Singapore-based comic artist and graphic novelist Sonny Liew became interested in pursuing this storytelling medium in his late teens. His passion grew after he received payment for creating a comic for the local paper. It was then that he realized he could potentially make a living from his talent. This boost in confidence allowed him to pursue comics further but he initially struggled to find his way. Comic books were not as popular in Singapore as they were in the U.S. at the time. Liew then met an experienced comic artist through his schooling that knew the industry well, advised on which steps to take, and helped him build his portfolio. Liew attributes much of his success to this valuable mentoring and has gone on to win numerous awards and accolades for his work, including three Eisners and the Singapore Literature Prize for his bestselling graphic novel The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye.