TAIPEI, TAIWAN - Media OutReach - 11 March 2019 - The Taiwan Comic Base, a Ministry of Culture-led initiative for nurturingthe creation and applications of original Taiwanese comic content, officiallyopened its doors with the "TC 60 ― Finding Tracks" exhibition tocelebrate 60 years of homegrown creativity.

Taiwan Comic 60 - Finding Tracks

The inaugural exhibition heldfrom Jan. 25 -- Feb. 28 at Taiwan Comic Base was oriented towards showcasing thehistory and development of Taiwan comics, encompassing the golden era ofnativist comics in the 1950s, censorship under martial law, renaissance in the1980s, and the contemporary challenges of publishing under the digital era.

The exhibition also highlightedthe social and political criticism provided by comic panels serialized inTaiwanese newspapers and the educational value of comic magazines for youngreaders in the 1950s; the chilling effect of the 1966 enactment of"Guidelines to Publishing Comic Strips "; the proliferation of youngtalent awards held by publishing houses to recruit new artists in the 1980s;and the trailblazers who have found thriving niches and strong voices despitethe global downturn in publishing revenue.

To delineate this history and paytribute to those whose comic characters have become household names, curatorWang Pei-ti has gathered the manuscripts and artworks of 40 enduring comiccreators from three distinct generations who were active in Taiwan between 1958and 2018. Several of these works were forcibly altered or outright bannedduring their debut.

To offer a glimpse of what thefuture may hold for Taiwan's comic creators, Wang has also curated acontemporary selection showcasing independent zines, collaborative works, andother homegrown comics that delve deep into Taiwanese society, history, andaesthetics.

With an eye on digitalpublishing trends and the ACG sector, the exhibition has also employed 3D andAR technology to offer a digital slot machine based on Liu's "BrotherA-san and Big Auntie " series; 3D projections of characters from GoldenComic Award winner Ruan Guang-min's works; and a digital darts game based onYeh Hung-chia's" Zhuge Silang."