15
Imaginary Friends
In Singapore, its a common belief that there’s no future for aspirants seeking a career in the virtually non-existent Animation, Comics and Games (ACG) industry in Singapore. Those who want to be comic artists, animators, game designers would have to go overseas to pursue their dreams (even just across the border to Kuala Lumpur, where there’s a more vibrant ACG scene) .
Imaginary Friends Studios
Yet, this band of intrepid fanboys bucked that assumption. They liberated their imaginary friends from the skeptical oppressiveness of the pragmatic Singapore society, and found a sanctuary for them at the Imaginary Friends Studios. Most Singaporeans wouldn’t know that we have an ingenious design studio, fully dedicated to the animation, comics and games (ACG) side of the arts and entertainment industry based right here in the Little Red Dot. So, what goes on within the secretive hideout for the imaginary friends?
Take the Red Pill and walk right through the door.
Imaginary Friends Studios (IFS) is situated inside a nondescript building located on the Eastern side of Singapore. There’s no signs on the modest-looking building that suggest its presence. I’ve passed by that building many many times and it never occurred to me that there’s an enclave of talents nestled inside. Once you make your way up the flight of stops, you’re greeted by a fleet of footwear parked outside the door.
Entrance to Imaginary Friends Studios
This Studio is like any other Asian home: TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF BEFORE YOU ENTER. Past the footwear parking lot, only a glass door separates the wonderland from our mundane reality.
IMAGINARY FRIENDS STUDIOS : THE SECRET ORIGINS
Two years ago, at an advertising agency somewhere in the industrial estate of Ubi…
In a moment that’s shares the same significance as Jim Valentino, Rob Liefield, Todd MacFarlane, Jim Lee et al’s X-odous from Marvel Comics, Ed (aka Shern), Stan (aka Artgerm), Kendrick (aka Kunkka) and Kai (aka Ukitakumuki) left the advertising business to establish their own design studio. It’s not gonna be just another me-too graphic studio. This motley crew of talented artists wanted to do comics, design concept art for games, and do every cool things that will make fanboys drool.
To quote Ed,“While working together in our previous advertising and design agency, Artgerm and I noticed that despite the advances in internet technology and huge amount of talent in our region, it was still seemingly difficult for many artists to get the jobs in the international arena. After studying the issue further, we realised what was missing was a platform of sorts that artists around here could rally around, get organised, get equipped, share resources and get noticed. But who would be stupid enough to take on such a ridiculously risky venture? We decided we would be! So we handed in our walking papers, and got our plan in motion. Despite being dumb enough to start, we were smart enough to realise we couldn’t do it alone. So we brought along two more partners whom had been previously interning with the same design studio.”
It was a fool’s errand.
The pioneers of IFS first set up shop at a conserved Peranakan shophouse in the Katong area. Ed, then 36 years old, was the eldest among them and was the de facto leader of the pack. Stan (you might have seen Stan’s apparel line “Animal Square” at the street fashion boutiques) and Kendrick were in their 20s. Kai wasn’t of legal age yet to….sign on the papers when IFS was incorporated. He was then serving the Nation.
When Imaginary Friends materialised, there wasn’t much of a fanfare – at least not in the real world. In their alter egos, Artgerm, Kunkka and Ukitakumuki already had their own fans on deviantART. When the news that these talents are coming together to do something, there was much buzz among the deviantARTists. It was like the formation of the Justice League, DC’s dream team of superheroes.
Meanwhile…
Circa 2003, the American comics scene was experiencing another boom. The adaptation of comic heroes for the silver screen, coupled by comics appearing on mainstream bookshelves in the graphic novel and trade paperback format had certainly made comics more accessible to audiences beyond the traditional fanbase. More publishers appeared on the scene, while the small press grew bigger. The Western fanboys and fangirls had opened up their appetite for more manga-style art. The boom is not limited to the comics side of the fanboy market – the games segment (table-top, pen & paper RPG, collectible card games) also picked up. The bustling North American ACG market thickened the monthly PREVIEWS order catalog, as Diamond Comics Distributors added more and more items to their monthly solicitations.
As competition among the publishers intensified, some of the comics company chose to streamline their production process. For those who are not familiar with the process of comics production, the art work is first done in pencils, ink is then applied to the line work, followed by the colours and letters in the word balloons. Most of the time, its the writer and penciller (and sometimes the cover artist) who gain star status and their names would be good enough to drive sales; whereas for inkers, letterers and colourists, they usually remain unnoticed save for a some (such as Todd Klein and Richard Starkings). Some of these studios started to outsource the “less glamourous” inking, colouring and lettering processes to third parties.
It means Not Push
The pioneers of IFS saw an opportunity – they’ve got the skill sets, talents and passion to satisfy the demands in the growing ACG market. They also spotted the niche for an art studio that’s capable of delivering Eastern-style art for the Western audiences. Like all start-ups, IFS faced the challenge of raising capital for the Studio. Ed held a garage sale for his personal collection of toys, figures, art books, comics and magazines to raise funds. At the same time, he did the rounds speaking to potential investors.
Concept Art for Kevin Munroe’s Gatchaman movie
One of the toughest thing Ed encountered when dealing with potential investors and government agencies was for them to understand IFS philosophy and business model. These potential investors are business people who have little understanding of the ACG industry, and did not appreciate what Imaginary Friends wanted to do.
Concept Art for Gatchaman – Character Design
IFS not only wanted to take on jobs outsourced by the comics publishers, they also wanted to do illustration as well as concept art for other platforms such as games (table top and computer), toys and film. On top of servicing clients, IFS also wanted to publish their original content eventually. The founders of IFS wanted a multi-disciplinary design studio that’s able to take on a diversity of jobs for the ACG industry, across platforms and media. The studio wanted variety in their scope of work so that their stable of talents do not get bored working on a single genre or type of job. Boredom kills creativity and IFS wanted their team to be motivated so that they can put out high quality works “by artists, for artists”. IFS didn’t believe in setting up a cheap, third-world sweatshop for taking on outsourced productions. They want to bag dream projects that would spur their talents to give their extra mile.
Concept Art for Gatchaman – Mecha Design
These corporate suits and bureaucrats, however, thought that the idealistic artist-entrepreneurs in IFS were trying to do too many things and lacked focus. To them, IFS should either serve clients in a particular segment of the ACG industry (A,C & G are thought to be mutually exclusive segments), or to do original content. Ed and gang stuck to their guns, and eventually their plan came together. They soldiered on, refusing to bow to the naysayers.
IFS : YEAR ZERO
Being n00bs in the ACG industry, IFS was an unknown with no prior experience. Ed flew up to the Comic-con International (otherwise known as the San Diego Comicon) and hustled their first art book “Imagine”. He also went knocking on virtual doors to pitch their portfolio. IFS got its first major break when the editor at Devil’s Due’s, Mark Powers, responded to IFS’ pitch the very next day. He liked what he saw on IFS’ gallery on their websites. Devil’s Due’s offer: to colour the pencilled pages of the G.I. Joe comics. Ed was elated, at the same time apprehensive. G.I. Joe is an established brand, and has a huge American fanbase. Would IFS be able to hack it?
A Good start
IFS thought its a humble yet practical way of getting their feet into the industry. Colouring requires less re-interpretation than doing full art. Ed acknowledged that Mark Powers had been very helpful for guiding them through the process, and IFS artists quickly learned the ropes on the fly.
IFS did a pretty good on that piece of work. Eventually, Kendrick and Stan contributed full-art (from pencils to inks to colours) for backup story in “GI JOE: AMERICA’S ELITE” #5 and #6. Other than G.I. Joe, IFS also did colours and covers for the Dragonlance Chronicles series. And the jobs keep coming in. Being fans of Warhammer 40K, IFS pitched their portfolio to Games Workshop to see if they could work on Black Library’s comic adaptations of the table-top tactical war game. Unfortunately, Black Library was winding up their comics business. On the bright side, IFS was tasked to supply art for their collectible card games (CCG) – “Warhammer 40K: Dark Millenium” as well as the “Universal Fighting System” that’s based on Japanese fighting (video) games.
Universal Fighting System (UFS) CCG
Although Sabretooth games (a subsidiary of Games Workshop) got the license from Capcom to develop a CCG based on their fighting games, they had to look for their own artists to illustrate and design the visuals. IFS was a natural choice: the studio has a stable of artist with diverse talents and styles, and they are right at home with manga/anime-style art. IFS is capable of replicating Capcom’s designs with authenticity.
These projects were confidence booster as much as a testimony of what IFS could pull off. In no time, jobs from prestigious clients came in fast and furious. There was no time to look back.
IFS : WIRED FOR ACTION
How did a company based in Singapore manage to service these foreign clients?
The Internet is a key enabler to IFS’ business. If not for high speed broadband connection, it would have been difficult for the Studio to exchange high resolution images of their works with their clients. And the Internet has become the primary medium (Skype, email, instant messaging) for Ed to keep in touch with his business partners all over the world. In fact, Ed didn’t get to see his business partners in person until a year later, when they met at the San Diego Comics Convention. IFS also leveraged on its presence on deviantART to recruit talents.
Creative Space
With more talents and more jobs, the Studio out grew its premises and had to relocate to a bigger space. From a small unit of four men, IFS now has to a teeming strength of 45 people. It’s a team made up of people with diverse talents and styles, each with their unique strengths and are stars in their own right. There are those who are good at drawing blood and guts, while another is a maestro at street art. IFS consciously didn’t want to settle for a ’studio style’ and very much wanted their talents to develop their own individual styles.
While they are getting more jobs than their capacity could cope, Ed is conscious about the expansion of IFS as he doesn’t want it to beyond manageable size. Ed acknowledges that the size of a firm would make an impact on the company culture and atmospherics – and he didn’t want to compromise that by overextending the capacity of IFS.
IFS is primarily a digital artist studio. When you stepped into the spacious work area, you hardly get any acrid whiff of paint or thinner. The stylus is their paint brush and touch-screens are their electronic canvas.
Stan aka Artgerm
That’s Stanley Lau (aka Artgerm) working on something for UFS. Sitting across him is Ray Toh (aka Torei), a talent noted for his illustrations [He's partially hidden by the WACOM tablet].
There’s no partitions carving up the open-concept office. It’s a seamless walk from one side of the house to the other (except for the rest rooms and a particular “Battle Station”). Ed manages IFS’ operations from his station located at the head of the room.
Ed’s Space
Ed is a firm believer of the Internet. Because of the Internet, its easier for for aspirants now to break into the ACG industry. Before the proliferation of web-based culture and business practices, aspiring applicants seeking a career in the industry would have to lug their portfolios to conventions, trade shows or to the headquarters to show the companies what they’re capable of. Now, web2.0 applications allow aspirants can to self-publish and distribute their works online. If they receive good peer-appraisal or are spotted, the companies would approach them with offers. Ed shares that more and more mainstream comics publishers are considering the Net as another avenue to distribute content, especially made-for-Web comics.
Ed with his artist
Ed would walk around the studio, supervising the talents at work. He doesn’t breath down their neck like Darth Vader. He very much looks like an elder brother, and interacts with his artists just like a curious fanboy.
Scorpionoch? Or sporpionok?
Over at another station, he banters (talkcock) with another artist about the TF movie’s Scorponok.
As for his staff in Jakarta, he has to rely on his broadband connection to maintain links.
Jakarta? Yes, IFS has expanded overseas within a span of two years.
IFS : JAKARTA EXPANSION PACK
For some time, the IFS had been working with Jakarta-based Sunny Gho (aka hideki) on projects. Sunny managed to get more Indonesian artists on board. It didn’t take long before IFS found Sunny and gang a proper studio equipped with appropriate communications infrastructures. The Jakarta branch grew and they’ve since moved into a bigger studio.
One of IFS’ Indonesian talents, Sami Basri , just became a regular penciller for one of Top Cow’s flagship title – Witchblade. IFS will be providing full art for the Witchblade starting with #108, a new beginning for the series.
Witchblade #108 – One Good Turn
Sami Basri joins the alumni of Southeast Asian artists such as Whilce Portacio (Philippines), Leinil Francis Yu (Philippines), Tan Eng Huat (Malaysia), Sonny Liew (Singapore), and FSc (Singapore) who managed to break into the North American comics scene.
The irreversible trend of globalisation in the ACG field has created opened up the market to a wider diversity of style and influences. Ed says that Southeast Asia is at the confluence of global tastes. Compared to other regions, the ACG industry in Southeast Asia is at its infancy and the region as a whole hasn’t really develop any distinct art style that’s characteristically Southeast Asian. It’s still too early to predict how the steady-state of Southeast Asian style will turn out to be – whether if it will take after North American superhero art, East Asian manga, European painted fantasy works or a pastiche of all three.
Although Singapore is in a good position to exploit its cosmopolitan exposure to bring the East to the West and the West to the East, it’s participation in the ACG market has been unremarkable. Ed said that even Malaysia, for all its flaws, is able to create a little industry that could offer aspiring artists a career even though it doesn’t pay much. This could happen because the artists are willing to make sacrifices for their passion. Even in Japan, the people working in the ACG industry in Japan aren’t paid much too. Ed observed that there is no such culture in the pragmatic Singapore society. There’s this mentality that doing something for love is a waste of time.
Unless the creatives here are willing to take more risk and make sacrifices, its difficult for the local ACG industry to take off. Ed cited this example when he interviewed prospective talents for a job at IFS. If he pitched a piece of job to a non-Singaporean, the artist would inquire about details such as the style required, the deadline etc. But when a Singaporean or an artist based in Singapore is approached, the first thing he would ask is,”How much are you paying?”
IFS : WORK/PLAY Balance
‘Play’ is very much part of IFS’ business. You can argue that the studio itself is a playground wonderland. All available space is filled up by posters and action figures.
Behind Ed’s desk is a shelf showcasing his Ultraman collection.
Ed’s Ultraman collection
That’s how I got to know Ed – through UltramanLah!. Although he cleared out much of his personal collection during the garage sale, his Ultraman collection is one of those that he didn’t let go.
There’s two arcade machines located by the entrance. The guys at IFS would get their hands dirty playing the fighting games in order to understand the art that they are designing for UFS.
Penny Arcade
But the real action takes place in the evening, when the whole crew down stylus and pick up their mouse and keyboard. The whole studio would engage in a touch-screen enabled frag-fest on LAN.
The following is not an attendance roster or movement chart, but it is the Order of Battle (ORBAT) line-up:
PVP
This is the board where they divide the staff into opposing camps. The fellows had even experimented with using the touch-screen to play FPS games as part of their team building and cohesion activities.
For those who prefer not the stare at the screen again for entertainment, there’s always the unplugged option for recreation:
Pool Unplugged + Off line library
There’s also a reference library stocked with art books.
Here’s the seemingly out-0f-bounds and on-a-need-to-know-basis facility cloistered at the far corner of IFS’ studio.
Battle Station
So what goes on behind the closed door? It’s not for me to reveal now, but it has got to do with a certain enfant terrible known as ‘Brown‘.
IFS : ACES GO PLACES
Three of the pioneers of IFS will be at the San Diego Comicon next week. Although they are not able to secure an exhibition booth, they are a principle sponsor for this year’s Eisner Awards. Ed, Stan and Kendrick will be making their rounds at the convention hall, and will be promoting their soon to be released artbook – “Imagine Prime”.
Imagine Prime
“Imagine Prime” is an extreme upgrade compared to their previous IMAGINE 1 artbook. This 246-page album features the works of more than 30 artists, showcasing their commissioned works in comics, cards, games and entertainment. There’s also a gallery of gorgeous, unpublished art including a step-by-step process of the making of the cover art (feat. Wanda). Ashley Wood provides the foreword for this awesome art collection. Oh do check out the various interpretations of the IFS mascots (看板娘) Wanda and Pepper. (Now, only if IFS could get either Organics, Good Smile, Alter or Vice to make PVC/resin/cold-cast figurines of Wanda and Pepper….)
If Ed, Stan, Kendrick and Kai had sat around and waited for people to tell them they could do it, or for government grants, Imaginary Friends Studios would have remained a pipe dream. When I asked Ed what is one thing that he learned over the past two years, he said,”Artists need to take more chances and be willing to make sacrifices. You have to take a gamble and not expect handouts.” It could very well be an advice for Singaporeans who dare not venture out of their comfort zones.
Now, these Aces are definitely going places.
