Online Auction: 14–25 January 2022 • 12:00 NOON HKT • Hong Kong | 網上拍賣: 2022年1月14-25日 • 中午 12:00 HKT • 香港

This is the first time that artwork of McMug and McDull will be put up for auction.

McMug, McDull and the friends from Chun Tian Hua Hua Kindergarten are well-known characters in the Chinese community. Since the 1980s, these characters have made recurring appearances in “Ming Pao Children’s Weekly”, which came with every issue of “Ming Pao Weekly”. Over time, these publications garnered a significant adult following, with the first collection compiled adopting the title of “Fairy Tales for the Adults”, which draws on the idea of great men do not lose sight of their child-like hearts of purity and kindness. In the mid-1990s, stories of McMug and McDull, centred around daily life and current affairs, were published in the form of single or four-panel comic strips in “Ming Pao” and the “Hong Kong Economic Times”. These were later amassed into volumes such as “McMug Comic Strips”, “Sort-of Blue Sub-tropics” and “McDull – From Honey to BBQ Pork”.

In terms of merchandise, McMug and McDull have utilised local colloquial vernacular and humour to create a series of heartfelt cards, stimulating business through cultural means while simultaneously expanding readership.

The release of the film “My Life as McDull” in 2001 marked the transition from comics to animation. Featuring McDull as the main character, these cartoon films have repeatedly obtained awards at various film festivals, including the Grand Prix Award at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, considered the Oscars of the animation world. In particular, the film “McDull, Prince de la Bun” received high acclaim from film critics, winning “Best Picture 2004” at the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards. Additionally, statues of both McDull and the “Prince de la Bun” have been installed on the Avenue of Stars and Hong Kong Avenue of Comic Stars.

McMug and McDull have also enthusiastically participated in the promotion of the arts. For example, “This is the Greatest Place! The Forbidden City and the World of Small Animals” and “Bowls of Happiness: Treasures from China and the Forbidden City” introduce ancient Chinese wooden architecture and the humanistic spirit of traditional auspicious designs, with their English translations receiving various children’s book awards. Additionally, for over a decade now, McDull and Hong Kong Sinfonietta have held multiple classical music concerts . In 2019, they even went so far as to making McDull the world’s first animated character to become an Artist Associate.

From fairy tales to comic books, films to classical music, taking the stage to the most recent NFT game, McMug and McDull have taken on a multitude of mass media types. With undertones of innocent playfulness, a touch of the ordinary, an air of melancholy, a certain poetic essence and a degree of refinement, these remarkable creations are rich and abundant, leaving behind a unique yet heartening legacy.

這次是麥嘜、麥兜畫作首次的拍賣。

麥嘜麥兜以及春田花花幼稚園的小朋友，是華人地區熟知的動漫角色。自上世紀八十年代始，作品最先在《明報周刊》附送的兒童讀物《小明周》連載，卻同時吸引到大批成年人的青睞，首部結集即以《成年人童話》為書名（取「大人者不失其赤子之心」之意）。九十年代中，麥嘜麥兜以生活時事為題材，用單格及四格漫畫形式發表作品於《明報》及《經濟日報》，後結集為《格格漫畫》、《算憂鬱亞熱帶》、《從蜜汁到叉燒》等。

商品上，麥嘜麥兜運用本地口語、 幽默感創作了一系列心意咭，以文化開啓商業，亦藉着心意咭的傳遞，一再擴大了讀者群。

從漫畫到動畫，自2001年推出首部電影《麥兜故事》，以麥兜為主角的多部動畫長片，屢獲電影節大獎，包括被視為「動畫界奧斯卡」的Grand Prix Annecy。電影《麥兜‧菠蘿油王子》則深受影評人重視，獲香港電影評論學會最佳電影大獎。 麥兜銅像及菠蘿油王子塑像，現分別置於電影星光大道及動漫星光大道。

商業以外，麥嘜麥兜同時積極參與藝術推廣。《你們這裡真好》、《幸福的碗》，介紹中國古代木建築及傳統吉祥圖案當中的人文精神，英譯本獲得多項兒童圖書獎。超過十年香港小交響樂團與麥兜舉辦多次古典音樂會，更於2019年破天荒邀請麥兜，成為世上首位動漫角色「駐團藝術家」。

從童話到漫畫到電影到古典到舞台到近日的NFT game，從童趣到通俗到詩意到憂鬱到高雅，麥嘜麥兜多媒體多度向，卓越而又豐富的創作，在文藝天地留下一個接一個，獨特又可喜的足印。