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.

Toothless and Hiccup have found a new pair of allies in the skies. Instead of the Isle of Berk, they hail from a different village altogether: the Hidden Leaf Village, home to Naruto Uzumaki, who’s featured in a special collaboration visual alongside Gamakichi, the character’s personal summon.

In the special tie-up between Naruto and How to Train Your Dragon, the yellow-haired protagonist is seen fist-bumping Hiccup as the latter sweeps into an overhead turn. The artwork is illustrated by Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto, and serves to celebrate the upcoming release of DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures’ live-action adaptation in Japan.

“The animated How to Train Your Dragon is so entertaining that even cartoonists think of it as a masterpiece of the highest calibre. Even as a live-action, it will be just as entertaining! I bet flying on the back of a live-action dragon feels just as exhilarating. Let’s fly!” said Kishimoto in a comment published on the official Japanese website.

The movie opens in Japan on 5 September, three months after its debut in the U.S. It has since grossed US$628 million worldwide and become the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2025, as well as the highest-grossing entry in the How To Train Your Dragon franchise. A sequel based on the second instalment in the animated trilogy is scheduled for a 2027 release, though director Dean DeBlois has previously hinted at possible deviation from the source material.

Based on the novel by author Cressida Cowell, the series follows the adventures of a scrawny misfit teen named Hiccup in the mythical viking village of Berk, who befriends an injured dragon he calls Toothless — defying a long-standing tradition where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for centuries. Mason Thames (The Black Phone) and Nico Parker (The Last of Us, Dumbo) star in the live-action adaptation as Hiccup and Astrid, respectively.

As for Naruto, the original manga began in 1999 and ran until 2017 for a total of 72 volumes. It follows the story of the titular character, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. The IP now includes two massively popular anime series (Naruto and Naruto Shippuden), several feature-length films, novels, video games, and more, with an ongoing sequel series titled Boruto focusing on Naruto’s son as he creates his own ninja path instead of following his father’s.

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 ‘Naruto’ Takes Flight In ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ Collaboration Art 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.

Singapore is turning 60 this year, which means all sorts of celebrations are kicking into high gear. It’s no different for the realm of pop culture, with Singapore-based art studio Chiral Comics joining forces with renowned American comic book publisher Archie Comics to create a special cover art for the occasion (referred to as SG60), featuring local elements for the first time in its history.

In the illustration for Betty & Veronica, Summer in the Sun #1, the main quintet of Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, and Reggie are seen snapping a group photograph against the backdrop of Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay. Alongside Archie’s “I Love SG” t-shirt, the durian fruit, which Jughead is eating, also adds to the local flavour.

The limited-edition design is the brainchild of Singaporean artist Kang Jing (KJ), whose credits include Marvel, Star Wars, Power Rangers, and Green Hornet. It isn’t the first time the Chiral Comics founder has brought Singapore into the world of Western comics, either, as Marina Bay Sands was thrust into the spotlight for a previous issue of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers that he worked on.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of franchises being localised because it creates a much deeper connection, like they are part of your world. Last year, I had the opportunity to create a Singapore-exclusive cover for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, which featured the iconic Marina Bay Sands skyline,” he shared with Geek Culture. “This year, with SG60 as the 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.”

Not everyone will be able to grab hold of the cover, however. The officially licensed release is limited to 300 copies worldwide, making it a special and meaningful SG60 collectible for fans. Pre-orders are now open on the publisher’s social media platforms, starting from US$19.90, and fulfilment is expected in August.

Describing his experience as “surreal” and “nothing short of amazing”, KJ expressed his thoughts on the significance of the SG60 Archie Comics collaboration for the local art scene and himself:

“As a self-taught local artist, this opportunity means a lot to me. I hope it encourages more young artists in Singapore to be brave in chasing their passions and to believe their work can reach an international audience. It’s my dream to see Singapore recognised not just as an economic powerhouse, but also as a vibrant creative arts hub.”

The first issue of Betty & Veronica, Summer in the Sun tells a new story from writer and artist Holly G across 30 pages, featuring contributions from Tania Del Rio, Dan Parent, Goldie Chan, Bill Golliher, Frank Doyle, Dan Decarlo, Jim Amash, Bob Smith, Rudy Lapick, Glenn Whitmore, Jack Morelli, and Vincent Decarlo.

“Archie’s won free tickets to a brand-new waterpark in Riverdale, and he wants the whole gang to join him!” reads its synopsis. “But someone like Veronica doesn’t just go to a water park — she’s there to make a SPLASH!”.

It’s always heartening to see local talents rise on the international stage, much less on a project as iconic as Archie Comics. The series has had a storied legacy, with its origins tracing back to the winter of 1942.

Pre-orders are up now on Chiral Comics’ online store with prices starting at US$19.90, up till CGC Graded + Signed & Remarked versions at US$132.90. Shipping is expected to be in August 2025.

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 Special SG60 ‘Archie Comics’ Cover By Singaporean Illustrator Is Limited To 300 Copies Worldwide appeared first on Geek Culture.

It’s one thing when companies create licensed products for consumers with intellectual property parnters, from apparel, electronics, smartphones and smartphone accessories to premium gaming chairs, but it’s another thing when your logo appears in the brand partner’s official canon.

That’s what Batman fans are privy to in the most recent Batman comic book, issue #159, when artwork from the Batcave showed Batman seated on a Batman-shaped chair displaying a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it logo of Singapore’s premium gaming chair brand, Secretlab.

Yes, Secretlab has a Batman chair, but now, they are also the official chair maker for Batman in the DC Comics universe.

While the Secretlab name is not present in the comic, the triple triangle logo of the company is drawn fully on the headrest of the chair that Batman is seated on.

Drawn by legendary artist Jim Lee for the first issue of a multi-issue sequel to Jeph Loeb’s and Lee’s iconic Batman: Hush series from 2022, the placement of Secretlab’s logo might seem unrelated, if it wasn’t for the fact that the logo is placed on a chair, at the very same spot that Secretlab places its logos on the chairs it designs and retails.

Call it a cameo, call it a fun reference, or call it a brand partnership, but Holy Gaming Chairs Batman – your throne is made by a Singapore company.

Fun reference for those who remember, in Batman Begins (2005), Alfred (Michael Caine) name drops Singapore when talking to Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) about buying Batgear from Singapore. Twenty years later, the comics have come full circle and named the Singapore company!

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 It’s Official – Batman’s Batchair In The Batcave Is Made By Singapore’s Secretlab appeared first on Geek Culture.

Since its inception in 1977, the Star Wars franchise has left an indelible mark on the pop culture scene — to such a degree that it even has a commemorative day to call its own. Taking place on 4 May (dubbed “May the Fourth”) every year, it acts as a wordplay on the catchphrase “May the Force be with you”, but is far from the only celebratory affair for fans.

Enter Star Wars Celebration, a large convention that embraces a shared love for the long-running sci-fi franchise. Held annually, barring a few exceptions, it brings the excitement to varying locations around the world, with the 2025 iteration making its way to Japan. It’s nothing short of apt that it will feature badge art designs in the style of ukiyo-e, a tradition of Japanese art that thrived in the 17th to 19th centuries.

As unveiled by the official Star Wars website, the illustrations are done by Japanese artist TAKUMI, who has created official promotional art for Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder and The Mandalorian Season 3. The first wave of designs features Darth Vader, Yoda, Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, and The Mandalorian and Grogu, revealing five out of 17 designs.

Explaining the connection between Japanese culture and Star Wars,” he explained, “When I was working on the badge art, I spent a lot of time revisiting the characteristics and backgrounds of each character, thinking about how to adapt their narrative into the ukiyo-e. I looked back at the stories depicted in the masterpieces by ukiyo-e artists of the past, analysing the motifs and elements woven into their compositions, and thought about which characters’ narratives would best fit with those themes. The research continued until I found the right theme for each character.”

TAKUMI continued, “Another key element was reimagining the characters’ costumes and weapons with a Japanese influence. This process required blending them with aspects of traditional Japanese clothing, decorations, armour, and weaponry, and determining the right level of modification. It was a challenging task, but once the ideal style was achieved, it was immensely rewarding.”

It’s no secret that the franchise was largely inspired by the works of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa — 1958’s The Hidden Fortress in particular — which makes the artistic blend a nice homage to its roots.

Star Wars Celebration Japan will run from 18 to 20 April 2025 in Makuhari Messe, located in Chiba Prefecture just outside of Tokyo, with tickets currently on sale.

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 Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025 Reimagines Yoda, Darth Vader, Ahsoka & More In Traditional Art Style appeared first on Geek Culture.

It’s been 9 years since OatKing Animation posted up an Empire-focused Star Wars animated short, drawn with the crazy detail and shading in classic 80s’ style anime. The video is at 14 million views now, which is testament of how viral it had gotten over the years.

This time, with just less than a month till the theatrical release of Alien: Romulus, OatKing spent over 6 years to create a 15-minute Alien: MONDAY short film tribute to Ridley Scott’s Alien and classic 80’s anime.

While we wait for the possibility of an official Alien anime series or movie in the years to come, we’ll have to settle for a live-action series that’s currently in the works at FX.

Yonk

Yonk is a geek who is fortunate enough to have an equally geeky Star Wars fan for a wife, who owns a LEGO Millennium Falcon encased in a glass coffee table as their home’s centre-piece.

The post ‘Alien: Monday’ Is an 80s’ Style Anime Short Film That Took Over 6 Years To Make appeared first on Geek Culture.

There’s just something special about pixel art, that we all love so much. These timeless creations from the 8-bit and 16-bit era are simply irresistible. Made popular from video games in the ’80s and ’90s, and even till today, many games still make use of pixel art. Even the majority of animated GIFs are beautiful works of animated pixel art. Divoom clearly shares the same love for pixel art and has been churning out various gadgets and accessories for fans to bring their love for pixel art beyond the computer and onto backpacks, speakers and desktop displays.

Being such massive pixel art fans ourselves, here are a few of our top picks from Divoom’s ever-growing range of pixel art-infused gadgets.

Divoom Times Gate – Informative Display

Divoom’s latest release is clearly heavily influenced by cyberpunk aesthetics. It’s an RGB-infused, 5-panel full-colour LCD display that sits right at the centre of your workspace / battlestation. Eac IPS screen displays up to 128×128 pixel art and is fully customisable via Divoom’s phone app. You can either use it as a fancy nixie tube digital clock, or set each panel to display the weather, time, social media stats, financial info, currency exchange, news feeds, or simply a rotation of all your favourite animated GIFs. The Times Gate is WiFi enabled, with support for Alexa and IFTTT.

Divoom Pixoo-64 LED Display

The Pixoo-64 is 64×64 LED panel that connects via WiFi and can be easily mounted on the wall or placed on a tabletop like a picture frame. Similar to the Times Gate, the panel can be set to display the weather, time, social media stats, financial info, or simply a rotation of all your favourite animated GIFs in their full glory.

Divoom Sling Bag-V

This handy-sized sling bag is made of IP68 waterproof material and sports a 4.7-inch 16×16 pixel screen that displays all your favourite pixel art while on the go. There is a front compartment for stowing your power bank, which powers the screen via USB. Don’t be fooled by its small size for it can pack an iPad, Nintendo Switch, mobile phone, wallet, shades, earbuds and business card holder. All the essentials a modern-day geek needs. The screen connects via Bluetooth to Divoom’s app which gives you access to the thousands of pixel art available via its online community of creators.

Divoom Ditoo-Pro Retro Bluetooth Speaker

This ridiculously cute and retro portable Bluetooth speaker and a 16×16 screen to display your favourite pixel art while playing some tunes from internet radio, MP3 (via a TF card), or via Bluetooth to your phone with Spotify and iTunes. It also doubles as an alarm clock and even plays mini games. The RGB backlit mechanical keyboard adds to the vintage aesthetic enabling the user to cycle through lighting modes, on-screen displays and volume control. It makes for a perfect gift for anyone with its assortment of colours.

Yonk

Yonk is a geek who is fortunate enough to have an equally geeky Star Wars fan for a wife, who owns a LEGO Millennium Falcon encased in a glass coffee table as their home’s centre-piece.

The post Show Off Your Love For Pixel Art With These Gadgets From Divoom appeared first on Geek Culture.

We delve into the exciting world of Adobe Photoshop AI and its groundbreaking new Generative Fill feature. Join us as we explore how this cutting-edge technology revolutionizes the way we edit and enhance images. From seamless object removal to stunning content-aware fills, we’ll demonstrate how to harness the power of Photoshop AI’s Generative Fill to effortlessly transform your photos.

With the Generative Fill tool, users are able to create or remove objects, generate backgrounds, extend images, and more. All you have to do is access the Contextual Task Bar window, type in the desired outcome, and select the desired variations. It’s just way too easy.

Creators can tap into the power of the Generative Fill feature today through Adobe Photoshop’s desktop beta app. This new feature is set to officially roll out in the second half of 2023. It is also available as a new module in the Firefly beta app if you are interested to test out the new capabilities on the web.

Bobby Tonelli

Bobby is an actor, host, photographer and tech geek who always wanted to be Batman, but settled as a Jedi in training.

The post Adobe Photoshop AI’s Generative Fill Is Impressive But What Does This Mean For Content Creators? appeared first on Geek Culture.

Singapore toy collectors will know of Simply Toys, established way back in 2001, bringing us geeks our toys and pop culture collectibles fix all these years. Simply Toys is also the sole distributor of Funko collectibles in Singapore since 2007. This time around, Ann Goh, founder of Simply Toys has come up with her take on a modern-day art collectible, in the form of physical art, digitally printed onto 100% silk. Aptly named SquareArt, each design has an edition size of only 111 pieces (per size). Buyers can choose from 50 x 50cm (US$79), 64 x 64cm (US$99), or 86 x 86cm (US$129).

The SquareArt pieces are unique art collectibles that collectors can either display on a wall, wear as scarves, or use as a handbag twilly. Being made of 100% silk, each art piece is light, low maintenance, and allows for easy swapping of display pieces with minimal fuss.

“SquareArt is a platform designed for collectors, investors, and artists, offering a secure and reliable authentication process to prevent scams and discourage bootleg production. Our goal is to support and showcase artistic talent in major cities, connecting audiences with vibrant art scenes through our annual SquareArt shows. We aim to celebrate and promote artistic talent across major cities, creating a platform that connects diverse audiences with the vibrant art scenes in each location via our annual SquareArt shows.”

Ann Goh, Founder of SquareArt and Simply Toys

The SquareArt.exchange Platform

Unlike existing art prints on the market, SquareArt offers an all-in-one platform, called SquareArt.exchange that integrates Digital Certificates, Blockchain Technology, Near-Field Communication (NFC), and Fintech to ensure the seamless and counterfeit-free transactions of SquareArt pieces for artists, collectors, and investors. Every SquareArt piece purchased via the SquareArt.exchange app will carry a unique serial number. Collectors will be able to keep tabs on the current value of their pieces and buy/sell on the in-app marketplace once it rolls out in the coming months.

Jon-Paul Kaiser (UK based) was the first artist to jump on board the platform and soon several others followed. Singapore-based artists Lester Lim (@lesdoublewood), Sheena Aw (@caramelaw) and Jem (@tanavit23) as well as Malaysian-based artist Zhiting (@zhiting9513), along with many others followed suit.

SquareArt Pop-Up Showcase Offer

The SquareArt Pop-Up Showcase is located on level 1 atrium of Plaza Singapura, right in front of Muji and the Disney100 store. Marvel at the collection of exclusive in-stock/pre-order art pieces, beautifully printed in vibrant colours on silk. Visitors can get a good sense of each of the three sizes available and decide which is best for their home, or neck/handbag. If you decide to buy one of the exclusive pieces, be sure to ask the on-ground staff for a US$20 OFF discount code to apply to your first purchase of any SquareArt of your choice (regardless of size). There’s no better time to kickstart your collection/investment than now!

All pre-orders and purchases can be made via the SquareArt.exchange app which is available now on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Yonk

Yonk is a geek who is fortunate enough to have an equally geeky Star Wars fan for a wife, who owns a LEGO Millennium Falcon encased in a glass coffee table as their home’s centre-piece.

The post Simply Toys Debuts First SquareArt Pop-Up Showcase At Plaza Singapura This June appeared first on Geek Culture.

Remember when we used to imagine what a 3D version of Pokémon would look like while we were enjoying these games before 2013? Fast forward to today and the likes of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and Pokémon Legends: Arceus are being enjoyed in all of their 3D glory. Ironically, it’s backwards now, with fans like Twitter user @Roncally_Hayate imagining how our polygonal characters from the games today would look like in pixel art of days past.

The Japanese creator took the time to design Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s eight gym leaders in pixel art, taking inspiration from the character design traits used in Pokémon Black and White, the last of the games that were bitmapped. The user even went to lengths to animate these characters — just look at how cute Iono is at the bottom right, flailing the sleeves of her oversized black-and-yellow jacket as her Magnemite hairclips rotate!

The fan artist also created a video and remixed the battle background music of all eight gym leaders in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet to mirror the style of Pokémon Black and White’s Nintendo DS soundtrack. Check it out below:

The video further expands on the animations that reflect the memorable eccentricities of these eight gym leaders, like how elderly woman Ryme, MC of RIP, leader of Montenevera’s gym is bobbing along as she raps.

We would likely never get another 32-bit Pokémon game, but we have users like @Roncally_Hayate to thank when it comes to fanmade creations and imagining how 3D characters today would look in pixel art glory.

Joey Leong

Crack open a cold one with Joey, because the moment you approach him, he will start talking about film and video games for days. He spends his waking moments during the weekends meditating on how the latest movie he’s watched or game he’s played has impacted his worldview.

The post ‘Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’ Revisits Pixel Art Glory With Fanmade Creation appeared first on Geek Culture.