At the seminar 'Building a Creative Comic Ecosystem for Vietnamese People' held on the afternoon of 20/6 in Hanoi, speakers outlined the criteria for a successful comic work. They emphasized that storytelling thinking should be prioritized.

From a publisher's perspective, Nguyen Khanh Duong, founder of Comicola and Comicola Academy, stated that when receiving manuscripts, he and his colleagues always prioritize content evaluation. "Visuals account for only about 50%, while content determines up to 70% of a comic series's success," he explained. "Drawing style only needs to be acceptable; if the story is engaging, the work can still captivate readers. Conversely, no matter how beautiful the artwork, if the content lacks appeal, readers will find it difficult to follow long-term."

From left: Nguyen Khanh Duong, artist Nguyen Duy Hai, artist Vu Xuan Hoan at the event on 20/6. *Photo: Chau Anh*

According to artist Vu Xuan Hoan, a representative from Kim Dong Publishing House, Vietnamese artists currently possess a strong professional foundation but often face challenges in script development. He noted, "Many works start quite well but gradually lose steam later on."

Artist Nguyen Duy Hai, a fine arts lecturer, believes that beyond professional expertise, many young individuals lack motivation and long-term investment of time and effort in the creative process. One of the current challenges in the comic industry is connecting scriptwriters with artists. Since both roles have distinct creative perspectives and artistic personalities, long-term collaboration demands professional respect, trust, and compromise between all parties.

According to the speakers, talent alone is not sufficient to establish a robust comic industry. Career opportunities for young people remain limited, as there are still few units capable of investing in, producing, and adequately compensating authors.

To contribute to a complete comic ecosystem, publishing units are increasing investment in creative projects and seeking new talent. A representative from Kim Dong Publishing House stated that the unit is currently promoting the adaptation of literary works into comics, with the 'Bup sen xanh' project being a notable example.

Additionally, many platforms for young people are being implemented to discover and nurture potential authors, such as the 'Kinh van hoa' comic adaptation contest or the third comic creation contest in collaboration with the French Institute in Vietnam.

Speakers identified the 2024-2026 period as a "golden opportunity" for the entertainment and culture industry in general, and comics in particular. With the government's cultural industry development orientation and stricter copyright enforcement measures, this is an opportune time for Vietnamese authors to confidently bring quality works to both domestic and international readers.

The comic 'Luc Van Tien', adapted by artist Hoang An. The story has 502 pages and was released earlier this year. *Photo: Comicola*

For young individuals aspiring to a career in comics, artist Nguyen Duy Hai proposed a reference roadmap lasting one to two years. In the first year, young artists should focus on professional fundamentals and creating short works. The second year involves developing skills for long-form storytelling and cultivating a professional work ethic to collaborate with larger units.

The program dedicated its second part to a workshop on the process of adapting literary works into comics. Speakers discussed the mindset for script development in adaptations, providing practical guidance on stages from page layout and paneling to image sketching, thereby explaining how to convey literary content through the language of comics.

The event was organized by Kim Dong Publishing House in collaboration with PunkgaMe and Comicola, with the participation of many artists, scriptwriters, and industry experts. These included artist Tran Minh Duc, a graduate of Kyoto Seika University in Japan, and Japanese comic artist Soe, whose real name is Okuyama.

Chau Anh