China News Service, Hong Kong, March 10th: Title: The man of the hour with elegant brush drawings—an exclusive interview with Jin Yong’s “Queen” cartoonist Li Zhiqing
China News Service reporter Liu Dawei
"Mr. Jin Yong published the novel "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" when he was about 33 years old, and I started writing the comic version of this novel when I was 33 years old. There is a kind of fate between us." In Cheung Sha Wan, Hong Kong In his studio in Lai Chi Kok, Li Zhiqing, who is known as Jin Yong's "Queen" cartoonist, recalled how he got along with Jin Yong.
Li Zhiqing's studio is not big, but the walls are covered with martial arts figures and landscape paintings he created, among which paintings related to Jin Yong's works account for the majority.
On the top of a bookcase in the studio is a photo of him and Jin Yong.
On March 6, Hong Kong painter Li Zhiqing was interviewed by a reporter from China News Service in his studio, recalling every detail of his relationship with Jin Yong.
Photo by China News Service reporter Chen Yongnuo
"This was the first time I met Mr. Jin Yong." Li Zhiqing said that he started reading Jin Yong's martial arts novels when he was a teenager and has always regarded Jin Yong as his idol. Later, he began to draw the covers and illustrations of Jin Yong's Japanese novels.
In the mid-1990s, he first met the idol at a dinner party through the introduction of a Japanese comics editor.
Li Zhiqing recalled that when they first met, he did not feel his heart beating faster. Instead, he felt that Jin Yong was polite and kind, like an elder he had known for a long time.
About two years later, Li Zhiqing went to Jin Yong's Minghe Society, hoping to obtain the comic copyright of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes". Unexpectedly, he got Jin Yong's suggestion to form a company.
In 1998, Minghe (Chuangwen) Publishing Co., Ltd., co-founded by the two, was established and successively published two comics, "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" and "The Swordsman".
The comic "Legend of the Condor Heroes" was the earliest collaboration between Li Zhiqing and Jin Yong. Li Zhiqing spent three years and eight months drawing 38 separate volumes.
Later, this comic became the one with the most translations. It not only attracted attention on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong and Macao, but was also distributed to Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, Europe and other places.
On March 6, Hong Kong painter Li Zhiqing was interviewed by a reporter from China News Service in his studio, recalling every detail of his relationship with Jin Yong.
Photo by China News Service reporter Chen Yongnuo
From the initial illustrations, covers, and comics of martial arts novels, to the ink paintings that gradually began to show more use, Li Zhiqing constantly seeks breakthroughs and innovations in creation.
With the help of Li Zhiqing's brush, Qiao Feng, who is both wise and courageous, upright and forthright, Guo Jing, a great chivalrous man who serves the country and the people, Linghu Chong, who is free and open-minded and attaches great importance to love and justice... These classic Jin Yong martial arts characters are vividly displayed on the paper. in front of the reader's eyes.
Jin Yong spoke highly of Li Zhiqing's paintings. He once wrote an inscription for him: "Elegant brushes, pictures of famous figures". He also praised the handsome and dashing martial arts men he painted.
Having painted characters in Jin Yong's novels for more than 20 years, Li Zhiqing already knows these images well.
Among them, Linghu Chong is one of his favorite characters.
During the interview, Li Zhiqing vividly sketched the image of Linghu Chong on the paper with just a few strokes.
"I am also a person like Linghu Chong, as free and easy as I am, walking between the world and the world." Li Zhiqing said.
In Li Zhiqing's view, Jin Yong's martial arts novels contain the roots of traditional Chinese culture.
For example, the Dugu Nine Swords are taken from the Lao-Zhuang philosophy of "useless things can be of great use". The moves depend on the opponent, and the stronger they become, the stronger they become.
Before painting, he would also "learn" from traditional books such as "The Book of Changes" and "Laozi" in order to integrate philosophy into the paintings.
On March 6, Hong Kong painter Li Zhiqing was interviewed by a reporter from China News Service in his studio, recalling every detail of his relationship with Jin Yong.
Photo by China News Service reporter Chen Yongnuo
He believes that the so-called "wuxia" should be the combination of "martial arts" and "xiaxia" and cannot be viewed separately.
If there is "wu" but not "xia", it will become a single martial arts action.
"As Mr. Jin Yong said, 'A great chivalrous person serves the country and the people'. The duel between rivers and lakes is by no means a matter of life and death, but a friendship derived from mutual sympathy during the exchange of moves."
After Jin Yong's death, many people lamented that "the era of martial arts is over."
Li Zhiqing didn't think so.
He said: "It does not mean that without Jin Yong's novels, there would be no martial arts. In my opinion, it is the times that have created Jin Yong's martial arts novels. We are now in a new era, and I believe martial arts will also be presented in new forms of works."
On the desk in Li Zhiqing's studio, there is a stack of works he is creating.
This work about "Snowy Mountain Flying Fox" will be released in the form of a "little book" between a book and a comic. It has more than 200 paintings and is currently about one-third complete.
Li Zhiqing hopes to publish it within this year to commemorate Jin Yong's 100th birthday.
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