Ching Chow
Ching Chow was an American one-panel cartoon that was created by Sidney Smith and Stanley Link.[1] It first appeared on January 20, 1927,[1] and ran for more than 60 years, under a variety of different creators. It was distributed by the Chicago Tribune / New York Daily News Syndicate.[2] The title character was a stereotypical Chinese man with slanty eyes and a big, toothy grin. He offered pearls of Confucius-style wisdom, like "Beware of silent dog and still water."[3]
| Ching Chow | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Sidney Smith (1927–1935) and Stanley Link (1927–1957) Will Henry (1957–1971) Rocco Lotto (1975–1976) |
| Illustrator(s) | Will Levinson (1975–1976) Henri Arnold (1976-1990) |
| Current status/schedule | Concluded gag panel |
| Launch date | (first run) January 20, 1927 (second run) 1975 |
| End date | (first run) 1971 (second run) May 12, 1990 |
| Syndicate(s) | Chicago Tribune Syndicate |
| Genre(s) | Humor, gag-a-day, satire |
Publication history
Comic strip expert Don Markstein postulates that Link illustrated the strip from the beginning, with the more well-known Smith's name being attached to give the strip credibility.[2] When Smith died in 1935, Link's name was credited, until his own death in 1957. Link's former assistant Will Henry then produced the strip until it ended syndication in 1971.[2]
The strip was revived from 1975 to 1976 by the writer/illustrator team of Rocco Lotto and Will Levinson. Henri Arnold wrote and drew the strip from 1976 until it was discontinued on May 12, 1990.[4]
Concept
As with Charlie Chan, in later decades critics took contending views, finding that Ching Chow reinforced condescending Asian stereotypes such as an alleged incapacity to speak idiomatic English and a tradition-bound and subservient nature. As one critic wrote about Ching Chow, "It wasn’t as much a strip as it was a daily fortune cookie."[5]
In later years, Ching Chow was viewed by many as a secret tip sheet for playing the numbers — the panel would appear far in the back pages of the New York Daily News. In a 1978 Village Voice article, one believer is quoted as saying, "Why you think Ching Chow has been in the newspaper all these years? Because it's funny? Hah, hah."[6][7][8]
References
- Link entry, Lambiek's Comiclopedia. Accessed Oct. 28, 2018.
- Markstein, Don. "Ching Chow," Toonpedia. Accessed Oct. 28, 2018.
- "Ching Chow" samples, My Comic Art Museum. Accessed Nov. 2, 2018.
- Holtz, Allan (2012). American Newspaper Comics: An Encyclopedic Reference Guide. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. p. 104. ISBN 9780472117567.
- http://bmj2k.com/2011/08/27/the-saturday-comics-ching-chow/
- https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1299&dat=19780731&id=eA4QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aosDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5084,2267476
- Mandl, Dave. "Ching Chow's Hidden Agenda". WFMU.org.
- Kelly, John. "On Ching Chow, Lucky Numbers, and Gambling," The Comics Journal (December 2, 2015).