I was quite the entrepreneur as a kid as I would charge my classmates for drawing their favorite characters in their textbooks, which eventually flourished into a fake tattoo service.
Unfortunately, I had to close shop after several parents complained about their kids going home with tribal dragons on their arms.
My parents’ separation probably had the biggest impact on my childhood. While it may have seemed like the end of the world at the time, it actually helped me see things more realistically.
I learnt not to take the blessings I have for granted and also to not fall apart when things are down in the gutter.
Imagination is a place only the lucky can access—a place where children enter for free, hence why their imaginations are boundless and innocent. I wish I could have that free pass back so I could overcome writer’s block.
My grandfather’s life story was pretty interesting as he was a detective in early Singapore when the legal system wasn’t as established as it is today. I’d love to write and draw a comic based on his adventures.
I can’t remember being given any bad advice. I believe everyone has their own prerogative and what works for you might not work for someone else. I believe in doing your own research and forming your own opinions or solutions.
The most under-rated value in society is resilience. I feel that a true measure of a person is not how successful they are but how they handle situations when things are falling apart.
I am most inspired by the decisions people make in dire situations.
The heroic Harriet Tubman ranks pretty high up on my list. Her decision to risk her life repeatedly for the cause she believed in is extremely inspiring and really makes you realize how bloody lucky we are.
It was 2010 when Marvel was looking for talent in the region at the Singapore Toy, Games and Comic Convention. I basically dropped everything, polished my portfolio and submitted it on the first day of the event. I guess it’s a good example of being ready when the opportunity comes.
To have work recognized by some of the best in the industry is really a dream come true.
I am definitely aware of the challenges that are ahead and I feel it is the right time in my life to face them head on.
Ignorance makes me angry. In this day and age where information is so easily obtained, it’s almost a crime to be oblivious to what’s going on in the world and its history.
Peace is taken for granted by so many, which is really sad.
Being a freelance illustrator, you do have a lot of alone time as you are essentially doing everything yourself.
I used to have this thing where I’d hop on a random bus and see where it took me. I enjoyed observing the different sceneries and people along the journey.
Somehow the bus always ended up in a god-forsaken place really far from town.
