TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — American illustrator Mark Crilley has published the graphic novel "Lost in Taiwan," telling the tale of a U.S. high school student getting lost in the back alleys of Taiwan in the 1990s.
Inspiration for the graphic novel comes from Crilley’s own experience living in Taiwan more than 30 years ago. He says the graphic novel is a sort of "love letter to Taiwan" and hopes it can be used to introduce Taiwanese culture and customs to foreign readers, per CNA.
A native of Detroit, Michigan, Crilley launched titles such as his first comic adventure "Akiko" in 1995. His best-selling graphic novel "Mastering Manga" saw distribution across the globe, including a Chinese-language version in Taiwan in 2016.
Crilley is active on the internet, with his YouTube channel having 3 million viewers. One recent video was the unboxing of “Lost in Taiwan.”
In an interview with CNA, Crilley talked about Taiwan being his first experience visiting Asia. Crilley said he was inspired to travel by one of his professors at Kalamazoo College who taught in Taiwan.
Crilley arrived in Taiwan in 1988. He took up teaching English at a YMCA in Changhua County.
At the time, he was 21 and could only read a few words in Chinese. He was instantly attracted by the dazzling array of signboards and the aroma of food stalls. In total, Crilley spent two and a half years in Taiwan.
During this time, he frequently sketched scenes from daily life, filling a heavy sketch album with images of temples, motorcycles, Buddhist sculptures, and street life. Looking through this old sketch album, Crilley says some of the memories are still quite vivid, such as Changhua teahouses as well as bus trips between Changhua and Taichung.
A scene from central Taiwan in the graphic novel, "Lost in Taiwan." (Facebook, Mark Crilley)
Crilley says “Lost in Taiwan” is neither autobiography nor memoir but instead a fictional graphic novel that was inspired by his time in Taiwan. He says the protagonist undergoes an experience similar to Crilley when it comes to learning about a new culture, making new friends, and learning a new language.
It took about a year to complete this graphic novel according to Crilley. He dedicated the work to Taiwan and the Taiwanese people who were friendly to him.
Furthermore, Crilley believes that discussions about Asian culture frequently focus on larger countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea, to the exclusion of Taiwan. He hopes that graphic novels such as "Lost in Taiwan” can inspire more people to learn about the country.
