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| Image copyright D.C. THOMSON & Co., Ltd |
Still with us? Then here's another back cover from LITTLE STAR, published by DCT back in 1972. Did you know how to pronounce Chihuahua? I always thought the 'ch' was pronounced like in 'Chitty' so just goes to show what I know. Only 8 more pages to go - I've started so I'll finish (you'll doubtless be glad to know).
Ian from Egypt? I bet he has a camel too.
ReplyDeleteNo, but his daddy does.
ReplyDeleteSo Maria's daddy has "a very large herd of cattle" which means Maria is quite well off - if Little Star really wanted to show life for the average child in Mexico then Maria would be one of 12 children and living in desperate poverty in a one-room shack.
ReplyDeleteAh, but who said DCT wanted to show the life of an average child? In fact, some people would say (not that I'd necessarily agree with them) that to portray a poor child would be to conform to a racist stereotype. Besides, there must be some people in Mexico who own ranches and have large herds of cattle.
ReplyDeleteAh, but who said DCT wanted to show the life of an average child? In fact, some people would say (not that I'd necessarily agree with them) that to portray a poor child would be to conform to a racist stereotype. Besides, there must be some people in Mexico who own ranches and have large herds of cattle.
ReplyDeleteThey do, as much as there are kids who probably live in nice suburban neighborhoods as well, don't forget Mexico City is one of the largest populated towns in the world.
Though if you want your rural, poverty-stricken Mexico the way you like it, here's an old commercial that gave me a laugh...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YBTv9ZtowY
By the way, that difference in how Spanish pronounces certain words can get on people's nerves at times. I remember those days of learning how to pronounce Mexico with an "h" for instance (similarly, the "J" sound is silent too).
It's quite good but I would only change the wording to say traditionally wear sombreros. People do still wear them for mariachi bands or costume occasions. But it would be like saying Germans wear lederhosen.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand you still do see people wearing kimonos on the street in Japan . They're usually on their way to a function though.
Thanks for that link, Chris - I'll take a peek. I suppose the comic was giving the Mexican pronunciation, as opposed to the British one. Perhaps there weren't too many of that breed of dog in Britain in 1972 - I don't know for sure 'though.
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Could be that many people still wore sombreros back in 1972, Phil, but you're probably right that the editors should have hedged their bets and said 'traditionally'. I know that Speedy Gonzales still wears one 'though.
Phil, I think the kid from Switzerland was in lederhosen, he might even have had a Tyrol hat too. To my mind, these are a little biased towards a bucolic ideal, there are no urban or semi urban settings. I think that concern is borne out, to a degree, by Colin's associations, if these tableaux were more representative, you know, showing kids going to school on bus or shopping with mum for polenta, something that was closer to reality, they would assuage those misconceptions. That's a point that's up for debate though, you gotta consider the context, at least it's an attempt to expand cultural horizons.
ReplyDeleteI think if they were 'closer to reality', DSE, they'd be pretty durn boring. If they did one on an English kid, his father would be in a bowler hat and pinstripes, and a Scottish one would have everybody in kilts, because they tend to buy into the idea of popular stereotypes. The reality? Pretty much the same as everywhere else. So the 'bucolic ideal' is understandable from the point of view of making these pages more interesting and alluring.
ReplyDeleteThat's a fair point and we are talking about pretty young nippers, probably nursery early school age? So they're just learning about the world, best to use a broad brush when trying to explain such topics to the little uns maybe? As I mentioned it's at least at start, get the kids' imagination focused on a broader world, which is how I perceive the intention of these illustrations.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Little Star was a nursery comic, so mainly aimed at toddlers. I think the intention was really just to present some pretty pictures, even more than it was to 'educate' them. Isn't it amazing how much one can suggest via 'shorthand' symbols 'though? In a movie (or a comic), put someone in a sombrero and you're in Mexico, have someone with a camel against a backdrop of sand, Egypt - someone in a kilt, Scotland, etc. It's an easy way to suggest location or nationality.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Little Star was a nursery comic, so mainly aimed at toddlers. I think the intention was really just to present some pretty pictures, even more than it was to 'educate' them. Isn't it amazing how much one can suggest via 'shorthand' symbols 'though? In a movie (or a comic), put someone in a sombrero and you're in Mexico, have someone with a camel against a backdrop of sand, Egypt - someone in a kilt, Scotland, etc. It's an easy way to suggest location or nationality.
ReplyDeleteMakes me think of a school box I use to had that featured kids representing different cultures/nationalities that was done like that.
I suppose that it's the most obvious and easiest way of doing things, Chris.
ReplyDelete