James Suresh left a stable job in the military to pursue his dream of being a comics author. From reflections of life in Singapore in the 1960s and 70s to co-creating the iconic Mr Kiasu comic series, James’ work aims to capture the essence of being a Singaporean. He reflects on his career and creative journey with Joel Chua.

Excerpts from James' conversation with Joel: 

On whether being kiasu is a good or bad thing:   I think we still are (kiasu). If you look around, you talk about parents who are so obsessed with getting their children to the best schools. There's a bunch of parents who call themselves kiasu parents. They actually share notes about where's the best school and that kind of stuff.

I think it can be good as well, because kiasu is also about being competitive, right? If you're not kiasu, you're not going to be trying to be at the head of the queue or getting up early to be there. So I think "kiasuism" itself can (be) personified in various forms. There are people who are ugly kiasu, and there are those who are just competitive. 

On learning from failure:   I think young people are okay with failure. It's always the parents who tell them, “It’s the end of the world if you don't get through your exams, or (if) you don't score A's.” As a corporate trainer, sometimes I do talk to parents and I tell them that you have to teach them values more than telling them that (they) have to pass (their) exams. (These) values will see them through life.  

On the importance of talking to your elders:  I think the other way to know about your past is to talk to your parents.

My mother used to talk about the Japanese Occupation, how she used to sneak and give away food to the British soldiers who were prisoners of war. So we never really asked too many questions. We just listened to the stories. Now that I'm writing, I'm thinking, I should have asked them more questions.

(This interview was first broadcast on Jan 15, 2025.)  

Listen to the conversation with James on A Letter to Myself. This podcast, hosted by Joel Chua, features people with remarkable life lessons to share and airs every weeknight on CNA938.  

If you know someone with an inspiring story, write to cnapodcasts [at] mediacorp.com.sg. 

Follow A Letter to Myself on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.