2024-01-19 02:54:00
Picture ①: Cover of “Pictures”.
Picture ②: Cover of the comic book “Mother-in-law Tattoo”.
Picture ③: Inside page of the comic book “Dream of Miao Country”.
Picture ④: The inner page of the comic book “Sleepwalking Tianmu Yin Leaves Farewell”.
The above pictures are all provided by People’s Fine Arts Publishing House
In the cultural field, there are such a group of time-honored brands, which are the “golden signs” nurtured by the development of the times. They can maintain traditions, keep up with trends, stay updated with the development of the times, continuously enrich cultural supplies, and better meet the spiritual and cultural needs of the people. Starting today, this edition launches a series of reports on “Promoting Cultural Confidence and Self-Strength·Time-honored Cultural Brands”, focusing on a group of publishing houses, art troupes, film studios, etc. with historical heritage and constantly innovating, and presenting their achievements on the road of cultural innovation and creation. Persistence and bold attempts.
–editor
On June 1, 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping inspected the Central Branch of the National Library of China. New Year pictures, comic strips and propaganda posters are the special collections of the National Publishing House. “These little books are all complete sets. I read them all thoroughly when I was a child, including “Mother-in-law’s Tattoo”, “Niutou Mountain”, “Gun to Pick Up Little Liang Wang”, “Double Guns Lu Wenlong”, “Xiao Shanghe”…” The general secretary was full of treasures, ” These little figurine books are very educational, and the people who drew them are all very skilled.”
Comics are a popular art form. Spending a few cents to buy a comic book and reading it intently is a childhood memory of many people.
Comics, also called comic books. The yellowed and slightly curled pages, the exquisite miniature pictures, the familiar stories… Comics have built up the cultural memory of many people.
Speaking of comic books, we cannot fail to mention People’s Fine Arts Publishing House. “The Red Ribbon of the Earth”, a landmark work in the history of Chinese comic books, and the 73-year-old “Picture Book”… Walking into the People’s Fine Arts Publishing House is like walking into the historical corridor of comic books.
“At the beginning of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, comic books were responsible for educating young people and meeting the cultural needs of the masses. People’s Fine Arts Publishing House can be said to have been born because of comic books.” said Zhou Wei, Party Secretary and President of People’s Fine Arts Publishing House.
“A comic book is a piece of cultural history”
[Scene]Book 1 of the comic book “Water Margin”: The crescent moon hangs high, and the wind blows on the old trees. In the courtyard of Shijiacun, Huayin County, Wang Jin made gestures to indicate how to adjust the angle of the weapon. A man, with his upper body naked, pushed open the window and looked at the moon, then stabbed out a three-pointed two-edged knife, and a cold light suddenly appeared. This person is called Shi Jin, his weapons are majestic, and he is very heroic. This comic strip brings together the works of more than 30 well-known painters, including Zhao Hongben, Wang Hongli, Dai Dunbang, Wang Yiqiu, and Xu Zhengping. By the mid-1980s, the sales volume of each volume reached about 2 million.
From No. 32 Beizongbu Hutong, Dongcheng District, Beijing, to No. 3 A, Dongsanhuan South Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, People’s Fine Arts Publishing House has gone through more than 70 years; from the old version of 64 format pocket book to the current 32 format color painted hardcover picture book , Chinese comic books ushered in a broader stage of the times.
Since its founding in 1951, People’s Fine Arts Publishing House has been devoted to comic books. “I Want to Read”, “Chicken Feather Letter”, “The Red Ribbon of the Earth”, “A Dream of Red Mansions”, “The Romance of the West Chamber”… “A comic book is a piece of cultural history.” Pointing to the dazzling array of comic books on the bookshelf, the general manager of the Comic Book Publishing Center of People’s Fine Arts Publishing House Editor Zou Yiqing said.
The creation and publication of comic strips are closely connected with the times. In the early days of the founding of New China, “new” comic strips using new painting styles, promoting new ideas, and conveying new concepts came into being.
Rich pictures and texts, strong storytelling and easy to read are the characteristics of comic book creation. For a time, comic books appeared in rural streets, schools and neighborhoods. With small cuts and big themes, small stories and big principles, comic strips once became a gift for parents to reward their children for their diligent study.
In the early 1980s, the Central Academy of Fine Arts opened a comic book department, bringing Chinese comic book creation to a new height. Many famous artists devoted themselves to comic book creation and produced a large number of masterpieces that combined realism and romanticism, creating a good story in the history of Chinese painting.
“The first edition of the new version of “Water Margin” published by People’s Fine Arts Publishing House has been printed for 1.5 million copies, and the second edition has been printed for 1.8 million copies.” Talking about the “comic book craze” in the 1980s, People’s Fine Arts Publishing House comic book marketing Sun Jianhu, general manager of the center, said, “There is often a rush to order before the books are even on the market.” According to statistics, in 1983, 2,100 kinds of comic strips were published nationwide, totaling more than 630 million copies, and they became very popular.
Time came to the 1990s. With the popularization of televisions and the introduction of foreign comics into the country, entertainment methods have become increasingly diversified, and comic strips that still remain in black and white tones and old styles have begun to be impacted.
In recent years, as Chinese-style comics have gradually become a trend, refreshing comic strips have once again entered the public eye. The meticulous depiction of traditional costumes and the rich oriental stories attract young people to learn about comic books and excellent traditional Chinese culture. According to Gao Jie, editor-in-chief of “Pictures and Pictures”, comic books will never go out of style. “Picture books have a very high literary standard and their artistry can stand the test of time.”
According to statistics, from 2018 to 2021, the average annual sales volume of comic books published by People’s Fine Arts Publishing House increased by about 20%. “Currently, Ma Yang can basically reach 50 to 60 million yuan, and the market is expanding.” Sun Jianhu said.
“Good comic books are made step by step with your feet.”
[Scenery]It took three months to travel from Jiangxi to northern Shaanxi. He took long-distance buses in places open to traffic, and walked and rode horses in places not open to traffic. Shen Yaoyi re-walked the Long March for the first time. When hiking over Jiajin Mountain, Shen Yaoyi almost stopped every step due to lack of oxygen, and it took him a full 8 hours to reach the top… From 1988 to 1993, Shen Yaoyi walked the Long March many times and created a masterpiece in the history of Chinese comic strips. Milestone work “The Red Ribbon of the Earth”.
6 years, 926 paintings, this is the creation time and content thickness of “The Red Ribbon of the Earth”. In 1987, Wei Wei published the novel “The Red Ribbon of the Earth”, which triggered a huge response from society. The People’s Fine Arts Publishing House decided to publish a set of large-scale comic books with more than 800 works, and the painter Shen Yaoyi was invited. Thus, a “Long March” to show history through pictures began.
“Good comic strips are created step by step.” said Li Chen, professor at Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts and director of the Comic Book Art Committee of the Chinese Artists Association.
The creation of paintings ranging from dozens to hundreds requires the creator to have a corresponding life foundation and solid painting skills. Picture design, character modeling, body language, expression interpretation, environment setting, etc. are all a test of the creator’s wisdom and ability.
If you don’t sink into life, how can you be alive on paper?
It is the daily life of the creator to go deep into historical sites to sketch and collect styles, and to revise his drafts several times. “A good painter never lets go of every detail of life.” In order to create the comic strip “The Red Wife”, Li Chen traveled over mountains and ridges to meet the red sister-in-law Ming Deying. Talking about the current life, Ming Deying doesn’t know how to express the prosperity of life. She stood up tremblingly and fished into the rice vat. Her wrinkled palms were filled with crystal clear rice grains. No words needed, this vivid scene left Li Chen unforgettable for a long time.
Zou Yiqing said that over the years, the studio of People’s Fine Arts Publishing House has trained a large number of comic book artists. But excellent painters are still a scarce resource for comic book creation. Nowadays, the artistic charm of comic books is attracting more and more young people to pursue their studies.
In the 7th National Easel Comic Exhibition, the creations of young painters accounted for about 45% of all selected works. They have active thinking and rich artistic language, and pay more attention to exploring the contemporary value of stories. “Pictures are a highly comprehensive way of creation that requires knowledge in many fields and is an attractive challenge.” said Guan Xin, a comic book artist born in the 1990s. “The comic creations of the younger generation not only retain the traditional charm, but also incorporate many elements.” New elements make it younger and more fashionable.”
An excellent comic book depends on the diligence of the artist and the intentions of the editor.
In the comic book editing room of People’s Fine Arts Publishing House, 14 editors are busy working on discussing pictures and writing scripts. “Script writing is the key to the early creation of comic strips,” said Ma Xiaoting, deputy director of the Comic Book Publishing Center of People’s Fine Arts Publishing House. It not only does “addition”, inviting experts and scholars to participate in text writing, so that the picture is more in line with the historical context, and increases the accuracy and information content of the text; it also does “subtraction”, condensing the essence of the original work, reducing the length, improving readability, and making the painting more More in line with contemporary people’s reading habits.
Script creation, picture drawing, editing and review, and printing and publishing constitute a complete chain of comic book creation; Shen Yaoyi, born in the 40s, Li Chen, born in the 60s, and Guan Xin, born in the 90s, a creative road passed down from generation to generation is slowly paved… …
“Nowadays, some colleges and universities have successively opened comic book-related majors, and some famous comic book artists have given free classes. These have provided sufficient nutrients for the ‘growth’ of comic books. I am full of confidence in the future of comic books.” Li Chen said.
“Comic books are a mirror that reflects history, records society, and witnesses the times.”
[Lens]With a click of the mouse, various classic literary images come to life. There are rich categories such as historical novels, mythological stories, modern and contemporary literature, etc.; classic comic books, treasured picture books, and out-of-print photocopied rare books are included. In 2021, People’s Fine Arts Publishing House will join forces with Station B to launch electronic versions of classic comic books in the form of “high-definition electronic versions + Internet platform reading”. A network cable brings comics closer to readers.
Today, the definition of comic strips is constantly enriched, covering various art forms such as Chinese painting, gouache, watercolor, oil painting, printmaking, and computer painting.
When you open the “Pictures”, you will be surprised by the trendy painting style and the variety of themes.
“Pictures” will usher in a new revision in January 2021. The characters in “The Legend of White Snake” are pretty and colorful, and Su Shi’s unrestrained and unrestrained way of raising a glass to the moon in “Red Cliff Ode”… Under the tide of national style aesthetics, different explorations of oriental aesthetics are presented. The comic strips’ desire for innovation and Explore, come face to face.
“Currently, we are mainly focusing on themes of China’s excellent traditional culture, revolutionary themes and advanced socialist culture. While maintaining the seriousness of the themes, we use an entertaining and educational approach to produce more high-quality comic books that are suitable for both refined and popular tastes and are suitable for all ages.” Zhou Wei introduced that in September 2023, a set of “The Fiery Age is Red” compiled from 5 series including “Yue Fei Biography”, “Three Reds and One Creation”, “Qingshan Baolin”, “Storm”, and “Heroic Sons and Daughters” “Youth” comic series was officially launched.
Comics are always new and can reach the public. At the exhibition, touch-screen digital comic strips and “moving” comic strips enrich the audience’s viewing experience; on mobile phones, readers can relive their childhood memories through electronic comic strips and audio comic strips… Comic strips use new forms and new media to accelerate their integration into the exhibition. contemporary life.
“The ‘newness’ of comic strips in the new era lies in new content, new painting style, and new expression.” In Zhou Wei’s view, new content is to reflect the life of the times; new painting style is to study new social aesthetic trends; to express new , is a dynamic expression through multimedia integration.
To this end, People’s Fine Arts Publishing House integrated its superior resources and established a comic book publishing center, realizing the transformation from traditional comic books to picture books and other diverse forms, with readers ranging in age from children to adults.
“Over the years, comic book creation has undergone great changes. We try to publish comic books for different readers.” Zou Yiqing said. On the other hand, People’s Fine Arts Publishing House has also innovated in narrative rhythm and character modeling to make comic books more “recognizable”. relative”.
For “comic book fans” who love collecting, we develop classic topics and adopt rice paper hardcover format to meet the collection needs; for mass readers, we develop the “Little Man’s Book” and “Little Man’s Book Reading Collection” series; for young children, The “Chinese Picture Books·Color Comic Story” series was launched to better meet the reading needs of parents and children.
At the same time, People’s Fine Arts Publishing House is also exploring how to combine comic books with education.
Hold exhibitions and enter campuses to better expand the social aesthetic education function of comic strips. People’s Fine Arts Publishing House has carried out the “Comic Comics into Schools” campaign in Beijing for three consecutive years, providing 1,057 primary schools with 7 sets of comic strips, with more than 600 types in each set. At the same time, we planned to launch the “Graded Reading Library of Chinese Comics for Primary and Secondary School Students” and “Textbook Painting-Chinese Comic Book Reading Library for Primary School Students” for children of different ages to choose from, which has received good market response.
Uprightness, elegance, simplicity and beauty are the pursuit of People’s Fine Arts Publishing House and the portrayal of classic comic strips. “Comic books are a mirror that reflects history, records society, and witnesses the times.” Zhou Wei said. Next, People’s Fine Arts Publishing House will continue to explore innovative ways of comic books and do more in terms of showing Chinese aesthetics, telling Chinese stories, and spreading China’s voice. Function well.
I spent my childhood with my grandma in the countryside. My parents, who are teachers, would visit me at my grandma’s house every weekend, and they would always bring a “little book” with them when they came. This was also the earliest art education I received. The “little people’s books” made my childhood full of fun and imagination. From then on, I formed an indissoluble bond with comic books. When I said goodbye to my grandma and went to elementary school with my parents, I accumulated a small box of comics. It is these “little people’s books” that nourished my love for painting, made me no longer lonely in the difficult years, and gave my childhood wings of ideals.
——Reader Yu Wei
I grew up reading comic books. In that era before television and the Internet, the county library was my favorite place to visit in my spare time. There, I read the “Pictures” for the first time. It is very different from the comic strips with themes such as “Three Kingdoms” and “Water Margin” that I collected in the past. Most of the topics in this monthly comic magazine are about people’s lives and reflect social hot spots. The authors are mostly young painters with diverse painting styles. I like it very much. For many years after that, I often went to the post office to remit money for subscriptions. My biggest expectation every month was that the postman on his bicycle would deliver the latest “Pictures” to my home.
——Reader Duan Chengbo
The above content is excerpted from “The Story of Me and “Renmei”” published by People’s Fine Arts Publishing House
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