Detective Comics Presents Batman and Robin: Museum Object and Cultural History
Detective Comics Presents Batman and Robin: date made: January 1969. Object Name: comic book. Physical Description: paper (overall material).
The object in the museum catalogue
“The Fortune-Cookie Caper” : In the opening of this episode, the submissive yellow skin toned Chinese waiter is introduced and immediately put in juxtaposition with the white and masculine Batman. The waiter, along with the other Chinese actors in this story, is caricatured to speak English poorly, and the messages in the fortune cookie are mocked. This comic paints a villainous image on the Chinese actors by holding them responsible for a pearl-smuggling operation, as Batman plays the hero and uncovers the smuggling ring.
Here, fortune cookies and pearls, both items that are strongly associated with the stereotyped Chinese culture, or in their words the ‘orient’, are used to represent mischief and criminality. This story also appropriates gender dynamics in Chinese culture through the relationship between Yin Yan and his sister Hu Shi. She never fails to regard him as ‘honorable brother’, and is used as bait for her “diabolically clever and cautious” brother’s operation.
Materials, dates and provenance
- date made: January 1969
- Object Name: comic book
- Physical Description: paper (overall material)
- Measurements: overall: 10 1/4 in x 7 in x 1/8 in; 26.035 cm x 17.78 cm x .3175 cm
- ID Number: 2012.3057.05
- nonaccession number: 2012.3057
- catalog number: 2012.3057.05
- Data Source: National Museum of American History
Sources and reuse
Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.
Sources
More in Fandom & Collecting
Keep reading