This is a set of cartoons that should be published by 1979 and 10. However, it was not until August 23, 2005, 26 years later, that it really faced the public for the first time. Between the changes of time and space in 26 years, the audience and society are not what they used to be. One of the authors, Liu Yulian, died in 1997. Even the protagonist "Zhang Zhixin" in this cartoon has become a noun that needs to be explained.

"Is it trial, brave thinking or ideological imprisonment?"

On August 23rd, 2005, this group of 14 cartoons "Zhang Zhixin" was not placed in a particularly conspicuous position in the "Retrospect Exhibition of West-bound Nine-color Deer Liu Yulian Art" in China Art Museum. For the author, his later works Yellow River, Deer with Nine Colors and his early works Scar and Maple Leaf are far more famous and influential than this unpublished group of Zhang Zhixin. However, many viewers slowed down in front of this group of works and stopped to read this little poem in the showcase carefully, which was written by Liu Yulian for the comic book Zhang Zhixin.

"You have a cavity enthusiasm, entered the unprecedented years.

Enthusiastic and sincere, like the whole boiling China.

But you, you doubt it.

In people's prisons, people's children are locked up.

Because of you, you told the brave truth. ...

Trial, is it brave thinking or ideological imprisonment?

Really guilty, you or modern feudalism? ...

This is not your shame, but the shame of our national history ... "

On May 25th, 1979, People's Daily published a long report entitled "Dare to Fight for Truth", introducing Zhang Zhixin's deeds. Since June 5th, Guangming Daily has published reports written in blood, such as Footprints Towards Eternal Life and She is a veritable Strong Person, for more than three months, revealing the details of Zhang Zhixin's inhuman treatment in prison because of her conviction for her thoughts, including her throat cut for fear of shouting "reactionary slogans" before execution. At that time, the whole country was shocked. "Zhang Zhixin" has become synonymous with upholding truth and resisting power in people's minds.

Just as the wave of commemoration has just started, and many details have not been made public and widely known, Chen Yiming, Liu Yulian and Li Bin have already got the manuscript from the comic book editorial department and set out from Harbin to investigate and interview Zhang Zhixin in Panjin Prison, Liaoning Province.

1On July 24th, 979, Li Bin wrote to his friend and painter Shen Jiawei, saying that Zhang Zhixin was in the process of creation: "We originally planned to paint 14 paintings, mostly through the combination of historical photos and paintings to arouse people's memories and thoughts." Several of them are painting friends of Heilongjiang Corps, and have worked in Heilongjiang Artists Association, Harbin Artists Association and shenyang military area command. Prior to this, the comic book Scar, which was created by Chen Yiming, Liu Yulian and Li Bin based on Lu Xinhua's novel, had caused great repercussions, but they didn't know that Maple Leaf, which will be published in the comic book of their collaboration in August, would cause even greater repercussions and an uproar.

"If we don't draw these pictures, if we don't spit out the breath in our chests, I'm afraid we will suffocate."

With a letter of introduction from Beijing, they were replaced by a letter of introduction from the Provincial Public Security Department to Panjin Prison in Liaoning. "At that time, Panjin Prison was like the Fushun War Criminals Management Office that was later opened. The cell where Zhang Zhixin was held was opened and someone was responsible for the reception. " Li Bin still remembers how many people visited with them at that time. "I remember the room is not too big, there is a row of kang against the wall, and the roof is very high. I looked up and saw a small window and the people inside felt suffocated. " Li Bin recalled. What they saw was Zhang Zhixin's cell with other prisoners. Later, she was not allowed to visit the small room where she was held in solitary confinement.

In the picture, Zhang Zhixin was beaten by a group of prisoners in his cell, and his lines were rough and messy. Close shot: Outside the prison, a policewoman in police uniform stood with her hands crossed and quietly looked at her back. The content of this painting comes from the administrator's confirmation that Zhang Zhixin was really beaten in prison and his hair was almost pulled out.

According to the administrator, Zhang Zhixin cried all night when he got the divorce papers in prison. This detail later became another painting in this group: the background is a real family photo and life photo of Zhang Zhixin, and the main body is that she is crying in handcuffs and prison clothes. "She is not only a hero, but also a mother and wife. We are consciously looking for such human nature, but the content that has been ravaged. "

Not all details and stories are suitable for painting, but you can't forget them. The night before he was shot, in early April, the northeast was still very cold, and the prisoner was still wearing cotton-padded clothes and trousers. Zhang Zhixin offered to relieve herself, and the prisoner who held her went to ask the administrator, and the answer was: "Let her pee her pants." "Think about what kind of person she is. She came from a musical family, joined the volunteer army, went to college, and joined the party at the age of 25. The image of the Propaganda Department of the Provincial Party Committee is so perfect. What a shame this kind of thing is for her. "

Because it is too long, in Li Bin's description, some memories only have images, but they can't remember the specific time and place. He remembered seeing Zhang Zhixin's prison uniform, which was very big, like a man's clothes. What impressed him most was a large piece of collar and chest, all covered with blood. They saw photos of Zhang Zhixin before his execution. She knelt on the ground, tied up, her face twisted, and a sign hung around her neck, which read "Zhang Zhixin, a counter-revolutionary criminal, was sentenced to death immediately".

This photo was quickly sketched by Li Bin with charcoal pen, and the one in the cartoon that shows this plot almost copied this photo as it is. "It's just," said Li Bin, whose throat had been cut at that time, and her face was distorted without any human form. "I did some processing when painting, not as tragic as the photo." There, the three of them also met Professor Wu Biduan from the printmaking department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Professor Wu told them that he also saw the photos of Zhang Zhixin after he was executed, which was even more horrible. Zhang Zhixin was not the first prisoner to have his throat cut before execution. The method used was to tie the prisoner's tongue and mouth with wire. Later, a doctor invented the method of cutting trachea. The administrator left a deep impression on Li Bin, and Zhang Zhixin was 4 1.

"The feeling at that time was that if we didn't draw these pictures, if we didn't spit out the breath in our chests, I'm afraid we would suffocate." Li Bin said. Two days later, on the train back to Harbin, they began to discuss how to arrange and display the painting. The reason why I decided to combine historical photos with paintings is mainly considering the reality of this theme. Photos can emphasize realism more. This collage, which is somewhat similar to western pop art, was a very fresh and strange idea in China, where there was no computer and multimedia technology at that time.

"We know what we are doing."

It is not difficult to collect information and photos. As painters, it is their professional habit to pay attention to pictures, and there are many sources of written materials shortly after the end of the Cultural Revolution. The trouble lies in the production process. They must remake the selected photos together, make photos in a darkroom and paste them on plywood, and then draw the main image with gouache on the background of the photos.

The deadline was so tight that in those days, they rotated almost day and night, doing darkroom parts at night and painting during the day. "It's sleepy. But we know what we are doing. " Li Bin said that what supported them at that time was that it was nothing compared with what happened to Zhang Zhixin! Because of the change of political wind direction, the propaganda report on Zhang Zhixin came to an abrupt end. Finished comics will never be published.

Twenty-six years later, even from today's perspective, some pictures are still shocking. There is a background copy of the central document "Several Provisions on Strengthening Public Security Work in the Great proletarian Cultural Revolution", in which two lines clearly state "Current Counter-revolutionary Behavior", which just blocks the mouth in Zhang Zhixin's portrait. In another photo, there is an interrogator with a red collar and Zhang Zhixin who is being interrogated. He is a public security figure in a white uniform. In the background photos, there are positive rulers of the old times, such as Cixi, Yuan Shikai and Chiang Kai-shek, a photo of the fairy cave in Lushan Mountain taken by Jiang Qing, and a couplet photo of "People can do it, but they can't do it", which implies the autocratic nature of rulers in previous dynasties.

The picture showing the scene of "cutting throat" is also ingenious. The faces of the executioner and the victim are hidden, and the black silhouette seems to tell the audience that this is a shady business. Someone nearby bowed their heads and silently watched the crime. Further up, the background is a photo of Tomb-Sweeping Day's mass rally in the magnificent Tiananmen Square. The center of the picture seems to be blank. Look carefully, it is Zhang Zhixin's face. It seems to be a metaphor of "a voice is suffocated and a roar will be heard".

Therefore, when introducing Liu Yulian's painting collection, Shen Jiawei, a painter living in Australia, commented, "There are many excellent comic works, with less than 20 paintings. In my opinion, it is the most profound and incisive painting that criticized the Cultural Revolution at home and abroad so far."

"What can touch the national memory will always have vitality."

History cannot be assumed. No one knows what kind of legacy Zhang Zhixin will leave in that period of history if he comes out after Scar and Maple Leaf. In retrospect, when he knew he couldn't publish it, Li Bin said, "It seems that he didn't feel much." So that the original was handed over to Shen Jiawei for preservation. For them, what they want to express is already in the painting, and the breath trapped in their chest is even spit out. For them, comic books are not their job. After Zhang Zhixin, the comic creation group of the three of them was dissolved, and the three authors developed in different directions.

As the preserver of this set of works for more than 20 years, Shen Jiawei has always believed that "things that can touch the national memory will always have vitality." He said that when the 14 painting was wrapped in paper and put in a box, "I believe that this set of things will see the light of day one day." For the author Li Bin, the fate of cartoonist Zhang Zhixin touched him the most: painting is the most important thing. The artist's life will soon disappear, but his works will stay. He said: "It could not be published 26 years ago, but it can be published today. If we hadn't painted, we wouldn't be here today. Some things need to be done first, and then consider others. "

China Art Museum has a collection of Zhang Zhixin cartoons.