The three ammunition cartridges fascinate me. Are they suspended in midair, or falling in unison from a level surface without tumbling? Or perhaps the artist meant to portray the bullets as having been fired, but only had whole cartridges with intact casings to model his or her work upon?
Also, is the jewel in the lower left shining a spotlight on his groin? Does the pyramid mean he is a member of the Illuminati? Perhaps the five guys in the queue queue are an astral projection from his illuminated mind?
He does seem to be sort of theatrical with his gesturing, as in, “Voila, five stereotypical Chinese guys and a jewel that highlights my privates! This is indeed the secret of life!”
I wonder if the row of Chinese stereotypes is a reference to the old “Marching Chinese” head-scratcher? Supposedly, if you sit down and have the entire population of China march in single file past you, the line never ends, since new Chinese are born at least as fast as individuals pass you. It’s about reproduction, overpopulation, (fear of foreigners), etc., so it might fit in a book entitled “The Secret of Life.”
Yeah, that’s pretty damn 60’s — big bullets and tiny Vietnamese people. And booze with tits. Bet the artist just painted his flashbacks to tripping.
Not to be confused with James Taylor’s song “Secret O’Life”, which… yeah OK there were 60’s drugs, but at least you can sing it and your mother won’t look at you funny for it.
I’m only surprised the artist resisted the punny impulse to paint the booze as a jug instead of a bottle. And how did dude’s left hand get so mangled?
The 80’s reboot of “I dream of Jeannie” was panned for overt racism and stylistic differences from the 60’s original. Though around half the viewing audience approved of the changes to Jeannie’s costume.
Maybe he was trippin’ about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Five_Chinese_Brothers
(interesting retelling of an old folk tale, but if it has been republished recently, I hope someone has updated the illustrations…)
@BC: Two thumbs up from me for that. He’ll still have two thumbs after the bullets take out his head, even if one of them (and the whole hand) is literally gnarly. Hope the levitating Asians are doing so under their own power, else they might fall to their tiny deaths.
@Emster: A quick Google shows they have NOT! I looked upon the South American river and the website of Random Penguin, and there it is in all its 1930s, er, glory?
I read it so long ago that the stereotyping didn’t bother me, because no whites cared back then. Nowadays, yikes. Double yikes since several of my neighbors and my state congressman are Han, and there are so many great noms at the Chinese supermarket.
@Tat: now you’ve got me wanting a set of ducks and a “muriel” for the wall… I’ve got a mini Groot on the mantle, so I’m not one to judge.
@Max: The book didn’t go into their garden skills, but seemed not unlike a Dukes of Hazard episode… Regardless, I would not want to be seen reading either of them on the bus.
The Wikipedia article that Emster links says that “The Five Chinese Brothers” is a retelling of a Chinese folk tale, Ten Brothers. So the number can vary.
I remember reading the book.
I agree, the Wiki article clearly states that different Chinese ethnicities had varying numbers of brothers. For a kids’ book, no more than five is probably better.
The southern peoples tend to have more brothers — is it the climate? The Han having become dominant, five is all the West gets.
It’s a fun story, and republishing it with modern art would be good. It might need a few words changed.
@BC: I particularly remember sea-swallowing brother, he’s the main character.
Oh, I had a copy of “Ping” when I was a kid. Delightful little book, or so I remember.
“Five Chinese brothers” also reminds of some European fairy tales which feature an ensemble of strangely powered individuals, including another sea-swallowing dude.
There’s also the Indigenous Australian tale of Tiddalik the frog who drank all the water: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiddalik. There are several books retelling the story–I think my kids had the one by Barbara Ker Wilson.
@Bruce: I re-read “Ping” in my 30’s and it was still delightful.
I also remember a few years ago getting a kick out of the probable oldest fairy tale in undifferentiated Indo-European going back to the Bronze Age (“The Smith and the Devil” in English).
There are many covers and adverts we’ve raised an eyebrow at for… non-quality reasons (not that there’s anything wrong with that), and our suspicions have been proved and are on exhibit:
February 10th, 2021 at 9:04 am
This looks like an Absolute Vodka ad!
February 10th, 2021 at 9:37 am
Woah, buddy, I think you’ve had enough.
February 10th, 2021 at 11:01 am
So, booze, boobs, bullets, and inexplicable racism then?
February 10th, 2021 at 12:35 pm
The artist absolutely nailed the 60’s hippie clothing, hair, and drug of choice. It’s like watching that hippie ep of ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’.
February 10th, 2021 at 1:05 pm
If I could save girls in a bottle, the first one I’d save would be you…
February 10th, 2021 at 3:44 pm
Bullets, Asians, Sixties. Must be a ‘Nam book.
February 10th, 2021 at 3:50 pm
Upper left:
Queue queue
Han in Hand
February 10th, 2021 at 4:04 pm
Lower right: I think I’ll have a nip.
February 10th, 2021 at 5:01 pm
That’s a fancy drink: with mescal, the most you get is a worm.
@GSS, Tor Mented
February 10th, 2021 at 8:48 pm
The three ammunition cartridges fascinate me. Are they suspended in midair, or falling in unison from a level surface without tumbling? Or perhaps the artist meant to portray the bullets as having been fired, but only had whole cartridges with intact casings to model his or her work upon?
Also, is the jewel in the lower left shining a spotlight on his groin? Does the pyramid mean he is a member of the Illuminati? Perhaps the five guys in the queue queue are an astral projection from his illuminated mind?
He does seem to be sort of theatrical with his gesturing, as in, “Voila, five stereotypical Chinese guys and a jewel that highlights my privates! This is indeed the secret of life!”
February 10th, 2021 at 9:26 pm
I wonder if this was inspired by Poe’s great short story “Ms. Found in a Bottle.”
February 10th, 2021 at 9:53 pm
Missus in a bottle
I’ll send sexy chick to the world
February 11th, 2021 at 12:24 am
@fred: Or the hippy episode of Star Trek.
February 11th, 2021 at 12:31 am
I wonder if the row of Chinese stereotypes is a reference to the old “Marching Chinese” head-scratcher? Supposedly, if you sit down and have the entire population of China march in single file past you, the line never ends, since new Chinese are born at least as fast as individuals pass you. It’s about reproduction, overpopulation, (fear of foreigners), etc., so it might fit in a book entitled “The Secret of Life.”
February 11th, 2021 at 5:28 am
@BC – Perhaps you are thinking of E.A. Poe’s “A Tell-Tale Tart”
February 11th, 2021 at 5:46 am
@B’Mancer—Now that you mention it, yeah, or maybe “The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pimm’s.”
February 11th, 2021 at 8:37 am
Yeah, that’s pretty damn 60’s — big bullets and tiny Vietnamese people. And booze with tits. Bet the artist just painted his flashbacks to tripping.
Not to be confused with James Taylor’s song “Secret O’Life”, which… yeah OK there were 60’s drugs, but at least you can sing it and your mother won’t look at you funny for it.
I’m only surprised the artist resisted the punny impulse to paint the booze as a jug instead of a bottle. And how did dude’s left hand get so mangled?
@griz: GSS!
February 15th, 2021 at 3:05 am
“If Billy has five Red Guards and three bullets and one naked genie in a bottle… how many things does he have?”
February 15th, 2021 at 9:48 am
The 80’s reboot of “I dream of Jeannie” was panned for overt racism and stylistic differences from the 60’s original. Though around half the viewing audience approved of the changes to Jeannie’s costume.
July 11th, 2023 at 3:19 pm
A cover so confused the giant floating pyramid doesn’t even get a look in.
July 11th, 2023 at 6:20 pm
Has anyone said “Behind You!” yet?
July 11th, 2023 at 8:13 pm
@BC: No, they haven’t! GSS!
Although, if the bullets/cartridges are traveling in the normal fashion, a shout of BEHIND YOU! would be too late.
We’re going to have to ask the referees to decide if the pyramid deserves Ting! Though the junk-highlighting jewel definitely seems Ting!
July 12th, 2023 at 1:17 am
Maybe he was trippin’ about this book:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Five_Chinese_Brothers
(interesting retelling of an old folk tale, but if it has been republished recently, I hope someone has updated the illustrations…)
July 12th, 2023 at 8:06 pm
@GSSxn—Maybe it should be “BEHIND YOU! Oh, never mind . . .”
July 12th, 2023 at 8:46 pm
@BC: Two thumbs up from me for that. He’ll still have two thumbs after the bullets take out his head, even if one of them (and the whole hand) is literally gnarly. Hope the levitating Asians are doing so under their own power, else they might fall to their tiny deaths.
@Emster: A quick Google shows they have NOT! I looked upon the South American river and the website of Random Penguin, and there it is in all its 1930s, er, glory?
I read it so long ago that the stereotyping didn’t bother me, because no whites cared back then. Nowadays, yikes. Double yikes since several of my neighbors and my state congressman are Han, and there are so many great noms at the Chinese supermarket.
July 13th, 2023 at 4:17 pm
Maybe the bullets and cringy-coolies were his equivalent of the Beswick Mallards
https://backonstreet.blogspot.com/2010/09/history-of-hilda-ogdens-flying-ducks.html perhaps someone misunderstood the term ‘mandarin’ in this context.
July 13th, 2023 at 5:09 pm
@Emster and @GSS
The question it’s worth bearing in mind is whether any of the five brothers had mad horticultural skills:
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388504887i/20404124.jpg
July 13th, 2023 at 6:51 pm
@Tat: now you’ve got me wanting a set of ducks and a “muriel” for the wall… I’ve got a mini Groot on the mantle, so I’m not one to judge.
@Max: The book didn’t go into their garden skills, but seemed not unlike a Dukes of Hazard episode… Regardless, I would not want to be seen reading either of them on the bus.
July 14th, 2023 at 4:25 am
The number of Chinese brothers seems variable… I’ve seen six, seven and even ten. ( https://www.deviantart.com/artgerm/art/Ten-Brothers-53414793 )
July 14th, 2023 at 12:05 pm
@Bruce Alexander Munro
I know REM thought there were seven of them:
https://youtu.be/XXXQA31GBO8
July 14th, 2023 at 12:28 pm
The Wikipedia article that Emster links says that “The Five Chinese Brothers” is a retelling of a Chinese folk tale, Ten Brothers. So the number can vary.
I remember reading the book.
July 14th, 2023 at 5:59 pm
I also read it as a kid. I recall five in the version I had. All I can remember is that one of them drank the ocean.
July 14th, 2023 at 11:52 pm
I agree, the Wiki article clearly states that different Chinese ethnicities had varying numbers of brothers. For a kids’ book, no more than five is probably better.
The southern peoples tend to have more brothers — is it the climate? The Han having become dominant, five is all the West gets.
It’s a fun story, and republishing it with modern art would be good. It might need a few words changed.
@BC: I particularly remember sea-swallowing brother, he’s the main character.
Speaking of ducks and China, let’s not forget https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_About_Ping
July 16th, 2023 at 5:51 am
Oh, I had a copy of “Ping” when I was a kid. Delightful little book, or so I remember.
“Five Chinese brothers” also reminds of some European fairy tales which feature an ensemble of strangely powered individuals, including another sea-swallowing dude.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long,_Broad_and_Sharpsight
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Six_Made_Their_Way_in_the_World
July 16th, 2023 at 9:48 am
There’s also the Indigenous Australian tale of Tiddalik the frog who drank all the water: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiddalik. There are several books retelling the story–I think my kids had the one by Barbara Ker Wilson.
July 17th, 2023 at 12:03 am
@Bruce: I re-read “Ping” in my 30’s and it was still delightful.
I also remember a few years ago getting a kick out of the probable oldest fairy tale in undifferentiated Indo-European going back to the Bronze Age (“The Smith and the Devil” in English).
July 18th, 2023 at 1:24 am
There are many covers and adverts we’ve raised an eyebrow at for… non-quality reasons (not that there’s anything wrong with that), and our suspicions have been proved and are on exhibit:
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2023/jul/17/jc-leyendecker-lgbtq-advertising-new-york-museum