Name: Sonia Leong
Location: Cambridge, United Kingdom
Birthday: 7th May
Email: sonia@fyredrake.net
Website: fyredrake.net
Telephone: View my Blank Contract (PDF)
DeviantArt: fyredrakemagick.deviantart.com
SheezyArt: sonia.leong.sheezyart.com
Manga Revolution: mangarevolution.com/sonia_leong/
Biography/CV/Resume: Bio-Sonia.pdf
Likes: fashion, savoury things, videogames
Dislikes: long walks, ice skating, insincerity
Blog/diary: sonia-leong.livejournal.com
Often found: Sweatdrop Studios forum
artwork background
I'm a professional comic artist and illustrator specialising in the Anime/Manga style. My first graphic novel was Manga Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet published by SelfMadeHero. My awards include Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) 2008 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Reader and Best Books for Young Adults 2008 for Romeo and Juliet ; Winner in Tokyopop's first UK Rising Stars of Manga competition (2005/06) and Winner in NEO Magazine's 2005 Manga Competition. I designed the official Catgirl mascot for Wacom-Europe’s Manga campaign. My artwork features prominently in the British movie, Popcorn (2007). I've been involved in many instructional art books - I was the Lead Artist for the book Draw Manga by Sweatdrop Studios, the leading UK comic collaborative. I'm a core member of the group and my works with Sweatdrop include Murder on the Dancefloor (in the first UK-produced Manga anthology, Sugardrops), Once Upon a Time, Cyborg Butterfly and Return to Chenezzar (in the anthology Pink is for Girls).
Currently, my work is being exhibited at the Manchester URBIS Centre as part of the exhibition How Manga Took Over the World. I'm working with Infinite Ideas on the Manga Life series of self-help comic books, the first two titles being Find True Love and Be Creative. I'm the artist for Aya.Takeo, a full-colour comic published weekly online from April 2007-2009. I'm also contributing to Image Comic’s anthology Comic Book Tattoo inspired by the musician Tori Amos.
I work in a variety of mediums including watercolour, pen and ink, screentone, alcohol colour markers, pencils and computer software. I've exhibited artwork in prestigious venues (Kyoto International Manga Museum, London County Hall, London Cartoon Museum, Japanese Embassy) and provided product demonstrations (on behalf of Copic, Letraset and Wacom).
My formal biography (Bio-Sonia.pdf) contains a good summary of my publications.
press clippings and interviews: mouse over the thumbnails for details of the publication and date.
2007~07 Comics Bits Online: Fyredrake Sonia Leong
2007~06 Comics Bulletin: Sonia Leong Takes Romeo and Juliet to Tokyo
2007~06 Comixtalk: Dream Weavers: Sonia Leong and Lloyd Prentice of Aya.Takeo
2007~01 BBC Radio Cambridgeshire: Manga Hamlet by the Bard?
Images and website are copyright © Sonia Leong 2003-2008 unless otherwise stated
Don't use my images without permission. Hotlinking is not allowed