漫畫家真是一條不歸路啊 / Being a comic artist truly feels like a path of no return
小時候喜歡看漫畫的您，是否想過要成為漫畫家？和大部分的年輕人一樣，我小時候自從一看日本漫畫之後，就被它生動的故事、細緻的角色及高潮迭起的劇情所吸引，但是，看漫畫真的很浪費時間，所以，父母怕我的功課被影響，所以被父母禁止，但還是私底下會偷偷地看，而我身邊的朋友也大多有著類似的成長過程，對了，雖然我喜歡看漫畫，但我完全沒有繪畫天份，所以，也不會想成為漫畫家。
不過，我身邊也是有很會畫畫的朋友，從他們的在課堂間，臨慕知名漫畫的漫畫角色塗鴉，可以看的出來他們有天份，之後，有些人往美術科系發展，但多年下來，也沒有聽說，有人成為漫畫家，而我所知道的知名漫畫家，幾乎都是海外的，有記憶的本土漫畫家真是十根指頭就數得出來，沒想到，居然在這個展場可以看到一些優秀本土漫畫家的作品，不過，我幾乎一個都不認識。
《關於我和鬼變成家人的那件事》是一部以傳統冥婚習俗結合警察辦案為背景的電影，居然有漫畫家取得電影獨家授權，再改編為衍生漫畫，《乩身》也是漫畫家改編作家的同名小說《乩身》的作品，《乩身》是一部以中國民俗信仰為原型的神怪作品，除了改編為漫畫之外，也有計畫拍成影集，還有不少我聽都沒聽過的作品，在這裡展示，並介紹它們背後的故事，
在這個場館，我唯一知道的漫畫家，是游素蘭，她是我一位女生朋友崇拜的漫畫家，她入行三十多年，號稱臺灣少女漫畫女王，以唯美細膩的畫風和充滿少女情懷的故事知名，作品曾經改編為戲劇、小說、舞台劇及遊戲等，此外，不看不知道，一看嚇一跳，現在的漫畫怎麼那麼貴啊！雖然我已經很久沒買漫畫了，我印象中，一本一百多就已經很貴了，現場的漫畫，幾乎每本都超過兩白五十元，其實，仔細看看本土好漫畫作品還是不少，只是可能沒太多人知道，我假如不是無意間闖進這個展場，也不知道這些作品，我會想看嗎？不會了，我已經過了喜歡看漫畫的年紀了。
Did you ever dream of becoming a comic artist when you were a kid who loved reading comics? Like most young people, I was captivated by Japanese comics when I first read them—the vivid stories, detailed characters, and gripping plot twists drew me in instantly. But reading comics was seen as a huge waste of time by my parents, who were afraid it would impact my studies. So, they banned me from reading them. Still, I found ways to sneak in a few pages here and there. Many of my friends had similar experiences growing up.
Even though I enjoyed reading comics, I had absolutely no talent for drawing, so becoming a comic artist was never on my radar. However, I did have some friends who were amazing at art. I remember them doodling famous comic characters during class, and their talent was obvious. Some of them eventually pursued art-related majors, but as the years went by, none of them actually became comic artists. Most of the well-known comic artists I know are from overseas. I can barely name more than a handful of local ones.
That’s why I was surprised to find so many works by talented local comic artists showcased at this exhibition. Unfortunately, I didn’t recognize most of them. For example, the movie Marry My Dead Body, which combines the traditional "ghost marriage" custom with a police investigation, has been adapted into a spin-off comic by a local artist. There’s also The Oracle, a comic adaptation of a novel with the same name, inspired by Chinese folk beliefs and mythology. It even has plans to be turned into a TV series. There were plenty of other works I had never heard of on display, along with the stories behind them.
The only comic artist I recognized here was Jo Su-lan. She’s actually a favorite of one of my female friends, who admires her deeply. Known as Taiwan’s "Queen of Shojo Manga", she’s been in the industry for over 30 years. Her elegant art style and romantic storytelling have earned her widespread acclaim. Some of her works have even been adapted into dramas, novels, stage plays, and games.
Speaking of comics, I was shocked to see how expensive they are now! It’s been ages since I last bought one, but I remember thinking NT$100 was already pricey. At the exhibition, most of the comics were over NT$250 per volume. Still, I realized there are plenty of excellent local comics out there, even if they’re not well-known. If I hadn’t stumbled into this exhibition by accident, I wouldn’t have discovered these works. Would I start reading comics again? Probably not. I think I’m past the age of enjoying them.
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