Miloza Ma

Independent Publishing for a New Generation - The 2010s is a time when young people look for more varieties of comics. In their eyes, theme and drawing style are not the only factors that determine the appeal of a comic book; printing should also be taken into consideration. Seeking for a new way out, some comics artists have turned to independent publishing. They publish high-quality mini-comics, or zines, in a small quantity to test the waters and start a new trend. These zines are printed economically with Risograph printing technology, which allows separate layers of oil-based inks of spot colours to be superimposed on the paper to give an unostentatious quality as well as a nostalgic and unique feel. Nevertheless, given the formal constraints of zines, comics artists have to limit the length of their stories and make sure their styles stand out from the rest to attract readers and publishers. The skills of the artists are, therefore, of great importance. Miloza is one of the successful comic artists associated with this trend whose works reflect the experimental vein of zine culture. She published her first zine, Axis of Life, in company with her solo exhibition in January 2016. A story about the elements of life, Axis of Life attracted readers’ attention with its fanciful mood, created through the use of bold fluorescent colours and carefully spaced curved lines, and with its philosophical worldviews. Miloza’s second zine, The Zine # 2 The Stargazing Kids, published in October 2016, is a more thoughtful publication. This fine book was published with three covers – one foil-stamped in red, one in blue, and one in gold – and readers buying it got a random one from her. All three versions sold out once they were released. Whether zine is likely to take root in the Hong Kong market remains a question, but it is a possible stepping stone to commercial publishing for comic artists of this generation – Miloza had her first commercial publication, An Empty Life, published with Joint Publishing in Hong Kong in July 2017.  In December 2017, the artist, in collaboration with the renowned Risograph printing group ‘Ink’Chacha’, returned to the Zine field by launching her mini fairy tale  Ribbon Lady - Escaping Wonderland.