At first glance, his illustrations may seem like digital compositions or even paintings. But look closer, and you will discover every detail is meticulously rendered in pencil strokes.
From as young as six, Kang Jing, 31, had a natural flair for drawing. He would spend hours sketching his favourite anime characters. And in 2021, the self-taught artist took the leap of faith and launched his comic brand, Chiral Comics.
What started as an Instagram page to showcase his work soon evolved into something bigger, opening doors to work on characters from major franchises such as Star Wars and Marvel. He has also illustrated comic covers for Power Rangers stars Catherine Sutherland, Nakia Burrise and Brennan Mejia.
A Studio Ghibli themed illustration by Jing featuring over 100 characters. (Photo: Kang Jing)
Now, Jing has collaborated with American publisher Archie Comics – he has illustrated a special Singapore-themed cover in celebration of SG60.
Priced from S$25 onwards, pre-orders are open from Saturday (Jul 19), 12pm, on Jing’s website and through select comic retailers in Singapore – Kalibak Komiks and 1 to 3 Comics.
In January this year, an idea struck him: What if he could blend his favourite pop culture icons with something local for Singapore’s 60th birthday?
“SG60 marks a big milestone for us as a nation,” he shared. “I wanted to find a way to celebrate it through the lens of something I love – by bringing together something iconic from Singapore with a franchise that many of us grew up with,” he shared.
In April, he pitched the idea to Archie Comics and landed an opportunity to design a variant cover for one of their editions.
A variant cover, Jing explained, is a term used in the comic industry, where the cover design is not related to the contents of the book.
While some might assume designing the cover is a minor role, Jing pointed out that cover designs are one of the key driving forces for revenue in the industry.
“To boost sales, publishers [often release] various cover arts of the same story to appeal to collectors with interest for different art styles and artists,” he explained.
Jing incorporated iconic Singaporean elements into the cover, including a playful scene of the characters enjoying durian, the nation's beloved tropical fruit. (Photo: Archie Comics, Kang Jing)
He reimagined the original Archie characters as tourists exploring Singapore, with Gardens by the Bay as the central backdrop. He also added local touches: Archie in a SG60 T-shirt, Jughead munching on a durian, and Reggie wearing a Singapore football jersey.
The initial rough sketch and inked version of the cover. (Photo: Kang Jing)
Jing completed the rough sketches in a day before transferring his ideas to an 11 by 17-inch artboard, the standard size used for comic covers, before moving on to inking.
“Inking involves going over the penciled artwork with ink to enhance and finalise the lines,” Jing explained.
To bring the artwork to life, he worked with a colourist from Italy to digitally add the colours. Everything was completed in a month, and it was approved with no revisions needed.
When he was first starting out, Jing spent months cold-emailing organisations, sending out his portfolios, and taking on commission work for small businesses to get his name out there.
His big breakthrough came in March 2024, when Jing received a reply from Topps, the American trading company well-known for producing licensed collectibles for franchises such as Star Wars and Marvel.
“I still remember waking up one morning to an email from Topps inviting me to work on their upcoming Star Wars project and that they will be sending me 50 sketch cards to illustrate,” he said.
Some of the sketch cards that Jing has drawn for Topps. (Photo: Kang Jing)
The sketch cards are coloured using alcohol-based markers. (Photo: Kang Jing)
For the uninitiated, sketch cards are hand-drawn collectible cards created by licensed artists for trading or display purposes.
For Jing, each card was a labour of love. Unlike comic covers, he had to add colours himself using alcohol-based markers meant for comic illustrations.
Sample of inked sketch cards (left) and the final sketch cards with colours (right). (Photo: Kang Jing)
Before the cards could be released, the final artwork had to be approved by Lucasfilm, the company that is home to the Star Wars franchise.
To date, he has worked on seven Star Wars-themed projects with Topps. One standout was his fifth project, titled Star Wars: Hyperspace, which required him to illustrate planet-themed sketch cards.
2024 TOPPS Star Wars Hyperspace series, wanting to give the set a unified visual style, he drew the characters to be angled in the same direction. (Photo: Kang Jing)
2024 TOPPS Star Wars Masterwork series. (Photo: Kang Jing)
2024 TOPPS Star Wars Chrome Galaxy series. (Photo: Kang Jing)
2024 TOPPS Star Wars Galactic Antiquities series. (Photo: Kang Jing)
2025 TOPPS Star Wars Meiyo series. (Photo: Kang Jing)
2024 TOPPS Star Wars High-Tek series. (Photo: Kang Jing)
The 2024 TOPPS Star Wars Chrome Galaxy series. (Photo: Kang Jing)
“I was provided cards with specific planets labelled on them such as Bespin, Hoth, Kashyyyk, and I had to illustrate characters specific to those planets,” he shared.
“For the planet Mustafar, I illustrated Anakin Skywalker by taking reference from the Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith where there was a climactic battle that occurred on this planet between him and Obi-Wan Kenobi.”
The Mustafar themed card featuring Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars. (Photo: Kang Jing)
Soon after, he struck another deal with Topps. This time, he was commissioned to create 20 sketch cards for the 2025 Topps Marvel Chrome series.
The 2025 TOPPS Marvel Chrome series. (Photo: Kang Jing)
"Working on Star Wars and Marvel properties honestly felt like a dream that was way out of reach, one of those things you admire from a far but never imagine happening to you,” he said.
The sketch cards were eventually randomised and sold on Topps website in their respective product lines – a place where customers around the world have the chance to pull one of Jing’s hand-drawn cards with the purchase of any products from the listing.
The Archie comic cover was not Jing’s first foray into localised comic art.
Last year, Jing teamed up with Boom! Studios, the official comic publisher based in the USA for award-winning titles including Power Rangers, Brzrkr and Something is Killing the Children. He illustrated a Singapore-themed variant cover for one of their flagship titles: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
He unveiled the exclusive issue at Singapore Comic Con 2024, where all 525 pieces of the limited-edition copy were sold out. In fact, it was the success of this cover that fuelled his desire to work on the Archie Comic SG60 project.
The exclusive Singapore themed cover that Jing illustrated for the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series, with the backdrop as Marina Bay Sands. (Photo: Boom! Studios, Kang Jing)
The cover was not just a hit, but it was his lucky charm – one that scored him a backstage pass to work alongside the very stars who ignited his passion for comics.
In October 2024, he attended New York Comic Con, where he met the cast members of Power Rangers, Catherine Sutherland and Nakia Burrise, during a fan meet.
“I brought my very first Power Rangers comic cover I did and showed it to them. They loved it and right there they said, ‘Let’s collaborate’.”
The actresses wanted Jing to design a variant cover for them as an exclusive merchandise for their fans, as part of the Power Rangers Prime series, an ongoing title published by BOOM! Studios.
Sutherland also went on to post a picture with him on her Instagram following their meeting.
Working via email, Jing and the actresses exchanged ideas and eventually merged their visions into a single concept.
The initial thumbnails that Jing proposed to Sutherland and she gave him three more ideas. Eventually, they agreed to merge elements from their various ideas for the final design. (Photo: Kang Jing)
The entire process took around two months, and the final copies were published in May 2025.
Following the project, Jing also worked with another Power Rangers cast, Brennan Mejia for a variant cover.
The final cover design Jing illustrated featuring Catherine Sutherland and Nakia Burrise. (Photo: Boom! Studios, Kang Jing)
The comics are available on the official Power Rangers Playback merchandise website and also on Jing’s online store. Prices start from S$25 for a single copy.
He also accepts personal commissions, with prices depending on the complexity of the request.
Reflecting on his journey, Jing hopes to deepen his expertise in illustrating comic cover arts and eventually venture into comic interiors in the future.
“[Looking back] It was really about taking a leap and seeing where my art could go. I didn’t want to just sit on my dreams, I wanted to try chasing after them, even if the odds may seem slim,” he said.
“Every now and then, even a rejection letter can feel strangely exciting, because it also means someone actually saw my work.”
Continue reading...
From as young as six, Kang Jing, 31, had a natural flair for drawing. He would spend hours sketching his favourite anime characters. And in 2021, the self-taught artist took the leap of faith and launched his comic brand, Chiral Comics.
What started as an Instagram page to showcase his work soon evolved into something bigger, opening doors to work on characters from major franchises such as Star Wars and Marvel. He has also illustrated comic covers for Power Rangers stars Catherine Sutherland, Nakia Burrise and Brennan Mejia.
A Studio Ghibli themed illustration by Jing featuring over 100 characters. (Photo: Kang Jing)
Now, Jing has collaborated with American publisher Archie Comics – he has illustrated a special Singapore-themed cover in celebration of SG60.
Priced from S$25 onwards, pre-orders are open from Saturday (Jul 19), 12pm, on Jing’s website and through select comic retailers in Singapore – Kalibak Komiks and 1 to 3 Comics.
ARCHIE COMICS: AN SG60 EXCLUSIVE
In January this year, an idea struck him: What if he could blend his favourite pop culture icons with something local for Singapore’s 60th birthday?
“SG60 marks a big milestone for us as a nation,” he shared. “I wanted to find a way to celebrate it through the lens of something I love – by bringing together something iconic from Singapore with a franchise that many of us grew up with,” he shared.
In April, he pitched the idea to Archie Comics and landed an opportunity to design a variant cover for one of their editions.
A variant cover, Jing explained, is a term used in the comic industry, where the cover design is not related to the contents of the book.
While some might assume designing the cover is a minor role, Jing pointed out that cover designs are one of the key driving forces for revenue in the industry.
“To boost sales, publishers [often release] various cover arts of the same story to appeal to collectors with interest for different art styles and artists,” he explained.
Jing incorporated iconic Singaporean elements into the cover, including a playful scene of the characters enjoying durian, the nation's beloved tropical fruit. (Photo: Archie Comics, Kang Jing)
He reimagined the original Archie characters as tourists exploring Singapore, with Gardens by the Bay as the central backdrop. He also added local touches: Archie in a SG60 T-shirt, Jughead munching on a durian, and Reggie wearing a Singapore football jersey.
The initial rough sketch and inked version of the cover. (Photo: Kang Jing)
Jing completed the rough sketches in a day before transferring his ideas to an 11 by 17-inch artboard, the standard size used for comic covers, before moving on to inking.
“Inking involves going over the penciled artwork with ink to enhance and finalise the lines,” Jing explained.
To bring the artwork to life, he worked with a colourist from Italy to digitally add the colours. Everything was completed in a month, and it was approved with no revisions needed.
STAR WARS TO STARDOM
When he was first starting out, Jing spent months cold-emailing organisations, sending out his portfolios, and taking on commission work for small businesses to get his name out there.
His big breakthrough came in March 2024, when Jing received a reply from Topps, the American trading company well-known for producing licensed collectibles for franchises such as Star Wars and Marvel.
“I still remember waking up one morning to an email from Topps inviting me to work on their upcoming Star Wars project and that they will be sending me 50 sketch cards to illustrate,” he said.
Some of the sketch cards that Jing has drawn for Topps. (Photo: Kang Jing)
The sketch cards are coloured using alcohol-based markers. (Photo: Kang Jing)
For the uninitiated, sketch cards are hand-drawn collectible cards created by licensed artists for trading or display purposes.
For Jing, each card was a labour of love. Unlike comic covers, he had to add colours himself using alcohol-based markers meant for comic illustrations.
Sample of inked sketch cards (left) and the final sketch cards with colours (right). (Photo: Kang Jing)
Before the cards could be released, the final artwork had to be approved by Lucasfilm, the company that is home to the Star Wars franchise.
To date, he has worked on seven Star Wars-themed projects with Topps. One standout was his fifth project, titled Star Wars: Hyperspace, which required him to illustrate planet-themed sketch cards.
2024 TOPPS Star Wars Hyperspace series, wanting to give the set a unified visual style, he drew the characters to be angled in the same direction. (Photo: Kang Jing)
2024 TOPPS Star Wars Masterwork series. (Photo: Kang Jing)
2024 TOPPS Star Wars Chrome Galaxy series. (Photo: Kang Jing)
2024 TOPPS Star Wars Galactic Antiquities series. (Photo: Kang Jing)
2025 TOPPS Star Wars Meiyo series. (Photo: Kang Jing)
2024 TOPPS Star Wars High-Tek series. (Photo: Kang Jing)
The 2024 TOPPS Star Wars Chrome Galaxy series. (Photo: Kang Jing)
“I was provided cards with specific planets labelled on them such as Bespin, Hoth, Kashyyyk, and I had to illustrate characters specific to those planets,” he shared.
“For the planet Mustafar, I illustrated Anakin Skywalker by taking reference from the Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith where there was a climactic battle that occurred on this planet between him and Obi-Wan Kenobi.”
The Mustafar themed card featuring Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars. (Photo: Kang Jing)
Soon after, he struck another deal with Topps. This time, he was commissioned to create 20 sketch cards for the 2025 Topps Marvel Chrome series.
The 2025 TOPPS Marvel Chrome series. (Photo: Kang Jing)
"Working on Star Wars and Marvel properties honestly felt like a dream that was way out of reach, one of those things you admire from a far but never imagine happening to you,” he said.
The sketch cards were eventually randomised and sold on Topps website in their respective product lines – a place where customers around the world have the chance to pull one of Jing’s hand-drawn cards with the purchase of any products from the listing.
POWER RANGERS: DRAWING HIS MARK ON THE GLOBAL STAGE
The Archie comic cover was not Jing’s first foray into localised comic art.
Last year, Jing teamed up with Boom! Studios, the official comic publisher based in the USA for award-winning titles including Power Rangers, Brzrkr and Something is Killing the Children. He illustrated a Singapore-themed variant cover for one of their flagship titles: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
He unveiled the exclusive issue at Singapore Comic Con 2024, where all 525 pieces of the limited-edition copy were sold out. In fact, it was the success of this cover that fuelled his desire to work on the Archie Comic SG60 project.
The exclusive Singapore themed cover that Jing illustrated for the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series, with the backdrop as Marina Bay Sands. (Photo: Boom! Studios, Kang Jing)
The cover was not just a hit, but it was his lucky charm – one that scored him a backstage pass to work alongside the very stars who ignited his passion for comics.
In October 2024, he attended New York Comic Con, where he met the cast members of Power Rangers, Catherine Sutherland and Nakia Burrise, during a fan meet.
“I brought my very first Power Rangers comic cover I did and showed it to them. They loved it and right there they said, ‘Let’s collaborate’.”
The actresses wanted Jing to design a variant cover for them as an exclusive merchandise for their fans, as part of the Power Rangers Prime series, an ongoing title published by BOOM! Studios.
Sutherland also went on to post a picture with him on her Instagram following their meeting.
Working via email, Jing and the actresses exchanged ideas and eventually merged their visions into a single concept.
The initial thumbnails that Jing proposed to Sutherland and she gave him three more ideas. Eventually, they agreed to merge elements from their various ideas for the final design. (Photo: Kang Jing)
The entire process took around two months, and the final copies were published in May 2025.
Following the project, Jing also worked with another Power Rangers cast, Brennan Mejia for a variant cover.
The final cover design Jing illustrated featuring Catherine Sutherland and Nakia Burrise. (Photo: Boom! Studios, Kang Jing)
The comics are available on the official Power Rangers Playback merchandise website and also on Jing’s online store. Prices start from S$25 for a single copy.
He also accepts personal commissions, with prices depending on the complexity of the request.
Reflecting on his journey, Jing hopes to deepen his expertise in illustrating comic cover arts and eventually venture into comic interiors in the future.
“[Looking back] It was really about taking a leap and seeing where my art could go. I didn’t want to just sit on my dreams, I wanted to try chasing after them, even if the odds may seem slim,” he said.
“Every now and then, even a rejection letter can feel strangely exciting, because it also means someone actually saw my work.”
Continue reading...