Article in the Daily Mail - Anthony Mealing and Mary Mouse

[Soenke Rahn]

swiftly:

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but many names of the day have a different meaning and origin than the ones you gave, http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wochentage ... Wochentage, although it's true that German and English have the same roots.
Believe it or not TKKG has been translated into English and several other languages, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TKKG.
I used to like them, but I think the later books, and many audioplays not based on books, are quite weak. But I happen to like the the name of a chemical factory: NOSIOP

I'm sorry to disappoint you, that I know that! I wrote over the Paul Maar version.
I know the correct etymological version, so the wikipedia article is not really interesting for me. You will find the version in the Sams-article (above) ....

Believe it or not TKKG has been translated into English and several other languages, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TKKG.
I used to like them, but I think the later books, and many audioplays not based on books, are quite weak. But I happen to like the the name of a chemical factory: NOSIOP

Not really cool, in the wikipedi is to read: "TKKG novels had been translated in almost 100 countries ... ", but there is not a quote ... If I use the search engine (words: "STOP Rolf Kalmuczak. etc. ") of the amazon.com I don't find the books ... In this thread the user found france versions: http://www.tkkg-board.de/thread.php?thr ... r=0&page=3, but not really English versions. There are some computer games to find. And now I have used the KVK engine: http://www.ubka.uni-karlsruhe.de/kvk.html and the query "A case for TKKG", "Stefan Wolf" etc. result: nothing in German and English libraries in English (beside the computer games) ... -- and you will find really rare books with this engine, but often without the possibility to order it ... so the entry of the wikipedia seems to be false. I make an entry on the talk page. And change the senctence "TKKG novels had been translated in almost 100 countries" to "TKKG novels had been translated into other languages" -- Sometimes the wikipedia is not really funny ....

[Soenke Rahn]

Wrote now also swiftly on the Talk-Page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:TKKG" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and so on ...

[Anita Bensoussane]

I found this news clip (dating from April) on YouTube, featuring Anthony Mealing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z49Rd476mro" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

We've already discussed the fact that "Black Sambo" had been a popular Helen Bannerman character for decades by the time Enid Blyton used the name in several of her stories, and few would have thought anything of it in that period. Only later on was it questioned, and changes were made so that the story could continue to be published. I don't have the original strip book of 'Mary Mouse and Her Bicycle' but I do have two later editions of the story. The first is a 1979 Hodder & Stoughton book with illustrations by Lynn N. Grundy. In that, Black Sambo has become a tall, pale-skinned rag doll called Mr. Rudi Rag Doll. The second version of the story appears in a compilation of Mary Mouse tales published by Ravette (Mary Mouse Goes to Sea, 1991). In that one, Black Sambo has become Zephyr the monkey.

It's interesting that Mary Mouse books were apparently sent out to schools as reading aids. That might explain why some of them were translated into Welsh - i.e. to be used in Welsh-speaking schools.

[Domino]

When it comes to being racist, no-one (least of all Enid Blyton) can even come close to competing with Sax Rohmer (real name Arthur Ward). His most famous creation was Dr. Fu-Manchu (often erroneously rendered as Fu Manchu or Fu Man Chu - important because Fu-Manchu is his surname). He was a dastardly villain, who sought to spread his power all over the world. However, Rohmer, seemed to like to portray the Chinese in particular and Asians in general, as being inherently evil. He even specifically calls the Chinese 'that cruel and evil race'. Burmese, Indians, Turks and some Egyptians were all vilified. He wasn't too fond of even the poor old Greeks either.
The original trilogy: 'The Mystery of Dr. Fu-Manchu' (1913), 'The Devil Doctor' (1916) and 'The Si-Fan Mysteries' (1917) were very popular and led to numerous cinema serials being based on the character, with the result that in 1931 he was persuaded to start writing further books in the series.
Yet no-one seems to have tried to ban his books. They have been re-printed several times over the years, without alterations.

Dave

[Anita Bensoussane]

I'd heard the name "Fu-Manchu" over the years without ever knowing who he was. I do remember Ming the Merciless from Flash Gordon though (the old black and white TV series was still shown regularly in the 1970s).

[Domino]

I think the Flash Gordon TV series you're referring to was actually the old cinema serials, which were still be shown on UK television in the 1970's. They starred Buster Crabbe as Flash and Charles Middleton as Ming.
To really appreciate Flash Gordon you have to see the original cartoon strip by Alex Raymond, who had a briiant chiaroscuro style. He is credited with having influenced the lighting used in film noir. I'll see if I can post an example.

Dave

[Domino]

This is what it looked like:



Dave

[pete9012S]

I always got a bit mixed up between the old black and white Flash Gordon & Buck Rogers

Whatever Became Of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers Actor Buster Crabbe

http://www.spacemensluck.com/Blog/whate ... rabbe.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Domino]

Pete said:
'I always got a bit mixed up between the old black and white Flash Gordon & Buck Rogers'

That's hardly surprising, Pete. The Flash Gordon strip began in 1935 as an answer to the Buck Rogers strip which began three years earlier. The cinema serials were produced for the same company, using the same stock costumes as used on their other films. That's why the spacemen always looked more like knights in armour. Oh. and what about those rocket ships? Not very convincing, were they?

Dave

[pete9012S]

Thanks Dave.That explains a lot!

[Anita Bensoussane]

I think the Flash Gordon TV series you're referring to was actually the old cinema serials, which were still be shown on UK television in the 1970's. They starred Buster Crabbe as Flash and Charles Middleton as Ming.

Yes, those were the ones!

I like the bold, dramatic style of the original cartoon strip

[Ming]

They starred Buster Crabbe as Flash and Charles Middleton as Ming.

I was wondering when I'd become a television sensation.

Dave, I had not heard of Dr Fu-Manchu before but from your brief description they sound thoroughly nasty. That doesn't mean I'd have them banned or even altered, though, but it's a pity the same treatment cannot be applied for Blyton's works, innocent as they are.

[Domino]

Ming, I'm not sure that I was saying the books themselves were 'thoroughly nasty'. They are what I would call thrilling romps and have long been very popular. It is not necessary to take them too seriously. The real point is expressed rather well in the Wikipedia article on Sax Rohmer:

The Fu Manchu series drew much criticism from the Chinese government and Chinese communities in the US for what was seen as negative ethnic stereotyping.Sociologist Virginia Berridge notes Rohmer created a false image of London's Chinese community as crime-ridden, noting the Limehouse Chinese were one of the most law-abiding of London's ethnic minorities. Critic Jack Adrian notes that "Rohmer's own racism was careless and casual, a mere symptom of his times".

I think that last sentence explains a lot. He simply never considered that he might be being unfair to whole communities.

Dave