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A massive stage. Fans queued in droves. Lightsaber beams swept across the screen as the Star Wars theme thundered through the hall.
Hong Kong comic artist Man Tsang Wai-man was stunned as he saw his artwork appear on the big screen, greeted by roars from the crowd.
It was the Star Wars Celebration 2025, held last month in Tokyo. For an artist from Hong Kong’s small comic scene, Tsang had achieved something rare: a collaboration with Disney on the comic adaptation of Star Wars: Thrawn.
Slated for release later this year, the project marks Tsang’s first time adapting a novel into comic form, bringing award-winning author Timothy Zahn’s 2017 book to life through a Japanese manga style.
“The idea that people would cheer for something we made? It’s unimaginable ... Just being part of it, even in a small way, was exhilarating,” the artist in his 40s recalled. “It actually made me tremble.”
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For Tsang, his experience in Tokyo was a stark contrast to the reality back home.
“In Hong Kong, we draw comics, and no one really notices. Whenever a new title comes out, we already expect the response to be minimal,” he said. “Hong Kong comics have been dying for over two decades.”
The city’s comic industry reached its peak in the late 80s and early 90s but has since struggled to find a place on local shelves.
“In recent years – aside from things like [Andy Seto’s comic about] Kowloon Walled City, which gave the industry a brief boost – honestly, every creative field here has been in serious decline,” Tsang noted.
“You have to hustle ... We send in sample pages. You don’t have the luxury any more of waiting for people to come to you.”
Keeping his nose to the grindstone
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Tsang has been passionate about drawing since childhood – he became a full-time comic artist at the age of 17.
Besides creating comics, he also specialises in detailed ink portraits and traditional watercolour and oil paintings. He often takes on commissioned projects to supplement his income.
In 2022, Tsang released an original title, The Zeros (0課特工), after receiving the Gold Award at the first Hong Kong Comics Support Programme, a government-funded initiative to support long-form comic publishing. In Hong Kong, The Zeros sold nearly 3,000 copies – a strong number by today’s local standards. But Tsang admitted that did not even cover the production costs.
After the artist showcased this graphic novel at the Angouleme International Comics Festival in France, it gained global attention. The title has since been published in countries such as Italy, France and Malaysia, with licensing deals currently in negotiation for Russia and North America.
It was through these international editions that Disney Europe noticed Tsang’s work and invited him to join their artist selection process.
Challenges of adapting a brilliant character
Illustrating Thrawn – a character with no special powers or weapons, just a slow climb through the ranks – posed unexpected challenges.
“I figured I’d get to draw some cool lightsaber battles. Those are easier to handle,” Tsang said.
“But Thrawn was a completely different story.”
The artist found himself illustrating a calm, calculating general – a villain defined not by brute force but by intellect.
“Thrawn is like Sima Yi from Romance of the Three Kingdoms,” Tsang said. “He doesn’t overpower his enemies; he outsmarts them. The whole story is filled with political strategy and power struggles. Even when there’s combat, it’s just regular hand-to-hand fights. Like, he might be wrestling a stormtrooper on the floor.”
The real challenge, Tsang noted, was capturing Thrawn’s mind.
“He’s up against someone with a nuclear weapon, and all he has is his brain. He has to win using mind games,” he said. “That’s way harder to draw.”
Still, Tsang sees the appeal of Thrawn’s cerebral nature: “It’s all about outsmarting your rivals – and that’s where the fun is.”
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While Tsang’s Disney collaboration has been seen as proof that Hong Kong’s comic artists can shine on a global stage, he hopes this progress does not end with him.
“If a major international company has worked with someone from Hong Kong and had a good experience, maybe they’ll start to take us more seriously,” he said.
“Maybe we’ll see something shift – maybe we’ll be known as Hong Kong artists who specialise in international comics. That could be a real future.”
To young artists, Tsang offered a piece of hard-earned advice.
“Don’t be too proud to fight for opportunities,” he said. “Sometimes, you have to be willing to crawl and clutch onto your shot.”
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