Self-designed and constructed final project for my Flyers & Zines class with Vin Caponigro.

The zine investigates the phenomenon of the Snoopy character in Hong Kong, and uses my mother’s collection as a case study for this idea. Includes an essay I wrote.

Copies are for sale and have sold at Printed Matter’s Art Book Fair.

Essay
In Hong Kong, there is a fascination with 公仔 (gungjai), which means small dolls that elicit a sense of cuteness. These gungjai are placed with no bounds, you may find rows of plastic or stuffed dolls displayed amongst offices and in cars, in professional or casual environments. They are akin to a trophy of sorts to those who pay attention.

The Snoopy character entered the Cantonese mainstream in 1998 by way of a monthlong McDonald's promotional campaign, in which a new Snoopy figure dressed in a different national garb was sold every day [Fig. 1]. Tens of thousands of people had lined up each day— many overnight— in front of the various branches to buy the collectibles. The figures were so popular that many would just order the meal then toss out the food, only keeping the toy.

[Fig. 1]

To a certain degree, the Snoopy-Mcdonald's phenomenon ilustrates a much more pervasive cultural behaviour in Hong Kong. Hellmutt Schütte writes in his book Consumer Behaviour in Asia, that Asians are "the most image-conscious consumers in the world." This quote suggests that the trends of consumption are different in Hong Kong as to anywhere else in the world. How then did obsession with a plastic figure surpass the conventional signifiers of luxury and taste in an already status-obsessed city?

It is suggestive that Snoopy's success in Hong Kong could be attributed to the fact in thinking about sign value (Baudrillard), owning a Snoopy figure has nullified use-value, as it simply exists as a cultural commodity. "In Hong Kong, it makes no difference what the item is; if the people want it, and you have it, then you are popular." (Bosco 275) The object doesn't necessarily have to be functional, it just needs to be desired by a general populace. This furthers the point that owning a Snoopy object positions oneself to be "in trend" as opposed to "standing out", as Joseph Bosco later notes, "Hong Kong's open class system...makes status and prestige not only more money-based but also more precarious and in need of reinforcement through conspicuous display."

In Cantonese society, it's interesting to note that Snoopy as a character does not seem to carry the connotations of earnestness and eccentricity that Americans of the baby boom generation have come to love. Instead, Snoopy is lauded because of his "cuteness" in various costumes, and this allows for seriality when it comes to collecting. Furthermore, Snoopy as a franchise is characterized as a foreign entity in Hong Kong. In the Cantonese context, to indulge in foreignness signifies a degree of sophistication, hence subscribing to the Snoopy franchise meant also identifying with a sophisticated culture.

[Fig. 2]

Since the McDonald's craze of 1998, Snoopy has further become a fixed cartoon figure in Hong Kong. In 2000, a Snoopy's World mini- theme park was constructed in the Sha Tin district of the city and includes six zones of amusement [Fig. 3]. In the proceeding years, convenience stores such as 7-Eleven or Circle-K have continued to run collectible Snoopy campaigns [Fig. 2] based off of stamp schemes.

[Fig. 3]

© Adrian Wong 2024

© Adrian Wong ²⁰²⁴