"《The Curious Pictures》Episode"

Author: Ding Cong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-04-01
Features: I first met Xiao Ding in 1932 when I was working as a scriptwriter at the Mingxing Film Company. I made friends with some people in the art world, introduced by either Hu Kao or Guangyu, though I can no longer recall. He had already made a name for himself in the comic world at that time, pioneering the use of fine-line painting in comics, which left a deep impression on me. One of his close friends told me, "This is genetic, because his father Ding Song was a renowned fine-line painter in the Jiangnan region during the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China." Our friendship deepened after the War of Resistance, as I became an inseparable confidant of Xiao Ding. From the war to the liberation of the nation, it was an era of profound social transformation, a time of upheaval and change. This was also the period when Xiao Ding was most prolific in his art. He was an artist rather than a social activist, but he had a kind heart and a keen eye for discerning societal flaws. Comics and essays were like sharp weapons, and with his skillful hands, Xiao Ding exposed and satirized the tragic, pitiful, and absurd phenomena of that time and society. His work was seemingly light but deeply profound, revealing the bigger picture in the small details. Every drawing made readers smile with a sense of bitter understanding—this is what the Buddha would call "striking the nail right on the head." Xiao Ding was a natural optimist. Even during the difficult years of the war, and when he was unjustly treated and exiled to the Beidahuang region in 1957, he remained cheerful, rarely seen with a frown. He was always willing to help others without considering himself. Newspapers and magazines would ask him to draw cartoons, design covers, or create portraits, and he would almost always say yes. The headshots for the Reading magazine were all his work. Counting the years, he has been engaged in cartooning for more than half a century, leaving behind a record of this extraordinary era with his masterful brushwork. I am delighted to learn that the Ding Cong Comic Series is about to be published, because through these drawings, we can not only see this era and society but also the artist's style and character. I am fond of people like him and the art he creates. I have written these words to express my heartfelt sentiments as a friend.