An Imaginary Cartoonist Draws A Very Real Homeland
March 5, 2020 6:00 AM Subscribe
The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye feels like Singapore between two covers. The pressure-cooker country — tiny and polyglot, globally competitive and politically repressive — seems to have been poured into this dense book.
In fact, there is no Charlie Chan Hock Chye. Sonny Liew created him to be the cartoonist he feels Singapore needs... someone who's lived through the most turbulent decades of Singaporean history, a creator who channels seditious political opinions into potent, exciting comics.
[Inspired by this. It used to be difficult to get the history of Singapore from both sides, not just from the government-sponsored "Singapore Story". This book changed that.]
In fact, there is no Charlie Chan Hock Chye. Sonny Liew created him to be the cartoonist he feels Singapore needs... someone who's lived through the most turbulent decades of Singaporean history, a creator who channels seditious political opinions into potent, exciting comics.
[Inspired by this. It used to be difficult to get the history of Singapore from both sides, not just from the government-sponsored "Singapore Story". This book changed that.]
I received a copy of this for Quonsmas-before-last! Highly recommended!
posted by jedicus at 7:13 AM on March 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by jedicus at 7:13 AM on March 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
This book is great! Read it! The ending is also one of the most touching moments I've read in a book.
posted by destrius at 8:16 AM on March 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by destrius at 8:16 AM on March 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
Must get my hands on this.
posted by Mrs Potato at 11:03 AM on March 5, 2020
posted by Mrs Potato at 11:03 AM on March 5, 2020
Thanks for the post, Cardinal Fang!
posted by Bella Donna at 11:54 AM on March 5, 2020
posted by Bella Donna at 11:54 AM on March 5, 2020
Picked up a copy of this before spending a few days in Singapore recently. It’s really worth getting hold of.
posted by poseathon at 2:05 PM on March 5, 2020
posted by poseathon at 2:05 PM on March 5, 2020
Can't wait to order this. Oh wait, it's not banned, I'll look for it at Changi next week.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 10:18 PM on March 5, 2020
posted by TWinbrook8 at 10:18 PM on March 5, 2020
Nope it's not banned, although the government (National Arts Council, NAC) did withdraw the grants they originally gave the author, due to the book containing "sensitive content".
I took way too long to get down to reading the book, and only finished it last year; by then most people had already read it years ago and I didn't really have anybody to talk to about it, and I had SO MANY THOUGHTS. If anybody here wants to start a fanfare for the book that would be great!
posted by destrius at 10:41 PM on March 5, 2020
I took way too long to get down to reading the book, and only finished it last year; by then most people had already read it years ago and I didn't really have anybody to talk to about it, and I had SO MANY THOUGHTS. If anybody here wants to start a fanfare for the book that would be great!
posted by destrius at 10:41 PM on March 5, 2020
« Older New Dixie Chicks? Yes! New Dixie Chicks! | Can You Really Hire a Hit Man on the Dark Web? Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by gusottertrout at 6:57 AM on March 5, 2020