art by PAUL LIMGENCO
bkk UNZINE art magazine aims to showcase the talents of artists and to bring creativity and community to audiences around the world.
Happy New Year!
As we usher in 2025, we’re excited to debut the new look of bkkUNZINE.com and thank all of you for being a part of our story as we look forward to even greater endeavors ahead.
Things are changing, and there’s no better theme to reflect that than “Then vs. Now.” For this issue, we asked artists to think back on their origins and reflect on their growth as artists by comparing and contrasting older work with their more current creations.
The results reveal an incredible peek into the development of talent through time, and we hope that this was also a pleasant trip down memory lane for our artists. Sometimes, we get so caught up in our work and projects that we rarely have time to step back and appreciate our own journey.
Thanks again for being on this journey with us. We can’t wait to share with you what we’re planning, so check back for some big announcements in the weeks to come!
Next month’s theme is….
Show us what makes you passionate!
Accepting submissions now through January 25th.
PASSION is also our February group exhibition at Cataleya Estate.
This year, we’re announcing all our monthly themes in advance so you’ll have more time to prepare your artwork! Please feel free to submit for any of our themes in advance!
featured artist
CARNAGE THEN vs NOW
by PAUL LIMGENCO
When I was a kid I drew a lot of Marvel characters. I remember feeling very proud of this Carnage drawing I did when I was 8 years old. He has such an unusual design and it confused me but when I drew this I felt like I understood the tricks and language of Carnage's weird shapes on his surface. 25 years later, I painted my own version of Carnage's design while painting many other Spider-man characters.
Illustrative Artist
Based in Toronto, Paul has been painting comics and covers for years. He has worked on Neon Black and anthologies like Elseworlds and Cauldron Magazine.
TWO ARTWORKS, 26 YEARS APART
by MOE
1997/98- Self portrait drawn in front of a mirror.
2023- A self expression through someone else's life, drawn with charcoal on lokta paper.
Comic Artist, Writer
Moe used to photograph a lot while traveling (like spending time, and sometimes effort, to take the right photo) and portraits of people interested him the most. Then he stopped because he didn’t feel as comfortable taking photos. He felt uneasy (and it also took him away from being present amongst people and landscapes), and so he turned to sketching in his travel journals.
REFERENCE vs IMAGINATION
by WATSAK
When I was given a prompt to go back to find work from childhood to be compared with my current work, I immediately thought of the pencil drawings of animals I did back when I was in elementary school. It had so much impact on me and I was so proud of myself for being able to reproduce what I saw. However, I wasn't satisfied with using a reference since I felt it wasn't liberating or “imagined” enough. I chose this new comic for “Now” to show how I moved away from using reference and to also trust my gut and let my imagination and memory muscle do the job. In the end, as cliche as it seems, balance between both techniques would be something I aim for doing going forward.
Writer, Illustrator
Watsak is a comic artist and animator based in Bangkok. He is the creator of Maihua, a universe of plant-human creatures and friends who live in a giant tree condominium somewhere in Bangkok where residents of that building believe in them and would be able to see them. Currently, Watsak focuses on his storytelling in the media of comics and animation.
DEEP DIVE
by G3MSTRY
On the top left is my work with 3D art in blender from several years ago. On the bottom right is my more recent work that incorporates a lot more shapes, textures, lighting techniques, and better composition.
3D Artist, Musician
G3mstry specializes in wacky lil' characters and aesthetic art made in blender 3D. He also uses his art to make visualizers while performing music on stage.
THE JOURNEY & EXPERIENCE
by ADISAK DAS PONGSAMPAN
My first work as a Manga artist was published in 1996, when I was 15 years old, and my most recent work will be published in 2025. It's been a long journey, but my dedication to pursuing my dream has never wavered. However, my work has grown, and my perspective in drawing has evolved with age. My first published work from my younger days reflects the innocence of youth, while the journey through life's countless experiences has shaped and refined my craft into what you see today.
Comic Artist
Adisak Das Pongsampan is a cartoonist who has been drawing manga and comics for 27 years and has published about 80 books in Thailand.
“SICK” & “WATER MY PLANTS”
by KAZI ISTELA IMAM
“Sick” is from 2018 when I was juggling mutiple types of pain and came out of it with a greater appreciation of the fortune of good health. "Water My Plants" is about making sure no matter how life tries to throw twists and turns, we remember to water our plans and fuel ourselves first.
Graphic Designer, Illustrator
A Bangladeshi graphic designer / illustrator with a passion for words & colours often drawing inspiration from her relationship with her city, matters of the heart, mind and gut.
NOW vs THEN
by NUATFU
My first drawing of NuatFU was in 2019. I started by drawing comics and gradually added illustrations and animation. This is how NuatFU became what he is today.
Comic Artist, Illustrator
NuatFu has been an illustrator for 4 years, previously working as a graphic designer, and decided to work in this field because having always felt happy and proud to draw. NuatFu wants to be the number 1 artist in the world, like Banksy, Van Gogh, etc. and for the world to know NuatFu, now having self-financed canvases and merchandise.
BEASTS AND CHILDREN
by AARON SCHMIDT
Comparison of pages from my graphical novel Beasts and Children. I decided to redraw the entire graphic novel to improve the overall quality. The inking in the first page is by Thai Inker Fah.
Comic Artist
Aaron Schmidt has worked in the field of animation, TV, film and art for over 2 decades, including multiple award-winning films and music videos such as Tod Polson’s “Prodigal” and “Escape of the Gingerbread Man,” Thai singer Petch Osathanugrah’s music video “Fill Me,” and Bryan Ott’s “The Glow.” In the last decade Aaron has turned toward more traditional art forms. He has worked as a freelance illustrator for tabletop games and has been working on multiple graphic novels using traditional pen and ink.
DETECTIVE SERPENT COVERS
by NIRUND CHUVICHEAN
This is a comparison of the covers from the 1st and 2nd issues of my original comic Detective Serpent.
It's not a long time between both of them, but the development of character and concept of cover painting technique has changed quite a bit. The 1st issue cover features my main character, Leaner. The 2nd issue cover shows the main character who gained muscle and looks more realistic and my digital coloring techniques have improved.
Comic Artist
A professional freelance comic artist and illustrator with 15 years of experience, Nirund Chuvichean lives in Bangkok where he creates his own works.
AN EVOLUTION IN PHOTOGRAPHY
by VENKY
This theme depicts the evolution of many things in time and space and in this regard, in art. Taking my creativity in the form of photography, art, and videography simultaneously led me through interesting journeys that made me work with different tools and let me travel to different places. A good tool, a good eye and a good moment combine together to create a masterpiece. While moments happen through the magic of nature, the eye/perception and the tool/accessible gear evolve over time. “Now” is a picture taken in Nepal using SONY A6300 mirrorless camera in 2019 - my first DSLR and “Then” is a picture taken in 2014 using a Nikon P520 point and shoot camera - my first camera.
Photographer, Digital Artist, Filmmaker
Venky is a professional graphic designer, sketch artist, and photographer who aspires to work on more educational content for large scale audiences. He currently lives in India, but loves traveling and working around the world. His Instagram handle @musteredsouls is where he posts artwork and @venkyisliving is for his photography.
“CAMELIA JAPONICA” & “FLUORESCENCE of CUC PHUONG 03”
by ESTELLE CRUZ
“Camellia Japonica” was drawn by the author when she as 9 years-old following art classes and was the first time she tried using Indian ink. The artwork is drawn based on a picture of the species - Camellia japonica - known commonly as Japan rose or Japanese camellia.
“Fluorescence of Cuc Phuong 03” was drawn 23 years later in 2024, and focuses on an unseen world - the world of insects which could see UV and the fluorescence of plants. Some fluorescent patterns found on flowers guide the insects to the pollen and nectar. Humans can see these patterns by exposing plants to UV with black light.
Comic Artist, Researcher in Ecology, Mixed Media Artist
Estelle Cruz is an architect and PhD in ecology from the Museum of Natural History of Paris. She has worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Arts and Science departments of Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok and investigated representations of nature in Thai comics. Estelle is also a member and associate researcher at CEEBIOS, the Center for Studies and Expertise in Biomimicry in Paris, and the MAP-Aria laboratory at ENSAL - École d'Architecture de Lyon, France.
Currently, Estelle is creating a comic sciences book as an artist and researcher in ecology. This comic book is realized in collaboration with Université Paris Cité and the laboratory LEM - UMR 7591 and addresses the challenges of ecological research in Southeast Asia. Fifty percent of her artistic income is dedicated to supporting biodiversity conservation in Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand.
11 YEARS LATER
by MAIIMOU
The black picture is a picture that I drew after watching the movie The Wolverine in 2013. At that time, I grew up with superhero movies and liked the character of Wolverine. Then in 2024, I had the opportunity to draw the Thai version of the Deadpool & Wolverine poster. It was considered a chance to draw the character Wolverine again, and this time it was official art. I gave this picture to Hugh Jackman.
Comic Artist, Concept Artist, Digital Artist, Illustrator
Prolific Bangkok-based artist Maiimou is a lead-concept artist, illustrator, and comics creator. He is the writer and artist of the sequential art publication Wukong & Purple Orchid Prologue and co-founder, along with Nu Formalynn and GK, of SMASHHH STUDIO, a group of three artists with a passion for creating comic books and drawing, who together currently produce work for the studio such as Pandora Book: Sweet Dreams and Wukong & Purple Orchid.
FOR BETTER OR WORSE
by NIRUT CHAMSUWAN
Through much of high school I toiled away at the hundreds of pages of my G.I. Joe magnum opus, drawn on bond paper as a means to get through less-than-engaging classes (of which there were many in high school, let’s be honest). It’s a bit ridiculous looking back on it now, but I learned so much of what to do and what not to do from just sitting down and actually doing a comic. There are tropes I still use to this day, some of which are evident in the contrasting page from the more recent New Camelot, and back then I think I had a passion for doing comics that I’d love to regain.
Illustrator, Comic Artist
Nirut Chamsuwan specializes in illustration, graphic design and portraiture, nurturing the love for popular entertainment, comic books and sequential storytelling that has informed his artwork since youth. While studying architecture at the Savannah College of Art and Design, he would often joke that his reason for pursuing such a major was to learn how to render backgrounds for comic book panels. Currently, Nirut is illustrating the Arthurian reimagining New Camelot.
“THE SAINT OF SWORD” & “THE NEXT EVOLUTION”
by SOOTH
25 years ago, as a hobby I drew Chinese action comics after I graduated from the Chulalongkorn faculty of sciences. Since then, I kept practicing and learning a variety of styles of drawing comics and nowadays I feel that I can pencil and ink comics much better. The more I learn and practice, the more I have fun with drawing comics. I studied Moebius’ style to draw the “next evolution” of sci-fi comics. Truthfully, I want to draw to relax and clear my mind, while looking forward to the future too. Now, studying character design and storytelling also make me enjoy creating comics more and more. “Don’t be afraid of trial and error; when you find the way you like, you will find your own style. Enjoy the moment when you draw!”
Writer, Comic Artist
Sooth was a scientist but retired to follow his dream of becoming a comics creator. He likes designing characters, monsters, aliens, ghosts, etc., and loves creating ghost stories, sci-fi, fantasy and superhero comics.
SUSAN STORM: THEN vs NOW
by ART DD
I feel there has been big improvement and yet very small given the amount of time that has passed. I would like to improve a lot more. In the new drawing, in my opinion, the lines seem to be more confident and less scratchy. It also took less time. Finally, I’m spending more time drawing these days and I am sure I will get to a level where I will be satisfied.
Game Creator, Illustrator
Originally from the U.S., Art DD now calls Bangkok home. While teaching is his day job, his true passion lies in coding and creating immersive online games, along with other coding-related fun projects. He uses sketching as a creative outlet to develop his drawing skills. An enthusiast of ice baths, he is also continuously exploring ways to improve his health through breathing techniques, nutrition, and exercise.
BACKGROUND THEN vs NOW
by SKETCHMAN BORIS
The old lake with ducks and the windmill drawing is from 1997 when I was 11 years old. I’ve always loved drawing. When my aunt sent me this drawing, it was a surprise to me because I remember mostly drawing big cats like tigers and lions when I was that age. The new drawing is a panel, an establishing shot for a comic I drew this year in 2024.
Comic Artist
Boris Aravindabalan, aka “Sketchman Boris,” is the founder of bkk UNZINE. Growing up in India, Boris discovered his love for drawing and, combined with hours and hours of cartoons and movies, he realized that not only did he just love reading and watching stories, but he also wanted to have the same impact on others as the creators whose work he enjoyed had on him.
Storyboard Artist Dynnaro You on connecting with artists in Bangkok
We were sad to see a companion from the studio leave us, but we have a feeling that he will be back soon. Originally from Boston, USA, Dynnaro You came to stay in Bangkok for a while and has become a close friend and contributor to our art studio in Bangkok, UNZINE 95, where this leisurely interview was recorded.
Our conversation centered around his experience connecting with artists in Bangkok.
Show your art in bkk UNZINE!
next month’s theme is….
WHAT MAKES YOU PASSIONATE?