Review of DC Comics’ “The Monkey Prince Hates Superheroes”

Last updated: 03-13-2022 A follower on social media asked me to write an article about DC Comics’ new character the Monkey Prince (Ch: Hou wangzi, 猴王子), appearing in the story “The Monkey Prince Hates Superheroes” (Yang, 2021). He is part of a lineup of new and existing Asian characters in their DC Festival of Heroes: The … Continue reading Review of DC Comics’ “The Monkey Prince Hates Superheroes”

Journey to the West Artist Spotlight #2: NinjaHaku21

From time to time I like to post a fun blog not directly related to (though sometimes informed by) my research. Regular articles will resume after this entry. Last updated: 05-09-2023 Anyone who has read my blog will know that I’m an avid fan of researching the history and influences of Journey to the West (Xiyouji, 西遊記, … Continue reading Journey to the West Artist Spotlight #2: NinjaHaku21

The Tightening Spell of Sun Wukong’s Golden Headband

Last updated: 07-25-2022 Sun Wukong‘s golden headband (jingu, 金箍; a.k.a. jingu, 緊箍, lit: “tight fillet”) (fig. 1) is an instantly recognizable part of his popular iconography. Anyone who’s read Journey to the West (Xiyouji, 西遊記, 1592 CE) will know that it painfully tightens around our hero’s skull to correct any unsavory behavior. “What kind of behavior?” someone might ask. … Continue reading The Tightening Spell of Sun Wukong’s Golden Headband