I was once told that the ability to make a person laugh is a gift. Over the years I have found that to be true, especially when it comes to rare talents such as Ernest Ng, the man who first got us laughing at the antics of his characters in his webcomic Bro Don’t Like That La, Bro, which he featured on a blog back in 2010.
He turned the webcomic into a bestselling book, Here Comes the Bros, followed by the prequels Bro Don’t Like That La Bro, and Origins: Back to School.
When the Covid-19 pandemic broke out and most of us were confined to our homes, he made us laugh and be hopeful with his CovidBall Z webcomics.
He is also a prominent YouTuber known for his channel, Don’t Like That Bro.
During an interview over the phone, Ng said that he is inspired by the real world when it comes to his work.
About his viral hit Which Malaysian Fast Food Are You webcomic that featured various fast food mascots representing the different kinds of students in SMK Fast One, he said he was inspired by his time in primary school.
“I like to base my stories on a certain level of truth. Although of 40% of Origins: Back to School was fictional, most of it was ‘what if the story happened this way or that way kind of thing.”
“The coronavirus comic (CovidBall Z) is also kind of like that. It is based on truth, but I gave it a thematic overhaul to make it easier for people to understand and view this pandemic as something that is not too depressing.
“We all know that it can be very depressing for a lot of people out there who are suffering from this crisis.”
We asked if he had received any feedback from the Director-General of Health Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah or our Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who are both drawn as warriors battling monsters representing Covid-19 in the webcomics.
“They have not responded to my artwork. The only politician who has responded to my artwork is former Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Hannah Yeoh, whom I drew after she asked about child marriages and got called up to the police station. I thought it was very sporting of her.
“To be honest I am not sure if I want the politicians to respond. I am not sure how I feel about it.”
Ng’s sense of humour is really on point at times, and I wondered if he ever got into trouble with certain fast-food companies, since parodying their mascots is sometimes a very sensitive topic.
“Funnily enough I think because we live in a digital age, many of these companies saw what I was doing as an opportunity. Certain brands even wanted to work with me. I see a huge future potential with these characters. ”
Ng has explored many topics with his comics, including social issues. “In a way it is to expand horizons and explore more topics.”
While his comics originated from his blog, he admitted that his blog is basically dead now.
As for his YouTube vlogs (mostly about travel and adventure), they have always been an outlet for him to express himself creatively and put up as much content as he can.
“I can’t be drawing comics every day, so I need to express myself differently. As a kid I liked to express myself like this. I like to show and tell I guess.”
However, like his blog, his YouTube channel is also a bit dead because he has been very busy with his webcomics, which seem to have gained more traction.
Right now, he has yet to receive any offers to turn his webcomics into an animated series. But he has collaborated with some production companies on animated episodes of CovidBall Z. However he looks forward to having proper animated versions of his comic characters.
When asked what his future plans are, he admitted that he wasn’t sure.
“I really don’t know. I hope I don’t hit a wall. A new series would be great. Maybe converting some of the webcomics into a book format would be great for people to purchase and enjoy at their own leisure. It is hard for me to say right now, but these are the two things I can think of.”
Growing up, Ng said that he was fascinated by Cartoon Network animated series like Dexter’s Laboratory and Powerpuff Girls.
“I was inspired by the style. In my earlier drawings you can see the influence. I liked the black lines they used to line the drawings. As I grew older I was really inspired by Japanese manga. The CovidBall series is heavily influenced by [that].”
When asked if he ever doubted himself when it came to the humour in his comics, Ng said: “All the time. Strangely enough, most of what I have drawn, I will look at it and think it is rubbish and not that funny. But I will still put it up and somehow it manages to capture a group of people who find them funny.”
He does admit to feeling jaded at times when it comes to his work, but appreciates it when people find it funny.
