Singapore’s indie game developers are receiving the recognition they deserve with Video Game Nation, a new eight-part documentary series celebrating the local gaming scene as part of SG60.

Helmed by local content creation studio No Average Joe (NAJ), the series will explore the stories of the studios and individuals behind the curtain of game development in one of Singapore’s most surprising creative industries, and is produced as part of SGStory’s Our Singapore, Our Stories campaign, which commemorates 60 years of nationhood.

Spread across eight themed episodes, each running from four to eight minutes in a vertical social-media-friendly format, Video Game Nation explores what goes on behind the scenes of local gaming darlings such as Cat Quest (The Gentlebros), Sedap! (Kopiforge) and Let’s Build a Dungeon (Springloaded), with each episode focused on the journey of a different locally-developed title, and covering what makes each tick, from bedroom prototypes to studio launches and everything in between.

“Video Game Nation is really a collection of underdog stories,” said NAJ Managing Director Joe Peter. “Singapore-made games often only get noticed when they go global, but there are plenty more that thrive in their own ways. Games born here, shaped by the Singapore experience, built with equal parts creativity, grit, and heart.”

Video Game Nation’s eight episodes will also be categorised into four themes, released progressively over 8 to 9 November, with the full list of episodes and their descriptions listed below:

Heavy Hitters

• The Gentlebros: Cat Quest trilogy
  One of Singapore’s biggest game exports, fur real. How The Gentlebros clawed their way into the global spotlight with a cat-themed action RPG.
• Springloaded: Let’s Build a Zoo / Let’s Build a Dungeon
  Build a zoo. Build a dungeon. Build a global following. The studio behind some of Steam’s weirdest and wildest management games shares how it all started and why they kept going.

Incredible Iterations

• General Interactive: Chinatown Detective Agency
  Inspired by Carmen Sandiego and powered by a love for the Lion City. A remote team builds a cyber-noir detective game with a Singapore soul.
• AT-AT Games: Ghostlore
  What if Southeast Asian myths met classic action RPGs? What started as a love letter to Diablo became a modern indie hit handcrafted by two developers.

Coding Catharsis

• Landshark Games: Zen Koi series
  It began with koi doodles in a notebook during a seminar. It became a chill mobile hit that proves you do not need explosions to go global.
• No Average Joe: Owe Money Pay Money / Own Time Own Target
  Fed up with errant clients, a film studio channels frustration into two over-the-top games inspired by retro classics. A little bit of therapy and a whole lot of revenge.

Makan Mania

• Battlebrew Productions: Cuisineer
  Fight monsters, serve hotpot, and cook up mayhem. A last-roll-of-the-dice roguelite from one of Singapore’s most recognisable indie studios.
• Kopiforge: Sedap!
  A student project turned full release. First-time developers tackle food and identity, and cook up something truly sedap.

Video Game Nation is now available on TikTok via @sgstory.sg, and on SGStory’s official website, with additional behind-the-scenes clips available on Instagram.

Kevin Low

Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.

The post Singapore Indie Game Makers Take Spotlight In SG60 Documentary Series appeared first on Geek Culture.

When Singaporean comic book artist Elvin Ching was contacted by Marvel Comics earlier this year, he could barely believe it. The famed publisher behind the X-Men and Avengers comic books was considering him for their prestigious Art Atelier artist training program – an invitation that could change the trajectory of his career. But what came next was something the self-professed sci-fi and creature feature fanatic couldn’t have anticipated – a chance to take on “one ugly motherf***er”.

“With so many Marvel characters and titles, I did not expect my first Marvel job to be a Predator movie tie-in book,” Ching laughs, recounting the moment he was offered the project to draw the prequel comic for the upcoming Predator: Badlands film.

“It worked out because I am a Predator fan too and when I think about it now, it was actually an ideal choice as a first project for me.”

After being contacted in early 2025 about the Marvel Art Atelier program, where he was one of five artists from around the world flown to Paris Disneyland for the intensive workshop in June, Ching, who created his The Woodsman comic in 2021, wasn’t sure what was next for him, since there was no guarantee of work after completing the program.

But it was right after that Marvel Comics invited him to submit sample pages for critique and by late July, an offer for Predator: Badlands was put in front of him.

“I wasn’t given other options, but the fact that the one choice on the table was Predator was more than enough,” Ching says. In hindsight, he’s grateful he didn’t have to agonize over multiple projects. “This specific book being handed to me decisively helped me be hyper-focused on how I could do the best for it.”

And four months later, the Predator: Badlands one-shot, set for release on 12 November, is set to become Ching’s debut Marvel Comics project, working alongside editors Martin Biro and Austin Hatch, writer Ethan Hunt, inker Oren Junior, and colorist Juancho Velez – creatives who were equally passionate about delivering exceptional work.

“They are incredible in their roles, but they also elevated my work,” he emphasizes, pointing to the collaborative nature of making a comic book.

But even though Ching is a fan of the franchise that has produced six main movies and a slew of video games, the upcoming film, by Dan Trachtenberg (Prey, 2022) and starring Elle Fanning (Maleficent, 2014) doesn’t feature a conventional Predator that travels to Earth to hunt. Instead, the young Yautja aka the name of the species features a visual departure, with a much younger hunter not wearing the iconic Predator helmet, Instead, the film takes place the Predators’ home-world and focuses a lot more on their culture, giving Ching a chance to put his own stamp on an iconic race.

“I was given access to movie materials for reference when I started work on the book, which was around early August. And as much as I do love the conventional Predators, I also love that I was tackling this new Predator! It was definitely challenging drawing this version as it felt more advanced with more detailed gear and outfits,” explains the 48-year-old.

“Even after drawing him over 20 to 30 times, I still had to constantly look at the reference to get his gear and unique facial features right,” he admits but he embraced the challenge. 

The creative approach came down to understanding the character’s physicality. This Predator is smaller than most, so Ching depicted him as more agile – compensating for size with speed and precision. 

“I settled on “Wolverine” as a good example to play on – fast and tough. The other thing that stands out for this predator is in the way he wields his sword, so at some point it was fun to switch him from hunter mode to swordsman.”

What Ching didn’t realize until he started was how perfectly the project aligned with his background. Years of drawing his own fighting comic, The Woodsman, and choreographing fights during his storyboarding days suddenly became invaluable such that a friend who saw early drafts called it the perfect “monster book” for him.

“All the action played into my previous comic and storyboarding experiences,” Ching reflects. “I hope in that way, I managed to give it a new edge while keeping it true for fans.”

And as a fan himself, Ching did what was expected and slipped in a couple of Easter eggs for the eagle-eyed fans, though neither are Predator related. And while there’s an X-Men nod and a Star Wars reference, both are so subtle, he’s not even sure they counts.

What Comes Next?

For now, Ching doesn’t have his next book lined up, but he’s keeping busy. The coming months will be spent promoting Predator: Badlands, catching up on overdue commissions, and finally creating some fan art for his Instagram (@elvching), which he admits has been “starved” while working on the Predator project.

As for dream projects? Ching would lose his mind over an Aliens vs Predator series, given that Predator: Badlands has revealed a link to the massively popular Alien franchise as well. All he wants is a chance to capture the horror aspect of the Xenomorphs, and to depict the savage fights that would inevitably follow. 

“All Hell would break loose and I am HERE for that,” he says with genuine enthusiasm.

And what about adding Terminators to the mix, especially since the film includes artificial lifeforms, though Ching clearly thinks the synthetics from Alien are nowhere near the killer machines in the Terminator series.

“That would be insane and I love it,” he says, but is also quick to note that “Terminators are a lot tougher with their endoskeletons, while the androids seem to keep getting split apart. Also, any three-way crossover of the film giants, which were a staple in comic books, would need a cohesive, engaging story – not just cool fan service.

Character-wise, his Marvel wishlist includes the X-Men (particularly Archangel, Iceman, and Longshot), Cloak & Dagger, and Doctor Strange, but is also open to the unexpected – after all, Predator: Badlands was proof that sometimes an editor sees something in your work that you didn’t see yourself.

“Just the opportunity of drawing for Marvel keeps me happy and excited,” Ching says. “Maybe someone else sees something in my work that I didn’t see before, and that challenges me to broaden my perspective.”

HSALS

Hsals needs more space in his house, and more money in his bank account to pay for all the toys, collectibles and other geek related items that companies are churning out. Free-time? Girlfriend? Who’s got time for those?

The post New Chapter For ‘Predator: Badlands’ Starts With A Prequel Comic From Singaporean Artist Elvin Ching appeared first on Geek Culture.

Growing up in Vietnam, Nguyễn Khanh Duy always knew he wanted a career in design, but it was only after he failed to get into the University of Architecture HCMC, Vietnam that he found himself on a path towards video games, even though upon hindsight, not getting into the university of his choice is more of a blessing than anything. 

“I have always known myself as an artist, so naturally, everything I do needs to be related to art,” recalls the 38-year-old Singapore-based digital artist and current Associate Art Director at Riot Games. “Growing up, I played a lot of games and was always so amazed with them, from the art to the story and the gameplay. Game developers are my childhood heroes.“

Even if you’re not a gamer, Riot Games’ League of Legends (LoL) will surely be an immediately recognisable franchise as it has grown to become one of the world’s biggest Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game, making waves not only in the gaming community, but the wider audience as well thanks to the global success of the highly successful animated spin-off series, Arcane on streaming service Netflix.

“Looking back, I’m grateful that it happened,” says Duy on not getting into the university of his choice, even if he knew it was the expectations of his carpenter father and mother, who helped in managing the business. “It pushed me to do better at things that I was interested in, and although I was not good enough to get into architecture school, I worked hard and with some luck, landed my dream job.” 

It might sound simple, but after failing to get placement in a university in Vietnam, he “ended up studying 2D animation in a different, unknown university instead”. Subsequently, he opted to pursue higher education in the United States, and completed his Master’s degree in Fine Arts at The Academy of Art San Francisco, with a focus on video games, in what he described as “the best time of my life“.

”My family would have preferred me to be an architect, doctor or lawyer…, but they respected my choice and also acknowledged my capabilities and opportunities at the time. Now, I think they would say that they’re proud of me and are glad that they supported me when I was younger.”

For the last 11 years, Duy has made his mark as part of LoL developer Riot Games’ team, not just designing hero models for the game’s mobile port, League of Legends: Wild Rift, but also guiding the creative journeys of his peers. 

Now faced with the expansive world of 2D and 3D art, Duy’s inspiration came from a particularly hellish source – Blizzard’s iconic game, Diablo. 

“Back then in Vietnam, we didn’t have internet access. Someone would lend you a game, you’d install it, and it would blow your mind,” he explains, “And that’s how it was for me. Diablo was dark, atmospheric, and you’d see dead bodies, wander through cathedrals, keep descending into deeper levels, and pick up weapons along the way. It was incredible.”

With this inspiration in mind, Duy set his sights on his dream job with Diablo developer Blizzard Entertainment. It was a long and arduous process filled with attending and winning all manner of competitions and art contests, just to get their attention in the hopes of an opportunity. But alas, this marked setback number two, as Blizzard never reached out by 2014, bringing him back to square one.

Undeterred, Duy kept his chin up and pressed on, eventually snagging an opportunity with Riot, which kick-started his career. “That same year, I took an opportunity at the Game Developers’ Conference (GDC) – where Riot Games had a booth – and met a helpful Rioter who spent hours reviewing my portfolio and giving me feedback on my work,” he recalls.

Still, even though he appreciated the guidance, he wasn’t completely sure of this decision back then, and whether Riot Games would be a good fit. He even roped in his family to help, recalling that he “chatted with my cousins, who are all LoL fans in their thoughts and of course, they encouraged me to get on board to work on LoL in Riot Games.”

His big break came at the most unlikely time, as when the COVID-19 global pandemic struck, Riot reached out to offer him a role, but herein lies the rub – it required him to move to Singapore. Eventually, Duy accepted the offer and the move, and to this day, remains adamant that he made the right call.

Duy’s journey was a true embodiment of the Latin phrase “Sic Parvis Magna”, or greatness from small beginnings, as the then-aspiring character artist literally worked his way up from the very bottom, starting off as an intern with the most menial of tasks – creating rocks on a game map.

“I felt disappointed spending three months making only four rocks,” Duy admits to Apple App Store editors, who recently celebrated his achievements, alongside other Southeast Asian creative talent, as part of the third edition of its “Here’s to the Dreamers” campaign. This disappointment didn’t last, as a mentor eventually reminded him that although his work was small, millions of players around the world would see those rocks in-game daily.

This taught Duy a valuable life lesson and the importance of a small digital creation. “You never know when your work will become part of something huge,” he explains, and it encouraged him to keep building on the small things, and opportunity then came knocking in the form of champion skins in LoL, which he would eventually work on as a 3D artist at Riot.

From Storm Dragon Lee Sin, to Coven Morgana, and his personal favourite, High Noon Senna, Duy would go on to create a multitude of character skins for LoL. “It’s important for us to find a character’s edges; what makes the new character special and unique while making sure that there is no overlap with existing LoL characters,” he explains when asked about how he approached designing said characters, ensuring that each feels both original yet faithful to the game’s well-established universe.

“The key to keeping these characters faithful to the game universe is in their character story; through the region they originate from, their personal history, personality and even their weapons and making sure they relate and are consistent with LoL world building,” he adds.

Designing characters in a game like LoL presented its own set of challenges, as these aren’t mere side characters or NPCs, and as Duy eloquently puts it, “Every character, regardless of their style, gender, age or role, has the potential to be the main character of the game with a full story arc.”

“This gives every player a character that they can relate to and allows them to become the main character in their own journey,” Duy explains, adding that making sure every character has its own unique spark becomes a constant challenge, especially since not only are there so many of them, each must also be properly represented via the game’s top-down camera perspective.

Still, Duy took this challenge head-on, gradually improving his craft and steadily building up a portfolio of character skins. Even so, this only marked the first half of his success story, though, as he would eventually climb the ranks, eventually taking on a mentoring role as an Associate Art Director.

“There were a lot of changes when I transitioned, and it took me a while to get used to them,” he admits, “When I’m working on the art directly, I get to see my progress and results every day, and that feels great. But when you’re a leader and a mentor, you feel the results take longer because you’re not working on it directly, which could feel less rewarding on a day-to-day basis.” 

This hasn’t deterred Duy’s enjoyment of his work, however, as he has adapted to find new ways to garner satisfaction from his role, saying that “what excites me now is the opportunity to support others and being able to share my positive experiences in the industry to help other artists thrive in this field.”

Duy also recalls a moment that made him figure out just how important his new role was, when he was tasked to tasked to take over a concept piece while a team member went on sabbatical. 

“When he came back to see how I visualised his idea in 3D, he was really impressed and appreciative,” he exclaims, “It made me realise what real collaboration is about; being able to realise an artist’s vision and bringing his idea to life.”

“I believe it’s a powerful thing when you’re able to take what someone else started and elevate it together, and that kind of win feels way better than winning alone.”

On the topic of collaboration in the art and design space, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its encroaching takeover of the medium might be a concern for some, but in Duy’s eyes, it will always serve to assist and enhance, and not replace the human touch outright.

“For me, being an artist is a journey of growth; both as a craft and as a human,” he explains, “As people, we make friends along the way and learn from our joys and pains, and that drives our creativity and art. If I let AI entirely take over making and creating art for me, then I would lose its real purpose: to express ourselves in the process.”

In Duy’s opinion, although having new technologies powered by AI can speed up work processes and let artists focus on more creative aspects, it will always miss out on that personal touch, as at the end of the day, AI generates results based on existing databases, and can’t form unique ideas which are especially crucial in design.

“I do art because it’s fun and I enjoy every moment of it, even when I fail and realise that I need to improve my skills. So, because of this, I feel that using AI as a shortcut is kinda weak.” he exclaims, “AI could help with tasks like cleaning up or repetitive parts of the process but even so, why let the machine take the fun away?”

So, what’s next for Duy? Now in a true league of his own, his journey towards success will surely motivate more young up-and-coming artists to clinch the same success he now enjoys. For now, he is more than content, exclaiming that he is still living the dream, working on LoL at Riot Games, with no current plans to move anywhere else. And even though he is now based in Singapore, Duy has not forgotten his roots, hoping to inspire the next wave of creatives back home. 

“Being part of Apple’s “Here’s to the Dreamers” campaign, it is a huge honour to be able to represent creatives from Vietnam and share my story with young artists who may be working hard to get into the creative industry. I hope that my story gives them hope and motivates them,” he shares.

Nguyễn Khanh Duy is just one of the six local talents engaged by international companies. You can read our main story here, as our Little Red Dot celebrates not just 60 years of nation-building, but also the up-and-coming creators who are taking their work from our shores and on to the global stage. You can also read about comic artist Elvin Ching, digital visualisation artist Dave Oh (Lioncolony), and illustrator Kang Jing.

Kevin Low

Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.

The post SG60 Geek Spotlight: Nguyễn Khanh Duy Is In A League (of Legends) Of His Own appeared first on Geek Culture.

By all accounts, Elvin Ching shouldn’t have become a comic artist, especially not growing up in Singapore where creative careers are viewed more as indulgences than viable pursuits. But despite growing up in a noisy shophouse with his grandfather, weathering family upheaval with his elder brother and sister, and facing a culture that chose pragmatism over passion, the 47-year-old chose art, and art eventually chose him back.

A one-time waiter, laundry boy, telemarketer, and even mechanic while serving his national service, Ching is now best known for his meticulous illustrations and storytelling, most recently for The Woodsman, his debut graphic novel that helped him rediscover a love he nearly lost. In a career that has spanned freelance graphic design, storyboarding, and finally full-time comic artistry, Ching’s journey is not only marked by perseverance, but by a quiet defiance of expectations both external and internal.

And it was a huge surprise when Marvel Comics came knocking and invited him and four other artists from around the world to Paris Disneyland to participate in the Marvel Art Atelier program for comic artists earlier this year. Still, he downplays the recognition accorded by the program, noting that he wasn’t picked because he was good, but maybe just good enough.

“I think that while they weren’t looking for a ‘perfect portfolio’, they were looking for work of some level of competence and commitment, as in it isn’t just about good art and style, but the work had to reflect tenacity and endurance as well, that they could help elevate,” he rationalises in an interview with Geek Culture.

“I believe they saw my determination to impress and impact by the level of detail I put into my work, and that’s what made them see me as a promising artist deserving of a little extra boost and encouragement.”

In the short time under the program, his journey towards global recognition has been chronicled in a Marvel Art Atelier video, where the quintet had the opportunity to not only visit the theme park’s many attractions, but also meet and learn from notable Marvel Comics artists Simone Di Meo (X-Men of Apocalypse), David Messina (Ultimate Spider-Man), Pepe Larraz (The Amazing Spider-Man) and Esad Ribic (Thor: God of Thunder).

“I was aware that I was the only Asian there, and I did feel proud and extremely lucky to represent. But at the same time too, it didn’t matter much because when all of us met, we didn’t feel like we were defined by our different nationalities. And that was the beauty of it, that we were brought together by our shared love for comic books and creating art, and it transcended race or nationality.” 

Under the guidance of the professional artists, Ching had the privilege of personal tutelage, and their experience and sharing challenged his perception of his own abilities. Even though it has been months since the course, he’s still unpacking all that was taught to him and his group. But this experience of continued learning is also not new, as the youngest of three siblings never grew up with a support group, with Chin being the only one in his family to venture into the creative field.

“I grew up in a very practical environment, so it was concerning to my dad that I wanted to pursue comic books,” he admits with a laugh. “At that time, there was no feasible opportunity to do that in Singapore.”

Despite his father’s understandable scepticism towards his ambitions, Ching found a middle ground by studying Graphic Design at Temasek Polytechnic. It wasn’t quite drawing for the industry’s Big Two – Marvel or DC Comics, but it was the closest acceptable compromise.

And yet, the dream of drawing comics never left him. “I never gave up hope,” he says. He worked odd jobs and eventually became a freelance graphic designer, slowly steering his work toward storyboarding and illustration. “I consider myself a full-time comic artist right now,” he says, with a calm confidence that’s clearly hard-earned.

Ching’s love for comics took root early. Amidst the chaos of a fractured home life, comics became his refuge. Raised in his grandfather’s shophouse with workers constantly filtering in and out, Ching was drawn, perhaps inevitably, to the quiet focus and narrative control that comic books offered. Introduced to the medium by his siblings and cousins, he quickly became enchanted by both the art and the storytelling. It was reading Alan Moore’s (Watchmen) work that cemented his calling, however.

“His writing moved me a lot, and I couldn’t believe such powerful stories could be told in this medium. I decided then that drawing comics was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.” 

And it was through the artists he grew up with, via the likes of Mike Mignola, Bryan Hitch, Pepe Larraz, Olivier Coipel and Mahmud Asrar, that he knew he wanted to imbue his art with a lot of detail, and offer very strong contrast in his style.

“My all time favourite comic artist is Leinil Yu as he’s really strong in his silhouettes, and his style is dynamic and incredibly detailed when it needs to be.”

Despite his talent and successes along the way, the journey hasn’t been easy and “the biggest challenge is poverty,” he says plainly, though not without humour. But beneath the jokes lies a painful truth, that Singapore’s art scene, while growing, remains limited in scale and infrastructure. 

“The stigma of creative professions is… stronger here,” he says, citing the country’s pragmatic culture and small population, “It is a very practical society that [isn’t] as supportive of artistic endeavours, [and we have] a smaller population [that] also means a smaller patronbase that can’t support local artists enough to give them the initial boost they need to gain their legs. All these worked against me.”

Even more daunting than societal obstacles, though, was his own self-doubt. “If anything, I’m the harshest critic when it comes to my work,” he admits.

“My mood swings a lot from being confident to suffering severe impostor syndrome.” That internal resistance nearly derailed him, until he organised his thought processes and subsequently created The Woodsman in 2021.

Written and illustrated during a personal slump, The Woodsman was Ching’s attempt to reconnect with his art on his own terms. “As much as I wanted people to like the book, what was most important was that this book would be done for me alone, and I put everything I had into it.” 

The book not only revived his passion but also earned him new recognition within the industry. “I managed to find a second chance crawling out of my funk, and I haven’t looked back since!”

These days, Ching balances his time between commissioned work, like fan art or established IPs, and personal storytelling. To him, each has its own merits, though it’s through his original work where Ching finds deeper fulfilment. 

“With commissioned work, I learn more of how to interpret. It is a wonderful challenge to see if you can inject your own take into a character or comic that you enjoy,” he says. 

“But with The Woodsman, I am creating a universe from scratch and effectively playing God! When you write/draw your own story, you get to put in 100 per cent of your identity and point of view, and that is more fulfilling on a personal level.”

Yet he’s also acutely aware of the trade-offs, as it is harder to get an audience interested in original work.

“However, I am a firm believer that if you produce a good product, the audience will find their way to you.”

These days, there is also the rise in the use of artificial intelligence for creating art to contend with, especially since there is the capacity, and potential appetite of AI-generated art that rides on existing styles instead of developing new ones. 

“AI can replicate an image or a style, but the person using AI will not experience this process behind that image. The process is not a tangible commodity but it is real and there is richness and meaning behind it; and the value of how it feeds you is beyond a quick pay cheque,” he explains. 

“I feel sad that too many people miss the whole point of creating art and only crave the results. They see art as a problem to be solved but art is not a problem, it is a journey. It is exploration.”

When asked for advice, Ching offers thoughtful, hard-won wisdom that applies beyond art. “Having the right attitude is everything,” he says. “I have seen artists who started out drawing badly soar to incredible levels because they had the right attitude.” And what is the right attitude? Ching says with conviction, “The right attitude is to work hard, to be focused in your goals, [and] to always have a willingness to learn.” 

He also stresses the importance of kindness, courage, and consistency. “Always try before saying you can’t do it, because it’s better to fail or be rejected than to never know. [And] if nothing is happening, don’t wait for something to happen. Keep yourself busy and do your own work. Find reasons to keep creating or practising, it will always end up being useful.”  

Above all, he emphasises, “Never forget to love your work.”

His dream? A Marvel X-Men title. Given his trajectory from cramped shophouse to international workshop, it’s a dream that feels well within reach.

Despite his accomplishments, Ching remains humble and hungry, openly admitting, “I’ve barely begun to break the surface.”

Elvin Ching’s work can be found at @elvching across social platforms.

Ching is just one of the six local talents engaged by international companies. You can read our main story here, as our Little Red Dot celebrates not just 60 years of nation-building, but also the up-and-coming creators who are taking their work from our shores and on to the global stage. You can also read about digital visualisation artist Dave Oh (Lioncolony), illustrator Kang Jing and character designer Nguyễn Khanh Duy.

Ting Wei

Conversation with Ting Wei is like chatting with a weird AI bot programmed only with One Piece lore and theories, sitcom quotes and other miscellaneous pop culture references. When he’s not sleeping, he’s highly likely reading manga. In fact, the only thing he reads more than manga is the Bible, and it’s honestly pretty close.

The post SG60 Geek Spotlight: Elvin Ching Moves From Graphic Novels To Marvel-lous Global Opportunity appeared first on Geek Culture.

Amongst the dozens of stalls selling wanton noodles, chicken rice, roast meats, biryani, roti prata, beef soup, braised pork and other Singapore culinary delights at Maxwell Food Centre, keep your nose up for the delicate but sharp smell of fish head bee hoon in the air. The elderly couple preparing their signature dish have inadvertently cracked some sort of creative code, as all three of their children have found a career within the creative industry.

Two of the brothers are in interior design, while 32-year-old Dave Oh Jia Hao, better known by his online handle, @Lioncolony, has built a solid reputation with his digital creations across 2D and 3D designs, motion visualisation and more, working with famed international brands including Gucci, Marina Bay Sands and more recently, Chinese toy company, Pop Mart of Labubu fame.

The former Anderson Primary and Yio Chu Kang Secondary School student is also the founder of an independent motion graphics studio of the same name, building and honing the creative craft that has been a part of his childhood, when he was doodling and “sketching my own book of different characters I could think up, and create my own universe of creatures”, based on his early love for the Pokémon and Digimon franchise.

“When I was younger, I was always inspired by IPs like Pokémon and Digimon, not just because they were trending then, but because of the abundance of characters and the effort behind creating each design,” explains Oh in an interview with Geek Culture.

And that love for design, particularly Japanese-inspired ones, grew and the inspiration behind his decade-long list of works can be traced back to the works of contemporary Japanese artists like Takashi Murakami and Yayoi Kusama, whose distinct styles have gained international recognition. Murakami is known for blending pop culture with traditional Japanese art, while Kusama is famed for her vibrant and immersive installations.

Unsurprisingly, his work for Pop Mart consists of an animated short for the brand’s Space Molly, a spacesuit-wearing character from its MEGA Collection, featuring a female astronaut in different designs that has become iconic among collectors. It is part of the current MEGA SPACE MOLLY: Hello, Moon Exhibition at ION Art Gallery until August 24, before it travels across Asia until October, with stops in several countries including Thailand, Vietnam and South Korea.

“I think this has always been innate for me, as I’ve always loved creating art pieces,” he explains.

“Pop Mart approached me in May to explore a local spin to Mega Space Molly as part of the upcoming exhibition, and I was intrigued by the concept and storytelling of this adventurous girl. As I typically work in the digital art space, I was excited about the unique opportunity for my work to be on display in a physical space.”

It was only later that he found out that he was the only Singaporean artist invited to be a part of this regional showcase.

“(It’s) a little proud moment for me, and just in time for SG60,” enthuses the Nanyang Polytechnic Digital Media Design (Animation) graduate, who also has a Specialist Diploma in Visual Effects from the same award-winning post-secondary education institution.

This has been a professional journey that he’s been on since 2014, and he credits his success to several factors, including secondary school teachers and lecturers who taught him the basics, when he was part of Co-Curricular Activities for 3D Animation, as well as his parents.

“They’ve always been supportive of my career choices and paths I have chosen in life,” he says.

Naturally, there have been challenges, including the evolving nature of animation and design that outpaced what he learned in school.

“I graduated from an animation course in polytechnic, and motion graphics was a bit different from what I learned in school,” he notes, of the trajectory that brought him towards digital design.

“Back then, the competition was fierce, so I applied for jobs in both fields after I completed my National Service. It was a huge relief when I landed my first job in the industry, and it was a chance to gain more experience and have a stable income.”

Despite working with well-known brands and making a splash on social media with his creative works, including his Gbears or gummy bears that have become his signature in his creative works, Oh remains characteristically modest about his achievements, especially in establishing one of the nation’s most well-known digital design brands.

“I wouldn’t claim to have made it at this stage, but I felt a sense of accomplishment when clients started using my work as references.”

These days, he’s also looking at ways to hone his digital skills, especially with the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) that some critics claim will be detrimental to the creative industries. On his part, Oh maintains a thoughtful stance and regards AI as “a bridge between the artist and technology”, rather than a rival to human artistry.

“I think AI is here to stay. Artists will need to become even more distinctive, to have this separation between art and AI.”

To this end, one notable shift he has made is in his workflow, as the long-time PC user recently made the move to the Apple ecosystem, with his Space Molly work marking the first time in his career that he has designed something entirely away from Windows.

“I created the short myself, from start to finish. I just love creating thematic, character-based concepts, and wanted to also challenge myself to create this entirely on the Apple ecosystem, after a decade of using PC,” he explains.

“I was definitely sceptical at first, but heard great things about the efficiency of the new generation of Mac Studio with M3 Ultra and, of course, the colour accuracy on Studio Display. I was already an iPad user to begin with, so the Mac Studio integrated seamlessly into my workflow, and allowed me to just transfer everything between my different hardware without even needing to access the cloud.”

The end result? The switch to the Apple ecosystem was seamless, and “it did cut down a fair bit of time,” he notes, of switching to Apple’s hardware and software.

Thus, he could spend more of the four-week window he had on this project, to blend the recognisable aesthetics of an established character with those of his own, to meet the creative guidelines of this partnership with Pop Mart.

“We had initial concepts where we replaced the helmet, but had to respect the original silhouette of Mega Space Molly,” he explains, and that’s where fans would recognise his Gbears emerging, where the iconic ears of his gummy creations were integrated into Space Molly’s helmet design.

“In the design of the suit, I also wanted a bit of fuzziness, and the candy likeness of Gummy bears, and I was able to cycle through different colours of the same suit,” he explains.

“My short was based on the idea of space-ception, with Space Molly in a spaceship herself, and Space Molly a spaceship for Gbears. They’re part of a group called National Space Association, or NSA for short, who are space explorers in the Lioncolony universe.

So what’s next for the boy who once drew imaginary creatures in exercise books? The potential lies beyond creative works, and towards original IP development, he enthuses.

“Much like how figurines like Labubu and Space Molly have become ‘household’ names, I’d love to one day bring my own Lioncolony creations to life, and see everyone own one.”

Dave Oh Jia Hao’s work can be found at @Lioncolony across social platforms.

Oh is just one of the six local talents engaged by international companies. You can read our main story here, as our Little Red Dot celebrates not just 60 years of nation-building, but also the up-and-coming creators who are taking their work from our shores and on to the global stage. You can also read about comic artist Elvin Ching, illustrator Kang Jing and character designer Nguyễn Khanh Duy.

HSALS

Hsals needs more space in his house, and more money in his bank account to pay for all the toys, collectibles and other geek related items that companies are churning out. Free-time? Girlfriend? Who’s got time for those?

The post SG60 Geek Spotlight: Dave Oh (Lioncolony) Lifts Off With Pop Mart Space Molly Sensation appeared first on Geek Culture.

It’s all too easy to romanticise the idea of pursuing personal interests professionally, casting aside the security of academia and career, but real life doesn’t always pan out as intended. For many, turning a passion into a career remains a pipe dream, due in part to societal pressure, fear of burnout, concerns over financial and job security, and more, leaving room for only work or play, but not both. 

Such is the case for 31-year-old homegrown illustrator Kang Jing (KJ), who studied Chemistry in university and was on a steady path to textbook and career success, though deep down, he always knew that drawing comics was his calling, having dabbled in art from a young age. 

“Even before I fully understood what it meant to ‘make comics’, I was folding paper into little booklets, sketching characters and scenes simply because I loved the process. Back then, it was a personal joy, something I did out of passion, never imagining it could one day become a real path,” he shares in an interview with Geek Culture.

And in a country where Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics – or STEM for short – education and initiatives are given greater emphasis, balancing both can be taxing. Yet, that’s what the training manager by day and comic book artist by night has been juggling for the last few years, supported by his wife and parents, albeit with caveats. 

“My parents have always been supportive of my passion for art, but they were also realistic and practical about the challenges of turning it into a full-time career, especially back in the days before social media, when creative opportunities were much harder to come by,” he reveals. 

Fuelled by the love for his craft, the anime and comic book fan, who counts Marvel Comics’ Fantastic Four as the book of choice, has slowly made his presence known within the industry, by bringing his own comic book projects to life, starting his local art studio Chiral Comics, which specialises in comic book publishing and visual storytelling, and placing Singapore on the map with collaborations on an international scale. 

The illustrator made his American cover art debut with BOOM! Studios’ Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #122, created as an exclusive for Singapore Comic-Con (SGCC) in 2024, and soon followed up with additional covers for the comic book follow-up to the iconic Saturday morning TV series. Since 2024, he has also been drawing for collectible and trading card company Topps, making his debut with the Star Wars Chrome series, and is now credited with over 400 officially licensed sketch cards, gaining fans and recognition for his distinctive pencils. More recently, KJ also joined the Marvel Comics universe by providing his work towards licensed sketch cards for Topps’ Marvel card sets.

But it’s the latest addition that holds special significance, when Archie Comics invited him to illustrate a special cover art for Archie Comics, in celebration of the nation’s 60th birthday, known colloquially as SG60. Featuring updated designs for the Archie gang of Archie Andrews, Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge and Reggie Mantle with a special appearance of the durian fruit, a “I Love SG” t-shirt, and a Singapore football jersey, it shows the quartet taking a wefie against the backdrop of the Supertrees at Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay. This marks the first time in the franchise’s 84-year legacy that Singapore has taken centre stage on the cover of an Archie comic book. 

Not surprisingly, the special issue, limited to only 300 copies worldwide, proved to be a hit as it was completely snapped up after pre-orders went live on 19 July, demonstrating a shared enthusiasm for representation on the global stage. 

“I’ve always been a huge fan of localising franchises, because it creates a much deeper connection, like they are a part of your world,” explains the comic artist, who admits to being “blown away by the incredible support from fellow Singaporeans,” and that it means a lot to him. 

“This year, with the SG60 theme, I wanted to continue that spirit by creating something that highlights a familiar and iconic part of Singapore, something that locals can instantly recognise and that fans overseas can also connect with.” 

Working on the cover variant for Betty & Veronica, Summer in the Sun #1 served as a natural progression for KJ, following his first localisation stint with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comic publisher BOOM! Studio, where he brought attention to the Marina Bay Sands skyline. While a small addition on his part, the cover prompted readers to reach out and express their excitement at the unexpected inclusion of Singapore, and has since grown into one of his most memorable experiences, reminding him to “tell stories that connect with people and reflect the places and communities I care about.”

It’s been quite the journey for the self-taught professional, who still cringes when he looks back at some of his early artworks. Citing manga and anime as impetus that have shaped his love for visual storytelling, KJ highlights how the medium is rooted in the “sheer range of possibilities [where] imagination is the only limit”, allowing for “creative freedom through its pages and panels”. As a result, it’s possible to tell compelling stories about virtually any subject matter, name-dropping Captain Tsubasa, which centres on football; Hikaru no Go, focusing on Go, a strategy board game that shares similarities with chess; and Hitman Reborn!, following a mafia narrative. 

On the Western comics front, the human element endeared him to Marvel’s First Family, The Fantastic Four. “It wasn’t just another group of superheroes thrown together; it was a family, sometimes dysfunctional, but always grounded and emotionally real,” he shares. 

The superhero influence has left its mark on KJ’s life in another way, finding inspiration in noted comics illustrator Todd McFarlane, best known for his work as an artist on The Amazing Spider-Man and as the creator, writer, and artist of comic series Spawn. While admiration for the latter’s artistry is a given, it also extends to his business acumen and persistence, with the homebred illustrator highlighting the example of how McFarlane was rejected over 350 times before someone finally gave him a shot – the embodiment of the saying, “everything is hard before it is easy.”

“It’s a reminder that rejection is part of the process, and if you keep showing up and doing the work, your moment will come,” adds the Chiral Comics founder. 

For KJ, the dedication paid off when Topps reached out to him for their Star Wars sketch card project, which saw a new set of challenges. The first was a 2.5-by-3.5-inch canvas that limited working space, while the second involved finding the balance between a unique card design – since the same characters are drawn multiple times across a set – and staying true to who they are. Describing his fifth set, titled Star Wars: Hyperspace, as a standout, he had to conduct a fair amount of research to ensure that the characters tied to planet-specific cards like Bespin, Hoth, and Kashyyyk were accurately presented. 

And that’s the added pressure of playing in someone else’s playground, because while working with an established IP doubles down on discipline, meeting deadlines, and maintaining a high standard of quality, there are even more factors to consider if other creative talents are involved:

“Every member brings their own experiences, perspectives, and creative input, so one of the most important things is to respect each other’s expertise and maintain open, clear communication throughout. The challenge is about finding a balance, aligning your vision while being flexible enough to adapt and compromise when needed.”

Perhaps that’s the reason why KJ likes working on his own as well, as going solo is where he can pay homage to his roots. Both of his original graphic novels, ZHAO and The World My Arena, are infused with elements of his Singaporean and, by extension, Asian upbringing, with the latter modelled after familiar themes and his experiences with martial arts classes that made the creative process “more intuitive and grounded”. 

Meanwhile, ZHAO holds a special place in his heart, representing a dream come true for a wuxia (a genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China) fan – not only was the name inspired by Jin Yong’s classic novel, The Legend of the Condor Heroes, but it’s also KJ’s surname. 

Between original projects and established IPs, the comic artist acknowledges that the latter is “slightly easier” as the existing groundwork means iconic character designs, backstories, and visual references are readily available for guidance. The main job here is to reinterpret or stylise within a familiar framework, so creative direction is less daunting.

In contrast, creating memorable original characters and stories is an extremely challenging task that requires building everything from scratch and crafting personalities that readers will care about and connect with. The creative process for ZHAO, for example, involved weeks of research on its Yuan Dynasty setting and historical references to clothing, architecture, and cultural details, followed by back-and-forth idea development with his editor and co-writer in the scripting phase. 

Then, the story was broken down into thumbnails – page and panel layouts that map out the entire flow scene by scene – before the actual drawing can begin. Lettering, page assembly, and formatting capped off the workflow, offering a glimpse of the hard work that goes behind the scenes, excluding tasks like handling social media, responding to emails, working closely with collaborators, and more.

As the local art scene continues to grow through conventions such as SGCC and Anime Festival Asia, as well as smaller, community-based art markets, the advent, or threat, depending on who you ask, of artificial intelligence (AI) looms. Despite acknowledging that AI-generated art is here to stay, KJ puts his trust in the community to stand firm against it, expressing his appreciation for those who do so. 

After all, there’s more value to art than just how it looks. Building on a quote from fellow illustrator Stanley ‘Artgerm’ Lau, “When people buy my work, they don’t just buy the image. They buy my legacy, my experience in life. They’re purchasing a piece of my life – that’s what gives it value”, he surmises succinctly:

“That, to me, perfectly captures what we as artists bring to the table. It’s not just about producing an image; it’s about sharing a piece of who we are, and that’s something no machine can replicate.”

Kang Jing’s work can be found at @chiralcomics across social platforms.

Kang Jing is just one of the six local talents engaged by international companies. You can read our main story here, as our Little Red Dot celebrates not just 60 years of nation-building, but also the up-and-coming creators who are taking their work from our shores and on to the global stage. You can also read about comic artist Elvin Ching, digital visualisation artist Dave Oh (Lioncolony) and character designer Nguyễn Khanh Duy.

Si Jia

Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.

The post SG60 Geek Spotlight: Comic Book Artist Kang Jing Hosts The Archies In Singapore appeared first on Geek Culture.

Our Little Red Dot is famed for its rich culinary heritage, rags-to-riches stories and being one of the strongest financial hubs in the region – with Singaporeans and local companies scrambling to constantly sing its praises. But when it comes to extolling the capabilities of our creative community, international companies are doing all the talking for us.

From global companies such as Apple and Disney, to well-known international institutions like Archie Comics, Riot Games and Pop Mart, these icons of industry have coincidentally been tapping into the achievements of such Singapore and Singapore-based creatives, and giving them a global spotlight to highlight their works. 

And as the small Southeast Asia city-state celebrates six decades of nation-building with SG60 this year, there’s no better time to spotlight our local rising creative talents who have made their mark locally and are now primed to embark on a global journey, to join the ranks of giants in the Singapore creative and artistic industry who helped paved the way, including the likes of international actor Chin Han (The Dark Knight, Mortal Kombat), Hong Kong-born and Singapore-based Marvel and DC cover artist extraordinaire Stanley “Artgerm” Lau, and international photographer/influencer Lee Yik Keat (@yk).

First up is comic artist Kang Jing, 31, founder of home-grown brand Chiral Comics, whose cover and interior art span iconic comic books and trading cards, including Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Star Wars, and was recently engaged by Archie Comics, the company behind the iconic teen cast of characters, to draw a special cover for the SG60 exclusive issue, Betty & Veronica: Summer Fun In The Sun. On the cover, Jing draws the core cast of Archie Andrews, Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge and Reggie Mantle in Singapore, taking a wefie against the backdrop of the Supertrees at the nation’s instantly recognisable Gardens by the Bay. 

Limited to just 300 copies worldwide, the issue sold out within three days of its pre-order launch on 19 July, marking a successful collaboration between a legendary comic icon, a burgeoning Singapore comic book artist, and our very own iconic architecture. Despite all this, Kang remains humble and grounded, telling Geek Culture firmly that he hasn’t “made” it yet, and that there’s room to grow. 

Over at one of the world’s largest entertainment companies, The Walt Disney Co., 47-year-old artist Elvin Ching was one of just five hand-picked artists from around the world to be invited to Paris Disneyland and be a part of the third year of Marvel Art Atelier, an art program for the next generation of artists. Starting from short stories and a debut graphic novel, The Woodsman, with Epigram Books in 2021, Ching’s journey towards global recognition has been chronicled in a Marvel Art Atelier video, where the quintet had the opportunity to not only visit the theme park’s many attractions, but also meet and learn from notable Marvel Comics artists Simone Di Meo (X-Men of Apocalypse), David Messina (Ultimate Spider-Man), Pepe Larraz (The Amazing Spider-Man) and Esad Ribic (Thor: God of Thunder).

“I believe [Marvel] saw my determination to impress and impact by the level of detail I put into my work and that’s what made them see me as a promising artist,” recalls Ching, who adds how proud he felt to be represent as the only Asian of the group, “The program challenged me to go beyond what I thought I was capable of, so I am a bit more confident of how to approach drawing comics.”

Elsewhere in the Disney art space, Singaporean Danielle Tay is literally making waves as the visual artist kicking off Disney Cruise Line’s Local Artist Series showcase, with her nature-focused, locally inspired pieces debuting as artwork and exclusive merchandise sold only aboard the Disney Adventure cruise ship departing Singapore at the end of 2025. From designs on Disney Cruise Line’s accessories, such as tote bags, plate sets to home décor, to collectables and lithographs of her original Disney art pieces, her collection kickstarts Disney’s celebration of the beauty, artistry, and diversity of Southeast Asia, inviting all cruise guests to bring home a little of Singapore with their Disney merchandise.

“My hope is that each piece feels like a little adventure, a way for everyone to bring a bit of Singapore’s warmth and wonder home with them, just like Captain Mickey Mouse and friends discovering our tropical paradise,” notes the Lasalle College of the Arts alumnus.

Meanwhile, global tech icon Apple has launched the third edition of its “Here’s to the Dreamers” campaign, showcasing talents across Southeast Asia on a global stage, and representing Singapore are Singapore-based designer Duy Nguyễn, a video game character artist who has risen to become the associate art director at Riot Games for League of Legends: Wild Rift, and local music lover Kuok Meng Ru. He’s the co-founder of the music-making app BandLab, which was created to democratise music creation and champion accessibility, with the goal of building a supportive and inspiring community connected through music.

On the toy collectable front, Chinese toy company Pop Mart, of Labubu fame, has created a roving tour for its Space Molly toy franchise and it features the digital design of 32-year-old Dave Oh Jia Hao, better known as @Lioncolony on social media, and the only Singaporean engaged by Pop Mart to create a digital short film as part of the exhibition that opened in Ion Orchard, and is slated to travel across the region until October, including stints in Thailand and South Korea.

For Oh, the opportunity to work on Mega Space Molly was one he simple couldn’t pass up, as he was already familiar with the brands previous artist collaborations, and always wondered what Molly would look like when designed in the Lioncolony style.

“I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that I was the only Singaporean artist collaborating in this exhibition. It’s a little proud moment for me, and just in time for SG60.”

With six talented rising stars leading the charge, Singapore’s presence in the global creative scene continues to rise, with local talent earning their place in the spotlight thanks to the support from industry giants like Apple and Disney. Maybe comic book readers won’t be able to tell that the pencils are done by a Singaporean, or gamers won’t be able to discern that there was a Asian influence in the hit game they just played, but for that brief moment in time, something small had an impact on something big, like a proverbial lion’s roar heard all across the world.

Summing things up, Kang Jing says, “There have been more and more Asians, Singaporeans included, making waves in the international comics scene in recent years. In fact, they are among some of the best today! It’s very inspiring to see artists from this region gaining recognition for their work. Hopefully, this opens more doors for emerging creators from Singapore and Southeast Asia to tell their stories on an international stage.”

Kevin Low

Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.

The post SG60 Geek Spotlight: From Singapore to the World – Apple, Disney, Archie & More Harness Local Creative Talents appeared first on Geek Culture.

It’s no secret that Singapore is the secret hidden base for many things Star Wars. It was here that Lucasfilm set up its Southeast Asia office, where Lucasarts had a mini resurgence, and where Dave Filoni kickstarted the early seasons of The Clone Wars animated series.

So it’s no surprise that hidden in the Glasgow School of Art Singapore is a communication design teacher who is, among the local Star Wars community at least, better known for his Star Wars artwork featuring some of the most iconic characters from the franchise.

And with Star Wars Day on May 4th (May the Fourth) fast approaching, what better way to celebrate a nation’s love for a galaxy far far away, than with artist Jon Chan’s upcoming exhibition of his Star Wars art pieces at the ArtScience Museum. 

Never strictly copying what he sees, Chan’s Star Wars art teases and questions other possibilities should a character or a scene go differently. His decision to stray off-canon and play with possibilities is to give added punk rock values and tinge of uniqueness to his works. 

“I do use references to get accuracy, but I have a rule: Never just copy a thing straight, but change it up and take it out into a different context. That can be done simply by changing the pose of angle or lighting, but never just the image copied. There is very little of the elect of your own interpretation to the character or subject otherwise,” said Chan in an interview with Geek Culture. 

Few examples would be what if Din Djarin had Han Solo by his side throughout his adventures in The Mandalorian, or what if Bo-Katan Kyrze, Ahsoka Tano, Boba Fett and Cara Dune and Din Djarin had teamed up all together to fight off Moff Gideon and his crew? In fact, it has become an expectation of the local Singapore Star Wars Facebook group, where Chan would drop new artwork after almost every new episode of The Mandalorian Season 2.

To the untrained eye, Chan’s works look like they’re done on paper, especially with how detailed and textured they look. Each stroke is visible and the colours meld into each other beautifully. Is it paint? Crayon? No, says Chan. Because they’re all done digitally. 

Despite having a background in fine art, the artist finds an affinity with digital art “because it helps me get the stuff out as quickly as I need or as slowly as I need,”.

“I happen to have a background in Fine Art, so organic paint like acrylic was my comfort zone. Digital mediums were actually me getting challenged by my dad to try something different. Even now I occasionally do some pencil stuff because to be honest I like the plain-ness of monochrome still.”

And what makes it even more extraordinary is that the 46-year-old is not using the latest iPad or software to create his art. His weapons of choice are what some might consider to be the Millenium Falcon, hunk of junk and all – an old copy of Adobe Photoshop (2015’s CS6 to be exact) and a Wacom Intuos tablet, with what he calls “basic old school gear on a MacBook Pro”.

Each portrait takes a few days to complete, especially since Chan focuses on delivering life-like portraits that tell stories, and isn’t looking at merely recreating a stagnant carbon copy of scenes from the films and series. Of course, this varies from portrait to portrait. 

“If I were to actually just want to do a reproduction of something small, it wouldn’t be too long,” shared Chan.

“But the likelihood is that I would experiment with backgrounds because they help to frame the story for the characters.”

“That usually means I will have maybe three failed backgrounds for every successful piece I put up. They could be a case of being either too pedestrian or literal, maybe not dynamic enough. Those would take quite a few days to finish because of my tinkering.” 

Prior to making Star Wars portraits, the artist was a freelance illustrator who tackled themes like culture, martial arts and pop-culture. Even then, his works were inspired by other things aside from the subject matter he was bringing to paper, or in this case pixels. Chan takes inspiration from 1960s chanbara (samurai cinema), jigaigeki (Japanese period dramas) and even old monster movies, and adds them into his drawings to convey messages, stories or metaphors on the human condition or social stigma. 

Of course, nothing quite owned his heart like Star Wars. Chan was first introduced to Star Wars at a tender age of 5, after The Empire Strikes Back was released. Ever since then, destiny demanded that his love for the franchise would remain all the way till adulthood.

Recalling his first interaction with Star Wars, Chan said: “I was a little too young to understand when A New Hope was released but after Empire, I was hooked and wore out the VHS. From then on, any large cardboard boxes were turned into either the cockpit of the Millenium Falcon, or a SnowSpeeder with the help of magic markers. Empty spaces in textbooks became battlegrounds or the interior of Cloud City.”

And a few years after his introduction to Star Wars, Chan moved from role-playing and started going down his path as an artist. 

“Oh pretty much as far as I can tell, from the age of 7. If I could find those old textbooks, you’d probably find a lot of Chewbacca or Stormtroopers in the empty spaces around the pages, I think most kids would be like that,” shared Chan. 

Now, decades later, Chan finds himself drawing more and more portraits and sharing them in forums locally and overseas, and on his own Facebook and Instagram accounts. Now that the artist is slowly gaining popularity within the Star Wars community in Singapore, Chan is slowly considering starting up a strictly art account – that is, if he stops procrastinating. 

“I have been too lazy to start my own artstation account but I will do that really soon. At this point, if I could do this full-time I totally would, but I’m too busy having fun with the challenge to think too far ahead otherwise,” laughed Chan. 

Currently, Chan has a few art pieces in the pipeline. Without giving away too much, the artist revealed that he’s completing a few more Star Wars projects for ArtScience Museum’s May the 4th Be With You Event, and would like to explore other themes that aren’t based on the battle between good and evil in a galaxy far, far away. 

“I’m planning to re-enter the martial arts and chanbara themes. I am also planning to explore more regional mythology and characters like (legendary Malay martial artists) Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat at some stage.”

Until then, fans can catch a glimpse of Jon Chan in action, as well as adore the work he’s done on 2 May 2021 at the ArtScience Museum Singapore. More details here. 

Fans can also follow Jon Chan on his Instagram and Artstation account.

A'bidah Zaid

Don’t judge a book by its cover, for behind all this makeup, is a geek just like you. To simply put it, superheroes, Star Wars, Harry Potter and all things gore and creepy makes this girly girl swoon.

The post Geek Spotlight: Singapore Star Wars Artist, Jon Chan appeared first on Geek Culture.

Pictures, more often than not, can paint a thousand words, but they can convey even more, simply due to how the subject is framed, how the scene is lit, and how the image has been processed in post. It’s one thing to simply take a picture of something, and another to really consider what makes good photography. 

Even when toys – a hobby many often dismiss as childish – come into the (heh) picture, the soul of good photography isn’t lost. In fact, it’s one of the more accessible forms of the art, which is why many folks like James Xie find it so easy to geek out and hone their craft at the same time.

Together with Sunny Ang, Johnson Foon, Joel “Tiger” Magno, and Ken Loh, James is working to take professional-grade photos of their action figures of choice as part of Geek Culture’s Charity Auction 2020 to raise funds for the less fortunate in Singapore through Give.Asia, a local non-profit platform that supports donations to organisations.

While most of his other contemporaries chose to do solo or duo shots of their favourite Marvel Legends/Star Wars Black Series figures (sponsored by Hasbro Singapore), James instead decided to try something a little different with his project. 

His piece, titled “Night of the Sentinels”, comprises figures from the Marvel Legends X-Men 20th Anniversary figures, consisting of Magneto, Professor X, Wolverine and Mystique. Using the theme of forced perspective, he depicted the latter three standing on high alert in the background, while Magneto hovers ominously over them.

“With Hasbro’s release of the X-Men 20th Anniversary series, it was the perfect opportunity to re-create a shot of how mutants work together against their common enemy – the Sentinels. The inspiration behind my shot was taken from a two-part episode of the 1990s X-Men animated series, with the same title ‘Night of the Sentinels’,” James explains to Geek Culture.

While there are no actual action figures of the Sentinels, James manages to capture the foreboding nature of the shot, as if the four protagonists are anticipating the looming threat of the massive anti-Mutant machines ready to strike at any point in time. And as a fan of the live-action movie franchise, which is now 20 years old, James made it a point to depict his favourite versions of the X-Men in arguably one of the greatest X-Men stories of the past 30 years, in a spectacular shot.

While his shot seems rather simple to produce, it’s much, much more complex than that. When Geek Culture assigned the theme of forced perspective to James, he tooks some time to do extensive research on the Internet on how best to set up a “unique” angle to make the shot work. 

He relished the challenge of framing all four X-Men into a single shot from the view of the Sentinels towering over them. Using a combination of mood lighting and the stringent, calculated use of fog spray, he managed to successfully recreate the feeling of foreboding and ominousness in the scene.

“The illusion of forced perspective is achieved by varying the subject’s depth on a horizontal plane. As an indoor toy photographer I find this rather restrictive due to my small working desk. Shooting from a top-down angle helps in giving the illusion of depth as well,” James explains with regards to the challenges he faced in producing this piece.

Having worked with Marvel Legends action figures in the past, knowing just how the joints articulate, their intricate detailing, and their sheer durability, James certainly feels at an advantage when working with these figures.

With just one shot, James has put in a ton of thought and effort in making it happen, and taking that time to mull through and discern the nitty gritty details of a shoot is what makes it so fun for him. Though he concedes that toy photography is still a relatively small hobby in Singapore, he hopes that this charity auction will not only benefit the less fortunate in Singapore, but also raise more public awareness and reach for the hobby.

“The charity auction is a very meaningful and innovative initiative on Geek Culture’s part,” says James. “Thank you guys for the effort in making this happen! Much appreciated!”

The curated photos that James and the other toy photographers will then be printed and framed in A2 size, and then auctioned off to the highest bidder by the end of the Charity Auction that will take place on Give.Asia’s website. All proceeds will go to the local non-profit organisation Blessings in a Bag, which is aimed at assisting low opportunity, under-resourced youths, as well as empowering the community to help support one another.  The posters and postcards are all printed by Fotohub.

The charity organisation first started as a volunteer-powered community with the goal of providing every child and their families in need of help with the essentials they need to not only survive, but thrive. Blessings in a Bag partners with social-service organisations to help serve communities in need through donations or incentivised programmes to better empower them to take charge of their lives. 

They have previously collaborated with companies such as Amazon Singapore whereby the e-commerce cooperation encouraged members of the public to donate to the non-profit organisation by purchasing items that BIAB needs through its wishlist on Amazon.sg.

Geek Culture’s inaugural Charity Auction is running from 30 October till 30 November 2020, and will be held on the campaign’s Give.asia page. 

Marion Frayna

Marion has a serious RPG addiction. Sometimes it bleeds into real life; he forgets to sleep because he thinks he has a Witcher’s body clock. Forgive him in advance if he suddenly blurts out terms such as “Mind Flayer” and “Magic Missile”, because never once does he stop thinking about his next Dungeons & Dragons game.

The post Geek Culture Charity Auction Spotlight: James Xie appeared first on Geek Culture.

It’s easy to form the notion that toys are meant for kids but that assumption misses out on the many features of toys as engaging tools, and denies the therapeutic benefits of owning and playing with them, even for adults. 

For Singaporean toy photographers such as Johnson Foon, such action figures have transcended the social stigma attached to them, and are now part of something much bigger. In fact, his work will be featured in Geek Culture’s very own Charity Auction 2020 as part of our combined efforts to give back to the community during these strange times.

Alongside other Singaporean toy photographers such as Sunny Ang, Joel “Tiger” Magno, James Xie, and Ken Loh, Johnson has been hard at work scouring the island for the best spots to showcase Marvel Legends action figures to capture these figures in their most epic moments. 

Each photographer has picked from a pool of Marvel Legends action figures sponsored by Hasbro Singapore before embarking on their respective shoots in late September and early October. As a massive fan of 2005’s Fantastic Four movie (y’know, the good one), Johnson was inspired to pick Ben Grimm/The Thing as his muse. 

“I like the rock details on The Thing, as he looks mean and angry. It gives him a more outstanding look,” says Johnson, speaking to Geek Culture about his creative process behind the shots. 

Primarily a photographer who is more familiar with toy brands such as S.H. Figurarts, NECA, and LEGO, Johnson actually found the articulation on the Marvel Legends figures not as “flexible” and the alternate accessories such as hands and weapons “not as many” as what he’s used to. Thankfully, their robustness made up for their lack of flexibility, which made posing them much more bearable during shoots as they would drop from time to time due to a lack of balance. Also, he commends Hasbro for doing a great job in improving the detail and overall quality of the action figures over the years.

And though it might not look it, Johnson actually endured a bit of Singapore’s tumultuous weather to achieve the above shot. It was “raining cats and dogs” on the day he went to shoot at Fort Canning Park, and so he had to wait for the right timing for the sun to come out once more to get the perfect lighting conditions. 

This was slightly more challenging (and fun) as he wanted to capture the reflections of the sunlight onto the broken glass lying around The Thing (and with a couple more bits falling over his head, thanks to Sunny’s help)) to simulate the effect of him crashing onto the broken mirror. And the result is a scintillating piece of work that perfectly captures how Ben Grimm loathes his Thing alter ego as a result of the Fantastic Four going through the freak accident in their spaceship that transformed them into the iconic superheroes we know and love today.

“I recalled when I first saw Fantastic Four in 2005 when Ben Grimm was transformed into a large rock-like creature. I could see that the character didn’t like the appearance of what he had become. When I was given the ‘Shattered’ theme by Geek Culture, I immediately thought of placing him against bits of broken glass to project that he doesn’t like how he looks in the mirror and goes on to break it,” Johnson explained.

He also brought with him Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and Josh Brolin’s Cable from 2018’s Deadpool 2. And capturing the affable love/hate relationship between the two Mutants, he had Cable cradle Deadpool in his arms in loving and comical fashion.

“I got this idea from [Deadpool 2], in the final battle scene when Cable sacrificed his last charge on his time-traveling device to save Deadpool from a bullet. Deadpool appreciated [the gesture] and thanked him. This gave me an idea of using Deadpool’s hilarious character to craft my own scene by imagining how Cable would have saved Deadpool from an exploding vehicle. Hence, the title of this shot is called ‘Deadpool’s Hero’,” explains Johnson.

The best part about this whole process is that Johnson got to do what he loves most, while being able to give back to society with his works. And with most folks staying at home these days, he hopes that more will try out toy photography while finding inspiration to shoot in the comfort of their own home, and see that it “can also become one of the trending hobbies in Singapore.”

“I am happy that we can use toy photography as a hobby to help raise funds for charity,” said a proud Johnson when asked about how he feels being part of the Charity Auction. And indeed, one can tell just by the painstaking process he went through just to get these stellar shots.

The curated photos that Johnson and the other toy photographers will then be printed and framed in A2 size, and then auctioned off to buyers as part of the auction. All proceeds will go to the local non-profit organisation Blessings in a Bag, which is aimed at assisting low opportunity, under-resourced youths, as well as empowering the community to help support one another. The posters and postcards are all printed by Fotohub.

The charity organisation first started as a volunteer-powered community with the goal of providing every child and their families in need of help with the essentials they need to not only survive, but thrive. Blessings in a Bag partners with social-service organisations to help serve communities in need through donations or incentivised programmes to better empower them to take charge of their lives. 

They have previously collaborated with companies such as Amazon Singapore whereby the e-commerce cooperation encouraged members of the public to donate to the non-profit organisation by purchasing items that BIAB needs through its wishlist on Amazon.sg.

Geek Culture’s inaugural Charity Auction is running from 30 October till 30 November 2020, and will be held on the campaign’s Give.asia page. 

Marion Frayna

Marion has a serious RPG addiction. Sometimes it bleeds into real life; he forgets to sleep because he thinks he has a Witcher’s body clock. Forgive him in advance if he suddenly blurts out terms such as “Mind Flayer” and “Magic Missile”, because never once does he stop thinking about his next Dungeons & Dragons game.

The post Geek Culture Charity Auction Spotlight: Johnson Foon appeared first on Geek Culture.

When one mentions photography, images of fashion runways, wedding photos or studio shots come to mind, and toy photographer Joel “Tiger” Magno is working towards changing that. 

What first started as a hobby in 2011 has grown into a massive endeavor that quite literally appreciates the smaller things in life. Tiger’s impressive collage of toy photography spans action figures across Marvel, DC, Pokemon and Disney, culminating into an impressive Instagram account that boasts a whopping 18,000 followers, all for the desire to cultivate an increased appreciation of the art form that is toy photography.

In fact, Tiger’s work will be featured in Geek Culture’s very own Charity Auction 2020 as part of our combined efforts to give back to the community during this trying time. Alongside other Singaporean toy photographers such as Sunny Ang, Johnson Foon, Ken Loh and James Xie, each photographer was tasked to embark on a shoot to showcase their action figures of choice sponsored Hasbro Singapore, in the most creative and epic manner possible.

Given Tiger’s natural attraction to all things small and cute, he went ahead with three of The Mandalorian’s The Child figurines from Hasbro’s The Bounty Collection. Standing at 2.2 inches tall, Tiger tries to capture the tiny being’s facial expressions and emotions to tell a story of its own.

“I chose The Child Bounty Collection because that’s the best fit for my kind of toy photography – small, simple and cute,” shared Tiger. “For my photos, I wanted to show The Child in all (his) different moods.” 

Since shooting tiny figures is up Tiger’s alley, most of the photographer’s challenges deal with external factors, like creating the smoke effects as seen in his photos for example. Shooting at a lush greenscape in Singapore, Tiger shared his difficulties: “It took me a while to think (about) how I’m going to recreate a smoke effect with limited resources. I can’t just burn something to create the effect.” 

Tiger eventually settled with using baby powder to create the effect. The photographer had stacked up chopped tree logs on top of one another to create an outdoor adventurous setting for The Child. He then got a friend to sit beside the logs and press on a bottle of baby powder, effectively creating a smoke-like effect that dramatically surrounded the toys. Tiger too lightly mist the figurines with water, further making The Child appear more lifelike and emotive. 

These efforts are a new approach for the seasoned content creator. “I love the effect of the powder and mist in my photo. This is my first time doing some practical effects for my toy photography and I am happy with the result,” said Tiger. 

This exploration of new and creative elements with his photography serves as icing on the cake, with the ability to help the needy with a hobby he loves most as the cherry on top. For aspiring toy photographers, Tiger asserts that location plays a big role in photography and that one should always make use of their surroundings to further amplify their images. 

“The figures should fit well into the whole picture; the backgrounds, the scene, the props and the colours too. This will set the tone of the photo. It might be a challenge but if you look around there are certainly some things you can use for your toy photograph,” Tiger advised. 

The curated photos that Tiger and the other toy photographers will then be printed and framed in A2 size, and then auctioned off to buyers as part of the auction. All proceeds will go to the local non-profit organisation Blessings in a Bag, which is aimed at assisting low opportunity, under-resourced youths, as well as empowering the community to help support one another. The posters and postcards are all printed by Fotohub.

The charity organisation first started as a volunteer-powered community with the goal of providing every child and their families in need of help with the essentials they need to not only survive, but thrive. Blessings in a Bag partners with social-service organisations to help serve communities in need through donations or incentivised programmes to better empower them to take charge of their lives. 

They have previously collaborated with companies such as Amazon Singapore whereby the e-commerce cooperation encouraged members of the public to donate to the non-profit organisation by purchasing items that BIAB needs through its wishlist on Amazon.sg.

Geek Culture’s inaugural Charity Auction is running from 30 October till 30 November 2020, and will be held on the campaign’s Give.asia page. 

A'bidah Zaid

Don’t judge a book by its cover, for behind all this makeup, is a geek just like you. To simply put it, superheroes, Star Wars, Harry Potter and all things gore and creepy makes this girly girl swoon.

The post Geek Culture Charity Auction Spotlight: Tigermiyaw appeared first on Geek Culture.

What does Halloween, action figures, charity and Deadpool have in common?

In reality not much, but under the watchful eyes and hands of toy photographer Ken Loh, who knows what fun mayhem can ensue? 

The 43-year-old lecturer, who teaches 3D animation in LASALLE College of the Arts, is using this opportunity to showcase his favourite Marvel Comics character decked out in a pirate costume, during the spooky season, to raise money for a good cause.

His work will be featured in Geek Culture’s very own Charity Auction 2020, as part of our combined efforts to give back to the community during this trying time. Alongside other Singaporean toy photographers such as Sunny Ang, Johnson Foon, Joel ‘Tiger’ Magno and James Xie, each photographer was tasked to embark on a shoot to showcase their action figures of choice sponsored by leading toymaker Hasbro, in the most creative and epic manner possible.

Each photographer has picked from a pool of Marvel Legends action figures sponsored by Hasbro Singapore before embarking on their respective shoots in late September and early October. 

In the spirit of Halloween, Ken was assigned the theme ‘Hello Halloween’, but instead of celebrating the horrors of the holiday, Ken decided to frame it around celebration, house decorating and getting all dressed up in crazy costumes, and who better to do so, than Deadpool. Ken created a set for the toys he’s picked – Pumpkin lanterns adorn the streets and spider web peek through dusty corners, and even used atmosphere aerosol spray to create a foggy atmosphere and give the set a mysterious mood. 

Ken’s expertise, as seen in his photos is the use of lights to tell a story. The lighting, according to Ken, was inspired by the animosity between Deadpool and Cable when they first met in the film, Deadpool 2. 

“My favourite thing about the shots I took is the use of colourful lightings to drive the narratives and visual aesthetics. And also the work that was put into dressing up the diorama, in creating a believable world for the characters to reside in. Not forgetting the interplay between the camera angles and the clear silhouettes of the figures’ poses to show their different personalities and intentions,” said Ken. 

As seen in the photo, Cable is seen posing walking towards the camera with his head slightly turned and fist clenched, signalling that he’s sensed Deadpool’s presence. Blue light shined onto Cable was specifically chosen to reflect his personality, as the orange light on Deadpool. 

“Deadpool being showy and flamboyant, was lighted with warm orange lighting whereas Cable, who has a calmer exterior was lighted with blue colour lighting. The blue lighting also indicates that the scene is set at night time. Furthermore, the warm and cool colours create a nice visual contrast,” shared Ken. 

Despite Ken being a professional in a field, the 43-year-old still found the shoot challenging. For starters, Ken found difficulties in getting the Deadpool figure to stand in a myriad of poses given how the outfit he wore restricted his movements. Being unfamiliar with bad boy Cable, the photographer rewatched the Deadpool movies so that he could pose the action figures in ways that would better showcase their personalities. 

Like the saying goes, ‘you learn something new everyday’ and for Ken this shoot was his first time using atmosphere aerosol to create fog in his images. It might have taken him a number of attempts to figure out the right amount to spray and the best camera settings to capture the effect, but it was incredibly worth it in the end. Take a look at the photos itself, the proof is in the pudding. 

The curated photos that Ken and the other toy photographers will then be printed and framed in A2 size, and then auctioned off to buyers as part of the auction. All proceeds will go to the local non-profit organisation Blessings in a Bag, which is aimed at assisting low opportunity, under-resourced youths, as well as empowering the community to help support one another. The posters and postcards are all printed by Fotohub.

The charity organisation first started as a volunteer-powered community with the goal of providing every child and their families in need of help with the essentials they need to not only survive, but thrive. Blessings in a Bag partners with social-service organisations to help serve communities in need through donations or incentivised programmes to better empower them to take charge of their lives. 

They have previously collaborated with companies such as Amazon Singapore whereby the e-commerce cooperation encouraged members of the public to donate to the non-profit organisation by purchasing items that BIAB needs through its wishlist on Amazon.sg.

Geek Culture’s inaugural Charity Auction is running from 30 October till 30 November 2020, and will be held on the campaign’s Give.asia page. 

A'bidah Zaid

Don’t judge a book by its cover, for behind all this makeup, is a geek just like you. To simply put it, superheroes, Star Wars, Harry Potter and all things gore and creepy makes this girly girl swoon.

The post Geek Culture Charity Auction Spotlight: Ken Loh appeared first on Geek Culture.

One of the best things about playing with toys is that there are no boundaries – building blocks can mix with action figures, and dolls can interact with miniature cars – and the limits are your imagination. Now imagine having that sort of mash-up creativity, with the aesthetics of a photographer. 

Such is the case for Singaporean toy photographer Sunny Ang, a hobbyist toy photographer who has spent five years perfecting his craft. Now, Sunny, along with four other photographers, will be using their skills in toy photography to help give back to society through Geek Culture’s very first Charity Auction 2020.

Alongside fellow local toy photographers Joel “Tiger” Magno, James Xie, Ken Loh, and Johnson Foon, Sunny was given the task to showcase their action figure of choice (courtesy of Hasbro Singapore) in as epic a fashion as possible, while sticking to their given theme. Which in Sunny’s case, happened to be “Levitation”.

Prior to shooting their photos, the photographers were all given a chance to pick their preferred action figures and for Sunny, he immediately took this chance to pick Deadpool, a character he has always wanted to shoot a photo of.

“I have always wanted to do a photo with Deadpool and didn’t own that figure yet at the time of the shoot, so this opportunity came at the right time,” explained Sunny. Aside from Deadpool, Sunny also decided to pick out a Wolverine and Yoda figurine, since he had the idea of mashing up different characters in one photo for his final piece. 

Sunny’s final piece ended up being a fun crossover between Star Wars and Marvel, with Jedi Master Yoda trying his best to mediate between Deadpool and Wolverine. 

“Along get, can we?” asks Yoda as he levitates both the Marvel superheroes. We have to say Wolverine looks extremely disgruntled to be levitated by Yoda.

“The idea for my shot came almost immediately when the toys given out by Hasbro were shown to the participants. The theme assigned to me was levitation. Whenever I receive a brief, one of the first few things I would do is to google the word and check out existing images as a springboard for ideas,” said Sunny, explaining the creative process behind his shoot. 

“In this case, when I saw the Yoda figure, I immediately had various possibilities in my mind. As he was the only one I know in the lot of figures to choose from that has magical powers of levitation, the only thing left was to figure out what or who he would levitate.”

For those who might be wondering just what argument is Yoda mediating, it turns out Sunny went full meta mash-up, and drew inspiration from Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds’ (the actors who played Wolverine and Deadpool in the movies) long-running real-life feud which dates back all the way to 2008. It features a mix of hilarious comments on social media, including one with Jackman calling security on Reynolds, Jackman/Reynolds face masks, and even had fellow actors such as Jake Gyllenhaal joining in the feud. 

Aside from the pair, Sunny also wanted to feature Yoda in his photo, so he “made him the mediator and separated the two combatants the only way Yoda would.”

Of course, taking a shot as elaborate as Sunny’s could not have been a walk in the park and as Sunny shares, he did face some difficulties with getting his photo just the way he wanted it.

“Getting just the right smoky atmosphere and trying to create dramatic lighting was a challenge,” said Sunny. As it turns out, the difficulties Sunny faced also happened to be some of the best things he liked about the photo. 

“I enjoy the humour of the photo of Yoda levitating Deadpool and Wolverine and also the small details like the sword sliding off halfway from Deadpool and the falling unicorn. The smoky atmosphere is also one of my favourite things about this shot.”

Having spent time working with these three toys by Hasbro Singapore, Sunny’s advice to others looking to try shooting with such figurines is to “take that extra time and check the [action figure’s] poses” before clicking the shutter button.

“Hasbro toys are pretty articulated and getting them into a realistic pose is pretty easy. The challenge is to make use of the great articulation and adjust the figures in such a way that the figures are interacting in a realistic matter. For example, when in a fight scene, to make sure the one throwing the punch and the one receiving it are posed as dynamically and realistically as possible,” explained Sunny.

The photos that Sunny and the four other toy photographers took are printed and framed in A2 size, and being auctioned off to the highest bidder by the end of the Charity Auction on Give.Asia’s website. 

All proceeds will be donated to the local non-profit organisation Blessings in a Bag that is aimed at assisting low opportunity, under-resourced youths, as well as empowering the community to help support one another. 

The charity organisation first started as a volunteer-powered community with the goal of providing every child and their families in need of help with the essentials they need to not only survive, but thrive. Blessings in a Bag partners with social-service organisations to help serve communities in need through donations or incentivised programmes to better empower them to take charge of their lives. 

They have previously collaborated with companies such as Amazon Singapore whereby the e-commerce cooperation encouraged members of the public to donate to the non-profit organisation by purchasing items that BIAB needs through its wishlist on Amazon.sg.

With regards to the Charity Auction, Sunny shared that he “has never really thought” of using his photos for charity and “this was certainly a great opportunity to showcase my toy photography works and do some good at the same time. Win Win!”

Through the charity, aside from giving back to the community, Sunny ultimately hopes that this will be a good opportunity for people outside of the toy community “to discover this niche genre of photography.”

Geek Culture’s inaugural Charity Auction is running from 30 October till 30 November 2020, and will be held on the campaign’s Give.asia page. 

Germaine Wong

Germaine is a fun-sized introvert who loves nothing better than sleeping in on rainy days. She can be found reading fanfiction and manga while still waiting for her Hogwarts acceptance letter. It’ll come eventually.

The post Geek Culture Charity Auction Spotlight: Sunny Ang appeared first on Geek Culture.

As the adage goes, do what you love and you don’t have to work a single day in your life. That’s the community we serve, and the toy photographers who have turned their passion into a career, and we’re now sharing it with you.

Earlier this year, Geek Culture conducted its very first massive giveaway to encourage the community to stay indoors. Heartened by the number of participants that took part, we decided to hold something special with our very first Charity Auction 2020, to help those in need of assistance, and give back to the community, with the help from local toy photographers.

The Who’s Who of local toy photographers – Sunny Ang, James Xie, Ken Loh, Johnson Foon, and Joel “Tiger” Magno have agreed to take time off their busy schedule to support this good cause, where they will use their immense talents to snap some geek-tastic shots for us. 

Printed on canvas and framed in A2 size via FotoHub, these shots will be awarded to the highest bidder by the end of the auction. Thanks to our partner Hasbro Singapore, the five were given access to a variety of some of the latest and hottest Hasbro toys, to prepare for this. The range of toys used include action figures from across the Star Wars The Black Series, Marvel Legends Series as well as G.I. Joe Classified Series.

The photographers are all well known in the field of toy photography, with photographers like Sunny Ang serving as the co-founder of Plastic Singapore, a Facebook group filled with toy photographers who organises monthly outings with the objective of shooting toys. 

The photographers have each been given a theme and a selection of toys from our sponsor Hasbro to choose from. From there, they could shoot anything they want as long as it follows their given theme. Given what we’ve seen these famous five deliver in the last few years, we are definitely looking forward to seeing what amazing shots our local toy photographers will produce. 

Do note that the toy photos taken for the Charity Auction are all one of a kind, and will not be available anywhere else.

Here are the featured images that will be available for bidding:

Those interested in bidding for a framed toy photograph can do so on the Charity Auction’s Give.asia page.

Each toy photography canvas print will start off at S$100. Those participating in the auction will be required to indicate which photo they are bidding for. The highest bidders for each toy photograph by the end of the campaign will get to walk away with the photo of their choice. If you bid twice on the same photo, we will count the total amount you have donated. 

Please note that all bids collected will be considered as a contribution, and no refunds will be given if you do not win the toy photograph.

All contributions big or small are welcome! If you do not wish to bid for the massive print but still want to do your part to support our charity initiative, then you can simply donate to the campaign at a smaller value. Those who donate a minimum of S$10 will be entitled to receive a set of five A5 postcards (limited to one set per donor).

After the Charity Auction is over, all the proceeds earned will be donated to the local award-winning non-profit organisation Blessings in a Bag, which is aimed at assisting low opportunity, under-resourced youths, as well as empowering the community to help support one another. 

The award-winning charity organisation first started as a volunteer-powered community, with the goal of providing every child and their families in need of help with the essentials they need to not only survive, but thrive. Blessings in Bag partners with social-service organisations to help serve communities in need through donations or incentivised programmes to better empower them to take charge of their lives. 

They have previously collaborated with companies such as Amazon Singapore whereby members of the public were encouraged to donate to the non-profit organisation by purchasing items that BIAB needs through its wishlist on Amazon.sg. They are also currently running a fundraising campaign to fund initiatives to help nurture a community of volunteers through a mentorship program that encourages self-directed growth and development in individuals.

We are excited to be partnering with Geek Culture at such a critical time for so many. At Blessings in a Bag, we remain a volunteer-powered community determined to provide every child and their family navigating challenging circumstances with the essentials needed to thrive and to feel safe, valued and supported. The funds raised through this charity auction will go directly to meet the needs of our youth and resourcing for our classroom space. Thank you for your support.

Emily Teng, Founder of Blessings in a Bag

Geek Culture’s inaugural Charity Auction will take place from 30 October till 30 November 2020, and will be held via GIVE.ASIA.

Germaine Wong

Germaine is a fun-sized introvert who loves nothing better than sleeping in on rainy days. She can be found reading fanfiction and manga while still waiting for her Hogwarts acceptance letter. It’ll come eventually.

The post Singaporean Toy Photographers & Geek Culture Team Up For First-Ever Charity Auction appeared first on Geek Culture.

Like many in the LEGO MOC space, Tommy Tong’s transition from casual builder to brick enthusiast was as a result of a combination of two things: a childhood fascination with building things from scratch by connecting parts together, as well as chance encounters with like-minded individuals in their adult years.

“I told myself that when I grow up, I am going to earn that money to support this hobby”, the 40-year-old tells Geek Culture, who reminisced about playing with LASY System educational blocks as a kid. 

Two decades prior, he was exposed to LEGO through a childhood friend, who introduced the vintage LEGO Pirate and Castle series. But it wasn’t until 2011 that his passion truly took off, after meeting a group of AFOLs (Adult Fan of LEGO) at a LEGO Star Wars convention at the LEGOLAND in San Diego as a volunteer. He hasn’t looked back since.

“I did collect LEGO Technic [sets] when I was [studying] in Australia back in 2005, but it was more of buying the sets themselves that I love, especially Ferrari, and building them [from the box itself],” says Tommy. “If you ask about actively building new creations, it would be in 2012 [after the San Diego convention].”

It has been eight years since Tommy began his LEGO MOC journey, and hasn’t looked back since. A lecturer at Sunway University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by day, he ensures he spends about 3 hours a day on average working on his next project. 

Already, it is challenging to think up a custom build of your own and bring it to life, let alone incorporating interactive mechanics that give it a more hands-on experience. It’s one thing to build massive dioramas or replicas of characters or items, but for Tommy, it’s all about engaging the mind.

If anything, his passion of interacting with his students has also bled into his building philosophy, and hence focuses primarily on building MOC projects that involve a dynamic element (or elements) of interaction with which to engage audiences, especially children.

One of Tommy’s favourite such builds was his “Finding Emmet” diorama, a large-scale centerpiece featuring multiple minifigs of the main character from The LEGO Movie back in 2014. 

Treating it as a Where’s Wally? type of mini-game, he carefully hid the Emmet minifigs around the diorama. Children that counted the correct number of Emmet minifigs would win a small prize for a local LEGO store in San Diego. And the best thing of all? He submitted this diorama at the Bricks by the Bay LEGO building competition at San Francisco in 2014 and won the Best Movie Adaptation category).

Similarly, he built a LEGO Star Wars set that functioned as a memory game. Inspired by fellow AFOL Larry Lars, he built this set with a simple “Match-Two” mechanic in mind, where players have to guess two of the same LEGO Star Wars minifigs by rotating one of the twelve panels (where a minifig will be hidden behind) before the other does. Players keep track of their score by attaching mini lightsabers (found on the roof of the box) onto the red or blue lightsaber hilts. It’s a simple game, but presented in a way that would make most big-name toy manufacturers sweat.

“I find such interactive builds are a good way to stimulate the mind,” Tommy justifies, “and it also challenges me to incorporate these interactive features into the models.”

One look at Tommy’s works and you can tell his inner child is screaming for joy, having realised his childhood dream. But if there’s any one piece of advice he can give to those aiming to start their own LEGO MOC journey, it’s to surround yourself with the people who share this hobby. 

Of course, what got him started was his involvement in the SanDLUG (San Diego LEGO User Group) AFOL community back in 2011 when he was working as a researcher, where he rubbed shoulders with really experienced and talented brick builders, and was inspired enough to start building his own custom LEGO sets. By that rubric, he wagers reaching out to your local AFOL community might be a good place to start.

This segues nicely into Tommy’s other core principle of being an MOC creator: do not be afraid to seek help from others who have the experience. Perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions about starting out as an MOC builder is that one has to do everything by themselves. This is why Tommy, and many others like him, strongly recommend engaging the community, as the advice and suggestions one could receive from them will no doubt aid in improving one’s building techniques and experimenting with parts in ways never before seen.

“But of course, it is important to have spare cash to support this hobby because this is a long-term investment,” concludes Tommy. 

And he couldn’t have said it better.

Marion Frayna

Marion has a serious RPG addiction. Sometimes it bleeds into real life; he forgets to sleep because he thinks he has a Witcher’s body clock. Forgive him in advance if he suddenly blurts out terms such as “Mind Flayer” and “Magic Missile”, because never once does he stop thinking about his next Dungeons & Dragons game.

The post LEGO MOC Geek Spotlight: Tommy Tong appeared first on Geek Culture.