From German Graphic Novels to Hong Kong Comics – What’s Next?

Graphic novels, mangas, comics, bandes-dessinées, cartoon…no matter what and how you call it, this special medium of storytelling combining images and text is gaining serious literary recognition in Europe, especially Germany. Austrian comics artist Ulli Lust’s winning the prestigious German Non-Fiction Prize 2025 with her graphic novel „Die Frau als Mensch. Am Anfang der Geschichte” (Woman as Human. At the Dawn of History) officially shattered the boundary between “E-Kultur” (serious/high culture) and “U-Kultur” (entertainment/low culture).

While the German graphic novel scene has evolved from a niche market into a widely respected literary field, is the same happening to Hong Kong Comics? In this panel discussion, we are inviting comics artist, publisher, editor and facilitator from Hong Kong to give insight on the distinctiveness and development of the Hong Kong comics scene. They are Kaitlin Chan, comics artist and cultural worker based in Hong Kong, Ishi Tam from City Culture HK Ltd., and Kamshing from ART AND PIECE.

Guest Speakers:
·  Kaitlin CHAN（Comics Artist)
·  Ishi Tam (Publisher at City Culture HK Ltd., Comics Editor)
·  Kamshing (Veteran Cultural Practitioner)

Moderator︰
Jacqueline Tong (Arts Curator and Promoter))
  About the Guest Speakers:

Kaitlin Chan is a cartoonist and gallery director in Hong Kong. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker online, The Economist, Catapult, Astra Magazine, Oprah Daily, The Margins, The Offing, Popula and elsewhere. In 2021, she was shortlisted for the Cartoonist Studio Prize in Webcomics. She self-published her first graphic novel, Eric’s Sister, a 2024 finalist for the Cartoonist Studio Prize.

Ishi Tam studied Japanese language and culture at university. After graduation, she worked as a manga editor at Firedog Studio, where she primarily responsible for the monthly comics magazine “SpeedUP”. She later worked as Assistant General Manager in the International Department of Jade Dynasty Group Ltd., working closely with overseas publishers as well as handling comics publishing rights. She then joined Jonesky Ltd., where she was in charge of the monthly comics magazine “Comic Fans”. In 2020, she founded City Culture HK Ltd., leveraging her past experience to continue her publishing work focusing on both local original works and imported overseas titles.

Kamshing, veteran cultural practitioner and writer. A Graduate of the Department of Communication Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University, Kamshing has been deeply involved in Hong Kong’s cultural and publishing industry for over 30 years. In his early career, he worked as a reporter for the comics section and is a highly seasoned supporter of Hong Kong comics. In 2020, during the pandemic, he founded the bi-monthly magazine “ART AND PIECE”, focusing on fine art and design. In recent years, he has been actively promoting Hong Kong comics culture by for example revitalizing MY BOY and reissuing Li Chi-Tak’s classic work ASSASSIN.