Singapore Comic Convention (SGCC) 2023 is just two weekends away!! There is so many aspects of pop-culture that will be featured at SGCC, of which one of them is the love for Game Freak's/ Nintendo's Pokémon series. In the magical hallways of Artist Alley in SGCC, you will be able to find a number of artists who specialise in Pokémon fan art.
Edward, Red Dot Diva's long time friend from the Glam Bloggers Alliance, spoke to two of such talented illustrators - Abz Art, who is based in Australia, and Trainer K (Kelvin) from Indonesia! Both of them will be looking forward to meet fellow Pokémon fans at the convention, and if you want to collect 'em all, do drop by their booths to check out their wares.
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Gather 'round, trainers of all ages! The time has come to celebrate the magical world of Pokémon at the most electrifying comic convention of the year. Whether you're a long-time fan or just beginning your journey, this event promises to ignite your passion and take you on a Pokémon adventure like never before.
Proudly wear your Pokémon Trainer hat, wield a foam Poké Ball, or trade stories with fellow fans who share your love for these iconic creatures. There will be countless merchandise available within the bustling convention floor, and today, we’ll be looking at the works of Abz Art [B2-AA17] and Trainer K [L1-AA21].
INTERVIEW WITH ABZ ART
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| Demon Slayer x Pokémon |
Ed: What are the unique challenges and rewards of creating such crossover art?
Abz: The challenge lies in making the crossover instantly recognisable. I want fans of either franchise to be able to spot it right away. Therefore I have to make sure there's a good balance on both sides. For the Pokemon x Demon Slayer series, the Pokemon side is obvious, while the Demon Slayer side required me to mostly depend on clothing and aesthetics to get the vibe across. The reward is being able to share it with those who are fans of both, and the interaction and discussions I have with people about them. And of course, the joy I get from immersing two franchises I really enjoy!
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| Almost like kulit wayang |
Ed: Do you have any piece that is particularly meaningful or special for you?
Abz: One of my personal favourite pieces is "Shadow Play", where I have the Kanto starters, Pikachu and Mew gathered around a campfire inside a cave, with their shadows depicting their evolved forms (or in Mew's case, Mewtwo). I did the piece back in 2015, and it was one of the first times I came up with a concept that I was very proud of, and also one of the largest pieces I've done at that time.
Ed: Do you find yourself drawn more to the classic Pokemon or those from newer generations in your artwork? How do you balance nostalgia with the excitement of new Pokemon designs?
Abz: Nostalgia is a very strong emotion for me, so I am naturally more drawn towards the first 3 generations which I grew up with. However I try not to let myself get too wrapped up in that, and allow myself to enjoy the newer Pokemon as well, they've got their own charm that should be appreciated.
Ed: Who would be in your Pokemon team? Mine would be Espurr, Wailord, Ursaluna, Chansey, and Bulbasaur. I may have broken some rule there.
Abz: Rules are meant to be broken haha. My team fluctuates often, but right now I'd say it would be Raichu, Absol, Blaziken, Gengar, Scizor and Pidgeot.
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| Zombie Pokémons! |
Ed: What kind of merch will you be bringing, and what is the price point for them? Would you have any exclusives for Singapore? :3
Abz: I'll be bringing in A3 prints (30 SGD each, with deals available), A5 prints (10 SGD each, deals available) and hopefully large stickers too (around 3 SGD each with deals as well). As for exclusives, I'll be debuting a few new prints at SGCC. Though not confirmed yet, there will be new Uppermoon Pokemon prints as well as Naruto and One Piece prints.
INTERVIEW WITH TRAINER K
Ed: It's Origins time! Every superhero has one; needless to say, a level 26 trainer (it's in your bio!) like yourself must have a pretty tale to tell. How did you get here and why are you only level 26?
Trainer K: Actually, it's simpler than you expect. Level 26 represents my age. I've been a huge fan of Pokemon ever since I was at Level 8, where I first bought Pokemon cards and fell in love with the unique creatures. Since then, I watched the anime on TV, and started playing my first Pokemon game, which was Pokemon Ruby. As someone who loved drawing since I was a kid, I spent my time doodling these creatures on my notebooks. In 2014, I decided to create an Instagram account where I could post my Pokemon drawings. At that time, I was still using coloured pencils, and was highly inspired by another Pokemon artist called Itsbirdy (now known as Supbirdy). 9 years have passed and sometimes I find it hard to believe that I'm still pursuing this path even until now. Every year has been an exciting journey filled with self discoveries and how I can improve myself even further. I started taking commissions, running a huge series called 'Legends Discovered', joining conventions, and many more. I'm sure there are more adventures ahead of me, and I'm super excited to see what's in store in my future. I guess I'll keep on levelling up higher and higher!
Ed: Your Pokemon illustrations are truly captivating and evoke a deep nostalgia, capturing the heart of a Pokemon trainer's journey. Each artwork feels like a new adventure waiting to unfold, and it's clear that you have a deep connection to the world of Pokemon. Your talent for illustrating is extraordinary; it's like a window into the Pokemon universe. In no particular order, I love your Legends Discovered series, the recent Pika Paradise, and the tiny tribute to Arven and Mabostiff You've managed to bring everything to life in a way that transports me to the Pokemon universe and makes me feel like I'm part of the adventure. Which piece has been the most memorable for you and why? I hope there's a beautiful story behind it!
Trainer K: Thank you very much! I always imagine Pokemon being around, and how it would feel to have Pokemon beside me, or even encountering powerful Pokemon. When I started the 'Legends Discovered' series, I knew that this was going to be a big project and would take a very long time to finish. It's a huge commitment to draw all the legendaries and mythicals (there are 90+ at the time of this writing). But I convinced myself to do it and see where it goes, and so it begins. In this series, I wanted to convey the feeling of meeting the legendaries and mythicals of Pokemon world, and exaggerate the size of those legendaries to make the scene even more epic. I'm glad that the series has been well received. The support and kind words of people on this series pushed me to keep going forward and complete this legendary adventure.
I have a couple of favourite pieces throughout my 9 years journey. One of them is the piece I did for Pokemon's 25th Anniversary. As a huge Pokemon fan myself, I would like to create something special to celebrate the silver anniversary of Pokemon. I went in and drew all the protagonists, rivals and starters of 8 Pokemon generations (which I added 9th generation later on). It was a challenge to think of different poses for each character, and to show their different personalities. Combining them all into one huge compilation poster was also very tough.
Another favourite piece of mine is from 'Legends Discovered', which is my Shaymin piece. I really enjoyed the Shaymin movie when I was a kid, and I loved how Shaymin are connected to Gracidea flowers, which is a form of showing gratitude in the Pokemon world. When I created this piece, I would like to convey my gratitude for the support everyone has given me in my journey. I had Shaymin looking up, soaring through the sky in the middle of the beautiful Gracidea flower field, with all those Gracidea petals blown by the wind, as if I had Shaymin bringing the feeling of gratitude to everyone seeing the piece.
Ed: I've asked this of Abz as well. Who would be in your team? After the recent community day in PokemonGo, I'm going to swap out Bulbursaur and put in Clodsire. So now, my invincible team of cuties include Espurr, Ursaluna, Wailord, Clodsire and Chansey.
Trainer K: I have six Pokemon in my main team, which are Vee the Vaporeon, Royale the Serperior, Emerald the Mega Gallade, Ginsei the Shiny Ninetales, Yoghurt the Goodra, and Rayden the Braviary. They are some of my top favourites Pokemon of all time, which are my favourite Starter Pokemon, Mega Evolution, Shiny Pokemon, Pseudo-Legendary, and Bird Pokemon respectively, I introduced them to the page back when I hit 30k, and I've drawn them a couple times in my page milestone celebrations, and now in my page anniversaries.
Ed: What can we expect to get from your booth at SGCC?
Trainer K: I will be bringing in several art prints where you can buy 2 and get 1 free! The Small Prints (A6) are at 1 for $5; Medium Prints (20x25cm) 1 for $10, and Large Prints (30x40cm) 1 for $20. Other goodies that you can get are waterproof vinyl stickers, available as individual die-cut stickers, sticker packs and sticker sheets, (1 for $2.50, 5 for $10) and mystery packs which contains 3 random Postcards, 3 random stickers and 3 random TCGs! (1 for $10, 3 for $25).
There are more surprises to be announced in his Instagram so be on the lookout!
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