Over the course of the book’s 300+ pages, Liew presents examples of the artist’s work in between the more momentous occasions of his life, both in paintings, sketches, and most enticingly, through comics he created throughout his ever evolving career. Readers are treated to Chan unfurling his life story, with Liew himself occasionally popping in to provide further context within the margins. That latter detail is particularly important as it sets into motion the kind of cartoonist that Chan will grow into, one that is particularly moved by the cultural and political moors of his home. Inspired by the work of legends like Osamu Tezuka and Carl Banks (whom he’d read at the local “pavement libraries” in the city-state), he sets off to create his first character: the Astro Boy inspired “Au Huat’s Giant Robot”, a giant robot that only responds to commands in Chinese.

Born in 1938, Chan’s only passion in life is to draw comic books. The book in question delves into the life, work and political leanings of “Singapore’s most famous comics artist”, the ubiquitous Chan Hock Chye. Sonny Liew, known by the weekly comic readership as the artist of the severely under-read Doctor Fate, and half of the team of 2014’s excellent The Shadow Hero, makes his Pantheon debut with The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye.

The Pantheon library of graphic novels is indeed a fairly hallowed one, publishing works such as Black Hole, Persepolis, David Boring, Here, Asterios Polyp, and of course, Maus.

The art of charlie chan