Organized by the Ministry of Culture (MOC), the 14th Golden Comic Awards & Connection+ (GCA) took place in the Taipei New Horizon on Oct. 26. This year, comic researcher Hung Teh-ling (洪德麟) was honored with the Special Contribution Award, while Yeh Chia-lung (葉佳龍), the son of the late comic maestro Yeh Hung-chia (葉宏甲), signed a letter of intent to donate his father's collections to the soon-to-be-opened National Comic Museum.
Having immersed himself in comic research for more than 40 years, Hung Teh-ling has amassed a large collection that spans from comic books during the Japanese rule period to contemporary works. As a university professor, he is prolific in writing as well as teaching, while also active in international symposiums. Hung said that he believes Taiwanese comics are for the global audience, and he will continue to make efforts through writing.
Meanwhile, Yeh Chia-lung mentioned that even though his father lived through war, poverty, the White Terror, and censorship, he never gave up on creating comics. The “Jhuge-Shiro (諸葛四郎)” series by his father had a great impact on a generation of children at that time and is a collective memory of Taiwanese people, he added.
The awards presented this year include Best New Talent, Best Editor, Cross-media Cooperation, and Comic of the Year, with the Grand Prize won by “Helena and Mr. Big Bad Wolf (海倫娜與大野狼先生)” by Bliss (布里斯). The judging panel said that the competitors are skillful and full of creativity, showcasing even more possibilities in their crafts.
The other winners are “Formosa Oolong Tea 5 (異人茶跡5：茶路綿延)” by Kiya Chang (張季雅), “The 207th bone (二零七之骨)” by Lin I-chen (林奕辰), “Console, 2073 (2073年的電子遊戲)” by Ding Pao-yen (日安焦慮), “The Banana Sprout vol. 1 (芭蕉的芽1)” by Zuo Hsuan (左萱) and “YAN3 (閻鐵花3)” by Chang Sheng (常勝).
In the ceremony, Culture Minister Shih Che said that Taiwan’s comic artists display the diversity of the country by incorporating elements from history, legends, gender issues, and music. He explained that MOC supports the comic industry through policies such as incentives, awards, overseas art residency programs, as well as translation and publication projects.
MOC pointed out that in conjunction with the opening of the National Comic Museum at the end of the year, the GCA exhibition will be held in Taichung, inviting international museums and curators to exchange with local artists and industry representatives.