Jan 24, 2021
Katherine “Kat” Chung is the creator of the popular Webtoon, Cat Loaf Adventures which is a slice of life story about cute pastry animals. The main character is a bread cat named Cat Loaf, and they love going on grand adventures with their other bread cat friends! Kat & I discuss how her emotions and aspects of her personality are depicted in the characters, and how expressing yourself through art is therapeutic!
Show Notes:
Stephanie Wong 0:05
Welcome to Season Two of the Color Success Podcast. I'm your host,
Dr. Stephanie J. Wong. Katherine "Kat" Chung is the creator of the
WebToon Cat Loaf Adventures, which is a slice of life story about
cute pastry animals. The main characters are a bread cat named Cat
Loaf, and they love going on grand adventures with their other
bread cat friends. Welcome, Kat. I'm so excited. She is the WebToon
creator of Cat Loaf, which is a family favorite WebToon here. Can
you tell us a little bit about your WebToon and your journey as an
artist?
Kat Chung 0:40
Oh, yeah, sure. I created this WebToon called Cat Loaf Adventures.
It's basically my two favorite things, bread and cats. And I mash
them together. And then I was like, wait, I could tell a story with
these. And then it just kind of blossomed into a comic. And that
was how it got started.
Stephanie Wong 1:00
Did you always know you wanted to create a webtoon or be an artist?
What is your journey been to maybe drawing some sketches to having
this hugely popular Webtoon?
Kat Chung 1:11
so I did draw comics when I was growing up. So elementary, middle,
high school. Funny enough, I went to major in animation for
college. So I was like, Okay, I'll get a nine to five, make my mom
happy. All that stuff. And outside of college, I fell into a
depressive state because I couldn't find anything. So I was like,
you know what I'm just gonna draw for fun. So I drew Cat Loaf as a
way to keep myself positive and happy and fun. And it was just
like, Oh, you know what, I could make this into a cool thing. So
that's how I kind of blew up. So I drew it for me. That was that
was the key point.
Stephanie Wong 1:51
Oh, I'm so glad you said that. And I know that people will be
listening on audio but for those that are watching the video, I
have Cat Loaf right here. So, you know, the kids love to make Cat
Loaf talk, but we read the entire webtoon altogether, like
storytime before they went to bed. So Cat Loaf is the main
character. Could you tell me a little bit about the different
characters and why was Cat Loaf chosen as the main character?
Kat Chung 2:19
going into personality? All the characters I feel like in the
webtoon are pretty much my personalities, but into characters, Cat
Loaf is basically your average bread loaf. And it's like the happy
one, the happy go lucky one.
Stephanie Wong 2:33
Rye loaf is my favorite because even though I like promoting
positivity and continuing to evolve as a positive person. I'm
highly sarcastic. Rye Loaf... I vibe with Rye Loaf. So tell us more
about Rye Loaf.
Kat Chung 2:49
Rye Loaf is pretty much like the anti-thesis to Cat Loaf, that
basic dynamic duo of woohoo the happy one, and then the apathetic,
unbothered one like, "Ah life."
Stephanie Wong 3:05
That's exactly how I imagined his voice
Kat Chung 3:09
And then the third best friend is the cute Tabs. I named it Tabs
because it's basically a Tabby Loaf.
Stephanie Wong 3:16
Right with a blankie?
Kat Chung 3:18
It has a nice, cute blanket. And you know, when you have bread and
you have blankets, so it's like a bread and a blanket cut. That was
my concept for Tabs, and it's like, aww, it's like a security
blanket. And that's why it needs it and wears it all the time.
There are times when Oh no, there's a spoiler there are times when
it's when it's brave, and it comes out.
Stephanie Wong 3:35
So I mean, Tabs is like a really loyal friend, right? They're all
very loyal to each other but Cat Loaf is kind of just again happy
go lucky doesn't have any plans kind of falls into mischief without
knowing it. And Tabs and Rye Loaf are there for there backing Cat
Loaf up and so what I like about Tabs is that, may stay in the
blanket for a while but at the same time comes out when when
needed. I love that they're all kind of representative of your
personality because I think a lot of times people think, well I
have to be this or that. And if you really combine all the
characters they're all still you essentially. So, how did you come
up with the storyline because well, obviously they go on adventures
but there's so many different characters, one of which is Lord
Cinnabun. I have all different kinds of voices.
Kat Chung 4:44
Those voices are perfect.
Stephanie Wong 4:46
And these become, you know, an actual cartoon like I am definitely
good. I try my hand at different characters.
Kat Chung 4:54
I'll reach out if we look for voice actors.
Stephanie Wong 4:59
Totally, a random life goal, I guess. No, but I mean, Rye Loaf
again, and Tabs and Cat Loaf. So how did you continue? Because
there's many episodes. It's not just, you know, a 20 episode thing,
and it's done. So how did you sustain the story?
Kat Chung 5:18
So with storytelling, a lot of the time, it helps it helps having
three really diverse character dynamics, one, and then two, I was
trying to create like conflicts for these characters. So what would
Cat Loaf do in this situation? What would Rye Loaf do in a
situation? What would Tabs do in this situation? And Lord Cinnabun
was our first ever antagonists, and they're bunnies, because
they're Cinnabon rolls. And they're so sweet. It's evil. So I just
play it on Oh, it's just so sweet. But it's because it's so sweet.
It's just evil and It's like cute, but evil at the same time. So
that was our first antagonists. Overall as the as like story arcs
progress, I started thinking of how to turn this into a quote
unquote, life lesson. Like what can I showcase with these
characters? Like we talk about friendship. We talk about like
relationships and character dynamics and all that other stuff. So
sometimes I would create issues for the characters to have an
adventure on and then discover oh well, here's how we solve it.
Even if it's something crazy like Cat Loaf being Cat Loaf and
diving into weird situations.
Stephanie Wong 6:35
Yeah, and a lot of butter. Yeah.
Kat Chung 6:39
You're a huge fan.
Stephanie Wong 6:44
You don't understand like when you sent over the box, and I only
gave the girls the little pouches because I was hiding it for
Christmas as I told you. Yeah. And so they're like, how come cats
it's such a big box. I'm like, I don't know that maybe the only box
that she could find and draw. It's like when you become a mom, you
become a liar. I think that that's an important thing is that there
are huge life lessons involved. And because the the cinnabuns are
evil in like a nice, sweet way, How did you... think about how
multi dimensional those characters were? Because it wasn't just
they were all I don't want to spoil it. But there are some
standouts like Home Row, and please tell me how you say the name in
general.
Kat Chung 7:36
Alright, so I guess it's not really spoilers, but there are four,
really one of them stands out more than the other four. There are
four cinnabuns that I kind of talk more about. And I kind of got
inspiration from Pac Man, actually. Because in Pac Man, you had
those ghosts called Blinky, Inky, Pinky and the fourth one was
Clyde and I'm like, what?
Stephanie Wong 8:01
Random
Kat Chung 8:04
They have three, like really similar names, and then the last one
is like Clyde, all right. Okay. Okay, so let's, let's do so the
cinnabuns . So we have Sticky, Melty, Crispy because those are all
cinnabun characteristics. And then suddenly I looked at my
keyboard, and I was like, Okay, okay, we're going through the home
row.
Stephanie Wong 8:24
Ahhhhh Okay, so I get it.
Kat Chung 8:26
We were going into the home row now and so I just pronounce it as
asdfjkl.
Stephanie Wong 8:35
That was one part of the story where I had a really hard time was
like, asdfjkl so I'm glad you gave him a nickname. That's another
point is that you were adamant and emphasize that the characters
were genderless. And you would do these spins of what would cat
loaf look like in a more masculine role? Or a feminine role?
What was kind of your thinking behind keeping them genderless? Because I love that about about the characters.
Kat Chung 9:08
I'm glad you thought that was a nice touch, but pretty much their
bread. And bread doesn't really have genders. So it's like, this is
also cool too, because leaving them genderless means that I could
leave it up to the viewers to think of what genders they could be
and mix and match. And I think I like leaving it up to the viewer.
Sometimes they're like, Oh, I think Cat Loaf is a girl or a boy or
Tabs is a girl or boy or Rye Loaf is a girl or boy like there's so
many combinations all of a sudden. And it's just up to the viewers
to see how they interpret things. And that's the fun part.
Stephanie Wong 9:45
If you ever do a follow up series, definitely having some romantic
episodes between some and them because I'm sure fans ship quite a
few characters together and you might have gotten a whole bunch of
feedback or fan mail.
Kat Chung 9:58
Yeah, there's a lot of "shipping."
Stephanie Wong 10:03
Yeah, exactly, Well, I'm a huge K-drama fan. I am just like, that's
my thing. So, going back, though, to this point in your life where
you're really depressed, I mean, what encouraged you to say, Hey,
I'm going to draw bread? And like, put my personality and be
vulnerable and on paper?
Kat Chung 10:24
So I feel like art, for a lot of artists. I think art is just like
a great way to process something. And I've always loved cats. So
like, I think the biggest realization was noticing that I wasn't
doing this for my parents. I wasn't doing this for teachers. I
wasn't doing this for other people. And I think that's the biggest
takeaway is that it got me out of that funk. And I'm very thankful
for how far I've come. Thanks to these bread cats.
Stephanie Wong 10:54
Yeah. And, you know, they resonate with so many people. It doesn't
hurt that they're like, adorable, right? Yeah. So you know, we've
been friends for a little bit just meeting off IG, and just someone
that I resonated with, because for me, Instagram is great and I
want to create meaningful connections with people. But there's
something about you and me that just clicked and so
Kat Chung 11:18
I know, it's because you posted BTS. Oh, I don't know. You said
that. You noticed I liked BTS and suddenly, like, became really
good friends. Ah, there such inspirations.
Stephanie Wong 11:33
I can talk about Army all day and BTS because I just I resonate so
much. And I'm sure you can go into that too, with their music and
their message. And I think similar to your Webtoon right . They're
promoting something bigger than what meets the eye. Yeah, I'm glad
ARMY does bring people together for sure.
Kat Chung 11:53
Yeah, I mean, we're both big fans.
Stephanie Wong 11:57
Oh, I know. It's ridiculous. I have never in my whole life been
like this. I mean, I loved NSYNC, but my best friend at the time
was just like, and best friend now, still likes Justin Timberlake.
You know, she had all the posters on her. And I try to keep it as
classy as possible in the house. Yeah, like my Mattel BTS dolls,
but it's starting to get out of hand cuz I think I'm having more
stuffed animals than my youngest.
Kat Chung 12:24
I low-key want to be like you one day. Able to, like, you know,
still have fun in life. And you have kids and they're so lovely. I
love them.
Stephanie Wong 12:36
They adore you.
Oh my God.
We are going to meet Kat today! You know, having that impact on kids. I hope that you know, it does give you some warmth, because just knowing that they enjoy it. And my six year old, she could read very well. She is like, "I'm gonna read it all over again by myself." And it's really cute. And she's the one who said, "Mom, it's not just Tabs. It's Tabby Loaf. And so she's like, going back through this a second pair of eyes on this. So, you know, recently you revealed your face on Instagram?
Kat Chung 13:16
Oh, man I did. Yeah, this glasses version now.
Stephanie Wong 13:23
Tell me a little bit about your social media and just kind of what
led you to have a face reveal? Because a lot of artists Yeah, they
they really, they don't necessarily put their face out there.
Kat Chung 13:35
I actually was saving it for, like, when I hit a milestone, but you
know what? I felt like, Oh, it's a new year, I probably should post
something. And then, um, I guess I had an internal struggle like,
Oh God, I don't want to show my face. Oh, but but then I call it my
shadow self. But my shadow stuff is like, Ah, that's really scary
putting yourself out there. That's you. And you know what? With a
lot of things in life, I'm learning that sometimes I just got to
face that fear and be like, well, what's the worst that can happen?
I guess. So. I put it out there. And I got it over with.
Stephanie Wong 14:17
Well I think that's one way to look at it for sure. But, you know,
I think it it always is a challenge, right? What people post and
like filter and how people respond to it. What helped build your
courage to say, you know what? I'm just gonna do it. I know, you
went through a lot of internal dialogue, but I mean, I definitely
think people resonate more with stories too, when they do know
something about the artist.
Kat Chung 14:46
That's true. I guess I have messages to that I want to share I
think my whole post when I posted myself was pretty much like my
journey in 2020...how I focus on me and how I started taking care
of myself. And because of those efforts, I was suddenly braver, I
guess like Tabs to put myself out there. That's I love Tabs have so
much I love how, like when you take off the blanket and you see Oh,
it's a Tabby loaf. Oh, it has stripes.
Stephanie Wong 15:18
There's layers. There's but also these personality layers to to the
characters. I mean, I don't know so much about Cat Loaf, like, Cat
Loaf was gonna do Cat Loaf. And that is, what's the, you know, draw
of Cat Loaf. But I think with a lot of these characters, and the
ones you've introduced later, there are definitely these aspects.
There's one character where you talk about emotional and physical
trauma. And so what was the inspiration behind that and putting
that one out there?
Kat Chung 15:47
I was going through a rough time because the end message of that
arc was about grief and how to cope. I'm very glad that people did
resonate with that character. And when I look back, I think I was
trying to process what was happening, and I healed and that's the
most important part. You can overcome anything over time. And I
know that sounds cliche over time.
Stephanie Wong 16:14
I think to add to that, it's the time but also the work that you
put into it and the outlets that you find, right, because I think
there was some tangible demonstration of what you're going through
and integrating that into the story. And that's why I say like,
you're super brave, for putting yourself out there. You might not
have put your face out there, but she's different faces out there
with characters.
Kat Chung 16:36
That's a really good perspective. And I want to think about that,
because I definitely have more stories and messages to tell. You
know, what that brings back to my face reveal was that maybe that
was just like a start of everything I'm going to do from here on
out. So I think that's probably what led me to finally put my face
out there, I guess. .
Stephanie Wong 17:00
What are ways that you took care of yourself in 2020, we hear the
buzz word or I hear it all the time. Like I'm gonna I need to self
care and things like that. So yeah. What are some ways that you did
that this year?
Kat Chung 17:12
So I started seeking help, I guess, talking to supportive people
and creating a supportive network that has really helped. I got
help and I started being aware of what mental health is and
mindset. I never I never understood the point of meditation ecause
it sounds like...
Stephanie Wong 17:36
Hippity-dippity.
Kat Chung 17:37
It's hard. Yeah, it all sounds hippie, and it sounds all like what
it's like you hear it all the time is like is that what like
fantasy warriors do or something? They meditate all the time? I
didn't understand the point. But now that I've been doing it more
often, I understand that it's there to help me process the thoughts
that go by it in your heads.
Stephanie Wong 18:02
I think it's also giving yourself a moment to sit with your
thoughts and pausing a busy day, because we're all running around
most of us. And if we're fortunate we are working and so and just
with all the things that are going on right now. Artists like you
bring this healing aspect to a lot of people...and BTS. Yeah,and so
they put out a whole album for us to like, make us feel better to
and be therapeutic for them. And so I think that there's that
aspect of artists that they really, really are important aspects of
society. And so that brings up the question, you said, You have a
lot more stories to tell, where do you go from here?
Kat Chung 18:46
So I've been brainstorming, but brainstorming is also a process.
But I am very obsessed. Right now passionate. I'm very passionate
right now about mental health and mindfulness. Because going
through periods of depression myself, I completely understand how
it's like so I want to put messages out in the world to help people
cope with dark times, I guess. And it's something I think everyone
should hear. So that's my next project.Um, I'm super excited and I
can't wait.
Stephanie Wong 19:25
You're starting here. So this is the right podcast.
Kat Chung 19:30
Yeah. Okay. Cat Loaf is just like, like I still have like my
Instagram and stuff going on the background. So I'm still around if
you want to like, have cute cats and stuff.
Stephanie Wong 19:41
And Patreon, your page is out there, Kyutepastry at that that's
also cute. Rye Loaf would have a blast with that pun or what not.
It is so important and when you're talking about a message or
messages that you want to send about mental health, what would
those be?
Kat Chung 20:06
It's okay to feel how you feel. It's okay to feel how you feel. And
you're not alone. And you got this. And I'm proud of everyone out
there.
Stephanie Wong 20:22
Those are quite a bit of messages. And I've been on I don't know,
if you've jumped on the Clubhouse hype recently. But I just jumped
on there a couple of times. And there's so many mental health
rooms, which are very encouraging. And I think just being able to
talk about this more, which is the whole point of this podcast is
that successful people still go through and go through very
difficult things. And so what are the challenges or areas of
improvement that you're continuing to work on?
Kat Chung 20:52
I think for sure, I need to check in with myself because I'm a
workaholic. So I would work my butt off, and then I would get
burned out, and then my work suffers. And as an artist, like when
your work suffers, then your everything suffers. So definitely take
care of me first. Because if I don't take care of me, I know this
is hard to say, because I was that type of person who would be
like, I got to work, I got to make this this instead of this. And I
have to I have to finish this and have to finish that. And I was
like, Oh, I didn't get enough done today. And I beat myself up for
it. For example, when you're creating a comic that has daily or
weekly updates or whatever, it starts having this burden, I guess
from overworking yourself. So I have to learn to set boundaries and
be like, Whoa, I got to take care of me. Like if I want this thing
to like, be awesome and be successful, I have to take care of me
first and watch out for myself. And one of the most important
things I'm learning is to surround myself with supportive people
who share the same values as me
Stephanie Wong 21:58
I think that is so important. And well said because the term I
guess going around is hustling mentality, right is that especially
in our communities, and you can speak more on the way that you grew
up. My parents weren't particularly like, traditionally
stereotypically Asian, but I went to high school that was 90%
Asian, so no one had a question they weren't going to go to
college. That was just the thing that you do and you know, placing
high value on getting a "stable" job and so forth. Like I have such
a non traditional path like Yes, I technically have a doctorate,
but they don't usually say, oh, you're going to become a
psychologist or that doctor or talk to people about feelings and
thoughts. I mean, my optometrist several years ago was like, you
have a PhD in clinical psych, what are you gonna do with that? I
was like, "A lot."
So I think just this mentality of always working hard, keeping your head down...Times have really changed in terms of how society has treated and viewed Asians. I mean, there's a long history there, but especially with the pandemic. So I don't know if you can shed some light on like maybe the way that you grew up, and how you've changed over time.
Kat Chung 23:09
I definitely think my roots have influenced me... Being Asian one,
I wouldn't say I grew up in the most pleasant of environments,
because it's like, work hard, get straight A's, get a nine to five,
follow the rules, etc. So obviously, me being an artist was like a
red flag for them. But as much as I struggled growing up, I
definitely think the struggles and hardships I went through was
what shaped who I am. I know, like, I shouldn't compare to people
who had worse struggles than me, and everyone has their own
personal struggles. But I definitely think those struggles, and I
mean, I feel like everyone struggled in somehow, some way in 2020.
Those shaped who we are, and that's okay. It's what we take from
it, and use it to help us grow into who we are now.
Stephanie Wong 24:11
That shows a lot of your growth and healing right? Most people that
go through very difficult childhoods, you know, or many people have
a lot to process. And it takes a lot of hard work. And particularly
as a therapist, it's not going to be I'm going to walk out of my
therapists office and feel put together all the time. It's really
one of the people in the rooms yesterday was like it's really tough
work. And it's messy and you're gonna cry. For me anyways, I think
when a client leaves the office or virtual office, whatever you
want to call it nowadays, the real work begins because you're not
sitting with the client, they have to decide on their own if
they're going to integrate the work into their lives. And so I
think that you've done some great processing work through your art,
but also kind of taking some inventory.
Kat Chung 25:06
Yay. Cat Loaf would be proud of You don't know how much I look up
to you so hearing that from you. Wow!
Stephanie Wong 25:17
It's great to see and thinking about those challenges that people
are going through. And you talked about having supportive friends,
and I think picking out a support network that you feel can really
benefit you. How do you discern who can help you and who may not be
as helpful to you through your journey?
Kat Chung 25:42
Because we're all human. I feel like as long as there's some level
of respect for each other, because communication is great. If I
think I can vibe well, with you, one, I think vibing well with each
other is important. But if there's respect, and if they're
supportive too, to each other, it's different when you say it,
versus showing it um as long as there's that going on. Like, I
mean, this goes with everything to like friends, relationships,
anything across the board, but as long as there's that sort of vibe
with each other, then yeah, but most people are generally really
awesome. So the people I've been meeting, thankfully are also such
as you, you've been nothing but nice and we vibbed on BTS See,
there you go. Just find people like Stephanie, and your your life
is set.
Stephanie Wong 26:41
I see when you when you do that the Yay, it totally has that Cat
Loaf vibe. So I'm, like, really happy. And you know, I so believe
in you. And I want to just encourage you, maybe it's a Kickstarter
with a cartoon or something, you know, because I just the
characters are just, it's not like a time limited thing. And like,
there's so much to go into, but of course, within reason and
boundaries. I think one thing that people really worry about is
becoming an artist, how competitive it is. And already with social
media, there's a lot of comparison. So how do you cope with
that?
Kat Chung 27:21
That is probably the reason why I guess my parents too, didn't
support me being an artist at first is the whole starving artists
mentality, or you don't know if you're going to make like, as much
money as a doctor or whatever. And it is hard. The thing about
opportunities is that you got to look for them, one. So there are
plenty of opportunities wherever you look, I feel like as you know,
being human and being an artist, like there's something deep in
here that just wants to be creative. It's like telling me to stop
breathing. Like you just want to be creative. You just want to put
stuff out there. And I think that should be the mindset for doing
art is just like, do it because you like doing it and not compare
yourself to everyone. It is hard because you see all this cool
stuff. But they're on their own journeys, too, and they also want
to do art. So the only thing you can focus on is your art. So put
yourself out there. Yeah, this is this is our lesson, put yourself
out there.
Stephanie Wong 28:30
I think that's the thing is when people verbalize their rationale
behind their actions, you start to see that there really was a lot
of thought put into it and not just an impulsive decision. But I
think what you're saying applies not only to artists, but to many,
because I think even with podcasting, right, there's a creative
outlet for me. It's not about making money or making my practice
full because luckily, it is. There's a lot of people to help. But I
think just reaching a broader amount of people, that audience to
share this mental help discussions that happen. I am going to have
a children's author, she wrote a book, and it has diversity in it
on another episode in February. And so I think ways that you guys
are giving back and sharing these messages is so so important. And
you're so right about that social comparison piece because a lot of
people can get in their heads and you know, social media is
filtered.
Kat Chung 29:30
Yeah. I'm so happy for you that you have so so many episodes being
lined up. And I'm so excited about other people also sharing the
messages because they're important and I think more people should
hear them.
Stephanie Wong 29:47
I have a business mind even though like I became a psychologist, I
like struggle between going Clinical or Industrial Organizational,
but my rationale is if I become clinical, then I can do I/O, but I
can't see patients the other way. But I'm like, wow, you could
write a children's book, you could have all these different mental
health messages about finding your adventure or happiness.
Essentially, you've written 20 children's books in this series, so
why not repurpose content? Right? And I just think that you know,
you've done such amazing thing so not to, like put pressure on you,
but is there something special or a sneak peek of something that
you're working on now?
Kat Chung 30:29
Um...
Stephanie Wong 30:31
Just something or just a little teaser? I know when BTS says that
they just say like one syllable and you're like, I don't know what
that is... Like, we can't say anything and it's like,
Kat Chung 30:43
For Cat Loaf or for my new endeavors?
Stephanie Wong 30:46
....or your new endeavors or Cat Loaf, whatever you want to share.
Okay.
Kat Chung 30:50
Potato... Everyone loves potato.
Stephanie Wong 31:03
I love you dressed them up in a...
Kat Chung 31:07
potato outfit.
Stephanie Wong 31:09
Well, the Pikachu costume, too. For those that have not read the
Webtoon yet, Potato is definitely a special character in there,
that becomes really close friends with the trio. So definitely look
out for that and read all of Cat Loaf so that you'll be prepared
for Potato's spin off, or however you want to call it. I mean,
there's so many ways that you could spin off from their original
series. There's so many lovable characters in there.
Kat Chung 31:40
I'm so glad you think so. That definitely inspires me to create
even more lovable characters. Now, I'm inspired. I want to create
some art. That's how it should be, you gotta find supportive people
who just want to inspire you. And you're like, oh, okay, let's,
let's get going. Let's go, and you just do it.
Stephanie Wong 31:58
Yeah. And truly supportive people can really make you feel that you
can just take risks. Again, calculated risk, but I think even when
we were talking around the holidays, and you're putting out, you
know, more pre orders for Rye Loaf, I was like "Let's do this!" Put
this out, like, people are gonna buy these up. And so I know that,
again, people are just clamoring for new stuff from you and I think
just to feel encouraged that people still are fans. And obviously
you have two little fan girls here that just can't wait. I can't
wait. They went to Target so we'll have a little alone time but I
can't wait to tell them that little sneak peek, because they'll
just freak out. So for artists that are looking, or aspiring
artists so to speak, what advice would you give them?
Kat Chung 33:01
Be yourself! Yeah, cuz look at me! Cat Loaf is pretty much me and
there's Rye Loaf and Tabs. Be yourself doing work that you want to
draw, or make art. If you're a dancer, or a video editor or
whatever art you are. Yeah, because when you put yourself out on
the plate, like people see the passion that you poured into the
work and that's what we as a viewer see, too. And that's generally
the best work coming out from you is the passion you pour into your
work. And you on you on the plate, I guess, in a way.
Stephanie Wong 33:41
That's fantastic and I think things kind of come into place as
well. So just curious, how did your art then catch the eye or did
you submit to Webtoon? Because that's another thing, right? That's
it? Yeah, another level because there's so many different levels to
art. So what even led you over to Webtoon and to continue on that
journey?
Kat Chung 34:01
I think I was just shopping around for places that you know, post,
my art. So there's social media, and Webtoon being one of the. So,
I just started posting. And I guess they saw my comics and then
they picked me up and I'm like, okay, I got picked up okay, this is
great. You know, you never know, I didn't think it'll happen. But
Wow, I got picked up and then you don't know where life takes you!
So the act of putting yourself out there. It can be scary, but you
don't know what happens. I guess the mindset pretty much is think
of the possibilities and the opportunities that come from putting
yourself out there. And that's most awesome-est thing ever.
Stephanie Wong 34:46
What are ways that you would advise people or encourage people to
deal with haters because just like anything, I mean, I'm like, how
can anyone hate BTS?
Kat Chung 34:59
It is hard especially since they're protected by the screen. So,
number one, do not engage, do not engage,
Stephanie Wong 35:10
Go in your blanket!
Kat Chung 35:15
Number two, what they're saying is because they're probably
jealous. It has nothing to do about you. And as long as you're not
spreading that back, like spreading that hatred back, then you're
good. You know, at the end of the day, this is just more of a
message for me once again, reaffirming at the end of the day, that
you're here for you. And you're here just making art and just focus
on you. You can do it, what hater? And the best thing, like for
every hate comment, there is usually a 1000s of, or hundreds 1000s,
whatever of a ton of fans that support you. Those people are the
ones that you should really focus on and treasure the most because
those people are really here to support you. So ignore everyone
else and just focus on doing what you're doing. Be Awesome. And you
got this.
Stephanie Wong 36:14
And I think again, I see you embodying all three of the main
characters, because there's like Cat Loaf who's just being Cat
Loaf, and then Tabs like go in your blanket; Don't engage. Then
there is Rye Loaf is like "Uh." Like ba-na-na-na-na-na-na-na...That
is our favorite. My kids were like busting up when I was singing
that song. But that's great advice. And I think a lot of times we
are needing someone to remind us that, especially in art, how do
you advise people to find maybe mentors or supportive people
because it can be really difficult when artists do become super
popular like yourself, and maybe not be as reachable as in the
past?
Kat Chung 37:00
So as much as I have grievances about social media, social media is
like a double edged sword. It's just how you use social media. In
this time, a social media, especially during this pandemic. Oh, we
need social media.
Stephanie Wong 37:16
Or else you're just not talking to anybody.
Kat Chung 37:18
Yeah, we need social media. I think it's definitely how you use it.
I'm lucky enough to have met Stephanie through this Asian Hustle
Network group on Facebook. So thankful. Oh, my goodness. And, you
know, it's groups like that. It could be like an Anime Group. It
could be like a BTS group. It could have been any group and that's
when you start finding people and start networking. I never thought
I would be on a podcast, but here I am.
Stephanie Wong 37:55
I'm so glad I was just like, Oh, I don't know if Kat will do it but
you know, I have to ask, because I think you have such an important
story.
Kat Chung 38:04
Yeah. I'm so glad you asked.
Stephanie Wong 38:07
I just, I'm just so grateful that you came on the show, and just
spreading your warmth and your insight because it is so
multi-dimensional. I can't stress that enough in terms of people's
personalities, and accepting the apathy with the happy with, I want
to just hibernate. It's, it's just so inspiring, and it resonates
so much with everyone in my family. It's amazing. So, it's really
funny because my husband doesn't read with us. He hasn't read a
book since like, I don't know how long but he reads internet. So
he's very smart but he's just like, not a book person. But I think
there there's something so special about it, because my husband
knows how important you are to us, because he's like, oh, what
time? What time are you talking to Cat Loaf? I'm like no, and they
go "Daddy, her name is Kat not Cat Loaf."
Kat Chung 39:09
Funny.
Stephanie Wong 39:11
So he knows how important you are to us and we just appreciate you
so much. At this time, like anything that you want to plug or tell
us your social media handles and how people can connect, read the
webtoon, buy your merch, and support you.
Kat Chung 39:31
I'm just so thankful for you. Oh my goodness. Thank you for
supporting me. I love how you say that I have a lot of layers
because it's hard when you have social media and they just see one
aspect of who you are, and not realizing I also have layers. I'm
human too, and thank you. As for social media, Cat Loaf Adventures
on Webtoon, Instagram and Twitter Kyutepastry.