Credit: Hanna Barbera
Some might find it odd that I’m a fan of The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan, considering the history surrounding the character of Charlie Chan (and the theme song for the cartoon is also a bit stereotypically painful). However, I differentiate it like this: Charlie Chan the Live Action Character had a lot of iffy things about him, one of the chief things being that he was usually played in yellowface. He was also seen as a typical subservient stereotype by some Asian audiences. However, Charlie Chan the Cartoon Character seems to be totally different, chief among the differences being that he’s actually an Asian man voiced by an Asian man (Keye Luke, who origially played Chan’s “Number One Son” in the Charlie Chan films and is the only actor of Chinese descent to play him in a prominent role), and his children are not stereotypes at all. Well, in truth, his children are stereotypes, but of a different nature–they’re stereotypes of other Hanna-Barbera characters, something HB was known to do after the success of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?. Most of the Chan kids are a mix between Scooby-Doo and Josie and the Pussycats characters (Henry Chan being a mix of Fred and Alexandra–he’s always calling Stanley a ding-a-ling in a snotty tone similar to Alexandra–Stanley’s a “Shaggy”-type person with catchphrases, Suzie’s the “Daphne”, Tom is the “Velma”, Chu Chu is a type of “Scooby-Doo”, etc.). But, while they’re stereotypes of the HB system, they aren’t stereotypes of Asians. Each kid has his or her own personality, likes and dislikes, and even medical problems (for instance, Suzie is a sewing enthusiast and has chronically sore feet). They are also more identifiable to their target audience than Chan is due to something that could be considered a sad fact–they have American accents.
Anyway, when I first saw this cartoon on Cartoon Network back in the day, I was immediately taken in, even though the show is admittedly cheaply-made. I guess the reason I liked it is because I was seeing a different type of cartoon character on screen. Similar to why I love Hadji so much, I fell in love with the show because I was excited to see minority characters get their time to shine.
So, I say all of this to say that I’m so glad to have found the four Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan comic books online! The Comic Reading Library put all of the issues up on their website, and it has made for some very interesting reading. One thing I took notice of was how well the drawings are, on the whole. It would seem that a lot of care was taken in the conceptualization of the pages, which is good. I also got more emotion out of the faces than I expected to find. Whether you’re a fan of the show or never really understood it, I think this could make for some interesting reading. Make sure to click here to get to the site!
Also, since I’m talking about Chan, here’s a very neat article on the nature surrounding the idea of bringing back a re-visioned Charlie Chan movie franchise, as well as this post about the Honolulu police officer that served as the inspiration for Chan, Chang Apana. And as an aside, while there will always be arguments about Charlie Chan as as a character, the thing that keeps me coming back to the character is the fact that Earl Derr Biggers wanted Chan to be an answer to the Yellow Peril ideology that was going around during his time period. Also, Biggers made Chan say something in the book Keeper of the Keys that is very telling, both for being a minority in 1932 (when the book was published), as well as being a minority in today’s culture:
It overwhelms me with sadness to admit it … for he is of my own origin, my own race, as you know. But when I look into his eyes I discover that a gulf like the heaving Pacific lies between us. Why? Because he, though among Caucasians many more years than I, still remains Chinese. As Chinese to-day as in the first moon of his existence. While I – I bear the brand – the label – Americanized…. I traveled with the current…. I was ambitious. I sought success. For what I have won, I paid the price. Am I an American? No. Am I, then, a Chinese? Not in the eyes of Ah Sing.
(Chan talking about how a Chinese criminal views him. Wikipedia)
This is something I struggle with a lot–not being black enough for some black people, while not being “American” enough for select others who negatively about minorities. It’s a tough battle, and I’m glad that Biggers knew about that kind of dynamic that exists in minority culture.
this is v nice i like it