Viñetas en China

China, que es lugar que está naciendo para muchos (eminentemente para los predadores del capitalismo salvaje, que ven aquella población como target ideal) también tiene una larga tradición en historietas y entre su producción hallamos todo un corpus de elevado interés para estudiar las posibilidades del cómic como herramienta pedagógica y propagandística -recordemos Los comics de Mao, aquel libro de Umberto Eco, J. Chesneaux y G. Nebiolo, publicado acá por Gustavo Gili-. Recientemente ha sido "noticia", o así lo vio el equipo de redacción de la revista de cotilleos ¡Qué me dices!, núm. 411 (29-I-2005), el hecho de que se haya publicado allí un tebeo infantil de carácter pedagógico para orientar sobre el sexo y el crecimiento saludable. Dicen en la revista que "Quiero saber por mí mismo, supone un paso más en la lucha contra un tabú milenario como es el sexo en este país asiático". La noticia proviene del diario China Daily.Del mismo lugar proviene la noticia para una página web de Telépolis [>] (con sexo explícito a boca de jarro, por añadidura), que dice: "El diario "China Daily", informó que en China se ha realizado el primer comic acerca de educación sexual para alumnos de las escuelas, tanto para los de la primaria como para los de la secundaria." Cosa diferente. La noticia prosigue: "Lo que se busca es lograr una adecuada transición hacia la adolescencia
Esta ruptura con uno de los temas tabú de esa cultura, se debe a que los niños de hoy en día están más abiertos al sexo y su moral en ese sentido ha cambiado. Por consiguiente ha aumentado considerablemente el número de embarazos y abortos entre menores.
Según los expertos, los jóvenes chinos visitan con frecuencia web pornográficas para aprender más sobre el sexo porque tienen pocos más recursos, mientras que el sida podría afectar a 10 millones de personas en China en 2010 según la Organización Mundial de la Salud."
Buena cosa es utilizar el cómic para educar y mejor si es sobre algo tan sano como el sexo. En España no se han conocido muchos tebeos orientados hacia este fin, siendo uno de los más recientes el de Paco Cerrejón / Antonio Montero publicado en Sevilla hace dos festivales veleteros. Aburría pero enseñaba.
Sin salir del vasto país, el 24-I-2005 emitieron en china.org una noticia curiosa que nos deja ver como va medrando la industria de la historieta en un país tan abierto a la cultura occidental que hay quien anda temiendo porque se olviden de las tradiciones autóctonas. Así, temerosos de que los niños no accedan a otras mitologías que las de The Lord of the Rings o Harry Potter, de fuerte penetración allí en estos últimos años, han visto con muy buenos ojos como Cui Changle, un doctor en literatura china, ha participado como autor en la serie de tebeos Mitología China -es traducción del original, por supuesto- que trata de rescatar para los chavales las antiguas tradiciones, que comienzan... ¡en el siglo XXI antes de Cristo!
A ver para cuando se animan en territorio patrio a recuperar lo arcaico ibérico: Las aventuras del Hombre de Orce, podría valer para ver si los muchachuelos van haciendo oreja sobre las teorías esas de las primeras migraciones (de África a El Mundo, y... ¡hacia el Homo Sapiens!). O bien sobre Tartessos, que yo sé que hay incluso ya un tebeo hecho, y muy lindo, pero que no publican...
También hay humor gráfico en el Oriente. Precisamente en Beijing se ha organizado un concurso de este medio, el Bird2005, cuya fecha límite es en agosto de este año. Los interesados disponen de las bases a continuación (en inglés):
"BIRD2005 International Art AwardOrganizer: Beijing Natural culture centerSponsor : Beijing Jialuan art house
Changqing art fund
I) ThemeThe theme of this award is: Birds -- Being and dream According to an ancient Chinese legend, the image of mankind's ancestor combines the features of the human head and a bird's body. Celestial beings also have the feathers and wings of bird. The magpie, swallow, and peacock are auspicious creatures in Chinese traditional culture. The Phoenix, reborn from the ashes, also has particularly unique features. The bird plays an important role in many different cultures and appears as a symbol of the otherworldly soul.Among the more than 9000 varieties of birds that populate the earth, 1329, nearly 1/8 of total species exist in China. China has one of the world's largest bird populations and a lot of endangered bird species are peculiar to China. However, with the excessive use of insecticide and mankind's cruel hunting, 78 kinds of birds have been already are now listed as endangered species in China. On the migratory paths of many birds, thousands of hunters are using shotguns and nets to capture and kill them each year. In Shanghai alone, there are about 150,000-200,000 birds caught and killed each spring and autumn, among them more than a dozen endangered species. Above all, the catching and killing of the wild birds on a large scale is unexpectedly public. The wild birds are sold freely up to more than twenty or thirty kinds in rural markets. Catching and selling birds is becoming a thriving trade, resulting in a large amount of consumers in the city believing the birds do not represent life, but only delicacies on their dining table.Because of this, we and other bird organizations have many tasks. We buy birds in the markets and set them free and write articles to support protecting birds to newspapers, inform people of the importance birds in the ecological balance, and the hazard that would occur to mankind if the balance is broken, etc. We find that figures and theories are unable to evoke the love and enthusiasm of people to live peacefully with birds. At this moment, we think art, only art, can touch the soul directly. Art infects people through love and not hatred. We are holding this exhibition in order to make people understand that birds, like mankind, have abundant emotions and dreams, are the children of sunshine and wind, the spirit and envoy who brings the good luck, the symbol of inspiration, and the source of human's free consciousness. Nowadays, the meaning of the bird has gone far beyond itself into figurative imagination. We can say that the bird is one of the most interesting creatures to art and the imagination. A lot of artistic behaviors and works are based on this, from the real bird to abstract birds, the uncanny mask of bird's character and the illusion of bird hovering in dreams, the philosophical birds and metaphysics bird . . . The bird is actually a part of us, the bird means more to us than just its physical representation . . . We believe that the artists from all over the world will show the bird's embodiment of our inner world and free dreams, and show the beauty of the bird with their own works. Through the efforts of artists, people will form the habit of loving birds, and condemn the behavior of mistreating birds.
II) AwardThe Premier Award: A valuable traditional Chinese jade carving + Cash 60,000 CNY (about 7,200 USD) + Diploma.First Place Awards for the highly Commended works for 3-6 artists: Each a valuable traditional Chinese jade carving + Cash 25,000 CNY (about 3000 USD) + Diploma.Second Place Awards for commended works for at least 10 artists: Each a valuable traditional Chinese jade carving + Diploma.Cooperative Art Institution and Gallery Award for about 10 artists: cash or trophies, especially for Painting, Drawing, Printmaking and Illustration.Honorable Mention will also be awarded. The public Awards will be given according to the People's Choice during exhibition.Award artists will be considered to be judging for our next award.The cash prizes are subject to taxation according to the Chinese law.
III) Conditions of EntryThe BIRD2005 International Art Award is open to all professional and amateur artists all around the world.We only accept flat art works for this award, we will develop our bound in the next international award.There is no entry fee.Entries must be original and signed by the artists.Art works with any Medium and Style are acceptable.The Maximum format for art works are 1600mm x 1600mm.All entries should not be framed.Each artist may submit up to 5 entries. Each entries should be accompanied by the Artists' name, Address, Age, Telephone number, Email, Title, Dimensions, Medium, If sale, Value, Sale or Not, Return or donate, and Artist's Signature. Artists should to fill out the award entry form, artists may down load and print entry form from:http://211.151.89.47/bird2005/entryform.htmA homemade entry form also will be acceptable if artists could not down load the entry form by any problems. But it must include artist's full name, Age, Address, Telephone, Email, Biography, Art works title, Dimensions, Medium, Value, Sale or Not, Return or donate, Artist's Signature, Date, and a photograph of artist should be attached.The language for entry form must be Chinese or English.Entries should be sent to the organizer by postal mail.All entries must be arrived no later than Jul. 15, 2005.Entries should be sent to the address as the following:P. O. Box 100044-198Xiwaidajie Post Office, 100044, Beijing, P.R.ChinaThe charge of the post and insurance should be covered by the authors, the organizer will not be responsible for damages during transit. Organizer will guarantees all art works' safety since we receive them.
IV) Judging and ExhibitionA Judges will be made by a panel convened by Beijing Natural culture center, the Judges will include Beijing Natural culture center (1), Art critics (2), Senior Professional artist (4), Culture and Natural scholars (2), Art directors of cooperative institutions (2).Entries will be judged during Aug. 1, to Aug. 5, 2005, to select the award works. The result will be announced on Aug. 10, 2005, and organizer will hold the press conference in Beijing.The judges' decision is final, organizer will not reply any appeal.Winners will be informed by telephone, postal mail or email before Aug. 15, 2005.The first exhibition will be open at 9:00 am on Aug. 15, 2005 in Gufang gallery. Then the organizer will hold itinerant exhibitions with our cooperative institutions around China.Organizer will promote artists on TV, newspapers, webs and gallery in China.
V) ProvisionsEntries will be returned by request, or artists donate their works to Beijing natural culture center for long-term commonweal exhibitions for wild bird succor.Beijing natural culture center appreciate donors greatly, all donors will receive a commonweal certificate.Award works and donations will be included in the collection of Beijing natural culture center after exhibitions.Artists who request their works to be returned should cover all the postage and packing charge, entries which have not enough return postage will be kept in Beijing natural culture center.Artists will be informed about the return charge by organizer according to the works' weight, dimensions and the destination before Sep. 1, 2005.Entries except award works and donations have enough return postage will be returned to their authors before May. 1, 2006.All non awarded works will be available for sale in exhibitions, artists who don't agree with this must give clear indication of their entries.A commission of 10 percent(10%) of the selling price will be retained by organizer. The donors will also receive 90 percent(90%) of the selling price if donations will be sold in exhibitions.Copyrights of entries remain with their authors, but organizer have right to use entries for purpose to promote award and exhibition.Copyright remuneration will be made to the artists if organizer use non-awarded works in other cases.All participants will receive an exhibition certificate.All participants will receive a free album if organizer have actual need to publish a quality album to promote award and artists after the first exhibition.Participants accept all conditions of entry and Provisions above.VI) ContactsDirector assistant: Yuan QuanAddress.- P. O. Box 100044-198Xiwaidajie Post Office, 100044, Beijing, P.R.ChinaTelephone(Fax): +0086 10 - 66461008EMAIL: bjnacenter@yahoo.com o bjnac@bjnac.orgWeb site: http://www.bjnac.org"
¡Suerte!