Six hottest illustrated novels you need on your shelf right now
After last year’s Buddhist dhamma books boom, publishers are now scrambling to roll out illustrated novels. Here are some of the hottest picks. By Proudpisut Sang-ou-thai
The book: It explores three phases of love—meeting at first, the relationship and breaking up—through three different city-living couples. Despite the broken hearts, it’s also a call to keep faith in love but it can get pretty cheesy and clichéd.
The artist: He’s got a bachelor’s degree in architecture but Munin black-and-white drawings are mostly concerned with family and love. Munin has also touched on a hot political topic, muslims in the South, in Munin Cartoon No.1. manin289.exteen.com
The story: A collection of 10 unrelated narratives turning shorts scenes from everyday life into moving tableaux, from a celebration of swimming to a mortician bidding farewell to the body he’s been working on. It’s impossible not to connect with the simple, but powerful characterizations.
The artist: GPEN’s name comes from a type of nib pen, even though he now uses a tablet. Wan Tee RooSuek Dee Dee is his first published book. comicbook.exteen.com
The story: Who the hell is Bobby Swingers? His life is told from different angles, from punk bands to bohemians. And a Bobby Swingers’s CD is included inside.
The artist: His first big hit, the Bean Sprout & Firehead series, introduced a new style of darker graphic novel to Thai fans. Songsin now works as chief editor for various graphic books at Fullstop Publishing. songsin.exteen.com
The story: This Trairong Parsitipon collection, presented as three vertical strips, pokes fun at Thai society, from leaked sex clips to superstitious taxi drivers, planking and mobile phone addiction.
The artists: A blogger famed for his character “Vase Head” or “HJK,” Trairong is not afraid of making himself the butt of the joke in his stories. horjorgor.exteen.com
The story: Hong Tangmo is one of the oldest modern cartoon characters in Thailand. Through his travels upcountry, Hong Tangmo ends up having to cross language and cultural barriers. But his adventures also tend to serve as metaphors for whatever political issue is ailing the country at that particular time.
The artist: Ongari (aka Toto the Hero) achieved lasting fame for Moo Bin Dai (Pig Wants to Fly). myhead.exteen.com
The book: The previous two installments’ mysteries will finally be revealed in this last book of the Ching Cha series, which tell the story of a young woman tracking down her long-lost parents. Beyond the plot twists and pastel-colored drawings, Ching Cha is also a philosophical journey which tells us to let go of our past.
The artist: A famous Copic-pen cartoonist, Wisut Ponnimit’s reputation extends to Japan where Hesheit was published by famous Japanese publishing house Katch, before running in Thai magazine A Day. Blanco was his first full-length book, put out by prominent comic book publishers Shinchousha, where he used to work. web.mac.com/wisut
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