The 2021 China Science Fiction Convention (CSFC) was held from September 29 to October 5 at Beijing Shougang Park. As a company dedicated to Chinese original SF literature and comics, FT Culture was invited to attend, bringing Graphic Novel Collection of Liu Cixin’s Sci-Fi Classics Original Painting Exhibit to Beijing audiences.
CSFC’s exhibition -- Trendy Sci-Fi Adventure Season occupied more than 7,000 square meters, with 51 enterprises participating, including companies doing business covering nearly all areas of the Chinese science fiction industry, from science fiction film and television, to science fiction games, science fiction literature, science fiction comics, aerospace, innovative science popularizers, biotech, digital art, science fiction toys and accessories, and e-sports.
Graphic Novel Collection of Liu Cixin’s Sci-Fi Classics Original Painting Exhibit took up 54 square meters, bringing together books (in three languages) and original artwork for exhibit, as well as a Virtual Reality experience, previews for vomics, board game experience, and exhibits illustrating the dissemination of Chinese science fiction works internationally. Comic books and creative products in the space were on display and on sale as well, thus establishing a rich and solid and interactive themed exhibit experience space.
(L) UK,US & German edition of graphic novels & Up to The Ears (Chinese)
(R) China Sci-Fi going-out showcase
5G reading (VR)
Spin-off products
Such rich and interesting material drew the attention of many kinds of visitors, with many visitors lingering in the exhibit for many tens of minutes, and even one or two hours, before they could tear themselves away. Science Fiction fans, comic lovers, and cosplayers attended, as well as many science fiction writers and others working in the industry. Family readings and the social nature of it all kept the energy up at the FT Culture exhibit location. Quite a few young readers partnered with their older friends to read comics aloud, with gusto, practically turning the exhibit space into a library. Some parents read together with their children, and some readers talked about 'wealth liquification’ as they read For the Benefit of Mankind. Some patrons walked around the artworks, studying them appreciatively in close detail. And some got into small groups to play The Wandering Earth board game. Others had a great time talking about Liu Cixin and the Three-Body Problem with our receptionists. With so many warm and idyllic scenes all together, we made many lasting memories at this exhibition. A wonderful exhibit experience, and with so many visitors, brought mainstream reporters from China Daily, Global Times, and Science and Technology Daily, etc., to conduct interviews and coverage.
Interviews at the booth
Cosplayers taking photos
Talking about 'wealth liquification’ as they read For the Benefit of Mankind
Board game time: playing The Wandering Earth
Elementary students attracted by comics
Parents read together with children
The afternoon of October 4, FT Culture held the brand-activity 'Grand Inspirations and Roaming the Universe with Liu Cixin Graphic Novels’. Guests at the event included FT Culture CEO Li Yun, science fiction writer Zheng Jun, Song Zheng for China Focus, and General Editor for CITIC Press Bao Fang. They held a lively exchange and discussion on the theme of 'Technology, Science Fiction, and Comic’. The audience present also shared their own views and asked many questions on topics of their interests.
Even as things were getting exciting at the Beijing exhibition, good news was also coming in from Guangzhou and Hangzhou. At the China International Comics Festival (CICF) in Guangzhou, Graphic Novel Collection of Liu Cixin’s Sci-Fi Classics: Devourer, adapted by French comic artist JD Morvan and illustrated by young Chinese artist Yang Weilin, won ‘The Best Story Comic Award’ (Silver Prize, Gold Prize is vacancy). This was the second win for the series, after last year’s win for The Village Teacher. And at the China International Cartoon and Animation Festival (CICAF) in Hangzhou, The Laughing Baby, with script written by Li Jiaxuan and illustrated by Xu Ziran, won the Golden Monkey King Award for 'The Best Promising Comics’.
Graphic Novel Collection of Liu Cixin's Sci-Fi Classics: Devourer
Be with you: The Laughing Baby
FT Culture is a young and dynamic company dedicated to uncovering and producing outstanding creative works from China, and to promoting these works around the world. Currently FT Culture deals with foreign rights of Chinese books and production of graphic novels. Graphic Novel Collection of Liu Cixin’s Sci-Fi Classics is now on the shelves throughout this year, with the first series from Skyhorse Publishing in the USA, Head of Zeus in the UK, and Splitter Verlag in Germany. French edition, from Delcourt Group, will be greeting French readers in 2022. FT Culture is looking forward to meeting up with readers in more languages and with more books, comics, related products in all forms, from China, and around the world.
