art by BELI
bkk UNZINE art magazine aims to showcase the talents of artists and to bring creativity and community to audiences around the world.
Every month, a new curation from different notable artists is presented under a unique theme. bkk UNZINE is dedicated to promoting both established & up-and-coming talent. The following month’s theme is announced in each issue and we welcome all to submit artwork.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Just one month to go until this year’s BKK Comics Art Festival at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre… We can’t believe it’s been a whole year, let alone five since we started with the BCAF. Time flies indeed. This year’s exhibition will be headlined by special guest mangaka Akeji Fujimura along with this issue’s featured artist Beli and fellow comic artist Siradasue representing the wildly popular BL genre. We’re also working closely with Cyber Sheep Studios, publishers of Ronin of Okane, to bring you behind-the-scenes looks at comics production, including how to successfully market a comic project. The festival is cosplay friendly, and several prominent cosplayers will be in attendance for photo opportunities and a drawing workshop. Stay tuned for more details and pre-registrations for activities will open very soon
The theme of “Our Ordinary Day” comes to us from aforementioned featured artist Beli, creator of BL webtoon series such as Coffee or Me?! and To Soul, who will be on hand to meet fans at the BCAF. We’re pleased to see many new faces this issue and don’t miss the Comics Corner section for a Q&A with Cyber Sheep Studios director Michael Pachidamrong teasing some of the programming we have in store for the festival…
As always, thanks to all who submitted and enjoy the issue…
Now TWO weekends!
booth & exhibition reservations now open
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Next month...
SPECIAL ISSUE— SHOW US YOUR LOVE FOR COMICS!
Accepting submissions NOW through 25 SEPTEMBER
OUR ORDINARY DAY
by BELI
digital painting
Today is another ordinary day that's oh so special! ——★
artwork & description by:
BELI
AH, ANOTHER DAY HAS SLIPPED AWAY
by HAGAO
digital artwork
I got inspiration from my usual routine during the busiest week, getting up before dawn and returning after sunset. Just when I realised, so many days have been gone already without doing anything besides work.
artwork & description by:
HAGAO
ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER TROUBLE
by GLEN LALOGO
traditional inks, digital colors
Trouble might be unusual for most of us, but for them, it's just another day. One of the first concepts I made for my independent comic Aevolea Unfold, which shows a normal day in The Row, just right before the main story kicks off.
artwork & description by:
GLEN LALOGO
ALONE IN LONDON
by NORA ORDINAIRE
digital painting
I wrote this comic after a trip in London where I was, for the first time, alone. Funny things happened to me when visiting or weird interaction with roommates and teachers (I also took English class there). I usually publish in French but because this trip happened in England I decided to write it in English.
artwork & description by:
NORA ORDINAIRE
At bkk UNZINE, we are lovers of comics and every month we’ll be shining a spotlight on comics projects worthy of attention. Remember to check out our Comics Club every Sunday at UNZINE 95, hosted by bkk UNZINE founder Sketchman Boris, and have fun learning about different aspects of making comics!
bkk UNZINE is thrilled to welcome Akeji Fujimura of As The Gods Will (เกมเทวดา) as our special guest mangaka for the 5th annual BKK Comics Art Festival this coming October at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC)! The first arc of As the Gods Will was adapted into a 2014 live-action Japanese feature film directed by Takashi Miike, and Mr. Fujimura will join us for demonstration and Q&A sessions during the festival’s second weekend on 17 and 18 October. Also joining us are Beli, creator of BL webtoon series such as Coffee or Me?! and To Soul, and fellow BL artist Siradasue, author of My Junior Won’t Let Me Leave! (รุ่นน้องที่ทำงานผมเป็นเศรษฐีผู้มีความลับ) and I was Adopted by a Billionaire with a Secret (พ่อของฉันเป็นมหาเศรษฐีผู้มีความลับ).
We’ll also have on hand the entire creative team behind acclaimed Kickstarter success Ronin of Okane, courtesy of Cyber Sheep Studios, for an insider’s look behind the scenes of comic book creation and into the marketing machine that built the book’s massive following. Gee.Illusions, one of the talents behind Ronin of Okane’s eye-popping color design, will share his knowledge and experience in a unique coloring workshop.
Many more guests will be announced shortly and mark your calendars for 06-18 October… don’t miss the BKK Comics Art Festival #5!
This week Comics Corner chats with Michael Pachidamrong, director of Cyber Sheep Studios, which produces comic series Ronin of Okane. bkk UNZINE is excited to be working with the Cyber Sheep team to bring you some very special programming for this year’s BKK Comics Art Festival…
Your comic book, Ronin of Okane, made over 3 million baht in only 45 days. How did you manage to do that?
Wow, that goes straight to the point! I think one common mistake is treating making the comic and selling it as two separate jobs. We see them as parts of the same process. The story, character design, coloring, and marketing may play different roles, but they all have the same goal: making people care.
We know audiences are smart, so we don’t market the book by explaining everything to them. We use strong visuals and hide small pieces of the story inside our promotional artwork. We give people enough information to form their own theories, but not so much that there’s nothing left for them to discover.
Of course, that only works if the comic itself is good. Audiences can feel how much thought and care went into it. We have to believe we’re offering our best before we can confidently ask anyone else to buy it.
Does that mean you think about marketing from the start of each project, or only once the project is finished?
From the start... but probably not in the way people imagine. We don’t begin by asking, “What will sell?” The creative idea always comes first. And once we have an idea that truly excites us, we start thinking about how to communicate that excitement to other people.
That shapes how we introduce the project to our fans, from the character designs and color palettes to the lighting and shadows in every image.
If you wait until the comic is finished, you may have a great project but no clear way to show people why they should care. Marketing should never control the story. Its job is to understand what we love about the project and help other people see it too.
The whole team behind Ronin of Okane will be with us at the BKK Comics Art Festival convention for a special panel on October 10th that will sure have a lot of useful information for anyone interested in not only producing a comic, but marketing it to success.
You also put a lot of emphasis on color and lighting, which have received much acclaim. How have they helped your books stand apart and appeal to audiences?
For us, before someone reads a single line of dialogue, the colors have already told them how to feel. Beautiful artwork catches attention, but visual storytelling gives people a reason to care.
I actually worried that our bold coloring might be controversial. Instead, it became one of our biggest selling points. Fans often email us just to say how much they love the colors, which always makes the team happy, and we welcome more of those!
That’s also why we’re holding a coloring workshop at the BKK Comics Art Festival on October 11. Jeng and Toom, the incredible colorists on Ronin of Okane, will teach the techniques we use to create lighting, shadows, and atmosphere in our comics.
Give us just three reasons why someone should attend the coloring workshop…
That’s a fun challenge. Okay…
First, you’ll learn how professional artists color a comic-book page from start to finish. Jeng and Toom both have over eight years of experience, so they’ll teach you the same process they use in their own work.
Second, everyone gets stuck sometimes. Jeng and Toom will be right there to look at your work, answer your questions, and guide you through anything you’re unsure about.
Third, you’ll color a full scene with a samurai and a cyberpunk bounty hunter. When you’re finished, you will have that artwork to take home!
And fourth (I know I’m breaking the rule), you’ll receive a certificate from bkk UNZINE and Cyber Sheep Studios to add to your portfolio. It shows future clients and employers that you’ve completed hands-on training with professional comic artists!
PRE-REGISTRATIONS FOR BKK COMICS ART FESTIVAL EVENTS WILL OPEN SOON.
KEEP AN EYE ON BKKUNZINE.COM FOR UPDATES.
bkk UNZINE is grateful for your continued readership and is extremely proud to share the artwork of our talented contributors with all of you, our valued art community.
Thank you for visiting us.
SHOW YOUR WORK IN bkk UNZINE!
next month…
SPECIAL ISSUE— SHOW US YOUR LOVE FOR COMICS!
Accepting submissions NOW through 25 SEPTEMBER 2026
