Chapter 111 The tragedy of cartoonists Ding Cong and Li Binsheng

When the art world exposed the "Jiangfeng Anti-Party Clique" and "Pang Xunqin Rightist Clique", they also "dug out" a "small clique" called "Ding Cong Clique". Ding Cong was the deputy editor-in-chief of People's Pictorial at the time.Although he has entered his forties, people still call him "Xiao Ding" habitually. Ding Cong came from a family of painters.His father, Ding Ji, was an old Shanghai painter who was good at drawing political cartoons.Ding Cong learned painting from his father since he was a child.He only studied sketching for half a year at the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts founded by Liu Haisu, and never entered any school.

For this "Little Ding", 1957 was unforgettable.Because he was newly married on New Year's Eve in 1956 and was immersed in happiness.However, the cold wind in 1957 tore his warm dream to pieces. On September 19, 1957, "People's Daily" published a report: "Ding Cong's delusion to take over the pictorial and dominate the pictorial People's pictorial exposes this careerist who is the deputy editor-in-chief" The report said: "People's Pictorial" deputy editor-in-chief Ding Cong (member of the Democratic League) colluded with another deputy editor-in-chief Hu Kao, editors Shen Baichang, Zhou Shaochang, etc., in an attempt to usurp the People's Pictorial and dominate the Chinese pictorial industry. It was exposed and criticized at the recent criticism meetings held by the editorial department.According to reports, their steps are to usurp the "People's Pictorial" first, and then monopolize the Chinese pictorial circle.If this plan fails, they plan to publish two kinds of "People's Pictorial" to create a split, drive out all the party members of the current "People's Pictorial", and publish another pictorial. Ding Cong and his small group will control the existing "People's Pictorial". Illustrated, degenerate it, and sell it exclusively to capitalist countries.If it doesn’t work out, I will specialize in “fan publications” and sing the opposite of the pictorials led by the Communist Party.Ding Congzhi is planning to set up a "fan publication" that intends to set up a special column to publish the rejected manuscripts of other pictorials and magazines, and publish the rejected manuscripts from the editorial department together.There are also plans to distribute abroad...

From then on, Ding Cong fell into disaster.Ding Cong was placed in the "right" column. In 1958, Ding Cong would be his father, but he was "mobilized" to go to the Great Northern Wilderness! Fortunately, Ding Cong is a humorous and optimistic person.Although his age ranges from "not confused" to "knowing the destiny", from "ear-smooth" to "ancient", he has always been "Xiao Ding". From 1979 onwards, Ding Cong's comics, which were known to be drawn by him without a signature, met with readers again. Among the cartoonists, apart from Ding Cong, Li Binsheng was also classified as a "rightist".

Comics, like fables, were "dangerous" works in 1957.The tiger, the sun, and the dark clouds in the fables can be given political meaning at will and labeled as "poisonous weeds".Liushahe's "Grass and Trees" can actually be said to be an allegory poem.Like Ai Qing's fables, he was arbitrarily extended and labeled as "poisonous weeds".Jin Jiang, a fable writer, was labeled as a "rightist" in the same way.The "randomness" of comics is also great, and it is easy to be extended as a poisonous weed. On May 18, 1957, "People's Daily" published a report:

"Newspapers do not pay attention to clear rules and precepts, making it difficult for cartoonists to write" The report said that cartoonists in Beijing "speak loudly" at a symposium held by the China Artists Association.Speakers included cartoonists Mi Gu, Shen Tongheng, Li Binsheng, Ding Wu, Chen Yongzhen, Miao Yintang, and Zhong Ling. Li Binsheng said: "Some departments and some people underestimate the manga and the author. It has become 'rough to the point of barbarism'. Beijing Publishing House published an anthology of his manga last year. This anthology not only has many printing errors, but also forbids 'Li Binsheng' to be printed on the cover. ’ name. It is said that printing the author’s name fosters individual heroism.”

Li Binsheng's comic "Mouthless Man" draws a man in a cadre's uniform, with only a mouth.This is said to be a satire that there is no democracy in a socialist society, and cadres cannot speak, so they are labeled as "poisonous weeds"... After Li Binsheng was labeled as a "rightist", he went to the countryside with the writer Cong Weixi to accept "reform".Cong Weixi once described what happened to Li Binsheng: It was a sad and unforgettable "New Trend of Class Struggle" criticism meeting. There were two reasons: first, when Li Binsheng went to Zhaojiatai to paint street paintings for fellow villagers, he was said to have thinned out the fat and strong cows that must have been drawn during the Great Leap Forward; Second, when Li Binsheng painted palace lanterns for the first palace completed in "Yidan Shigou" (named auditorium), the daffodil leaves on the palace lanterns were painted black.Li Binsheng was attending his mother's funeral at that time, and he was ordered to draw a painting immediately after returning from the capital to the mountains. The "leader" said that the black lines were mourning his deceased mother, rather than auspicious celebration.From this, it can be deduced that Li Binsheng has two hearts with the party and the people, and his madness must be defeated.

Li Binsheng had just returned from a funeral, his face was pale and thin.He explained again and again."The cows in Zhaojiatai are already thin", "the leaves of daffodils are suitable for expressing in brown ink", but his pious and stupid explanations are weak as gossamer in the stormy condemnation, not only do not serve the purpose of explanation , on the contrary, it increases the temperature of the venue: "You fart,—." "The cattle in the commune are fat and fat. If you draw thinner, you are harboring evil intentions!" "This is a matter of position, it only shows that you are extremely reactionary!" ①