Episode Ep 695 July 18, 2025 1 hr 32 min

#690 ft. Sonny Liew - Controversy Through Comics, Being World-Class & Creating Satire on Lee Kuan Yew

What happens when your art pokes too close to the truth? In this episode, Sonny Liew, Eisner-winning cartoonist of The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, joins us to reflect on 10 years of his landmark graphic novel, and how it almost got banned. We dive into his new project on capitalism, the cultural contradictions of Singapore, and why his latest collectible action figures featuring Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Keng Swee and S Rajaratnam, are quietly subversive.

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(00:00) eCommerce Expo | DMEXCO Asia
(01:11) Intro
(03:08) Sonny's Journey to Cartooning
(05:05) The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye
(09:27) Singapore's Comic History
(10:51) Art and Controversy
(20:10) International Reception and Success
(27:47) Delving Into Capitalism
(31:16) Creative Process and Inspiration
(35:54) Challenges of Working in Singapore
(53:43) Introduction to Art as Processing
(54:40) Creating Action Figurines
(56:43) PAPxPA: Performance Art Theme
(59:54) Narrative Battles and Art Intentions
(01:03:34) Reflections on Artistic Motivation
(01:06:55) Developing New Creative Works
(01:09:03) The Role of Social Media and Audience Engagement
(01:13:32) Exploring Past Projects and Collaborations
(01:15:25) Distribution Challenges and Future Aspirations
(01:17:15) One Shiok Thing