How did you come up with this comic?
Sunny: I’m a marketing manager and By is a freelance writer. We had friends in common and started talking about comics over drinks one day. We’re big fans of American comics and we couldn’t help but wonder, why can’t we have that kind of hero here, too. We figured it’d be awesome to have a story with Thai superheroes in an environment we’re familiar with, like Bangkok.
Why did you choose a cockroach as a hero?
By: If Batman is the symbol of fear for Gotham, the symbol for Bangkok would have to be “disgust.” Even a horrid creature that everyone’s terrified of can save the city; and a pretty face can be the bad guy. It’s saying that no matter how small you are, you can make a big change: even if you are born and raised in the dark, filthy system, you can choose a new path. We wanted to make it original, and memorable, just like a James Cameron or Quentin Tarantino movie.
It sounds very dark.
By: Thai people will not pay attention to something if it is not controversial or doesn’t contain violence. They’re addicted to drama. It’s essential. We wanted to raise awareness about social issues.
Sunny: We don’t want to create a perfect world. Everyone has their weakness. Our hero has mental and anger issues, he even punches a woman at one point, but what if that woman is pointing a gun at a kid?
It’s meant to be a reflection of Thailand?
By: We want to delve into the grey area, into moral dilemmas, and ask whether the “end justifies the means” like when dirty money is used to build a hospital. Corruption is the root of our country. The city in the story is named Bangpoot (“Sometimes Buddhist”), a reference to how Thais refer to this country as a Buddhist land. They’re very judgmental, but the irony is that sometimes they act Buddhist, sometimes they don’t.
Sunny: My foreign friend saw his friend get raped by the police in front of him, in Sukhumwit Soi 30, and could not do a thing as they are here on a tourist visa. This is the price you pay for all the conveniences in Thailand: the cheap food, transportation… But the price is your safety and freedom.
What’s the creative process like?
By: We both write and the illustrations of the first volume were done by Vasan Suwannaka, 25, who worked on A-day illustrations and designing a CD cover for Slot Machine. For the next issues, we will be joined by other writers and illustrators so we can keep seeing things from different angles.
What’s the plan for the release?
Sunny: One difficulty American comics face here is that they don’t fit on Japanese manga shelves, and they can’t be sold as magazines. But the books will be available online at Comixology.com and places like Batcat museum or Starpics and also at BTS Faster bookshops. The Thai version will be released at Thailand Comic Con on May 9-11 at Paragon. There will be a treasure hunt and figurines. If you find a golden cockroach in your book, you’ll get a prize!
By: You better hope it’s not a visit to a cockroach farm.
