Singaporean comics are a diverse subject in reacting and reflecting the country’s people. You’ve got your standard battles for free press, trying to adapt what works for other countries, and trying to stand out too. Frankly it also helps reflect some of the problems of comics.
Strips: The Archetypical Origins
Like many others, Singapore’s comics started in the newspapers usually focusing on social commentary. One of the earliest was Straits Produce in 1868 in reaction to a governor’s criticized financial policy. As well as record the horrors of war in Chop Suey.
But at least it helped to make public information more digestible. Like most popular strips they got collected into volumes. But… there really weren’t any characters, just archetypes. Unless you count history lessons like Stamford Raffles, Founder of Modern Singapore. Or even later with Mr. Kiasu. Because there’s way more to Singapore than just reacting to the world around them. Even if some of them go the PSA route.
Singaporean Comics: Rhyming With The West
Some of the early comic books were inspired by Singapore’s neighbors like Malaysia and Indonesia. Probably because the country’s first major publisher Geliga was mostly Malay. With that, plenty of the series were based on Malay folktales and society. Including the series about the legendary warrior queen Siti Wan Kembang.
But that didn’t stop a movement to ban comics especially crime and horror ones in the 50s. That sounds familiar… with a dash of Red Scare in… what?! Wonder Woman and Fantastic Four?! For crying out loud that doesn’t… oh who am I kidding, these political types always stretch things out. Besides it’s not like superheroes were gone.
Singaporean Comics Superheroes
Apparently English speakers are a popular superhero demographic no matter the country. So when Singapore can’t bring American ones, they make their own. The first was Pluto-Man, a character with an origin out of America’s Silver Age complete with a sense of patriotism. Following him is Captain V, a police mascot with special gadgets who got his own comic book. But neither of these two got much beyond those 80s comics.
Ironically that was around the same time as Singapore’s first comic convention. Even more with how Comicon ‘86 was supposed to challenge the stereotypes enforced by that banning movement. All by showing how comics had become more emotionally complex and the values of being a hero.
The only problem was trying to find an audience as Supacross demonstrates. This series is about immigrants who struggle to fit in, being superheroes just add to that. Not for being freaks, but because it feels like something too “Western” to some people. Especially with all of the cliches like “shared universe” gimmicks, lame dialogue, and the expensive issues.
Singaporean Comics Man…
That’s pretty much why Chinese speakers feel that Western-based concepts like superheroes erode traditional values. It doesn’t help that American import comics tended to be more expensive.
Hence why manga and other East Asian comics are more popular with this crowd. Arguably one of the first Singaporean “manhua” is an adaptation of The Return of the Condor Heroes. It’s basically Hong Kong’s premiere epic fantasy novel. At the very least, it helped the artist Wee Tian Beng create his own long-running manhua: The Celestial Zone. It’s pretty much people get into conflicts over ideologies despite getting magic martial arts to get away from all that.
As for manga, they inspired anthologies like the Comics Alliance for artists to show what they’ve got to publishers. It was all a gamble to prove to the masses that there was a sustainable business model. What made it pay off more than anything was how the online format fit in. TCZ Studio showed everyone how by showing a free local online magazine called Pura Comixmag to nurture talents. The risk payed off with one of the most successful series to come out being the Dream Walker series. It really struck a chord by appealing to teenagers with personal struggles on their journeys to gain confidence.
Is Bad Comic Marketing Universal?
At one point manga returned the favor by creating an autobiography: The LKY Story about the late Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew. Apparently autobiographies are something of a mainstream in Singapore. Because not even award winning comics get the best-selling treatment. Great being famous for being famous is the only marketing strategy even in other countries.
Hope For Singaporean Comics
Luckily there are some good things to point out. The National Library Board has hosted a number of events to boost local comics and creator’s profile. As well as workshops to nurture talent and provide digital issues on their related website. Sounds like a Singaporean CEX.
I guess it’s only a matter of time before webtoons get the Singaporean makeover. Hopefully along with better marketing to change that darn perception of being a genre. Why is it so hard for people to accept that this a medium?!
Anyway, thanks for coming to the end and as always remember to look between the panels.