See an exhibition of comics from various countries curated by librarian Liladhar Pendse at UC Berkeley's Doe Library
See an exhibition of comics from various countries curated by librarian Liladhar Pendse at UC Berkeley's Doe Library
Visit the 2016-17 exhibition “Beyond Tintin and Superman: The Diversity of Global Comics,” curated by librarian Liladhar Pendse at UC Berkeley's Doe Library.
Displayed by permission of The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved. (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
Transcript
LILADHAR PENDSE: For me, comics allow me to dream.
NARRATOR: Berkeley librarian, Liladhar Pendse, discovered his love of comics as a young boy.
PENDSE: Growing back home in India in Mumbai in the bustling metropolis, often times I found myself lost. I used to find all these American comics strung on a string, and they were not that expensive. When I used to take them for reading, they allowed me to dream, oh, these other lands.
NARRATOR: Pendse and a team of librarians have organized an exhibit at Doe Library featuring examples of its large diverse collection of comic books. For Pendse, comics provide a unique and entertaining window into culture, helping expand our understanding of other people's way of life and points of view.
PENDSE: In the main library's stacks, we collect comics from all parts of the world. They perpetuate certain stereotypes and destroy others. So I wanted to bring that forth, and that's why I started collecting comics, and thought about this exhibit.
This one is a German comic. It talks about the issues of migration and African refugees in Germany. It talks about their plight and their acculturation in German context.
I got the authorized biography of Nelson Mandela in comics form. Gazpacho Agridulce. This talks about acculturation, and oppression, and the story of love of a Chinese family in Spain.
Le Piano Oriental. It shows different types of weaves, how Arabs weave, and then [? how ?] the other weaves. So it says how the cultural experiences vary for different people.
My job was to show all comics in all their glory and color and let our viewers decide what they like and what they don't like. And I'm looking forward to receiving their comments, positive or negative.
NARRATOR: Berkeley librarian, Liladhar Pendse, discovered his love of comics as a young boy.
PENDSE: Growing back home in India in Mumbai in the bustling metropolis, often times I found myself lost. I used to find all these American comics strung on a string, and they were not that expensive. When I used to take them for reading, they allowed me to dream, oh, these other lands.
NARRATOR: Pendse and a team of librarians have organized an exhibit at Doe Library featuring examples of its large diverse collection of comic books. For Pendse, comics provide a unique and entertaining window into culture, helping expand our understanding of other people's way of life and points of view.
PENDSE: In the main library's stacks, we collect comics from all parts of the world. They perpetuate certain stereotypes and destroy others. So I wanted to bring that forth, and that's why I started collecting comics, and thought about this exhibit.
This one is a German comic. It talks about the issues of migration and African refugees in Germany. It talks about their plight and their acculturation in German context.
I got the authorized biography of Nelson Mandela in comics form. Gazpacho Agridulce. This talks about acculturation, and oppression, and the story of love of a Chinese family in Spain.
Le Piano Oriental. It shows different types of weaves, how Arabs weave, and then [? how ?] the other weaves. So it says how the cultural experiences vary for different people.
My job was to show all comics in all their glory and color and let our viewers decide what they like and what they don't like. And I'm looking forward to receiving their comments, positive or negative.