According to the second Farr extract (p.50-59), how did Hergé research China for The Blue Lotus?
Hergé was contacted by Father Gosset, a Belgian Missionary who had heard of Hergé’s plans to write about the Far East, and contacted him to ask if he would consider taking time to research his story as he thought any inaccuracies could hurt intercontinental relationships.
This lead to Hergé being acquainted with Chang Chong Chenn through Father Gosset. It’s mentioned in The Blue Lotus (Michael Farr,1991) that “The meeting with Chang and the sweeping away of prejudices was so important to Hergé that he transposed it into the narrative of the new adventure and created a young Chang as a special friend for Tintin.” That young Asian man in the story stopped and took time to discuss racial stereotypes with Tintin, after which, they both became friends. Unfortunately this part was left out from the cartoon adaptation which I felt to be most disappointing.
Therefore it is clear to me that Chang had a monumental effect on the way in which Hergé approached writing Tintin, and as is evident, inspired the creation of the most critically acclaimed Tintin instalment ever created.(pp1a)
I think that Hergé must have had a real interest for China and its history to change his narrative style and personally confront his readers about racial stereotypes between not only Europeans and Chinese, but to all different races.
REFERENCES
Farr, Michael. (1991). The Blue Lotus. In Tintin: the complete companion (p50-59). London:
John Murray.
https://autonline.aut.ac.nz/@@/541D502BDC67F5A87C9527D4EEC3ACE9/
courses/1/166104_2011_02/content/_1843491_1/Week%201%20Readings.pdf
PP1a – notes taken from class lecture
Monday, August 8, 2011
Week 5_Jing Lin
Is it a high or low cultural genre, according to Napier (2005)? What are some of its subgenres?
Firstly, Napier (2005) defined that the “culture’ to which anime belongs is at present a “popular” or “mass” culture in Japan, and in America it exists as a “sub” culture. On the other hand anime is a popular culture from the clearly builds on previous high cultural traditions. Not only does the medium show influences from such Japanese traditional arts as Kabuki and the woodblock print. Finally, the issues it explores, often in surprisingly complex ways are ones familiar to readers of contemporary ”High culture” literature (both inside and outside Japan) and viewers of contemporary are cinema. Furthermore, he mentioned that things have changed. Whereas Japan has been known for such “high cultural” products as haiku, Zen and the martical arts, the Japan of the 1990s began to develop a new export, animated films and videos- anime, a Japanese abbreviation of the English world’ animation.”
As an anime fans, I do think anime is kind of art especially one of the country’s most popular animators, Hayao Miyazaki. “Grave of the Fire flies”, “Spirited Away”, ”Howl’s Moving Castle” and so are. They are not normal cartoon that for kids but also for all group of ages.
Napier, S. (2005). Why anime? In Anime: from Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle (pp.3-14). Hampshire: Palgrave/ Macmillan.
Firstly, Napier (2005) defined that the “culture’ to which anime belongs is at present a “popular” or “mass” culture in Japan, and in America it exists as a “sub” culture. On the other hand anime is a popular culture from the clearly builds on previous high cultural traditions. Not only does the medium show influences from such Japanese traditional arts as Kabuki and the woodblock print. Finally, the issues it explores, often in surprisingly complex ways are ones familiar to readers of contemporary ”High culture” literature (both inside and outside Japan) and viewers of contemporary are cinema. Furthermore, he mentioned that things have changed. Whereas Japan has been known for such “high cultural” products as haiku, Zen and the martical arts, the Japan of the 1990s began to develop a new export, animated films and videos- anime, a Japanese abbreviation of the English world’ animation.”
As an anime fans, I do think anime is kind of art especially one of the country’s most popular animators, Hayao Miyazaki. “Grave of the Fire flies”, “Spirited Away”, ”Howl’s Moving Castle” and so are. They are not normal cartoon that for kids but also for all group of ages.
Napier, S. (2005). Why anime? In Anime: from Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle (pp.3-14). Hampshire: Palgrave/ Macmillan.
Week 4_Jing Lin
Question1, How does the fantasy genre relate to modern media such as video games?
First of all, Burn (2005) pointed that whether games influence books or the other way round is perhaps debatable in this case: Tolkien's stories also have maps, lists, puzzles and so on; The Lord of the Rings gave rise to one of the most popular of modern game-gennres, the RPG;
On the other hand, this kind of relate has been called as cross-media. As a popular fantasy book, The Lord of the Rings became popular movie around world. With a clearly, fully understanding of the background of a video game, became a good reason that people chose it.
Further more, the lists, maps and other means of puzzle-solving and game-survival that characterise in the books are alway in the games as well. In my opinion, it makes people feel familiar.
With my own experience, when I play the fantasy RPG (of course need read the fantasy first), I feel like it is real course everything ,everyone has in my mind. That is a special feeling differ from normal RPG and fantasy.
Burn, A. (2005). Potter Literacy from book to game and back again: literature, film, game and cross media literacy in papers, 14(3)
First of all, Burn (2005) pointed that whether games influence books or the other way round is perhaps debatable in this case: Tolkien's stories also have maps, lists, puzzles and so on; The Lord of the Rings gave rise to one of the most popular of modern game-gennres, the RPG;
On the other hand, this kind of relate has been called as cross-media. As a popular fantasy book, The Lord of the Rings became popular movie around world. With a clearly, fully understanding of the background of a video game, became a good reason that people chose it.
Further more, the lists, maps and other means of puzzle-solving and game-survival that characterise in the books are alway in the games as well. In my opinion, it makes people feel familiar.
With my own experience, when I play the fantasy RPG (of course need read the fantasy first), I feel like it is real course everything ,everyone has in my mind. That is a special feeling differ from normal RPG and fantasy.
Burn, A. (2005). Potter Literacy from book to game and back again: literature, film, game and cross media literacy in papers, 14(3)
Week 3:_Jing Lin
What are some archetypes (e.g. common character types)of fantasy fiction?
According to Attebery (1980), " There are various ways a story can proclaim its fantastic nature. It can involve beings whose existence we know to be impossible." Attebery gave the example as dragons, flying horses what always appealed in the folklore tales. He also mentioned the magical objects, such as the ring in Lord of the Rings, the newspaper with the movable photo in Harry Porter. Further more, Attebery says it can proceed through events. My example is Harry Porter have to go through the wall then pass to Platform Nine and Three_Quarters. All these thing will never happen in real life but it becomes natural when it happens in fantasy. In my opinion, the most important word in fantasy is "magic", whatever a human being with magic or a magic wand even a speakable animal, and so on. May be this is the glamour of fantasy, a glamour with wonder.
Attebery.B.(1980). Locating fantasy. In The Fantasy Tradition in American Litrature:
According to Attebery (1980), " There are various ways a story can proclaim its fantastic nature. It can involve beings whose existence we know to be impossible." Attebery gave the example as dragons, flying horses what always appealed in the folklore tales. He also mentioned the magical objects, such as the ring in Lord of the Rings, the newspaper with the movable photo in Harry Porter. Further more, Attebery says it can proceed through events. My example is Harry Porter have to go through the wall then pass to Platform Nine and Three_Quarters. All these thing will never happen in real life but it becomes natural when it happens in fantasy. In my opinion, the most important word in fantasy is "magic", whatever a human being with magic or a magic wand even a speakable animal, and so on. May be this is the glamour of fantasy, a glamour with wonder.
Attebery.B.(1980). Locating fantasy. In The Fantasy Tradition in American Litrature:
WEEK 4
Why does the religious right in the US condemn fantasy, according to Cockrell (2004)? On what grounds does Cockrell defend fantasy literature, using Harry Potter as an example?
Religious groups in the US continue to publicly express their complete disapproval of the fantasy genre. It is the literal interpreters of the Christian bible who feel that fantasy literature is ‘deceit’. Deceit defined as a dishonest act essentially means a lie and so through fantasy children will learn how to lie (an evil act). Studies by Taylor and Carlson have shown that these fundamentalist parents regard fantasy as a creation of imaginative friends that in turn is an association with the devil. Parents condemn fantasy, on these grounds that they must protect their children from the devil.
Cockrell (2006) believes there are two main reasons for such unreserved judgment towards the low-level fantasy series ‘Harry Potter’. Firstly, she believes that Rowling’s decision to place Harry in the world that we live in is far too close to comfort for the ‘Pottor-phobic’ religions. According to Cockrell (2006), Christian fundamentalists assume,
‘…that the monsters and miracles of the bible are literally true, in all their ferocious splendor, then the unseen world must indeed exist, and the seperation of fact from fiction that deals with that world becomes shaky.’
This provides an insight into why Harry Potter is causing such a reaction. These anti-fantasy groups can see this parallel world as the literal reality of evil and are scared of it.
Secondly, Cockrell (2006), believes that characters in Harry Potter such as the Dursleys are ‘skillfully parodied’ versions of Rowling’s detractors. Rowling makes fun of these characters, dishonours them and questions their believes. Fundamentalists who condemn Rowling’s work can see these characters as an attack on there religion or an attack on figures who should not be questioned and try to shield their children from ‘the voice of Satan’.
Cockrell (2006), defends the fantasy genre through claiming that Harry Potter’s central idea is…
‘…mystery, which many theologians of the more experimental stripe tell us is God. For this reason, liberal theologians have no trouble with Harry. Harry frightens only those who want the answers to be the same every time the question is asked. In Rowling’s world, the answer is not the same.’
Cockrell, A. (2006). Harry Potter and the witch hunters: a social context for the attacks on Harry Potter in The journal of American culture, 29(1)
Week 5
According to Lent (2000), what place does animation occupy in Asian societies? How different is this across Asia (ie comparing China and Japan)?
Animation, or anime as it is widely known, can be defined as a form of media produced to depict traditional stories using similar techniques to that of their American counterparts (i.e Early Disney) (Lent, 2000). Using anime, many different concepts can be portrayed to the masses and can ultimately educate society and shape their morals. Furthermore, anime can be used to convey governmental and bureaucratic goals (Lent,2000).
Animation all over Asia differs as a result, as different areas have different goals, traditional stories and the like. An example of such is that of Korea and Taiwan placing a ban on Anime in regards to underlying themes of Japanese cultural imperialism (Lent,2000).
A decline in US television production in the late 1990s has created competition between different Asian societies, as each society is/was competing for the airtime on offer as a result. This competition has seen a multitude of co-productions between Asia, the Americas and Europe.
Lent, J. A. (2000). Animation in Asia: appropriation, reinterpretation, and adoption or adaptation. Retrieved 9 August, 2011, from AnimeResearch.com.
Friday, August 5, 2011
week1
Do you think comics are a children's or adult genre/media?
In my point of view comics books are for both children and adults, because the relation between text and image on comic books help children to get interested about reading and develop their imagination and learn the visual language. “It is also very important to choose the right comic books for children to read and learn the age appropriate material.” Comic books has some messages for children in to learn, for example the snow white and seven dwarf the message is people can be seem nice and kind but inwardly they are evil and satanic.
Comics are one of the most popular forms of media, the development of increasingly visual age.
According to Herg (1935), comics aimed all ages from seven to seventy seven. In fact it has appeal much wider from children first learning to read aged; and each age find level of understanding and appreciate.
Alber , A. (n.d). Top 20 Children’s Comics. Retrieved August 6, 2011, from
http://comicbooks.about.com/od/buyingcomics/tp/toptenkids.htm
Hergé. (1935). The Adventures of Tintin: The Blues Lotus. London: Egmont.
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