Wong Yuk-long

{{Short description|Hong Kong manhua artist, publisher and actor (born 1950)}} {{family name hatnote|[[Huang (surname)|Wong]]|Tony|Chun-loong/Yuk-long|lang=Hong Kong}} {{Infobox comics creator | image = Wong Yuk Long 201007.JPG | caption = Wong at the [[Animation-Comic-Game Hong Kong]] in 2010 | birth_name = Wong Chun-loong <br /> (黃振隆) | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|3|27|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Jiangmen]], [[Guangdong]], China | death_date = | death_place = | nationality = Hong Konger | art = y | write = y | publish = y | alias = Tony Wong | signature = | notable works = ''[[Oriental Heroes]]''<br>''[[Weapons of the Gods (comics)|Weapons of the Gods]]'' | awards = | website = }} {{Infobox Chinese |t=黃玉郎 |s=黄玉郎 |p=Huáng Yùláng |j=Wong4 Juk6-long4 |altname=Wong Chun-loong |t2=黃振隆 |s2=黄振隆 |p2=Huáng Zhènlóng |j2=Wong4 Zan3-lung4}} '''Tony Wong Chun-loong'''<ref name=KoFollowing>{{cite news|last=Ko|first=Monica|title=Following the departure of former chairman and chief artist To...|newspaper=[[South China Morning Post]]|date=1990-01-15|via=[[Factiva]]|quote=artist Tony Wong Chun-loong, [...] Jademan (Holdings) [...] "comics king" Mr Wong, also known as Wong Yuk-long.[...]}}</ref> (born 27 March 1950), better known by his pseudonyms '''Wong Yuk-long''' or '''Tony Wong''', is a Hong Kong [[manhua]] artist, publisher and actor, who wrote and created ''Little Rascals'' (later re-titled ''[[Oriental Heroes]]'') and ''[[Weapons of the Gods (comics)|Weapons of the Gods]]''. He also wrote adaptations of [[Jin Yong|Louis Cha]]'s novels, such as ''[[The Return of the Condor Heroes]]'' (retitled as ''Legendary Couples''), ''[[Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils]]'', and ''[[Ode to Gallantry]]''. For his contribution and influencing a generation of artists in the local industry, he is regarded as the "Godfather of Hong Kong comics" or "Hong Kong's King of Comics".<ref>[http://www.giantrobot.com/transmissions/51batman/index.html ''Hong Kong's King of Comics''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131081145/http://giantrobot.com/transmissions/51batman/index.html |date=2009-01-31 }} Giant Robot</ref>

He provided the art for ''Batman: Hong Kong'', which was written by [[Doug Moench]].<ref>[http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=1251 ''Batman: Hong Kong''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080718160317/http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=1251 |date=2008-07-18 }} at DC</ref> He has also acted in some films occasionally, including making a cameo appearance in ''[[Dragon Tiger Gate]]'' (a film adapted from ''Oriental Heroes'').

==History==

===Early life=== Tony Wong Chun-loong was born on 27 March 1950 in [[Jiangmen]], [[Guangdong]], China.<ref name=ChowKing>{{cite web|last=Chow|first=Vivienne|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1890630/little-rascals-head-hangzhou-hong-kong-comic-king-plans-hk800m-theme|title='Little Rascals' head to Hangzhou: Hong Kong comic king plans a HK$800m theme park far from home|newspaper=[[South China Morning Post]]|date=2015-12-13}} - The biographical data is in the form of an image, and is not text searchable.</ref> After he turned six, he moved to Hong Kong with his family. He went to school until age 13, after which he began his artistic career. Wong never attended an educational institution focusing on art, and was largely self-taught as a comic artist.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wong|first=Yat-hei|url=https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/lifestyle/features/article/3064115/king-still-packs-punch|title='King' still packs a punch|newspaper=[[South China Morning Post]]|agency=[[Young Post]]|date=2014-01-16|accessdate=2023-06-08}}</ref> His decision to begin working at 13 was because he could command a relatively high salary at that time.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wong|first=Yat-hei|title=Comic book hero; Tony Wong is out to rescue HK's comic industry - again, writes Wong Yat-hei|newspaper=[[South China Morning Post]]|date=2013-10-05|page=7}}</ref>

===Career=== In 1971, Wong created [[Jademan Holdings]], which became one of the most prominent comic publishing companies in Hong Kong.<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Thompson|editor1-first=Maggie|editor2-last=Frankenhoff|editor2-first=Brent|title=Comics Shop|publisher=[[Krause Publications]]|place=[[Iola, Wisconsin]]|isbn=9781440216503|date=2010-09-27|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=6hFjDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT1709 PT1709]}}</ref> Under Jademan Holdings, Wong published many popular [[manhua]] series, including ''Little Rascals'' (later renamed ''[[Oriental Heroes]]''), which became one of the best-selling comics in Hong Kong. According to Monica Ko of the ''[[South China Morning Post]]'', because of Wong's dominant profile in the company, the company's stock became known as "personality stock".<ref name=KoFollowing>{{cite news|last=Ko|first=Monica|title=Following the departure of former chairman and chief artist To...|newspaper=[[South China Morning Post]]|date=1990-01-15|via=[[Factiva]]|quote=artist Tony Wong Chun-loong, [...] Jademan (Holdings) [...] "comics king" Mr Wong, also known as Wong Yuk-long.[...]}}</ref> In 1989, he lost his position at Jademan by resigning, ending his involvement in the company's comics.

Wong also adapted several of [[Jin Yong|Louis Cha]]'s classic ''wuxia'' novels into manhua, including ''[[The Return of the Condor Heroes]]'' (retitled ''Legendary Couples''), ''[[Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils]]'', and ''[[Ode to Gallantry]]''. He later provided the artwork for ''Batman: Hong Kong'', written by [[Doug Moench]], demonstrating his international reach as a comic artist.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080718160317/http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=1251|title=Batman: Hong Kong|publisher=DC Comics|accessdate=2023-06-08}}</ref>

===Legal issues and return=== At some point Wong was convicted in Hong Kong courts of a financial offense.<ref>{{cite book|last=Lent|first=John A.|title=Asian Comics|publisher=[[Univ. Press of Mississippi]]|date=2015-01-05|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=pv8aBwAAQBAJ&pg=PT131 PT131]|isbn=9781626742949}}</ref> He received a 2.5-year prison sentence and was sent to [[Stanley Prison]], but was released after serving one year and six months. Despite his imprisonment, Wong remained a popular figure; in 1993, the ''[[South China Morning Post]]'' reported that "Despite his jailing, Mr Wong,[...] is still seen as a hero by young people in the territory."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scmp.com/article/27133/wong-use-resources-build-new-empire|title=Wong to use resources to build new empire|newspaper=[[South China Morning Post]]|date=1993-04-25|accessdate=2023-06-08}}</ref>

After his release from prison, Wong established [[Jade Dynasty Publications]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scmp.com/article/38021/war-breaks-out-land-comic-king|title=War breaks out in land of the comic king|newspaper=[[South China Morning Post]]|date=1993-04-25|accessdate=2023-06-08}}</ref> with the stated intention of creating what he described as "an oriental{{sic}} type of [[Walt Disney]]."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scmp.com/article/37223/my-wish-turn-company-oriental-type-walt-disney|title=My wish is to turn the company into an oriental type of Walt Disney.|newspaper=[[South China Morning Post]]|date=1993-07-18|accessdate=2023-06-08}}</ref>

===Later career=== In 2015, Wong announced plans to establish a comics-themed park in [[Hangzhou]], [[Mainland China]],<ref name=ChowKing/> with a proposed budget of HK$800,000,000 [[Hong Kong dollars]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Chow|first=Vivienne|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1886285/hong-kong-comics-godfather-tony-wong-yuk-long|title='I'm a little disappointed that this cannot be built in Hong Kong': Comics 'godfather' Tony Wong Yuk-long to build HK$800 million theme park - in Hangzhou, Zhejiang|newspaper=[[South China Morning Post]]|date=2015-12-02}}</ref> Wong expressed some disappointment that the park could not be built in Hong Kong itself.

==Selected works== * ''{{ill|The Force of Buddha's Palm|zh|如來神掌 (漫畫)}}'' (如來神掌), based on [[Gu Long]]'s ''[[Juedai Shuangjiao]]'' * ''Dream of Ten Billion'', 1994, autobiographical.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wong |first=Wendy Siuyi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sNaQQxhcD-oC&q=Hong+Kong+comics |title=Hong Kong Comics |date=March 2002 |publisher=Princeton Architectural Press |isbn=978-1-56898-269-4 |pages=177 |language=en}}</ref> * ''Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils'' (天龍八部), based on Louis Cha's [[Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils|novel of the same title]]. * ''[[Dino Crisis]]'' (恐龍危機), based on the Capcom game of the same name. * ''{{ill|Drunken Fist|zh|醉拳 (漫畫)}}'' (醉拳) * ''Jackie Chan's Fantasia'' (奇幻龙宝) * ''Legendary Couples'' (神鵰俠侶; "Companion of the Condor Hero"), based on Louis Cha's novel ''[[The Return of the Condor Heroes]]''. * ''[[Legend of Emperors]]'' (天子傳奇; "Emperor Legend"), featuring fictionalised stories of various Chinese kings and emperors. * ''[[Mega Dragon and Tiger]]'' (龍虎5世; "Dragon and Tiger V") * ''[[Oriental Heroes]]'' (龍虎門 ''Long Hu Men''; "Dragon-Tiger-Gate"), originally titled ''Little Rascals'' (小流氓). * ''[[Weapons of the Gods (comics)|Weapons of the Gods]]'' (神兵玄奇; "Mysterious Weapons of the Gods").

==See also== * [[Hong Kong comics]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://lambiek.net/artists/w/wong_yuk-long.htm Wong Yuk-long] at [[Lambiek]]'s Comiclopedia * [http://www.lovehkfilm.com/features/comic_batman_hk.htm ''Batman: Hong Kong'' review] * [http://www.giantrobot.com/transmissions/51batman/index.html Giant Robot Interview] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131081145/http://giantrobot.com/transmissions/51batman/index.html |date=2009-01-31 }} * [http://www.capcom-unity.com/bigmex/blog/2012/03/28/the_martial_myths,_part_4 Biographical information and discussion of his impact on video games]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wong, Yuk-long}} [[Category:1950 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Hong Kong comics artists]] [[Category:Hong Kong comics writers]]