*김수정의 아기공룡 둘리

[1234]

Kim Soo-Jung's little dinosaur

Believe or not, for those who grew up in the 80's there is no one like Doolry who could represent an era full of nostalgia. The adventures of the little dinosaur used to appear in a cartoon magazine called ‘Treasure Island’ whose volume would flatter each month that of a phone directory. Kim Soo-Jung's special edition that hopes to re-launch the phenomena of Doolry is not without some edited versions and a hardcover and an intimate interview with the creator of the most beloved fossil reptile. In some of us memory still linger images of animated Doolry on TV, each episode produced by different directors that almost coincided the success with "Run Run Honey".

 Orphans, runaways, bad'uns and mentally or physically handicapped lonely urchins---these are the outcasts of society that Doolry and his friends represent. Re-reading this new edition of Doolry, I have been able to relate myself more to the frustration and solitude of the little wacky dinosaur and the violence, that is, offspring of all these bitter sentiments. Although self-censored parts that fortunately allow readers to use their own imaginations, there still exist many a slapping, smacking, and kicking. The very page that depicts the baby-sitting Doolry apply his back kicks to pacify the raucous Hee-dong has been declared inappropriate and redone so that this time Hee-dong takes his revenge.

 Throughout each chapter, there is amplitude of childhood memories with which we can feel connected; staying over at friends; playing in the hills and mountains; running away with our wild imaginations; and a bady cousin entrusted to our homes by aunt and uncle. This cartoon even inspired us to play a silly game among friends such as naming alcohol brand names or victuals.  So what's the prime source of this cartoon's fame? Some may fear that this collector's edition is no less than a gleaner that helps collect some income for the seemingly impoverished author who became victim of his own success. Many of us may come to conclusion that it is all credited to amazingly absurd comedy throughout the stories. Many violent scenes such as Mr. Ko, ( representative of a typical Korean father), throwing an urn of stones directly at Donut ( an orphan from the galaxy afar, afar away) and trying to prevent Donut to smash down the wall with a sledgehammer are to be dramatized only in our imaginations. There is also a pack of puns that Korean language facilitates more than English. It is no doubt a depravity in the sense of humour. In one of the two episodes of "Time Travel", set partially in the 18th century Highland, a witch takes a form that would go unparallel to all other characters. (Normally, Kim has a style so simple that his characters are born with the crudest but deft forms.) When the witch threatens his villagers who have whipped into shape a lynch mob to hang the femme fatale, Kim uses such a depraved comparison in which the witch is ordained with a sensual look while uttering gibberish burdened with word plays, and a moment later, she becomes a most pathetic heroine getting crushed by a dinosaur. This might have produced deliriums among the readers. At the end of the book, he shares with readers some of his most intimate thoughts and memories by providing an interview and rough sketches of early days of Doolry. 

November 2005