Hong Kong comics
This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. (September 2021) |
Demographics and culture of Hong Kong |
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Demographics |
Culture |
Other Hong Kong topics |
Hong Kong comics | |
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Hanyu Pinyin | Gǎngmàn |
Yue: Cantonese | |
Yale Romanization | Góng maahn |
Jyutping | Gong2 maan6 |
Hong Kong comics are comics originally produced in Hong Kong.
History
The turmoil in China continued into the 1950s and 1960s. The rise of Chinese immigration turned Hong Kong into the main manhua-ready market, especially with the baby boom generation of children. The most influential comic magazine for adults was the 1956 Cartoons World, which fueled the best-selling Uncle Choi. The availability of Japanese and Taiwanese comics challenged the local industry, selling at a pirated bargain price of 10 cents.[1] Comics like Old Master Q were needed to revitalise the local industry. Actually, the development of Hong Kong's political comics is non-stop, comics artists got the idea based on the political situation in China or Hong Kong.[2] Either pro-communist side or anti-communist side had published the political comics such as Ar-Chung Yen E-king's creations.[2] Before the 1980s, many newspapers welcome submission of comics strips, because there was a huge competition between different newspapers, newspapers need to reformat usually, this situation brought a big demand of publisher and artists.[3]
The arrival of television in the 1970s was a changing point.
Since the 1950s, Hong Kong's comic market has been separate from that of mainland China. The handover of Hong Kong back to China in 1997 may signify a reunification of both markets. Depending on how cultural materials are to be handled, especially via self-censorship, the much larger audience in the mainland can be beneficial to both.
In 2008, the South China Morning Post stated that Hong Kong comics tend to emphasise action sequences, and comics with martial art themes have the highest numbers of books/works sold in Hong Kong.[8]
Characteristics
Modern Chinese-style manhua characteristics is credited to the breakthrough art work of the 1982 Chinese Hero.[1] It had innovative, realistic drawings with details resembling real people. Most manhua work from the 1800s to the 1930s contained characters that appeared serious. The initial start for Hong Kong manhua was based on the inspiration and developments in politics and cartooning in mainland China. The development of Hong Kong manhua not only has a strong tie with China but also followed China's tradition of the involvement of political themes and contents in the cartoon works. The development of mainstream Hong Kong manhua (cartoons) after the war was in the direction of leisure and entertainment reading rather than a serious critique of current events and political situations.[2]
The influx of translated Japanese manga of the 1960s, as well as televised anime in Hong Kong also made a significant impression. Unlike manga, manhua comes in full colour with some panels rendered entirely in painting for the single issue format. However, the local manhua of Hong Kong shares cultural values and details with their readers, elements that cannot be found in Japanese manga.[2] For example, like the "Old master Q", the author writes the life of the ordinary people and it turns to be very popular.[9] Many of local produced comics are published weekly, and have published for many hundred volumes over many years and have not finished yet.[10]
See also
Notes
- ^ ISBN 1-56898-269-0
- ^ ProQuest 195370824.
- ^ J.C, Yuan. "Interview with Hong Kong Cartoonist Association". Hong Kong Comics Hong Kong Story. Hong Kong Arts Centre. Retrieved from http://www.hkmemory.org/comics/index.html#/feature/29 Archived 26 February 2019 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "《情侶週刊》事件". Archived from the original on 9 September 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
- ^ "漫畫自由國度‧漫人偶像". Archived from the original on 10 February 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
- ^ "港漫歷史 1970~2003". Archived from the original on 9 January 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
- ^ "香港漫画发展简史". Archived from the original on 25 September 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
- ^ "Plight of fantasy". South China Morning Post. 8 April 2008. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
- ^ Mr. Ng Chung Hing 04/09/2009 《老夫子,四十多年的慣性收視》(interview) Retrieved fromhttp://www.hkmemory.org/comics/text/index.php?p=home&catId=6&photoNo=0
- ^ "長壽港漫介紹". Archived from the original on 4 August 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
Further reading
- Ng, Wai-ming (2003). "Japanese Elements in Hong Kong Comics: History, Art, and Industry". International Journal of Comic Art. 5 (2): 184–193.
- Wong, Wendy Siu-yi. "Manhua: The Evolution of Hong Kong Cartoons and Comics" (PDF) – via core.ac.uk.)
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(help - Wong, Wendy Siu-yi (24 October 2018). "Tracing the Origins of Hong Kong Manhua: A Case of Culture of Disappearance". The Disappearance of Hong Kong in Comics, Advertising and Graphic Design. pp. 15–38. ISBN 978-3-319-92095-5.
- DeWolf, Christopher (27 July 2014). "Plunging comic sales in Hong Kong force artists to find a new perspective". South China Morning Post.
- Yu, Alan (8 August 2014). "Hong Kong comic book industry struggles against rising tide of digital piracy". South China Morning Post.