In the preface to his latest comic book Absolute
Children (Juedui Xiaohai), Taiwan cartoonist Zhu
Deyong says that he had previously never considered doing a book
about children because he "hated children."
After his son was born, he hid in his study for three days, too
upset to utter a word. His wife Feng Manlun sighed and said: "Well,
I'll raise this child."
But Zhu's son turned out to be his good friend and changed him.
When the boy turned 9, Zhu decided to write his first book about
children, Absolute Children, to help people rediscover the
innocence of their childhood.
"I hope the book can bridge children's world and adults' world,"
Zhu told Shenzhen readers when signing copies of Absolute
Children at Shenzhen Book City on Saturday.
Shenzhen was the last leg of Zhu's national promotional tour for
Absolute Children. In every city he visited, the
41-year-old cartoonist was received like a star.
The new book, which hit the mainland market about a month ago, is
welcome news for fans of Zhu, whose most popular book,
Pink
Ladies, was adapted to TV several years ago.
Absolute Children is also slated to be turned into an
animation series soon, Zhu said.
Hundreds of young parents and children waited in line for a
signed copy of the brightly colored comic book Saturday, clear
evidence of the popularity of the Taiwan cartoonist here.
Zhu, who majored in film at college but become a professional
cartoonist at the age of 29, is the best-known Chinese cartoonist.
His hilariously entertaining comic books have been read by
thousands of millions of people all around the world.
His most popular series include Family Warfare
(Shuang Xiang Pao),"which examines the forever-raging
battle between men and women; Pink Ladies (Fen Hong Se
Nu Lang), which depicts the lives of four women who share the
same apartment in Taipei, and The Hipsters (Cu Liu
Zu), which describes single life in Taipei from the
perspectives of both men and women.
Absolute Children is aimed at "children who don't want
to grow up" and adults who "want to return childhood," said Zhu,
who insists that "childhood is at the heart of everybody."
Zhu's Absolute Children features six fun-loving
children who are troublesome in the eyes of their parents and
teachers. One of the children is based on Zhu's son, Zhu
Zhongwei.
The series explores the innocent world of children, the
absurdity of adults from the children's perspective, as well as the
constant battles between children and parents.
Zhu Deyong's humor and philosophical observations make it as
hilarious and thought-provoking as any of his previous
best-sellers.
Zhu said he rated his new book, on which he spent five years, as
the "funniest book" he had ever written.
Like his other books,
Absolute Children has four images in
each page, which together tell a self-contained story, while
following a loose plot.
Compared with his earlier comics, Absolute Children has
more fun than satire. If there is satire, it's about adults.
The children's innocence often mirrors the absurdity of the
adults.
To quote a couple of lines from Absolute Children:
"Father: We are an aristocrat family. I'm an aristocrat father,
she is an aristocrat mother, and you are an aristocrat child.
Mother: We live in an aristocratic house. We use aristocrat
things. Our friends are aristocrats. Everything around us is
aristocratic.
Child: There is an aristocratic fly in my aristocratic
soup!"
Zhu said the book was based on memories of his childhood and his
son.
His own childhood memories, however, are far from happy. He said
he was an "egoist" as a child, who would not do anything he
disliked or make friends with anyone he disliked.
"I was a combination of Pitou, Wumao, and Taoyan," said Zhu,
referring to the three naughty boys in Absolute
Children.
In a society where children are expected to follow every word of
their parents, children such as Zhu are certain to be regarded as
troublesome. Zhu said his childhood was an endless struggle with
parents and teachers.
While raising his own child, however, Zhu finally discovered
that he hated children simply because he was unwilling to recall
his own childhood, and the compromises he made with adults.
He said he decided not to let his son follow the same path. He
never forces his son to attend extra classes, and plays with him
often.
His son has not faced the difficulties he himself experienced,
and even managed to enter a well-known high school.
While playing with his son, Zhu said he experienced a happy
childhood, which inspired him to write Absolute
Children.
"My son solved my psychological problems," said Zhu.
Zhu wrote his first book about children,
Absolute Children, to help people rediscover the innocence
of their childhood. Hundreds of young parents and children waited
in line for a signed copy of the brightly colored comic book
Saturday, clear evidence of the popularity of the Taiwan cartoonist
in Shenzhen.
(Shenzhen Daily August 1, 2007)
