Bounce Back To Life

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-17T14:36:00.003+08:00

2011 - a year of ups and downs. Not enough time, not enough hair and definitely not drawing enough. Yup, making up for lost time these past weeks. Here's Ol'Dan wishing everyone Merry Christmas and may the New Year be better.

XD

Soft Focus

2011-12-10T21:51:00.003+08:00

These days when work is just plain crazy, drawing is simply...therapeutic.

Parenting

2011-12-03T13:24:00.003+08:00

Botak = Bald

Infant Gratification

2011-09-02T16:35:00.002+08:00

Presidential Elections - Epilogue

2011-08-28T16:33:00.001+08:00

Happy National Day 2011

2011-08-08T16:28:00.002+08:00

Happy National Day to one and all.

Sowing The Seeds Of Loathe

2011-07-30T23:38:00.003+08:00

XD...

Nothing

2011-06-13T22:53:00.003+08:00

XD...

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Talent

2011-01-30T18:49:00.007+08:00

Happy Lunar New Year to one and all :D

Just A Comic 06

2011-01-02T23:55:00.003+08:00

Happy New Year to one and all. Hope you have fun reading my first comic for 2011 :-)

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-13T20:34:00.002+08:00

Season's Greetings to one and all :-)

STGCC 2010

2010-12-10T22:45:00.004+08:00

Ol'Dan is back at STGCC this year with the Singapore Garrison of the 501st Legion and trooping as an AT-AT Driver as usual (below right):

and as seen at AsiaOne:

I not only had a good time posing at our photo booth to raise funds for the Singapore Children's Society, I also got to meet StickGirl (at last):

Pardon my 'janitor' outfit, StickGirl. AT-AT Driver also need to take five. XD

To top it off, I bumped into an ex-JC classmate of mine whom I only knew for three months before I transferred out. After 20 years, he still recognises me and called out to me. Great to see him getting his son acquainted with Vader's finest troopers.

This will be a day long remembered.

p.s. Drop by the Starwars.sg/501st Legion photobooth to support our fund raising for the Singapore Children's Society.

The Great Depression

2010-12-06T21:13:00.001+08:00

Anal Retentive

2010-09-15T22:26:00.001+08:00

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's...

2010-09-08T00:19:00.005+08:00

For non-Chinese readers:
The second and third chinese characters, 鸡 and 机 (ji) have the same pronunciation.
飞机 (fei ji) literally means 'flying (fei) machine (ji)', i.e. aeroplane.
飞鸡 (fei ji) literally means 'flying (fei) chicken (ji)'.

Happy National Day 2010

2010-08-09T18:51:00.002+08:00

Happy National Day to one and all :D

The Comic With Hainanese Dialogue 4

2010-01-10T01:54:00.003+08:00

Happy New Year! Ol' Dan has been busy (and still is) with a long-term project which has been leeching his life-force. Glad I could squeeze time to do a new comic.

女: 这个屁股是谁的呢?
Woman: Whose backside is this?

女: 你是谁啊？
Woman: Who're you?

猫: 我是小小．
Cat: I'm the Little One.

女: Orh...原来是小小.
Woman: Oh, the 'Little One' I see.

Editor: The Hainanese word 'Boh' is somewhat a variant of the Chinese word '阿'. Just can't pinpoint an exact word for it. Also ' 阿小' doesn't seem right. Having the cat introducing itself as '小小' seems to convey 'the Little One' better.

女: 你要喝咖啡吗?
Woman: Would you like some coffee?

猫: 要!
Cat: Yes!

猫: Mmm....咖啡味真香!
Cat: Mmm...The coffee smells great!

女: 来, 请你吃蛋塔.
Woman: Here, let me treat you to an egg tart.

女: 你吃东西前没有洗手的啊?
Woman: Don't you wash your hands before eating?

猫: 不要浪费水.
Cat: Mustn't waste water.

女: 唉... 没话讲.
Woman: Haiz, I'm speechless.

:P

Going For Broke

2009-10-25T19:09:00.001+08:00

Just Don't Get It

2009-10-12T15:41:00.001+08:00

Singapore Toy, Games & Comic Convention 2009

2009-08-17T17:37:00.002+08:00

Ol'Dan was at the 501st Legion - Singapore Garrison booth from 14-16 August and 'trooped' as an AT-AT Driver, an Imperial Officer and a TIE-Fighter Pilot.

Here're two pics of me in costume (photos copyright of their respective owners):

Above right as an AT-AT Driver

Above right as a TIE-Fighter Pilot

Happy National Day 2009

2009-07-25T12:14:00.003+08:00

I meant to publish this comic on August 1 but my PC is schedule for maintenance soon. Don't know when I'll get it back. Better to publish now, heh. Hope you have fun with this one:

Tandas = Malay word for toilet

For those who do not understand the significance of the frame above, refer to this youtube link featuring a classic anime, especially 5:40 and beyond. Anime fans, please pardon my creative liberty.

:P

Musings Of A Lass

2009-07-08T22:56:00.002+08:00

chio-bu = pretty woman

:P

Sala Parking

2009-06-07T00:33:00.002+08:00

Sala: Malay word for wrong or incorrect.

:P

Dizzy Spell

2009-03-24T21:46:00.002+08:00

Chinese text above: "The God of Wealth cometh!"

:P

Tit For Tat

2009-03-19T22:36:00.001+08:00

Valentine's Day 2009

2009-02-01T22:27:00.002+08:00

Happy Lunar New Year to my readers. Apologies for the slow update.

As for this new entry below, it's somewhat early but nevertheless, have fun:

:P

Have A Wheel Of A Time

2009-01-01T11:40:00.002+08:00

Happy New Year to one and all! :D

Nothing like ushering the new year with a new comic. Hope to squeeze out more time to doodle in 2009.

Word of chamber pot: "Treasure"

Merry Christmas 2008

2008-12-24T23:38:00.003+08:00

Finally found time to draw. It's definitely something I sorely miss. Work has been leeching my lifeforce. Here's Ol' Dan wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year :) May 2009 be better.

> Ice-kachang demystified

"Kai kai" = gallivanting

Idle Banter

2008-11-15T23:30:00.001+08:00

By now, some of you know my comics are largely women-centric. For a change, I've decided to do an entry entirely on the guys.

"Kao Peh Kao Bu" = nag incessantly

Group Therapy

2008-10-19T23:51:00.002+08:00

Hello everyone, sorry about the slow update. Ol'Dan had a change of job recently and time is now an expensive commodity, hehe. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you like this comic :)

:)

Economic Woes

2008-09-25T17:01:00.003+08:00

*Ang Pao (Red Packet) explained

*Sian liao = Feel depressed

:P

Bad Timing

2008-09-11T15:36:00.002+08:00

Crack Shot

2008-08-30T15:07:00.001+08:00

The Comic With Hainanese Dialogue 3

2008-08-07T15:24:00.009+08:00

Singlish subtitles provided as usual. Added Chinese translations as the Hainanese lingo can almost be translated word-for-word. Have fun :)

Editor: Ay, what're you doing?
编辑: 喂, 你在做什么?
Woman: I'm following the 'big kid' to buy toys.
女: 我跟这'大小孩'买玩具.
Editor: Orh...hehe.
编辑: 哦...嘻嘻

Woman: Ay, but if you say 'toys' hor, he don't like one. Must say 'COLLECTIBLE', you know or not.
女: 哎, 但假如你讲'玩具'hor, 他不喜欢的. 要讲'收集品', 懂吗.
Editor: Heh! Understood. Understood.
编辑: 哈! 了解. 了解.

Woman: I tell you ah, this type of soldier is his favourite. Aiyah, got machine gun he will like one.
女: 跟你讲啊, 这种军人他最喜欢的. Aiyah, 只要有机关枪他就喜欢.

Woman: This black black bad guy is his favourite too. He loves watching STAR WARS. Watch dozens of times also won't get tired of it one. Faintz ah.
女: 这位黑黑的坏人他也喜欢. 他最喜欢看STAR WARS了. 看几十次也不腻. 晕啊.
Editor: HEH! You're not buying any toys ah?
编辑: 哈! 您不买玩具吗?

Woman: Hello, excuse me? Me buying toys? I big already I stop buying toys liao, OK?
女: Hello, excuse me? 我买玩具? 我长大了不买玩具的, OK?

Woman: Aiiiyoooh, this one is really cute lah! I'm buying this!
女: 哎哟, 这个太可爱了! 我要买下来!

Editor: Eh? Just now you said you big already so don't buy toys already?
编辑: 啊? 刚才你不是说你长大了不买玩具的?
Woman: Aiyah, I like then I buy loh...
女: 哎呀, 喜欢就买咯...
Editor: Heh!
编辑: 哈!

Woman: Ask him to pay, heehee! Ay, I damn bad one, hor?
女: 叫他付钱, 嘻嘻! 哎, 我真坏, hor?
Editor: HAHA!
编辑: 哈哈!

:P

Happy National Day 2008

2008-08-05T23:57:00.002+08:00

BOUNCE BACK TO LIFE reached a modest 200,000 page views recently after four years. Ol'Dan would like to take this opportunity to thank all for reading his boh-liao comics. Happy National Day 2008 to one and all.

:)

The Mummy Returns

2008-07-17T10:58:00.004+08:00

* Refer to the 'Mobilisation' entry

Swedish policy explained

For those unacquainted with 'Mister Powers', watch this clip at YouTube.

:P

Singapore Toy & Comic Convention 2008

2008-06-30T11:27:00.003+08:00

Ol'Dan was at the 501st Legion - Singapore Garrison booth (B15) over the weekend (28-29 June) and 'trooped' as an Imperial Officer, Death Star Gunner and AT-AT Driver from the Star Wars movies.

I don't know if I bumped into readers (other than Ah-9 and Natsu) of my comic blog there but here're some pics of me in costume (photos copyright of their respective owners):

Ol'Dan as an Imperial Officer (Right)

Ol'Dan as a Death Star Gunner (Right)

Ol'Dan as an AT-AT Driver (Left) - Btw, I love that little girl's facial expression. Hehe.

Thanks for the polaroid, Ah-9 and Natsu. Good to see you again :)

The Great Singapore Toy Fair

2008-06-23T14:53:00.002+08:00

In anticipation of the Singapore Toy & Comic Convention this weekend, Ol'Dan lets his imagination run wild...:

Pang Sai = take a dump

:)

Lunch Time Story

2008-06-10T14:56:00.001+08:00

Inspired by an actual incident.

:)

Eye Of The Beholder

2008-05-17T02:09:00.002+08:00

Sorry for the slow update. Been busy.

:)

Draw

2008-04-25T23:00:00.003+08:00

Finally found time to churn out a new comic :)

I bought a Wacom Bamboo Fun and decided to do this entry entirely in Flash and export the drawings to JPEG. Took longer than expected. I experienced a new-found freedom in illustrating but at the same time, I also discovered it wasn't as easy to colour the drawings in Flash compared to Photoshop. I missed the flexibility of drawing on paper and being able to flip the paper around to tackle those odd angles. I pressed Ctrl+Z (undo) so many times while drawing that I lost count. Heh.

Dry Spell

2008-04-15T02:07:00.002+08:00

Apologies for the slow updates. Been occupied with some things and Ol' Dan's brain juice needs a top-up too, heh. To the regular readers, Pai-seh ah. :)

STAR WARS & Me - 501st Legion

2008-04-02T16:32:00.005+08:00

By now some of you would have known I'm a Star Wars costumer via my entry on the Chingay Parade. But what you may not know is that I'm part of an international costuming organisation known as the 501st Legion, which specialises in costuming as the Imperial forces from the Star Wars movies. Singapore has its own 'garrison' with 34 members.

Today's Straits Times LIFE! features our garrison as part of their write-up on the subculture of hardcore fans. Ol'Dan can be spotted in the photos (see below):

Hard To Find

2008-03-12T02:03:00.001+08:00

Evasive Action

2008-03-10T00:55:00.002+08:00

An 'A.O. fansubs' presentation:

:)

Sleepyhead

2008-02-26T02:38:00.003+08:00

The basic idea for this comic surfaced during idle banter between my brother and I. Have fun:

:)

Chingay 2008 - Star Wars & Me

2008-02-18T00:54:00.002+08:00

I participated in (my first ever) Chingay Parade 2008 over 15 and 16 February along with friends from the Star Wars costuming community. Came across some pics (big thanks to the respective photographers) from other sites with me in it:

Above: Ol'Dan looking sinister as an Imperial Officer on the far right. (Click the pic above to view more pics of the Star Wars costumers contingent)

Above: Ol'Dan (far left) marching along with Lord Vader, Emperor Palpatine and other troopers. (Click the pic above to view a larger image)

Our contingent marched into the center of the parade ground at City Hall from the junction between Coleman Street and Saint Andrew's Road but that was minutes before the parade went 'live' at 8pm on Channel 8.

Exhausting but fun.

:D

(All photos copyright by their respective owners)

Lunar New Year 2008 - Day 2 special

2008-02-08T13:46:00.000+08:00

Happy Lunar New Year one and all :)

I had an idea on Lunar New Year's eve and drew this comic but didn't have time to colour it until Day 1 festivities were over. Hope you like what you see:

:)

Happy Lunar New Year 2008

2008-01-24T12:00:00.000+08:00

Here's me wishing all my readers a Happy and Prosperous Lunar New Year. Please view my animated greeting below. Have fun :)

:D

FAQ 2

2008-01-10T03:41:00.000+08:00

I've been asked occasionally how I produced my web comics, so I feel it's time I addressed it :)

1) Nearly all my comics begin life as a sketch and giving some thought about the script as well. I was tempted to go the easy route and use one of my sketches from a previous comic to do this FAQ. But I've decided to do a new one-frame comic just for this FAQ. In this case, it's a lady observing something. Read on and you'll find out eventually what Ol' Dan has in mind.

2) I normally print out square panels on A4 paper for drawing. This helps me to frame the subject and also gauge how much space I should leave for the dialogue. Based on the sketch, I then draw in pencil.

3) The pencil artwork serves as my 'master copy'. I then place tracing paper over it to trace it in ink.

4) The tracing is done.

5) The traced artwork with the master copy.

6) The traced artwork is scanned (at 300dpi resolution so that I can also print my comics out) into Adobe Photoshop (one of my 'rice bowls'). As you can see above, the scanned image contains the texture of the tracing paper as well as dot specks captured from the surface of the scanner. It's time to 'clean up' the image.

7) Clean up done! Next, colouring.

8) In Adobe Photoshop, I can have numerous layers in a single canvas. The artwork is always right on top with the other layers for different elements (skin colour, hair colour, etc) beneath it. In the artwork layer, I can specify white to become transparent by using one of the application's features, allowing other elements beneath the artwork to show. Each of the coloured circle above represents a layer.

9) Filling in colours for different elements of the subject, e.g. face colour, clothing colour, etc .

10) There, 'Nice Girl' is all dolled-up.

11) The background is coloured last. Next comes the final bit of producing a web comic, adding the dialogue and 'word balloons'. Now we shall find out what 'Nice Girl' is up to ;-)

ORH...

And here's a bonus comic for reading all the way to the end:

And for new readers who might be wondering what "Hutdugaikarsui" means, be sure to click the 'FAQ' tag below for the previous FAQ.

:)

Happy New Year 2008

2007-12-31T13:14:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year to one and all :)

Free Gift

2007-12-19T02:22:00.000+08:00

To all my readers, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
:D

The Comic With Hainanese Dialogue 2

2007-11-29T14:55:00.000+08:00

Back by 'popular demand'. I was pleasantly surprised by the encouraging comments by my Hainanese readers in the previous 'Comic With Hainanese Dialogue'. As a disclaimer, my Hainanese is hardly anywhere near perfect and do correct me if I'm wrong. Oh yes, the 'fan-subs' are switched on by default this time. Have fun ;)

Editor: Ay, what're you doing?
Woman: I'm filling out my appraisal form. *Sigh..* Very Boring.

Editor: Why is it boring?
Woman: It's the same questions every year, I don't know what to write.

Editor: HEH! Write down you hope the company will promote you.
Woman: Promotion? Promotion my backside! The company increased our workload without raising our salary. So angry!

Editor: Don't be angry. If you're often angry, you'll age sooner.
Woman: Hmm...correct, correct. I'm not afraid of anything except ageing.
Editor: Hehe. Er...
Woman: What's the matter?
Editor: Look what's behind you.

Woman: AHH! Smash it quickly! Ee-Yer!!
Editor: Er...I'm also afraid of cockroaches.
Woman: Hiyah! So angry!

The Lad Is A Lady!

2007-10-26T16:26:00.000+08:00

I'm back with a bumper issue, something 'old-school'. Hope you have fun reading it :)

:)

Tales Of A Lone Adventurer 03

2007-09-22T23:42:00.000+08:00

Some weeks back, I watched a couple board the bus with their baby in a stroller. The couple didn't fold the stroller and just wheeled it down the aisle to the rear seats. The man sat in front of me and his wife diagonally opposite. I had a clear view of the baby. The man asked his wife in Mandarin where she wanted to alight. She replied "At the next MRT station".

A few minutes later, the man pressed the buzzer to stop the bus. Immediately his wife told him off "Not this bus stop! The next one!". The man replied "Correct what...you wanted to stop at the MRT station, right?" His wife replied "The next bus stop is nearer to the MRT station!"

Here comes the amusing part.

Woman to baby: "You see lah, daddy can't even follow simple instructions."
Man to baby: "Your mother is unreasonable, I tell you. Just now that bus stop also can one."
Woman to baby: "Don't listen to him."

I wonder what the baby was thinking at that time:

The couple alighted at the next bus stop and in my opinion, it was equidistant to the MRT station as the previous stop.

Nemesis

2007-09-19T17:12:00.000+08:00

So Near Yet So Far

2007-09-07T22:56:00.000+08:00

Digividuality - Update

2007-08-21T11:35:00.000+08:00

Just an update on the NETS cashcard design contest. The results are out and Ol' Dan's design:

won a consolation prize, a smartcard reader:

Thanks for voting :D

p.s. Oops, I forgot to include a link to all the winning entries earlier. View them here.

Mobilisation

2007-08-08T03:30:00.000+08:00

>> ONDEH ONDEH demystified
Miss Long Hair speaking Hainanese: Ondeh, Ondeh, my favourite!
Miss Short Hair speaking Hainanese: Hey, don't choke (to death) on your food.
Bpong Kgang = Stupid

Enlightenment

2007-07-21T12:02:00.000+08:00

Digividuality

2007-07-18T00:58:00.000+08:00

Ol' Dan is participating in the NETS CashCard design contest under the theme of 'Digividuality'. My entry is none other than my favourite blog masthead graphic:

Head down to the NETS website and vote (from 18 -31 July, max 5 votes per person) for Bounce Back To Life :D

Miss Galaxy

2007-06-14T19:15:00.000+08:00

Ol' Dan's 'summer blogbuster' :P

Note: Any resemblance to person(s) living or otherwise is purely coincidental.

Sianz = Boring

Yazid: When we were told to submit designs for the National Costume, I knew we were in for onehelluva ride. Initially we were stuck with the cliched 'east-meets-west' concept, pandering to the taste of foreigners and ended up with pretty much the same shit. With four major races in Singapore, you can't place too much emphasis on a particular race without drawing criticism. Then I said, THE HELL WITH IT.

Yazid: I trashed my crap designs. Staring at the blank white canvas, I had a BRAINWAVE. I finally came up with the perfect solution to please everyone. We're going back to basics, people.

Ulu = Remote

Agent Curtis: "Dude, what do I gain from lying to you? We're running out of time, let's hurry along."

Editor: Go get'em, Miss Singapore!

:D

Close! Goddammit!

2007-06-04T15:12:00.000+08:00

I was walking towards the lift lobby when I spotted the doors of a lift closing. Pressing the button, I was able to stop the doors from closing. As the door opened, I saw a primary school boy frantically pressing the 'door close' button in vain. And all the while, he had this facial expression as if he saw a monster.

Honestly speaking, I was probably just as 'guilty' as the boy at that age. Even now, it happens occasionally but under different circumstances. More like not pressing 'door open' when I could have, if I saw obnoxious neighbours appear at the lift lobby. That aside, wanting the lift door to stay shut can probably be attributed to the fear of 'what's lurking around the corner'.

There were occasions when the lift would stop at the wrong floor on the way up. The doors stay open for that few seconds and no one's around. Situations like this can really make the mind go wild, especially at night. Ol' Dan has a spark of madness and proudly presents a gaming experience unlike any other...

The mechanics of the game is simple - The player steps into a lift simulator. Within a stipulated time, the player has to press the CLOSE button 'x' number of times to shut the lift door before the demons (or whatever) get him/her.

'Girl-Next-Door' here will do a demonstration.

The game begins after slotting in 5 credits.

Heng ah = What a close shave

In a game like CLOSE! GODDAMMIT!, there's no time to relax. Turn your back and the lights go off and the old hag from hell attempts to open the door:

Pressing the CLOSE button repeatedly for 'x' number of times over 'x' period of time stops the old hag's attempt and brings you to the next level. I've switched the lights back on so you can appreciate the rich facial expression of 'Girl-Next-Door'.

Otherwise, it's GAME OVER. For 5 credits, you get scared silly and receive a souvenir photo too.

:P

A Source of Inspiration

2007-05-21T16:55:00.000+08:00

I'm back :)

I left a comment in my previous April Fool's Day entry that my next entry would be something on a source of inspiration for my comics. So here it is. Apart from observing people, I also enjoy looking at STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY. As for what stock photographs are in a nutshell, they're professionally taken photographs used by e.g. publishers, advertising agencies, etc to save time and money. For a more elaborate explanation, head down to the wiki site.

I enjoy looking at stock photographs featuring people. People in an office scenario or people interacting with one another. Sometimes it could just be individuals with rich facial expressions. Sometimes when I look at these photos, my imagination starts to run wild. Let me give you some examples.

Below is an illustration emulating a stock photo (I'm just drawing from my head, nothing specific from an existing series of stock photographs), featuring a lady reading a document:

Because we can't tell what the bonkers she's reading, the photo can be used in a variety of situations, e.g. a brochure talking about loans (I'm making this up as I go):

But in the hands of Ol' Dan, it will be something else altogether :)

Below is another illustration emulating a typical corporate setting stock photo:

A typical use of such a photo could be a page from a boring as hell publication:

But again, Ol'Dan sees things in a different way:

As the third example, I've drawn a sweet looking (even the poor deserves to dream, right or not? Heh.) office lady standing next to a photocopier.

Once again, it emulates the kind of stock photo destined for a corporate website or brochure. And once again, Ol' Dan has OTHER plans. Here we go:

Boh-liao = Nothing better to do.

Siao = Crazy

The Shoe Fetishist

2007-03-27T15:28:00.000+08:00

Aunty & Ah-Boy - Epilogue

2007-03-08T11:58:00.000+08:00

Back by 'popular demand'. Hehe. For first time visitors, please read SUPERHEROES OF ANCIENT CHINA - Aunty & Ah-Boy prior to reading the comic below. As for the rest, have fun ;)

Happy Lunar New Year

2007-02-22T20:09:00.000+08:00

Happy Lunar New Year to all my readers :)

Apologies for the lack of entries this month. Was down with flu for a week prior to New Year. Thankfully I recovered in time to whack the New Year goodies. Hehe.

Woman speaking Hainanese: "Every year I buy too much (goodies) and can't finish the lot. I'll offer them to my colleagues."

Killer Application

2007-01-29T18:01:00.000+08:00

Just last week, I read with interest about the Defence Science & Technology Agency's (DSTA) 'TechX Challenge' in the papers. Essentially, participants have to come up with a robot that is able to 'search for a target, carry the required payload, and enter and exit a building. It must also be able to go from floor to floor via the stairs or the lift.' The team with the fastest robot will bag a cash prize worth $1 million.

Sounds an awful lot like a Terminator to me.

And today, I read about a call to Singaporeans to develop 'the next YouTube or Skype' by a Minister speaking at the World Economic Forum.

At the end of the day, looks like what is needed is a KILLER APPLICATION (gives a whole new meaning when you lump that robot challenge with this I.T. 'gem of an idea' challenge). Man...Ain't heard those words since the dot.com boom and playing Bullshit Bingo.

That Facial Expression

2007-01-25T01:55:00.000+08:00

I enjoy observing people, especially the facial expressions of women. As to what my favourite facial expression is, I'll have to trouble 'Miss Kuah' to demonstrate:

To me, the facial expression above is THE facial expression for all seasons (I believe it is etched into a woman's subconsciousness). It expresses SURPRISE as shown above. It also expresses...

...BEWILDERMENT

...CONCENTRATION/DECISION MAKING

A variation of this facial expression (with eyes looking to the ground and raised eyebrows) can also express EMBARRASSMENT.

...SENSE OF URGENCY

That facial expression is just so unbelievably rich. Now if I had a say in advertising...

:)

Vanishing Trades

2007-01-15T15:59:00.000+08:00

Note: Any resemblance to person(s) living or otherwise is purely coincidental.

UPDATE (17 Jan 2007): Inserted new frame before the 2nd last one for clarity.

Woman in red: "Hello handsome, want a massage?"

STAR WARS and me

2007-01-02T14:04:00.000+08:00

Never thought my first press appearance would be Star Wars related. Glad I wasn't wearing a costume with a helmet. Oh yes, that's me as an Imperial Officer in the middle :D

Happy New Year

2006-12-29T13:45:00.000+08:00

Managed to squeeze this in before the New Year. Have fun :)

Miss 'Kuah Buay Sian' = Miss 'Sight For Sore Eyes'

Pakat = Conspire
Beo chio-bu = Ogle at pretty girls
Kan-cheong = uptight

Jik Kor Siao Eh = This one is nuts!

Happy New Year to one and all.

Shit-Fighters

2006-12-15T22:52:00.000+08:00

A.O. presents yet another boh-liao comic ;)

Time flies and new year is just around the corner. Odd...don't really feel the X'Mas mood this year. Hehe. This is probably my last entry for 2006. So here's me wishing my readers Merry X'Mas and Happy New Year :)

Click the image above to read the comic.

Superheroes Of Ancient China

2006-11-25T03:51:00.000+08:00

I present:

This is my mini adaptation of the Wu-Xia (Martial Chivalry) novel by Louis Cha - RETURN OF THE CONDOR HEROES. Oh yes, there's Singlish of course.

For the uninitiated, it would be beneficial to read the synopsis for the novel at the RETURN OF THE CONDOR HEROES wiki site prior to reading my comic. As for the rest, click the graphic above to begin reading. Have fun ;)

Function

2006-11-16T00:46:00.000+08:00

Some days back, the word 'Function' flashed across my mind and I remembered something from the 80's during secondary school. In essence, 'Function' was a social gathering between schoolboys and schoolgirls and if I remember correctly, it was strictly by invitation only. The function is usually held in a 'function room' of a condominium or if not, someone's house big enough to accomodate a crowd.

I've never been to one as I was one of the 'stoners' in class and I was never invited too. However, I knew of its existence from a mailer/invite being passed around the class or when one buaya (read hyperactive skirt-chaser) asked another buaya loudly:"Ay, wanna go function or not? Got Melanie they all going, you know?".

Melanie? Who the heck is that? They all? Who the blazes is "They all"?

Holy crap...How do these bozos even know so many girls in the first place? I came from an all-boys primary and secondary school and hardly interacted with females of my age save for those from bible studies class at my church on Sundays. Even then, it was nothing beyond "Hi" and "Bye". Not that I wasn't interested in women. At that time, I was more concerned about saving enough cash to buy all five Combaticons to complete BRUTICUS.

So what exactly goes on during a 'function'? I don't know for sure. But from flipping through photo albums (of the function) circulated around the class, I saw lots of breakdancing, buaya antics and of course, the gals. Some days I wonder if I missed out an important phase in life. Maybe. Probably explains why I'm still passive and indifferent about relationships. And not that I'll transform out of my otaku mode anytime soon.

33

2006-11-03T15:21:00.000+08:00

Cheers! :)

Just A Comic 05

2006-10-25T09:28:00.000+08:00

lobang = contacts

> OLD BOY (imdb)
> SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE (imdb)

> mama shop explained

FAQ

2006-10-16T23:29:00.000+08:00

Q: What is the meaning of 'HUTDUGAIKARSUI'?

A: A few of my fellow clansmen would probably know by now. For the benefit of the uninitiated:

Yes, 'HUTDUGAIKARSUI' or 'HUT DU GAI KAR SUI', is the Hainanese dialect word-for-word for the Mandarin phrase: '踢你的屁股' which in English means:

HUT = 踢(Kick)

DU GAI = 你的(Your)

KAR SUI = 屁股(Backside)

Note that 'HUTDUGAIKARSUI' is NOT the same as 'KICK-ASS' (e.g. What a kick-ass movie!)

Now don't you go to Purvis Street (aka Hainan 2nd Street) and start yelling "HUTDUGAIKARSUI" and stir up the hornet's nest.

PSI

2006-10-08T03:54:00.000+08:00

Fact: PSI = Pollutant Standards Index

Fly Me To The Moon

2006-10-03T15:55:00.000+08:00

Not sure if this has been done before but anyway:

:)

There Can Only Be One

2006-10-01T02:45:00.000+08:00

Note: Loosely adapted from something I heard from a friend.

Woman on right: "Hiyah! Just my luck! Tsk!"

Brain Date

2006-09-22T02:21:00.000+08:00

Guy: "@#$! That was close! @#$!!"

Stick Girl

2006-09-21T02:35:00.000+08:00

I enjoy reading Stick Girl's comics. Her minimalist style carries maximum impact. I emailed her with words of appreciation and she suggested I 'guest-star' at her blog. I was wondering how that could be accomplished. Opportunity came in the form of Stick Girl's birthday on 19 September. I drew the following as a gift to her with some creative liberty in adopting Stick Girl's style of drawing:

Keep those comics coming, Stick Girl :)

Tales Of A Lone Adventurer 02

2006-09-10T01:58:00.000+08:00

It was the second day of the COMEX exhibition at the Singapore Expo and I went down to get myself a new external hard disk. I happened to have a cold that day and my nose couldn't stop running. I had to head down that Friday as I didn't want worm my way through the crazy weekend crowd.

So off I went as Deckard Cain from DIABLO II said: "Quickly in, quickly out." Reached Hall 4, secured the hard disk and it's back to home. On my way out, (head feeling woozy from the constant sneezing and running nose) I heard quick footsteps advancing from behind. I continued walking. Then I heard a woman's voice call out:"Hey! hey!" I didn't stop to look and continued walking. All of sudden from my peripheral vision, a sweet-looking lass popped out and stopped me dead in my tracks:

I didn't say "hello" but smiled and raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"What did I buy?" I was stunned for a few seconds as I ran a search in my 'database' to find a match for this affable lady. Nothing. Could she be one of my blog readers? Now what was I thinking... Suddenly:

Turns out she was doing a survey for a credit card company. Somehow I felt 'emotionally robbed'. Laugh all you want, readers but the last thing I needed on that day was crap masquerading as a "friend-I-didn't-know-I-have". I waved a 'No, thanks' and went on my way. Wished I could do this:

And how I felt while waiting for the train to arrive could best be described by the following:

Whoever you are lady, "HUTDUGAIKARSUI!"

Just A Comic 04 - Epilogue

2006-09-08T18:21:00.000+08:00

Editor's note: Sometimes asking the obvious can be a good filler.

Long Hair Lady's dialogue in red: "Hey! I'm Hainanese too!"

Short Hair Lady's dialogue in red: "Hey, I can't tell!"

Long Hair Lady's dialogue in red: "Later we'll have chicken rice at Purvis Street."
Short Hair Lady's dialogue in red: "And order a plate of sweet and sour pork too."

Long Hair Lady's dialogue in red: "Hey, look at that monkey staring at us."

Guy: "I'm done for."

Just A Comic 04

2006-09-05T13:16:00.000+08:00

Update: added thought balloon in last panel for clarity.

Just A Comic 03

2006-08-23T14:45:00.000+08:00

A big apology for not updating my blog. Been busy with 'activities in a galaxy far far away'. To make up for the lull period, I now present a bumper issue. Hope you like what you see. Happy reading :)

Disclaimer: This is a non-commercial spoof comic. BATMAN © DC Comics.

Business Lingo

2006-07-05T02:49:00.000+08:00

Note: Any resemblance to persons living or otherwise is purely coincidental.

HER - Morning in the office:

HIM - Morning in the office:

THEM - Back home:

1. Time to eat, girl.
2. I may not be able to excercise consumer sovereignty at the moment but you could consider reviewing the dinner menu.
3. Did she pass motion earlier?

P.S. "Business talk" in frames 1 and 2 culled from various articles online.

Summer Snow

2006-06-30T23:14:00.000+08:00

A few days back, I watched as a couple boarded a crowded bus. The woman saw a seat at the rear and beckoned the man to follow her.

The man told the woman to sit down. There was another seat opposite but he preferred to remain standing, so he could be close to her. The Caucasian male seated next to the woman observed the lovebirds...

...and decided to give up his seat so that the man could sit with the woman.

He gestured to the man but the man politely declined the offer. The Caucasian gestured 'no problem at all', got up and plonked himself in another seat. The man sat down next to the woman. The couple felt awkward that they could only be seated together by 'inconveniencing' someone. Their facial expressions were priceless.

Quietly, the woman placed her hand on the man's and caressed it as if to say:"Don't feel bad...". At this moment, I felt a strange warmth...

...but at the same time, I also felt the bitter cold of winter. What a Kodak moment to behold...

Sleep

2006-06-19T00:47:00.000+08:00

I've often wondered - how does one get accustomed to sharing a bed with another and does the quality of sleep suffer?

For the bulk of our lives until someone comes into the picture, we've been sleeping alone.

The next thing we know, we have to share a bed. How do we cope with each other's idiosyncrasies?

While I'm sleeping alone, I can be snoring away till the clock rings. No matter how loud I snore, there won't be anyone to wake me abruptly to tell me to stop snoring and vice-versa.

I'm aware that once my sleep is interrupted, I will have some difficulty getting back to sleep again.

I put the question to a few and all gave the same answer: "Oh, get a bigger/better quality mattress. The kind that won't move when your partner moves. You'll just get used to someone lying down beside you eventually."

Is it really that simple?

Perhaps time will tell if I'm worrying too much. Perhaps I'll never know.

At least for now, I don't have to lose sleep over this matter.

Hand Dryers

2006-06-09T15:58:00.000+08:00

To me, the hand dryer found in most public toilets do not dry hands at all (if used conventionally, that is. I'll elaborate in awhile). I've seen some people rubbing their dripping wet hands frantically at the hand dryer. What they don't realise is even if they did that for the next five minutes, their hands would still not be dry.

And there're the odd ones who walk briskly to the hand dryer, 'dry' their wet hands for a few seconds and walk away with hands still wet.

Almost like a bizarre idol worship ritual if you ask me.

Oh, me? What I normally do is dry my hands with a handkerchief and use the hand dryer to blow dry my handkerchief.

Just A Comic 02

2006-05-30T18:38:00.001+08:00

Note: Any resemblance to persons living or otherwise is purely coincidental.

Kay-Kiang: Biting off more than one can chew

Life...

2006-05-15T23:38:00.000+08:00

(Any resemblance to persons living or otherwise is purely coincidental)

Sometime in the last decade of the last millennium...

Guy on left: This sucks man...

Translation: My life is wretched...My life is wretched...

Rules Of The Game

2006-05-08T14:53:00.000+08:00

Any resemblance to persons living or otherwise is purely coincidental.

This comic is my stab at the weirdness of the so-called 'unwritten rule'.

I'm definitely not the first to blog about how some women in Singapore (not sure about women in other countries though) use packets of tissue to 'reserve' a table at foodcourts and fastfood joints.

On some days, it's really difficult to get a seat in the foodcourt and you see these empty tables with packets of tissue on them, indicating the tables are 'reserved'. Hell. Strangely, everyone seem to acknowledge this 'rule'. Me? I have no wish to get myself embroiled in a squabble and ruin my mood to eat. But I sure hope to see someone with nothing to lose challenge these women one of these days.

The Twins Effect

2006-05-07T00:05:00.000+08:00

Why do majority of twins (children specifically) dress the same? I've always been curious. I recently made the acquaintance of a pair of near-identical twins. The two attend the same school and not surprisingly, dress similarly too. Unable to resist, I posed the following questions to them: Why do twins tend to dress similarly? What're their thoughts about it? I was rather surprised when they told me it didn't occur to them to even think about it. They wear whatever their parents buy for them. I told them my stand that twins, although looking alike, are still two persons and have different personalities. I asked them whether they felt "out of character" dressing alike. The two shrugged their shoulders and replied they're indifferent about it.

That brings us back to "They wear whatever their parents buy for them". Why then, do parents of twins want to dress their children alike? You might say "it's easier and cheaper to buy the same clothes what...". Do you know what I honestly think? I say the parents relish on creating CONFUSION as a novelty.

Let me paint a scenario. Imagine a visit to the relatives during Chinese New Year. "Emily" and "Evelyn" are presented before the crowd and the usual "Wah! Can't tell them apart. Who's who ah?" And the parents go: "GUESS LAH!".

Crikey!

YIKES!!

Smoke Break

2006-04-28T22:20:00.000+08:00

Any resemblance to persons living or otherwise is purely coincidental.

Gostan: Reverse (Go-Astern)

Man: Time-out! I need to take a dump. Food isn't digesting properly.

Artoo vs Stormtrooper

2006-04-19T04:03:00.000+08:00

A: Hello Aunty, how're you?
B: ADELINE, you're here! Come in.
A: Is Justin back?

B: He took half-day leave and came home by noon. When the postman came with that BIG parcel, he just went ape. He carted it into his room and hasn't come out since.
A: I'll look for him in his room.

Translation: It's tough to fathom the behaviour of youngsters these days. That one will make a fine daughter-in-law!

Witches

2006-03-28T04:24:00.000+08:00

My 'bumper issue'. An email correspondence with a reader unlocked potential material in my head for an interesting entry. Thanks, Amizadai. Hope you enjoy this entry.

The Comic With Hainanese Dialogue

2006-03-10T01:23:00.001+08:00

This is a comic with two women talking about the most mundane things during lunch time. But I thought it would be interesting to present the dialogue in a romanised version of the Hainanese dialect. If you're totally clueless, mouse-over each frame for 'subtitles' (if you're using Internet Explorer). For FireFox and Netscape users, right-click on each image, select 'Properties' and view the alternate text.

P.S. Ay, Wu Siang Gkai Tah Bou Gkia Sum Gkai Jiao Nong ah :)

Update:
Click here to read all my comics featuring the Hainanese language.

In The Mood For Drawing

2006-02-14T13:34:00.000+08:00

Click image above for full version