AR, VR tech brings comic books to life at Taipei show

2019/01/02

An exhibition employing augmented and virtual reality technologies to present characters and scenes from graphic novels published by the government-backed Creative Comic Collection magazine kicked off Dec. 25 in Taipei City.
 
 Sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and co-organized by the Academia Sinica Center for Digital Cultures, “Roaming in Fantasy: CCC Exhibit” is being staged at the planned site for Taiwan Comic Base, an MOC-run graphic novel museum set to open next year.
 
 The exhibition’s main display recreates a 1930s teahouse depicted in the acclaimed book “Scrolls of a Northern City” by local artist Akru. Visitors are provided with AR-equipped tablets to explore the room and watch the novel’s protagonists talk to each other.
 
 Props used in an upcoming film adaption of the story are also on display in the tearoom along with a 17-minute video documenting how the movie was made. On weekends, showgoers can also interact with a virtual tearoom attendant portrayed by an actor via real-time motion capture technology.
 
 According to MOC Deputy Minister Ting Hsiao-ching, the event showcases the collaboration between the nation’s innovative cutting-edge technology and illustrated books sectors. She added that she hopes once Taiwan Comic Base is open, it will help establish similar links with other businesses.
 
 Also featuring in the exhibition—set to run through Jan. 6 next year—is an interactive digital display spotlighting all 30 editions of CCC published over the past decade in celebration of the magazine’s 10th anniversary. In addition, visitors can don VR headsets to explore the underworld from “Yamaraja’s List” by Taiwan graphic novelist Yuzu.
 
 Between 2009 and 2015, some 20 editions and 100,000 copies of CCC were published. At the end of 2017, the MOC and Academia Sinica worked together to relaunch the magazine, which is now issued monthly.

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=18&post=147956)