Tony Wong, 45, an acclaimed Hong Kong cartoonist and chief
production executive with the Hong Kong Jade Dynasty Group, was
pleasantly surprised to see so many young gifted Chinese animators
and their works. Wong was on the judging panel of the original
animations and comics competition held during the ongoing
International Animation and Cartoon Festival in
Hangzhou.?
"The pieces are wonderful both in illustration and content," he
said.
He added that the mainland has trained a talented pool of
animators for the healthy development of the comics and animation
industry.?
But, he added, much more needs to be done, "especially in the
way of telling the story."
Wong believes that the story is the soul of a piece of work.
With a good story, a comic can still grab the undivided attention
of the reader even if the illustrations aren't that great. Without
a fine script, however, even good illustrations won't prevent it
from falling flat on its face; like a star-studded glitzy movie,
with no story no one wants to see it.
Wong said that, in addition to a good script, the key to a
successful comic is to give the mainstream reader what he or she
wants. "Some animators long for recognition as alternative and
avant-garde trendsetters. However, fashion is created by the
mainstream culture. Abiding by the mainstream enjoys two
advantages: one, you have the feeling of satisfaction and will be
loved by many fans; two, you'll have enough income to develop your
career."
Wong admitted that he is a good example of having made the
mainstream work for him. "When I was 20, I drew what people wanted
to see and I just followed their ideas. When I became more famous,
I started to define my readers' tastes and managed to make them
follow me."
"Do not emulate the Japanese, European and American styles
blindly," he said. "What you can do instead is to learn from them
in terms of illustration and story-telling. And when you master the
two techniques, you should create your own Chinese style.
"Root yourself in China and work your way outward."
Currently, Wong is working on an animation film and a 52-episode
TV cartoon series.
"We plan to produce two cartoon series every year that will
focus on China's traditions and cultures, virtues and environmental
protection consciousness."
Wong is Hong Kong's king of comics. He made his cartooning debut
in 1971 at the age of 13. He dominated the Hong Kong comics scene
writing, illustrating, and published the Jademan line of comics
that was hugely popular in the 1980s. Jademan peaked, went public,
and died in the stock markets in 1987. In the early 1990s, he
founded Jade Dynasty comics. The company now boasts the industry's
largest market share, with an annual 13 million-plus publication
output worldwide.
(China.org.cn by staff reporter Li Xiao, June 4, 2005)