Taiwanese artists featured at France's largest comics festival

Angoulême, France, Jan. 31 (CNA) The works of Taiwanese artists are being featured at the 52nd Angoulême International Comics Festival, France's largest comics event, which kicked off on Thursday.

The festival, held from Thursday to Sunday in the southwestern French city of Angoulême, "welcomes nearly 6,000 comics professionals from all over the world," according to the Angoulême Tourist Office.

Taiwanese comics have been "steadily gaining popularity," Taiwan's representative to France Hao Pei-chih (郝培芝) told CNA at the festival's Taiwan Pavilion, adding that "Taiwan being a central theme has been increasingly recognized in France and Europe."

At the Taiwan Pavilion, organized by the Taiwan Creative Content Agency, some 130 original Taiwanese comics have been exhibited, including licensed French-language editions and those with potential in international markets.

More than 10 Taiwanese comic artists, including Hsieh Tung-lin (謝東霖) and Rishiazao (日下棗), took part in events at the pavilion, such as drawing demonstrations held on the first day of the festival.

Among those who visited the Taiwan Pavilion, Pierre Séry, founder of the French publisher Asian District, said that he first encountered Taiwanese comics at the festival years ago and has translated and published works by Taiwanese artists such as Chang Sheng (常勝) and Ruan Guang-min (阮光民) since 2016.

"They are talented and have different stories to tell," Séry said, noting that Taiwanese creators "see the world from a different perspective."

Séry added that there is a growing recognition of Taiwanese comics in France, with nearly 20 French editions published in 2023, compared to just three or four a few years ago.

Didier Pasamonik from France's comic media outlet ActuaBD, told CNA that French audiences feel that Taiwanese comics have a "more nuanced and sophisticated" storytelling style compared with Japanese comics.

He said that a new era of comics has arrived, where Japanese comics no longer dominate the industry.

This shift presents an opportunity for Taiwanese comics to strengthen their position in the global market, he added.