The “Bound for Angouleme Hackathon Comics Workshop,” as part of the 2020 Manga Stars Industry Talent Cultivation Program, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and organized by the Department of Multimedia and Entertainment Science, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, was recently held at Shitou Mingshan Forest Hall. This event invited Cartoonists HOM, Yashin, Long-Jie Li, and many interdisciplinary experts, including Deputy Curator Shian-Fei Yang of Taiwan Museum of History, Chief Officer Guan-Hua Huang of the Content Strategy Department of the Cultural Contents Institute, Editor-in-chief Jian-He Huang of dala Publisher, Director You-Ning Chu of Oxygen Films, and Professor Zheng-Da Yang of the Department of Psychology, NCKU. All these eight experts came to the workshop showing their great strength of knowledge and their great support.

【A group photo of participants in the “Bound Angouleme Hackathon Comics Workshop”】

The “Bound for Angouleme Hackathon Comics Workshop” particularly selected the charming, fantastic Monster Village as its venue mainly to provide creators with alternative thinking by pulling them away from the comfort zone. In its comic marathon, there was a combination of interdisciplinary faculty, led by professionals from different industries, to bring out a creative activity, pass on experiences, encourage each participant to complete a 3-page comic work, and cultivate the potential of newcomers to represent Taiwan in the exhibition at the French Angouleme International Comics Festival in the future.

【An on-site class in the “Bound for Angouleme Hackathon Comics Workshop”】

On the first day of the event, the participating experts shared their experiences and discussed with the participants about their creative ideas. During the experience sharing process, HOM, Yashin, Long-Jie Li, and Jian-He Huang shared their experiences of participating in the French Angouleme International Comics Festival, allowing students to have a deeper understanding of the French Angouleme International Comics Festival. In the process of creative thinking, the experts offered many opinions to the initial creative thinking of the students, so that they could have more mature ideas in creative thinking. The main activity of the second day was the creative time of the students, and the students must create something according to the previous day’s sentiment within the time and complete a three-page comics with complete contents and in line with each group of themes. On the last day of the activity, the participants came to the stage to explain their personal works, while the experts were selecting the top ten in all works . Their works were exhibited in the Monster Village to motivate the students to continue their efforts.

【Golden Award Winning Work-Winds that Hurt】

Zhi-Cheng Sun, Chair of the Department of Multimedia and Entertainment Science at Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, said that the “Bound for Angouleme Hackathon Comics Workshop” was successfully concluded as the participating experts and students responded enthusiastically to the event. Through this event, participants could communicate with each other. The mutual encouragement had also ignited the creative enthusiasm of many young Taiwanese creators. It is hoped that one day every participant can become a member of the Taiwanese team and participate in the French Angouleme International Comics Festival, so that his or her works can make an international prominence. It is also hoped that interested students can study in the Department of Multimedia and Entertainment Science at Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology to and receive complete professional training.

【A participant was showing her creativity in the workshop.】

【Director You-Ning Chu (left) presented a group photo for Golden Award winner Chi-Zhen Liu (right).】