3LAND STUDIO

The story behind the puzzle

Pom is from Thailand. Moe is from Japan. They met at a ten-day group exhibition in Taiwan, and Moe liked Pom at first sight, so she told him so and talked to him every day. Pom hardly understood a word. They tried Google Translate, but it "wasn't so fun."

So instead of talking, they drew together. It was so much fun that when it was time to go home they were super sad, and they decided to get married. Pom studied English so they'd never need Google Translate again. The drawing they made together that week, with a UFO, a car, an astronaut holding a baby and a few aliens, still hangs in their studio. They still say "hua hua," the Chinese word for draw they picked up in Taiwan: "They're hua hua-ing now." They even call themselves the hua hua couple.

Turbo 3000 was the first project they ever officially made together. Moe dreamed up the funny ideas, and Pom turned them into his own continuous style. Pom had always hoped to see his art become a puzzle: "...you came, so it's like my dream comes true."

Then 3LAND became three. They named their son Jinta, after the Thai word for "imagination," "because we believe everything we can imagine will become true."

"When I draw, I focus on having fun and being happy. It feels like playing a game. Building the puzzle is the final boss, so enjoy every level of it."

— 3LAND Studio

Inside the artwork

• Say hi to the pink bean with big teeth and goggles, waving outside Crumbs 2 Go, the town supermarket. He's Moe's favorite.
• Look for the lazy guy on the rooftop. The whole town is buzzing around him, and he still hasn't moved an inch. He's Pom's favorite.
• Keep an eye out for a tiny bee that says "BOO."
• Someone in town is wanted, and he's hiding somewhere in Rugsfield. The reward is 3¢, which around here buys you a pretty tasty burger.
• Spot the book with a secret title. You'll have to build the whole story to learn what it says.
• Someone in the clock keeps shouting "It's almost time!" Something big is coming to Rugsfield.

How they work

• Pom draws by hand with a fine-tip pen. He says it feels "like humming a song with no meaning." Moe looks super serious when she draws.
• When Moe is in the zone, Pom fakes looking busy across their shared table. Moe knows.
• Their studio is "the coldest room in our house." They painted the blue walls themselves.
• Pom never knew winter until Japan. His first snow: "I wanted to eat it. I tried it but didn't."
• Their art in three words. Pom: "Funny, happy, and surreal." Moe: "Playful, colorful, and cheerful."

Interview

What do you love most about illustrating?

Pom: "I love to draw doodles. It's relaxing. I can let my thoughts out of my head when I draw something randomly."

Where do all those little characters come from?

Pom: "I feel like I'm just a photographer and I just take a picture... Every single character has their own story... sometimes I don't even know about them."

Describe Turbo 3000 in three words.

Pom: "Easy, normal, and hard." Moe, after changing her mind twice: "Fun, messy, and crazy."