SCC's Comics Talk

I have a sneaky feeling an ant farm would be a cool present for kids after watching this. Marvel has taken risk by using a C-lister (although an original Avenger) superhero to end phase 3 of its Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) experience. To be honest, I was never a fan of Ant Man myself being a comic reader. The movie and the recent run in the comic has made me a new fan of Scott Lang, the 2nd generation of Ant Man. He's your relatable hero. Doesn't have the wealth and charm of Tony Stark, nor the innate leadership quality of Steve Roger nor the godly good look of Thor. Lang is an ex-convict trying to make a decent living so that he can earn visitation rights to see his daughter Cassie. Marvel has taken the creative right in putting the 2 generations of Ant Man together. The ever suave Michael...

For years I've been listening to everyone I know who has seen a comic book movie. From praises to condemnations from the widest spectrum of viewers; from the most fanatical purist to the most passive of movie goers. Hollywood had listened to all sides and had done what every demographic of viewers had demanded but the comic book movies always ended up as train wrecks. My conclusion: Nobody knows what they really want in a comic book movie, so should Hollywood continue to listen to fans? Fans had always been nitpicking at movies with the mantra of “That’s not how it’s supposed to be”. There are considerations to be made when making a comic book movie, starting from simple cinematic perspective to condensing the story to fit the average movie run time. There will always be liberties taken whether they like it or not.The typical reader of this newsletter (such as myself)...

Ariela is an accomplished artist who recently started doing some work for Marvel (Death of Wolverine: Logan Legacy #2 and upcoming issues on the new Wolverines title) as well as working on the new series Deep State with Justin Jordan at BOOM! Studios (which had been optioned for TV after just one issue!). Despite her many successes, she remains down-to-earth and friendly (editor's note: And a joy to inter-view!). She currently resides in Jakarta, Indonesia, with her family.1. We know you are currently based in Indonesia. Tell us a little about how you became a comic book artist. Have you always wanted to be one?I had always wanted to be one. I think by 11 or 12 years old, I knew I wanted to do comics and never wanted for a second to be a doctor or architect. When I had to choose my major in college, I did think about...

One of the most popular threads on SCC is about the old comic book shops of the 80s and 90s in Singapore. We all have our own memories of Leisurecraft, Comics Mart, Comic Art Gallery, Comics World, The Comic Shop and the uncles and aunties behind the counters – Mrs Wong, Raymond, Uncle Bill, Carol and Ming, and especially this individual by the name of Carlos. Most of us have our own Carlos story. I have mine, which I will share later.The story of the first comic shops in Singapore is similar to the development of comic speciality shops in America with the rise of the direct market as a result of convention organizer and comic dealer Phil Seuling approaching comic publishers in 1972 to purchase their titles directly from them on a non-returnable basis. This was different from the traditional distribution model of selling comics at newsstands and drug stores,...

By Myron Tay, STGCC 2014, August 28th 2014. Who are the artists (both within and outside of comic books) who influenced your style?One of my greatest influences was my Dad. He was a painter who believed that with skill or talent, a man can bring one to a place or a journey he could never think of. When it comes to style, I have grown up in the Jim Lee era. Michael Turner made me believe that comic artists can create beautiful women. Leinil Yu is one of the rare people who have shared his knowledge on comics. Carlo Pagulayan, Ariel Padilla and Lui Antonio are the artists who never stop teaching drawing comics in any way possible and whom I consider my brothers as we develop together in the industry. Stephen Jorge Segovia influenced me both in attitude and creativity. So, I am an artist, illustrator, who have been guided...