Lianhuanhua 连环画 is a traditional Chinese form of comic art, consisting of one image accompanied by one caption per page. Emerging from early 20th-century illustrated narratives, it rose to prominence during the Maoist era as a major propaganda tool (Mittler 2012; Chen 1996). In this essay, I reflect on the present-day official discourse surrounding lianhuanhua (LHH). Specifically, I examine how media—particularly art and art-related journals—as well as the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database that disseminates and reframes these materials, construct and reinforce narratives emphasizing the close relationship between art institutions and lianhuanhua. My analysis focuses in particular on the phenomenon of Jiashang lianhuanhua 架上连环画 (“lianhuanhua on the easel”)—a form ideally designed for both print circulation and museum exhibition. Drawing on van Dijk’s take on the “discursive reproduction of power” in newsmaking (2015), I approach this subject from the perspective of media and communication studies. While attending to the textual construction of official discourse on LHH, I also explore the broader media context in which this discourse is embedded.

lianhuanhua; Chinese contemporary comics; Comics art discourse; Chinese art discourse; Chinese art institutions; China Artists Association; gallery exhibitions; Chinese media studies; Meishu; lianhuanhua on the easel

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