Have you met Miao? He is the most expressive cat you will ever find, and together with his amigos, the two hamsters - ‘Wafu and Pafu’; together, they are all set to entertain you.
Should you ever find yourself to encounter the artist and blogger behind the chronicling comic of Miao & WafuPafu, do not be surprised if he unexpectedly spaces out in the midst of a conversation; the artist is most likely sketching the next great story in his mind.
Jian Goh and Miao
Meet the young and highly imaginative comic artist - Jian Goh who identifies himself best as a Sarawakian by birth and by blood. Upon completing his Bachelor Degree in Electronic Engineering, Jian compliantly stepped into the field of his study working as a Research and Development optoelectronic engineer for what may have seemed to be the longest four years for someone who has another roaring passion that cannot be subdued.
We take you to the making of an artist who tells his stories best through the animated characters of his creation, in this instance is this expressive cat, Miao. As publishers, we know how words can at times be insufficient, this is when graphic or visuals come in to deliver what a thousand words may not be able to. Just as the award-winning comic blogger himself wishes to achieve, we are aspired to inspire more young talented artists here in Sarawak too by sharing his experience with you.
Jian Goh, the creator of the most expressive cat, Miao
WADD: Share with us briefly how it all started for you. How did you discover your passion for drawing and did you know instantly that this is what you will be doing in the future?
JIAN: It started as a hobby. I read a lot of comic books and grew so fond of it that I started doodling on papers, in textbooks, and anywhere I could draw. I drew layouts of houses a lot as a child so I thought I should become an architect as it was the only occupation I knew that is related to drawing back then. I did not simply decide on one fine day to become a comic artist. It evolved along the way. In schools, we were not allowed to talk in classes, passing notes to friends and conveying messages through drawings became a habit of mine up until I was in university. Only in my fourth year as an undergraduate, a friend introduced me to blogging. Due to my lack of command in writing, my blog postings were always accompanied by illustrations like a comic strip. I have dreamed of my comic characters becoming a brand on its own like a mascot or merchandise that have commercial values; the blogging world has opened up the path for me to realize this dream.
WADD: Why Miao and Wafupafu? Tell us more about how the creation of these cartoon characters came about, especially the cat.
JIAN: To be honest, I regret naming it Miao. (Laughs) I really did not put much thought into it. Nothing was pre-planned. I am a cat lover so I decided to draw a cat to represent myself and simply renamed it after the sound of a cat – ‘Meow’. The same idea was applied to other characters representing my friends and family. They are designed based on their looks, their likings and personality.
Wafu Pafu, the pet hamsters Image source via akiraceo.com
WafuPafu on the other hand was a different case; they were my pet hamsters. I featured them in my comic a few times and the readers loved them! So I decided to make them into the main characters and renamed my comic to Miao & WafuPafu. I had a random dream one night where I was calling my hamsters by these names and that is how WafuPafu came about. After some time, I realized that WaFu and Pafu have a ring to a Chinese saying – ‘万福百福’ (pronounced as wang fu bai fu). It means bountiful blessings and this made their names even more significant! The two passed away a few years later so I added angel and devil wings to them since then.
WADD: Did it become a hit right away? Your experience could be very valuable to other youths out there who have similar interest and talent but they may not have the confidence to pursue it as a stepping stone for their future.
JIAN: Nope, it did not. Miao was terribly ugly back then as compared to its current version. (Laughs) I had only 20 readers when I first started blogging and the numbers gradually increased over time. The first big traffic jump was when I did a guest post on a well-known food blogger - Jason Mumbles’s blog. From there, his readers visited my blog. I also promoted my work in Lowyat forum. The second big leap was when Miao & WafuPafu appeared on Nuffnang’s Featured Blogger of the Month. I was discovered from joining their blogging contest. The momentum picked up as I participated in more contests, received more award nominations and became more frequently featured on the media.
What inspires me to continue to draw after that was the happiness… Image source via akiraceo.com
WADD: As a full-time artist and blogger, describe your day to day schedule and activities to us.
JIAN: Oddly enough, my current schedule as a full-time artist and blogger is more packed than when I had an 8-to-7 weekday job as an engineer. It now depends on how many projects I have in hand. Some days are spent on dealing with my clients, and some days I will be working on my comic-related projects. Although my time is flexible, there are so much to do every day. I wake up every morning drawing, planning, running errands. The working hours are much longer now than before because there are no differences between a weekday and a weekend. Then again, it is not an issue at all when you are pursuing your dreams and doing what you love to do most. If I could, I wish I do not have to sleep at all. Of course, I do take breaks to relax and source for inspirations. I spend my leisure time attending events, going around the city, and sometimes I get invited for FAM Trips (familiarization trips) which really helps me unwind a little.
WADD: It is difficult for an artist to protect the copyright of his/her original work in this internet era: the world without boundaries.
JIAN: For an artist, every creation is blood, sweat and tears. It is a property one spent his/her time, passion, experience and skills to produce. When somebody steals your work, it could be considered as flattery, but stealing is still an act of crime. Even though all arts are automatically copyrighted under the Copyright Act, it is still difficult to draw a line especially when ‘ideas’ and ‘images’ are not something physical you can hold on to. People can easily access them and use them without your permission. Therefore, every artist should plan ahead on how to brand their products because when others claim it as theirs, it could dilute and destroy your hard-earned work. I would advise all artists out there to send in a self-declaration letter to MyIPO for more credible documentation. Also, for those who are producing designs for commercial purpose, make sure you trademark your work.
WADD: From your experience, would you dare say the profession as a cartoon artist is a career with much room for growth?
JIAN: Well of course, especially in this digital world. As a cartoon artist, you can work remotely from any part of the world. There are many career paths a cartoon artist can consider. You can be a designer for a creative agency; you can be a storyboard artist for an animation production; you can be signed as a comic artist under a publishing company, or you can even publish your own as an author. That is not the end of it, you can also work towards merchandizing your creation and turn it into a branded line of products.
What inspires me! Image source via akiraceo.com
WADD: Finally, what are your advice to share with the youths in Sarawak who are passionate and has a flair in the field of arts and design like yourself?
JIAN: For those who have a goal and a dream, it is important for you to plan in order to keep you focused. It is okay if you are behind schedule at times because things do not always work out for the first time, but if there is a will, there is always a way to achieve it. Never stop trying, be creative, improvise your work and utilize the internet as your tool for marketing. It is hard when you are doing it all alone, so find people who share the same passion and goal with you. It will be much more inspiring, encouraging and fun. If you do not have a sense of direction yet, my advice would be to never stop doing what you like; because as long as you are doing something, you are still gaining experiences along the way. You find out what works for you and what do not. The opposite of Success is not Failure but it is “Doing Nothing”. Failure is just a part of the process like they always say - “Failure is the mother of success”.
Visit “Miao and WafuPafu” at the Official Website: www.akiraceo.com Write to the author himself at akiraceo@gmail.com.
