By Ia Lo, Jingyi Dong, Hoang Phuong Vy Nguyen, and Miggy Cruz
We decided to create this piece because we wanted to bring up the awareness of stereotypes towards mixed raced and how that can be problematic. In the past, the mixing of races was common, and the progeny of these marriages were valued because they bridged the East and the West. In recent times, mixed race individuals are considered deviant. Cynthia L. Nakashima, one of our inspiration, breaks down the negative impression against mixed race individuals. The Secret Asian Man by Tak Toyoshima and The Boondocks by Aaron McGrude became the other inspirations for the comic strip.
We first picked Asian woman joining a dating show to express the idea of wanting to be white in order to climb up the social hierarchy. Next, we imagined who an Asian woman would want to be with in order to be recognized in such a racially slurred community. At last we put in a punch line: “Once you black, you never go back,” to include a metaphor for the notion that the mixed-race man is perceived as exotic/ attractive and/or tainted, but in reality he's not suitable for dating. We purposely made the figures more cartoon-like to make it seem light, eye-catching, and thought provoking. We use art in all its mediums to enlighten our audience about current issues that affect certain ethnic groups, and how these issues affect individuals. Our purpose for creating art is to express our views while enlightening those who view our art by turning ethnic issues into a visual form.
It's funny how the deciding factor was their race and not their occupation or attitude. This reminds me of those political cartoon you find in newspaper. Except... THIS ONE IS IN COLOR! A nice piece of art. I like how the content of mix race is very undertone. Like there is nothing wrong with her choosing the mix race guy over the other guys. I can't think of anything that needs to be improve here. Good job!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how the deciding factor was their race and not their occupation or attitude. This reminds me of those political cartoon you find in newspaper. Except... THIS ONE IS IN COLOR! A nice piece of art. I like how the content of mix race is very undertone. Like there is nothing wrong with her choosing the mix race guy over the other guys. I can't think of anything that needs to be improve here. Good job!
ReplyDeleteThe comic does a great job of reflecting the idea of mixed race people being "exotic." Also, the artist statement does a great job supporting the comic and highlighting the themes of the week. I don't think there needs to be a revision of the artist statement. As a side note, I would have liked to see the story continue further and show that "exotic-ness" is the perception of the mixed race community and, not necessarily, reality.
ReplyDeleteThe order of the last panel is a bit confusing; it would've helped to switch James's voice panel to the top so it would be the first one we read. But that aside, the comic is cute and very eyecatching in its color choices. The artist statement could use a bit of refinement -- what does a "racially slurred community" mean?
ReplyDeleteThe art is beautiful and statement fantastic. However, the cartoon and concept was slightly disconnected for me. I did not understand the punchline even when reviewing the artist statement, it made little sense. Consider clarifying better if you chose to do this for the main art project.
ReplyDeleteThe comic strip looks amazing, but I was a bit confused on what it was trying to portray. I didn't really catch the whole mixed race theme in this project and the whole punch line. The meaning behind the punch line is that once you are with a black person, you will want a black person forever and the comic strip didn't really show that?
ReplyDeleteThis comic strip continues off the discussion we had in class about others trying to become more eurocentric and mix people being considered exotic. The artist statement describes where the artists were coming from when creating the piece as well as the reasons behind their art style. I think the artist statement does a find job, no need for improvements.
ReplyDeleteThe art was colorful and was easy to follow along. The art did a good job in reflecting on the idea that mixed race can’t be seen with the naked eyes. It comes to show how multiracial people’s racial ambiguity can shape the public’s positive or negative perception and opinions of people of mixed race heritage. I enjoyed reading this comic. However, it was hard for me to grasp the concept of the artist statement. Can you explicate how an Asian woman joined a dating show to express the idea of wanting to be white in order to climb up the social hierarchy, and the punch line and its metaphor for the idea of mixed-race man is perceived as exotic? Overall, great job! The artist statement needs improvements.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy reading this comic strip and it reflects this week's theme. The art is beautifully drawn and it is exactly what I envision a sunday comic strip to look like. I'm not fully convinced how this would matches with the artist statement. A few improvements could be made on the statement, other than that great job on this art piece!
ReplyDeleteThis comic is so creative as it joins modern dating scene with issues of superficiality due to color and stereotype. As Nakashima says, "without racial identity, one is in danger of having no identity." In this comic, we see that the half white half Black potential utilized his being whiteness to gain confidence in the contest as whiteness stereotypically represent success in society and rich status. Also, he used his being as a half Black to uplift his sexual appeal as blacks are known for certain characteristics. Here the artists demonstrated what Nakashima had termed as Hybrid Vigor, wherein the mixed race person got the "best of both worlds". Over all, the art is impressive. Although, I'd improve this comic by arranging the dialogue bubbles so that it would not be as scrambled, for easier follow of the story.
ReplyDeleteThe comic touches on interracial/mixed dating and the misconceptions people have when looking at their partner's race. The statement explains parts of the comic well, but maybe try explicitly stating why other artists/writers inspired you.
ReplyDeleteThis comic was an enjoyable read. I think the bright colors and bold text made it easier to read and understand. You all did a great job in incorporating racial stereotypes that were discussed in class. The concept of mixed raced and acceptance of mixed raced people is very clear in this comic.
ReplyDeleteThe comic strip was very well drawn and scripted, very easy and fun to read! I liked how it shows the change in expression when people find out your race and more specifically the expression they make when they find out WHAT race. The artist statement was very well written and really explained the comic in terms of being "exotic" and also why this kind of art was drawn in a cartoon-light colored theme way.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand the second paragraph of the artist statement. How does the phrase "once you go black you never go back" relate to the theme of the week, the comic's punchline, and the meaning of the comic in an integrative approach? Additionally, the comic's punchline needs seems incomplete; perhaps you can extend the punchline to show the consequences of mixed race people's attempts in passing as white -- before finishing with the current last panel.
ReplyDeletereally liked your explanation in the artist statement; it really complements well with your artwork. I also enjoyed the humor that is included in your story. On most reality shows, mainstream media focuses a lot on a lot of factors except race. Your artist statement was reflective of your artwork and needs little improvement.
ReplyDeleteAs much as this is a critique on the woman, I absolutely enjoyed how you constructed the successful white man to be more than a representation of successful white people (or not?). Even though the punchline is a bit difficult to decipher, the fact that the White man desires to be some part black was a great twist to the comic.
ReplyDeleteI liked the vibe of the comic, it was very bold and colorful! The artist statement explained the comic more in depth. I enjoyed the 3 different types of "white" elegible bachelors for the single lady. I didn't really understand the last scene, possibly editing that one a bit more could've helped the punchline at the end.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed that little details and thoughts that were provoked from your piece. For one, the woman chose her date solely based on his appearance as opposed to personality or anything else evident. Another thing is that we are all aware of the racial hierarchy that exists in this country, so is it wrong to try and climb that ladder to make a name for yourself and possibly "your people"? Or do we keeps things separated with little integration or social mobility to show that we won't cave in?
ReplyDeleteI think introducing a dating game aspect to this piece was interesting. I'm not really sure how its a commentary on greater society though. I can see how it addresses mixed-race exoticness, or anti-black sentiment in asian communities?
ReplyDeleteI thought the art was very good! reminds of of US TV animation.