MOC comics talent promotion bears fruit for Taiwan

2015/09/08

A comics talent promotion program overseen by the Ministry of Culture will conclude Sept. 11 in Tainan and Taipei Cities, further strengthening the foundations of this burgeoning cultural and creative sector in Taiwan.

Under the initiative, two groups of amateur cartoonists totaling 100 members took 18 eight-hour weekly sessions at Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology in Tainan and Tatung University in Taipei, respectively.

Selected from a field of 600 applicants, the talents benefitted from the experience of instructors such as Golden Comic Award winners Chang Sheng and Huang Chia-li, as well as editors from leading local outfits like Sharp Point Publishing Group and Tongli Publishing Co.

“We organized a curriculum weighted equally between theory and practice,” a MOC official said. “In this way, we gave these professionals of tomorrow a broader exposure to all aspects of the business.”

Echoing these remarks, STUST President Tai Chein said comics form the basis of many creative endeavors and should not be underestimated.

“One must be able to write a solid story and bring it to life on the page through carefully composed artwork. These valuable skills are the bedrock of today’s animations, movies and video games.”

An important aspect of the program involved an exhibition of the 56 works produced by the participants at Tainan Cultural and Creative Park Sept. 3-7 and Tatung University in Taipei Sept. 3-6, respectively. Each of the 30-page graphic novels spanned crime, romance, sci-fi and supernatural themes.

Highlights included a detective story by Lin You-juan from Tainan. Inspired by her favorite U.S. TV series “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” she also utilized her anatomy background to come up with a series of cases rich in vivid descriptions.

Another eye-catching offering was a high-action manga aimed at young males by Chin Yu-chein of Tainan. “Although I’m still an STUST student, this opportunity has given me hope of joining the industry upon graduation,” she said.

Other activities on the sidelines of the exhibitions were lectures by such masters as Lau Wan-kit and Alan Wan from Hong Kong, as well as Kenjiro Kakimoto and Ueyama Tochi from Japan. In addition, a documentary featuring the struggles of the young talents to reach the top of the profession and an anthology comprising exhibited works are set for release by year-end.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=234669&ctNode=2194&mp=9)