Satire and Humour from a Chinese Cartoonist Brush: Selected Cartoons of Hua Junwu (1983-1989)

Hua Junwu's first album of cartoons in Chinese and English contains works done between 1955 and 1982. The present selection contains works dating from 1983 to 1989. During this period, our country has been carrying out reforms and opening to the outside world, fresh air comes in; at the same time this brings in some dust, even stifling pollution. Decadent ideas and baneful practices such as adulation for the West, hankering for our old feudal culture, seeking profit at the cost of self-respect and decency, and corruption have started to spread. Venereal diseases which had been stamped out are cropping up again, pornographic publications have appeared. Trends such as selfishness and greed, departmentalism and national nihilism have been shamelessly adopted by certain people as their philosophy. In this confusing atmosphere, Hua Junwu uses cartoons to oppose these objectionable things and expresses his views.