Writer who combines fables with cartoon art
Print Edition
When talking about Chinese cartoonists, almost everybody would think of Ding Cong (1916-2009), a famous painter who drew a huge number of cartoons, including illustrations for Lu Xun’s novels and work by playwright Lao She. However, few people know the name of Chen Siyi who had cooperated with Ding for more than 20 years. Their book — “Double Hundred Illustrated Fables” — has proved to be a bestseller.
Chen’s family was from Jiading. In 1937, when China’s War of Resistance against Japan broke out, the family left Shanghai before it fell into the hands of the Japanese. They made their way westward through the cities of Wuhan, Xi’an and finally arrived in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province. Chen was born in Chengdu in 1939.
In 1947, after the war was over, Chen’s family moved back to Shanghai. Chen entered Yangzheng Primary School and later transferred to Gaoqiao Primary School in Pudong. His grandparents were homesick and moved back to Jiading.
Later, Chen moved to Beijing for middle school education with his aunt, and was enrolled in Fudan University in Shanghai majoring in Chinese Literature in 1958.
Chen graduated in 1962 and started to work at the university. In 1975, Chen was transferred to the Xinhua news agency’s Hunan branch and five years later he was again transferred to Beijing to become an editor at the then newly founded official magazine Outlook. Chen worked there until his retirement.
As an editor, Chen did a lot of writing. At the same time, to make the work more light-hearted, Chen used classical Chinese to write fable stories.
First partner
He believed it was better to use an illustration with each one. So he paid a visit to Chinese cartoon master Hua Junwu (1915-2010). Hua thought the stories were interesting but his painting style did not fit them so Hua recommended Ding Cong.
Several days later, Chen visited Ding with his articles and Hua’s recommendation. Ding read all the articles and agreed to work together.
Since then the articles by Chen accompanied by the drawings by Ding appeared in magazines and newspapers such as the New Observer, Method and Learn & Research.
In 1990, Yang Zhishui, editor of the magazine Reading, visited Chen and asked him to write a column. From 1991, the magazine’s inside front cover was reserved for Ding and Chen’s illustrated fables. When they reached their 100th issue, Chen wrote an essay entitled “It’s better to stop” which implied the end of the column but the editors insisted they carry on.
The column didn’t stop appearing until it reached its 200th issue. At that time Ding’s health was not good enough to allow him to keep on drawing.
Although the column was suspended, readers were still waiting eagerly for new articles to be printed.
So Chen asked another Chinese painter Huang Yonghou to replaced Ding, and the new column “Talk on the drawing” debuted.
Time flies. Chen and Huang’s cooperation also continued for more than 20 years and they have published several selections of their work, with good comments from readers and critics.
Apart from Ding and Huang, Chen also cooperated with other illustrators such as Fang Cheng and Xie Chunyan.
Chen said that articles and drawings can not only inspire each other but also benefit each other.
Chinese tradition
Articles accompanying drawings is a Chinese tradition.
The cooperation of illustrator and writer did not have adverse effect on each other’s style and thinking. They can reach an agreement, they can disagree with each other and there can even be conflicts between drawings and articles.
Only such cooperation can stimulate each other’s talent and specialties.
Chen’s interest in Chinese ancient poetry and classical Chinese essays was first influenced by his grandmother.
She was almost illiterate but had a perfect memory. She had listened to many pieces of tanci, a local art form of storytelling to the accompaniment of stringed instruments, which were all in classical Chinese.
Young Chen had great fun listening to his grandmother tell stories. During the storytelling, his grandmother would recite the original classical Chinese lines. These tones and rhymes left a deep impression on Chen.
When he was in high school, a textbook had a good selection of classical Chinese texts. With good interpretation by the teachers, Chen became more interested in Chinese classic literature.
His university days made Chen nurture the habit of reading classical Chinese articles.
During the past 30 years, Chen has tried many types of essay forms from fable to casual literary notes, from classical Chinese to vernacular Chinese, from prose to poetry then blending the both to create his own style of writing, so as to achieve a better result when he wrote to sarcastically criticize people’s bad behavior and social ills.
He did not expect to change the world overnight or by himself but he was full of hope.
Chen remembers Jiading with affection. He has been back several times, but some places he remembers from his childhood have gone in an age of huge transformation.
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