Meet the 21-year-old, Erica Yap, is the fourth and youngest Malaysian to ever be nominated for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards and is said to be the comic industry's equivalent of the Oscars.
Image source via The Edge
I thought I could not be an artist and be in Batu Pahat, but I realised how untrue that said Erica to BFM Radio.
She faced Dreamworks Animation visual developer Jason Brubaker, Spanish cartoonist Javi de Castro, as well as US-based artists Matt Huynh, Erik Lundy, and Meredith Moriarty, but ultimately came out on top.
Erica has been drawing for as long as she can remember. Her childhood dream to be an author-illustrator, so when she received the nomination for an Eisner Award, it was the full-circle moment.
Set in early 2015, Fried Rice follows budding young artist Min, who visits her cousin Lilly in Kuala Lumpur. Brimming with ambition, both plan to travel overseas for their tertiary education.
Readers are given the insights, thoughts and feelings that everyone has whether to stay or leave Malaysia. Fried Rice weighs the pros and cons of doing so in a multi-layered way. The dialogue between the characters reveals contrasting views and its visual presentation is just as suggestive. Is the grass truly greener on the other side? So, Fried Rice hits the spots amongst Malaysian.
This comic comes from Erica's very own experience as she remembers being frustrated and bitter wanting to pursue as an artist in Batu Pahat right after finishing secondary school.
Image source via Fried Rice
Fried Rice is born in May 2019, as Erica was applying to university. She uses the comic to channel her passion and perspectives. She's currently pursuing a degree in 3D animation via remote learning with the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.
Not all comics feature superheroes, nor are they always action-packed. It is Erica's honest portrayal of ordinary people that have earned her her followers.
So why the name Fried Rice?
Image source via Giphy.com
Fried Rice, which is named after Erica's favourite comfort food.
Whether the characters are eating a packet of nasi lemak or using local colloquialisms, she draws on the experiences of the everyday Malaysian to tell Min's story as authentically as possible.
Image source via Fried Rice
The 21-year-old cited cartoonist Lat and director of The Farewell Lulu Wang as her inspirations for creating a slice-of-life comic that intimately reflects her surroundings.
We would like to congratulate Erica and wish her all the best in her future.
