STGC Convention Building up day

Thursday was the build up day, getting ready for the three days convention from Friday to Sunday. I brought 15 cartons of The Winged Tiger in Singapore, that was equal to 630 books. We are hopeful to sell 200 of the books at least. Let's see how it turns out.

Phil Yeh's drawing of Emily and Rocket

Phil Yeh is without doubt one of the masters (perhaps the best in this field) when it comes to character creation and inking. If you ever see his inked art work for his comics, your brain will be BLOWN AWAY! You will keep looking at his line work and subconsciously admiring the execution of thick lines. The details in his drawing are amazingly detailed. Only three words to describe his style: Bold, Free and only he know how to do it! It is an honor for me to have Emily and Rocket inked by Phil.

Emily and Rocket sketches

Emily was created in 1996-7, the year when I was still an art student in NAFA. The truth... this was the drawing style I discovered when I drew Emily, before that she looks more like a "manga style" girl. This drawing style has evolved over the years, from a wobbly scribble to what she is now. Rocket was created after the year 2000. I don't mind having a dog that looks like Rocket, but too bad my wife has a phobia on little animal. How I envy Geoff Bevington who in real life has a pet dog that look exactly like Dot (the white dog with a black patch in our story).

The Winged Tiger in Singapore: It begins from here

The Winged Tiger in Singapore is supposed to be a funded project from Scape, and the proposed launching venue is at the opening of the new Scape during the month of June 2010. However the plan wasn't materialised and we decided to carry on with our ideas by going self-publication. It's all or nothing! That's the birth of The Winged Tiger in Singapore!

Drawings of The Winged Tiger in Singapore 7

This is the drawing I have the most satisfaction. I enjoyed drawing and inking curve lines. Compared to the ruled lines in those museum drawings, curved lines are more expressive and free. If you make a mistake, it won't be seen as clearly as a straight line or a circle. Curve line is the best, you can't go wrong with it provided that you don't hesitate when inking. Orchard ION is one of the best subject for inking in my point of view.

Drawings of The Winged Tiger in Singapore 6

This is one art work which I enjoyed working on. When Phil Yeh asked me to do a drawing on living a healthy and sporty life, I was wondering how to compose a picture with all the sports in it. I did a few drafts but wasn't satisfied with the content and composition of the drawing. In the end, my wife suggested a beach scene. Problems solved!

Drawings of The Winged Tiger in Singapore 5

This drawing shows Emily teaching Rocket to paint at the Singapore Art Museum (SAM). This building is the former Saint Joseph Institution, the same school which my dad studied in when he is a teenager. I loved the colours Lieve Jerger breath into this piece of art work. Otherwise my drawing will look very dull if not for the heavenly sky!

Drawings of The Winged Tiger in Singapore 4

Try spending some times in our National Museum of Singapore. I mean you really buy the ticket and view the exhibits. It seems to me that Singapore history is surrounded with this few categories: food culture, fashion, cinema, photography and the nation history. The items that I drew for this picture is not from my imagination. They are really the exact exhibits from the museum (forget about the cars and the singing hippo).

Drawings of The Winged Tiger in Singapore 3

Phil Yeh suggested that we have a page that shows Rocket thinking about his career. So Rocket finally spending less time on gaming, and seriously thinking about upgrading himself. Well do you find this scene familiar in our selection of career?

Drawings of The Winged Tiger in Singapore 2

This drawing shows Rocket engaged in a very high tech 3-D gaming. You know what, teenagers nowadays are very into computer gaming and most have played very violent game. Holding guns, slashing 'bad guys' with daggers and arming with the so call mass weapon of destruction are in fact very common to them. Their reality are rooted in the virtual world. In the virtual world, they become the Hero that can save the universe. And the way they can do so is to kill as many bad guys as possible. Only one sentence that can describe them," So young yet so violence."

Drawings of The Winged Tiger in Singapore 1

The first drawing I did for the book is a wet market scene. The inspiration for this drawing came from the Chinatown wet market. However I did not draw exactly what I have seen, but added a bit of my idea to make this wet market looks more interesting in terms of the composition. The first drawing is done in pencil, follow by an inked study (using fountain pen) before I inked the actual drawing with dip pen and Indian ink. Can you spot the differences?

Place reservation for The Winged Tiger in Singapore

We are still in the process of updating the website to feature the preview of the book. However friends and friends of friends who find this book nice and have faith in the quality of the content, and wish to own a book, 10 books or even more to give as gifts for Christmas, you may wish to place a RESERVATION in advance to avoid disappointment.

The 3 days at the Singapore Toy Games Comic Convention may bring in at least 10,000 audiences from all over the world. We are aiming to sell all the books (1000 books and that's all we have). So if you like it, do not hesitate to drop me a message through Facebook or email me whichever is accessible!

You can always collect it during December 10-12 at the convention. Our booth, The Cartoonists Across America and The World. We shall be there to autograph all books. Each book cost only $25.

For email reservation: comixguru2003@yahoo.com.sg

Preview: The Winged Tiger in Singapore

The Winged Tiger in Singapore (December 2010) is the sequel to Steve the Dog & The Winged Tiger (March 2010). It continues the story of Dot and Steve the Dog from Chicago, Illinois and how they take a trip to Singapore to meet a little girl named Emily and a dog called Rocket with the help of a magical flying tiger.

Preview: The Winged Tiger in Singapore #1

In the first book, we saw how The Winged Tiger, a well-dressed Chicago Bull and Dot were able to get Steve the Dog, a couch potato dog, out of his cozy Chicago apartment for the very first time to see how many wonderful things exist in the real world. Until Steve the Dog met Dot, he had simply lived through his widescreen TV set, the internet and all things electronic. The story illustrates with big full page images all the wonderful things in the city of Chicago that might inspire various career paths from architect to zoologist. At the end of the first book, Steve the Dog becomes a Renaissance dog interested in learning and doing a wide variety of things in the real world.

Preview: The Winged Tiger in Singapore #2

In the sequel set in the island country of Singapore, Dot and Steve the Dog head for Singapore to meet Emily and Rocket, who is a couch potato dog living in a high rise flat and never leaving his own apartment. Rocket loves video games and watching TV and being on the Internet, but has also never left his apartment.

Preview: The Winged Tiger in Singapore #3

One day, Rocket meets Emily who teaches art and who actually gets Rocket to do some painting outside of his apartment for his first experience in the real world. They are actually painting outside the Singapore Art Museum when the Winged Tiger, Steve the Dog and Dot show up from Chicago.

Preview: The Winged Tiger in Singapore #4

The rest of the book shows how Rocket gets introduced to all the wonderful things in his own country that inspires him to consider a wide variety of career paths from medicine to designing amusement parks to becoming an environmental engineer.

Both of these books are intended for people of all ages and all cultures anywhere in the world. Although they take place in specific locations, the message in these books is truly universal and is designed to inspire all people of all ages, to simply balance their lives between all the electronic distractions of the modern world with real hands on living experience.

Book launch: The Winged Tiger in Singapore

You shall get to see the book launch of The Winged Tiger in Singapore in December 10-12, at the The Singapore Toy Games & Comic Convention in Suntec City. This hard cover book with a limited print of only 1000 copies will be selling at $25 each.

The authors/artists Phil Yeh, Geoff Bevington and myself will be there to autograph the books. Do visit us at our booth, The Cartoonist Across America and The World .

Buy this limited edition book before it get sold out!

Raffles Girls Primary

My impression of teaching cartooning in Raffles Girls Primary is like going to a branded college. Although this is not the first girls school I have taught (I have taught in Nanyang Girls' High School and CHIJ sec before), this is the first girls primary school that I have stepped my foot in.

There are 5 sessions of 2 hours in my Rediscover Cartoon and Comics Making classes. In these workshop, they are taught the basis of cartoon and manga style drawing, drawing clothes, background, designing their characters to writing script and inking their comics page. Yes, all in a short 10 hours of lesson.

In the 5th session, we actually watched a cartoon movie (Laputa, The Castle In The Sky) together. They have a good time watching the movie, or perhaps it is myself who really enjoying the show.

Teck Ghee Primary School

I have been teaching these wonderful students at Teck Ghee Primary School and just completed a 10 sessions of Rediscover Cartoon and Comics Making lessons. These are some photos of them at work. Hope to see them again soon.