bkk UNZINE Issue 39
Loving MYTHS & LEGENDS
Published: 1st November 2023
This theme was selected by our followers on instagram as it is the tradition every month, right in time for Halloween. We would like to take this chance to thank all those who visited our BKK Comics Art Festival whether it be the students who participated in our Comic contests, or the visitors who came to admire our two week exhibition on the 5th floor of BACC, or people who came to the two day convention to meet our Artists and participate in our panels at the said venue.
To come back to the issue you are reading, for the first time ever we are going to something somewhat negative but going beyond the criticism. We live in a time when the mainstream media has nothing new to offer, it’s all “content”, reacting, commenting, remaking things that were once popular instead of taking risks to push the limits of creativity. We kindly ask the following to the artists: please create new things and the best way to keep yourself in check is to engage with other artists and accept the honest points of view. There is a lot more to say on this but we;ll let you enjoy what uor Artists have cooked up for you.
Thank you as always and Enjoy.
Maia, Jam, Venky, Boris
Artists in this issue
Thilak Arts School | bkk UNZINE Interview
Thilak Arts school is an humble yet impactful art school in the heart of Puducherry town in India run by Mr. Thilak. He conducts weekend art classes and also teaches on behalf of NGOs to under-privileged students. His effort to inspire kids through art regardless of the hardships make this heartwarming. He has been trying to encourage kids by teaching them how to create art, as well as guide them on how to make revenue out of it.
He conducts free lessons and even provides donate drawing materials for underprivileged orphan kids and helping them avoid bad life choices because of lack of parental guidance.
A mix of an English and a Thai myth
This took a good few days to finish. I wanted to draw a myth that shows England and Thailand. Here they are in one picture. The Griffin was so much easier than the Panorn Maruek. I love colour so I could explore more with colours for the Panorn Maruek. This was a big challenge for me. One being something I don’t normally draw and I also choose to do A4.
English myth: Griffin, composite mythological creature with a lion’s body (winged or wingless) and a bird’s head, usually that of an eagle.
Thai myth: Panorn Maruek. With an upper body like an ape and a lower body like a deer, this creature has the agility of a deer-like animal, and uses its hands to grasp objects.
The League
Pencil on bristol board
In the west, when we hear “myth” the word more often than not conjures up images of classic Greek or Roman mythology but with the superhero genre so pervasive of late, for better or worse, it does provide us with our modern mythology. Back in the 70’s with Star Wars, George Lucas set out to craft such mythology for a generation he thought sorely needed it, and today cinematic superheroes dominate popular entertainment in a way that eclipses the reach of their current printed counterparts.
Growing up, I mainly read Marvel Comics but as I grew older I found myself gravitating towards the more iconic DC superheroes. It can be said that they being so god-like had made them less accessible but the very fact that they’re certifiable legends and harder to capture is what intrigues me.
Origin of Love
Love is a myth. In Plato’s myth about the Origin of Love, Zeus decided to split all creatures in half as punishment, so we all became desperate to find our other half to be whole again. I have a lot of questions about this myth after watching ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’, the movie criticises this idea from the queer perspective that this kind of myth, once popularised with the agenda of the perfect union of male and female, can become problematic.
This inspired me to criticise this idea in my own way, from a queer-nonbinary on the aromantic spectrum perspective. I’m obsessed with spiritual symbolism so I twisted the Tarot “Lover” card in this artwork. Both Adam and Eve are transgender and the moon landscape is inspired by Plato’s myth that the androgyne came from the moon. I also changed the Angel that was traditionally Archangel Raphael to The Angel of Bethesda fountain in New York to honour its lesbian history (nerdy fact – it’s sculpted by a lesbian artist using her lesbian lover as the muse).
Neither of the lover figures is tied to the thread of fate. This artwork conveys Queer love as a blessing without having to conform to the gender binary or the romantic pursuit of finding the missing half.
Hippie Long Neck Ghost
Sketchman Boris – Comics Vol. 1
Brush pen and tech pens on sketchbook
We had a booth for Halloween for five days so I did a series of illustrations for this occasion. This one is my favorite and it made me realize that we can actually create myths from a single image. This piece was bought by a collector who will give it to a veteran Thai comic artist to draw on it. It will become a thai-indian artist collaboration, very excited for it!
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