WEEK 6 assignment : Hytone / Mr.Natural

I was amused by reading Mr.Natural and Hytone because they managed to be somewhat deep and ridiculous at the same time. The art didn’t really held my attention very much but they were surely quite different from mainstream styles. Although, coincidentally or not, I’ve seen similar style of drawings and storytelling emerged else where and still publishing actively. In Thailand an experimental genre which the style and the story intend to be different from the popular genre has become quite well-known. One of the most notable publisher is Let’s Comic. The product of their approach surprisingly turn out quite similar to American underground comic. Drawing styles are unmistakably strange and doesn’t have any refined charm to them, instead they could be harsh for readers to digest. They also heavily depicted philosophical and intoxicated subjects. However, there are several subtle differences in societal circumstances that make them evolve differently.

While American underground comic strived to be rebellious against the national comic code and to be different from the mainstream produced in America, experimental approach in Thai’s comic industry tries to be different from foreign styles. Most Thai millennials tend to embrace manga style as they are highly influential all over the country, otherwise imitate Superhero style. Some comic community such as Let’s Comic and older artists tend to deny those mainstream and present themselves as different to the point where I thought they were trying too hard. Regardless to that they successfully create an iconic impact to the market. 

Philosophical metaphor like spiritual journey into the toilet pipe full of crap and satire on meditation(From Mr.Natural) are something that can be expect in Let’s Comic, not to mention sexual theme, violence and attempt to question morality. I don’t have the answer whether this emerging genre is truly appropriate for general readers but it was significant for the growth of artists communities. Like American underground comic that allowed any artists to submit their works freely, Let’s Comic and several other independent Thai publishers have their own active online community which young artists or those who interest in publishing their work can freely participate. That aspect is good for developing industry and consumer values in the next generation. Although it is often a short lived landmark of the evolution it strongly inspires shift in paradigm.