Yesterday I went to a bookstore, it was delightful. I primarily looked in the children's books because they are the only wants I am able to read. They had TinTin there, and something about horrible racism refracted through another language jut made it hilarious. I also found the ENTIRE collected works of Garfield. A treasure in it's own right, but it's also entirely in Chinese. Some may wonder how much 60 books would go for in China, well I'll tell you; $13. One delicious meal and alcho-drink at Red Robin is how much the life's work of Jim Davis is worth.
There were other magical things, like a faery tale book that showed a dude on the back of a tiger, grabing its ear and punching the back of its head. I found several gifts to pick up, I'm totally stoaked to give them to people.
1 comment:
Was it TinTin in the Congo? That would be amazing. If it was TinTin and the Blue Lotus, that would be expected. However, if it was TinTin and the Blue Lotus, I would have to say that it is not as racist as it would initally appear. It actually has a bold anti-Imperialist message, which was contrary to the mainstream feelings of the West, which were sympathetic to Japan. Herge actually consulted a local art student by the name Chang Chong-jen, who was from China, in order to avoid some of the terrible racism found in TinTin in the Congo. But, to continue the saga, apparently Herge and Chang became close friends, until the student disappeared during the second Sino-Japonese war. That was were TinTin in Tibet came from, his searching for Chang. Eventually, Chang was located alive and well four decades later. Chang had become a street sweeper during the Cultural Revolution. He and Herge were akwardly united, just like in a fairy tale. Or a ferry tail. Apparently, Chang has a museum dedicated to him in Shanghai, and some of his sculpture and paintings are on display in the China Museum of Fine Art in Beijing and the China Museum of Revolutionary Warfare. But, to return to my original point, if you want boldfaced racism, look to TinTin in the Congo and TinTin in America. It don't get much more racist than that.
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