EVACOMICS BLOG

This comic was done while I was traveling so the line work is a bit crappy... Wondering if I should pause the monday comics for 3 months so I can dedicate working on the 4th book or continue posting such rough comic strips?

Because my previous guide "Where to buy COPIC markers in Tokyo", was an all-time hit with 30,000 page views, I decided to do an updated version for all illustrators who are planning to buy COPIC markers in Tokyo.

I always wondered how a "real" mangaka teaches so I signed up for a 2-hour workshop with Yazawa Nao sensei, the artist of Wedding Peach at Manga School Nakano .

Unlike your typical kimono shoots, Studio Nanairo at Asakusa provides glamorous transformation into maiko or oiran (courtesan) in a studio environment or you can pay extra for street shots! *Disclaimer: This was a self-funded trip to provide non-bias review of experiences for my blog and/or new comic book. I do not get any money in return for recommendations.

I'm working on my 4th book now and one of the chapters is about Cosplay in Japan. So I decided to pay for my own trip and packages (special thanks to my fans at Patreon too) to write and draw an unbiased review about each experience. I never cosplayed before so I was enthusiastic about the "Perfect Anime Costume" package, which cost 15,000yen or around US$140.

Ok I'm not going to lie, I like to visit character theme cafes because one of my dream is to have my very own one day, or at least to design for a cafe... During my last trip, my good friend brought me to many character cafe and shops that I felt as if I was in Japan! Taiwanese like Japanese culture a lot and they share a lot of similarities in their service and retail. So if you are on a budget, Taiwan is a good alternative because their food and transport are way cheaper than Japan 😬

It's like a tradition to visit Jiaoxi town, part of Yilan City, which is to the southeast of Taipei, with my friend.

An acquaintance of mine learned I was coming and offered to drive me up to the northern part of Taiwan to visit a famous geo park and eat fresh seafood there.

I cleared up some commission work so I decided to blog about my trip to Taiwan last month before I get busy again. So over the next few days, you will be seeing more updates on my blog :P When we talk about Taiwanese bookstores, the first that comes to mind is Eslite bookstore. Not only they have many chain stores throughout Taiwan, but also it has branded itself as the cool and hip place to go to for young people.

This is based on readers feedback on my previous comic strip. Just in case any of you are going to visit Vietnam!!! Though I admit wearing spectacles doesn't increase my eye power... (Actually I wanted to do another comparison strip about the roundabout traffic, but there is no characters involved and France has a lot of that too so I scraped it!)

Saigon Central Post Office The Saigon Central Post Office is one of the most popular tourist attraction in HCMC. It has a distinct architecture and colour that you will not miss when you pass by.

We signed up a day tour from Saigon Tours Vietnam to visit Mekong Delta to see their floating market. Because it was a few hours drive from HCMC, the guide stopped by a cafeteria for us to drink Vietnamese coffee and coconut water. Vietnamese coffee tastes very strong and acidic, I became awake not because of the caffeine but because of the strong taste  (￣▽￣;;)　

Wrap and Roll 62 Hai Bà Trưng, Bến Nghé, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam Doanh brought us to a restaurant called "Wrap and Roll" to taste Vietnamese food. As you can see, there is a lot of greens in Vietnamese food, which is great for guts and health! No wonder I did not fall sick when I was in Vietnam but once I come back to Singapore I caught a flu again...

We chose Pullman hotel after reading some good reviews especially about their breakfast buffet. The hotel is located in district 1, which is like the hub of the city and 15min walk to Ben Thanh Market, but crossing Vietnamese traffic can be quite daunting. Key attractions like the cathedral and post office were a bit further but they offer shuttle bus service to these places.

It was a privilege to share my experience about the magazine infringement case with students at Ho Chi Minh City University of Law. The panel of speakers included Doanh Nguyen, who is their alumni and legal specialist who helped me in the infringement case.  You can recap what happened here.

Because my photo of the markers received so many shares, I realised that many artists are interested about the markers and perhaps want to know where to buy them from. Hence I wrote this guide for artists to shop in COPIC heaven aka Tokyo. ★ UPDATE NOV 2017: Please refer to my new article for latest updates on COPIC marker shopping! >>> Ultimate Guide to Copic marker shopping in Tokyo, Japan

This year's November was exceptionally warmer and rained more than usual. I thought I would not be able to see Mt. Fuji again until I was invited to Hitsuki Club . This is a beautiful resort hotel with rooms housed in cottages with each having a stunning view of Mt. Fuji. The resort is located in Shizuoka prefecture, inside the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park's Asagiri Highland, which is 700m above sea level so Mt. Fuji appears very close to you. The owner of this hotel is a doctor so the focus is on the wellness of the mind and body together with mother nature. Breakfast and dinner is included and you can expect fresh local ingredients cooked with spring water everyday!

Hidaka City 日高市 is around an hour's train ride from Tokyo's Ikebukuro station. There you can find a small village called Koma, that has deep roots with Korea dated as far back as 1,300 years ago. I was lucky that the annual Korean traditional mounted archery contest was held when I visited on 23 Nov (Mon) public holiday.

There are many specialised beef in Japan and the most famous one to foreigners is Kobe Beef. Frankly speaking I had never tried one before because it is so expensive.

There has been more rainy than sunny days so visiting a museum at this time is the best. Having experienced the 311 Tohoku earthquake back in 2011 , I was interested to know more about the Great Hanshin Earthquake and how it affected Japan.