Bringing your content on the web is a refreshing and ingenious business model, because if Anema were a paperback comic (as it was before I brought it online), its reach will be stunted by book middlemen and retailers in Singapore, who generally think poorly of comics and are grotesquely unsupportive of local authors.

Now, the contact between author and reader is direct- cutting out the middleman. What’s more, you can showcase your work worldwide and make it accessible any time of the day.

How much does it cost you to maintain the site per month?

A thrifty webmaster can run it at no cost at all. You only need to pay the annual hosting fee and the rest is up to you.

My initial plan was to hire a team to share the workload of colouring, site maintenance and marketing. However, I was cash-strapped and no one in Singapore wanted to have anything to do with my work. So I learnt all the technical skills myself and pulled it off alone. I only pay the annual hosting fee.

Does the advertising offset the cost?

A webcomic cannot be seen as a viable business by itself, but merely a step-up to greater things. If its readership is wide enough, the author may be able to receive publishing and other deals, and return to mainstream ways of marketing his work.

That said, I think the web is invaluable for authors to showcase their work. It allows them to finish the entire series or story before anyone makes a concluding judgment. With books, the publisher may shut you off the moment he thinks you’re going downhill- but you may actually have quality work coming up.

How many hits has the site had this year?

I launched my site on February this year, but it was receiving hits even from last December. Currently my readership is 30,000 to 40,000 per month, with a quarter coming from Singapore. It’s a good improvement from my books, which maxed out at 5,000.

However, I must add that prospective webcomic authors must do aggressive marketing online, because the web is inundated with thousands of webcomics, mostly from intrepid creators from North America.

What future do you see for web comics in general?

I believe there will be a upward surge in webcomics in the years to come. (Even more so when the media, like yourself, begin to notice and write about them!)

The comic industry worldwide is not in the healthiest of state, and is dominated by major publishing houses whose ideas have become narrow and risk-adverse. The net allows anyone with a good idea to showcase his work, and many new styles have emerged online. Who knows? Some of these unknown individuals may pioneer a groundbreaking work.

Do you have plans for another book? What are they?

I’ll be spending the next two years on Anema, as it is a pretty long series. Actually I have enough story ideas to last for my entire career, if ever I have the privilege to turn professional. (In Singapore this would be harder than scaling Everest!)

Do you know how your story will end?

The current version of Anema is actually the 4th version. I made the first three versions when I was 8, 10 and 18 respectively. As I grow older, new experiences and inspiration made me want to expand and improve the story.

So yes, the ending and every detail of the plot has been finalized. Perhaps such planning is important? I have read many stories that start out with good premises but run out of ideas midway, and that’s a shame.

What are your ambitions for Anema?

You know what? I really wish to return to the book industry again, but at an international level. The net is wonderful, but once authors and readers develop love for a work, they just want to see it in tangible form.

Do you see your experiences as a Singaporean (ie. the characteristics you refer to in your ‘ravings’) coming through in your work?

I believe every author in the world draws ideas from real life experiences, and it is equally important to present personal messages in his work, albeit in subtle ways. Anema in essence is about a few unknown individuals who battle overwhelming odds to make a difference to their world, so I guess that’s my inner desire, and that of many dreamers worldwide.

You describe the lack of support from the local industry as shameful. What support did you seek, from whom and what were your expectations? What did you get?

If I were to tell you everything in full detail, you can write a book on it!

When I wanted to publish Anema as a book, I scoured through the entire telephone directory for publishers but no one would touch my work. So I published it myself (and was mentioned in this same paper last August). But this is only the beginning of the story. Many bookstores refuse to take my books, including the one in my own school! In their minds, they have already concluded that comics are rubbish and did not care if I had a different type.

I tried to stock Anema in primary school bookstores, but had to contend with immense bureaucracy. Again, schools were hostile towards comics and found every excuse to reject me. One school turned me down because it claimed that I used ONE LINE of improper English, but I have always used perfect English on Anema.

Then it was the search for advertisers and sponsors. No company or foundation I approached wanted to deal with me, because the prevailing mindset is that comics are for immature people and hooligans. Since I could not finance my book operations, it had to end at Book Two.

In addition, when everyone learnt that I produced comics, they immediately assumed that I was a school dropout, with very little brains and had to do this because I couldn’t get a decent job. Why can’t intelligent people make comics? That’s commonplace in Europe and Japan. I see vast untapped potential in the comics medium, and I believe in my own work, so it is unfair to be maledicted for my faith in this condemned medium.

Most glaringly, every buyer I dealt with never paid me on time. I had to send countless emails and even sit in their offices to make them pay the money they owed, and amusingly they behaved as if I was in the wrong!

All I ask for is fair terms, prompt payment, the willingness to support new ideas, and to give local talent a chance. But for our industry, that’s asking for too much.

Do you feel you have achieved more via the site rather than through the
book? What gave you the most satisfaction?

I managed to achieve more than what anyone can expect. When an industry tries to shut someone off, he is as good as gone. But the net has allowed me to learn from my lessons and grow stronger, in terms of the quality and reach of Anema.