Visitor numbers and revenue both reached new highs at the six-day Taipei Comic Exhibition this year, organizers said yesterday.
About 582,000 people visited the exhibition, which concluded on Tuesday, up from the 556,000 who attended last year, according to Kuei Jung Exhibition Co, one of the organizers.
Revenue at the annual exhibition reached NT$250 million (US$8.33 million), up from NT$180 million last year, the company said.
More signings were held and more limited edition books and products were sold at this year’s exhibition, which may be some of the reasons that brought a record number of comic fans to the fair, said Roger Kao (高世椿), secretary-general of the Taipei-based Chinese Animation and Comic Publishers Association.
The increase in exhibitors may have also boosted revenues. More than 450 booths were set up at the exhibition this year, up 10 percent from last year, the association said.
Kao said that sales also increased for products related to comic books by Taiwanese artists, as more of the artists appeared in person to promote their books at the fair this year.
“It is the first time that the number of Taiwanese artists attending the fair surpassed the number of Japanese artists,” Kao said.
The fair featured 49 graphic artists, voice actors, animation directors and light novelists from Taiwan and Japan, 25 of them from Taiwan.
Comic books, novels and a variety of products were sold at the exhibition, held at Taipei World
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