Sonny Liew
The role of comics in promoting social and political awareness
Sonny Liew’s first published work as a cartoonist was with local tabloid The New Paper in 1995. The then-19-year-old philosophy major at Cambridge University was invited to contribute a daily comic strip, which he titled Frankie and Poo. Loosely inspired by American cartoonist Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes, it featured two Frankenstein-like characters taking on politics and social issues in Singapore. In 2001, Liew went on to study illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design in the
US and later worked freelance for Marvel and DC Comics.
His big break came in 2015 with the release of his graphic novel,
The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, which depicts the life of a fictional comic artist in Singapore over five decades and looking at the country’s changing social and political landscape through the titular character’s eyes. Two years later, the novel won three Eisner Awards, the comic industry’s equivalent to the Oscars, making Liew the first Singaporean to win the award.
He is currently collaborating with academic Cherian George on
Red Lines, a graphic novel about political censorship of cartoons around the world. Here, Liew discusses the use of comics in raising social and political awareness.
Like most kids in Singapore, I grew up doodling.
The difference probably was that I didn’t stop drawing. I only decided to pursue a career as an artist after my stint with The New Paper. I enjoyed how interactive the creative process was—you think of ideas for the comic strip, draw them, get them published, have people read them and get some feedback.
Comics are often a reflection of the artist’s views and experiences.
You may argue that even if we leave politics consciously or unconsciously out of our work or life, there’s always going to be some political ideology playing out in the background. In my case, I think my comics tend to be more political because politics takes up a more upfront position in my life.
I see it as human instinct to want to communicate our ideas and opinions,
and to argue and chat with others. When it comes to talking about politics, some may go to their local coffee shop to discuss it with each other or perhaps share their thoughts on Twitter. For me, my opinions have manifested as comics.
We generally approach comics in a less guarded manner.
Most of us grew up reading them, so we may think that their content is more juvenile than say, a book, even though comics can be intellectual and complex as well. This has enabled some comics with subtly subversive storylines to remain unnoticed by the authorities.