Introduction

Comics and Hong Kong are seamlessly intertwined. Described as the first ever contemporary comics, Political Map (時局全圖) was published in Fu Ren Wen She She Kan (輔仁文社社刊) [1] in 1898, and later in other publications in Shanghai, and made a splash. A substantial history in comics was unraveled since. It became a regular feature in Hong Kong's newspapers in the 20th century; in the late 1950s and early 1960s, many local comics and comic artists started to surface. Everyday life and local culture were the themes of their comic work – Miss 13 Dots reflected female fashion trend in the Sixties; Little Rogues and Bruce Lee were extremely well received in the 60s and 70s, alongside kung fu novels and films. Comics materialises the memories of a generation. Its cultural and artistic values gradually took shape, with the society and its history as the backdrop.

The Hong Kong Arts Centre has started engaging with comic works since the 80s. After The 1st Cartoon Works Exhibition of Hong Kong in 1981, the Arts Centre regularly held events and research on comics. The key events were Master Copies and Promotional Posters of Osamu Tezuka (1993), The Art of Liao Bingxiong (2000) and In Search of Master Q (2004). Each of the exhibitions not only showcased the characteristics of comics as an artistic medium, but also its connection with the contemporary society. Between 2006 and 2007, the Hong Kong Arts Centre initiated the Comix Home Base Project. The project collated extensive information and materials on Hong Kong comics, and reiterated the uniqueness of Hong Kong's comics through exhibitions, workshops, seminars and screenings. In 2009, the Hong Kong Arts Centre went one step further by organising The Kaleidoscope– History of Hong Kong Comics Exhibition, touring to the Shanghai World Expo 2010. The Arts Centre's participation in the Angoulême International Comics Festival in 2011 further promoted Hong Kong's comics to the world as a vital part of our culture and social development.

Establishing a Hong Kong Comics Database: Our Vision

Apart from being a feature in newspapers, Hong Kong comics have taken on different formats since the mid 20th century. Comic publications in the 60s were mostly one-page comic stories by individual comic artists, and comic magazines which featured short graphic stories by various authors. The market expanded extensively in the 70s, with kung fu comics being the most popular. Comic studios began to adopt division of labour, making 185mm x 260mm, colour, staple-bound comic book the standard of its kind. With increased quantity and efficiency, "staple-bound comic books" have since become the most representative local publication format. It was only later that independent comics, often written and illustrated by the same person, became the mainstream [2].

With the commencement of the digital era, comic works have evolved from print (e.g. newspaper feature, booklet and magazine) to digital (e.g. websites, blogs and iPhone apps). As the Internet becomes a vital platform for comics, we take the initiative to organise and research Hong Kong's comics history as a gesture to acknowledge past achievements and get equipped for the future. For this very reason, the Hong Kong Arts Centre has been developing plans to create a digital platform to centralise all information about Hong Kong comics, which would be accessible to all comic fans worldwide. Hence, the “Hong Kong Comics‧Hong Kong Story” database was born.

The Hong Kong Arts Centre would like to extend its gratitude to the donation from “Hong Kong Memory Project” for its significant contribution towards this database. This website showcases Hong Kong's comic covers and publication details. Through the publication timeline, reviews, features, interview clips, and videos, the website presents the shifts in artistic characteristics and development of the industry over the years. The 60s was a crucial period for the Hong Kong comic industry. With the economic boom, demand for entertainment significantly increased; the comic industry benefited from the change and started to take shape [3]. Taking this as our point of departure, we managed to get hold of around one hundred original comic works dated between 1960 and 1979 in the early stage of this scheme. They were then turned into digital files and uploaded to the online database. The website also includes interviews with iconic personalities, such as comic artist and publisher Seung Gun Siu Bo (上官小寶), comic artist Lee Wai Chun (李惠珍), and publisher Ng Chung Hing (吳中興) from Ng Hing Kee Book Store (吳興記書報社), as well as in-depth feature articles to illustrate the critical moments in comic publishing.

The Hong Kong Arts Centre will be constantly updating the database with new materials, in order to create a substantial record for reference. All contents are available in Chinese and English, so that we can share the gems of Hong Kong's comics with the audience worldwide.

Notes:

[1] Gan, Xianfung. Zhong Guo Man Hua Shi, China: Shan Dong Hua Bao Chu Ban She, 2008, p. 39. Note

[2] Lam, Connie. ‘Hong Kong Manhua after the Millennium’, International Journal of Comic Art, Vol. 11, No. 2, Fall 2009, p. 410.

[3] Wong, Siu Yi, and Yeung Wai Pong. An Illustrated History Of Hong Kong Comic. Hong Kong: Luck Win Bookstore, 2002, pp 17-19.