Ernest Ng makes us laugh even at the worst of times

MALAYSIANSKINI | As we lived in fear of ourselves and our loved ones getting infected with Covid-19, feeling confused with everything around us brought upon by economic and political issues, we were comforted by a few shining lights in the community who did their best to uplift us the best way they knew how.

Ernest Ng, 36, knows how to make people smile and laugh with his view of the world.

Both his comic series “Bro, Don’t Like That La, Bro” and the pandemic-inspired “If Malaysia was an anime: Covidball Z” were real hits.

Ng started his career in the entertainment world as a video editor for Media Prima (he left in 2013).

He had been doing cartoons for his blog since 2010 and began working on comics and Youtube videos full-time in 2013.

“As a kid, I liked observing things. I think that in everything that happens around me, there is a story to tell.

"Stories from ‘Bro, Don’t Like That La, Bro’ are about me and my childhood friends growing up,” Ng told Malaysiakini.

“Covidball Z was a title he gave his comics because he needed to. Initially, it was just supposed to be ‘If Malaysia was anime’. Covidball Z was an easier title and it just rolls off the tongue.

“The idea started during the Sheraton Move. I thought there were so many plot twists. I started with Mahathir playing a card game against a dark entity that was revealed to be Azmin Ali. I thought I would have ended there, but then the pandemic arrived at our shores and that began a whole new story arc,” said Ng, recalling Covidball Z’s beginnings.

“So basically, if the pandemic did not happen, the whole series would have been about politics. That is why the current chapters explore the (former prime minister) Najib (Abdul Razak) incarceration and other things going on in the local political scene.”

Bring on GE15

Ng wants to move the story toward the general election now.

People always wondered why the prime ministers of Malaysia (Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Muhyiddin Yassin and Ismail Sabri Yaakob) are depicted as buff shirtless men in Covidball Z.

“I have no idea why I did that initially. When I first introduced the buff prime minister, it was Mahathir. He became a symbol that if you are the prime minister you are the strongest man in Malaysia. So the buff appearance represents that you at the most powerful person in Malaysia,” Ng shared.

He has done a lot of work for corporations recently and it has been well-received by the public.

Since many corporations like to impose their ideas on creativity, one wonders how Ng managed to still deliver what they wanted with his style and humour very much intact.

“It is about managing each other's expectations. As clients, they have certain parameters that they have to follow when telling a story. You have to have open communication.

"I have to let them know what works with my readers. They have to tell me what I cannot touch or is against their policy,” said Ng, adding that the key is to keep the core story as interesting and enjoyable as possible.

His work on Subway’s Merdeka and Malaysia Day wrappers for their sandwiches was also popular.

“Apart from that, I am doing comics gigs for clients and new chapters for Covidball Z. Although The Covid-19 pandemic is winding down, the comics are now moving towards the general election. It may not be called CovidBall moving forward,” explained Ng.

“You’d notice that the Covid characters have not been appearing in the recent chapters.

“Their fate will be revealed in the books. Time moves very fast. I could not wrap up Covid characters, but they will be explored in the upcoming book."

In many ways, Ng reminds us about Lat who used to take jabs at politicians in his comics, but instead of drawing ire, drew laughs.

When asked if he views himself as a political cartoonist, he said: “This is a bit tough. I do have an interest in politics. When I was much younger, I did not care, but as I got older I began to gravitate towards Malaysian politics because it is so dramatic, like a daily series.

"I see politics as a form of entertainment, to put it bluntly. It was so Game of Thrones-like," said Ng.

“That inspired me to do comics with a bit of politics. I don’t see myself as a political cartoonist because I like to explore other topics as well. Politics is just one of them.”

Not all politicians have a sense of humour. So it leaves one wondering if he has been contacted by press secretaries and aides to tell him to cease what he is doing.

“No. In a way, all of them are sporting. I try not to make them look too bad in my comics,” said Ng, who likes to keep things as neutral as possible.

“The story is based on what I read in the news.”

Joe public is not spared either and Ng said if he comes across something funny, he likes to put that in his comics.

“I like to make jokes out of any situation.

“Only a few like Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, Maszlee Malik, Hannah Yeoh and even Lim Guan Eng have contacted me.”

He is aware that some other politicians are following his work and has yet to get any feedback from them. He is just happy that there is a healthy response to what he is doing.

When asked if he plans to veer off his present comics, Ng said: “Right now I am preoccupied with telling Malaysia's story in anime/manga format.

“But I want to explore comics on other characters I did, particularly before the pandemic when I created this bunch of characters based on fast food restaurants (Mekdi, Teksas, Kepchi).

"I do want to draw a series on them. It will be super fiction. They are not based on anyone, they are based on corporations and brands. Hopefully, I have something coming soon.”

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