Category: Announcements

We are impossibly excited to announce Difference Engine’s first comics anthology featuring writers and illustrators who are unabashedly and proudly Southeast Asian. Sound: A Comics Anthology will tell stories set in the past, present, and future, from intimate personal narratives, to epic mythological tales, to insightful political observations. We can’t wait for readers to see what our homegrown talent is capable of. Some names are familiar to us, a few we know personally, but many others we are discovering here for the very first time. We are astonished by the mad skills out there. We can’t wait to read the finished comics. The guest editors, Charis Loke and Budjette Tan are working with the creators and creative teams right now. Charis and Budjette have been so generous with their insight and encouragement, but also frank and concise with their critique. We couldn’t hope for a better editorial team. When we first put out the call for submissions, we did not know what to expect. However, we eventually received an incredible 103 entries in total (nearly half of which came in just minutes before the deadline!). We are so grateful to everyone who shared and contributed to spreading the word, as well as all the creators who submitted their pitches. You guys are awesome and we know you will be as excited as we were to see the final selected entries! Here is the line up of the final stories and teams that will be featured in the anthology:

• A Call (Nadhir Nor)
• Blabber (Bonni Rambatan)
• Bonus Points (Benjamin Chee)
• Folk (Paolo Chikiamco & Borg Sinaban)
• Hokkien for Beginners (Nicolette Lee)
• ON / OFF (Xie Shi Min, Xiao Yan, & Richard Phua)
• Out of Sight (Wong Jingwei & Soefara Jafney)
• Road Trip Radio (Cathlyn Vania)
• Signals (Farid Nad)
• Softly, Sayang (Sharon Bong & Leong Yi Zhen)
• The Calling (Amahl Azwar & Nadiyah Rizki)
• The Cat Who Barks (Bryan Arfiandy)
• Voices and Votes (Rafael Romeo Magat & Ruth Chris De Vera)

Sound: A Comics Anthology will be published in November 2020 and we will be launching with a bang. Listen up for it! From, Felicia and the Difference Engine team Check out our other upcoming titles as well: The Makers Club: Game On! Amazing Ash & Superhero Ah Ma

We’re Difference Engine, a new independent comics publisher based in Singapore, and we’re excited to announce that we will be releasing four new titles in 2020!

Our debut line-up focuses on stories told by Southeast Asian creators, and features established names and two Singaporean writers new to working on comics.

We feel that there is a place for young, independent publishers in Asia to carve out a space for their unique brand of stories and have them read by everyone. We’re inspired by stories coming from Asia, and we can’t wait to add to the growing number of Southeast Asian  voices in the scene.

 

 

One of the first titles we will be publishing is SOUND: A Comics Anthology, an initiative to develop and showcase local and regional creators.

As our guest editor Charis Loke put it, “So many Southeast Asian storytelling traditions—wayang, chanted epics, songs of healing, recited poetry—are rooted in oral forms. With this in mind, SOUND: A Comics Anthology is an exciting opportunity to explore what comics as a storytelling medium is capable of.”

Charis, an illustrator and arts-educator, will be co-editing the anthology together with writer Budjette Tan who co-created the horror comics series Trese. They’re both veterans in the Southeast Asian comics industry and we’re pleased to have them come on board as guest editors! SOUND: A Comics Anthology opens for submissions today, 4 May, and closes on 31 July 2019. Click here to find out more about the rules and regulations.

 

 

We’re also developing a new middle-grade series The Makers Club together with Eisner-nominated Malaysian creator Reimena Yee and Philippines-born comics artist Tintin Pantoja, who will be working on the series as writer and illustrator respectively. The lighthearted series focuses on friendship, inclusiveness, and the importance of creativity in STEM. Book 1—The Makers Club: Game On!—will be published in the first half of 2020.

Reimena Yee said, “The Makers Club is a graphic novel I would have enjoyed reading as a kid. But since that is long past, I’m excited about the next best thing: creating it with my collaborator Tintin for the next generation of kids! I’m really proud The Makers Club will represent Southeast Asian girls who are creative and nerdy, both on the pages and behind the scenes.”

 

 

Singaporean kidlit author Melanie Lee will take on her first comic writing role in collaboration with prolific Malaysian artist Arif Rafhan. Amazing Ash & Superhero Ah Ma explores growing up and growing old, and how life can be complicated when you have superpowers. This middle-grade standalone will be published in the second half of 2020.

Arif Rafhan commented, “Working with Melanie has always been great. It’s our third time now and we are reaching a telepathic stage in our working relationship – for real! I’m also very excited to be part of the DE family. I admire DE’s passion for comics-making and publishing under them would be a great opportunity.”

 

 

Also new to the comics scene is local playwright Gina Chew, who has teamed with internationally-published Singaporean artist Foo Swee Chin, aka FSc. The duo is working on a story set in a fantastical world where a girl touched by death meets a boy who is Death’s messenger. Afterlife, a Young Adult fantasy will be published in the second half of 2020.

Said Gina Chew, “I’m so excited to be given this chance and a team who believes in my story, and at the same time, I feel the weight of writing a story that will do justice to all the cultures and influences that I’m drawing my inspiration from.”

Readership for comics and graphic novels has been growing steadily worldwide with an increasing number of international publishing houses setting up dedicated comics imprints and attracting talent globally.

We want to add to the growing number of Southeast Asian voices in the scene, and to do our best to amplify as wide a range of voices as we can! We believe that small details in stories matter. And those details can make all the difference in a visual medium like comics.

As Felicia, our head, says, “We want to publish books for long-time comic fans, but also for readers who have never picked up a comic before! You don’t need a secret handshake to start reading comics.”

—

Update (March 2020): Unfortunately, Foo Swee Chin has withdrawn from Afterlife due to personal reasons. Illustrator Nadhir Nor will be working together with Gina Chew on Afterlife and we are excited to see the new directions the story will take!

Q: How do I show proof of residence in Southeast Asia?

A: We accept documents that have both your legal name and residential address printed on it, such as your recent utilities or telecommunications bill (not more than 6 months old). You will need to scan your documents and email them to us when requested.

 

Q: I am of Asian descent but not living in Southeast Asia. Am I eligible to submit to the anthology?

A: Unfortunately not. SOUND: A Comics Anthology was initiated to offer opportunities to creators who reside in Southeast Asia. Therefore, all members of the creative team must also reside in Southeast Asia.

 

Q: Which countries are considered part of Southeast Asia?

A: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.

 

Q: If I am not eligible to submit to this anthology, will there be other opportunities to get published with DE?

A: Yes! If you would have a story that you would like to see published, please head over to our general submissions page here.

 

Q: Do the portfolio samples need to be linked to the story I am pitching for SOUND? 

A: They do not need to be linked.  

 

Q: Do the portfolio samples need to be in black and white? 

A: They do not need to be in black and white.  

 

Q: How do I find creators to collaborate with?

A: You can head to the Facebook post here to introduce yourself to fellow creators!

The Makers Club: Game On!

“I’m really proud that The Makers Club will represent Southeast Asian girls who are creative and nerdy, both on the pages and behind the scenes.”

— Reimena Yee, writer

 

Story

Timid artist Nadia is in awe of her new teammate. Priya’s a gamer, she’s smart, and she knows how to code—so this environmental video game they’re building should definitely win the top prize at the Science Fair, right? But Nadia and Priya soon discover that there’s a lot more to making a game than coding and sprites. Will the girls be able to overcome their differences or will it be game over for them far too soon?

The Makers Club is the start of a new series set in Pangolin Secondary School in Southeast Asia. The lighthearted series focuses on friendship, inclusiveness, and the importance of creativity in STEM that is sure to inspire kids to explore, experiment, and have fun!

Creators

Writer Reimena Yee was a science stream student from primary school to university. Now she writes and draws comics. She is the creator of The Carpet Merchant of Konstantiniyya, the first fully Malaysian-made comic to be nominated for the Eisner Awards.

Illustrator Tintin Pantoja was born in the Philippines, graduated with a BFA in Cartooning and Illustration from New York’s School of Visual Arts and has been illustrating comics since 2007.

Readership

Age 9-14

Publication

First half of 2020

 

---

 

Amazing Ash & Superhero Ah Ma

“I’m excited to be stretched creatively with this graphic novel project! It also means a lot to be able to write about people and issues that matter to me…but in a fun and super cool way!”

— Melanie Lee, writer

 

Story

Eleven-year-old Ash doesn’t have much to look forward to: maths tests, a naggy Mum, and an Ah Ma who doesn’t know much about her. That is, until she discovers something that will change her life—Ah Ma is a superhero! The best part is, Ash discovers that she has superpowers too!

Life is so much more exciting as a superhero-in-training. However, Ash can’t help but notice that Ah Ma sometimes gets a little absent-minded while showing her the ropes. Amazing Ash & Superhero Ah Ma is a funny and heartwarming story about family and acceptance. Growing up and growing old is never easy—and all the more perplexing when secrets are added to the mix.

Creators

Writer Melanie Lee is the author of the picture book series The Adventures of Squirky the Alien which picked up the Crystal Kite Award (Middle East/India/Asia division) in 2016. She is also an Associate Faculty at the Singapore University of Social Sciences developing and teaching media writing courses.

Illustrator Arif Rafhan is a comic and pre-production artist. His work has been published in more than 10 books to date by MPH, Buku Fixi, Maple Comics, and Marshall Cavendish. He’s been working closely with Lat since October 2018 for an upcoming graphic novel and is now working with Sony Animation as character designer for their upcoming feature animation.

Readership

Age 7-12

Publication

Second half of 2020

 

---

 

Afterlife

“I’m so excited to be given this chance and have a team who believes in my story. At the same time, I feel the weight of writing a story that will do justice to all the cultures and influences that I’m drawing my inspiration from. It’s scary, but the fun sort of scary.”

— Gina Chew, writer

 

Story

Kora has a lot on her mind. Her younger brother is stricken with an ailment that has no cure. The last thing she expects is to have to chase down a mysterious boy who was lurking around in the hospital. And why she does she feel such an inexplicable connection to him?

Eric isn’t prepared for this. He was just there to do his job and bring a new soul into the Afterlife, just as Death had instructed him to do. It was supposed to be an ordinary day. Little did he expect to run into a familiar face from his past in the land of the living…

Afterlife is a story of reflection, lost souls, a daring rescue mission, and one girl’s fight to save what she loves.

Creators

Writer Gina Chew has been writing plays for almost ten years, trying to tell honest and raw stories. Her play Permanence was staged in 2017 as part of a theatre festival for emerging playwrights. Since then, she has started to explore writing for film and now for comics.

Illustrator Foo Swee Chin aka FSc is the creator of several alternative comic books, including A Lost Stock of Children and Mince published by Neko Press, as well as Chimney 25 and Zeet published by Slave Labor Graphics.

Readership

Age 13 and above 

Publication

Second half of 2020

—

Update (March 2020): Unfortunately, Foo Swee Chin has withdrawn from Afterlife due to personal reasons. Illustrator Nadhir Nor will be working together with Gina Chew on Afterlife and we are excited to see the new directions the story will take!