Ah-San, Big Auntie, Ah-Chin, Whiz Kid, Principal Water Buffalo. . . The colorful characters of Liu Hsing-chin's comics have been a staple of childhood for many, and constitute one of our happiest collective memories in Taiwan. (Pu Hua-chih)

When mentioning the name Liu Hsing-Chin, you can be confident that anyone in Taiwan-old or young, male or female-will know who you are talking about. He is one of Taiwan's most famous comic strip creators and has invented such wonderfully humorous personalities as Ah-San and Big Auntie, as well as Robot and Whiz Kid. In addition, Liu has also patented more than 100 wonderful inventions. At a time when Taiwan is being overrun by manga imports from Japan, Liu's comics reflect the postures and mores of an earlier, less complicated era, but they are selling just as well as ever both in Taiwan and across the strait in mainland China.

In March his creations Ah-San (modeled after himself) and Big Auntie (modeled after his mother) will be designated as official symbols of Neiwan Village in Hengshan Rural Township. By officially adopting these figures, the township hopes to attract both former residents and tourists alike to Liu Hsing-chin's hometown, where they can come to re-experience that earlier era and, who knows, maybe even brainstorm with the Ah-San himself....

Liu Hsing-chin was born in 1934, in Hengshan, Hsinchu. Down to the present, he maintains the simple and hard-working attitude of a Hakka. When looking back at the moments in his life that Liu feels are most worth remembering, he recalls incidents from his impoverished childhood that sound a lot like what his character Ah-Chin endured. For example, carrying his sister on his back while leading the family's water buffalo on a several-mile journey to school. The experiences of his childhood are etched deeply in his mind.