“The collector’s invite” - my first published comic!

The Collectors’ Invite, the first comic I made “seriously” with mentorship guidance, proper structure and drawn with the audience in mind (yes, all previous comics I made were really for myself, which is why they were not easy for readers to understand), is now published in COMIX.SG’s “Nice to Meet you!” comic anthology! The book was launched on 30th April at the Singapore Art Museum during the Singapore Art Book Fair.

**Look at us all in the group photo, grinning behind our masks. :D**

COMIX.SG has a video of the ‘live’ launch on their YouTube channel.
And the book can be bought at Asiapac’s online shop.

**And I was awarded the editor’s pick award!**

I wouldn’t have made it this far and improved so quickly if not for the opportunities that COMIX.SG provided. First, I was selected for the mentorship programme and then given the opportunity to see my work in a published anthology. These experiences were invaluable and I am ever so grateful. Here’s what the book looks like and my comic entry in it.

Mentorship programme

The illustrator Anngee was my mentor. We met up online once a week for 10 weeks. COMIX.SG also arranged talks with industry partners for the mentees. What did I learn? 1. The steps in creating a comic. From thumbnail sketches to text bubbles to inking and final art. This helped me to be more organised and less overwhelmed. 2. The publishers’ role - what they do, and what they look out for in pitches. 3. And most importantly feedback, feedback, feedback. Especially feedback from a helpful and knowing person. Feedback helped me to improve the most.

Perhaps listening to feedback is hard for some people. I remember back when I was a graphic design student, we called it a critique. I disliked this word for it sounded like we were there to be “criticised”. I think teenage me was just too thin-skinned and afraid of the sudden formal attitudes our lecturers had during critiques. But it’s really about not taking feedback/critiques personally and to think objectively about people’s comments.

I’ve almost forgotten how much rigour and effort is put into a thoroughly designed and well-drawn piece of work. Thanks to Anngee, it’s coming back to me again. I’d like to put my work processes here. It’s a good reminder for me to have more patience with my drawings and to trust the system that I am working with.