CYBERJAYA, Jan 29 — With more than 100 members, Comination Club is out to make geekiness cool at Multimedia University (MMU).

In many ways, they resemble any other student club on campus; they host board game sessions, film screenings, and art workshops based on their shared interests in geek culture.

But what makes them special is that their activities are also equipping them with the relevant skills and industry contacts to give them a head start in their future careers.

Earlier this month, the club published SCROLL — Student Comic Rhapsodies on Life and Living — which featured artwork and comics from its members inspired by the life of university students.

The book contains stories from 70 artists that any university student can relate to including tales of haunted faculty grounds, deadline struggles, and dealing with crazy dormitory roommates.

"These students are all going through university life and when you think about it, these stories are pretty universal,” said former club president Nurfarah Hannah Mohd Fuad.

"Everyone’s going to relate to them whether you graduated 20 years ago or last year. You can read these comics and think ‘Yeah, that totally happened to me’.”

Comination Club began in 2016 after founding president Imran Haqim decided to form a new society when the university’s Anime Club was on the brink of shutting down.

"In the library, I came up with this idea with my friends. I said, "How about instead of just focusing on anime, how about a club for people who love geek culture in general?’” he explained.

The club has come a long way since then as its members continue to gather accolades and real-life experience from the local comics industry.

SCROLL creative director and MMU virtual reality lecturer Erwin Jabbar (left) and Comination Club president Muhammad Haris Muhammad Feisal chat about their current projects.

Animation and visual effects lecturer Anuar Hassan, also known as Sireh, said that one of the purposes of embarking on the SCROLL project was to offer a solid start to the students' careers as artists.

"Most of my students share their work on social media but they’re not getting rewarded. We know that the internet has a huge audience but monetising stuff online is a problem.

"By publishing our students’ artwork in a physical book, it acts as a form of recognition that they can cite to employers or publishers in the future,” he said.

Anuar said that social media was better harnessed to generate interest in the book and encourages his students to interact with their followers online through their art.

"Nowadays, artists can’t rely on bookstores or physical distributors alone to sell our books. What people love right now is to engage with the creators and get to know them.

"They love to have meaningful conversations with the artists and comment on their work on social media. From there, they will buy the books,” he said.

SCROLL’s publication has allowed MMU students to meet with professional bodies such as the Malaysian Institute of Translation and Books, publishers, and the Malaysian comic community, providing them with useful exposure to industries relevant to their fields of study.

Comination Club members also had the honour of having their artwork exhibited at the Pameran Kartun show at Muzium Negeri Terengganu last year alongside established local artists such as Datuk Datuk Mohammad Nor Khalid or Lat, Jaafar Taib, and Ibrahim Anon or Ujang.

SCROLL proudly shows off the work of 70 artists from the club.

When asked how they felt about their work being showcased next to such prominent names in the industry, former club president Nazrin Khazin summed it up in one word: "Ecstatic”.

"The feeling of all your hard work being showcased to the public was really nice,” he gushed.

"I think all of us were really bewildered when we heard it. We were in the same hall and exhibition space as people like Lat and our lecturer Sireh who have decades of experience,” Hannah added.

These endeavours have allowed MMU students to shake off their insecurities and develop the courage to show off their work to a wider audience.

"As students, it’s common to feel scared to show artwork that you do in your free time to a working professional who has made a career out of doing art.

"Through Comination, we can support fellow students and give each other a platform to build up our confidence,” said Hannah.

Apart from imparting valuable industry knowledge to the students, the club has formed friendships amongst its members that last long after they've graduated.

In fact, many former committee members continue to be involved in the club’s activities to this day.

One of the featured artworks in SCROLL.

"The reason why I like coming back is that this is one of the only places where we can get together as a family and share our interests.

"In the outside world, it’s easy for people to judge our work, what we do, and what we wear.

"One of the reasons I created Comination was so that people could be comfortable being themselves with each other,” said Imran.

Fun activities also provide the students with a much-needed break from the pressures of student life where deadlines and responsibilities can wreak havoc on mental health.

"The events we have are not just a way for us to socialise and make friends, it’s also a good form of stress relief.

"University life isn’t easy with all of our assignments so if we can just spend one night doing a fun activity without worrying about being judged, it’s a positive outcome,” said Comination Club’s current president Muhammad Haris Muhammad Feisal.

He added that the society forms a space where members can embrace their geeky side alongside other students who share common interests.

"Ever since entering this club, I’ve been able to express myself more freely and it’s really nice knowing that you don’t have to be scared anymore.

"You’ll come to learn that the world isn’t so mean. It can be sometimes, but not all the time especially if you’re with the right people,” said Haris.

Right now, the club is gearing up to exhibit SCROLL at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair 2019 this March.