Michael Lim’s Animations Inspired by Comics and the Everyday
Michael Lim is an animator based in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. He has been drawing since he could remember. At seven years old, Doraemon, one of his favorite comics, became a huge inspiration in his art. “I enjoyed crafting comic stories inspired by movies or cartoons I liked, incorporating characters from Doraemon,” Michael began. “This brought me a lot of joy during my childhood.”
Initially, Michael pursued education in graphic design in university after his uncle recommended the major to him. This is where he had his first brush with animation. “Witnessing the process of bringing drawings to life was incredibly captivating and reminded me of the joy I felt while drawing as a child,” he said. “This experience motivated me to further my exploration of animation.” His brother happened to be studying music engineering at the time and would send Michael some of the tunes he was working on This inspired him to create animated music videos over his semester breaks.
Michael doesn’t limit the inspirations that come his way. Allowing any element to influence his creations. “Because all these elements get stored in our subconscious, when we're working, our brain will recall memories from our subconscious and generate something new,” Michael explained. “As a result, the artwork I craft draws from my daily interactions with these elements.” He also feels that all his previous projects inform and enhance his creative execution. “Therefore, I consistently seek inspiration from a variety of sources.”
Having graduated in graphic design, Michael actually feels that he’s not too familiar with the Malaysian animation scene. However, he has noticed an uptick in appreciation for animation in the Malaysian sphere which he feels has increased animation’ commercial opportunities. For example, there has been an uptick in the number of Malaysian brands and businesses incorporating animation into their promotional materials or commercials.
After completing his internship at LIE, a Kuala Lumpur-based design studio, Michael took some time for himself and traveled across Europe, where one of his animations was screened at the Supertoon Festival in Croatia. This moment allowed him to be reassured in taking this avocation more seriously. In establishing and running Space Dawg Studio as a one-man show, Michael explained that social media has become a key medium of communication with a majority of his clients. He posts his animations routinely on his Instagram account and brands often contact him directly via email after coming across his work online.
Going forward, Michael simply aims “to finish what’s in front of me.” Hoping that he continues to simply enjoy the creation process and sharing them with those who appreciate his craft. Thus far, his work has been sought out by many clients including Hermès, Ador, NewJeans’ record label, and M83.
