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 Home > Articles > Turd World Cartoon Character Has Large Adult Following in HK

Fiona, Yuk-Wa Law The Voice June, 1999 Copyright

Turd World Cartoon Character Has Large Adult Following in HK "S. . . t" is a vulgar term -- it means excrement. Yet many Hong Kong people have become fascinated by a personified lump of excrement. The Excreman, a pig-droppings cartoon character with M&M-like eyes and what looks like a bean as its nose -- and a scarf of toilet paper -- has captured readers' hearts with its simple stories of the underground world, serialised in YellowBus, a children's magazine. The character has got people debating whether or not its stories are good for children to read. But a large group of adults has become obsessed with the bizarre character. The tales are mainly about Excreman's heart-warming adventures in the sewer. Excreman wants to escape from the netherworld and enjoy life in the sun, and ultimately to return to Mother Earth's bosom -- as fertiliser. Brain Tse, the author of the cartoon, as well as the McMug series, said the cartoon was inspired by Raymond Briggs' humanist children's stories, The Snowman, and Fungus the Bogeyman, which convey a sense of compassion and love through humble and mundane characters. Tse wants readers to re-experience Briggs' tenderness and brotherly compassion. He uses excrement as the subject matter because it appeals to the naive interest of children. Excreman hints at the fragility of life, and shows that the misfits and outcasts of society can contribute to the good of it. "The common sense of ordinary people has determined that the lives of the sick, homosexual, gangsters and prostitutes are without any value, and they are to be disparaged. But in reality, their lives are not meaningless. All they need is help and opportunities," Tse said. Eric Ma Kit-wai, associate professor in the Department of Journalism and Communication at the Chinese University, said that as a reader, he liked the cartoon and agreed with its theme. His 10-year-old daughter, after reading its stories, changed her attitude towards a classmate who always spits. She realised that everybody has their own dignity, and the rights to have their own ideals. The story of Excreman taught her not to laugh at her classmate. Ma also thinks the use of excrement as an image can raise children's interest in reading educational stories, because children are instinctively curious about bodily functions. He feels touched by the stories because he was always restricted by middle-class manners, which he said, meant he was not allowed to mention anything concerning excrement. But do children like Excreman? The feelings seem to be mixed. Alina Cheung, a Form 1 student, said "I don't like it. It looks like a mess. The stories are boring and I don't understand them. Actually I have no interest in reading them. I prefer McMug and McDull. They are cute and their stories are funny." Christo Lau, a first year studnet at the Poly U, who also works as a children's drawing teacher, said: "Children in the public estates do not like them much. I bring in its stories for my students but they have no interest in reading them. "They think the stories too boring, and the character Excreman does not excite them. They prefer Japanese comic figures whose characters are clearer and more visually attractive. . ." she said. Lau thinks it is better to have its stories told under parental or adult guidance, so children can get the hidden message Tse wants to convey. Tse says some schools in Hong Kong are very conservative and find the stories unsuitable for students as they contain too much slang. A neutral point of view comes from Patrick Tam Ka-fai, a third-year student in CUHK, who has conducted research on the McMug series. He thinks most people were attracted by its simplicity, cuteness and humour, and they believed it had a subtle message. But Tam doesn't see much in the cartoon series. He said: "I personally don't find much in and beyond the Excreman series. There are funny ideas, but there isn't much more. It demonstrates a narrow range of themes and less variety concerning the manifestation of its character. "The stories do not present strict meanings. They are meant to be vague, or free for interpretation." But Tam does not believe the image of Excreman is harmful to children. He believes Tse is consciously trying something new and is driving the evolution of children's literature. Under the commercial limitations in Hong Kong, Tse is willing to experiment when there is room to do so. Tam says Tse refuses to draw a line between children's literature and adult reading, and is writing for both children and adults. Excreman merchandising is also starting to take off, with products like comic books, mousepads and toys available in department stores. Also, fans of the cartoon have formed Excreman clubs and set up various homepages on the Internet.

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