00:00Illustrated prints have been around in Taiwan from as early as the 19th century,
00:04but it wasn't until Japanese colonial rule that comics began to take shape,
00:09spreading through magazines and newspapers.
00:11That was until 1945, when the Chinese Nationalist Party, or KMT,
00:16fled to Taiwan and worked to remove Japanese influence under martial law.
00:21Strict censorship required every comic strip to undergo review,
00:25and the industry nearly died.
00:30But, the KMT also used comics for anti-communist propaganda,
00:37sparking a wave of publications, and a new generation of comic artists
00:57trying to differentiate themselves from the Japanese style,
01:01some by blending traditional Chinese elements into original comics.
01:16After martial law ended, Taiwanese comics regained their freedom.
01:20Stories are now rooted in Taiwan, its people, its land, and its identity.
01:24And the launch of the Creative Comic Collection, or CCC, gave the movement new momentum.
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