Comics: No kid stuff

The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye (2015)

Author: Sonny Liew

In the 70s, when our minds were being moulded from a lump of mush into something of a semblance of intelligence, comics earned the unfortunate name of making delinquents out of youths. Anyone found in possession of even a page of a comic book would have to 'savour' the sweet-stinging taste of the headmaster's cane on his posterior. Such was a crime to hold a comic in school that it was only second to playing truant. It looked like the whole school administration was against pupil's having pleasure. I can understand comics can be fun but why being purposely absent from classes is equated to playing beguiles my simple brain. 

Fast forward to the future, now we have history books for secondary schools written in a comic form. As if to distance itself from its not-so-pleasant past and to cater for the short attention spanned younger generation, it is now labelled graphic novel, as if to give to give a unique aura to its name.

Herein lies the hidden philosophy. Drawing and appreciating art is somewhat as natural to us as ordinary as breathing. Before we started writing and reading, even before stringing proper sentences, we all had our hands at drawing. Scribbling, scratching, scrawling, whatever one calls it, on paper, walls or sofa, we had our hands in trying to mimic Picasso. Slowly with time, this innate desire was squashed to give way to reading and writing. Graphic representations were then expressed metaphorically, in words, not as it was in real life.

The Cover of a Secondary School Reading material.

Comic artists have the uncanny ability to look at people's faces and situation from an entirely different lens as compared to an average man. I suppose this is called 'creative juices' and viewing as a keen and a non-committal observer. People like stories, especially one with suspense and a happy ending. With this in mind, the comic artist plays his role as a stirrer of emotions and making a heavy and a potentially controversial subject to a rib-tickling situation. Lat and Zunar have mastered this art.

In this multiple award-winning book, the author tells the story of an under-appreciated comic artist who held steadfast in his belief that his way of telling stories was the way to go. He narrates the tale of an unknown Singaporean comic artist, Charlie Chan Hock Chye,  whose gem of unpublished work is of extremely high quality. He never really made it big by Singapore standards, but he did try his level best to continue to keep up with the world's best. Trusting in comics as the communication of the future he laboured on with his work, with an eye for details, he drew events of the history of Singapore in her trying years.

As the government ruled with a sort of iron fists, he had to be subtle in his representation. In one series, he depicted leaders as animals (in a Japanese era caricature, he portrayed locals as cats, Japanese as dogs, British as dogs etc.). In a sci-fi flick, two Captains with reference to Lim Chin Siong and Lee Kuan Yew fight the invincible alien invaders, denoting British.

When the rage of superheroes hit the market, Charlie introduced Roachman, a lowly nightsoil collector who obtained supernatural powers after being bitten by a cockroach. Roachman went on to champion for the little men.

The turbulent years after Malayan Independence and the uncertain era of integration with Malaya, separation from Malaysia, the left wing threat, English vs Chinese languages debate and the almost dictatorial rule of LKY over Singapore provided fertile grounds for Charlie's cartoon. 

All through the story, we can see the image of a rather sad and lonely Charlie Chan, the artist. An interesting read.

https://asok22.wixsite.com/real-lesson 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.