Taiwan Today
Date: February 26, 2016
The first-ever Taiwan cartoonist to have his work serialized by Japan’s top-
Ponjea is the first Taiwan comic artist to have his works serialized by Shonen Jump, Japan’s largest manga magazine. (Courtesy of Ponjea)
selling Shonen Jump comics magazine is blazing a trail for local talents seeking to ply their trade in the East Asian country.
Ponjea, or Peng Hsi-chao, was born in Taichung City 34 years ago and is an architect-cum-cartoonist of considerable talent. Inspired by Japanese legends Fujiko Fujio and Akira Toriyama of “Doraemon” and “Dragon Ball” fame, respectively, the central Taiwan native started drawing comics featuring his classmates during elementary school.
But it was not until 2010 that Ponjea reached the holy grail of graphic novels in Asia. He won a competition for developing characters, concepts and settings staged by Japanese manga master Riichiro Inagaki, with his submission published by the 2.7-million-per-week circulation Shonen Jump.
Later the same year Ponjea produced “Chronos Ruler,” an action-packed manga aimed at young males published by SJ stablemate Shonen Jump Next. It was the first time a foreign artist had been commissioned by the magazine. [FULL STORY]
