A WAY WITH THE ILLUSTRATED WORD

Comic book author Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) (Vol) James Suresh tells PIONEER about his journey in creating a successful comic book about Singapore.

When it comes to local creations, the popular Mr Kiasu series was probably the definitive read for both teens and adults during the 90s.

LTC (Vol) Suresh, who was one of the co-creators, may be well past his Kuppies (what the brains behind Mr Kiasu called themselves) days, but he still has plenty of creative juices.

In fact, his latest effort On a street in Singapore has been very well received, hitting the No. 2 spot on the The Sunday Times' best-selling non-fiction list and scoring the second prize in the English (Adult) category of the Popular Readers' Choice Awards 2011.

A playful spin on your regular guide book, the illustrated book provides an entertaining insider's look at the little red dot. Besides having the usual sections on local cuisine and tourist attractions, the book depicts life in a typical housing estate, introduces unique Singaporean quirks like "choping" seats with tissue packets, and even explains popular Singlish expressions.

Putting humour to work

So what is it about the local community that inspires him?

"If you've stayed here all your life, you might not think much of it. But I think when you travel, you ll realise that Singapore is quite unique. The HDB flats and void decks, the Malay barber shop, the Indian mama shop (provision shop) - all these are special," said LTC (Vol) Suresh.

On the inspiration for the book, he said: "The idea came when I was walking down a street somewhere in Chinatown, and I noticed that the tourists were looking for souvenirs. But the range is rather limited - you know, the same old things like the Merlion or orchid keychain - and a lot of them are not even produced in Singapore! I thought we could do something more unique that tourists can remember Singapore by."

Together with long-time friend and illustrator Corporal (CPL) (NS) Syed Ismail, a vehicle recovery mechanic from the General Support Maintenance Battalion, LTC (Vol) Suresh decided to bring out the essence of Singapore through visual humour.

"I wanted the book to capture the peculiarities of Singapore and Singaporeans, to show places of interest, and a bit of our history and culture. The challenge, of course, is how to talk about this and make it funny at the same time. That's where the comic illustrations come in to make the facts and history come alive."

Grinning in green

Humour and creativity seem out of place in the military, so it might surprise people to learn that LTC (Vol) Suresh used to be a Regular in the Army. After leaving in 1992 to pursue his artistic endeavours full-time, he continued to serve as an Operationally Ready National Serviceman, and extended his service yet again recently.

As Head of Programme Assistance in the Exercise Support Group, Army Training and Doctrine Command, the 55-year-old conducts sessions on media relations and management with commanders. It's a familiar role since LTC (Vol) Suresh runs a training consultancy and is a lecturer on Public Relations at Curtin Singapore - an offshore campus of Australia's Curtin University.

"Public speaking and doing presentations come very naturally because as an officer in the SAF (Singapore Armed Forces), you always have to conduct lessons, whether out in the field or indoors," said LTC (Vol) Suresh.

His eldest son Shaman, a Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicle commander, has just completed his full-time National Service (NS), and LTC (Vol) Suresh only just realised how "two years just zoomed by".

"Being an ex-Army personnel, I always taught him the importance of keeping fit, so I'm quite proud that he always got gold for his Individual Physical Proficiency Test. And when he was in secondary school, I suggested that he join the National Cadet Corps, which he did.

"Those things actually prepared him for NS - he adjusted quite well and made some good friends. So I think as long as you prepare them physically and mentally, they will actually enjoy the process!"

On his own experiences in the SAF, LTC (Vol) Suresh said: "What kept me going in the Army were the friends. Can you imagine? We were 18-year-olds then, and now we are attending each other's children's weddings! I think that really tells you something about how the Army brings people together and bonds them."