Mourning the artist Nguyen Hung Lan, who created the Hero Hesman of my childhood

Hung Lan - Photo 1.

Painter Nguyen Hung Lan - Photo: FBNV

The information about the death of painter Nguyen Hung Lan was confirmed to Tuoi Tre Online by the leader of Ward 7 People's Committee, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City on the evening of May 9. The police are investigating the cause of death .

Besides Hero Hesman, he is also the author of many other series such as Vietnamese Superman, X-Men Mysterious Friends, Blue Fairy, Samurai...

Artist Nguyen Hung Lan: "After all these years, readers still remember, it makes me so happy"

A few years ago, artist Hung Lan confided on his personal Facebook page: "I draw a lot of comics, all genres from fairy tales to science fiction and comedy, but after more than 30 years since the publication of the first book, the series Hesman Hero and Vietnamese Superman still leave the most impression.

Because after all these years, readers still remember my stories and want them to be reprinted, that is an indescribable joy."

He said he wrote the script and drew in a remote red soil area in the East, where there was no electricity or Internet.

From several Japanese Voltron animation video tapes, he adapted 20 volumes of the Hesman series .

The series was a hit, and he continued to expand it, not adapting it but completely creating it, so the series grew to 159 volumes.

"I didn't expect the series to be quite successful and now, after more than 25 years, I'm continuing to draw the 160th full-color volume as a finale to thank readers," he shared on the occasion of releasing the final volume in 2018.

"Uncle is gone but Hesman lives on"

Online, readers sent condolences to the family of painter Nguyen Hung Lan.

Hung Lan - Photo 2.

The final story in the Hesman Hero series - Photo: FBNV

In the group Hero Hesman and friends with 9,000 members, one person wrote: "My childhood, respectfully bows to see you off."

"The childhood of so many people. The legendary hero Hesman", "Thank you for the childhood with Hesman", "You are gone but Hesman lives forever", "Thank you for giving me a beautiful childhood", "Your works have become an indispensable part of my childhood memories"... are comments from many readers, especially fans of the Hero Hesman series .

Hearing the news of his death, many people also remembered the time when they skipped breakfast to buy books or hid books under their desks to secretly read during class...

Tu Nguyen Cong wrote: "Hesman, replace the 8x and early 9x generation, we will send you to the other world ."

On his personal page, painter Bui Duc Lam, a close friend of painter Hung Lan, wrote: "I can't count how many times I've sat with you, discussed with you so many stories about life, career and religion... All are now memories, Hung Lan!"

Hung Lan - Photo 3.

Bedside comic series of generation 8x - Photo: FBNV

One of the artists of the renovation period

Artist Linh Rab shared with Tuoi Tre Online that he read Hero Hesman when he was in 3rd grade. In the 1990s, in Vietnam there were two very famous series: Doraemon and Hero Hesman .

Because his family was not well off, there were weeks when he had to hesitate between buying the Hero. Hesman or Doraemon. Many times I chose to buy Hesman Hero because of its closeness to Vietnamese culture, adventurous stories and profound humanistic message at the end of the story.

"At that time, I was very fond of Uncle Nguyen Hung Lan's stories and like many children at that time, I drew a lot about Hesman, as well as later characters in Vietnamese Superman , Samurai , and Uncle's Blue Fairy ," Linh Rab said.

Later, in 2014, during a trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Linh Rab made an appointment with the coffee artist. "In real life, he is very friendly, lovable and warm," he said.

In addition to drawing comics, artist Hung Lan also has many other passions and talents such as composing music, singing, working in a choir, designing fonts...

"What I admire most about him is that he had no formal training, overcame many difficulties to turn his hobby into a job, a career and to support his family," Linh Rab shared.

The artist added that when Mr. Nguyen Hung Lan started his career, it was around the years when the country was undergoing renovation. At that time, there were no Japanese comics. There were only comics drawn by artists from the South.

Mourning artist Nguyen Hung Lan, the man who created the Hero Hesman of childhood - Photo 7.

(From left to right) Artist Hung Lan, Duc Lam and Linh Rab on a coffee date - Photo: Linh Rab

"Uncle Lan is one of the typical artists of Vietnamese comics during the renovation period from 1987 to 1997," Linh Rab said.

"Today's news feels so sudden because this morning I saw you like the news that the world has a new pope," he said. "Although I was shocked, I still believe that you lived a very good life and passed away peacefully."