By Su Chin-feng and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writer
Richard Metson (麥人杰) was among the artists honored at the 17th Golden Comic Awards ceremony on Thursday, with awards presented in seven categories and prizes totaling NT$2.75 million (US$84,595).
Metson was presented with the Special Contribution Award, while five artists were honored in the Comic of the Year category.
The other awards were for Best Cross-media Application, Best Editor, Best New Talent and Online Popularity, as well as the Golden Comic Grand Prize.
Minister of Culture Li Yuan, left, presents the Special Contribution Award to Taiwanese comic artist Richard Metson at the Golden Comic Awards in Taichung on Thursday.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Culture
Twenty-four works from 185 submissions were shortlisted for this year’s awards.
Minister of Culture Li Yuan (李遠) presented the Special Contribution Award to Metson, recognizing his more than 40 years of “dedication to comic creation.”
It was Metson’s second award following his first win in the China Times National Comics Contest in 1984 with Heavenly Questions (天問).
He is a pioneering Taiwanese comic artist whose work spans comics, animation, film, video games and illustration, the organizers said.
Metson has created a wide range of works, from sci-fi classics Birdman (鳥人) and Zero Legend (零代傳說), and comedy series Brain Twisters (腦筋急轉彎) to alternative graphic novels Deadline (期限) and Black Book (黑色大書).
He collaborated on the graphic novel anthology Sept Reves du Louvre (Seven Dreams of the Louvre), directed animation for the landmark Taiwanese film Grandma and Her Ghosts (魔法阿媽) and developed major animation series, including Happy Star Cat (快樂星貓).
Metson said he had initially thought the phone call informing him of the award was a scam because he had not submitted an application.
He wondered why a scam ring would target a comic artist, he said.
When he won his first award in 1984 with Heavenly Questions, people had disliked him because he did not treat them to a meal to celebrate, he said.
“This time, I will buy dinner,” he said.
Metson’s Twin Crowns: Little Prince and Princess Saga (雙寶記:星星穿越宇宙而來) won the Golden Comic Grand Prize.
Five works received Comic of the Year awards: Plant Collectors’ Notebooks Vol. 5 (採集人的野帳5), The Banana Sprout Vol. 3 (芭蕉的芽Vol.3), Wonder Land (良田:柚子異色精選集), To Be the One You Love (喜歡你喜歡的樣子) and Adeus Adeus (再見了再見).
Three Unmarried Women Musical (三個不結婚的女人) claimed the Best Cross-media Application Award.
Lai Hsuan-pei (賴萱珮) won the Best Editor Award with Our Messy Love (難搞的戀愛體質).
Wu Kuan-xiong (吳冠熊) won the Best New Talent Award with Blue Whale, Wandering Boy (藍鯨與龍少年).
The Online Popularity Award was won by Yuzu (柚子) for Wonder Land.