From long-haired men to drive-ins, comics author James Suresh draws on 1970s Singapore

Comics author James Suresh found himself reminiscing about his teenage years while researching and writing vignettes for his newest book, Singapore In The 70s.

- Charmaine Lim

Nearly a decade after his last book, Singapore In The 60s (2015), this new illustrated comic focuses on the decade when Suresh was a teenager. Told in vignettes accompanied by illustrations from his long-time collaborator Syed Ismail, the book takes a comedic approach to remembering the past.

The 68-year-old tells The Sunday Times via a phone call: "Singapore In The 60s was a book I pitched for Singapore's 50th anniversary as a celebration of what the country was like 50 years ago. It was harder to recall because I was in primary school then and had to ask my elder siblings to get my facts right, as well as researching the decade." Following the release of Singapore In The 60s, he was asked if he would write one about the 1970s. The idea ruminated in the back of his mind until the Covid-19 pandemic offered him the opportunity to begin the necessary research.

In 2022, he began working on Singapore In The 70s with Syed and Suki Chong as the book's designer, both of whom he has collaborated with for more than 20 years.