Hello, we’re Difference Engine,
an independent comics publisher
based in Singapore!
Powered by stories from Southeast Asia and beyond, we are inspired by diverse, thought-provoking tales told through captivating illustrations by creators both new and experienced.
We want to bring Southeast Asia to the world.
The DE Story
Inspired by the story of Ada Lovelace and her encounter with the Difference Engine, Felicia Low-Jimenez knew it would be the perfect name for the independent comics publishing house she would co-found. And thus, Difference Engine was born! Since 2018, the DE team has grown in size and ambition, constantly experimenting, tinkering, and inventing more ways to bring Southeast Asian stories to life through comics and graphic narratives.
Coming from a thriving region that features a diverse array of comics cultures, Difference Engine now partners with Consortium Book Sales & Distribution to make Southeast Asian comics available in the US and the rest of the world.
Meet the team!
Interested to learn more about our comics?
Email us at readcomics@differenceengine.sg
“Having worked as a bookseller and merchandiser for more than a decade, it feels like all the experience and connections I’ve built has led to the start of Difference Engine.
I’m always thinking of ways to work closely with bookstores, libraries, and schools to get our books into the hands of readers all over the world.”
— Felicia Low-Jimenez, Publisher and Co-Founder
Internationally Distributed Titles
Forthcoming in 2026
[APR] DELAY: A Comics Anthology
Edited by Charis Loke and Paolo Chikiamco
Looming milestones and missed connections. Resisting mainstream expectations and doing life at your own pace. What does DELAY mean to you? Writers and illustrators from Southeast Asia take on the theme in this comics anthology by 11 creative teams from the region.
From explorations of identity and inner worlds to the twists and turns of modern life, these stories offer restoration, room for reflection, and invite us to reclaim time in our own ways.
Olivia, Marketing
The challenge of interpreting “delay” opens up so many possibilities and surprises you with the different chronologies that emerge throughout the region.
Written by Shreya Davies
Illustrated by Vanessa Wong
Through her school days where she must negotiate a precarious balancing act between her culture and fitting in, to her teenage years where appetites must be managed to keep up appearances, to the overwhelming responsibilities of adulthood, Divya journeys from feelings of emptiness to finding fulfilment within. To the Last Gram is an honest and hopeful story of feeling at odds with and finding a home in one’s community, family, and body, and of the journey to embrace the fullness of life.
Raffaella, Community Engagement
Divya’s story slices through you, reaching into your earliest memories of perceiving your body and the horrors of it being perceived by everyone else. A sorely needed take on eating disorders through an intersectional lens. This is mandatory reading.
[JUN] Amazing Ash & Superhero Ah Ma #2
Written by Melanie Lee
Illustrated by Arif Rafhan
The adventures of Amazing Ash & Superhero Ah Ma continue! As Team ASH grows in number, Ash juggles being a responsible superhero, a supportive grandchild, and a kind friend. Meanwhile, is Ah Ma’s dementia getting worse? Join Ash, Ah Ma, and the rest of Team ASH as they try to save the neighbourhood.
Aditi, Editorial
Narrated with heart and humour and brought to life through endearing illustrations, this series that doesn’t shy away from tough topics but also celebrates how we can all support each other through the challenges of growing up and growing old.
[JUN] Marvellous Mammals: A Wild A to Z of Southeast Asia
Written by Debby Ng
Illustrated by Darel Seow
In the humid nature reserves of Singapore, high up the mountain forests of Papua, and in the tropical waters of the Irrawaddy, a multitude of Southeast Asian mammals live their unseen lives. In this beautifully illustrated compendium, wildlife ecologist Debby Ng and illustrator Darel Seow part the leaves to showcase these unique mammals’ habitat, behaviour, food choices, and their relationship with humans.
Charlene, Business Development
Thoroughly researched and beautifully illustrated, “Marvellous Mammals” showcases the incredible diversity of Southeast Asian wildlife and how much more there is to know about the world around us.
[AUG] How Are You Feeling? A Comics Anthology
Created by Andeasyand, Vinita Ramani, Griselda Gabriele, Wayne Rée, and Nurjannah Suhaimi
A girl navigates her first period while a woman anticipates her last. A mother loses her baby before she can hold him. A friend opens up about her struggles with mental health.
From humorous anecdotes drawn from difficult conversations, contrasting encounters and shared conundrums, to deeply personal experiences, this anthology seeks to open up dialogue about relatable issues that remain difficult to talk about.
Claire, Design
A book of conversations and topics normally reserved for hushed tones and discreet google searches. This anthology brings reproductive and mental health to the forefront in a way that’s both unapologetic and deeply personable. Anyone can relate.
Created by Johanes Park and Jessica Leman
Gula Gulali is a magical girl with the power to turn the things around her into cakes and sweets! But she is a Magi living in the non-magical realm of Terra, where her bright pink hair and pointed ears make her stick out like a sore thumb in the regular school she attends.
When another young Magi joins Gula’s school, his weird behaviour draws far too much attention to the Magi who are already facing prejudice from Terrans. Now, Gula has to navigate friendships, suspicious schoolmates, and a series of magical mishaps — all while the success of a school drama production is at stake! Will she find acceptance and belonging, or will she have to give up her magic to fit in?
[OCT] Free to Play: A Video Games Anthology
Edited by Adan Jimenez, Daryl Lim Wei Jie, Joses Ho, and Natalie Wang
Literature as a game. Gaming as literature. How are writers interacting with video games, gaming, and notions of play? Spanning fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, comics, and multimedia works from an international array of emerging and established voices, Free to Play: A Video Games Anthology is both a love letter to and a bold exploration of what video games and gaming culture are, and can be.
[FEB 2027] Amazing Ash & Superhero Ah Ma: End of an Era
Written by Melanie Lee
Illustrated by Arif Rafhan
12-year-old Ash’s superpowers come and go, and Ah Ma’s worsening dementia affects her memory and behaviour. Thankfully, the Good Ol’ Days daycare centre offers seniors a safe environment and fun activities to keep them engaged on weekdays.
But when its future is suddenly threatened by a mysterious, rich couple with plans to turn it into a luxury spa retreat, Team ASH must quickly intervene to save Good Ol’ Days. As they reunite in the final instalment of this heartwarming trilogy for what may be their final mission yet, they learn that change may not be easy, but that care and community can make the journey a little less lonely.
Backlist titles
Work-Life Balance: Malevolent Managers and Folkloric Freelancers
Co-created by Wayne Rée and Benjamin Chee
When a menacing multinational arrives in Singapore, strange creatures of Southeast Asian mythology find themselves in the realm of dead-end work, glass ceilings, and truly hellish bosses. This genre-bending prose-comic hybrid brings a new meaning to “rise and grind”.
Hairul, Sales
Part modern office drama, part supernatural cautionary tale, “Work-Life Balance” is one of those rare gems that beautifully balances two disparate yet complementary forms of storytelling. Your perfect companion when you’re facing down the office-pocalypse!
Alex de Campi
A mix of novella and comic about Southeast Asian mythical spirits coping with modernization and the Westernizing of the culture that gave birth to them. That makes it sound more serious than it is — a multi-stranded delight you’ll burn through with a smile.
Amazing Ash & Superhero Ah Ma #1
Written by Melanie Lee
Illustrated by Arif Rafhan
Eleven-year-old Ash discovers that she has superpowers… and her grandmother does too! But as the dynamic duo puts together a superhero squad, Ash can’t help but notice signs of Ah Ma’s dementia setting in. How will they navigate growing up and growing old together, especially with their superpowered secret?
Seth, Design & Marketing
“Amazing Ash & Superhero Ah Ma” is an incredibly fun story with an endearing cast of characters! Ash and Ah Ma’s relationship is both realistic and heartwarming, and their superhero adventures are accompanied by important moments of growing up and growing old.
Written and illustrated by Kiana Fedly aka Kifurai
University student Rara detests animals, especially cats. But everything changes when a fatal bike accident gives her a second chance to live and get her body back. The catch? She’s now a cat.
With two tails and a long-lost friend by her side, Rara ventures on a whimsical journey to show us the very human nature of animals, and the immense space that we carry in our hearts for reconciliation.
Raffaella, Community Engagement
For anyone struggling with forgiveness over a painful past, or holding empathy towards the self in a seemingly harsh world, “Two Tails” is a story that promises to cry and laugh alongside you as you process it all.
Afterlife: The Boy Next Realm
Written by Gina Chew
Illustrated by Nadhir Nor
Kyra’s younger brother is stricken with an ailment that has no cure. The last thing she needs is to encounter a mysterious boy with an inexplicable connection she is drawn to. Revealing himself as Eric, a Spirit Keeper, Kyra and Eric embark on a daring rescue mission across realms to save Kyra’s brother from Death’s clutches. Afterlife is an epic Southeast Asian-inspired young adult fantasy graphic novel about one girl’s sacrifice as she fights to save what she loves.
Shreya, Editor
“Afterlife” invites readers into an breathtaking world filled with Southeast Asian myths and architecture, and also throws in an expansive and adventure longing romance that spans centuries.
Order our books!
Difference Engine is distributed by Consortium Book Sales & Distribution internationally with titles available Jan 2026 onwards.
Interested to learn more about our comics? Email us at readcomics@differenceengine.sg