Fancy some graphic tales of zombie soldiers, Muay Thai warriors, Mas Selamat and robot rabbits? You need look no further than Liquid City Vol. 2, a wonderland compendium of comics close to home. Featuring well-loved artists such as Lat and Miel, as well as newer faces on the scene, the comics anthology promises 22 “unforgettable tales of cities and the people who live in them.”

 

From Lat’s vignette of a soccer game in Malaysia and Vietnamese artist Nguyen Thanh Phong’s account of his adventures in South Korea, to Filipino cartoonist Miel’s tale of an assassin’s silent travails in a sign-filled culture and Singaporean “Resident Tourist” Troy Chin’s acute portrayal of the suffocations of city life, this collection again assembles an impressive and diverse assortment of styles and genres from artists throughout the region.

 

The book once again features stunning cover art by Guangzhou-born, US-based artist Shelly Wan, who is currently a visual development artist for Pixar. What is new is a set of illustrated essays putting the spotlight on comics in specific countries. This issue focuses on Cambodia, Indonesia and the impact of typhoon Ondoy on the Philippines.

 

Published by Image Comics, a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in the US in 1992 by a collective of bestselling artists, the anthology is helmed by Eisner-nominated comic book artist Sonny Liew, who recently received the 2010 Singapore Young Artist Award. Liew spearheaded the project in 2008 to showcase outstanding comics creators and to offer a paean to the mutable landscapes and cities of the region, with an eye on fostering closer ties within the Southeast Asian comics community.

“The name itself – “Liquid City” – is meant to suggest the fluidity and ever-changing nature of cities, “ says Liew. “The stories are a reflection of Southeast Asia’s unique position in the comics world, combining American, manga and other influences with local cultures and histories.”

 

“Personally, I’m not certain what being Southeast Asian really implies – some arbitrary demarcation of geography perhaps, or maybe a recognition of shared roots in culture and history,” adds Liew. “Whatever the case, the comics communities in the region have at least this in common: the search for self-identity, for sameness and difference, whilst caught in the crosscurrent of influences from America, Japan, Europe and elsewhere.”

 

 

 

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