Every boy has their hero. I am no exception. My hero is not Ironman or Superman. I love to look at Wonder Woman and Catwoman but my inspiration cames from an ordinary man with an extraordinary talent for storytelling through art. He is Datuk Mohammad Nor Khalid or we know all know him better as Lat.

My First English Comic

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‘Kampung Boy’ (Village Boy) was the first comic book that I read. At that time, I did not understand a single word of English. I was 7 years old. I remember forcing my sister to translate for me, but I believe she didn’t. She merely explained the story through the visuals drawn.

In our family, not many of us speak English. One of the reason I strive to improve my command of English was because of Lat. I took extra lessons in English and even bought an English dictionary to help me understand the words that I do not understand from the book.

If Jacky Chan learnt English from singing, I definitely learnt English from comics.

What Makes Lat Special

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Lat is almost synonymous with Malaysian comic industry. He is our benchmark for success. Through his illustration, he portrays the Malaysian way of life authentically. All the lines and details are uniquely his. His drawing shows that Malaysians regardless of race or religion do live peacefully and harmoniously. It is his gift of bridging us together that helps us define our unique culture of being one.

He is my inspiration and my mentor in the art of cartooning. Pure genius.

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My caricature of the man himself.

Lat's work.

Me and Datuk Lat

Datuk Lat and HRH Sultan of Selangor at Galeri Prima where the Sultan stores his private art collection.

Me presenting my caricature of Lat to the man, the icon, my mentor.