Refusing to confine himself within a single dimension and timeline in his pursuit of art, Kangblabla shares that there are countless stories to be told through the many versions of yourselves in the form of fictional characters—and that they can all exist within as well as beyond a single universe.
By Koay Choon Sean
The many variants of Kangblabla in his fictional multiverse. (Photo credit: Kangblabla)
“This universe is only one of an infinite number. Worlds without end.
Who are you in this vast Multiverse, Mr. Strange?”
- Ancient One to Stephen Strange (Doctor Strange, 2016)
The concept of a multiverse isn’t particularly a new thing (and before you start developing any thought from that line – no, this is not a science piece). But we can all quietly admit to asking this after the closing credits of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022):
“What if there are multiple versions of me out there? What are their stories?”
That film was our trigger. But for a Penang-based character artist, Julius Raja Manickam, who also goes by the moniker , that question has lingered in his mind since he was five. And it became the foundation of his artistic journey that gave birth to a (fictional) pocket universe with thousands of characters.
“The multiverse is a great way to bridge all these characters together. In fact, I think it’s the best way to stitch together a tapestry of stories that span across universes and time.
“I got to know about the concept of parallel universes or alternate dimensions from The Animated Spiderman series in the early 2000s,” Kangblabla said.
Hey Marvel Studios, care to send a talent scout over here, please?
Kangblabla as Kangblabla in the main storyline of Kangblabla’s multiverse. (Photo credit: Kangblabla)
Of KBB
The idea of being anything and everything is the meaning behind the name Kangblabla. By using the form of character design, he is able to embody that spirit in exploring and building upon ideas that will turn into stories for his 600-odd characters (and counting) in his repertoire of Kebab Toys.
“My characters are inspired by the Joes and Janes that I happened to cross paths with – in-person or literally. I get ideas from conversations with people, stories in the media, and even the shenanigans – or positive deeds – from current affairs.
“From there, I do my best to manifest those ideas into characters be it through my Kebab Toys, comics, painting, or just plain illustrations,” he explained.
There is a narrative behind each of the characters that serve as his response to any given notion. It is therefore fair to say that he uses those characters and their stories to extend himself beyond where he is into the multiversal context.
The almost-ten percent of characters in his gallery of Kebab Toys. (Photo credit: Kangblabla)
After all, the notion of limitation is very un-Kangblabla. The possibilities from the many “ifs” are very stimulating to hold yourself back from.
“However, I do exist as myself in the main storyline of my multiverse! My narrative is to find myself in this existence we call life,” Kangblabla quipped.
When it comes to the brand of Kebab Toys, he explained:
“When I started, I signed my works with the initials of KBB. When I see KBB, I can’t help but think of Kebab. It’s pretty catchy to use as a brand.
“Plus – kebabs are great food!”
Of Process and Flow
Drawing inspiration from a dynamic source such as the daily affairs of life can be pretty overwhelming. For Kangblabla, the process of character design is equally challenging and exciting.
“For Kebab Toys, their personalities and names come to be as I construct them into reality. I listen to them, and my brain slowly comprehends.
“I feel like these characters are using me as a tool to materialise them into existence, and not the other way around,” he said.
Adventures in the Elephant Kingdom – A Webcomic. (Photo credit: Kangblabla)
However, he employs a more refined process when it comes to creating characters on paper or digital mediums.
“I tend to take more of a design approach and fully explore all avenues of features and possibilities to dictate the look of those characters”.
Of Mediums
Wood has always been his element of choice. There is no marvelous tale behind it. He just couldn’t afford to buy materials during his earlier years, but there was an abundance of wood in his shared studio.
“Now, it’s just because I’m accustomed to them (wood). However, the materials are just vessels. My medium has always been character design – to tell stories.”
Bigger versions of his Kebab Toys. Is that… Thanos? (Photo credit: Kangblabla)
His distinctive touch is also apparent in the digital realm such as pixel art, webcomics, and even augmented reality (AR). Most recently, he participated in a group exhibition in Hin Bus Depot with the theme of “Augmented Reality Toys”. 6 of his characters – including himself and a particular character from his “Adventures in the Elephant Kingdom” – were brought to life via collaboration with the Perk Reality app by Penang-based sculptor Aboud Fares.
Now you don’t see it – and now you do. (Photo credit: Koay Choon Sean)
His webcomic on the was also recently adapted into a musical that was held in the same venue as the AR exhibition.
If anything, both shows expanded upon Kangblabla’s multiversal context by allowing his characters to crossover from their fictional pocket universe into our material realm. Or one would say, our universe (Marvel-616, anyone?).
“It’s absolutely surreal to see what I conceived in my mind exist in other forms besides papers and wood toys. There is no other way to describe it,” Kangblabla shared.
Of the Future
At this juncture, the market for Kebab Toys is still very niche. While each piece is original and there exists only one edition for each character, the idea of owning characters from an unfamiliar fictional multiverse has yet to catch on. From the investment perspective, toy collectors are hot on the heels of Funko Pops and Hot Toys because of their high resale values.
But that is no deterrent for Kangblabla. His future expectation – if anything – is as ambitious as his ever-expanding multiverse.
“My goal is to have Kebab Toys in each household. I want to see my characters everywhere – from animated series, movies, mass-produced toy lines, and globally published comics.
I proposed the idea of a Kangblabla Animated Universe, and he seemed to find delight in that.
And Finally…
Every artist is as unique as the art they create. The same goes for the trials and tribulations that they experience in the face of a non-fictional reality.
Even then, there is a silver lining to every bleak episode in life.
“It’s going to hurt, it’s going to be tough and drawn out, but it’s worth it.
“To see my creations materialise and impact people’s lives – it’s something that I can’t put into words. But one thing for sure – it’s the best feeling ever for an artist,” he concluded.
His vast and complex multiverse will continue to expand in breadth and width with new characters and narratives, as long as there are stories to be told in this reality.
Perhaps one day in the future, we can gasp with pride at these words on the big screen after the credits have rolled:
If you know it, you know it. (Photo credit: Koay Choon Sean)
Koay Choon Sean (Andy) reads just about anything and everything. Is he a writer too? Maybe. His life is all about curiosity.