Book Review: The Comics of Asaf Hanuka: Telling Particular and Universal Stories

 reviewed by Cord A. Scott, UMGC Okinawa

Matt Reingold. The Comics of Asaf Hanuka:  Telling Particular and Universal Stories. Boston:  Academic Studies Press, 2023. 260 pp. US $40.00 (Paperback). ISBN:  979-8-8871-9213-0. https://www.academicstudiespress.com/9798887192147/

In the course of popular culture analysis, politics can often cloud the reception of works as they come out. These distortions may come from perceptions of the writers, generalizations of their background or political stance, and their attitudes towards historical events. In the case of Matt Reingold’s analysis of Asaf Hanuka’s career and body of work, the first look (and possible assumption) of Hanuka’s stands may be different that the reality of what others may deduce.

Hanuka is, as Reingold notes in his engaging biography, a niche artist whose background becomes the basis for his themes in art. Hanuka is not only an Israeli by birth and citizenship, but also Mizrahi (Jew of Arab ethnicity) not the presumed Ashkenazi (European Jew) that make up much of the Jewish population of Israel. When combined with Hanuka’s left leaning political stance, many generalizations are quickly challenged. This is the point of Hanuka’s work.

Reingold spends much of the introduction and first chapter on Hanuka’s upbringing, early work with the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) publication Bamahaneh, which he notes often took a political direction opposite what was the official line, mostly because it was not read. His formal education was in France at the Emile-Cohl School, while his twin brother, Tomer, studied art in New York. Following a few significant offers (teaching, as well as work on Ari Folman’s film “Waltz with Bashir,” work on the Holocaust themes in Carton Jaune!), Hanuka also worked on a graphic novel called Pizzeria Kamikaze. The premise of this graphic novel was about a vast necropolis network of souls who have killed themselves but have not gone to anywhere good or bad, just to the nothingness. The main character Mordy seeks to find an end to his pain but only ends up finding out that things were better in life.

Hanuka settled in and began a one-page comic on the back page of the financial newspaper Calcalist, entitled “the Realist.” This series started in 2010, and often featured Hanuka’s own life and experiences as fodder for the comic. Again, the cartoons used the general themes that Hanuka established early on:  Israeli citizenship, his Jewish religion, and his status as Mizrahi. Hanuka, by his own admission, wondered why the comic was picked up as he did not work in economic terms, and his comic was not overtly funny (p. 52). In this regard, Hanuka’s work is similar in tone to that of Paul Madonna’s recent work on All over Coffee.

Within the Realist, Hanuka often uses science fiction, fantasy and famous comic book characters to show his work. The themes in his work are often universal, stating issues that many have run across in some form, such as young children trying to wake their parents on an average morning (“Dad, Wake up,” p. 57). While working with either universal themes, or the three principal themes, Hanuka’s politics have also shown through. He often noted the comparisons between IDF forces to those of the U.S. police forces in regard to handling protests, especially from minorities (64-65). Even at the time of the writing, when Reingold was conducting interviews with Hanuka, the veiled swipes at Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu came through the cartoon “Take Care,” which told the story of immigrant workers having their children deported from Israel, tearing them from their family, while showing the perceived trauma of an Israeli child being forced to go to a relative’s house. The universal theme of unease and the unknown future is downplayed when context is known.

Hanuka also utilizes historical figures from time to time, such as Theodor Herzl, to tell of the different perspectives within Israeli politics. Other cartoons have used the mascot of Israel, Srulik, or the struggles between the Orthodox Jews who fastidiously observe holy days, versus many Jews who only have a passive relationship with holidays such as Passover. In one cartoon, Hanuka shows his family frantically preparing for Passover, which, in this case, means a trip to the beach (From Slavery to Freedom, p. 78).

The third chapter discusses the sabbatical that Hanuka took from Calcalist, to create the graphic novel The Divine. The storyline which involved U.S. contractors attempting to exploit natural resources from a mythical country, worked off the real story of the Burmese twins who ran “God’s Army” in the early 2000s in Myanmar, and was also heavily influenced by “ukiyo-e” prints, as well as the Japanese anime, “Akira.” The two main characters, Jason and Mark, often are at odds over what to do ethically while exploiting a mythical country for natural resources. Mark has a moral compass, but needs this work to accommodate a wife and child, while Jason sees the country as one for mere exploitation, as the people are simple. One important aspect of Israeli artists in general, noted by Reingold, is that because of the constant warfare in Israel’s history, there is not a lot of fantasy within comics. There are simply too many issues otherwise to tend to directly.

The fourth chapter is Hanuka’s return to an autobiographical aspect of comic story telling. The issues of being Arab in ethnicity and a Jew in religion was often one of tension, and this struggle played out in Hanuka’s history, when a great grandfather was killed by a ward he had taken in. As with any sort of family history, especially one that is controversial, the facts Hanuka uncovered and drew into the series, were far more complicated than was first relayed via family storytelling. In this more recent aspect of Hanuka’s work, the differences between the Ashkenazi and Mizrahi are more pronounced, and he takes issue with the creation myth of Israel, noting that many Mizrahi were not necessarily welcome in the new Israel, and that considerable Palestinians were displaced by the creation (p. 150). This gives Hanuka both an insider and outsider perspective on Israel (161).

Finally, there is a section on Hanuka’s new project alongside his brother. There has been a dive into non-fungible tokens (NFTs) based on the moods of people. Entitled “moodies,” the NFTs elicit a variety of art to express both engagement of the viewer, as well as express through symbols the emotions of people.

The book that Reingold has written is engaging and thought-provoking. As noted at the start, Hanuka has been able to challenge generalities through his work. His perspectives have allowed different groups to be heard, or at least be recognized. In the political climate of 2024 where voices are often lost because of perceptions, this book helped to widen the view. In any review, a complete anthology of work would have been appreciated, but the work that was included was well-utilized.

Book Review: Noodles, Rice, and Everything Spice: A Thai Comic Book Cookbook

reviewed by Cord A. Scott, UMGC Okinawa

Christina De Witte and Mallika Kauppinen. Noodles, Rice, and Everything Spice:  A Thai Comic Book Cookbook. New York:  Ten Speed Graphic, 2024. 208 pp. US $22.99. ISBN:  978-1-9848-6160-3. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/709867/noodles-rice-and-everything-spice-by-christina-de-witte-and-mallika-kauppinen/

For the culinary curious, but challenged, any sort of cookbook can be fraught with anxiety and frustration. What might seem simple on paper may turn nightmarish in the kitchen. However, the origins of food are far more intriguing for readers and culinary practitioners. For Christina De Witte and Mallika Kauppinen, the goal of combining food origins, recipes, and an ease of explanation is in Noodles, Rice, and Everything Spice. As with so many books, it is a labor of love, as well as a long creative process to the final product.

In the first part of the book, the authors describe the manner in which they came to work on this project. For Christina, it was growing up as a mixed-race woman in Belgium. While she spoke Flemish most of her life, she often felt not quite comfortable in either her European life, or that of her Thai origins, of which she knew very little. It was only after she became an adult that she decided to embark on a quest to learn her mother’s language, which led her to an online teacher, Mallika (10).

Mallika’s story was interesting and meandering. She grew up in southern Thailand and started assisting in her family restaurant early on. She moved to Bangkok and worked at an aunt’s restaurant through adulthood. As an adult, she worked as a travel guide, and while in Finland, she met her now husband. After establishing a new life, she started cooking for neighbors, started a restaurant, and then took on virtual students for a Thai language class, which is where the two met.

The first part of the book describes the general areas of Thailand and how the food is a reflection of the local interaction with related cultures. For example, southern Thai food is spicy and heavily influenced by Malay and Indonesian culture, while the northern area has a Chinese influence. The Northwest is influenced by India and Bangkok is metropolitan and almost unto itself (17-21). From this point, the book goes into a variety of dishes made with specific ingredients. These form the chapters and are reflective of the areas in which the recipes originated.

From this point, the book is divided into chapters on ingredients, snacks and starters, noodle dishes, rice dishes, curries and soups, desserts and drinks, and finally, staples of Thai cooking. The first section, which discusses equipment, as well as Asian spices and ingredients, emphasizes the importance of cooking devices such as rice cookers (for ease), woks (for a traditional feel), as well as items, such as a mortar and pestle, for properly blending some of the ingredients. The authors also note what ingredients work best, which can be frozen for later use, and which sauces are authentic. Of particular interest was the “three buddies” spice (34-35), consisting of cilantro, garlic and peppercorn, which is frequently used in Thai cooking. The use of spices is another area of detail, as those not overly familiar with Thai cooking may shy away from chilies. The authors note that it often is left to the cook to decide, but, overall, the chilies bring a balance of flavor to the dish (36-37).

From this point, the descriptions become more precise, and again offer historical context. In the noodles chapter, some noodles originate from China and their texture and style may alter the presentation of the dish. There is also a historical overview of the flooding in Bangkok in 1942, when roadside restaurants were able to make dishes that all could quickly get, and were delicious at the same time.

The chapter on curries even offers some humor. For example, it is recommended to wear either regular work goggles (or even swim goggles!) when preparing curries. The pounding of the chilies causes some to fly out and it runs a risk of getting into the eyes. The cosmopolitan nature of Thai food, especially from Bangkok, is expanded with the brief history of Maria Guyomor di Pinha. She was of mixed heritage and introduced egg yolk desserts from Europe to the Thai community. When combined with other items, such as papayas and pineapples, introduced from Portugal (23), it has given Thai food a unique taste profile and quality that is renown the world over.

This book is a lively read, with effective explanations of the recipes. The preparation may inhibit those who are culinarily challenged (reviewer included), but, at the same time, does have one minor issue:  substitutions for items such as fish sauce or squid sauce when preparing the food. This may frustrate those who have allergies to shellfish. Additionally, there are few truly vegetarian dishes, for those who do not consume meat. The assumption is that one would cook the dish without meat, but this will also alter the original taste. However, this was one of the few issues that was noted.

On the whole, the book was a fast, engaging read that offers a new way to educate people on the history of food from a specific region, while offering visual references to the cooking process. In the end, there is also the additional engagement of not just reading but making the food. And in the end, it’s not only nourishment for the brain, but also the body.

 

Book Review: Graphic Narratives from Early Modern Japan. The World of Kusazōshi.

reviewed by John A. Lent

Laura Moretti and Satō Yukiko, eds. Graphic Narratives from Early Modern Japan. The World of Kusazōshi. Leiden and Boston:  Brill, 2024. 634 pp.+xxv. US $114.00 (Hardback). ISBN:  978-90-04-50410-3. https://brill.com/edcollbook/title/61019

 

In recent months, comics scholarship has been enriched by three characteristics that this reviewer has called for since the early 1990s--an approach that covers regions outside of the Euro-American sphere, specifically, Asia, a methodology that digs deep into plentiful, nearly-untouched archival materials, and a roster of foreign (to the U.S.) authors.

Two 2024 books that display these characteristics are Caricatures en Extrême Orient. Origines, Rencontres, Métissages, edited by Laurent Baridon and Marie Laureillard, that consists of 22 chapters dealing with comics in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam, and written by nationals from eight countries, and the subject of this review, Graphic Narratives from Early Modern Japan, The World of Kusazōshi, edited by Laura Moretti and Satō Yukiko. Both volumes are lavishly-illustrated.

Moretti and Satō’s Graphic Narratives… is a weighty compendium, literally, because of the high-quality paper used and the inclusion of many colored plates; figuratively, because of the content that explores a virgin area (at least to foreign scholars) in a ponderous manner. The 17 chapters (including the Introduction) included nine by Japanese researchers (seven requiring translations), likely because kusazōshi and kibyōshi are relatively unknown topics in Western scholarship, except for the works of a few individuals, a large number of whom are represented in this volume--Laura Moretti, Adam L. Kern, Ellis Tinios, Frederick Feilden, Michael Emmerich, Jaqueline Berndt, Glynne Walley, and Joseph Bills. The book is labeled as the first English, multi-author study of kusazōshi.

Divided into three parts--“Modiality in Kusazōshi,” “The Pleasures of Reading,” and “Approaching Kusazōshi in a Global Context,” Graphic Narratives… goes to great lengths to introduce other affiliates/offshoots/similarities of kusazōshi in chapters on akahon (red cover books), kibyōshi (yellow cover books), and gōkan (combined booklets), meticulously define/describe all terms, and provide snippets of narrative plots and unique techniques employed.

Graphic narratives given as examples are sometimes serious; other times, humorous or facetious. One kibyōshi related the giddiness of a fart contest; another told how Inoue Hisashi overcame stuttering and tenseness by reading kibyōshi, concluding that, “Being silly and useless was just fine.” Some of the semiotic and linguistic techniques used to facilitate reading were ingenious; for instance, using marks to indicate direction, reading methods, and so on, or designing pages with empty space gaps arranged as waves between blocks of text to show motion, wind, or rain; both traits found in gōkan.

Kusazōshi were elaborate productions, every part of which was decorated, from the sales wrappers to the front and back and inside front and inside back covers. It is surprising how many of them have survived war, natural disasters, and normal wear-and-tear, and are found in abundance in the National Diet Library and, to a lesser extent, in some Japanese university libraries. To have 178 of them in one place, as in Graphic Narratives…, definitely augments the field of study.

A chapter that stands apart from the others, but is vital to understanding where kusazōshi and kibyōshi fit into comics studies, is that written by Adam L. Kern. An early Western scholar of kibyōshi (see, the symposium on kibyōshi that he edited in Vol. 9, No. 1 of IJOCA). Kern contributed an excellent critique of comics studies, while making a case that kusazōshi and kibyōshi are comparable to comics and decrying the prevalent notion that comics are Euro-American in origin. In one instance, he mentions my Asian Comics as a resource that defines comics as emanating from Western comic strips, using my chapter on India as an example, where I date the introduction of comics to an Indian imitation of The British Punch. However, Kern fails to mention that in both the Introduction and the first chapter, “A Lead-Up to Asian Comics,” I provide numerous examples of comics-like art that existed for centuries, before Western penetration, not only in India, but also China, Indonesia, Korea, Japan, and Persia.

Laura Moretti and Satō Yukiko should hold an exalted space in the world of comics scholarship for what they have contributed with Graphic Narratives… .They have lifted kusazōshi from a brief footnote to a full-fledged area of study, pulling together a mix of Japanese and Western scholars, bent on providing varying perspectives on the medium, from different approaches, backed up with much first-hand information, sourced from plenty of primary and secondary materials, fully explained in the text, footnotes, and explanatory notes to the reader, and profusely- and brilliantly-illustrated. What more can one ask for? A masterful job!