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What is SOUND?

Writers and illustrators from all around Southeast Asia were challenged to push the boundaries of depicting the unseen through the medium of visuals and words, while telling stories important to them.

Now you can be part of that experience.

Are you ready?

water-droplets

Listen closely.

What do you hear?
Put your brush to the canvas, let your imagination run free, and discover what the anthology writers and illustrators experienced as they drew inspiration everyday sounds to craft their stories.



What does sound look like to you?

“...think of the sounds that
                went into the creation of
each of the stories
             you encounter.”

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Charis Loke, Co-editor of
SOUND: A Comics Anthology

What did your sound look like to you?

Please share your art on social media with #soundcomics and tag @differenceenginesg

Like the creators, you would have crafted a story or piece of art that is unique and personal to you.

Join us as we showcase the stories behind the thirteen comics, and hear from the writers and illustrators who made them happen.

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Stories

Click on the icons to learn more about the stories in SOUND.




Hear from the Editors of the Anthology!

Budjette TanBudjette grew up in a haunted house and was told to sleep early because there were aswang flying outside his bedroom window. These stories inspired him to write the comic book, TRESE, which he co-created with artist Kajo Baldisimo. TRESE will soon be adapted into a Netflix anime series.
Charis LokeCharis is an illustrator and educator based in Penang, Malaysia. Her work draws upon literature and visual culture, exploring both real and fictional worlds. She is the Comics & Illustrations Editor at New Naratif and a committee member of Arts-ED, where she works on community-based arts and culture education for youth.

“ This medley of lovingly crafted comics—fantastical, social realist, and confessional—have plenty more in common than their unifying theme of sound.
They’re also tales of loss, with characters struggling in the midst of broken families, forgotten traditions, failed belief systems and governments.
They represent the collective spirit of young Southeast Asia—a generation, caught between a colourful past and an uncertain future, drawing themselves together, finding their voices. ”

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Ng Yi-Sheng, author of Lion City


front-cover

Traffic. A crunchy snack. An argument. What does sound look like to you?

Difference Engine is proud to present our first comics anthology, SOUND: A Comics Anthology. Writers and illustrators from all around Southeast Asia were challenged to push the boundaries of depicting the unseen through the medium of visuals and words, while telling stories important to them.

Guest editors Budjette Tan and Charis Loke have put together an intriguing list of stories that showcase the creativity of creators across Southeast Asia—both familiar and new names. In a broad range of genres and topics, this collection of stories is an exciting exploration of what the comics medium is capable of.

CREATIVE TEAMS

Folk  (Paolo Chikiamco & Borg Sinaban)
The Whispers of the Earth  (Amahl S. Azwar & Nadiyah Rizki)
Hokkien for Beginners  (Nicolette Lee)
Bonus Points  (Benjamin Chee)
Voices and Votes  (Rafael Romeo Magat & Ruth Chris De Vera)
On : Off  (Xie Shi Min, Xiao Yan, & Richard Phua)
Out of Sight  (Jingwei Wong & Soefara Jafney)
The Cat Who Barks  (Bryan Arfiandy)
Blabber  (Bonni Rambatan)
Softly, Sayang  (Sharon Bong & Leong Yi Zhen)
Road Trip Radio  (Cathlyn Vania)
Signals  (Farid Nad)
A Call  (Nadhir Nor)

Difference Engine is an independent comics publisher based in Singapore.


We are inspired by stories from Asia and are committed to publishing diverse, well-written, and beautifully illustrated comics of all genres, both print and digital. We would love to work with writers and illustrators, both new and experienced, to contribute to the growing Southeast Asian comics community.

If you have a story to tell, we want to hear from you!

Find us at www.differenceengine.sg
facebookinstagramtwitteremail@differenceengine.sg

Audio clips adapted from: Kevin Luce, Gary Bard, Tyops, craigsmith, rileywarren, HerbertBoland, univ_lyon3, TheGloomWorker, Jordan_Costello, PeteBarry, Penumbradupstep, newagesoup, Pfannkuchn and Freesound
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