Sonny Liew's award-winning graphic novel, The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, is set for an animated series adaptation that could be shown worldwide.

A press release on Nov. 10 stated that 108 Media, an intellectual property and media firm headquartered in Singapore, has acquired the rights to Charlie Chan Hock Chye.

It intends to finance and distribute the work as an international animated series, produced in Singapore.

The series will be in six parts, each a half-hour episode.

The Art

Charlie Chan Hock Chye is a fictional biography of its titular hero, who was born before Singapore gained independence, and recounts his life experiences while working as a cartoonist.

Chan's story is weaved together with his cartoons, which comment on socio-political situations in Singapore during a time of upheaval and rapid progress.

The graphic novel was acclaimed by critics, winning the Singapore Literature Prize in 2016 and three prestigious Eisner Awards in 2017, making Liew the first Singaporean ever to achieve this.

According to 108 Media, a group of Singaporean writers, including Jow Zhi Wei, Jerrold Chong, Shelby Goh, and Roshan Singh, have completed the adaptation of the graphic novel from page to screen.

Liew remarked that other companies and individuals had enquired about adapting the book, but it came to naught as they faced difficulties in adapting it as it was "not easy".

However, he credited 108 Media for showing commitment, with its screenwriters managing to figure out how to make the adaptation work.

Marina Bay Sins and Moonrise, Sunset

Along with Charlie Chan Hock Chye, 108 Media will also be adapting two other Singaporean properties.

Marina Bay Sins is a detective thriller written by Neil Humphreys, and will be adapted as an eight-part hour-long episode series, possibly live-action.

Humphreys, writer of the popular Notes From an Even Smaller Island books, said he was ecstatic at the prospect of seeing his character of Stanley Low, an anti-hero battling personal demons, on screens.

The sequels to Marina Bay Sins, including Rich Kill, Poor Kill, will later be adapted as follow-up seasons.

In addition, Moonrise, Sunset is a graphic novel written by the late Gopal Baratham, about a young Chinese-Indian man who wakes up next to his murdered fiancé, and has to prove his innocence by uncovering the secrets left behind by his lover.

The series, set in 1990s Singapore, will be adapted into a four-episode series and adapted by Naman Ramachandran, the writer of Netflix film Brahman Naman.

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Top image from Neil Humphreys' and PW Comics World Facebook pages.