Tag Princess Iron Fan

The Crow’s Nest Chan Master of Journey to the West

Jim R. McClanahan Leave a comment

Last Updated: 04-12-25

The end of Journey to the West (Xiyouji, 西遊記; “JTTW” hereafter) chapter 19 contains a strange, seemingly throwaway character called the “Crow’s Nest Chan Master” (Wuchao chanshi, 烏巢禪師) (fig. 1). Having met the Buddhist sage in the past, Zhu Bajie describes him as an accomplished cultivator who lives in a nest atop a juniper tree on Pagoda Mountain (Futu shan, 浮屠山), just beyond the border of Tibet (Wusizang, 烏斯藏). [1] Zhu also claims to have been invited by him to jointly practice austerities, but the pig-spirit passed on the opportunity (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 388).

The pilgrims soon thereafter run into Crow’s Nest on their trek through his mountain, and following a brief chat, he orally passes on the Heart Sutra (Mohe bore boluomiduo xinjing, 摩訶般若波羅蜜多心經) to Tripitaka (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, pp. 389-390). This lesson is referenced a few times in later chapters. [2]

The narrative seems to indicate that Crow’s Nest and Zhu first met before the latter converted to Buddhism in the past. This is because he recognizes the pig-spirit not by his original Dharma name, Wuneng (悟能), but by his secular name: ”Aren’t you the Zhu Ganglie [豬剛鬣, “Stiff-Bristles Hog”] of the Fuling Mountain?” (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 389). [3] The association between these two figures in JTTW may be based on homophonous surnames (see below).

Fig. 1 – A woodblock print of the Crow’s Nest Chan Master (larger version). From the Newly Annotated Journey to the West With Illustrations (Xinshuo Xiyouji tuxiang, 新說西遊記圖像, 1888).

1. Interesting facts

1.1. Powers

The first thing that interests me about the Chan Master is his supernatural abilities. He demonstrates his clairvoyance by reciting a poem [4] in which foretells some of the evils that the pilgrims will face on their quest. For example, one section reads: “Monsters all mountains populate; / Old tigers sit as magistrates; / Graying wolves act as registrars. / Lions, elephants—all called kings!” (Wu & Yu, ). The last line likely references the lion and elephant demon kings appearing in JTTW chapters 74 to 77.

Another part predicts the coming of Sha Wujing. The section reads: “A wild pig totes a hauling pole; / You’ll meet ahead a water sprite. / An old stone ape of many years / Now nurses over there his spite!” (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 391). You’ll notice that Crow’s Nest spins his prediction between taking jabs at Zhu and Wukong. Monkey was already upset with him for not recognizing the Great Sage’s fame, so this afront leads the primate immortal to strike out.

In response, the cultivator uses defensive magic to protect himself:

The Chan Master, changing into a beam of golden light, went straight up to his crow’s nest, while the priest [Tripitaka] bowed toward him to express his gratitude. Enraged, Pilgrim lifted his iron rod and thrust it upward violently, but garlands of blooming lotus flowers were seen together with a thousand-layered shield of auspicious clouds. Though Pilgrim might have the strength to overturn rivers and seas, he could not catch hold of even one strand of the crow’s nest (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 391).

那禪師化作金光，徑上烏巢而去。長老往上拜謝，行者心中大怒，舉鐵棒望上亂搗，只見蓮花生萬朵，祥霧護千層。行者縱有攪海翻江力，莫想挽著烏巢一縷籐。

This reminds me of an event from Acts of the Buddha (Sk: Buddhacarita; Ch: Fo suoxing za, 佛所行讚, 2nd-century), an ancient biography of the Tathagata:

The host of Mara hastening, as arranged, each one exerting his utmost force, taking each other’s place in turns, threatening every moment to destroy [the Buddha, but] … Their flying spears, lances, and javelins, stuck fast in space, refusing to descend; the angry thunderdrops and mighty hail, with these, were changed into five-colour’d lotus flowers…” (Beal, 1883, pp. 152 and 153).

魔眾相駈策， 各進其威力，
迭共相催切， 須臾令摧滅，

[…]

飛矛戟利矟， 凝虛而不下，
雷震雨大雹， 化成五色花 …

The similarities suggest that Crow’s Nest is also an enlightened being like the Tathagata.

1.2. History

The second thing that interests me is that the Chan Master is based on a historical monk, Niaoke Daolin (鳥窠道林, lit: “Bird’s Nest in the Forest of the Way”; 741–824), who was born nearly 80 years after the death of the historical Xuanzang (on whom Tripitaka is based) (Buswell & Lopez, 2014, pp. 1015-1016). His full biography appears in the Records of the Transmission of the Lamp (Jingde chuandenglu, 景德傳燈錄, 1004–1007):

Chan master Niaoke Daolin … was from Fuyang in Hangzhou and his family name was Pan. His mother, whose maiden name was Zhu, once dreamt of the rays of the sun entering her mouth, after which she conceived. When the baby was born a strange fragrance pervaded the room, so the name ‘Fragrant Light’ was given to the boy. He left the home life at the age of nine and received the full precepts at the Guoyuan Temple in Jing (Jingling, Hubei) when he was twenty-one years old. Later he went to the Ximing Monastery in Chang’an to study the Huayan Jing (Avataṃsaka Sūtra) and the Śāstra on the Arising of Faith (Śraddhotpada Śāstra, Aśvagosa) under the Dharma Teacher Fuli, who also introduced him to the Song of the Real and Unreal, and had him practise meditation.

Once Niaoke asked Fuli, ‘Could you say how one meditates and how to exercise the heart?’

Teacher Fuli was silent for a long time, so then the master bowed three times and withdrew.

It happened that at this time Tang Emperor Taizong had called the First Teacher in the Empire [Daoqin] of Jing Mountain to the Imperial Palace and Daolin went to pay him a formal visit, obtaining the True Dharma from him.

Returning south the master first came to the Yongfu Temple on Mount Gu (Zhejiang), where there was a stūpa dedicated to the Pratyekabuddhas. At this time both monks and laymen were gathering there for a Dharma-talk. The master also entered the hall, carrying his walking stick, which emitted a clicking sound. There was a Dharma-teacher present from a temple called Lingying, whose name was Taoguang, and who asked the master, ‘Why make such a sound in this Dharma-meeting?’

‘Without making a sound who would know that it was a Dharma-meeting?’ replied the master.

Later, on Qinwang Mountain, the master saw an old pine tree with lush foliage, its branches shaped like a lid, so he settled himself there, in the tree, which is why the people of that time called him Chan Master Niaoke (Bird’s Nest). Then magpies made their nest by the master’s side and became quite tame through the intimacy with a human – so he was also referred to as the Magpie Nest Monk.

One day the master’s attendant Huitong suddenly wished to take his leave. ‘Where are you off to then?’ asked the master.

‘Huitong left the home life for the sake of the Dharma, but the venerable monk has not let fall one word of instruction, so now it’s a question of going here and there to study the Buddha-dharma,’ replied Huitong.

‘If it could be said that there is Buddha-dharma,’ said the master, ‘I also have a little here,’ whereupon he plucked a hair from the robe he was wearing and blew it away. Suddenly Huitong understood the deep meaning.

During the Yuan reign period (806-820 CE) Bai Juyi was appointed governor of this commandery and so went to the mountain to pay the master a courtesy call. He asked the master, ‘Is not the Chan Master’s residing here very dangerous?’

‘Is not your Excellency’s position even more so?’ countered the master.

‘Your humble student’s place is to keep the peace along the waterways and in the mountains. What danger is there in that?’ asked Bai Juyi.

‘When wood and fire meet there is ignition – the nature of thinking is endless,’ replied the master, ‘so how can there not be danger?’

‘What is the essence of the Buddha-dharma?’ asked Bai.

‘To refrain from all evil and do all that is good,’ answered the master.

‘A three-year-old child already knows these words,’ said Bai.

‘Although a three-year-old can say them, an old man of eighty can’t put them into practice!’ countered the master.

Bai then made obeisance.

In the fourth year, during the tenth day of the second month of the reign period Changqing (824 CE), the master said to his attendant, ‘Now my time is up.’ And having spoken he sat on his cushion and passed away. He was eighty-four years old and had been a monk for sixty-three years.

(Textual note: Some say the master’s name was Yuanxiu, but this is probably his posthumous name.) (Whitfiled, n.d., pp. 56-58).

杭州鳥窠道林禪師。本郡富陽人也。姓潘氏。母朱氏夢日光入口。因而有娠。及誕異香滿室。遂名香光焉。九歲出家。二十一於荊州果願寺受戒。後詣長安西明寺復禮法師。學華嚴經起信論。復禮示以真妄頌俾修禪那。師問曰。初云何觀。云何用心。復禮久而無言。師三禮而退。屬唐代宗詔徑山國一禪師至闕。師乃謁之遂得正法。及南歸先是孤山永福寺有辟支佛塔。時道俗共為法會。師振錫而入。有靈隱寺韜光法師。問曰。此之法會何以作聲。師曰。無聲誰知是會。後見秦望山。有長松枝葉繁茂盤屈如蓋。遂棲止其上。故時人謂之鳥窠禪師。復有鵲巢于其側自然馴狎人。亦目為鵲巢和尚。有侍者會通。忽一日欲辭去。師問曰。汝今何往。對曰。會通為法出家。以和尚不垂慈誨。今往諸方學佛法去。師曰。若是佛法。吾此間亦有少許。曰如何是和尚佛法。師於身上拈起布毛吹之。會通遂領悟玄旨。元和中白居易出守茲郡。因入山禮謁。乃問師曰。禪師住處甚危險。師曰。太守危險尤甚。曰弟子位鎮江山。何險之有。師曰。薪火相交識性不停。得非險乎。又問如何是佛法大意。師曰。諸惡莫作眾善奉行。白曰。三歲孩兒也解恁麼道。師曰。三歲孩兒雖道得。八十老人行不得。白遂作禮。師於長慶四年二月十日。告侍者曰。吾今報盡言訖坐亡。壽八十有四。臘六十三(有云師名圓修者。恐是諡號)。(source)

2. Connection to Zhu Bajie (豬八戒)

I mentioned earlier that the literary Crow’s Nest and Zhu may have been associated in JTTW due to similar-sounding surnames. As stated in the above biography, the surname of Niaoke’s mother was Zhu (朱), which sounds exactly the same as the pig-spirit’s surname, Zhu (豬). This is important since our porcine hero is likely named after Zhu Shixing (朱士行), a Han-era monk with the Dharma name Bajie (八戒)—i.e. Zhu Bajie (朱八戒).

Can you imagine what Zhu’s story would be like if he had taken the Chan Master up on his offer? An enlightened pig-spirit devoid of lust, gluttony, and sloth would seem so foreign to us. This might be good fodder for a JTTW AU. 

Update: 04-12-25

Regarding the JTTW AU, a friend on discord suggested that Zhu’s cultivation would lead to him regaining his human form. This fits with the original novel because Princess Iron Fan had “attained the way of humanity” (i.e. a human form) via spiritual practices (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 3, p. 162).

Notes:

1) Yu (Wu & Yu, 2012) translates “烏斯藏” (Wusizang), the location of Gao village, as the “Kingdom of Qoco” (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 369). However, this phrase actually refers to Dbus-gtsang, or Tibet (Zhang, 2023, pp. 32-33; Wilkinson, 2000, p. 728).

2) Although Tripitaka is the intended recipient of the Heart Sutra, Monkey thrice demonstrates (chapters 43, 85, and 93) that he understands its meaning better than his master (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 2, p. 254; vol. 4, pp. 144-145 and 264-265).

3) Zhu first reveals his secular name in chapter 18 (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 376). He was given his original Dharma name, Wuneng (悟能, “Awake to Power”), by Guanyin in chapter eight sometime in the past (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 213).

4) Here is the Chan Master’s full poem:

“The way [to India] is not too hard to walk;
Try listening to what I say.
A thousand hills and waters deep;
Places full of goblins and snags;
When you reach those sky-touching cliffs,
Fear not and put your mind at rest.
Crossing the Rub Ear Precipice,
You must walk with steps placed sideways.
Take care in the Black Pine Forest;
Fox-spirits will likely bar your way.
Griffins will fill the capitals;
Monsters all mountains populate;
Old tigers sit as magistrates;
Graying wolves act as registrars.
Lions, elephants—all called kings! 
Leopards, tigers are coachmen all!
A wild pig totes a hauling pole;
You’ll meet ahead a water sprite.
An old stone ape of many years
Now nurses over there his spite!
Just ask that acquaintance of yours:
Well he knows the way to the West” (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, pp. 390-391).

道路不難行，試聽我吩咐。
千山千水深，多瘴多魔處。
若遇接天崖，放心休恐怖。
行來摩耳巖，側著腳蹤步。
仔細黑松林，妖狐多截路。
精靈滿國城，魔主盈山住。
老虎坐琴堂，蒼狼為主簿。
獅象盡稱王，虎豹皆作御。
野豬挑擔子，水怪前頭遇。
多年老石猴，那裡懷嗔怒。
你問那相識，他知西去路。(source)

Sources:

Beal, S. (Trans.). (1883). The Fo-sho-hing-tsan-king: A Life of Buddha by Asvaghosha Bodhisattva. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/foshohingtsankin00asva/mode/2up.

Buswell, R. E. , & Lopez, D. S. (2014). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Whitfiled, R. S. (Trans.). (n.d.). Records of the Transmission of the Lamp: Volume 2 – The Early Masters. Hokun Trust. Retrieved from https://terebess.hu/zen/mesterek/Lamp2.pdf.

Wilkinson, E. P. (2000). Chinese History: A Manual. United Kingdom: Harvard University Asia Center.

Wu, C., & Yu, A. C. (2012). The Journey to the West (Vols. 1-4) (Rev. ed.). Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press.

Zhang, F. (2023). The Eastern Land and the Western Heaven: Qing Cosmopolitanism and Its Translation in Tibet in the Eighteenth Century. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.

Journey to the West Fanfiction Writer Spotlight #1: DarkscytheDrake

Jim R. McClanahan Leave a comment

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.

Anyone who follows me on social media will know that I generally do not like modern adaptations of Journey to the West (Xiyouji, 西遊記, 1592; “JTTW” hereafter) (see here and here, for example). But thanks to enjoying this book, I’ve learned to temper my negativity. I’ve, therefore, decided to mirror the format of a series of past art-based articles [1] and shine a spotlight on the author of a JTTW-related fanfiction that I actually like. My hope is that such posts will expose their work to a wider audience interested in JTTW, while also documenting modern day perceptions and depictions of the novel and its characters.

Our first writer goes by the online handle DarkscytheDrake (AO3, Fanfiction.net, Spacebattles). They were kind enough to answer some interview questions, as well as allow permission to display some of their work.

I. Q & A

1) Can you tell me a little about yourself?

I’m 24 years old and live in the Middle East. I’m a huge fan of mythologies and old stories. I dabble in many aspects of the art world, and writing has been a hobby of mine since high school. Since I was a kid my dad used to bring me books from abroad to read. I’ve travelled the world thanks to my parents’ business trips and was exposed to many cultures and stories, which made me fall in love with them even more.

2) Are you self-taught or have you taken writing classes?

I’m self-taught, using the example of others. By the time I seriously thought about writing, there weren’t any writing workshops in my area, at least ones that didn’t focus on the genres I wanted to write in. English is my second native language and most books I read are in English.

3) What are your main sources of literary inspiration?

My main inspirations are the Inheritance Cycle, Shogun (book and TV show), The Hobbit (book and movies), and Bone. Manga like Fullmetal Alchemist have also taught me a lot about storytelling and character arcs.

4) How did you learn about Journey to the West?

I first became fully aware of Journey to the West proper, meaning not expys like Dragon Ball, when I visited China for the first time. I saw a lot of ads and costumes for the Monkey King, and I asked our guide who this character was. I did some research to get acquainted with the story and main players, and I left it alone until Black Myth: Wukong was announced, which revitalized my interest and prompted me to purchase an abridged version of the book, Monkey King. I read the Anthony C. Yu translation online. From there, I also watched some of his spin-off works like Lego Monkie Kid.

5) Who is your favorite character?

Sun Wukong is my favorite character, and while half of that does come from the sheer insanity of his powers and adventures, the other half comes from how much he learns in the journey, and the family he finds within his companions. His moments of innocence, like when he plays in the snow or his more vulnerable moments like in the White Bone Spirit arc. Princess Iron Fan has got to be my second favorite, though. She takes a lot of shit from her husband, suffered the imprisonment of her son and had to deal with Wukong’s antics, but ultimately remains a decent person and one of the few demons on the journey who isn’t wicked or wants to eat Tripitaka.

6) Do you have a favorite episode from the novel?

My favorite episode would have to be the fight against Demon Bull King, because of how personal it is to Wukong and the sheer scale of the fights that ensue there, like Wukong and DBK transforming into their giant forms and duking it out. Really, all of the Demon Bull family’s episodes (Iron Fan and Red Boy) are the best.

7) Does the novel have a special meaning to you?

I’m honestly surprised by the sheer depth the novel has for its age. There’s a lot of worldbuilding there which is on par with Tolkien‘s work, and those who grew up in Asian culture are aware of its deeper meanings, so it transcends ‘modern’ worldbuilders in that sense. And when I see just how influential the novel is and how it led to one of the greatest anime of all time…I’m humbled.

8) Can you tell me about your ongoing JTTW-related project?

My current JTTW project is a fanfiction story called “Great Sage, Equal to Heaven and Above Brockton” (AO3, Fanfiction.net, Spacebattles), and it’s a crossover with the webnovel Worm by Wildbow. The world of Worm is filled with superpowered humans called ‘capes’ (fig. 1), but unlike DC and Marvel, many capes use their powers for crime. There are heroes who battle these villains of course, but matters aren’t as clear-cut as they appear. On top of that, giant monsters attack cities every few months and cause untold damage. The main premise of my story is that an untold amount of time after the journey, Sun Wukong wakes up in Worm‘s main setting of Brockton Bay, a coastal city [north of Boston, MA, USA] with a lot of capes, nazis, Asian gangsters and heroes. From there he investigates the modern era, having fun and tries to find out what’s going on with these strange superpowered humans. It’s a classic premise of ‘OP character gets dropped into a lower-ranked world’, but it’s also a study of how a character who found a home suddenly gets dropped into a new one, and how power doesn’t always solve problems. And if it does, what are the potential consequences?

[Jim here: As of this writing, chapters one to 11 are available for free online, but chapters 12 to 13 (and a ch. 14 preview) are still only available on patreon.]

Fig. 1 – Cover for a fake Worm comic book featuring the original story’s main character, who makes an appearance in the Great Sage story (larger version). Illustration by @codetrillogy on Twitter. Used with permission.

II. Writing Sample

The following excerpt comes from an event in chapter six. After befriending a young boy, Sun Wukong jumps in to save his sister from gangsters attempting to take her in lieu of a missed “protection money” payment:

* The boy’s name.
** The boy’s sister.
*** The name of a local gang leader. Monkey comically believes he is a literal dragon.

Note:

1) As of this writing, I’ve made three such art posts here, here, and here.

Story Idea: Sun Wukong vs Juggernaut

Jim R. McClanahan Leave a comment

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 later.

Note: This is not about power scaling.

I. Background

In chapter 59 of Journey to the West (Xiyouji, 西遊記, 1592), Princess Iron Fan uses her magic fan to blast Sun Wukong into the heavens (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 3, p. 126). The book provides two conflicting figures as to its effective range, stating that the fan can blow a target a total of 84,000 li (bawan siqian li, 八萬四千里; 26,097.59 mi/42,000 km) or 108,000 li (shiwan baqian li, 十萬八千里; 33,554 mi/54,000 km) (based on Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 3, pp. 127-128 and 148). To combat this weapon, the Bodhisattva Lingji (Lingji pusa, 靈吉菩薩) offers our hero a magical Buddha treasure:

Lingju said, “In years past when I received the instructions from Tathagata, [1] I was given a Flying-Dragon Staff and a Wind-Arresting Elixir [Dingfeng dan, 定風丹; fig. 1]. [2] The staff was used to subdue the wind demon [from ch. 21], but the elixir has never been used. I’ll give it to you now, and you can be certain that that fan will not be able to move you (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 3, p. 128).

靈吉道：「我當年受如來教旨，賜我一粒定風丹、一柄飛龍杖。飛龍杖已降了風魔。這定風丹尚未曾見用，如今送了大聖，管教那廝搧你不動 … 」

Lingji then sews it into his robe collar, and the next time that he faces Princess Iron Fan, her weapon has no effect on him (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 3, pp. 128-129).

Fig. 1 – The Great Sage receives the Wind-Arresting Elixir (larger version). Image found here. I believe this comes from the circa 1999/2000 Monkey King cartoon.

But Sun accidentally swallows the treasure at some point, and it causes a physical change in his body. Chapter 61 reads:

He [the Bull Demon King] did not know, however, that when the Great Sage changed previously into a tiny mole cricket to enter the stomach of Raksasi [in ch. 59], [3] he still had in his mouth that Wind-Arresting Elixir, which he swallowed unwittingly. All his viscera had become firm; his skin and bones were wholly fortified (emphasis added). No matter how hard the Bull King fanned at him, he could not be moved (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 3, p. 149).

不知那大聖先前變蟭蟟蟲入羅剎女腹中之時，將定風丹噙在口裡，不覺的嚥下肚裡，所以五臟皆牢，皮骨皆固，憑他怎麼搧，再也搧他不動。

Let me reiterate: the elixir makes the Great Sage’s organs lao (牢), or “solid” or “firm,” like a prison (dictionary), and it also makes his skin and bones gu (固), or “solid” or “firm” like a four-sided structure (dictionary). Therefore, the pill essentially fortifies his body to the point of becoming an immovable object, even in the face of divine wind capable of blasting someone tens of thousands of miles or kilometers away. This makes him a perfect component of the Irresistible Force Paradox. This power is forgotten in subsequent chapters—a consequence of the novel’s origin as a collection of piecemeal stories—but this would be an interesting element to explore in fanfiction.

The other half of the paradox could be filled by the Juggernaut (Ch: Hong tanke, 紅坦克, or “Red Tank”), a.k.a. Cain Marko (Ch: Kaiyin Make, 凱因·馬可) (fig. 2), a Marvel Comics villain created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first introduced in 1965. He was previously the human step-brother of the powerful mutant telepath Charles Xavier, but after finding a magic gem inside an ancient temple, he became the avatar of the extradimensional deity Cyttorak and was empowered with great physical strength, durability, and immortality. He is often portrayed as unstoppable when in motion. For example, in Uncanny X-Men #183, the Wolverine describes him as “the closest thing on Earth to an irresistible force” (Claremont, 1984, p. 19).

Fig. 2 – The Juggernaut advances on the viewer (larger version). Image found here.

II. Similarities

Both Sun and the Juggernaut are:

  1. Fierce
  2. Super strong
  3. Super durable
  4. Immortal
  5. Empowered by divine beings, Buddha and Cyttorak, respectively (see here for cited examples of all of Monkey’s powers and skills)

The only difference between them—beyond size and origins—is that the powers under discussion are polar opposites, making one an immovable object and the other an unstoppable force. So, what do you think would happen if they ever came to blows?

III. Scenario

The only way I can think of that the Great Sage and Juggernaut could meet would involve borrowing story elements from the “Fear Itself” cross-over event in which both characters make appearances. In Iron Man 2.0 #5-7, Marvel’s Sun Wukong is introduced as a divinely empowered crime boss who’s released from hell when one of the magic hammers of Serpent, the Asgardian god of fear and the deposed brother of Odin, punches through Beijing, China and opens the dimensional barrier separating the underworld from earth. He attempts to lift the enchanted weapon on his way out but fails since he’s not the fated owner (figs. 3a,b,c & 4) (Spencer, 2011a; 2011b; 2011c). In Fear Itself #2, another hammer impacts Juggernaut’s island prison (on New York’s East River), and upon touching it, he becomes Serpent’s new warrior, “Kuurth, Breaker of Stone” (figs. 5a,b,c) (Fraction, 2011). Now, for the purposes of our story, instead of the weapon breaking into hell, imagine it opens a rift to the Buddho-Daoist cosmos of Journey to the West during the quest to India. This would allow a novel accurate Monkey King (fig. 6) to eventually battle Juggernaut, as well as meet modern day superheroes. This change would, of course, require widescale alterations to the rest of the “Fear Itself” storyline. [4] I’m open to suggestions.

How the battle goes would depend on the writer. I’m biased, so I would naturally root for Sun Wukong.

Fig. 3(a) – After beating up some demonic thugs, Sun Wukong sees the hammer falling (here); (b) it makes impact (here); and (c) he first touches it (here) (Spencer, 2011a). Fig. 4 – He fails to lift the enchanted weapon (larger version) (Spencer, 2011b). Fig. 5(a) – A separate hammer impacts the Juggernaut’s prison (here); (b) he first touches it (here); and (c) he is transformed into Serpent’s new warrior (here) (Fraction, 2011). Copyright Marvel comics. Fig. 6 – A nearly novel accurate Monkey King (larger version). A photomanipulation by me.

Notes:

1) This refers to the Buddha’s previous instructions to defeat “Great King Yellow Wind” (Huangfeng dawang, 黃風大王), a demon with a mastery of powerful, divine wind (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, pp. 413 and 419).

2) Lingji twice reveals (ch. 21 and 59) that the Wind-Arresting Elixir (Dingfeng dan, 定風丹) is a treasure bestowed by the Buddha (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 419; vol. 3, p. 128). Yu (Wu & Yu, 2012) translates this magic pill as the “wind-stopping pearl” in chapter 21 (vol. 1, p. 419). And It’s interesting to note that a “wind-stopping pearl” (dingfeng zhu, 定風珠) is said to be one of many heavenly jewels decorating Tripitaka’s cassock in chapter 12 (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 282).

3) This refers to Monkey’s plan to procure the magic fan by beating up Princess Iron Fan from inside her stomach (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 3, p. 129).

4) The changes to the comic book storyline wouldn’t affect the original novel. Monkey would eventually return to his universe and continue the journey to India.

Sources:

Claremont, C. (1984, July). Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1, No. 183 [Comic book]. New York, YK: Marvel. Retrieved from https://readallcomics.com/uncanny-x-men-v1-183/

Fraction, M. (2011). Fear Itself (No. 2) [Comic book]. New York, NY: Marvel. Retrieved from https://readallcomics.com/fear-itself-002-2011/

Spencer, N. (2011a). Iron Man 2.0 (No. 5) [Comic book]. New York, NY: Marvel Comics. Retrieved from https://readallcomics.com/iron-man-2-0-05/

Spencer, N. (2011b). Iron Man 2.0 (No. 6) [Comic book]. New York, NY: Marvel Comics. Retrieved from https://readallcomics.com/iron-man-2-0-06/

Spencer, N. (2011c). Iron Man 2.0 (No. 7) [Comic book]. New York, NY: Marvel Comics. Retrieved from https://readallcomics.com/iron-man-2-0-07/

Wu, C., & Yu, A. C. (2012). The Journey to the West (Vols. 1-4) (Rev. ed.). Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press.

Journey to the West Artist Spotlight #3: NingadudeXx

Jim R. McClanahan Leave a comment

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.

Anyone who has read my blog will no doubt realize that I am an avid fan of researching the history and influences of Journey to the West (Xiyouji, 西遊記, 1592). But as an artist, I am also a fan of JTTW-related artwork. There are so many talented people in the world who post their original designs and comics online, so I’ve decided to feature some of them on my blog. My hope is that such posts will expose this art to a wider audience interested in JTTW, while also documenting modern day perceptions and depictions of the novel and its characters.

Our third artist goes by the username NingadudeXx on Tumblr and Ningadudexx390 on YouTube. They were kind enough to answer some interview questions, as well as allow permission to display a few of their pieces.

The previous artist spotlight entries can be seen here and here.

I. Q & A

1) Can you tell me a little about yourself?

Hello, I go by DSG! I currently have an art blog called NingadudeXx on Tumblr that I use as a personal portfolio for my artwork. I also have a YouTube channel under the same name, where I post my animations and animatics! My username originates from when I was very young playing Minecraft and didn’t know how to spell, so I ended up with a wonky spelling of my current username. I’ve been using this username out of habit over the past decade and found that my misspelling helps people separate my username from the other dozen Ninja Dude’s out there!

2) Are you self-taught or did you go to art school?

I graduated from a high school that had an arts program, which specialized in animation, film, sound-design, and gaming. Funnily enough, my animation teacher wasn’t much of an artist himself, but the assignments he gave us over the years helped me to improve my skills! Aside from that, I would say that I am mostly a self-taught artist who’s been drawing since I could hold a pencil. Currently, I go to college and I’m working towards getting a degree in the arts, more specifically animation. I work at my school as a digital media tutor, where I help students with graphic design projects involving Adobe programs.

3) What are your main sources of artistic inspiration?

Some big inspirations of mine are Bill Watterson, Charles Schultz, and Craig McCracken. My dad introduced me to comic books when I was young, so I began reading Calvin and Hobbes and Peanuts books at a young age. I also grew up watching Cartoon Network shows, more specifically all of Craig McCracken’s cartoons. Growing up with the early style of 2000s/2010s cartoons has significantly influenced my style over the years. My biggest animation inspiration would have to be Flying Bark Studios, who have created beautiful cartoons such as Lego Monkie Kid and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

4) How did you learn about Journey to the West?

I learned about Journey to the West over 3 years ago now from watching Lego Monkie Kid! I’ve been captivated by the show and Journey to the West since. I love to research and watch any new media I can find that’s inspired by the novel!

5) Who is your favorite character?

My favorite character is Sun Wukong, who I find endlessly fascinating to draw and think about. I think he’s an incredible character that goes through many changes throughout his lifetime, as he ultimately becomes a better person despite the odds against him!

6) Do you have a favorite episode from the novel?

That’s a tough question. I really love everything about the novel! But if I had to choose a favorite section in general, I would have to say the beginning chapters of the novel, where we get to see how Wukong earns his various titles and gains all his abilities. Sun Wukong’s beginnings are an important aspect of his character, especially when compared to how he changes and grows during his journey to the west.

7) Does the novel have a special meaning to you?

This novel is a huge source of inspiration and strength for me. When times are tough, I often try to put myself in the mindset of my favorite characters and think about how they’d react/confront the problem at hand. While I didn’t grow up with the story when I was younger, I’m grateful to be reading and learning about this wonderful novel now!

8) Can you tell me about your ongoing JTTW-related projects?

I hope to make JTTW comics in the future depicting my favorite chapters and scenes from the novel! Until then, I’m always drawing Monkey King whenever I get a sliver of free time, which I usually post on my Tumblr or YouTube page.

II. Art and Thought Process

Note: Click each image to enlarge it.

1. For this piece, I wanted to draw Sun Wukong enjoying himself surrounded by his favorite stone fruits! Some of my favorite types of backgrounds to draw are the ones that involve twisty trees and grassy fields.

2. In this work, I wanted to capture the scene where Wukong breaks out of the Trigram Furnace after 49 long days and goes on a rampage in Heaven. I like to use strong shapes to emphasize emotion, so I made Wukong’s hair sharp and spiky to show his anger.

3. In this piece, I took clothing inspiration from the amazing painting The Great Sage Equaling Heaven by the talented Yang Ruifen. I try my best to include a lot of star/sun motifs in my Sun Wukong artwork, whether it be through the shape of his hair or by putting stars in his eyes. Or in this case, by putting a literal sun behind him!

4. A lot of my artwork is based on spur of the moment ideas, or is inspired by small things that happen in my life! In this case, I happened to eat some colorful and sweet gummies, which inspired the ‘gummy’ monkeys in this piece. It’s fun to find inspiration in small things that are otherwise considered mundane. Wukong is a very reactive and intense character, so I like to think that he has a lot on his mind. This piece was my way of showing that!

5. These two pieces I included together as a diptych! I was studying the attire and textures of the Beijing Opera Monkey King, and the 1996 Journey to the West version of Sun Wukong. I love contrasting warm oranges and yellows against a nice sky-blue color. I ended up entering this diptych into an arts competition at my college and won the illustration category!

6. For this animation, I focused more specifically on Monkie Kid’s version of Sun Wukong, mixed with my own idea of his character! I wanted to capture the feeling that Wukong is a very old being who has inspired many generations, having been in novels, cartoons, films, operas, etc. I wonder if the older Wukong gets, the more his identity gets muddled with other people’s perception of him? Maybe he feels like he must put on a mask of sorts around those who don’t know him personally.