The most poignant reply to the question, "Who am I?", may well be found in a caricature of the questioner. Thus, the people of the Republic of China had been (understandably) hanging on an answer, to be provided by world-famous cartoonist Ranan R. Lurie in his effort to create an impelling international cartoon-image for modern Chinese.
Lurie's new image is "Cousin Lee," a lithe, youthful character who made his first public appearance in a martial arts stance—leaping in challenge and sporting a ROC flag on the breast pocket of his kung-fu outfit. The aggressive posture is effectively offset by a dominant head and contrasting facial features, with which Lurie seeks to convey combined characteristics of sympathy and resolution that have impressed him about the Chinese people.
Reporter Chen Ho, in the Chinese language daily China Times, noted his first impressions: He liked Cousin Lee's strong facial features-fixed jaw, striking eyebrows, and expressive eyes, but was a little put off by the up-turned snub nose, half smile, and taxi-cab door (full-fan type) ears. Chen felt that the heavy, sensual lips, rather than favoring the countenance, resulted in a supercilious expression.
Lurie, who says that he depends on such reactions to assess the value of his work as art, may feel well satisfied that he has made his mark with Cousin Lee: Prior to the unveiling of Cousin Lee at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum by Secretary-General to the President Shen Chang-huan in mid-December, Lurie had told an enthusiastic press that while he certainly hoped that the great majority of people would like Cousin Lee, it was the adverse criticism of 10 to 15 percent that would really confirm the caricature's identity.
The world's most widely published political cartoonist, Lurie first visited the Republic of China in 1977. His first-hand impressions of the people here struck him then as a far cry from long-term stereotypes and the propagandized image disseminated by the nation's enemies. What surprised him particularly was the modern, vital society he found, with the people "looking very American or European."
Lurie's cartoonist's career grew out of twenty-two years of reporting and editing (always coupled with cartooning), after which, specializing in his natural choice, he served in America and other parts of the world, including stints with the West German daily Die Welt, the London Times, and Japan's leading daily, Asahi Shimbun, as political cartoonist/analyst. In his career travels, he built up extensive contacts in both the journalistic and political worlds, facilitating access to inside news.
Through syndication, his cartoons now appear in fifty-seven countries, sealing for the sixth year in succession his identification in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's most widely syndicated political cartoonist, with a readership of 62 million. At 53 years of age, Mr. Lurie is also chief editorial director of the Editors' Press Service and is thus influential in the dissemination of internationally oriented articles by American analysts. This is in addition to the work on his regular political cartoons and to development of a new, animated-cartoon TV service. Lurie's own career structure promises wide exposure for Cousin Lee if the perky caricature only rides the ready band wagon.
Lurie, in an interview, detailed his work methods: He may phone a minister in London, a journalist in Turkey-people around the world with whom he has worked and whom he trusts for reliable information. His political-cartooning aim is to correctly define the outcome of a developing situation. And it is in carrying off such predictions that he gains the most stimulus from his work.
Discussing the feedback, he noted that he receives a lot of letters, "both fan mail and hate mail—the better the cartoon, the more the hate mail." He added that he attracts a mass of "strong Communist hate mail, since I don't believe any society should need to put a large percentage of its citizens in concentration camps."
Of the many political leaders he has interviewed, he mentioned some that had particularly impressed him: "President Sadat...a very sincere and wise man," and "President Reagan... contrary to (Washington) rumors, I find him a very wise leader."
Lurie visualizes the war-and-peace balance in the current global situation as a drawing of a world rent in two, with a little safety pin labeled "Goodwill" holding the halves together. He described his fundamental expectations as optimistic, "a global peace following small, conventional wars."
Right, Dr. King-yuh Chang, director-general of the ROC Government Information Office, presents an award to Cousin Lee look-alike-cartoon-contest winner Shen Chia-chi as a beaming Lurie looks on.
As to Cousin Lee's role in all this, Lurie explained that Cousin Lee arose from the same need he identified when contemplating "Tarosan," the modern caricature he created in 1983 as the representative of Japan. The need was for a political cartoon-image on the order of Uncle Sam, now established for 200 years, or of John Bull, with a 300-year history characterizing the British abroad, or the Russian bear.
For Japan, the existing image possibilities were plentiful—the graceful, kimono-clad geisha, fierce samurai warriors, or immovable sumo wrestlers. But, working in Japan at the in 1983, Lurie searched for a figure representing modern Japan; he ultimately came up with Tarosan, then used the resources of this paper (With a daily circulation of 12 million) on behalf of the new symbol. His aim was to create an image compatible with the gentleness, competence, modernity, and tradition that he found in present-day Japan and to steer the world away from the hackneyed cartoon-stereotypes of grinning, camera-slinging Japanese on the run—these irked his sensibilities, and he felt strongly that they damaged the Japanese image internationally.
Lurie also became aware that the Chinese had international identity problems for political cartoonists and, during a July visit to the Republic of China last year, began putting together a folio for use in developing the idea that' became Cousin Lee. Lurie chose the name "Lee" as being easily manageable in the English-language press. The likeness itself was more painstakingly pieced together from interviews and sketches of over 200 representative Chinese drawn from all strata of society; fishermen and farmers, tradesmen, administrators, and military all added their contributions. During this visit to Taiwan, Lurie traveled the island and even visited the ROC fortress isle of Kinmen, in sight of the Communist- controlled mainland.
Sensitive to speculation as to why he, particularly, should be creating international images for the Japanese or Chinese, Lurie preempted the question for this interview by pointing out that Uncle Sam, himself, was originated by a non-American.
The winning student version of "Cousin Lee."
The problems with locally-created images can be seen in the results of a contest sponsored by the Chinese language United Daily News in September last year, for an image to represent the Republic of China. The two winning entries depict two characters who are innately local in their appeals. The more traditional is a middle-aged, pyjama-clad character practicing his kung-fu exercises; the other is a young film-star type, dressed formally though in kung-fu pose. Neither could be expected to be participating in the international scene.
The unveiling of Cousin Lee launched much soul searching among the people of the ROC as to what they see as their proper image. Most media discussion has focused on traditional images. A good example is a full-page spread in the United Daily News under the headline, "What Are Chinese Like?", that put the question to several prominent writers. Invariably, they fell into historical anecdotes, then drew up characters typifying various high-tides of Chinese cultural achievement.
When Lurie was specifically asked how Chinese cartoonists might go about trying to get published abroad, he gave some practical advice about sending out as much work of quality as possible. Then he particularly warned that artists must present images that appeal to international audiences—that not only resemble the subject-persons physically, but also express particular traits of character, and not only mental qualities, but mental potential.
Cousin Lee, says Lurie, straightforwardly expresses real dreams and ambitions, and those are his dominant characteristics. He is situated globally in circumstances of confrontation ... and he is set to deal with it. "There is no monkeying around with Cousin Lee; he lets you know where you stand. After years in polite England, cagey Germany, and delicate Japan, in Taiwan I found this attribute, being straightforward, the most distinct feature of the Chinese character," said Lurie.
Lurie proposes that "Cousin Lee represents Chinese people, period—in Malaysia, Singapore, mainland China, and even San Francisco ... he is first and foremost Chinese, like a torch in the dark." But, he added, "he thrives mainly in the ROC, and carries the ROC flag."
Elaborating on differences between Cousin Lee and Tarosan, he remarked that because Lee reflects different things, he is jollier and more robust. "Cousin Lee has more dramatic missions to accomplish immediately. Japan is not (the object of) directly hostile opponents, as is the Republic of China.... Cousin Lee, because he is concerned with economic and military survival, is tougher, rougher, and more assertive than Tarosan. Tarosan is more manipulative."
Tarosan has become established among the international lineup of political caricatures. It may be assumed that Cousin Lee will follow suit. Those Chinese with reservations about him and his origins at the tip of a Western pen will probably have to accept him as he is. Personally, I join Chen Ho and this group in the reservations I have about Cousin Lee. Perhaps, also, his is more an image of the Republic of China on Taiwan, rather than of the Chinese population of the entire Pacific region that Lurie would hope he represents. In any case, his future adventures will be surely followed with intense interest.