Politicians seeking to foster more personal connections with voters are turning themselves into cartoon characters to help improve their images.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs' Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wong Chung-chun (
PHOTO: LI MING-HSIEN,TAIPEI TIMES
Non-Partisan Solidarity Union Legislator Yen Ching-piao (顏清標) has fashioned himself as a sumo wrestler for his cartoon alter ego.
But don't even think about copying his idea: aides were quick to point out the character has been copyrighted and is not to be imitated.
Followers of KMT Legislator Chu Chun-hsiao (朱俊曉) can even express their support by wearing fake tattoos, or mail letters with specially made stamps of Chu in cartoon form.
"Each stamp has a different kind of Chu `smiley' for voters to fall in love with," he says.
Or for those KMT supporters not dedicated enough to wear their support on their skin, they might like to download a cartoon image of KMT Legislator Chang Sho-wen (
Even Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (
KMT Legislator Lwo Shih-hsiung (羅世雄) attests to the cartoons' effectiveness, saying that since coming out with a cartoon version of himself as a bear, supporters now say that "the bear is here" when he arrives.
DPP Lawmaker Cheng Ying (陳瑩) has had trouble keeping enough of her "Baby Chen Ying" lunar calendars in stock. Last year supporters quickly snatched up all 7,000 copies that she had printed.
The designers of the cartoons are as diverse as the handouts that they are created for. DPP Legislator Kuan Bi-ling's (
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