Angoulªme: The works of Taiwanese artists are taking center stage at the 52nd Angoulªme International Comics Festival, France’s largest comics event, which commenced on Thursday. The festival, which runs from Thursday to Sunday in Angoulªme, welcomes nearly 6,000 comics professionals from around the globe, as reported by the Angoulªme Tourist Office.

According to Focus Taiwan, Taiwanese comics have been steadily gaining traction, as noted by Taiwan’s representative to France, Hao Pei-chih, at the festival’s Taiwan Pavilion. Hao highlighted that Taiwan is increasingly recognized as a central theme in France and Europe. The Taiwan Pavilion, organized by the Taiwan Creative Content Agency, showcases approximately 130 original Taiwanese comics, including licensed French-language editions and those with international market potential.

More than 10 Taiwanese comic artists, such as Hsieh Tung-lin and Rishiazao, participated in events at the pavilion, including drawing demonstrations held on the festival’s first day. Among the visitors to the Taiwan Pavilion was Pierre S©ry, founder of the French publisher Asian District, who first discovered Taiwanese comics at the festival years ago. Since 2016, S©ry has translated and published works by Taiwanese artists like Chang Sheng and Ruan Guang-min. S©ry praised their talent and unique storytelling perspectives, noting the increasing recognition of Taiwanese comics in France, with nearly 20 French editions published in 2023 compared to just a few years ago.

Didier Pasamonik from France’s comic media outlet ActuaBD mentioned that French audiences find Taiwanese comics to have a “more nuanced and sophisticated” storytelling style compared to Japanese comics. He indicated that a new era has begun where Japanese comics no longer dominate the industry, presenting an opportunity for Taiwanese comics to strengthen their position in the global market.