TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The grand prize for Taiwan's 12th Golden Comic Awards has been awarded to artist Xiaodao (小島) for her work "Crouching Lion in a Bookstore" (獅子藏匿的書屋).
She was awarded the prestigious honor at a ceremony in Taipei on Thursday (Oct. 28), according to a CNA report.
The comic is about the strategy board game Go and was determined to be the best out of six finalists. It showed a diverse range of graphic styles, according to the Ministry of Culture (MOC), which bestowed the award.
In the story, a former Go champion and manager of a book rental store meets a mysterious teenage boy who has a "wish coupon." The 16-year-old turns out to be a gifted Go player.
The old hand and the young gun bond over their love of the game as they hang out in the store and later encounter a catastrophe they must pull through together. In her acceptance speech, Xiaodao said authors have a responsibility to touch people through emotions and also inspire other creators.
"I hope everyone will support Taiwanese comics," Xiaodao said, urging people to buy local comic books, even if they do not have time to read them right away.
A lesbian-themed comic by Yang Shuang-tzu (楊双子) was one of the six Comic of the Year winners. Meanwhile, the Best New Talent award went to authors Yu Pei-yun (游珮芸) and Chou Chien-hsin (周見信) for their work "Son of Formosa" (來自清水的孩子).
Chou said that comic series allowed him to step out of his creative comfort zone. He said he hopes Taiwanese comics will continue to improve.
The Best Editor award went to Lin Yi-chun (林怡君) of Locus Publishing Company. This award highlights how editors explore the market with their own unique vision, leading creators to clarify the core of their work from the beginning of the project to completion, according to the MOC.
A total of 226 entries were received for the 2021 awards, of which 25 made the shortlist.
