Team on

Aijia Zhang

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ph.D. Candidate | Computational investigation of lianhuanhua
#

My research focuses on lianhuanhua as a genre, exploring the messages and ideologies conveyed through these works using computational approaches. Employing visual language models and computational literary techniques, I analyze the depiction and evolution of specific characters, with particular attention to the hero archetype in lianhuanhua. Through a large-scale examination of lianhuanhua published after 1949, I investigate how heroes and related characters are shaped, identifying their defining traits and actions, and tracking how these representations evolved over time. My work seeks to uncover the underlying processes of collective construction that inform these portrayals. I also study the themes and narrative structures in lianhuanhua, identifying recurring patterns across varied stories to better understand how key messages and concepts are expressed and reshaped over time.

Astrid Xiao

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ph.D. Candidate | Aesthetics and theories of lianhuanhua

I work on modern Chinese literature and culture, with a main focus on popular culture and visual texts such as comics and picturebooks. My doctoral thesis investigates the aesthetic features and political functions of a Chinese comics genre, lianhuanhua, which was extensively published during the 20th century and enjoyed a wide-ranging readership across different age groups. Based on the political environment and literary production in Maoist China (1949-1976), my project examines how lianhuanhua were designed to reshape youth, construct their political and national identities, and mold them into New Socialist Individuals. My research methods include archival research, image-text analysis, and adaptation theories. I am also interested in children’s literature, game studies, and fan studies.

Damian Mandzunowski

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Postdoctoral Researcher | Lianhuanhua in and out of the hands of politics

At ChinaComx, I research the politics behind and within lianhuanhua. I approach these palm-sized booklets as a distinctively affective medium that bridged state propaganda and popular entertainment. Specifically, my sub-project explores such themes as: the relationship between political campaigns and lianhuanhua; occurrences of Maoism (as both ideology and state bureaucracy) within storylines; various depictions of political and national enemies; uses of lianhuanhua as manuals for new socialist knowledge and norms of behavior; as well as questions related to the role of lianhuanhua in the project of socialist modernisation.

Jiu Song

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ph.D. Candidate | Lianhuanhua fan culture and collective memory study

My dissertation explores the engagement of ordinary citizens with lianhuanhua and the formation of its fan culture in Shanghai after the 1940s. I aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of how ordinary Chinese citizens collectively remember lianhuanhua and how fandom evolved within the broader context of national construction. Specifically, I focus on temporary bookstalls, Xinhua Bookstores, and private collections, which offer promising insights into reading habits and activities. This study utilizes a wide range of archival materials, field observations, and interviews to illustrate the relationships between the production, dissemination, and consumption of lianhuanhua on the street. My research interests also include various aspects of fan culture, Japanese comics, and exhibitions.

Lena Henningsen

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Principal Investigator | Adaptations into lianhuanhua

Within the ChinaComx project, I currently work on a monograph on adaptations of the works and biography of Lu Xun into lianhuanhua. I am fascinated how these works inscribed Lu Xun into the revolutionary pantheon and into the literary canon of socialist China – while at the same time preserving the ambivalence so deeply ingrained in the works and life of Lu Xun. I also enjoy organizing workshops, translating lianhuanhua, preparing other people’s translations for our webpage and publishing widely on Chinese literature and culture.

Team on

Aijia Zhang

Ph.D. Candidate | Computational investigation of lianhuanhua #

Astrid Xiao

Ph.D. Candidate | Aesthetics and theories of lianhuanhua

Damian Mandzunowski

Postdoctoral Researcher | Lianhuanhua in and out of the hands of politics

Jiu Song

Ph.D. Candidate | Lianhuanhua fan culture and collective memory study

Lena Henningsen

Principal Investigator | Adaptations into lianhuanhua

Ph.D. Candidate | Computational investigation of lianhuanhua
#