Alfonso Wong Kar-Hei (Chinese:王家禧;27 May 1923 –1 January 2017),also known by his pen name Wong Chak,was a Hong Kongmanhua artist who created one of the longest-running comic strips,Old Master Q,that became popular across Asia.
Wong was born in Tianjin,Republic of China.[1] He studied Western art at Fu Jen Catholic University,which was based in Beijing at the time,and graduated by 1944. In 1956,he moved to British Hong Kong.[2] He created drawings for a French Catholic missionary[3] and also became the art editor for a Hong Kong Catholic magazine,Lok Fung Pao (乐峰报;樂峰報;LèFēng Bào;lok6 fung1 bou3).[4]
Wong became well known in 1962 when he made the manhua Old Master Q.[2] The comic was one of the most influential pieces of work in Hong Kong under British rule before it was transferred back to China,and was popular across Asia.[3] It voiced the opinions of the citizens in an exaggerated and humorous sense at a time when comics avoided controversial political issues. Wong's comic broached subjects including integration with mainlanders to the education gap. The comic became known for maintaining popularity for more than 40 years against endless competition with other Hong Kong manhua and Japanesemanga. He later emigrated to the United States and retired by the mid-1990s,leaving his son in charge of the series. Old Master Q has been widely adapted into films,Chinese animation,and other works of fiction.[5]
In an exhibition showcasing Wong,the Hong Kong Arts Centre called his work,"a collective memory of Chinese-speaking communities around the world."[3][6] Original pieces of Wong's work have been exhibited by both Sotheby's and Christie's auction houses.[3]
Wong had three sons with his wife. He used his eldest son's name Wong Chak (王澤;王泽;Wáng Zé;wong4 zaak6) as a pen name and relinquished the comic to him in 1995.
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