Sir Fong

Sir Fong Book 4 update!

2012-02-02T19:20:00.000-08:00

Above is a screenshot of the latest page I am drawing for Book 4.

As you can probably guess, this page talks about "Refuse, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle". Doing research about the effect of pollution can be sobering. Everyday we discard tons of plastic, some of which finds its way into the ocean. Not only is that killing 100,000 marine lives every year (sea turtles die after they eat the plastic, mistaking them for jellyfishes, while seagulls, penguins, sharks get trapped and suffocated in plastic nets and trash), there is clear evidence that plastic releases toxic waste into the water. That means the fishes we eat will bring the toxins back into our homes.

Hopefully, my readers and future movers and shakers will read this and get my message. But don't worry, the rest of the story is still funny and enjoyable! I'm almost half-way there! See you after June!

Sir Fong, Feb 2012.

Science is Beauty

2012-01-25T18:34:00.000-08:00

Who says there is no science in the beautiful?

If you see beauty in this photograph, it is because of the biology of the flower, the chemistry of how nutrients are used to construct the petals, and the physics of light that took the image of the flower and multiplied it by refraction through the precipitation. The image is taken by a digital camera, and shared via the internet and your computers.

It takes a lot of science to make us see beauty. Just because we cannot explain everything we feel, does not mean that science is not present. We simply have not found the science in them yet!

Happy 2012!!!

2011-12-30T20:55:00.000-08:00

2011 has been an incredible year for Sir Fong, Totto and everyone at Rabbit Institution!

Several achievements include:

1. 2 prints of Sir Fong sold out and reprinted!

2. Both our featured scientists, Prof Lui Pao Chuen and Prof Leo Tan,

became Singapore Science Fellows. This title recognizes them as top scientists

in Singapore!

3. Book 3's story of dog flu became a reality in Australia, where the first-ever documented

case of a virus jumping from a horse to a dog occurred. Sadly, the dog had to be put down

to prevent the virus from spreading.

4. We used the joke phrase "iSad" in Book 3, and it became popular when

Steve Jobs, founder of Apple and the face of iPhone and iPod, passed away.

5. We made a new one-day sales record in a school this year!

2012 is the Year of the Dragon, and we have to say goodbye to the Year of

the Rabbit. But we're all looking forward to the new year, because

happiness from the Rabbit year will continue and get expanded

in the Year of the Giant Fire-breathing Lizard!

Yay! Happy New Year to all of you!

(The Rabbit Institution campus is designed by the incredible, always-awesome

Dengcoy Miel. He has won many international comics award, and also

does amazing editorial cartoons in The Straits Times and other

international newspapers!)

Sir Fong on the Main Events of Bookfest 2011!

2011-11-18T19:53:00.001-08:00

Sir Fong makes it to the Main Event of BookFest 2011! After a few years of hard work, it is an incredible honor to share the same stage as some of the best-selling authors locally and overseas, including the very high-profile new book by Kumar, who is promoting his new biography "From Rags to Drag"! Here are my appearances on the Main Stage:

1. Friday 18th Nov (4 - 5pm)

2. Monday 21st Nov (6 - 7pm)

During my talk on Friday, the organisers had to interrupt the talk 6 times - 6 kids got separated from their moms or dads! Fortunately, all were reunited with their frantic parents. Guess what? A few of them were found listening to my talk!

The Wisdom of Batman

2011-10-12T05:37:00.000-07:00

When I was young, and first saw the Joker, I freaked. He was the scariest character of my childhood.

When I was young, I read the adventures of Batman, hoping that he will one day kill the Joker. He never did. The Joker shot Barbra Gordon through her spine, and killed one Robin. He also performed plastic surgery on another Robin so the boy could look more like Joker than Batman. Batman stuck to his "no kill" code and let Joker live on.

Now I see the mythology (it's probably a little early to call Batman a mythology, but I'm sure this character will last as long as Romeo and Juliet, or Hercules) as something else. Now, I know that Batman let Joker live not because he wouldn't kill the clown, but because he couldn't.

This is my interpretation of the mythology: Gotham, the city that housed Joker and Batman, represents our individual bodies. Inside our Gotham, two characters battle for our cities. Inside each of us, live a Batman and a Joker. In a way, it's like some religious Good vs Evil, except that heaven and hell exist while we're alive. If your Joker wins, then it's hell on Earth for you. If Batman fights, then your Gotham is heaven on Earth.

Everyday, our Jokers will tell us to give up, to give in, because the only truth is Chaos, because all living things are inherently selfish, and we are born into a meaningless existence of which Death is the only certainty. Our Jokers constantly tells us that we're never going to measure up, that we're not good enough, and therefore we might as well go nuts. If one succumbs and gives in to his Joker, his Gotham becomes Joker's playground. You can see evidence on the streets sometimes: some madman walks by muttering to himself or herself. That's a Gotham that's completely, irreversibly overrun by its Joker. For most of us, it's not that extreme - for most of us, our Jokers only managed to stop us in achieving our goals and dreams. "I can't live a life I want, because ______________ (fill in blanks with a reason. Any reason will do!)." or "Things will never change, because _______________ (again, any excus . . . I mean, "reason", will do), so why bother?"

Or we can listen to our Batmans. We can believe that our Gotham is a good one. Our Gotham can succeed. Our Gotham is the city where our lives are good and our dreams come true.

It's going to be a constant battle without end (well, it ends when we die). Our Jokers may never die. No matter how strong our Batmans are, our Joker will always be looking for opportunities. Everytime we feel defeated, we can hear a voice whisper, "See? you cannot win. Don't even try!" When someone else encourages or helps a man in ways that counters his Joker's intention, his Joker may even retaliate and do vicious harm to the person.

Few of us can really get rid of our Jokers - even great men and women wrestle with self-doubt and question the point of their struggles - but many of our Batmans managed relatively well. How much each of us can achieve our goals depend largely on our Batmans' ability to keep the Jokers at bay. If our Batmans are doing great jobs, we may actually shine so brightly, we touch the lives of those around us.

I believe in our Dark Knights - civilisation did not come such a long way when Jokers are trumping overall. We'd trumped the Nazis, the racists, and sexists. But there is always room for improvement.

So here's to our Dark Knights and Gothams! Our Jokers may be eternal, but may they all rot in the asylums.

iSad

2011-10-05T19:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Sir Fong readers,

One of our most innovative minds just passed away.

Many of you will not remember when computers were boring blocks of grey bricks taking up a huge space on our tables. That was because a company called Apple created the iMac. The iMac was a beautiful designer computer that revolutionized the way a computer can look. Then came the iPod, a tiny music player that everyone wanted (granted, Singapore's Creative Technology made that technology possible). Many of you are using the iPhone now, though many people Sir Fong's generation could not believe a handphone can have no buttons!

The man who made it all possible was Steve Jobs. He pushed, he shoved, he bullied but mostly he did what it took to make his visions come true. Sir Fong always saw him as a visionary: someone as inventive and creative as Leonardo Da Vinci. Someone who, in the process of realising his amazing visions, inspired all of us and made the world a better place.

Steve Jobs passed away yesterday. Sir Fong just wants you to know that a great mind is no longer with us, but his spirit will live on in many hearts.

Benjamin Ang draws Totto!

2011-10-01T04:53:00.000-07:00

Today, Sir Fong is happy. He meets Benjamin Ang, a Singaporean comic artist. Benjamin has the distinct honor of being the FIRST Singaporean selected by MARVEL COMICS as an artist. That means his name will be on the covers of some of the new Marvel comics coming our way! Perhaps a Spiderman title, or an Iron Man issue will feature a Singaporean name on the cover in the near future!

So Sir Fong asked Benjamin for a big favor: please interpret Totto the bunny in his own style. Benjamin immediately obliged. And here we have the first Totto the bunny, drawn by a rising Marvel star. May we all be proud of him! Sir Fong will certainly be cheering for him - and by his example, Benjamin shows that it is possible for a Singaporean artist to dream international dreams!

Mid-Autumn Festival - My First Mandarin Workshop!

2011-09-06T06:10:00.000-07:00

Mid-Autumn Festival is about mooncakes. It is also about a Chinese tradition wrapped around an old, old mythology: Chang E, wife of folk hero Hou Yi, swallowed an elixir and floated off to the moon, unable to reunite with her husband. The elixir has also made her immortal, so she was doomed to live out an eternity alone. She is accompanied only by a rabbit.

For this new workshop I devised, the students are taught to design and draw their own bunnies. As part of the Chinese Cultural Festival, the school also requested that I present the workshop in Mandarin. It was the first workshop I conducted in full in Mandarin!

The students did a smashing job of creating about 80 bunnies. I am in turn inspired that there are 80 different ways to draw a bunny! That will most certainly enrich Sir Fong Book 4!

First day of sketching new book with my iPad!!!

2011-08-04T21:18:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks, my new writers and myself were brainstorming. We are delighted with our new story for Book 4! Book 4 promises to be a leap - in both story-telling and illustration - for the readers.

Now comes the hard part - breaking the story into panels for each of the 200 pages.

To help me reference online pictures and do research while I keep drawing, I have my new iPad with its protective cover which doubles as a convenient stand!

Armed with the new story outline, tons of library books and my iPad, I am again going into the 'desert', where an artist must spend a lot of solitary time for the next few months. As you can also see, like the ancient Tang monk Tripitaka who traveled with his trusty white horse across the desert to India, I also have my little white Jack Russell companion keeping me company too!

July Update for BOOK 4!

2011-07-24T00:15:00.000-07:00

Dear friends and fans,

For Book 4, I sought help from two Singaporeans about the story. They agreed to be co-writers. This morning, we just had an incredible session brainstorming about Book 4. We fleshed out the characters of Sir Fong, Totto, Izak and Abby. We also worked on a storyline that excited all of us.

Above: a rehearsal scene from my Arts Festival 2011 play HERStory. Staged by Drama Box.

Earlier this year, I paused my comic work and devoted 6 months to write a play dedicated to my mother. The process of creating the play was thrilling, because I’d insisted on being as real as possible. My collaborators – Kok Heng Luen, Chong Tze Chien and Drama Box – and I met with some strong resistance in the creation of the play. This includes a forced change in the title of the play from “Black Peony” to “HERStory” (possibly due to concerns about my parents’ past political background), and a cold war between myself and my parents (who were upset that I would not remove the son’s personal background from the story). But I personally believe strongly about the purpose of writing the play, and the best approach to any piece of art is to be as honest as possible. Even after the play was staged, some people felt strongly that it was a good piece of art while others found reasons to hate it. Regardless, it was not a play one can ignore – in an Arts Festival where many shows struggled to fill up the venue, our play attracted near-full-house every performance. The reviews from Straits Times were generally hostile and negative, while the reviews from Zaobao and the Flying Inkpot were highly favorable.

When I paused my comic works to do this play, I knew that it was worth the delay of my career as giving tribute to my mom is worth the sacrifice. I just didn’t know it would be so incredibly relevant to my comic works!

The experience taught me that a good piece of art will find its ardent supporters and face some strong dissent. Living that story was a roller coaster ride. Writing it was at times heart-stopping, and listening to the sobs amongst the audience, I believe we have presented something as real and as thrilling as we possibly could.

I’m applying this new-found insight into Sir Fong Book 4. My writers and I are digging into the universe created in Books 1 to 3, and also digging deeper into our intentions of creating the story. We aim not so much to please anyone, but rather to be as brutally honest to ourselves as possible. And rest assured, we never forget for a moment that Sir Fong is for you.

Yours always,

Otto

Meet the new Guest Stars for Sir Fong's Adventures Book 4!

2011-06-15T20:30:00.000-07:00

These two lovable characters are mascots for Gardenasia, a collective of Singapore modern farmers.

The green guy with a water droplet on his head is Titoy, and the pink girl is Morchoo. When they first appeared yesterday, the kindergarten kids went wild and couldn't stop pawing their faces!

In the first Sir Fong trilogy, real-life scientists are featured. In the new book, Sir Fong will be featuring Titoy and Morchoo in a new adventure, and Totto, Abby and Izak will definitely be on the greatest ride of their lives so far with these two guest stars!

New Cover for New Print of Book 1!

2011-06-05T19:05:00.000-07:00

Another new print for Sir Fong Book 1!

For Book 2, I completely redesigned the cover. Instead of the dark, moody but cool original cover, I changed it to a bright, cheerful one. Afterall, the topic is on "Light", so I lit up the cover!

For Book 1, I consulted a few close friends. Their feedback was unanimous: keep the original cover! That was the first time most readers set their eyes on a Sir Fong comic. I made some changes to the back cover - I felt readers need see some of the drawings inside, as many bookstores shrink-wrapped their books.

Hopefully, I kept the integrity of the original cover that gave Sir Fong's Adventures a great start, but improved on it such that it will have an evergreen longevity in your hearts!

Yours Bunnily,

Otto

Sir Fong@Google Singapore!

2011-05-10T22:11:00.000-07:00

Invited by Google Singapore to speak about my life and work! So honored!

A very diverse and international group of employees!

Raising awareness of Sir Fong in Google! Yay!

Book 2 reprint - All New Cover!

2011-02-26T20:52:00.000-08:00

Book 2's new print is rolling out of the printers and into the bookstores in the next few weeks. To celebrate the occasion, a whole new cover is designed! While I love the original cover, which pays homage to The Matrix movie, I've decided that the topic of "Light" deserves a brighter, more illuminating cover design!

22 other inventors tried creating the perfect light bulb before Thomas Edison. Like a work of art, this work of modern science finally came together when Edison created an integrated system of electric lighting. With each new print, I continue to find the right combination that will make Sir Fong comics shine brightly!

Happy Valentine's Day from Totto!

2011-02-13T22:59:00.000-08:00

How do you make a cake for someone who is having a birthday on Valentine's Day? You must admit that a V-Day B-Day Boy or Girl has got to have a special cake!

1. Design the cake!

2. Show your design to your favorite baker!

3. Make sure there's lots of hearts on the cake!

4. Get ready for a very Special Totto B-V-Day treat!

This very special B-V-Day cake is brought to you by Cake Avenue. If you click on the picture above, you can call them up for your own awesome, unique cake too!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO ALL!

Sir Fong writes a theatre play!

2011-02-10T04:02:00.000-08:00

Before I was drawing and publishing comics, I began my creative adventures as a playwright.

My first dramatic script, written for theatre, was titled "Another Tribe". It was the first Singapore Mandarin play to be given an R(A) rating [Restricted (Artistic)]. My second play, in English, was "Cetacea". After it was published, it won a Book Award. A third play, also in English, was called "We Are Family". It was restaged years later by a bunch of students in the school I taught. Finally, my fourth play "Mr Beng" played to full-house audiences in Victoria Theatre in Arts Fest 1999. It was restaged in year 2000.

By then, it was clear that my calling is Comics drawing. So I stopped writing plays, and started drawing and publishing.

6 comic books later (5 of them are Sir Fong titles), I am writing a new play. It's original title was "Black Peony". I am writing it as a tribute to my mother. Later, the director Kok Heng Luen, a prominent veteran who also co-directed my first play "Another Tribe", and the cast reworked the story. We all wanted a story that speaks of a generation of women, not just my mom. Many of our mothers and sisters contributed to our country, but their stories were often overshadowed by the men's stories. Perhaps that's why "History" is unfairly "His-Story". So, the play's title is changed to "HerStory".

I am writing a play as a way of getting back to my creative roots. This process will also allow me time to think about Sir Fong's Adventures Book 4. I will begin the creation of Book 4 in June - hopefully it will thrill you readers in a whole new level!

In the meantime, "HerStory" will be part of Arts Fest 2011. It will play two days (28th and 29th May 2011), at the School Of The Arts Drama Theatre. I hope to see you there!

My first Rabbit was dissected . . .

2011-01-08T19:35:00.000-08:00

The first rabbit to come to my house was dissected. That was the inspiration behind Totto the Killer Bunny's horror dissection in Book 3.

Here's an article about Sir Fong to kick off the Year of the Bunny!

(You have click on the images to read the fine prints!)

A New Year - Keep Your Dreams Alive!

2011-01-02T00:26:00.000-08:00

Here's an article to kick off 2011!

http://www.freshgrads.sg/index.php/articles/photo-essays/122-insights/1100-insight-work-alongside-your-dreams.html

Zinkie Aw is the reporter covering Singapore Toy Games & Comics Convention for FreshGrads.sg.

http://www.freshgrads.sg/index.php/articles/photo-essays/122-insights/1100-insight-work-alongside-your-dreams.html

Happy 2011 from Sir Fong Bunnies!

2010-12-27T20:16:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Sir Fong Moments of 2010:

10. Sir Fong comic books enter the National Library annual charts!

9. Sir Fong author mentioned in Parliament in March!

8. Record-breaking sales at Yew Tee Primary!

7. Listed by Straits Times as "Best Seller for Children" in May!

6. Sir Fong helping to fight Censorship in Artsengage

5. Sir Fong Art @ Project Singa at Funan IT Mall!

4. New Comic "Balances" for HELP Family Centre!

3. Blazing great loans at National Library!

2. Channel NewsAsia Interview - December

1. Sir Fong Book 3 Launch @ STGCC 2010

PET Magazine review + online interview!

2010-12-18T22:24:00.000-08:00

Click here for Online Interview!

Sir Fong Book 3 is reviewed in the latest issue of PETS Magazine (picture below)!

Mom and Dad, are you proud of me now?

2010-12-14T09:06:00.000-08:00

A funny thing happened the day after the STGCC. I went home to see my mom and dad.

I was brimming with pride. They saw with their own eyes how kids from last year came rushing to my booth for the latest book. They saw those who bought one book earlier came back to buy the other two books. They saw I was doing quite well.

But this is what they said to me after we met on Monday: "we can see that the kids really love your stuff, but the market is probably still too small to sustain your livelihood."

At that moment, I felt like a small kid coming home with my latest test marks, shoving the test marks in my parents' hands, "are you proud of me now?" I remembered how they'd ask, "what mistakes did you make this time?" "Where did the 5 marks go?" "Who did better than you?"

Thankfully, I'm not a little kid. And here's what I realise: if I seek my parents' approval like I did decades ago, I will find only disappointment. My parents' doubting of me is an extension of their self-doubt. "Is this kid of mine good enough? Did I do right as a mom/dad?"

For those of us who find this familiar, I can only say this to you as I've said to myself, "honor yourself as your parents' greatest achievement, stand by your convictions even when they doubt you."

Thank you for reading. Love yourself, love your parents even when they have nothing good to say about anything you do.

Channel NewsAsia's Primetime Morning Interview!

2010-12-06T22:11:00.000-08:00

Latest: Youtube version!

2. Click on the video "Science of Humour"

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/ptm/index.htm

An Open Letter From Sir Fong to Readers + Sample pages from Book 3!

2010-12-01T18:19:00.000-08:00

Catch Sir Fong chatting on

CHANNEL NEWSASIA,

9:15am, 7th Dec, Tuesday morning!

SAMPLE PAGES: Click on each page to see the large image!

Sir Fong comics

A senior teacher in a leadership position of sorts commented that Sir Fong comics is entertaining and fun, but may not be suitable for the students in her secondary school.

Her view is perfectly valid, if you see education strictly in terms of learning subjects for passing exams.

But if you understand that education is holistic and diverse, then perhaps Sir Fong comics can have a space in your school bags and shelves.

“Sir Fong” comics are not intended to replace school textbooks. They do not duplicate what school textbooks can do.

One thing our textbooks cannot do - and this has been proven by the mass desertion of textbooks after exams year after year – is to inspire passion in the subject.

Why did Sir Fong leave RI?

When I quit my job as a Science teacher in RI, many saw that as a termination of what I stood for and believed in. They felt that I had given up on an opportunity to continue inspiring future science workers. They don’t understand what I learnt in RI.

RI asks its students not just to excel, but to be leaders. While the primary focus is on the students, I can say that some of that philosophy has rubbed off on me as a teacher there. Even after their stint in RI, RI teachers and school leaders move on to their new postings to become leaders in other schools or organizations. Our roles do not terminate with their contract – our roles expand.

After 3 years of forgoing a regular pay, 3 years of creating my comics regardless of the rain or shine in my heart, taking one step forward a day at a time, I have created my dream sci-fi comic series: the basic “Sir Fong” trilogy.

The trilogy took on the basic topics in the 3 sciences: Physics (Light), Chemistry (Atoms) and Biology (Cells). The goal is to engage readers not just intellectually (head), but emotionally (heart).

The strategy is simple: use characters that are incredibly cute and funny, some important science concepts in the syllabus, and throw them all in an adventure. That’s not far from real life: scientists are motivated when crisis descend on mankind – and the rush to find a solution is as thrilling and as dramatic and as unpredictable in my stories.

Sir Fong = Art + Science = Heart + Head

That strategy also works! The Japanese manga “Doraemon” and “Astroboy” inspired a generation of robotics scientists. As early as the 15^th Century, Leonardo Da Vinci mixed art and science to inspire helicopters and tanks! It must also be working for my comic books too: “Sir Fong” was listed a National Library’s top ten most borrowed list in 2009, and The Straits Times called it a “Children’s Bestseller” in 2010. Based on the borrowing records, people are reading the latest Book 3 even after the school exam period is over.

Instead of inspiring a hundred-plus students a year, my books now reach thousands. So you see, this ex-RI teacher has also expanded his role. My ultimate goal is to inspire the next Albert Einstein or Stephen Hawking. Also, who says Sir Fong need only have adventures in Science? Why not Maths, or History?

That is, of course, just a beginning. Afterall, I’d only visited a small portion of Singapore’s schools, and many more have yet to discover Sir Fong comics.

Please come visit at STGCC Booth J14, Suntec, Dec 10-12th

To celebrate, I will be selling the Sir Fong Trilogy at the Singapore Toy, Games and Comic Convention 2010 from 10^th – 12^th Dec. My booth is J14, and special giveaways are prepared for all of you who come to Suntec and celebrate with me. Your presence, and support, will help me move on towards greater inspiration! Thank you!

Yours sincerely,

Otto Fong

Sir Fong 3 a hit across Singapore!

2010-11-26T20:19:00.000-08:00

Before I share my new post, TWO important reminders:

1. Singapore Toy Games & Comic Convention - my booth is J14. FREE Sir Fong designer bag for each book bought, AND FREE Sir Fong 2: Furocious limited print comic book with every 2 books bought!

2. WHY I HATE SCIENCE essay competition - Deadline: 15th Dec 2010. Send entry to science@whatsup.sg (see previous post below)!

Here's a screen capture of the National Library stock of "Book 3 - Cells".

As you can see, most of Book 3 are off the shelves!

This is a clear indication that readers across the island - from Yishun to Bukit Panjang to Bishan to Jurong - is learning about Sir Fong.

Also, as this is the post-exam period for Singaporean students, it clearly shows that students are willing to read a Science-based, curriculum-based comic book even AFTER their exams.

I'm very grateful for National Library, and its excellent use of technology in tracking books reliably and easily. Just one of those things we take for granted living in Singapore!

I actually have TWO babies this year - here's the 2nd one! :D

2010-11-21T06:25:00.000-08:00

I was approached by HELP Family Service Centre last year. They wanted a comic book that can help people understand some of the difficulties faced by single-parent families. I've turned down comic projects because the projects were basically commercial, and I didn't quit my full-time job so I can draw forgettable commercial comics. But this one is different. I feel this one can really make a difference and challenge me creatively.

Suffering the loss of one parent is traumatic for anyone. It doesn't matter if the loss is due to death, divorce or any other reasons. The remaining parent and child/children learn to cope - what they need is respect and understanding, not scorn or pity.

Sometimes, people look down on divorcees - "It must be your fault that the marriage did not work out!" - and their children - "You don't have a dad or mom, you have no future!". These views are not helpful, ignoring that these families can still strive to do their best in life. In fact, the loss of a parent may cause the remaining family members to value and love each other more.

I interviewed 3 families. They were generous in sharing their stories, and I'm sure they hope that their sharing would help other people in similar situations. It took me several months to work their stories into storyboards, and finally comic frames. The drawing took a few more months - that's on top of my own Sir Fong comic schedules! But finally the book is printed! Hopefully, the pictures will speak volumes and reach out to a larger readership than books of written words can!

HELP is a non-profit organisation. So the comic books will not be for sale in the bookstores. If you're lucky, your school or organisation may invite them over to give talks, and that's when the 48-page comic book will be available for free! I'll be looking forward to feedback from HELP when they start sharing the comic books in 2011!

Totto meets Singa the Courtesy Lion at Funan IT Mall

2010-11-12T21:05:00.000-08:00

Singa the Courtesy Lion was born in 1982. That means Singapore's little courtesy campaign icon is in his late 20s!

One reason I became a teacher was that I didn't like some bad habits some Singaporeans displayed. Not giving up seats for old folks. Not saying thank you when someone held a door for you, or cleaned your table at the hawker centre. Using handphones during a movie screening. I used to tell my students: "if you can't give up your seat to old folks or pregnant ladies, don't tell people I am your teacher."

Many teachers must've said the same to their students over the years. And I'm happy to see seats being given up regularly on public transports. There's of course much work to do, so Singa is still very relevant today. That was why I said YES when I was invited to draw at the Funan IT Mall launch of the new Project Singa Friday. Singa is an old friend, and that's my way of contributing to better grace in Singapore.

A bunch of spectators made my afternoon memorable. I happily drew some Tottos for students. And this group of primary school kids from Ngee Ann joined me in my drawing! They gave suggestions ("Can you draw a bunny with Manga eyes?", "Can we draw too?"), and as you can see, I listened!

Another cool aspect of the show was that each participating comic artist was given a complete set of the new Singa Action Figures! ALL 50 DESIGNS!!! Singaporean toys are few, so that made these extremely collectible and triply awesome!

Each Singa comes movable heads, arms and legs!!! AND each design has its unique accessory! For example, Cyber Bullying Singa comes with a notebook! These figures are sure to become collectors' items in the future!

If you're near Funan IT Mall this weekend, go check out the cool exhibition of the artists' works, and also look for the designs that you want to collect!

Sir Fong Book 3 in Kino - AND cool new Sir Fong bag!!!

2010-11-10T22:36:00.000-08:00

(Hey, don't forget to join the "WHY I HATE SCIENCE" essay competition! See the previous blog post below.)

Thank you for asking where Book 3 can be found! I went to Kinokuniya (both Ngee Ann City and Bugis branch) and they both carry my books! Show you a picture below!

BUT first! Here's cool free gift No. 1 for every 2 Sir Fong books you purchase when you come for the Singapore Toy Comics and Games Convention at Suntec on Dec 10th - 12th!

This unique, eye-catching Totto the Bunny bag comes absolutely free - and carries your Sir Fong comics and STGCC free gifts in swingin' style!

AND . . . the two Kinokuniya stores carry my books under different sections! Kino at Ngee Ann puts it at the children's comics section, while Kino at Bugis carries the title under "Young Adults" as shown below. Special thanks to Albert Chan for modelling and pointing to the books! :D

Why Do You HATE SCIENCE?

2010-11-07T01:34:00.000-07:00

WHAT'S UP,
our leading primary school newspaper, is holding a simple competition in conjunction with the launch of Sir Fong's Adventures Book 3!

If you have some free time during the holidays and would like to win the complete Sir Fong Science trilogy, all you have to do is write 100 - 200-word essay on this topic:

"WHY I HATE SCIENCE!" or "WHY I LOVE SCIENCE!"

Deadline: 15th Dec 2010. Send entry to science@whatsup.sg

Lianhe Zaobao - Sir Fong completes Science Trilogy!

2010-11-03T06:37:00.000-07:00

Reporter: Wang Yimin. Photography: Li Baijuan. (click on image to read details)

As reported in today's Zaobao, ZbNOW comic section, Book 3 completes the Basic Sir Fong's Adventures Trilogy. The next book, Book 4, will be the start of another trilogy. There will be adventurous new formats, stories and even characters! 2011 will be another exciting chapter in the Sir Fong saga!

NTUC Lifestyle magazine book review

2010-10-29T20:53:00.000-07:00

Book 3 met students from 3 schools in 3 days! The last week I was in school promoting Totto's new adventures. Once I download the pictures from my iPhone, I will blog it here in my next post.

Here's one of the first reviews of Book 3. It's by NTUC's Lifestyle magazine, also the largest circulating magazine in Singapore.

And here's a few readers from schools who'd read Book 3:

"Yo Sir, book 3 was great! Just like the Original Sir Fong, wish i had also bought the other two books."

"A really cool book. Good luck for its official launch in December!"

"Hey sir, loved the books, all 3 of em =)"

See you soon, Rafflesians! 27th Oct - RI book sale!

2010-10-23T09:40:00.000-07:00

Sonny Liew, comic artist, wins Young Artist Award!

2010-10-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

Gone are the days when comic books are associated with the 70s Kungfu hit "Dragon Tiger Gate". Some parents still think comics promote bad lifestyles! Gone (hopefully) are the days when comic artists are viewed with suspicion by politicians.

Singapore is ready to move on. Sonny Liew, creator of "Malinky Robot", wins the Young Artist Award. He is the first comic artist to win such a recognition in Singapore! What's also interesting is that, since comic art was never recognised before, he won it under "literary arts" rather than "visual arts".

"Many still question the idea of comic books as a valid form of art, but it now has an institutional boost in Singapore. Comic book artist and author Sonny Liew was announced as one of the five Young Artist Award (YAA) recipients at last night's 2010 Arts Awards ceremonies held at the Istana。” -Mayo Martin

http://www.todayonline.com/Arts/EDC101013-0000045/Its-all-art---really

Book 3 IN STORES NOW!

2010-10-08T00:10:00.000-07:00

Bunnies are irresistible. They can sit in a cup, do nothing but tweak their nose at you, and still garner 1 million views on Youtube.

My bunnies aren't idling! They're waiting for you in the bookstores after your exams!
A mother informed me that she saw and bought Book 3 in Kinokuniya! (I'll go chase my distributor for details!).

Happy Mooncake Festival!

2010-09-21T23:42:00.000-07:00

Enjoy delicious mooncakes and a beautiful full moon, my dear friends!

Book 3 Cover Revealed!

2010-09-12T22:52:00.000-07:00

Sir Fong wishes all you readers smooth exam preparation, and the best grades you'll achieve in the upcoming End Of Year exams. This is especially so for those of you getting ready for PSLE, Sec 2 Streaming and 'O' Levels!

Book 3 will be in the bookstores and Dec's STGCC (See previous posting) in October. Once you finish your exams, do prepare to reward yourself with another entertaining adventure with Sir Fong, Izak, Abby and Totto!

Click for Video!

Sir Fong Book 3 Launches at STGCC Dec 2010

2010-08-31T22:20:00.000-07:00

Book 3 Launches Officially in STGCC
It's official!

Sir Fong Book 3 will launch at Singapore Toy Games & Comics Convention! (STGCC, Dec 10th, 11th and 12th).

About STGCC

Since STGCC has been bought over by American Events giant Reeds Exhibitions, this means that our STGCC is now affiliated to international events like New York Comic Con and Chicago Comic & Entertainment. It's a great opportunity for Singaporean and regional artists to network. Business Times did a full-page coverage on August 20th.

Book 3 also available in Bookstores After School Exams
For those who can't wait for Book 3, you can also find the book in most bookstores by October. But the promo price of $10 is only for STGCC and direct sales to schools. Also, at STGCC, there will be a special gift for the first 200 people who buy 2 Sir Fong comic books! So do book your tickets to STGCC soon:

http://www.singaporetgcc.com/stgcc-ticket-registration

More details coming soon at this bloggie!

August update

2010-07-29T23:01:00.000-07:00

A portion of the book's back cover

FINALLY! Book 3 is ready for the printers!

These two weeks, Book 3 went for 5 rounds of grammar, spelling and fact checks.

Professor Leo Tan looking through the plot

The story was approved by two scientists and a veterinarian clinic.

Mr Benjamin Chang, an excellent Bio teacher, checks the Science bits!

While the Biology facts and English went through separate vetting.

A vet character will also be featured in Book 3!

When I was drawing Book 3, I spent about 9 hours a day in front of the computer. Walking my dog daily helped me stay fit and also rested my eyes. It also made me think about pet ownership. So I wrote a dog into the story.

There will be more work to do before the book is well and truly printed. Every step of the book production is serious work and each step is important. :)

Sir Fong Book 3 updates

2010-07-19T00:27:00.000-07:00

Dear friends and readers of Sir Fong comics:

I have just completed the bulk of drawing for Book 3: Cells!

During the creation process, I am mostly silent and holed up at home. By focusing my energy and time, I endured a period of great loneliness and isolation, but was rewarded by a period of exhilarating creative growth! I made a short video that hopefully updates you on what's been happening. Once the book is shipping to the bookstores in August, I will keep you informed. Please give Totto the bunny your support - he and I won't let you down!

Yours faithfully,

Otto

My interview in comic newsletter 14:59

2010-06-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

14:59 is a monthly newsletter published by Monsters Under The Bed, partnered by the Singapore Association of Comic Artists. In the June Holiday Issue, 14:59 carries an interview of myself, conducted by Jerry Hinds (President of ACAS) and edited by Ryan Ong.

You can click on the images to read the interview clearly:

Click on image below to read second page of interview!

Regulate, not Censor! PART 2 (So you know this is very important)

2010-06-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

PLEASE SIGN THE PAPER ONLINE:
http://sites.google.com/site/artsengagesg/signpaper

Here is another comic I did in support of Arts Engage, the group making a stand about Regulate Not Censorship in Singapore.

We need all kinds of artists. Some artists produce works that are good for young people and families. Other artists are like a scout inside an army unit: they sniff out the latest trend, and by their example, the rest of us can either choose to follow or take a different path.

In a way, these artists are like hunting dogs. They lead us to our targets. By censoring them, we will lose our chances to compete. We will always be following (poorly) in other country's footsteps.

Local artists are like our own hunting dogs. They take the lead in sniffing out what a society wants and feels. When censorship is used to stop artists, we lose the chance to become like a culturally-vibrant first-world country.

I have seen local artworks in books and theater that inspired me like no foreign art can. I am committed to creating comic books for my young readers, but I look to some of my friends in theater, comics and literature to show me different perspectives. Artists like playwright Alfian S'aat, Haresh Sharma, musician Stefanie Sun, Theater practitioners Alvin Tan, Kok Heng Luen, Ivan Heng, Tan Kheng Hua, writers like Ng Yi-Sheng, Johann S Lee, performers Kumar and Hossan Leong, filmmakers Boo Junfeng, Royston Tan, Loo Zihan etc etc etc. My own comic works are made richer by me learning from comic artists like Miel, Heng Kim Song, Morgan Chua, Troy Chin, Sonny Liew etc etc etc.

At one point or the other, each of these artists have made something that I don't totally agree with, but if they were censored, I would never have the opportunity to make my own choice.

Some of our civil servants may still be operating as if this is the 20th Century. They see local artists as irresponsible kids who will say anything. But local artists have grown up, and we continue to be relevant and we continue to contribute to Singapore positively.

This is the 21st Century, and with the Internet, censorship does not work. Local art plays an important role in shaping competitive, intelligent citizens by giving us a voice of our own. So that the world knows what we stand for and respect us.

The Singapore government has a choice to either damage cutting-edge local art by censorship, or nurture it by properly regulating the arts (eg. ratings such as PG, R, NC16).

And you have a voice in how our government chooses.

Please sign the Position Paper by Arts Engage, and thank you for making a difference in our Singapore!

PLEASE SIGN THE PAPER ONLINE:
http://sites.google.com/site/artsengagesg/signpaper

Say NO to Censorship. YES to Regulation in Singapore!

2010-06-14T01:17:00.000-07:00

Please signing the petition on this link:

http://sites.google.com/site/artsengagesg/signpaper

Growing older is like moving into a higher condominium with a better view.

Today, I met up with a few old acquaintances and friends from the theater circle. They included T Sasitharan (Theatre Training and Research Programme), Tan Tarn How (who wrote "The Lady of Soul and the Ultimate S Machine"), Alvin Tan (The Necessary Stage) and Ivan Heng (W!ld Rice Productions).

Sasitharan and friends are part of Arts Engage, an independent group formed by artists from different fields. The purpose is to get Singapore governing bodies and Singaporeans to understand that Blanket Censorship is bad for us.

Blanket Censorship means that, as long as a piece of Art is disagreeable to anyone, that piece of Art will be cut from all Singaporeans!

I grew up in an era of Blanket Censorship. I know the effects of it. Since a lot of important ideas and concepts are shielded from local citizens, many of us do not know how to express ourselves properly. From simple things like saying 'Thank you' to the bus drivers, to more complicated stuff like talking about racial and religious issues respectfully but openly.

Even at home, many of us do not know how to carry out a meaningful conversation with our family members. Many of us cannot relate to our colleagues other than about basic "you do this" stuff. And most of us are tongue-tied in front of strangers.

That is the Big Issue I have with Blanket Censorship. We created a nation of Hello Kitties!

We are fortunate to have the Internet. The Internet made censorship impossible. But local artists continue to be censored. That means that you and me, even when we become adults, do not have access to the cutting edge ideas of our local artists. If Singaporeans cannot express ourselves adequately, we lose out when we have to engage internationally with foreign talents, businesses and politicians. We simply do not know how express ourselves, to speak our minds and state our case!

I know, what's this got to do with Sir Fong comics? Afterall, I made sure the comics are safe for younger readers and will not likely have to face censorship. BUT as a fellow artist, a fellow Singaporean, I understand the value of having proper regulation rather than blanket censorship. Having grown up and matured as a person and artist, I saw a larger perspective. I got a pretty good view of the ills of censorship. So I support Arts Engage!

Please support them by signing the petition on this link:

http://sites.google.com/site/artsengagesg/signpaper

Thank you!

Sold Out: "Fur-o-cious"

2010-05-30T00:24:00.000-07:00

Amidst the flurry of promotions and school visits, my distributor called me: "are you reprinting Sir Fong 2: Fur-ocious?"

"Fur-o-cious" is one of two original Sir Fong comics. Following the success of Sir Fong (first book), another publisher approached me to print a second book. Fur-o-cious was published in 2006.

I have a lot of fond memories of "Fur" being published: a week after my students read it, the teachers were instructed to remind students that the classroom game called "Tau-pok" was banned. Apparently, my comic had something to do with the fresh outbreak of the game.

"Tau-pok" is a game where students push a victim onto the ground and proceed to pile up on top of him. Adults are concerned that the victim may sustain injuries by having too much body weight on top. I drew it because the game was real, and happened often.

"Fur" was also the book which birthed the idea of using the bunnies to teach Science. I first thought of the idea in 2005, and spent a whole December drawing a short story on the topic of Electricity. After I printed the comic for my classes, students from other classes started to request for them. And a few told me they studied it before the exams because they had trouble understanding the concepts from the textbooks.

At first, I wasn't sure I should include the Electricity portion into "Fur", but I took a risk and it paid off!

Finally, after my nephew first read "Fur-o-cious", his comment was just two words: "it sucks!"

I was very hurt by his comment, and stopped drawing for a year. Also, neither my publisher nor myself had done much to publicise the comic book. For a couple of years, the title did not move many copies. A lot of stock was returned in 2007. Only after I quit my job to focus on my comics fulltime did the title start to gain popularity.

Years later, after I took a Landmark Education course, I decided to ask his mother about his comment.

It turned out that he was upset. In "Fur", I created a character for his sister, but did not create one for him! This little episode taught me to be more confident of what I draw, and reminded me to remain fresh by taking the occasional new approach with each book.

"Fur-o-cious" taught me a lot about creating and publishing comic books. After that, I started the "Adventures In Science" series. "Fur" started gaining popularity by word-of-mouth. By 2009, it became a top ten Most Borrowed book in our national libraries. That showed me that my hard work of promoting the Sir Fong name is starting bear fruits.

So, as some bookstores called my distributor asking for more of "Fur", I made a decision: "retire it for the time being. I need to focus on the Adventures In Science series."

The good news is that it will always be available in the libraries. The good news is that I have another Sir Fong title sold out its print! The good news is that after 2010, I can reprint the two original titles in my own format properly.

For now, you can borrow "Sir Fong 2: Fur-o-cious" at most National Library branches - if they're not borrowed already! Thank you again for reading the book! I look forward to reprinting it after I work on "Adventures In Science Book 3".

Sir Fong listed in Straits Times as a "Bestseller for Children"!

2010-05-19T05:36:00.000-07:00

Good news! I just found this online! "Sir Fong's Adventures" is now listed as a Bestseller for Children.

I was busy preparing for a talk at the Arts House, and I'd missed the article. Still, better late than never! Of course, I have all of you to thank for your support. This piece of good news will definitely encourage me to do better for the upcoming Book 3!

http://news.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20100503-213915.html

Singapore Success Stories + Sneak Preview of Sir Fong's Book 3!

2010-05-08T21:59:00.000-07:00

Here's two pages of the upcoming Sir Fong's Adventures In Science Book 3: CELLS!

From 6 - 9th May at the Arts House, the National Book Development Council of Singapore (NBDCS) organised the Asian Festival of Children's Content.

Alex Chacko, publisher for Mr Midnight

I gave a short talk about Sir Fong as part of the "Singapore Success Stories" session on Friday.

It's very cool to be in the same session as Alex Chacko, talking about Mr Midnight's success. I sat there transfixed as Mr Chacko spoke with the gravity of someone who's really helped turn the tide. By his success, he inspires all of us to see new possibilities in publishing and writing in Singapore.

It is also very cool to share the space with Emily Lim and Shekinah Lim. Emily won praises and awards for her children's book "Prince Bear and Pauper Bear". Shekinah won MDA's first-time writer's initiative to publish her book "The Watchtower Warrior".

Prince Bear & Pauper Bear The Watchtower Warrior

by Emily Lim by Shekinah Lim

Can a Singaporean comic artist break into a foreign market?

2010-04-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, two Singaporean companies made their first foray into Malaysia together.

Doby Studio, headed by Gary Goh - with his now-famous Little White Dragon education comic series - joined Ottonium Comics to participate in Kuala Lumpur's annual Smart Kids Education Fair 2010.

Before a new comic brand breaks into the mass market, years of sound strategy preceeded it. To consumers, a Naruto or Pokemon seemed to come out of nowhere suddenly to make it big. To the creators, they'd already put in years of undying passion and hard work.

In the short video I made, you can see some of the hard work come to fruition. Gary and I had to deal with PR (public relations), HR (human resource) and business. There were light moments (us struggling to understand the GPS system) and valuable ones (my dad came along, and shared his experience of doing business in Malaysia when he was young).

The first obstacle we faced was traffic flow. For some reasons, traffic did not come to our alley! Once we identified the problem, we worked with the organisers of Expomal to set up our booth in a make-shift location. That made a big difference. It is also a testament to the organisers that they took immediate actions to assist newbies like us!

With that issue out of the way, I started to see, for the first time, the faces of my Malaysian customers. They came from all races, in all languages. Thank goodness for our good local friends who gave their weekends to help us! My KL friends were able to speak to parents in Cantonese and Malay, while I spoke to them in English and Mandarin. Gary Goh, ever the tireless crowd drawer, stood on a stool. Using his loudspeaker, he announced to passerbys our presence.

Because we were virtual unknowns in Malaysia and a majority of the parents have very young kids, sales were moderate but encouraging. I got a great sense of pride that some of my Sir Fong books are now in Malaysian homes. I have no doubt those who bought the books loved them!

I learnt a lot from the Fair: 1. with sincere and good partners, we can make changes on the spot to correct unforeseeable situations, 2. don't go anywhere without good friends and careful research, 3. don't give up when things seemed difficult. Stick it out to the end and the rewards will be totally unexpected and surprising. 4. Get your family behind you. They will lift you up so that you can focus on the essence of your business.

This is just the first step in Sir Fong going international, but it is a solid first step!

Sir Fong in Kuala Lumpur 9 - 11th April!!!

2010-04-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

Sir Fong will be joining Smart Kids '10 this coming weekend!

Smart Kids Educational Fair is the largest of its kind in Malaysia. This is it's 10th year.

I am looking forward to bringing my Sir Fong's Adventures to Kuala Lumpur parents. Of course the books are available in Kinokuniya KL, but I have not done any promotion overseas until now! This is my opportunity to interact with Malaysian parents and students, and learn what are the universal and the differences in Malaysian's attitude in Science education. Or education in general.

For Malaysian readers, I look forward to your support and interaction!

Will Singapore Pop?

2010-04-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

Today I want to talk about Singapore Popping.

Hong Kong has popped. Taiwan popped. Japan popped and South Korea just popped recently. What is "popping"?

Popping is when a country's songs, movies and books become really, really cool. When South Korea popped, everyone in Asia knows what is Samsung, the popular tv drama series "Jewel In The Palace" and of course, the pop song "Nobody But You"! That's popping!

Singapore hasn't popped. We may have a popular tv drama "The Little Nonya", and our own Stefanie Sun was pop princess in the Mandarin world for many years. Those are what I called "a good start". But Creative Technology is still a far cry from being a brand as big as Sony or Samsung.

But it is important that Singapore pops. A country can be prosperous, but if it is boring, it cannot attract others to visit. Foreign talents will not want to live in a cultural desert, and Singaporeans may migrate out of sheer boredom. Life is long - noone wants to be bored.

On April 1st, Dunman High held a day-long art appreciation event called "Kaleidoscope". Besides cultural performances, many artists are invited to conduct workshops for the students. The aim was to show them the beauty of diversity.

"Diversity" is a word that is often used, but how many of us appreciate the word at a deeper level?

In the workshop I conducted for Dunman students, I asked each student to draw a simple cartoon character. Then they must paste their character on the wall of a classroom (which normally looks like this:)

The students were enthusiatic! The cartoon characters were their self-expression! The diversity shown in the drawings was great! Yet, the students also saw that each one of them could not fill up an entire wall. It took everyone expressing themselves in all their own quirky, crazy ways to create a mini-masterpiece shown below:

Gorgeous, isn't it? One can stand and admire the many different characters in all four corners on this wall for quite a while!

I feel that this is the key to Singapore "popping". We are a country full of diverse cultures, beliefs, and races. Each of us express ourselves differently. Yet, when we express ourselves, and also allow people different from us the space to express themselves, what we get is a rich, exciting tapestry that people can enjoy in many different ways. Our tapestry is not of just one single culture, one single race. Ours is that of a great variety and diversity. And that's what we have to offer to the world.

"Diversity" is the key to Singapore popping. The way to embrace diversity is to graciously allow space for different people to express themselves - not to claim that one culture, race or set of beliefs is better than any other. We give others the grace to be themselves, to express themselves, and it is also a grace we give ourselves to be ourselves and express ourselves.

That is the key to Singapore becoming an exciting destination for the world.

That is the key to bringing Singapore to the next level.

Embrace diversity. In a world that is growing closer and becoming more borderless, we can show the world how it's done.

A Very Big Thank You!

2010-03-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

Dear Yew Tee teachers, staff and students,

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share with you my love of Science and comics.

Thank you teachers for bringing up such an enthusiastic and attentive school of kids!

Thank you for supporting my comic book series - you have given me the biggest one-day sales since I started my Sir Fong comics!

For those of you who love Science, remember: you can have a very good career in Science as engineers and scientists in Singapore and Asia! YOU CAN SAVE THE WORLD!

Otto

The Straits Times, Friday, March 5 2010 Page B11

2010-03-05T06:37:00.000-08:00

"Your destiny is in your own hands and you can make good one day . . . Singapore remains the land of meritocracy and opportunities."

Mr Sam Tan Chin Siong
(Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Trade and Industry & Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts)

(Click on image above to see the article)

It's a proud and humbling moment for me. Thank you, Mr Tan!

National Book Development Council Talk Part 1

2010-02-28T00:24:00.000-08:00

Why should a Singaporean writer feature local content?

Here's a small segment of a talk I gave on the 20th Feb 2010. It's a seminar series called "All In! Young Writers' Festival".

I was given 30 minutes to talk about my experience as a comic book artist/publisher.

I feel that featuring local content and environment are important for Singaporean creators. All the best works in the world featured very localized settings and universal themes. This segment is titled "Why Feature Local Stuff"?

My old friend Jerry Hinds, President of the Association of Comic Artists Singapore (ACAS) shared the one-hour space with me.

The Future IS Graphic Novels

2010-02-21T05:41:00.000-08:00

Phil Yeh is the creator of America's first graphic novel "Even Cazco Gets The Blues".

Amongst his amazing adventures, Yeh was the first to interview Jerry Siegel, the co-creator of Superman. At that time, Siegel was not given due credit (nor compensation) for his creation. Yeh's interview helped Siegel win back his rightful credit as co-creator of the world's most famous American superhero.

Clockwise from left: Lim Chengtju (green shirt), Otto Fong, Hilary Ho, Miel, JF Koh, Phil Yeh and Linda Yeh

In my earlier posting, Yeh is in town to give a workshop. We met for lunch before his book promo at the Kinokuniya Bookstore.

I won't write too much about our afternoon together here. Instead, I'd like to share a few very good insights:

1. The graphic novel (G.N.) format is THE way to go. For the average modern city folk, a full-length novel becomes a luxury as our schedules become packed. A graphic novel allows us to absorb much more information within a shorter time. Afterall, a picture is worth a thousand words. As I often told my audience, manga or graphic novels are popular with Japanese adults. Obviously it's not because Japanese adults have not grown up - they're simply too busy to spend a lot of time reading a traditional novel.

Maus II by Art Spiegelman

2. Hugely successful genres such as the American superhero comics and Japanese Manga, while popular, only appeal to a small population. Their dominance now stands in the way of the general public seeing the graphic novel as the future of reading. Because the general public thinks that graphic novels only offer superheroes or manga, they are slower to check out great titles like "Logicomix", "Persepolis" or "Maus". "Logicomix" is a G.N. about the search for truth using Mathematics. "Persepolis" is about a girl growing up during the Islamic Revolution in Iran, while "Maus" is famous as the one which portrayed Holocaust survivors as mice.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

3. Similarly, some Singaporeans have a negative view of comics. This can be traced to two historical eras:

a. the dominance of Hong Kong kungfu comics. These were popular amongst gang members in the 60s and 70s, creating a negative view of comics in general.

b. the rocky relationship between political comic artists and Asian politicians. The Western concept of Freedom of Speech (including lampooning politicians in comics) could not work well in the region, resulting in friction between the comic artists and politicians. Again, this discouraged young people to pursue a career in comic drawing. With some education, people will come to see the importance of G.N. as the future of reading.

Logicomix by written by Apostolos Doxiadis. Character design and artwork by Alecos Papadatos and color by Annie Di Donna

These are all very good news indeed for the future of G.N. In a way, my comics are G.N.s because they do not fit the popular genre of manga or superheroes. I'm excited about the future of the Sir Fong's Adventures In Science series!

Why Avatar Should Win Best Picture!

2010-02-04T21:43:00.001-08:00

Why I Think Avatar Should Win Oscar Best Picture!

Recently, I commented on Facebook that Avatar should win Best Picture. The reactions showed my friends were clearly rooting for the main contender, The Hurt Locker.

The Oscars have traditionally ignored science fiction movies, and in 2009, the Avatar script is not even the best sci-fi offering in the cinemas. On Rottentomatoes.com, a popular online collection of film reviews, District 9 scores a whopping 90% approval rate, Moon boasts a close 89% while Avatar managed 82%! Even at a whopping 94% favorable review rate, The Dark Knight could not bring its creators a Best Picture Oscar in 2008.

And, most damning of all for my arguments, I have not even seen The Hurt Locker! PLEASE DO NOT STOP READING! I trust that you will find my argument sound and compelling.

I’m sure The Hurt Locker is a brilliant movie. And I wouldn’t miss it since I was a Combat Engineer who dealt with explosives and bombs in the Army. Yet, while good movies could be found every year - from American Beauty to Shindler’s List to Slumdog Millionaire – how often have we come across an Avatar?

Before Avatar came along, CGI-enhancement had gone to the dogs. George Lucas created the much-loathed Jar Jar Binks and even more clinical Star Wars Prequels, and Roland Emmerich showed us disaster porn via 2012 and The Day After Tomorrow. The promise to infuse a new sense of wonder and magic back into the cinema was unfulfilled – it only resulted in bigger/better/more. We the audience breathed in a collective sigh of boredom.

The problem is, we knew how the effects were done: computers. Big Effing Deal!

Worse: cinema was dying. People have more and more excuses to stay home with dvds and big-screen televisions. Instead of ushering in a new age of community wonder, new technology only brought more isolation, dvd pirates and illegal downloads. Artists wondered if they would ever get paid for their creativity, since more money was bled to bootleggers.

It is true that technology is simply a tool. One can use it for good, but often many use it for a quick profit or cheap thrills, draining life and possibilities from humankind.

Similarly, we can expect more of the same from future technologies. As robotics, artificial intelligence and genetic engineering become reality, many will choose to exploit these technologies for quick profit and cheap thrills. If you’d seen The Matrix or Terminator, you will have seen a future where technology runs amok of its human creators.

It takes an artist like James Cameron to harness and command existing and emerging technology. Avatar brings wonder to cinema as only the original Star Wars did in 1977. Avatar defeated bootleggers by finding new ways to lure audience back into a crowded movie theatre, thus showing other artists that truly creative approaches can halt the hopelessness brought about by bootleggers and illegal downloads. Avatar delivers what was promised us decades ago: that computer graphics and digital filming can bring untold wonder to the screen.

We must recognise an artist like James Cameron. As new technologies spring up, we’ll need more artists like him to be able to use these technologies for the good of humankind. We need artists who can harness robotics to enhance the quality of human life. We need artists who can ensure that genetic engineering also benefit all living things on Earth, not produce new Frankenstein monsters which could enslave us – just as bootleggers, illegal downloads and mindless cgi-enhanced stories had threatened (and is still threatening) to deaden our nerves and kill off our creative impulses.

Bill Gates showed the world that a technology geek can become the world’s richest man. James Cameron will show us that ultimately, an artist can command that technology and use it in ways that open up new possibilities for mankind.

Like the Jake Sully avatar who wrestled the big red Toruk and tamed it, Cameron wrestled the mother beast of cinematic technology to show us that artists – like the Na’vis – stand a chance against the pirates and reclaim our creative spirits. For that, he and Avatar richly deserve Best Picture Oscar.

Sci-Fi and Science

2010-02-02T23:07:00.000-08:00

Today, The Straits Times' Life! section carries an article by Kezia Toh. It talks about a new Discovery Channel programme called "Sci-fi Science" hosted by Professor Michio Kaku.

In my workshops and school visits, I insisted that we should not poo-poo science fiction.

Certainly, the gaps in many sci-fi shows are as big as Black Holes. For example, space battles are usually noisy, but we know that sound cannot travel in the vacuum of space. Or if Peter Parker (Spiderman) was really altered by a bite from a radioactive spider, he wouldn't spew webbing from his wrist. He would spew webbing as a spider really would: his butt. Or Lightsabers can exist as a finite length of particle (Star Wars). Or creatures on Pandora (Avatar) consistently grew six limbs but the Na'vis somehow managed with four.

Certainly there are big gaps between what we know as Science, and what sci-fi stories present. Some of us see those gaps as unbridgeable.

But consider this: Once upon a time, before humankind can fly, the skies belonged to the birds.

Then one man imagined humans flying. He sketched out a drawing of a man flying with some weird contraption.

You can imagine his friends all laughed when he showed them the drawing.

"That's impossible!" They knew that flying was impossible at that time, but somehow they believed it would never happen. To them, that drawing was a work of fiction. Science fiction!

We know it's possible. Because we fly in airplanes all the time now.

That artist/scientist was Leonardo da Vinci. His sketches of human flying remained with us as a reminder that our imagination should never be taken lightly.

I was having a conversation with Professor Leo Tan (often known in Singapore as "Mr Science Centre") when he mentioned Flash Gordon as one of his favorite movies.

Dr Michio Kaku knows that the difference between science fiction and science is simply a matter of time. He believes that the gap can be bridged. He even thinks that time travel is possible!

Science educators and parents do a great disservice when they focus only on the acquisition of science knowledge (usually for grades). If the students' imagination are not acknowledged, and if students only studied Science as unchangeable facts, then Science will not advance.

Without Science and imagination, there would be no "inventions, cities, technologies, factories or jobs" (Prof. Michio Kaku).

So do tune in to Sci-fi Science on Fridays (Starhub Channel 12) on the Discovery Channel!

Phil Yeh in Singapore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (YEHHHHHHH!!!! LOL!)

2010-01-31T19:19:00.000-08:00

When the National Book Council asked me to help them post PHIL YEH on my blog, I said "YES" immediately. Then I asked:

"Who's Phil Yeh?" (LOL!)

http://www.bookcouncil.sg/_courses/pdf/2010/From%20Comics%20to%20Screen%2023%20Feb%2010.pdf

After a simple Google, I realised my good friend passed me a couple of his works: "Dinosaurs Across Route 66" and "Dinosaurs Across California". Now this friend of mine is a well-respected Singaporean authority on comics, so I never took what he gave me lightly.

So here's who he is:

Phil Yeh founded his own studio and publishing company at the age of 16 in 1970. In 1973, he began publishing a newspaper devoted to health, books, the arts and travel called Uncle Jam. Yeh interviewed many cartoonists for this paper and also featured their artwork for the next 18 years. In 1977, he published the first graphic novel in the United States called "Even Cazco Gets The Blues" with introductions by Sergio Aragones and Don Rico. As of 2002, he has published more than 70 books from graphic novels to children's books including "The Winged Tiger" and "Theo the Dinosaur." In 1985, Yeh founded an organization "Cartoonists Across America and The World" dedicated to using cartoons and humor to promote literacy, creativity, and other positive issues. His band of cartoonists have painted more than 1000 colorful murals in 49 U.S. States, and in 12 other countries from China to Hungary. He speaks to about 100,000 students in schools, libraries, and conventions all over the world each year.

AND he is in Singapore! AND he's sharing his expertise! AND you can get in on this easily!

Here's HOW:

If you register by 1st Feb (Mon) - it's $250. If you register AFTER today, it's $280!

http://www.bookcouncil.sg/_courses/pdf/2010/From%20Comics%20to%20Screen%2023%20Feb%2010.pdf

How Western Parents Help Their Kids In Learning Science

2010-01-24T19:30:00.000-08:00

A good friend of mine shared this link with me. It's a professor of Physics, Dr Kakalios, who wrote this book in 2006. He uses the stories of superheroes to discuss Physics with his classes. The result of which is a book shown above.

There is also a series of Youtube videos which showed him in action:

Wired magazine also did a story on him here:

http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/01/physics-of-superheroes/

What's interest me most are the comments following the article:

"I’m a middle school teacher who uses graphic novels in the classroom and would LOVE to use this book!"

"My daughter (she’s 10) has started going through my comic book collection and has been asking me if we can ever do what superheroes can do like fly etc. This would come in handy. It’s almost birds and the bees on physics for geek parents’ kids. So winning one copy would be absolutely awesome."

"Maybe I’d more interested in physics if my teachers used this method instead of trying to make memorize everything…. by the way, I wouldn’t mind winning one of those, it must be very interesting…. "

Since 2008, I have been sharing with parents, teachers and students about how important it is to make Science interesting and relevant for our kids. These comments are quite similar to what the readers of my books have been sharing. So to my readers and fans of my comic books, thank you - we're on the right track!

As I buckle down to focus on creating the new book, it is great to see that while this is a road less traveled, I am still walking in the footsteps of great explorers - like Dr James Kakalios - who'd started on the path before me. Of course, that also means that I am going to have to make sure my works are the best I can produce!

This Monkey says: You have to let go of a tree in order to gain a forest.

2010-01-11T22:18:00.000-08:00

(Click on the images to read the full article! - my thanks to Ms Kun Lai Leng
Senior Reporter, Feature Desk(Education) of Sin Chew Daily, Malaysia)

When I told my parents I'd quit my teaching job in Raffles Institution (RI), they were very sad.

They saw how teaching has made me a better person - less self-centered, more committed. They were very proud that their son taught in the top secondary school in Singapore. Hence their disappointment that I was leaving the school was understandable.

But my students never gave me up. Every year, they texted me and wished me Happy Thisday and Merry Thatday. We meet up for drinks, and they shared their dreams and achievements with me. Like them, I kept my own teachers in my heart often.

It's true that they were my student once, but I am their teacher forever.

So my commitment to my students does not end with a resignation letter. I still have stuff I can teach and I'm not about to stop.

I am still teaching Science - to thousands of Singaporean students. My comic books introduced Science to young people - they actually ENJOY a book about Science!

Now, I am introducing Singapore Education to our friends in Malaysia. See the advertisement they put below my article? (For those of you who cannot read Mandarin, the title of the advertisement read: "Choose Singapore Education, Grasp Your Future"!)

So, my dear ex-students, when I left RI, I took what I learnt and moved on to greater heights. The notion that teachers only "talk the talk" is not true.

Your teacher is walking the walk, I'm sure you can do better!

January's Lifestyle Magazine from NTUC - Have a Great School Year!

2010-01-02T22:22:00.000-08:00

All of Singapore's students will be returning to school this coming Monday. May your 2010 school year be full of great friends and really useful education! May teachers find new ways to help our kids fall in love with learning all over again!

Here's a review from NTUC's Lifestyle Magazine!

There is also an article I wrote - a more detailed version of my earlier blog entry thanking

MM Lee Kuan Yew - here's a great suggestion: why not do it as a school project? As the magazine is on sale now, I'll just post a small, low-res version here:

Sir Fong on National Library's Top Ten Most Borrowed chart!

2009-12-30T19:49:00.000-08:00

This is rather unexpected!

Sir Fong 2: Fur-o-cious, a Sir Fong book of student and teacher humour released in 2006, is the 7th Most Borrowed Book on the Young People English Title (Singapore Collection) chart!

Looking at a local chart dominated ghost stories and Ho Mingfong books (that's MOE appointed literature text), this is quite a happy achievement!

Especially if mine is the only comic book to break into that chart!

Word-of-mouth is very important in the National Library circuit. If someone likes your book, he/she will recommend it to others. Since Fur-o-cious was released in 2006, that means readers have been recommending my book to friends slowly but surely for the last 3 years plus!

I am also surprised because based on my regular visits to National Library's online on-loan site, "Sir Fong's Adventures In Science Book 1" is clearly more popular than "Fur-o-cious". I have several theories as to why "Book 1" haven't yet made it but "Fur-o-cious" did, including the fact that "Book 1" is only available in the library for less than 1.5 years while "Fur-o-cious" was there for 3+ years. But those are just theories and not worth dwelling over without facts!

Nevertheless, this is a piece of wonderful and encouraging news! And I can do a Happy Countdown tonight!

Happy New Year!

2009-12-29T19:52:00.000-08:00

One more piece of good news before I join my friends for the Countdown to 2010:

Malaysia's China Press ran a story of Sir Fong on 29th Dec 2009! China Press's "U Edu" section runs stories for students and education, and the front page headlines "Looking Forward to Local Pictorial Books". Sir Fong shares the center spread with Malaysian comic book "Sea Turtle Here We Come"!

If you can read Mandarin, and click on the photo below, you can read the detailed page:

( Click on image above to see full page of article! )

Another piece of good news is that I did very well at the Popular Book Fest! I was given 30-mins stage time, but made the most of it and engaged families and parents fully about the benefits of Sir Fong books.

The Book Fest visitors were very supportive after they saw how important a good comic is in their kids' understanding of Science. So I sold a healthy amount of books there! XD

I also made two standees for visitors to pose with:

2009 has not been an easy year - H1N1 and poor economy - and I am so grateful for those of you who believe in the work I am doing, and gave me your support, time and love!

So, as I take a day off to tend to my fish tank, walk my dog and get ready for countdown to 2010 with my good friends, I would like to thank you. I'd also like to say "Happy New Year!" to you, and may we all have a better year in 2010!

Thank you! Otto

Sir Fong's first appearance in Malaysia's newspaper!

2009-12-19T19:44:00.000-08:00

"Singaporean Comic Artist Otto Fong: Giving Out Light at Every Turn of His Life" - Kum Ying Zi, Oriental Daily News, Malaysia

On 18th December 2009, Friday, Sir Fong and Totto the bunny made it to a newspaper in Malaysia.

This marks another milestone in the journey of my comic book series. Reporter Kum Ying Zi spent several hours interviewing me in Kuala Lumpur, and the headline she chose was poetic and beautiful. I never saw my life in that light - all I knew was I made some strange turns in life. I was an engineer, teacher and video editor. I worked in film and theatre, before I finally became a full-time publisher and comic artist.

Ms Kum generously saw it as my contributions. She gave me a great new point of view!

Indeed, in life, we take turns which were sometimes necessary and unexpected. In these twists and turns, our plans were often thrown into disarray. But wherever life puts us (or our own decisions land ourselves), we have a choice: a choice to shine or shrink into our shells feeling sorry for ourselves.

Take the example of a great scientist Stephen Hawking:

Hawkings have Lou Gehrig's disease. The disease took away most of his motor skills, including the use of his hands, his body and most of his speech. It did not stop him from writing one of the most popular bestseller in science "A Brief History of Time", and being hailed as the most brilliant theoretical physicist since Einstein.

As 2010 comes closer, it marks the end of the first decade of the 21st Century. For you, my readers, and for myself, it is simply the beginning of our choice to shine. Or shrink. The choice is always ours. May we all choose powerfully!

I'm a comic book artist. My dad's a comic book hero/villian!

2009-11-21T18:59:00.000-08:00

For my "Sir Fong's Adventures In Science" friends, here's something else you don't know about me!

If you didn't Google "Fong Swee Suan" after reading my last blog, here's one more opportunity to find out: he is now a character in a new graphic novel (aka, comic book) called The Illustrated Men In White. This book is a illustrated version of the recent best-seller of the same title (below):

When New Paper reporter Lediati Tan interviewed my father and myself on 22nd Nov (Sunday), she showed us a copy of the upcoming graphic novel. I was thrilled!

You see, when I was growing up, I only saw my dad portrayed as some vicious, angry villian (see two examples below):

This image is taken from the excellent Morgan Chua's My Singapore, published by Marshall Cavendish. My dad is top right.

This image also taken from Morgan Chua's same book - my dad is in the middle.

You can imagine how bruising it was for a son to see something like that about dad (kind of like Luke Skywalker finding out that his dad is the galaxy's super villain Darth Vader - "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!").

Now, I saw artists Kelvin Chan, Chng Choon Hiong, Jonathan Roberts and Celesto Gulapa's portrayal of dad differently (Ng Tze Yong is the writer of the graphic novel). Well, he's still somewhat fierce-looking in some scenes, but it's pretty cool. I thank them!

So if you pass by the grocery store downstairs, buy a copy of The New Paper (22nd Nov/Sun). Or go get The Illustrated Men In White!

Thank You MM Lee!

2009-11-17T20:45:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine on Facebook said this of MM Lee Kuan Yew:

Chor Pharn Lee: "Seems like LKY's sense of mortality, and the urgency to wrap up loose ends is accelerating. Closure through Men in White, hectoring the USA to stay its course while receiving some award, now public atonement for killing the Chinese language in Singapore. In balance, he has done more good. Like how they sum up Mao's achievements as one third bad, two thirds good. I think I'll be more generous."

Here's the link on MM Lee about his education policy:

http://www.temasekreview.com/2009/11/18/mm-lee-admits-mistake-made-in-his-education-policy/

Personally, I have had my own prejudices about MM Lee. Afterall, my father is Fong Swee Suan (google him, or "Hock Lee Bus Riots"), one of the main opposition leaders during the early days of PAP.

But I am also a product of MM Lee's Singapore. I had a great bilingual education (it's not perfect, but it's still great!). I benefited from growing up in a multi-racial, multi-lingual country. I can live my life without fear of racial or religious prosecutions, or being shot down in the streets, or in fear of the triads.

MM Lee took ownership of his triumphs, and more importantly, he took ownership of his failures. It takes a great man to do so. And I want to acknowledge him for creating a great country that allows me to go after my dreams.

So, to MM Lee, THANK YOU! You're a great man! I love you as I love my father!

Here's an old song about giving credit - for those of us who didn't get it when we first heard it:

Otto Fong

Discovering Water On the Moon: Who Deserves the Credit?

2009-11-14T18:35:00.000-08:00

http://www.india.com/technology/computers/why-nasa-taking-credit-india-finding-water-moon_6019

This week, online headlines screams: "Tons of Water On the Moon!" (To be accurate, 25 gallons were discovered.)

The implications are incredibly exciting, just as exciting as when the first human being - an American - left his footprints on the moon. Suddenly, everything was possible . . . for Americans, at least.

When I was young, a popular television series called "Space: 1999" depicted a moon base, where humans work and live. For my last birthday, my partner bought me a die-cast metallic model of the Space: 1999 ship - that's how dear the series was to me.

Now, the discovery of water on the moon is re-igniting our possibilities for the Moon - water implies that we can sustain life!

However, most news on the discovery of water credited NASA, and neglected to mention that it was India's first mission Chandrayaan-1* that carried the equipment which discovered the water in the first place.

While due credit may not be interesting to some, I felt it really makes a big difference whether the headlines say "India discovers water on the Moon" or "NASA (aka America) discovers water on the Moon". Why?

It makes a difference to young kids in India and Asia. When I read that an American walked on the Moon, I told myself that only in America, dreams could come true. When I read about Einstein and Newton in school textbooks, I told myself that only Westerners could be great scientists.

It is a little tricky at the moment: while the moon probe belonged to India, the equipment that detected water belonged to NASA. Regardless of the final verdict on who found water on the Moon, I hope young people all over the world are inspired by the possibilities - not just for human kind, but for yourselves as great scientists.

Can an Indian, Chinese, Malay or Thai be great scientists? Why not?

* In Sir Fong's Adventures . . . Book 2, I faced a problem while plotting the story: "How can an Earth satellite take clear pictures of the Moon surface?" I posed that question to Professor Lui Pao Chuen (the ex-Chief Defense Scientist who is featured in the book as Professor Thunder). He gamely suggested that a moon satellite can take clear pictures. And in fact such a venture was undertaken by Indian space scientists.

And wah lah! The rest is comic book history!

Rabbit Institution and How Sir Fong looks on your furnitures!

2009-11-13T05:09:00.000-08:00

Ever wondered how a simple drawing of a simple comic artist ends up being plastered all over the world, on mugs, calenders, toys, bed sheets and other merchandise? My family have been ultra-supportive the last two years as Totto and his friends (mainly Izak Nooton and Abby Nooton) were in their infancy.

In my family home, I looked and looked at how the creation appeared on the walls and dining table. And that helped me see what areas of improvement are needed to move the designs forward.

Friends also play important roles. As I shared with my good friend Miel about the name of Totto's school (Rabbit Institution), he immediately sketched out how the school compound might look like.

Finally, here's a few really fantastic comic works from students of Coral Secondary School!

To the Class of 1D, Shu Qun Secondary School, 2009

2009-11-02T07:23:00.000-08:00

When I was teaching, being Form Teacher to a class was my favorite appointment.

At the beginning of each year, a form class was assigned to me: 30-plus amazing kids - each of them the greatest jewel in their parents' hearts - was entrusted to my care. Everytime I discovered a talent, a leader, a kind soul, a brilliant mind - I felt pride. Nothing compares to the joy of making a positive difference in a child's life. My students made me a better person.

So I was really touched when another form teacher shared about his class. It brought back vivid memories of the bond I made with my students.

So here's a valuable glimpse of one form teacher and his special class: Mr Elfie, and Class 1D of Shu Qun Secondary School, 2009:

"If you are my student once, I am your teacher forever."

"Aiyoh . . . Joo Kian, wipe your mouth lah! Got something white white at the corner of your mouth!

And for goodness sake, straighten out your collar!"

"From 8 o'clock to 4 o'clock: Feiqing, Wu Zi, Liu Kun and Vivian -

nourishing their cells with McDonalds Extra Value Meal!"

"Ranjan! Why you lean away from me? OK, smile everyone! Nice shot! Naizirul, Firdaus, very photogenic!

Joo Kian, you in the previous shot already! Kay-poh for what? And wipe your mouth!"

"Arfan (left) and Garda feeling frenched on a tray full of fries! BURP!"

And here's something Mr Elfie wants to say to his international students:

"Thirty seven students in this class of mine,

Seventeen raised abroad, my kids so fine.

Lucky Plaza four, Mao Zedong three plus three,

Petronas Tower two, and one eats kim-chi.

Three survived 2004 tsunami, they're ok!

One last gem from the land of Mandalay.

Last twenty from the land of five stars and a moon,

These are my pearls, my strength, my baboons!"

Mr Elfie

I Finally Found The Name of Totto's School!

2009-10-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

It is amazing what you can get when you really, really listen to other people!

If I look back on this November 2009, I would call it my "I Just Realised I Never Listened to Anything or Anybody In My Life" Day!

Remember what your mom said when you were young? "Listen carefully!"

Remember what your teacher said everyday in primary school? "Listen up!"

When I talk to my friends, all I wanted was to talk. I wasn't interested in what they had to say. I was more interested in what I want to say to them!

Since I already knew what I was going to say, my conversations were usually quite boring to me.

Starting last week, something changed. I decided to start conversations by opening my ears instead of my mouth. When I gave a talk at Tanjong Katong Secondary School about comics, I said to myself, "I am going to listen to what the students say to me!"

I asked the students this question: "Do you know why I drew my first batch of students in RI as bunnies?"

Here's what I heard:

To that brilliant girl who gave me that incredible answer, I have this to say: "thank you! You just named the school that Totto and his pals in 'Sir Fong' studies in!"

Henceforth, Totto, Abby and their classmates study at Rabbit Institution. :>

Win the new Sir Fong from What's Up online!

2009-10-24T20:47:00.000-07:00

What's Up interviewed me on their current issue here:

http://www.whatsup.sg/news/nov09_SirFong.htm

And you can win a copy of the new book if you can answer their questions about Inventors here:

http://www.whatsup.sg/contest/nov09_SirFongContest.htm

Also, thank you to those of you who wrote to me about my previous blog post. (As some of you have read, I was upset when I found out that a Manga Guide to Physics is now in the market.) Your perspectives on the subject are valuable:

1. Competition shows that there is a good market out there for Science comic books!

2. It raises awareness to parents and students - reading such books at an earlier age is very useful to building a good foundation in Science learning!

3. My books have strengths that the other books do not have: a. it is drawn by a person with 8 years' experience in teaching Science, b. the same artist has years of experience drawing comics and c. he also wrote theatrical plays for many years so the story-telling in Sir Fong is strong.

4. Their books don't have Totto the Killer Rabbit!

5. Great artists have put in much more hard work before making it. For example, James Cameron slept 4 hours a day to complete the Titanic movie! Why am I complaining when all I have to do is to work harder for my dreams?!?

Last Thursday, I was invited by a Science teacher to give a talk to his form class at Shu Qun. He personally bought each of his form class students a book of mine. This teacher went out of his way to organise something special for his students, and they also get a permanent reminder of his care for them in the form of my autographed books. They are lucky to have him as their teacher. I am lucky to have him take the effort to invite me to his class. And that really pulls me out of my self-pity mode!

Thank you all!

Yours sincerely,

Otto

The Doom of Sir Fong?

2009-10-19T07:39:00.000-07:00

Dear readers,

Sometimes, it seems pointless to draw comics in Singapore.

Why bother? Americans have the cultural advantage. They can reach millions via their superior technology ala Facebook, iPhones, Hollywood CGI and XBox. So Spiderman and Iron Man can be rejuvenated via amazing movies, and the franchise is kept alive by really cool toy lines.

The Japanese have their Manga. It's all the youngsters want to emulate nowadays. Japanese manga is drawn by armies of artists tapping into the winning formula of big doeful eyes and school girl uniforms.

I can't tell you how long it took for me to find an idea that the Americans or Japanese have not uncovered. From creating Totto the bunny in 2001, to publishing the first Sir Fong and finally redirecting the whole creation into Science adventures, it has taken me 8 years.

Yesterday, my friend went to Kinokuniya.

"I saw that they brought in this Manga Guide To Physics," He told me, "And I said to myself: oops, there goes Otto's monopoly on Science comics."

Was he almost gleeful when he said that, or was it just my imagination?

Today, another friend brought me a copy of the book. Her school is buying them. Shouldn't all schools snap up my Sir Fong titles instead?

How can I, one person, fight an army of Manga creators from Japan?

It's moments like these that make me question the road I am taking. It's moments like these that doubt creeps in, and suddenly one feels very tired and defeated. Yet, when I quit my teaching job, I knew my determination would be tested.

I know I'm not supposed to whine. I made my bed so I should sleep in it. I should know the odds of reaching for the stars. I should strong and forge ahead. I should . . . but don't you have moments like this?

Hopefully, when I update this blog again, I have renewed faith in my path. Not tonight. But thanks again for reading my blog . . .

Love,

Otto

Thank you to Wellington Primary and Radin Mas Primary!

2009-10-16T20:55:00.000-07:00

Before this update, I'll just share a little comic humour with you. This is me and another friend at a Hari Raya open house by a friend. I took the picture, added a few eyes and 'food splatter' with Photoshop, and walah! Instant fun. :D

I've had a great time visiting two primary schools this month: Wellington Primary and Radin Mas Primary.

I gave an assembly talk at Wellington (it's located in the North-most of Singapore nearest to Johor Bahru). The whole school was just amazing. The students listened aptly, and responded enthusiastically to my questions. Not once did I have to raise my voice, because everyone listened intently. I concluded that Wellington must've some pretty good teachers, administrators and leaders. My biggest regret was that my time there was short, and I did not get an opportunity to take any photos of my visit. But thank you to all who bought my books - I hope you've found them enjoyable and useful!

The other school I visited was Radin Mas Primary (they are in Bukit Purmei). I didn't give any talks, but fliers were distributed. The response was amazing. I was busy signing books throughout the recesses!

Between recess and end-of-school, I had time to walk around the canteen. The school has a great emphasis on using cartoons and comics to communicate with the students, and also they encourage students to use the comic medium to showcase their ideas and messages. From "Conserving Electricity", "The Importance of Hygiene" to just students expressing themselves using digital art, this school really knows how to speak to the students using a language the kids love and understand. My friend Miel's works about public hygiene are prominently featured to remind kids to wash their hands before a meal.

I also noticed that the school sends out festive greetings to the community via the students' drawings. That not only foster a closer relationship between the school and the surrounding residence, but it reminds us that the different cultural festivals are reasons to celebrate Singapore's diversity and multi-cultural/ethnic population.

Thank you again to students of both schools! May your stay in your respective schools be full of happy memories and proud achievements!

Otto aka "Sir Fong"

17th Oct 2009

Star Wars in RI - new, improved audio track!

2009-09-27T06:02:00.000-07:00

This video was made during English Day 2005 in Raffles Institution. It's always a hit with the viewers whenever I showed it during assembly talks and workshops. The feedback was always the same: the voices were distorted by the soundtrack.

Finally, I found the time to sit down and re-record a new audio track. I used a free software - Power Sound Editor - to record the voices, and used a simple modulation effect to make my voice sound like Darth Vader.

Here it is! Enjoy it!

Sir Fong on NJC cca jacket design!

2009-09-13T07:23:00.000-07:00

After a few months of waiting, I finally got my hands on an NJC Music CCA jacket, featuring Sir Fong bunnies and their teacher in all sorts of musical chaos!

Speaking of waiting, the rest of the new Sir Fong's Adventures In Science Book 2 will be ready by this week. That means we will be moving the books into the stores soon! I will update this blog once my distributor stacks the shelves!

Sir Fong - breaking last year's sales record!

2009-08-27T18:10:00.000-07:00

There are several important elements to ensure the success of a book launch:

1. Returning customers - I have met people who've bought the first book in 2008, and came back to get Book 2! That always makes an author happy!

2. Former students - I did not ask many of my former students to come, as I plan to bring the new book to them. But some showed - from the army and before their university days begin. That was a bonus for me.

3. Get Help! - I got some of my friends to come down to help. Two former students also volunteered to talk to passing visitors. That got people to know about the books and they got excited about the possibilities.

4. Collaborators - behind each aspiring author aspiring to be the next JK Rowling stand many people who helped pave their way. I must never forget those who showed me the way, though the list MUST get longer and longer with every book!

5. Lessons learnt - my booth was blocked by a big commercial display, and I must apologise for not having deliberated more about my booth displays. I won't make the same mistake again in 2010!

6. Friends - who can do without them?

7. T-shirts! - many asked about the shirts we wore featuring Totto. We will be printing them for sale by 2010!

8. Did I mention returning customers? - I cannot mention them enough! This means people loved Book 1! And already I am getting emails asking about Book 3!

Thank you all for being a part of my life that weekend! There is much work to be done, but we've just gotten off to a great start!

Thank you from Sir Fong!

Visiting my new baby! (Video)

2009-08-08T11:08:00.000-07:00

Sir Fong Book 2 launches!

2009-07-01T21:07:00.001-07:00

After 7 months of drawing, I have completed "Sir Fong's Adventures In Science Book 2"!

Today is a good day to announce the book launch because there are two items in the Straits Times:

Tomorrow, Singaporeans will see a partial eclipse of the sun between 8:40am and 9:40am, peaking at 9:11am. A monster total eclipse will be seen in China and India!

Eclipses will be covered in my new book!

The second piece of good news is that Professor Lui Pao Chuen, former Chief Defence Scientist, just received the INCOSE's prestigious Pioneer award at Suntec yesterday. INCOSE stands for International Council on Systems Engineering. In his 41 years of service to the Defense Ministry, Prof Lui grew the nation's pool of defense scientists and engineers from 250 to 5000! He is now porfessor at our two universities, chief scientific advisor to the Foreign Affairs Ministry and board member at the NUS High School of Maths and Science.

Prof Lui has graciously allowed me to include his incarnation, Professor Thunder, and CRISP (Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing & Processing) at NUS into my story!

On board "Adventures In Science Book 2" is also my new partner, LyraAsia.

http://www.lyraasia.com/

They are the oldest manufacturer of quality colour pencils from Germany, and they have graciously sponsored Sir Fong to print 8 pages of full colour (afterall, a Science book on the topic of Light must talk about the 7 colours of the rainbow!).

With your support in the last year (since June 2008), Sir Fong is growing steadily and getting these excellent people and organisations onboard the second Adventures. I'd taken in many of your suggestions and made leaps in improvement.

"Sir Fong's Adventures In Science Book 2: Light" will be launched from 14-16th August 2009, at the Singapore Toy, Comics & Games Convention at Suntec.

Come down and be the first to get a copy of my great new adventure!

Recommendation: "Lament" by Hu Jingxuan

2009-07-01T21:00:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! I will soon be printing

"Sir Fong's Adventures In Science BOOK 2"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will update you on this site mid-July!

In the meantime, I would like to recommend a new comic book from a very exciting comic artist. I found her work to be unique, and I see she can contribute to Singapore's comic art scene significantly. Her name is Hu Jingxuan, aka Pinkjellyo.

Her new book is called "Lament", and you can read more about it at her link here:

http://pinkjellyo.deviantart.com/art/official-release-126211350

Last day with AIPS kids, and first day at Expo

2009-05-29T06:50:00.000-07:00

How many ways are there to draw Totto, the Sir Fong bunny? Apparently, the answer is "countless"!

Every kid who picked up a marker to draw a "Totto" has his/her own take on the Science bunny! The first two, featured below, are certainly two extremes: one is an amazing replica of the Chemistry-explosion Totto I drew above, another is a Totto with flaming-red Manga hair!

I forgot to inform the readers what the occasion was: today was the first day of Popular Bookstore's June Book Fest at Singapore Expo!

Again, Totto is the main attraction as the kids stopped by to try their skills at drawing the bunny boy!

And a final shout-out to my Ahmad Ibrahim comic club students! A teacher will never truly know how much (or little) impact he/she has on the students. My two wonderful Art teachers from my secondary school never heard me say "THANK YOU!" even though they both made the greatest impact on my life.

But in the end, if I've done my best in making the kids believe in their own gifts, it's just wonderful that we shared that moment in time together.

To the AIPS Comics Club: may your artworks light up many's hearts and minds.

Busy busy busy!

2009-05-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

So sorry I've not updated this blog for a while! Still in the midst of drawing "Sir Fong's Adventures . . . Book 2".

There will be more updates soon! In the meantime, here's a hand-drawn, hand-coloured Totto I did using some very good Lyra colour pencils and pens!

Shout Out to the Comics Club at Ahmad Ibrahim Primary!

2009-04-29T20:16:00.001-07:00

Hi guys and girls! It's been a whirlwind of a crash course in comics! In the last 5 weeks, I tried to cram in many useful stuff like linework, colour, facial expressions, word bubbles and sounds, so I hope to see you all apply what you have learnt!

Now that you know how to apply cool colours to your drawings using the Paint software, please scan in your masterpieces and start splashing on them paints!

When I was young, I painted whenever my art teachers asked me to. So I had a lot of opportunity to show people what I could do. That's not call showing off - it's called learning to share!

If you have the gift of being able to draw, you must must must draw!

Don't be afraid of your friends who may criticize your works - see them as feedback that can help you improve!

As long as you continue drawing, it will bring you a lot of happiness for many many years!

And don't forget - draw what your teachers ask and don't see them as homework. See them as chances to show the school what you can do better than most people!

And thanks for sharing your drawings with me - keep doing that and I'll make sure you learn even more than what you learnt these 5 weeks!

Yours sincerely, "Mister Otto"