The two-day International Comic Artist Conference (ICC) opened its doors today in Wan Chai, welcoming over 300 comic enthusiasts, creators, and publishers from around the world to foster the development of Asian comic culture.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Hong Kong committee representative of ICC Tony Wong Chun-loong -- better known as Wong Yuk-long -- highlighted the transformative potential of AI technology in comic creation.
Wong highlighted that utilizing AI can significantly reduce production costs to just a few Hong Kong dollars per page and facilitate easy translation into different languages, emphasizing that AI could play an important role in promoting comics globally over the next two to three years.
While recognizing AI's role in promoting global collaboration among comic artists, Alan Wan Siu-lun, Vice President of the Hong Kong Comics and Animation Federation, noted that the emergence of new technologies also poses challenges for the industry.
Wan noted that since the introduction of smartphones, it has become increasingly difficult for comic artists to stand out, as readers now have an overwhelming array of options.
Acknowledging the irreversible nature of AI growth, Wan urged the creative industry to embrace new technologies rather than resist emerging ideas.
He also expressed confidence in the local comic development, citing Hong Kong's diverse culture and geographic advantages that allow creators to maintain a broad worldview.
Meanwhile, the International Comics Exhibition (ICE) will also take place on Friday (Jul 25) concurrently with the opening of the annual Animation-Comic-Game Hong Kong (ACGHK), showcasing around 400 works from 12 countries and regions.
Launched in Japan in 1996, the ICC is a major event in the global comic industry, with founding members—including mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan—taking turns to host the event.
This year's 20th ICC marks Hong Kong's return as host after previously organizing the 14th ICC in 2013.
(Phoebe Poon)
