‘Slave factory’: China comic artists expose ‘farm-like’ working conditions at famed studio
Ex-employees at one of China’s best-known comic studios claim they were overworked, sleep-deprived, verbally abused
Some comic artists have exposed the harsh working conditions at a prominent manga studio in China, where employees have lived together in a “farm-like” flat for years, facing overwork and sleep deprivation.
A-soul, one of China’s most renowned comic studios, was established in 2008 and is situated in a rural area of southeastern Beijing. The studio currently employs more than 70 staff members.
Its notable works include Crazy Neighbours and Tales of Romance, which are among the most popular serialised titles in the country’s first original manga weekly, Comicguests.
On September 22, a former A-soul employee, known online as Zhenliubao, posted on Weibo, accusing the studio of “shattering his dream”.
Zhenliubao claimed that since 2008, dozens of comic artists have lived in dormitories converted from a livestock factory, sharing communal spaces and using unisex bathrooms.
“We were never allowed to open the curtains, forcing us to work in a dark environment for years,” he wrote.
