Mountain climbing has become quite popular in Taiwan in recent years, but accidents happen frequently. As a mountain-loving comic artist, Zhuang Heyuan used his knowledge of the wilderness to create the comic Ultra Mountains, hoping to educate readers about basic mountaineering knowledge. “Climbing is a very popular recreational activity, but there’s still a lot that needs to be taught — such as the dangers of solo climbing, types of plants, etc. I also hope this comic helps people appreciate the beauty of Taiwan’s high mountains. It’s amazing how such a small island has so many stunning peaks — it’s truly something to be proud of.”
Zhuang Heyuan mentioned that at the beginning of the year, he was struck by the news about bikini-climbing hikers, which sparked deep reflection. Around the same time, a friend suggested he create a comic based on mountain climbing, and inspiration started to build up. “I’ve climbed over twenty mountains and have ten years of climbing experience. Climbing is a journey of surpassing oneself, so I naturally chose Taiwan’s highest peak, Yushan, as the subject for my comic. I depicted the main characters’ climb up Yushan and also tried to include a ‘solo climbing’ storyline to make readers aware of the preparations needed for such an endeavor.”
Ultra Mountains follows a male protagonist who joins a university mountaineering club and befriends other climbers. After entering the workforce, they regroup to take on the challenge of Yushan. Zhuang Heyuan provides detailed depictions of everything from climbers' clothing and gear to the natural flora of the mountains — including the “three principles of dressing” for climbers, such as carrying convertible rain pants, knee pads, and gaiters. He also introduces unique plants like Yushan gentian and Yushan smilax. Through the characters’ conversations, the comic shares a wealth of Taiwanese alpine knowledge, such as the concept of “Five Peaks, Three Sharp Peaks, and One Wonder.” The comic reads almost like an entertaining mountaineering textbook, subtly imparting a great deal of mountain wisdom to readers.
Zhuang Heyuan has previously serialized works such as Miss Your Majesty and Labyrinth of Love, with Cool Guy and Fierce Guy as his representative work. He said that while love has been a recurring theme in his past works, he also used the romantic and friendship stories of the main characters in this comic to add a touch of fun to the otherwise serious subject of mountain climbing. Ultra Mountains was recently exhibited at the fourth batch showcase event at the Comic Base.
Aside from Ultra Mountains, comic artist Fang Ruiyi, who participated in an artist residency in Angoulême, France in late 2017, also exhibited her Island Escape series-derived comics at this showcase. Originally a series of prints discussing four aspects of life, two of the pieces were adapted into a two-part comic collection. Fang Ruiyi said, “Island Escape came from a feeling I had back in 2015 — a strong urge to escape Taiwan. But after leaving, I found myself missing home even more. I hope to have the opportunity in the future to develop these four themes into a complete work.”
(China Times)