Taiwanese comic artists Cory Ko (柯宥希) and LonLon were invited to tour Italy from June 17 to 22 to engage with international readers. Featuring Cory Ko’s “The Clown Doctor (小丑醫生)” and LonLon’s “Rescue Wild Birds (再見信天翁),” the tour received warm responses from Italian audiences, who expressed a keen interest in exploring more comics from Taiwan.
Invited by the Italian publishing house Toshokan, the two artists took part in book signing events in Rome, Milan, Monza, and Bergamo.
Cory Ko, visiting Italy for the first time, observed that Italian comic readers span a much broader age range—from children to the elderly—compared to Taiwan, where readers are primarily aged between 14 and 30.
Ko explained that a “clown doctor” is a professional who brings joy to children in hospitals. Her comic story even inspired one Italian reader to become a clown doctor.
LonLon noted how respectful and patient Italian readers were. Despite her own feelings of nervousness during book signings, she was met with calmness from those waiting in line, allowing her the necessary time to regain composure.
Erika Leoni, who translated the two Taiwanese comic books into Italian, shared that “The Clown Doctor,” based on real-life events, moved her to tears. She also found “Rescue Wild Birds” particularly challenging to translate due to its reference to bird species unique to Taiwan.
Italian reader Beatrice Sapio expressed her appreciation for Toshokan’s recent efforts in bringing Taiwanese comics to Italy. “I’ve come to understand aspects of Taiwanese culture through these comics,” she said.