The works of Taiwanese artists are being featured at the 52nd Angouleme International Comics Festival, France’s largest comics event, which began on Thursday.
The festival, which was to end yesterday in the French city of Angouleme, “welcomes nearly 6,000 comics professionals from all over the world,” the Angouleme Tourist Office said.
Taiwanese comics have been “steadily gaining popularity,” Representative to France Hao Pei-chih (郝培芝) said at the festival’s Taiwan Pavilion, adding that “Taiwan being a central theme has been increasingly recognized in France and Europe.”
Photo: CNA
At the Taiwan Pavilion, organized by the Taiwan Creative Content Agency, about 130 original Taiwanese comics have been exhibited, including licensed French-language editions and those with potential in international markets.
More than 10 Taiwanese comic artists, including Hsieh Tung-lin (謝東霖) and Rishiazao (日下棗), took part in events at the pavilion, such as drawing demonstrations held on the first day of the festival.
Among those who visited the Taiwan Pavilion, Pierre Sery, founder of the French publisher Asian District, said that he first encountered Taiwanese comics at the festival years ago and has translated and published works by Taiwanese artists such as Chang Sheng (常勝) and Ruan Guang-min (阮光民) since 2016.
“They are talented and have different stories to tell,” Sery said, citing how Taiwanese creators “see the world from a different perspective.”
Sery added that there is a growing recognition of Taiwanese comics in France, with nearly 20 French editions published in 2023, compared with just three or four a few years ago.
Didier Pasamonik, comic book expert and publisher, said French audiences feel that Taiwanese comics have a “more nuanced and sophisticated” storytelling style than Japanese comics.
A new era of comics has arrived, where Japanese comics no longer dominate the industry, he said.
This shift presents an opportunity for Taiwanese comics to strengthen their position in the global market, he added.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
President William Lai (賴清德) should protect Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), and stop supporting domestic strife and discord, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrote on Facebook yesterday. US President Donald Trump and TSMC on Monday jointly announced that the company would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next few years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US. The TSMC plans have promoted concern in Taiwan that it would effectively lead to the chipmaking giant becoming Americanized. The Lai administration lacks tangible policies to address concerns that Taiwan might follow in Ukraine’s footsteps, Ma wrote. Instead, it seems to think it could
RSS