In fact, three short stories from his 2010 collection “Without Anchovies” are required readings for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia English Literature paper. In 2022, his debut novel, “Not A Monster”, won the Second Fixi Novo Malaysian Novel competition.
But did you know Chua can also draw? In fact, one of his earliest ambitions was to be a comic artist. Indeed, as a child, he was a huge fan of Hong Kong comic books as well as local humour magazine “Gila-Gila”.
“In my university days, I would sit at the top aisles of my lecture theatre. From far away, it would look like I was busy taking notes. But when you come close, you would see I was always just drawing,” Chua told FMT Lifestyle with a laugh.
Sadly, young Chua was not able to follow his dream: growing up in 1980s Ipoh, there were few ways for him to develop his artistic skills. And since he did not come from a wealthy family – his father was a taxi driver and his mum a housewife – he had limited financial options.
So, Chua took up accounting. Years passed, and he rose to become the head of finance at a local restaurant chain.
More recently, he decided to take a brief hiatus from his career. What better time to (quite literally) go back to the drawing board?
The result is “Bleeding Scars: The Calamity of Canning”, Chua’s debut graphic novel. The horror-tinged title published by Maple Comics is inspired by the author’s fascination with local urban legends.
“Urban legends have always intrigued me, because they usually have a grain of truth to them. In a way, they are like scars in your mind: once you hear them, they get stuck in your memory,” Chua said.
“Here, I’m digging into the stories, like I’m cutting the scar open. That explains the title, why this scar is ‘bleeding’!”
His graphic novel is based on an infamous Ipoh story about a popular chee cheong fun stall in Canning Garden. Long lines would form every day outside this place, which was owned by a friendly elderly man named Uncle Chin.
One day, at the height of its popularity, it mysteriously closed, without any announcement.
Chua’s graphic novel reveals the “truth” of what happened, through a trifecta of interconnected tales full of suspense and supernatural encounters. Its stark black-and-white illustrations add to the narrative’s haunting atmosphere.
How scary is the book? If he had to give it a rating, it would be PG-13, Chua said – nothing “too much”, although he wouldn’t recommend young children reading it without parental guidance!
One of Chua’s favourite things about the project was getting to showcase the architecture of Ipoh in his artwork, and to even incorporate real-life landmarks such as Concubine Lane.
He remembers visiting the actual chee cheong fun stall several times as a child. Thankfully, he never had any paranormal encounters there!
While Chua is happy to finally achieve his dream of being a comic-book artist, it doesn’t mean he’s abandoning his other passions. According to him, this artistry is an add-on to – not a replacement for – his writing.
Still, for action-packed stories that are more plot-driven, he confesses to preferring the medium of comics, while prose writing suits him better for more introspective tales.
Going forward, the author and artist hopes to release two follow-ups to create a trilogy. Volume 2 is tentatively titled “Bleeding Scars: The Poison of Paloh”, and will take place in a haunted building in Ipoh.
As for the third volume… fans will have to wait to find out more!
“I hope readers enjoy my book. I think it takes them on a fun journey but also raises interesting themes to think about,” Chua concluded.
“The characters are put into unusual situations, and you’re invited to think about what you would do if you were in the same case.”
‘Bleeding Scars: The Calamity of Canning’ can be purchased here and from local bookstores.
Follow Chua Kok Yee on Instagram.