Not kiasu enough

Today (or tonight to be exact), I blog about Mr Kiasu again. Why? How often to we get locally produced comics that are culturally relevant? Chew On It!, Sir Fong Adventures, Resident Tourist etc. Quite a number. But how many of these comics directly poke fun at our local culture?

And that is what Mr Kiasu is truly about, thematically. It is about the quirks of our culture. Lee Kiasu, the title character (Mr Lee, not Mr Kiasu), is the average Singaporean, in a much more simpler and less stressful time in Singapore. He has his flaws, his ugliness, as well as his positive traits.

Given how stressful society is today, Mr Kiasu presents a more innocent time, where locals do not have to worry about "foreign invasions", or make such a big fuss over every little mistake our politicians make. A time when The Straits Times brand has not been sullied by STOMP, and citizens could go about with more privacy.

You know, when you see the things going on at STOMP, what do you think? I question: Who made Singapore more hostile to live in? Some unruly foreigners? No doubt. Some ugly Singaporeans? What a shame. What a shame indeed.

Mr Kiasu: A True Singaporean

Once in the spotlight, Mr Kiasu is now pretty much uncared for. Given current local tastes in comics, Mr Kiasu is probably viewed as a low quality work of crude humour that reminds us of our not very likeable cultural traits. The comics not only satirize local kiasu behavior, but also many other quirks such as our obsession with discounts and cars.

The comics are not timeless, with themes regarding the eighties and nineties. And I believe this is what make the comics unique. That they are a historical record of sorts, just like how Archie is. This can be said of the same of other American comics, such as Dazzler, which capitalized on the disco craze. But Archie and its spin-offs takes it one step further. Since the forties, the comics have depicted American trends, fads and the culture of the era they were published in. What were of current interest to youths became the subjects of stories.
Although Kiasu is not as cool as Batman, or as deep as Jimmy Corrigan, his is a truly Singaporean comic that deserves a......hardcover deluxe collected edition; Absolute Mr Kiasu.

Don’t you think so?