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 Traditional Cartoons
Cartoons actually are deeply rooted within China's long history, as
Chinese glyphs (written Chinese
characters ) are based on drawn pictures.
A famous Chinese
painting named "Han Xizai Ye Yan Tu" (Han Xizai's Night Banquet),
dating back to the 10th century, is composed of five consecutive pictures
that vividly reflect the luxurious nightlife of ancient Chinese Government
officials. Thus the painting complies with the basic definition of a
cartoon (a series of pictures telling a story; a comic strip
)...more
 New cartoons
Modern cartoon can be defined as a category of integrated art combining
drawings, literature, technology and film images, which can depict an
intact story by way of a string of immobile pictures. Understood in this
way, Chinese cartoons are latecomers on the worldwide stage.
After
the establishment of modern China in 1949 (the People's
Republic of China ), a new generation of famous cartoonists, like Wang
Fuyang, Ye Chunyang, Miao Di, and Zhan Tong, greatly developed the cartoon
industry.
However, during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), China's cartoon
art started to wither...more
 Lost and embarrassed
A survey conducted by a well-known domestic cartoon magazine shows that
about 95 percent of the Chinese cartoon market remains dominated by
Japanese and US products.
Even the original Chinese cartoons featuring similar images, dialogues,
pictures, and stories similar to those of foreign cartoons often involve
what critics have called "a kind of mendacity and affectation." ...more
 Chinese styles
It is widely acknowledged that China's own cartoons should
promote themselves on the world stage and in the local market as well,
which means the special characteristics of Chinese cartoons need to be
drawn upon for their survival and future development. Some people have
proposed that Chinese cartoonists should return to their traditional roots
in search of inspiration.
Since in China cartoons are conceived as individual
creations, the characteristics of Chinese cartoons should first be traced
to the specific personalities of Chinese cartoonists...more
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