOdCDtTmdZNzO7pACLcBGAs/s1600/hkartist-800x445.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DWWesV8PhOI/W6C616j2wvI/AAAAAAAABeo/DgNbad4ZS68Qkmbg8OOdCDtTmdZNzO7pACLcBGAs/s400/hkartist-800x445.jpg" width="400" height="223" data-original-width="800" data-original-height="445" /></a><br />
<br />
IAF is back for the third year at La Salle this weekend. We managed to invite one of my favourite HK comic artist, Li Chitak.<br />
<br />
So who the hell is Li Chitak? You know that 1996 Jet Li action movie, Black Mask? That's based on a Li Chitak comic. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Mask_(film)">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Mask_(film)</a><br />
<br />
The comic is well cooler than the movie. Unfortunately, it is long out of print.<br />
<br />
2 years ago, Chitak was honoured by Angouleme Comic Festival with a solo exhibition of his own.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqisXglZwmM">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqisXglZwmM</a><br />
<br />
Here's a short interview with Chitak before his visit. He answered my questions in Chinese which I have reproduced here and I included my loose English translation which cannot do justice to the nuances in his replies. Read them out loud in Cantonese!<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>You are sometimes known as the godfather of indie / alternative comics in HK. What do you think of this title?</i><br />
<br />
香港地方小,我做業內人士不做的,踫正香港漫畫黃金時代而已。<br />
<br />
這是別人給我的稱號,是令人較有體面及較容易去接受indie/alternative這種東西, 相對以往「另類」是怪物,而現在則正面些、高級一點。畢竟現今社會最愛名銜這玩意。<br />
<br />
[HK is a small place. I was merely doing things that most people won't do. I happened to be at the right place and right time. I started during the golden age of HK comics in the 1980s.<br />
<br />
This label is given to me by others. It's just to make it easier for people to accept what is this thing called indie / alternative comics. To me, it simply reflects society's love for labels.]<br />
<br />
<i><br />
But is there still a HK comic industry / scene?</i><br />
<br />
這我也不太肯定,在插畫泛濫的世代,但仍有人在畫漫畫就是了,越來越少,但仍有人。<br />
<br />
[I'm not too sure of that myself. But as long as there are artists drawing, no matter how few, that is good enough.]<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>What is the mainstream in HK comics now? Still kung fu comics?</i><br />
<br />
「港漫」依然是「港漫」,功夫、黑社會⋯⋯以外的即獨立漫畫,應該分不了什麼是主流,市場已經很小很小。<br />
<br />
[HK comics are still HK comics. Kung fu, gangster...but it's really hard to differentiate what's mainstream and what's not. The market is so small now...] <br />
<br />
<br />
<i>What is the future for indie / alternative comics in HK?</i><br />
<br />
不知道。我想有多一些有趣的作品出現,已經不錯。<br />
<br />
[I don't know. As long as there are interesting works, that's not too bad.] <br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6XJBK-ev8Fc/W6C6lUJ1nuI/AAAAAAAABeY/-jZzpuZT4a43IzV7XOYW5Zg6ih26R_4uQCLcBGAs/s1600/ming33struggle600.tif" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6XJBK-ev8Fc/W6C6lUJ1nuI/AAAAAAAABeY/-jZzpuZT4a43IzV7XOYW5Zg6ih26R_4uQCLcBGAs/s640/ming33struggle600.tif" width="468" height="640" data-original-width="1169" data-original-height="1600" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>How did you start drawing comics?</i><br />
<br />
自己畫完四處去投稿,亂碰亂撞閈始。<br />
<br />
[I drew some comics books and went round knocking on doors of comics pubishers. That's how i got started.]<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>What was your first comic book?</i><br />
<br />
『衛斯理』系列是第一本。<br />
<br />
[My first comic book was Wisely.]<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Did you ever have a 'real' job?</i><br />
<br />
基本上沒有。試過支月薪上班畫漫畫,算不算?<br />
<br />
[Not really. I worked for a few months as an artist in a comics company - does that count?]<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>What are your memories of reading comics when you were young?</i><br />
<br />
少年看漫畫感到無比的活力,充滿生命力。<br />
那些年看黃玉郎、池上遼一、永安巧、松森正、馬榮成,什麼也看。<br />
至大友克洋,彷彿產生決定性的影響,再到Moebius,就是了,最高的漫畫應該是要這樣子的!<br />
<br />
<br />
[When I was younger, reading comics gave me a sense of mission and energy!<br />
I read everything - from Tony Wong to Ryoichi Ikegami and Ma Wing Shing. But the greatest influence came from Katsuhiro Otomo and Moebius. Now, Moebius! That's the gold standard of what comics can be!] <br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Did you ever expect to achieve what you have achieved so far? eg having an exhibition at Angouleme.</i><br />
<br />
曾有一個想法,非主流的創作一樣可以暢銷,哈。<br />
自從進入行業不久,便清楚:真是要做的,就一定要做獨一無二。<br />
一切仍在努力。<br />
<br />
[I once thought that alternative comics can be commercially successful just like mainstream comics. Ah, the optimism of youth..<br />
Once I started in this industry, it was made clear to me: you have to have your own unique vision. It's all about hard work.]<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>If you can travel back in time, what would you tell your younger self?</i><br />
<br />
「真的好辛苦,你清楚不?是真的真的好辛苦!」<br />
<br />
["It's really tough - are you sure? It's really fucking hard, ok!?"]<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Do you own the rights to all your comics?</i><br />
<br />
可惜不是。<br />
以往的香港並不算文明,原稿及版權都歸出版公司,自己也有一些「被」奪去,後來開始小心及堅持要持有,我想約70至80%左右自己擁有。<br />
<br />
[In the past, the HK comics industry was not so 'civilized'. The original pages and rights were kept by the publishers. Some of my works have been 'taken' away from me. Afterwards, I was more careful to insist I retain the copyright. I guess I have about 70-80% to the rights of my works.]<br />
<br />
<i><br />
Name one comic of yours that changed your career? </i><br />
<br />
『同門少年』<br />
<br />
Tong Men Shao Nian<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.lichitak.com/pub-tongmenshaonian">https://www.lichitak.com/pub-tongmenshaonian</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-veOnW2AjNak/W6C44efRU9I/AAAAAAAABeE/CvqUtO5hdyE69FhyXChGan1J2Y3QeL4iQCLcBGAs/s1600/_%25E5%2589%25B5%25E5%2588%258A%25E4%25B8%2580%25E8%2599%259F.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-veOnW2AjNak/W6C44efRU9I/AAAAAAAABeE/CvqUtO5hdyE69FhyXChGan1J2Y3QeL4iQCLcBGAs/s400/_%25E5%2589%25B5%25E5%2588%258A%25E4%25B8%2580%25E8%2599%259F.jpg" width="295" height="400" data-original-width="350" data-original-height="474" /></a><br />
<br />
<i><br />
Would you say Lai Tat Tat Weng and Chihoi are your 'descendants'?</i><br />
<br />
其實我不敢説這些。<br />
創作這東西,影響是無形中發生的,是一個演進過程。<br />
<br />
[I wouldn't dare to say that.<br />
Creativity is a strange creature. And influences can come from anywhere, anytime. It's a process.]<br />
<br />
<i><br />
Who are the next generation of indie comic artists in HK?</i><br />
<br />
自己看漫畫不多,近年真正畫的人也不多。我覺得 overloaddance(超載舞步)OK!起碼有畫漫畫的心,說故事的心。<br />
<br />
[I don't read many comics these days. But I think overloaddance is ok!<br />
At least it has a heart for the drawings and storytelling.] <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/OVERLOADDANCE2009/">https://www.facebook.com/OVERLOADDANCE2009/</a><br />
cthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16038683480826389850noreply@blogger.com0