It seems natural for a science fiction author to have a comic book collection. But William F. Wu holds the largest of its kind. Now featured at the Asian Arts Initiative, “Marvels & Monsters: Unmasking Asian Images in U.S. Comics, 1942–1986” draws from Wu’s extensive collection of comic books featuring Asians and Asian–Americans. A pained Kamikaze pilot spirals across one cover, while another is headlined “Yellow Claw” over the subtitle “WHO…OR WHAT…IS HE??!” In another image, a dashing white man points a gun at a monster while comforting a fainting blonde (naturally).
“Marvels and Monsters” highlights the stereotypes that have colored Asian identity over the past four decades. The Brain, the Martial Arts Master, the Temptress and the Alien are all represented. Wu’s comics provide a pop culture background for the internment of Japanese–Americans, the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, economic competition with Japan and Cold War tensions with China. When they were published, these comic books were far from fringe literature. A 1945 survey by the Market Research Company of America revealed that 70 million Americans — roughly half of the population — were comic book readers. In terms of young minds, 91% of American girls and 95% of American boys were reading comic books. Clearly these representations impacted cultural and racial outlooks, and Wu has captured their historical trajectories.
Curated by San Francisco Chronicle columnist Jeff Yang, “Marvels & Monsters” encourages direct engagement with its viewers, featuring a wall of Post–it notes with visitor comments starting with “yes,” "no” or “um.” Additionally, life–sized cutouts allow visitors to physically put themselves in an image of an evil cityscape with menacing Asian towers.
An installation, "Shades of Yellow," accompanies the exhibit, matching the sunken yellow used disparagingly for Asian skin color in comics with its Pantone (TM) color equivalent.
The Asian Arts Initiative is an inviting space for artists and art–appreciators to explore asian american culture. If not to look or learn, come by to aim at the maniacal alien intruder, or at least faint
Marvels and Monsters: Unmasking Asian Images in U.S. Comics, 1942–1986 Asian Arts Initiative 1219 Vine St. Now–3/23 Free
