TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — British illustrator Tom Parker, who calls Taiwan home, has launched a crowdfunding project to turn his jovial depictions of the country’s scooters into merchandise.

Titled “The Scooters of Taiwan,” Parker is looking for funds to help transform his illustrations of various Taiwanese riders into products from home decor fabric to puzzles. It features a selection of 100 drawings picked out of a thousand entries from the public after he announced the initiative on Nov. 21, 2021.

According to Parker, scooters are the collective memory of the Taiwanese and a microcosm of society. He expressed his gratitude to those who have inspired his creation of the illustrations, which are light-hearted, whimsical, and sometimes hilariously peculiar.

Married to a Taiwanese woman, Parker said he was amazed by the “motorcycle stunts”—the dexterous riding skills that he witnessed on the street when he first arrived in the country a decade ago. Even today, he can still take the backseat and leave the challenging job of riding a scooter to his wife, he joked.

The project seeks to underscore not only the vital role scooters play in Taiwanese society, but also the stories behind the drawings. For example, some show the hard work of the police officers, delivery workers, and postmen, while also spotlighting the unique cultures like the riders in deity costumes.

Importantly, he implored riders to observe traffic rules and not attempt motorcycle stunts, despite the laughs drawn from the humorous illustrations. Visit the Facebook page of Tom Parker and the crowdfunding website for more information.

'The Scooters of Taiwan' by illustrator Tom Parker. (Facebook photos)