Our Little Red Dot is famed for its rich culinary heritage, rags-to-riches stories and being one of the strongest financial hubs in the region – with Singaporeans and local companies scrambling to constantly sing its praises. But when it comes to extolling the capabilities of our creative community, international companies are doing all the talking for us.
From global companies such as Apple and Disney, to well-known international institutions like Archie Comics, Riot Games and Pop Mart, these icons of industry have coincidentally been tapping into the achievements of such Singapore and Singapore-based creatives, and giving them a global spotlight to highlight their works.
And as the small Southeast Asia city-state celebrates six decades of nation-building with SG60 this year, there’s no better time to spotlight our local rising creative talents who have made their mark locally and are now primed to embark on a global journey, to join the ranks of giants in the Singapore creative and artistic industry who helped paved the way, including the likes of international actor Chin Han (The Dark Knight, Mortal Kombat), Hong Kong-born and Singapore-based Marvel and DC cover artist extraordinaire Stanley “Artgerm” Lau, and international photographer/influencer Lee Yik Keat (@yk).
First up is comic artist Kang Jing, 31, founder of home-grown brand Chiral Comics, whose cover and interior art span iconic comic books and trading cards, including Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Star Wars, and was recently engaged by Archie Comics, the company behind the iconic teen cast of characters, to draw a special cover for the SG60 exclusive issue, Betty & Veronica: Summer Fun In The Sun. On the cover, Jing draws the core cast of Archie Andrews, Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge and Reggie Mantle in Singapore, taking a wefie against the backdrop of the Supertrees at the nation’s instantly recognisable Gardens by the Bay.
Limited to just 300 copies worldwide, the issue sold out within three days of its pre-order launch on 19 July, marking a successful collaboration between a legendary comic icon, a burgeoning Singapore comic book artist, and our very own iconic architecture. Despite all this, Kang remains humble and grounded, telling Geek Culture firmly that he hasn’t “made” it yet, and that there’s room to grow.
Over at one of the world’s largest entertainment companies, The Walt Disney Co., 47-year-old artist Elvin Ching was one of just five hand-picked artists from around the world to be invited to Paris Disneyland and be a part of the third year of Marvel Art Atelier, an art program for the next generation of artists. Starting from short stories and a debut graphic novel, The Woodsman, with Epigram Books in 2021, Ching’s journey towards global recognition has been chronicled in a Marvel Art Atelier video, where the quintet had the opportunity to not only visit the theme park’s many attractions, but also meet and learn from notable Marvel Comics artists Simone Di Meo (X-Men of Apocalypse), David Messina (Ultimate Spider-Man), Pepe Larraz (The Amazing Spider-Man) and Esad Ribic (Thor: God of Thunder).
“I believe [Marvel] saw my determination to impress and impact by the level of detail I put into my work and that’s what made them see me as a promising artist,” recalls Ching, who adds how proud he felt to be represent as the only Asian of the group, “The program challenged me to go beyond what I thought I was capable of, so I am a bit more confident of how to approach drawing comics.”
Elsewhere in the Disney art space, Singaporean Danielle Tay is literally making waves as the visual artist kicking off Disney Cruise Line’s Local Artist Series showcase, with her nature-focused, locally inspired pieces debuting as artwork and exclusive merchandise sold only aboard the Disney Adventure cruise ship departing Singapore at the end of 2025. From designs on Disney Cruise Line’s accessories, such as tote bags, plate sets to home décor, to collectables and lithographs of her original Disney art pieces, her collection kickstarts Disney’s celebration of the beauty, artistry, and diversity of Southeast Asia, inviting all cruise guests to bring home a little of Singapore with their Disney merchandise.
“My hope is that each piece feels like a little adventure, a way for everyone to bring a bit of Singapore’s warmth and wonder home with them, just like Captain Mickey Mouse and friends discovering our tropical paradise,” notes the Lasalle College of the Arts alumnus.
Meanwhile, global tech icon Apple has launched the third edition of its “Here’s to the Dreamers” campaign, showcasing talents across Southeast Asia on a global stage, and representing Singapore are Singapore-based designer Duy Nguyễn, a video game character artist who has risen to become the associate art director at Riot Games for League of Legends: Wild Rift, and local music lover Kuok Meng Ru. He’s the co-founder of the music-making app BandLab, which was created to democratise music creation and champion accessibility, with the goal of building a supportive and inspiring community connected through music.
On the toy collectable front, Chinese toy company Pop Mart, of Labubu fame, has created a roving tour for its Space Molly toy franchise and it features the digital design of 32-year-old Dave Oh Jia Hao, better known as @Lioncolony on social media, and the only Singaporean engaged by Pop Mart to create a digital short film as part of the exhibition that opened in Ion Orchard, and is slated to travel across the region until October, including stints in Thailand and South Korea.
For Oh, the opportunity to work on Mega Space Molly was one he simple couldn’t pass up, as he was already familiar with the brands previous artist collaborations, and always wondered what Molly would look like when designed in the Lioncolony style.
“I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that I was the only Singaporean artist collaborating in this exhibition. It’s a little proud moment for me, and just in time for SG60.”
With six talented rising stars leading the charge, Singapore’s presence in the global creative scene continues to rise, with local talent earning their place in the spotlight thanks to the support from industry giants like Apple and Disney. Maybe comic book readers won’t be able to tell that the pencils are done by a Singaporean, or gamers won’t be able to discern that there was a Asian influence in the hit game they just played, but for that brief moment in time, something small had an impact on something big, like a proverbial lion’s roar heard all across the world.
Summing things up, Kang Jing says, “There have been more and more Asians, Singaporeans included, making waves in the international comics scene in recent years. In fact, they are among some of the best today! It’s very inspiring to see artists from this region gaining recognition for their work. Hopefully, this opens more doors for emerging creators from Singapore and Southeast Asia to tell their stories on an international stage.”
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
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