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The mainland abomination known as "Hawaiian Dick"

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  • The mainland abomination known as "Hawaiian Dick"

    ok. Books.

    Well this is a "comic book"
    classified as such at least.
    But it is in no way:
    "comical"
    except in its depiction of local life.

    http://newsarama.com/forums/showthre...=hawaiian+dick

    Referred to as:
    "Hawaiian Dick"
    an unrepentant disrespectful title for a graphic 'comic book' format storyline of a haole guy newly transplanted from da mainland working as a private detective.
    (in real life, you would need to be a real kama'aina to become a private detective. Anyone else would most obviously stick out like a verrry sore thumb! And not be able to get ANNNY where in their investigation.
    So right there the premise falls flat as hell.)

    SO:
    he most definitely is NOT Hawaiian.
    Upon further reading he most certainly is a 'dick" or at least those responsibe for this ambomination.

    The creators were queried:
    you been to Hawaii!?
    one sez no.
    But i got a buddy in the military there, so i get firsthand info on what its like.
    Wrong chucko.
    You get firsthand info on what its like only if;
    You
    Live
    here.
    THAT
    and
    ONLY
    that.
    is firsthand.
    Not a military guy's accounts of hotel street if and when he ventures off da base.

    da odda one sez:
    No.
    BUT! I been to mexico. and I passed out in an alley there.

    ha.
    sad.
    and as equally insulting.

    We are equated with any other generic subtropical clime!
    experienced under a stupor.
    what a sad, pathetic pseudo excuse of a qualification to write a "Hawaiian detective graphic novel".

    They bring up:
    'tiki culture" as their draw. Well, this concept did NOT exist in the 50's. It is a current creation of a mainland clique that was weaned on the Disneyland "tiki room" and has no existence outside of this lil club.

    the dick drives a convertible. NO one drives a convertible except obvious haole tourists.

    a character within the series is named Kahami, a very unlikely unlocal sounding moniker. (Commie!?)
    (unless they consider this to be a generically pretty name (for some unknown reason) and the islands under the rule of Stalin or Ho Chi Min...)

    the "dick" wears two shirts AND long pants. AND black leather shoes. NO one wears this alla time, here. Too hot. You are immediately branded a haole FOB.
    one would expect to hear; "eh. haole crab. You one real dick. You dress li dat. Stoopid buggah!"


    he also wears what appears to be, in C/U shots, (or drawings/panels) a tiki necklace. This was done mostly by California surfers. In the 60s and beyond. Wrong again, chucko!

    a female asistant to "dick' sez: well, a 300 pound guy should be easy to find. "
    how so!?

    many of our bruddahs and local blalahs are about that!
    I'm damn near that myself!


    they admit to "reinventing" Hawaii.

    ok so much for authenticity.

    it IS a comic book after all!
    yes. very comical.


    more later...
    Last edited by kimo55; August 24, 2004, 10:16 PM.

  • #2
    Re: the mainland abomination known as: "Hawaiian dick"

    Ah... the folks at sister site HawaiiStories.com caught a glimpse of this two years ago. The publisher has put up quite a few scans of the actual comic itself, like this five page preview and a handful of individual strips.

    "Whatcha doin, snoopy wahine?" Honest Haole's Auto Sales! Pele, Goddess of the Volcano! Tiki figures: "tourist bunk." Hamakua, 1953.

    Here's a review from the Star-Bulletin, December 2002:

    If for no other reason, local readers should find the use of our back yard for Moore's storytelling interesting. He appears to have done his homework; he's gotten a handle on the complexity of racial relations, and the "exotic woman," waitress Princess Kahami (sorry, B. Clay, not a Hawaiian name!), will be one to watch, along with other characters that will seem familiar... Overall, "Hawaiian Dick" is an entertaining read that won't insult us.
    Moody and artsy. Cheesy. Definitely inspired by the Mainland fantasy of "tiki culture," loud shirts, sultry dark-skinned women, a mysterious Asian underworld... but an abomination? It's not pretending to be anything besides what it is. Comics, graphic novels, the appeal is the "look," the tone and flavor and characters. Here, someone's taken the well-worn Disney-fied model of Hawaii and run with it.

    True, some are disappointed in the depictions. The forum thread you linked at the publisher's site has a pretty decent discussion already. I think it's remarkable, though, that the creators of "Hawaiian Dick" are out there interacting and responding to readers and critics so directly.
    I have a firm grasp of tiki "culture," as well, and while I'm fully aware that the spread of tiki culture in the States during the 50s and 60s was related more to misconceptions about island culture than anything, the fact is that Hawaii was quick to embrace these misconceptions in an attempt to lure tourists to a paradise that never really existed.

    At first glance, it strikes me about as seriously as most comic books would: playful, dumb fun. Yet, from the forum, the creators have at least put a little more thought into it than people who call pineapple on pizza a Hawaiian delicacy.

    Still, I guess I'd have to buy a copy and read it myself to be certain whether or not I'd be offended.

    Thanks for reminding me about it!

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: The mainland abomination known as "Hawaiian Dick"

      Kimo, did you read the comic book, or did you only read the interview you quoted from? I read the book, and I thought it was fun. See the HawaiiStories thread Pzarquon quoted for my detailed critique. But then again, I like tiki kitsch. Martin Denny is God.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: The mainland abomination known as "Hawaiian Dick"

        Originally posted by Glen Miyashiro
        Kimo, did you read the comic book, or did you only read the interview you quoted from? I read the book, and I thought it was fun. See the HawaiiStories thread Pzarquon quoted for my detailed critique. But then again, I like tiki kitsch. Martin Denny is God.

        I have seen (and read) the issues... that I have issues.. with..
        ha.
        Found them at jellies, aiea.

        and I have read the numerous discussions and interviews. On many other 'boards".
        I know tiki kitsch. Tiki kitsch is a friend of mine. And THAT is no tiki kitsch.

        It also is not related to Martin Denny. He also is a friend of mine.
        and I too, Deify him.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: the mainland abomination known as: "Hawaiian dick"

          Originally posted by pzarquon
          At first glance, it strikes me about as seriously as most comic books would: playful, dumb fun. Yet, from the forum, the creators have at least put a little more thought into it than people who call pineapple on pizza a Hawaiian delicacy.
          s'funny. This is what the comic reminded me about. That it was the pulp version of pineapple pizza being called Hawaiian.

          Originally posted by pzarquon
          "It's not pretending to be anything besides what it is."
          oh, yes it is!

          the creater sez he wants to get everything right:
          "you realize that no one will notice if a certain light fixture or piece of architecture or bit of clothing is perfectly "correct" but I do feel that their subconscious will notice if it's wrong."

          "... I’m all too familiar with bad stereotyping and general touristy bollocks, so my rule is that if it makes someone from Hawaii cringe, I don’t draw it..."

          but then we see 9 foot tikis flanking this dude's desk, which are light fixtures!

          "tiki dolls"..... never heard them referred to as such here in all my years in Hawaii.

          He wears a modern print aloha shirt. (the one with woodies).
          (woodies were not celebrated at all in the fifties like they are now on shirts. they were not a nostalgic campy thing then. It's like a Steve Reeves movie set in ancient Rome. Wherein we see ancient Roman ruins lying all over the place. Just as the mst3k boys shout out indignantly; "They didn't have ancient Roman ruins in ancient Rome!")

          a Cal Worthington character sells him a car. Complete with cowboy hat, boots, bolo tie, thick jacket... AND he's called "Honest Haole". 'daHELLL!?

          a few "well place tikis" does not a Hawaiian comic make. With all the barren lanscape, and haole dialogue, (no pigdin at all) this could very well be set in socal. or miami. the B/G looks like mulholland drive and barren rolling Cali mountains.


          a tarzan talking tiki.
          ("you buy. is good")

          how and why would zombies fit into the Hawaiian scene?

          why would they include "ghosts of ancient Hawaiian warriors" in a comic book?

          and they say they strive for accuracy and they did their research.

          ooookayfine.
          Last edited by kimo55; August 25, 2004, 11:32 AM.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: The mainland abomination known as "Hawaiian Dick"

            K den, I wen pick up issue #1 of da current Hawaiian Dick comic book series - dis da one Kimo ste talkin bout.

            Eccch. Kimo brah, you wuz right. This series ste worse den the firs one. No mo local flava, nuttin. Instead, get one war between one Italian gang an one Irish gang. Da buggas ste own rival hotels. In Hawai'i. Sheez.

            No mo Hawaiian feel. Da giant tiki lamps wuz pretty bad. Ho, I neva see dat kine, even in da mos kitschiest tiki bars in town. Get one supanatchral paht wit one ghost. I tink das paht of da book, spose to get ghosts and stuff evry time. But again, no mo Hawaiian feel. An you right about da scenery - look like da artist wen use up all his Hawai'i reference pickchas, cuz da land no look like Hawaiian land.

            Auwē, how disappointing!

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: The mainland abomination known as "Hawaiian Dick"

              Eccch. Kimo brah, you wuz right. This series ste worse den the firs one.
              Hmm. I guess I never really caught on to what was happening. So, there was the first "book," a single, large, lots-of-effort graphic novel put out... followed by a cheaper, weaker comic series?

              The excerpts and samples I linked above were from the graphic novel, then? Because those didn't seem half bad. If the new comic series is pulling the standard stuff of sequels (or, in the movie parallel, TV spinoffs), then that's a pity. It could've gone somewhere with the right effort.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: The mainland abomination known as "Hawaiian Dick"

                The first comic book miniseries, from 2002, has been republished in graphic novel format. And there's a second comic book miniseries that is coming out right now in 2004.

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