Troy's new comic. Macham choose your own adventures.
Is he still in love with Minx?
Thanks to Dave for alerting me about this.
http://www.drearyweary.com/Forgetting/
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
A tale of 2 cities - more of the same
2013 is over. I had the chance to attend two comic cons in two different countries. So how do they compare with each other?
Singapore Toy Game and Comic Convention (STGCC) (31 August to 1 September) – a staple in the pop culture event calendar of Singapore. No surprises here, STGCC runs like a well-oiled machine. The usual Western guests were invited: Adi Granov, David Mack, Joe Madureira and a returning CB Cebulski. We have two invited artists from the Philippines, Dexter Soy and Lyndon Gregorio. Stanley Lau is the local rep, although he is originally from Hong Kong.
Other than the official guests, the Artists’ Alley was the place the catch up with what local and Southeast Asian artists were up to. Andie Tong had a great Ultraman poster for sale and Carlo Jose San Juan, the medical cartoonist, was back to sell his unique comic strip. Lefty and Tan Eng Huat had a new Zero Hero: Giant Killer graphic novel. Others who were around: Garrie Gastonny, Sonny Liew.
But the real stars of the con are the beauty and machines – sexy cosplayer Vampy Bit Me attracted a lot of attention and everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of her, and maybe a bite... The machine is Iron Man. The Marvel movie franchise is the still hottest thing in town and all the suits were on display. Iron babes were also walking around to take photos with fans. If you don’t pay attention, you would think you are at an Iron Man convention.
MCM London Comic Con (25 to 27 October) – dubbed UK’s leading comic con and the biggest event of its type in Europe. Here are the stats: the show had grown from strength to strength. In terms of exhibition space, it has expanded from 25,000 to 34,000 square metres. Which still didn’t help if you had tried to come in on Saturday afternoon (26 October). You would have easily queued up for an hour just to buy the tickets and another hour to get in. No wonder, a record-breaking 88,000 people attended the event over the three days, up from the previous high of 76,000 attendees when the event was held in May.
So does the show live up to its hype? For sci-fi TV fans and cosplayers, it does. The EuroCosplay Championship 2013 had its finals there. The cosplaying was global and cross-media, from manga to games. But for the comic fans, there were not many big name artists. Bernard Chang and Sean Chen were there. Still, if you hang out at the Comic Village, you have David Hine, Gary Erskine, Aces Weekly (David Lloyd), Emma Vieceli, Tim Bradstreet and Al Davison there to chat, sign your books, and maybe get a sketch. Our own Hu Jingxuan had a booth there as well to draw you in the style of Downton Abbey.
STGCC and MCM London Comic Con are great for weekend excursions and family affairs, if you can tahan the crowd.
Both cons highlighted that for one to get the audience, you need to showcase the whole spectrum of pop culture. Comics is just one component in the cons now. It has to struggle to stand out. The fans will have to look out for it and give their support.
Singapore Toy Game and Comic Convention (STGCC) (31 August to 1 September) – a staple in the pop culture event calendar of Singapore. No surprises here, STGCC runs like a well-oiled machine. The usual Western guests were invited: Adi Granov, David Mack, Joe Madureira and a returning CB Cebulski. We have two invited artists from the Philippines, Dexter Soy and Lyndon Gregorio. Stanley Lau is the local rep, although he is originally from Hong Kong.
Other than the official guests, the Artists’ Alley was the place the catch up with what local and Southeast Asian artists were up to. Andie Tong had a great Ultraman poster for sale and Carlo Jose San Juan, the medical cartoonist, was back to sell his unique comic strip. Lefty and Tan Eng Huat had a new Zero Hero: Giant Killer graphic novel. Others who were around: Garrie Gastonny, Sonny Liew.
But the real stars of the con are the beauty and machines – sexy cosplayer Vampy Bit Me attracted a lot of attention and everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of her, and maybe a bite... The machine is Iron Man. The Marvel movie franchise is the still hottest thing in town and all the suits were on display. Iron babes were also walking around to take photos with fans. If you don’t pay attention, you would think you are at an Iron Man convention.
MCM London Comic Con (25 to 27 October) – dubbed UK’s leading comic con and the biggest event of its type in Europe. Here are the stats: the show had grown from strength to strength. In terms of exhibition space, it has expanded from 25,000 to 34,000 square metres. Which still didn’t help if you had tried to come in on Saturday afternoon (26 October). You would have easily queued up for an hour just to buy the tickets and another hour to get in. No wonder, a record-breaking 88,000 people attended the event over the three days, up from the previous high of 76,000 attendees when the event was held in May.
So does the show live up to its hype? For sci-fi TV fans and cosplayers, it does. The EuroCosplay Championship 2013 had its finals there. The cosplaying was global and cross-media, from manga to games. But for the comic fans, there were not many big name artists. Bernard Chang and Sean Chen were there. Still, if you hang out at the Comic Village, you have David Hine, Gary Erskine, Aces Weekly (David Lloyd), Emma Vieceli, Tim Bradstreet and Al Davison there to chat, sign your books, and maybe get a sketch. Our own Hu Jingxuan had a booth there as well to draw you in the style of Downton Abbey.
STGCC and MCM London Comic Con are great for weekend excursions and family affairs, if you can tahan the crowd.
Both cons highlighted that for one to get the audience, you need to showcase the whole spectrum of pop culture. Comics is just one component in the cons now. It has to struggle to stand out. The fans will have to look out for it and give their support.
Friday, December 27, 2013
Interview with Hu Jingxuan
Things are a bit slow around here. Here is an email interview with Hu Jingxuan.
1. For those who are not familiar with your art, can you introduce yourself?
I am a visual artist trained in fine art. I mainly work in the medium of painting and comics in which I want to create a surreal wasteland of painted structure, textures, lines and patterns that ravish with pseudo‐organic ornamentation and rotten opulence. My website:
http://pinkjellyo.daportfolio.com/
2. What are your major works so far?
My debut comic book Lament, comic strips in the book series Liquid City Volumes 1 and 3, and my long running comic strip in the 早报逗号 newspaper published by the Singapore Press Holdings.
3. Turning points:
- Lament
- story in Liquid City
- studying in Chicago
- studying in London
How have the above experiences changed you and your practice?
Can give an example of a major work in Chicago and in London thus far - could be art or comics.
Two years of working on Lament gave me a taste of what it takes to be a comic artist. Since then, I have made up my mind to pursue a career in art.
Drawing comics for Liquid City made me more aware of my own identity and forged a strong sense of belonging with the comic community of South East Asia. It also gave me the great opportunity of meeting many great local creators and I’m very glad to have met you through the Liquid City volumes!
Chicago provided the best playground for me to test the terrain of art. I studied painting, sculpture, design and even worked for a theatre. It made me realize that art is very multi-layered and I am making new discoveries everyday in my studio.
I wanted to further make strides with my painting and that’s why I decided to do a Master of Fine Art degree in London. It has given me with tools essential for maintaining an art practice that I can keep challenging myself with.
4. How did the audience respond to your comics when you had a booth at MCM Comic Con, etc? (which conventions have you been to so far in London? other than MCM last year and this year…)
I have been quite actively involved in all the major comic conventions in UK such as MCM, London Film and Comic Convention, London Anime Con and Thought Bubble. A large portion of my audience like gothic and Japanese anime culture. Most of them commented that they really like my very detailed and ornamental drawing style. A few readers wrote me emails commenting that they could relate to my stories and they admired the mix of pain and love inside.
5. How were your recent experience presenting about your comics at Transitions 4 comic symposium and the drawing session at the Comica Comiket?
It was a bit uncomfortable at first since making art for me is mostly an intimate process through which I try to have a deep conversation with myself. But after a while, I get into the flow and it’s great. I feel proud to be showing people what I love to do and create more awareness for Asian artists.
6. You are influenced by manga. What are some of your favorites?
Angel Sanctuary, Nana, Gantz and Hunter X Hunter, to name a few.
7. Do you consider yourself an artist from Singapore or from China?
I think I am a Singapore artist since this is the country I became inspired to do comics.
8. Is there a Singapore style for comics?
Hmmm, I do not think so.
9. Given your own manga influences, do you think we even speak of a national style for comics? (whether it is for Singapore or other countries)
I think styles are difficult to define and something that is easily definable might be cliché. I think a comic is a medium artists use to tell a story, it might be better to be left open-ended so creativity can flow freely.
10. Any new influences for comics? You mentioned Enki Bilal at Transitions 4...
Art-style-wise, my recent muse includes Japanese woodprints and Art Nouveau.
11. Which writers influence your writing? (comic stories)
Hajime Isayama from Japan and Xiada from China.
12. What's next?
I’m currently working on a series of canvas paintings that deconstructs space and incorporates elements and traces from contemporary life and my personal memories. At the same time, I am planning and drawing a new comic story.
1. For those who are not familiar with your art, can you introduce yourself?
I am a visual artist trained in fine art. I mainly work in the medium of painting and comics in which I want to create a surreal wasteland of painted structure, textures, lines and patterns that ravish with pseudo‐organic ornamentation and rotten opulence. My website:
http://pinkjellyo.daportfolio.com/
2. What are your major works so far?
My debut comic book Lament, comic strips in the book series Liquid City Volumes 1 and 3, and my long running comic strip in the 早报逗号 newspaper published by the Singapore Press Holdings.
3. Turning points:
- Lament
- story in Liquid City
- studying in Chicago
- studying in London
How have the above experiences changed you and your practice?
Can give an example of a major work in Chicago and in London thus far - could be art or comics.
Two years of working on Lament gave me a taste of what it takes to be a comic artist. Since then, I have made up my mind to pursue a career in art.
Drawing comics for Liquid City made me more aware of my own identity and forged a strong sense of belonging with the comic community of South East Asia. It also gave me the great opportunity of meeting many great local creators and I’m very glad to have met you through the Liquid City volumes!
Chicago provided the best playground for me to test the terrain of art. I studied painting, sculpture, design and even worked for a theatre. It made me realize that art is very multi-layered and I am making new discoveries everyday in my studio.
I wanted to further make strides with my painting and that’s why I decided to do a Master of Fine Art degree in London. It has given me with tools essential for maintaining an art practice that I can keep challenging myself with.
4. How did the audience respond to your comics when you had a booth at MCM Comic Con, etc? (which conventions have you been to so far in London? other than MCM last year and this year…)
I have been quite actively involved in all the major comic conventions in UK such as MCM, London Film and Comic Convention, London Anime Con and Thought Bubble. A large portion of my audience like gothic and Japanese anime culture. Most of them commented that they really like my very detailed and ornamental drawing style. A few readers wrote me emails commenting that they could relate to my stories and they admired the mix of pain and love inside.
5. How were your recent experience presenting about your comics at Transitions 4 comic symposium and the drawing session at the Comica Comiket?
It was a bit uncomfortable at first since making art for me is mostly an intimate process through which I try to have a deep conversation with myself. But after a while, I get into the flow and it’s great. I feel proud to be showing people what I love to do and create more awareness for Asian artists.
6. You are influenced by manga. What are some of your favorites?
Angel Sanctuary, Nana, Gantz and Hunter X Hunter, to name a few.
7. Do you consider yourself an artist from Singapore or from China?
I think I am a Singapore artist since this is the country I became inspired to do comics.
8. Is there a Singapore style for comics?
Hmmm, I do not think so.
9. Given your own manga influences, do you think we even speak of a national style for comics? (whether it is for Singapore or other countries)
I think styles are difficult to define and something that is easily definable might be cliché. I think a comic is a medium artists use to tell a story, it might be better to be left open-ended so creativity can flow freely.
10. Any new influences for comics? You mentioned Enki Bilal at Transitions 4...
Art-style-wise, my recent muse includes Japanese woodprints and Art Nouveau.
11. Which writers influence your writing? (comic stories)
Hajime Isayama from Japan and Xiada from China.
12. What's next?
I’m currently working on a series of canvas paintings that deconstructs space and incorporates elements and traces from contemporary life and my personal memories. At the same time, I am planning and drawing a new comic story.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Match Point!
This one got the Slam Dunk/Ping Pong Club/ pervert mix right. Someone just publish this in book form and make Ken rich and Adrian famous now!
http://dateking.blogspot.sg/2013/10/match-point-chapter-1-preview.html
http://dateking.blogspot.sg/2013/10/match-point-chapter-1-preview.html
article on Singapore comics and cartoons
Article on 24 Hour Comics Day exhibition and the Lianhe Zaobao cartoon exhibition at the library.
http://www.microsite.nl.sg/PDFs/BiblioAsia/BibAsia_v0903.pdf
http://www.microsite.nl.sg/PDFs/BiblioAsia/BibAsia_v0903.pdf
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