Taiwan's comic saga

The national fascination with comic books and their position as a serious, rather than purely comedic arm of the mass media was put under the spotlight late last week when the nation's leading cartoonists and comic book litterateurs gathered in Taipei for the inaugural Best Comics Awards (第一屆漫畫金像獎).

Jointly organized by the Chinese Publishers' Development Foundation (財團法人中華圖書出版事業發展基金會) and the Comic Artist Labor Union in Taipei (台北市漫畫從業人員職業工會), the Best Comics Awards are the first such national awards to recognize local comic book artists. While the local comic book market continues to be swamped with Japanese and Hong Kong titles, it is hoped that through the inception of this annual event Taiwan's comic book-reading public will take an increased interest in locally produced comic books.

"These awards mean Taiwan's comic book creators can now enjoy national recognition," stated Lai You-shien (賴有賢), director of the Comic Artists Union. "Unlike our movie stars, who are credited at the annual Golden Horse Awards for outstanding work, local comic books artists have long been forgotten." The awards also received the endorsement of the Government Information Office (GIO, 行政院新聞局). Many present felt that the attendance of the GIO's Publications Department head, Chiao Yi-hong (趙義弘), meant that the awards were not only a celebration of local comic book art, but that, due to government interest, the status of the comic book in Taiwan had taken a huge step forward.

Before last week's event, local artists felt that their works -- and comic books in Taiwan especially -- were never considered a serious segment of the mass media. Rather, they were looked down upon and ignored by official government bodies.

"Comic books haven't really been accepted as a serious arm of the media. For years Taiwan's genuine comic voice has been buried and overshadowed by the furor concerning adult comic books," explained Chou Shien-tsong (周顯宗), winner of the Most Popular Kids' Cartoon for his work, Origami Fighter (摺紙戰士).

Needless to say there was no award category for adult comic materials and the controversy surrounding such material received only a cursory mention. Instead, talk was of the future of the local comic book industry. And how it is hoped that the event will prove a platform from which local artists can enter the global comic book arena.

"It's a great chance for local artists to prove they are as talented as their international peers," said Tang Hsiang-lin (湯翔麟), winner of the award for the Most Popular Female Character for his highflying comic book heroine, Chiao Ling-er (趙靈兒). "Hopefully, next year we will not only see local artists vying for an award, but will also include works from international artists, thus proving that Taiwan's comic book creators have reached a truly international standard."

While the award ceremony itself took place last Thursday, the concept for the comic book awards began to take shape in December last year.

In what was dubbed "The Season of the Comic," the nation's leading comic book artists hit the road and traveled around the nation holding seminars and discussion forums with fans at selected bookstores.

Towards the end of the month-long series of roadshows, the Comic Artists Labor Union and the Publishers' Development Foundation invited the participating artists to submit the most popular examples of their works to a panel of judges.