Mnemocomics: The San Mao comics strips as Agents of History and Memory in The People’s Republic of Chin
2025-11-25
– 2025-11-25
09:30
- English
It is our pleasure to invite you a seminar with Laura Pozzi, chaired by Tomasz Rawski on the subject of "Mnemocomics: The San Mao comics strips as Agents of History and Memory in The People’s Republic of China".
The seminar will take place online, 25 November at 9:30am CET.
Please register using this link in order to participate:https://uw-edu-pl.zoom.us/.../NTsaTdi_QjWiR5_7JtvfHA...
Abstract
This paper investigates the process through which comic strips become agents of historical commemoration. Comics’ ability to activate the past is well-studied (Chute 2016), but what happens once comics representing historical events become history
themselves? This paper answer these questions analysing the history of San Mao Joins the Army (1945) and The Wondering Life of San Mao (1947-1949), arguably China’s most popular comic serials. Created by cartoonist Zhang Leping, these comics follow the adventure of the fictional child San Mao during the War of
Resistance against Japan and the Civil War. While San Mao’s adventures were fictional, Zhang drew inspiration from his own life and events he witnessed. San Mao’s strips are now celebrated in museums and used in public events to commemorate war and revolution. How did these drawings ceased to be art to become historical documents? What happen when the strips become used for educational purposed or celebratory exhibitions in museums? The case study of the San Mao strips allows for a wider exploration of what I call mnemocomics, visual narratives concerning events that took place within the reach of the artist’s memory and that nowadays are employed as historical evidences.
themselves? This paper answer these questions analysing the history of San Mao Joins the Army (1945) and The Wondering Life of San Mao (1947-1949), arguably China’s most popular comic serials. Created by cartoonist Zhang Leping, these comics follow the adventure of the fictional child San Mao during the War of
Resistance against Japan and the Civil War. While San Mao’s adventures were fictional, Zhang drew inspiration from his own life and events he witnessed. San Mao’s strips are now celebrated in museums and used in public events to commemorate war and revolution. How did these drawings ceased to be art to become historical documents? What happen when the strips become used for educational purposed or celebratory exhibitions in museums? The case study of the San Mao strips allows for a wider exploration of what I call mnemocomics, visual narratives concerning events that took place within the reach of the artist’s memory and that nowadays are employed as historical evidences.
