BY KOH HUI THENG

LONG seen as a low-brow art form, comics - including made-in-Singapore titles - are now basking in the limelight.

Singapore-based companies like G&B Comics and Chuang Yi Publishing did a brisk trade when 80,000 people thronged the three-day Singapore Toy, Games and Comics Convention (STGCC) in Suntec Convention Centre last month.

Known for its Japanese manga offerings, Chuang Yi also sold eight works from local artists under theMedia Development Authority's (MDA) First-Time Writers & Illustrators Publishing Initiative (FTWIPI).

Fans snapped up about 100 copies of each title, like the gritty detective thriller Jack Doe: Anonymous and manga-inspired fantasy story Lament, a number that is 'considered good for local works' said Chuang Yi director Rony Neo.

According to PricewaterhouseCoopers Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2009-13, Singapore's print and audio consumer-book market hit US$159 million last year.

MDA director of film, animation and publishing Kenneth Tan told my paper: 'Recently, comics and graphic novels have gained tremendous popularity around the world.

'With the FTWIPI, the MDA hopes to nurture first-time writers and illustrators to pursue a publishing career and create world-class original intellectual property (IP) that carries strong commercial appeal.'

Jack Doe's author , 23-year-old Shawn Yap, feels that the home-grown comics market is starting to make inroads here.

'My peers are more open to reading stories produced by Singapore artists,' he said.

But freelance character designer Tong Junwei, 24, said he still encounters resistance towards his trade and 'the biggest challenge I face is getting local acceptance for what I do'.

Mr Jerry Hinds, president of the Association of Comic Artists (Singapore), added: 'Comics are still seen as a second career choice. Artists here turn to it because they cannot get a job in the multi-media industry, unlike in the United States or Japan.

'But we're moving in the right direction by developing original IP and promoting original content,' added the 45-year-old.

Renowned British artist Brian Bolland, 58, has worked on iconic comic-book characters such as Batman and Judge Dredd, and was in town for the STGCC as an invited guest.

'It's interesting how comics are considered low-brow when the people who work in the comics industry are trained in the history of contemporary art and use the medium to address serious social issues,' he said.

He added: 'I'm not sure if there is a definitive Singaporean comics style yet as the industry here is still very young.'

But artists here remain upbeat about the fledgling community taking flight.

Comics artist Troy Chin, 31, author of The Resident Tourist, said: 'We're starting to create a market for ourselves. It takes time but hopefully, in two to three years, we'll have a vibrant comics scene here.'

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