Comic book artist Wu Shih-hung (吳識鴻) on Friday became the first non-European to win the Prix Raymond Leblanc at an event in Brussels.
The prize, which was first awarded in 2007, is the most lucrative comic book prize in Europe.
Wu’s unpublished comic, Storms Over Hills and Ocean (山風海雨), is based on an essay by late Taiwanese writer Yang Mu (楊牧) in a book of the same name.
Photo courtesy of Fisfisa Media via CNA
In the essay, Yang reflected on a magnitude 7 earthquake that hit Hualien and Taitung counties in 1951.
He profiled the people and villages in the area.
The jury said that Wu’s integration of Chinese water and ink techniques is commendable.
“Wu’s work is unique and original,” the jury said. “His style, in line with the great European and Asian masters, makes the best of the two graphic languages.”
The jury said that it was convinced by the “great artistic maturity” of the project, despite it being the 40-year-old’s first comic book.
Wu “is no newcomer to drawing, having worked for animation studios for 20 years,” the jury said.
The Prix Raymond Leblanc Web site says that the winner receives 10,000 euros (US$11,811) paid outright, a 10,000 euro advance on all rights for the work and 10 percent of copyright royalties when the work is published.
“Winning a prize for my first comic work is like receiving a message to ‘go give it a try again,’” Wu told reporters.
Wu said that when he first read the essay, he had no idea how to adapt it into a comic book, but as he dug deeper and researched, he started to gain some insights into Yang’s writing.
“Understanding [the writer’s] approach in the original work helped me to draw on the emotions in the essay when I started creating the comic book,” he said.
Wu’s book, which is set in mountains and coastal areas of Hualien, is expected to be released in Chinese and French, said Taipei-based Fisfisa Media, which represents the artist.
Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te (李永得) yesterday congratulated Wu and thanked the artist for elevating Taiwan’s image on the world stage.
Wu’s work highlights the unique possibility of combining comics and literature, Lee was quoted as saying in a statement released by the ministry.
The prize is awarded by the Association Raymond Leblanc, which is named after a Belgian best known as publisher of the Tintin comic books by Georges Remi, who used the pen name Herge.
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