Taiwanese comic artists Lai Yu-hsien (賴有賢) and Yu Chia-yen (俞家燕) explained the difference between Taiwanese and Malaysian comics at a Tea Philo salon session held in Kuala Lumpur on April 8.
Lai is a senior comic artist whose series "The Little Monk (小和尚)" has been published in France, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Lai's works are best known for his bold and creative contents with classic Chinese literary references and humor. He was honored with the Golden Tripod Award for outstanding comics in 1996.
Yu, who publishes under the pen name D2, is an illustrator-turned-comic artist known for her representative work "Zero Area (零度領域)," which was adapted from a novel of the same title. Yu has released two original works, including "Billionaire Princess (百億公主)" and "Herbivore Prince (草食戀王子)."
Yu also creates comics based on TV romance dramas such as "Westside Story (西街少年)," "Mr. Fighting (格鬥天王)," and "Smiling Pasta (微笑PASTA)" as well as designs cartoon figures and spin-off products.
Lai and Yu shared their creative experiences and explained the difference between comics aimed at male and female teens. They also compared the comics industries of Taiwan and Malaysia.
In response to audience questions about the career development and future prospect of comic artists, Lai explained that the most essential quality required by a comic artist is the ability of storytelling. It is important to deliver the story in an artist's mind despite changing mediums and environments.
Lai and Yu then joined fellow Taiwanese comic artists Chou Peng-chin (仇鵬欽) and Chen Guo (陳過) at the 2018 Kuala Lumpur Comic Week to showcase original Taiwanese comics.
Organized by the Cultural Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia, the annual Tea Philo salon program invites outstanding artists from Taiwan to talk with Malaysian audiences. This year's program will run from April through November, sign up here: https://www.facebook.com/teaphilomy/
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