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Tsai Chih-chung

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"C. C. Tsai" redirects here. For Taiwanese footballer Tsai Chih-chieh, see Tsai Chih-chieh.
C. C. Tsai
BornFebruary 2, 1948
Huatan, Zhanghua, Taiwan
Notable works
Zhuangzi Speaks 莊子說, Confucius Speaks 孔子説, Sunzi Speaks 孫子說, Zen Speaks 禪說...
AwardsGolden Horse, Golden Tripod, Golden Comic, Prince Claus
Spouse(s)Yang Wanqiong 楊琬瓊 (divorced)
Children蔡欣怡
In this Chinese name, the family name is Tsai.

Tsai Chih Chung (Chinese: 蔡志忠; pinyin: Cài Zhìzhōng; Buddhist name Yanyi 延一; born 1948) is one of the best-selling comic artists in the world.[1][2] He is known for his graphical works on Chinese philosophy and history, most notably on Daoism and Zen Buddhism, which he made accessible and popularized through the use of plain language and engaging illustrations.[3] He also made a name for himself as an award-winning film director, serialized comic strip creator, widely collected painter, champion bridge player, and premiere collector of antique bronze Buddhist statues. He is also a Shaolin monk.

Tsai's books have sold over 500 million copies in 59 countries. He currently resides in Hangzhou, China.[1]

Biography

Comic Artist

C. C. Tsai was born on February 2, 1948 in Huatan, Zhanghua, Taiwan.[4] In 1963, when he was 15 years old, he answered an ad for a comic artist and was hired. He dropped out of school and moved to Taipei. Three months later, he moved to the largest comic publishing house in Taiwan, where he anonymously created hundreds of comic books, mostly in the kung-fu genre.[4][5] [6][7]

From 1968 to 1971, he fulfilled three years of compulsory military service, during which time he educated himself in art history, color theory, and design.[4][6] Upon being released from the military, he applied at Kuangchi Program Service (the first independent television production company in Taiwan[8]) and beat out all of the fresh design school graduates for a position as director of television art design.[4][6][7] Using KPS's equipment and library, Tsai taught himself the art of animation, and in 1977, he separated from KPS, partnered with Che Gam-Tiu 謝金塗, and established Far Eastern Animation Productions 遠東卡通公司, creating animated ads and shorts.[4] [6][7][9] Their first full-length movie, Old Master Cute 七彩卡通老夫子 came out in 1981, based on Hong Kong cartoonist Alfonso Wong's 王澤 Old Master Q 老夫子 comic strip.[7]  It was co-directed by Tsai, Che, and Woo Shu-Yue 胡樹儒, was a box-office success, and won the 1981 Golden Horse Award for best full-length animation.[7][10][9][11]

In 1981, Tsai left Far Eastern Animation and started his own company, Dragon Animation 龍卡通, which brought out the full length-animated movie Old Master Cute Part 3 山T老夫子 in 1983, and in 1984 it brought out Black Dragon Courtyard 烏龍院, based on comics by Ao Yu-hsiang 敖幼祥.[4][12][13][14][15] In 1984, Tsai shut down Dragon Animation to focus on original comic illustrations of his own.[4][7]

In 1983, Tsai began serializing his own comic strips:

In 1985, the year he was named one of Taiwan's Ten Outstanding Young Persons, Tsai developed a plan to adapt the major Chinese classics into comic book format. The first was Zhuangzi Speaks 莊子說：自然的簫聲 (1986), which immediately shot up the best-sellers list and stayed at the number 1 spot for 10 months.[4][7]

Tsai continued his success in 1987 with the following interpretations of classical thought: Laozi Speaks 老子説: 智者的低, Liezi Speaks 例子說：御風而行的哲思, Confucius Speaks 孔子説：仁者的叮嚀, and The New Dao 世説新語：六朝的清談. These were followed in 1988 by: Zen Speaks 禪說：尊者的棒喝, The Platform Sutra 六祖墰經：曹溪的佛唱, The Middle Path 中庸：和諧的人生, Roots of Wisdom 菜根譚：人生的滋味, Book of History 史記：歷史的長城, Higher Learning 大學：博大的學問, and Analects 論語：仁者的諍言. In 1989 came: Han Feizi Speaks 韓非子說：法家的峻言, Mencius Speaks 孟子說：亂世的哲思, Zhuangzi Speaks II 莊子說 II: 自然的簫聲, and Laozi Speaks II: 老子説 II：智者的低於. Sunzi Speaks 孫子說：兵學的先知 was published in 1990.

He also published comedic interpretations of classic literature, such as Journey to the West 西游記 (1987-88), Ghosts and Wizards 聊齋志異 (1988), Outlaws of the Marsh 水滸傳 (1988), and White Snake 白蛇傳 (1990), as well as straightforward versions of the poetry of the Tang and Song dynasties (1989).

Overall, Tsai was instrumental in initiating Taiwan's animation and comics boom that began in the 1980s, providing both expertise and unprecedented creative style.[9]

Painter

Bridge Player

Collector

Family

Cai's father was the village calligrapher.[7] In 1976, Tsai married Yang Wanqiong 楊琬瓊.[4] They have one daughter.[7]

Other

In 2020, Tsai took vows as a Buddhist Monk at Shaolin Temple.[16]

Awards


See also

References

  1. ^ a b Gu 顾, Zhiming 志铭 (September 27, 2022). ""74岁漫画家蔡志忠：人生是用来完成梦想的"". 新华报业网. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  2. ^ Das Tao Te King des Laotse: Gezeichnet und interpretiert von Chih-Chung, Tsai
  3. ^ Prince Claus Awards, Tsai Chi Chung: Cartoonist: Chang Hwa, Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Tsai, Chih-chung 蔡志忠 (1993). 蔡子說 [Master Cai Speaks] (in Chinese). Taipei: 源流. ISBN 9573217368.
  5. ^ Weng, Ji'an 翁稷安 (December 18, 2023). "跨世紀臺漫》揮舞四格漫的漫畫家——蔡志忠與他的時代". OpenBook. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Tsai, C. C. 蔡志忠 (January 6, 2023). "蔡志忠的漫画人生". Sina 新浪网. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Cartoonist as Pundit". Taiwan Today. March 1, 1988. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  8. ^ Teng, Sue-feng (1999). "The First Chapter in Taiwan's TV History --The Story of Kuangchi Program Service". Taiwan Panorama. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c Shi, Changjie 石昌杰 (July 7, 2005). "台灣動畫創造力". Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  10. ^ "老夫子". 香港影庫 HKMDB. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  11. ^ "金马奖最佳动画片". 维基百科. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  12. ^ "龍卡通有限公司". 香港影庫 HKMDB. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  13. ^ "敖幼祥". Cultural Affairs Bureau, Hualien 花蓮縣文化局. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  14. ^ "Comic Artist | Ao Yu-hsiang". 文化部 Taiwan Ministry of Culture. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  15. ^ "Older Master Cute Part III". IMDb. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  16. ^ Zhou, Shangshi 周上智 (November 11, 2020). "72歲漫畫大師蔡志忠少林寺出家　法名「釋延一」". LINE Today. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  17. ^ "第37屆金鼎獎得獎名單". Retrieved June 27, 2024.

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