Hong Kong Comics

Asian comics are increasingly popular in the West, where comic and illustration enthusiasts prize them as objects of cultlike devotion. The growing interest in Japanese manga and Chinese manhua-broad terms that refer to cartoons, comics, and picture story books-stems equally from a desire for exotic forms of entertainment and an ever-increasing interest in the artistic, cultural, and political traditions of their originating countries. Wendy Siuyi Wong's voluminously illustrated book Hong Kong Comics examines the history of this genre from its beginnings in the early twentieth century to its most influential contemporary practitioners, and in the process traces the origin of a unique Hong Kong style. Over one thousand color manhua (each with English annotation) introduce the reader to this rich and varied form of Chinese popular culture. Wong examines a wide range of comic types, from political cartoons, to "lighthearted" humor comics, children's stories, and violent kung fu fighting works. Hong Kong Comics is the first comprehensive illustrated survey of the diverse and fascinating world of Hong Kong manhua.