OF all the local comics, Master Q must be the most popular and most classic. The comic strip has been going strong since it first appeared in 1964, with a staggering 418 editions published by 2000. Since then, the number has soared with reprints of popular early editions and it has been adapted for the silver screen many times.
An exhibition to celebrate the comic hero is being held at the Hong Kong Arts Centre (HKAC) until the end of the month.
In Search of Master Q is the product of a study on the comic strip carried out by a group of artists and scholars two years ago.
As you step into the exhibition venue, the first thing that catches your eye is classic Master Q comic strips enlarged to the size of wallpaper. There is also a display which includes first editions of Master Q comic books.
Other comics from the late 1950s and early 1960s are also featured.
HKAC programme manager Grace Cheng said the comic strip reflected a particular period in Hong Kong's culture, adding that it was also influenced by the city's social climate.
'When [Master Q] was first published in the 1960s, it was socially conscious. It reflected the social situations, people's lifestyles and the trends,' she said. 'In the 1980s and 1990s, its social touch was toned down. But this also made it a timeless comic.'