| Info Booth | Articles | Research | Interviews | Resources | Visitor Centre |
| |
||||||
|
||||||
|
Home > Articles > Pigs Can Fly!
|
K. S. Siu
|
Pigs Can Fly! Illustrator follows her heart to create cartoon characters loved by people of all ages Illustrator Alice Mak Ka-bik is one half of the creative team behind the much-loved McMug and McDull cartoon characters. Mak, who claims to be the least intelligent person in her company, says she is as messy and silly as the two piglets she created with partner Brian Tse Lap-man.
Although Mak's passion for drawing started when she was a child, her impression of an illustrator's work was vague. As she grew up, she realised that most Hong Kong people were quite conservative and only looked up to professionals such as lawyers and doctors. Being an illustrator was not considered a proper job which would help you provide for your family. However, Mak stresses: "Do not be confined by social expectations. Get as much exposure [to different things] as you can. Otherwise, you will never realise your own strengths or find the right opportunities." Mak studied graphic design, majoring in illustration, at the Polytechnic University. After she graduated, she worked as a graphic designer at the Hong Kong Arts Centre. But she realised her genuine passion was for illustration and began to send out artwork to editors of local magazines. Eventually, she was employed by a local Chinese newspaper. With her partner Tse, who is responsible for the text and ideas, they created the first stories depicting life in a family where McMug was a pet. The McMug stories were originally written for children, but they soon attracted an adult following. Children are probably fascinated by the lovely images of the piglets while adults enjoy the deeper messages behind the stories. "We no longer aim for a readership of a particular age group. People who read McMug share similar attitudes. They are looking for something different and persist in their own way - like the character McDull who is not very clever but always persists to achieve his goals," Mak says. Nevertheless, she would never ignore the children in the audience because they are the group she likes the most. "The children's market is huge." Mak feels there is a need for wholesome comics for young people in a market swamped with violent and pornographic publications. The popularity of the stories continues to rise dramatically and the piglets have even been brought to life in animation films. Although Mak is happy to see McMug and McDull rise to stardom, she has not let success go to her head. "Success is not very important to me. I only care about drawing. Follow your heart. You never know how much you will gain from it." |
|
| Member of Pantone021.com |
|
Mak is a bit shy when dealing with the press although she has ample experience of interviews. "I am not good at speaking. I express myself through drawing. You can definitely learn more about me from my drawings," Mak says.