In the era of rapid social media and artificial intelligence development, comic culture is facing the crucial challenge of how to integrate into the values and interests of contemporary youth. The previously held International Comic Artists Conference in Hong Kong adopted the theme "The New Global Wave of Comics: Resonating with the New Generation," bringing together over 15 top comic artists, publishers, and creators from China, France, Japan, South Korea, and other regions for cross-regional exchange and discussion.
During the panel discussion, local comic artists Pen So, Man Tsang, and Kwong Chi-kit collectively reviewed the evolution of Hong Kong comics. They noted that the lack of a complete animation industry chain in Hong Kong has led to structural development challenges for local comics. With the changing reading habits of the new generation, they emphasized that creators should focus more on the quality and depth of content creation.
Hong Kong comics once achieved glory, but now face multiple challenges: in terms of sales channels, the street newsstands that were once the main sales force for comics have declined, causing comics to lose an important window to reach readers directly. On digital platforms, Hong Kong lacks influential local platforms like Mainland China's Tencent Comics or South Korea's WEBTOON, making it difficult for new-generation creators to reach young audiences accustomed to mobile reading. In terms of content style, the traditional hardcore artistic style has become disconnected from contemporary aesthetics that prefer Japanese-style storytelling and visuals.
Pen So particularly emphasized the fundamental impact of the missing "animation adaptation" part. For instance, in mature markets like Japan and South Korea, successful comic IPs often gain a "second life" through animation adaptations, thereby reaching a broader audience. However, due to the lack of a complete animation industry chain in Hong Kong, many excellent comic works struggle to achieve leapfrog development.
'Cultivating' readers by levels
Facing the limited market size of Hong Kong comics and the drastic changes in readers' habits, the three already quite well-known local comic artists proposed multiple innovative coping strategies. Kwong noted that under the pace of commercial serialization, creators must balance efficiency and quality. Pen So observed that, influenced by short-video platforms, young readers' attention spans are continuously shortening, and some are even unfamiliar with the traditional reading sequence of comics.
"This indicates that comics, as an art form, are gradually losing their cultural foundation among the new generation of readers. Faced with this situation, we need to 're-educate' readers, cultivating their awareness and understanding of comics." He also proposed a tiered guidance strategy: start by cultivating readers' interest and habits with single-panel, four-panel, and short-form comics, then gradually guide them to explore more complex long-form serialized content.
Regarding content, the comic artists unanimously agreed on the necessity to enhance work quality and incorporate innovative elements. Man Tsang advocated for absorbing internationally popular styles while retaining the characteristics of Hong Kong comics, such as learning from Japanese art styles to better appeal to young audiences.
Pen So further experimented with interactive creation, developing comics where readers can vote on plot directions, integrating gaming elements to enhance a sense of participation. Additionally, he makes use of social platforms for instant interaction: "I often start polls on Instagram, letting readers decide the story's direction; or host online Q&A sessions to directly collect reader feedback. This open, creative approach not only enhances reader engagement but also provides valuable inspiration for content creation."
Amid the wave of social media, local comic artists are actively transforming, converting platform traffic into creative momentum and building new fan economy models.
Kwong said, "The new generation of comic artists cannot work behind closed doors; they must actively adapt to market changes and skillfully use new communication channels like social media and short videos." Man Tsang has also collaborated with a famous YouTube channel, promoting his work in short video format to non-traditional comic audiences, successfully attracting new reader groups.
Social media and fan economy
Pen So has already summarized a set of precise cross-platform operation strategies through practice: publishing complete short works on Facebook, sharing the creative process and behind-the-scenes content on Instagram, and building topic discussions on WhatsApp, where young people gather. He also regularly posts high-quality free comics on social platforms to attract readers.
"This can cultivate readers' habits and brand loyalty. After accumulating a certain fan base, commercialization can be achieved through methods like limited edition physical books and exclusive membership benefits."
Learning from the success of the concert economy, Pen So established a multi-tiered membership system, offering differentiated services to fans at different levels – ordinary members get priority access to some content, while premium members can participate in creative discussions, receive customized merchandise, etc., thereby deepening fan loyalty.
Facing the rise of digital reading, Pen So proposed a "physical book boutique-ization" strategy, emphasizing that physical books must create unique value that digital content cannot replace to attract readers to purchase and collect. He is extremely meticulous in book design: not only using special book jackets to create ripple visual effects but also flexibly changing fonts within the pages, making the reading process full of surprises and fun.
In terms of materials, he carefully selects specialty papers and foil stamping techniques, and even embeds AR interactive elements in some works – readers can scan specific pages to trigger animations, extending the paper-based reading experience into an immersive one.
"These designs not only enhance the collection value of the work but also create a unique reading experience."
Furthermore, he places great importance on the experiential design of the offline sales process, providing personalized service for each reader: elaborating on the creative concept, revealing hidden details, and even recommending reading paths based on individual characteristics, turning the book-buying process into a memorable cultural experience.
Local sentiment as root, international vision as wings
Confronted with the limitations of the local market, "internationalization" is indeed a necessary path for industry revitalization.
Kwong stated that creators must have a global perspective and actively cooperate with international publishing institutions. "Team collaboration is very important. Modern comic creation has surpassed the stage of individual effort; it requires integrating scriptwriters, artists, and marketing talents to form a collaborative system."
To this end, he called on the government and various sectors of society to provide support in terms of policy, funding, and market cultivation, and suggested that investors view the development potential of the comic industry with a longer-term perspective.
Man Tsang further pointed out that Hong Kong urgently needs to establish a complete anime industry ecosystem. "We need industry drivers to integrate resources and build a complete industrial chain from digital platforms and animation production to IP development."
Looking ahead, the revitalization of Hong Kong comics relies not only on the self-innovation of creators but also on the support of a complete industry ecosystem. Systematic planning – from policy support and capital investment to establishing local digital platforms and an animation industry chain – is key to transforming creativity into lasting cultural strength.
(Source: Wen Wei Po; Journalist: English Editor: Darius)
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