Interview: Clio Hui
1. Tell us a little about yourself, what you do and like doing?
I’m the author of the comic series A Deal With Lucifer. I enjoy drawing, reading comics, watching anime and gaming. Besides comics, the only other books I enjoy reading are mystery novels by Agatha Christie specifically. I also enjoy watching shows, especially the Hong Kong drama television series and other western crime/mystery drama series. Occasionally, I play the piano too as a hobby.
2. What makes you want to draw and submit your comics for the anthology?
I’m part of the team and it’s fun to draw something chill and short for a change!
3. Share with us your art style, what has influenced you that makes you want to draw in the style you are advocating?
Due to what I mostly read and watch, my drawing style leans towards Japanese manga art style. I have enjoyed many Shonen comics such as Naruto, Attack on Titan, and Death note. However in terms of drawing style, I’m much attracted to that of Pandora Hearts and Black Butler etc.
4. What do you think about when it comes to comics-making or publishing in Singapore?
The comics industry is definitely smaller and younger as compared to that of Japan and other countries. To be realistic, comics-making is something which is unlikely to bear fruits in the short term due to the nature of how it’s done. If one is looking for a stable job with a regular income, this is not something he or she would want to venture into.
To be able to reach the final goal of completing the work and publishing it, artists need to understand clearly what they want and anticipate that they would not have any income from their work during the initial phase while they’re creating their works, else it would be easy to get disheartened and give up along the way. Even after your works are ready, as authors, we mostly earn from book sales, royalties, and other miscellaneous forms of income such as merchandising income, licensing fees, commissioned works, collaborations with commercial partners, judging fees. These types of income usually start to amass only after you have created several works and people start to know you and your works, which takes time. In short, I would say that patience and perseverance are very important when it comes to comics-making.
5. If money is not an issue, what would you like to pursue in comics?
I would love to focus more on my comic series A Deal With Lucifer and release more frequent volumes. I would also like to create new comics in other genres such as science fiction or mystery.
