Award-winning Hong Kong comic artist Pen So draws on nostalgia for city’s past while illustrating its future

The book’s timeline is from 2016 to 2019 as So’s aim was to capture Hong Kong’s changing landscape. Its backdrop features notable landmarks, such as Yau Ma Tei’s famous Mido Cafe and the long-gone Jumbo Floating Restaurant.

“Some places [in the book] were already demolished or revamped so I want to encourage people to pay attention to our surroundings,” said the artist in his 30s who is known as Pen So.

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“For creators, I hope to remind them to not just be nostalgic but also carry on the memories to create new content.”

So’s distinctive storytelling and surreal art style have earned him international acclaim. Last year, See You in Memories won silver at the Japan International Manga Award, where the work was among 503 entries, the most the contest has ever seen.

The artist said winning the award was like a dream: “My book features loads of Hong Kong elements that probably only locals could resonate with ... but I am surprised that the panel would take a deep look to appreciate and understand my work.”

As a child, So was an avid fan of anime and manga, such as Dragon Ball and Doraemon. In secondary school, he was exposed to Hong Kong manga, for example, books by comics master Ma Wing-shing.

“I started by imitating drawings of characters in comic books, but later, I found myself more interested in creating stories,” he said.

After secondary school, So studied design at the Hong Kong Design Institute as the city did not have a degree for comic artists. Upon graduating, he worked as an advertising designer. It wasn’t until he took a master class for comics taught by his childhood hero, Ma, in 2013 that he rediscovered his love for creating stories.

In 2015, he won first prize in the illustration category in Ani-Com and Games Hong Kong’s Original Comic Contest. The next year, he published his debut comic book, Hong Kong Havoc, which won three local awards.

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So’s black-and-white style is what sets him apart from most other manga artists in the city.

“Black and white is more contrasting compared with colours. Also, because I grew up with Japanese manga, I have this stereotype that comics should be in black and white – that’s classic,” said So, adding that he enjoyed crafting unusual stories with horror elements.

The artist’s skills go beyond pen and paper – he takes advantage of different platforms to create unique reading experiences. “I design different comics’ content according to the platform and medium. For example, on Instagram, I put jump-scare scenes in videos and sounds ... after a still comic post.”

Along with 14 other Hong Kong cartoonists, So presented his most recent award-winning work at the Angoulême International Comics Festival in France this January, one of the biggest of its kind in the world.

“It was my second time joining the festival ... The first time was inspiring and eye-opening as it made me realise that manga could present in different shapes and formats,” So recalled. “This time, I felt I have showcased myself more and have spent more time interacting with European publishers.”

He was especially proud of how he packaged See You in Memories in a set with a sketchbook. “Many publishers ... said they had never seen a comic book in such a design before,” So said.

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Since returning from France, the artist has been busy with collaborations, as well as exhibitions and events for his book. He is also working on a horror comic book with the goal of publishing it this summer. “I want some breakthrough in my coming publication and to be bolder in my creation,” So shared.

The artist hopes to see more comic artists collaborating with other creative industries.

“In many Asian countries, many films come from comics, but in Hong Kong, there is rarely such a case,” he said.

“Hong Kong comics have been underestimated ... There should be more resources to encourage comic creation and help us [comic artists] to enter and compete in the foreign market.”

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