CHRISTIAN COMIC ARTS SOCIETY :: A NETWORK OF CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP FOR COMICS FANS, PROS, AND AMATEURS

New Member: Alison

Hi! I actually created this account about two days ago or something, but I'm a college student so I got a bit busy and couldn't find time to properly introduce myself on this site until now. My English name is Alison; I am a Han Chinese girl living in Taiwan. I live with my mother and my youngest brother. I am the only Christian in my family - so far. I'm glad because I have come to know Jesus, but I am also anxious for my mother because she pretty much dislikes Christianity in general and it's very difficult to change her mind.

I've written this on my page, but here I'll say it again: earlier in my life, I had a bad track record of idolizing various fictional characters (and storytelling itself), yet now God surprises me by changing my mind and offering me new perspectives on everything. Now, instead of drawing comics for the sake of escapism, I want to create stories that will glorify Him.

As a Taiwanese student, I spent a great deal of my childhood studying textbooks and taking truckloads of exams that were, to say the least, pretty much useless to me now. A lot of things I learnt in high school have nothing to do with my future and took up a lot of my time, so my time to practice drawing was limited. Taiwanese high schools are extremely competitive in regards to schoolwork and exams, yet they hardly teach how to live and love others. Now, as a college student, I have more time to draw, thank God for that.

For a long time, I thought that I was going to major in English in college, with drawing as some sort of side job. But then I ended up studying Communication Arts, something I wouldn't have dreamed of not so long ago. Perhaps God wants me to draw those new stories He put into my heart into actual comics, and then someday turn them into animated films if He wants me to.

There are many stories I would like to create, but as a human, my lifetime is limited and I do not want to spend so much time drawing that I forget to communicate with God and with the people He places in my life. So I think I will draw no more than three or four main comic series in my life - but they will all have very similar themes. One of my goals is to create stories that both Christians and non-Christians will enjoy and learn from, so I have to craft these very carefully. I cannot be overly preachy, but neither am I going to leave God out of my stories.

I'm currently working on two science fiction stories set in the near future. The first one will be set somewhere in the 2020s or 2030s; the second will be set at least ten or twenty years after the first story, making it a sequel of sorts. I haven't planned much for the second one yet, though one of the main characters is a half-Asian, half-American college-age woman who dreams of becoming an inventor - yet she realizes that the scientist she idolized from childhood isn't the person she thought him to be. In fact, this man has a very messed-up life and totally ruined his family, sacrificing the well-being of his son for the sake of his job. The first story is set in the very same fictional island the inventor lady of the second story lives in, only in a slightly earlier time period. I haven't worked out the entire main cast yet and I don't want to give away the plot just yet, but it's safe to say that among the main characters there will be a half-Black and half-Japanese little girl (I'm prone to creating characters with dual nationalities and biracial / multiracial characters due to personal reasons), a boy raised in a single-parent family with a disabled younger sister, a pastor and his adopted child, a kindhearted scientist, a greedy and utterly twisted grownup, and (perhaps the most important fictional character I will ever create) a robot girl whose humanness and good heart contrasts sharply with the ''real people'' around her. Of course, not many people are aware of her true origin. Compared to most of the humans of the story, this girl seems very interested in finding out her purpose and what it means to be alive. It's a concept explored in a LOT of sci-fi stories, so I've got to find a way to make my story different in a good way somehow or people will just yawn, see my books as something done before, and throw 'em in the recycling bin. Or maybe even the trash can.

Most sci-fi stories I've read or watched were written by atheists, so I think I can say with confidence that my beliefs will play a huge part in creating something different. I just hope I'll be able to do it well. Storywriting is pretty difficult business and takes tons of effort, especially for me.

Ultimately, as mentioned in my profile, the goal of my stories are the following: (1) to raise questions in readers' heads about the meaning of life, (2) to show that humanity is utterly depraved and even the nicest people simply cannot measure up to a standard of ''perfect kindness and love'', (3) technology cannot solve all our problems and often makes us worse people since we always misuse our inventions, and last but definitely not least, (4) human beings, though most of us don't admit it, long for a hero or Savior, and indeed only a Savior like Jesus can cure us of our sin and hypocrisy and restore us to our true humanity.

I have no idea what will happen to me in the future, and my drawing skills could always use some improvement because I haven't practiced in a while. But I do know that God is trustworthy. I'll keep working and listening to His guidance, asking Him to smash any idols I put up in my heart and work for His glory.

Anyway - thanks for stopping by! It's really nice to meet you guys. I'm glad I joined this website. Sorry about the long introduction. May God bless and protect you all.

PS: I didn't draw my profile picture. I haven't uploaded anything of mine on my computer just yet, so I borrowed the face of a lesser-known Japanese cartoon character for my picture. I will use it until I draw something suitable to replace it.

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Replies

  • Welcome to CCAS! I'm a Christian manga-ka living in the United States. I've been hoping to hear from Christian female cartoonists. Glad to have you on board!
  • Awesome! Welcome! Yes, stubborn parents are the order of the day, and we don't fight the battle, but God does give us a sword that discerns the truth.  I went Visual Communication, so I know that direction a tiny bit. Your goals are admirable, even wonderful.

  •      Hi Alison! ^.^

         I absolutely adore this! <3 Your testimony is definitely relatable; as a girl in two fandoms, I can confirm that idolizing characters is very easy to do. The idea & characters for your comic series seems super interesting, and I hope to read these comics myself! :P Wishing you the best on everything! God bless! 

  • I have to agree with Mr. Davis. I'm hoping that you will post some of what you're doing here for us. I'd really like to see some of what you've done. God Bless You.

  • Hi, Alison. Thanks for sharing. It definitely sounds like you've got some very interesting stories to tell. I look forward to seeing the work that you post in the future.

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