TAICCA Launches “Taiwan Comic City” to Promote Taiwan’s Original Comics in English, French, and Japanese

2022-01-21

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TAICCA Launches “Taiwan Comic City” to Promote Taiwan’s Original Comics in English, French, and Japanese

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In the continuous effort to promote Taiwanese comics to international markets, the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) has launched the “Taiwan Comic City” website to showcase 49 works from 14 publishers in English, French, and Japanese. The website also presents 15 Audio Comics (short animated videos dubbed in different languages) for international audiences to experience Taiwanese comics in various formats. 

 

Since 2020, TAICCA has organized multiple comic-themed events aimed at the Japanese market. With translated samples and short videos, these events are well received by Japanese readers and publishers. 

 

TAICCA CEO Izero LEE stated that the unique style of Taiwanese comics was rooted in our rich history and cultural diversity. “The Japanese market is very welcoming and interested in Taiwan and our culture, and our previous campaigns have successfully led to copyright deals with Japanese publishers,” said LEE. “We are hopeful that Taiwanese comics will also have the global market potential for European and American markets.”

 

LEE also mentioned that besides the prominent English-language markets, the French-speaking region is also a major market, with 77% of the French population reading comics. Major international comic festivals, such as the Comic Strip Festival in Brussels and the Angoulême International Comics Festival are also based in French-speaking markets.  He hoped the Taiwan Comic City would break through the language barrier and become a portal for international audiences to learn about Taiwanese content, leading to growth in overseas copyright sales. 

 

Taiwan Comic City invites well-known illustrator Inca Pan (川貝母) to design the main visuals for the website. The 49 showcased works include YAN (Vol.1) (閻鐵花), the popular story of the heroine Peking Opera performer Yen Tieh-Hua that is set for film and TV series adaptation; 2021 The White Ravens Award (International Youth Library) recipient, SON OF FORMOSA (來自清水的孩子); the Gold Award winner of the Japan International Manga Award 2020 The Funeral Concerto (送葬協奏曲), and more.

 

TAICCA also partners with director CHEN Yan-Ren (陳彥任), visual arts and theater professionals to produce a series of 15 Audio Comics dubbed in English, French and Japanese for international audiences to experience Taiwan’s comics visually and audibly. 

 

The website also includes in-depth articles written by researchers of the National Comic Museum, diving into the development and characteristics of Taiwanese comics. 

 

 

 

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