McDull
Encyclopedia
McDull is a cartoon pig
character that was created in Hong Kong
by Alice Mak
and Brian Tse
. Although McDull made his first appearances as a supporting character in the McMug
comics
, McDull has since become a central character in his own right, attracting a huge following in Hong Kong.
The name McDull actually has a story itself. When Mrs Mak was going to give birth to McDull, she saw a magical plastic basin flying over her head. Believing it a sign from the gods, she named her son as "Dull". In Kung Fu Ding ding dong we also find out why he is not smart. When McDull was still a baby, Ms Mak sent him to a test on the Mozart effect
. Sadly, he was put in the control group and listened to what was said as 'nonsense songs' instead of Mozart.
His mother's name is Mrs. Mak Tam Yuk Lin (麥譚玉蓮) and his father's is Mak Bing (麥炳). Before the birth of McDull, his father disappeared and therefore Mrs. Mak had to raise McDull as a single mother. Despite their mutual love, mother and son had many conflicts. Mrs. Mak is a typical Hong Kong mother, expecting her son to get good grades, to enter the University of Hong Kong, and to become a respected professional. McDull tries very hard to fulfill his mother's wishes, but always fails.
Earlier stories suggested that McMug is a distant (probably paternal) cousin of McDull.
day, McDull produced a load of human-shaped dung called Excreman (屎撈人). After giving Excreman a scarf (made out of toilet paper) and a hat (actually a spittoon
), he was brought by Excreman to dung-world. There, Excreman shares his wish with him: to become fertilizer for flowers.
When the next morning came, Excreman brought McDull back to his room and went to fulfill his goal. Before leaving, Excreman left a message to McDull: Remember us whenever you see the humblest, the deserted and the despised.
(This story was very loosely based on The Snowman
, by Raymond Briggs
. Note the similarity of Excreman with South Park
's Mr. Hankey, another dung-shaped cartoon character associated with Christmas.)
(2001)
The first McDull movie documented his life and the relationship between him and his mother.
As in the comics, McDull is a piglet who lives with his mother, Mrs. Mak, in Hong Kong
. He is a kindergarten
student. He has a happy school life with his classmates including geese
, tortoise
s and other pigs. McDull and his mum love each other very much. McDull tries his best to make his mother proud of him and his mother tries hard to give McDull a happy childhood.
McDull wanted to go to the Maldives
. His mother could not afford a trip there but she tricks him by taking him to The Peak
by tram
. The tram has a sign "Go to the Maldives". It made McDull very happy as he thought that he was really going to the Maldives.
After realizing his dream, McDull set himself another target: to become an Olympic
champion just like female windsurfer Lee Lai Shan
.
The McMug Story My Life as McDull is also being translated into French
and shown in France
. In this version, Mak Bing is the mother of McDull, not his father.
McDull, Prince de la Bun
(2004)
The sequel, whose Chinese title was:麥兜菠蘿油王子 (lit. McDull, the prince of the pineapple bun with butter), was shown in cinemas in Hong Kong. There was again significant word play
in this movie, some of it is based on the "pineapple bun
". For example, in slang Cantonese, a "bor lo goi" ("pineapple cap") is colloquial for kneecap. The movie's theme, by the Pancakes
, was named Best Original Film Song at the 24th Hong Kong Film Awards
.
McDull, The Alumni
(2006)
McDull, Kung Fu Kindergarten
(2009)
In 2002, the soundtrack
of My Life as McDull was released. It was produced by Steve Ho (何崇志)http://www.leadingnote.org, a Hong Kong musician who won Best Original Film Score at the 21st Hong Kong Film Awards
. His blend of classical music and "modern" themes in this soundtrack led to a surge of interest in classical music amongst Hong Kong moviegoers.
Notably, McDull's theme song is Turkish Rondo
by Mozart
set with Cantonese lyrics.
The songs in the movie are also available in a karaoke
DVD format.
McDull and his fellow nursery pupils featured in five animated RTHK
educational episodes running from April 2006 to May 2006. In keeping with the surreal humour
of the McDull franchise, the series used humour to make Chinese history and culture accessible. In keeping with RTHK's public service
broadcasting
remit these episodes (as of July 2007) remain partially available to watch from its website.
The episodes follow the same basic format with McDull and friends being lectured by their headmaster about Chinese culture, before being interrupted by one pupil or the other. The narrator would then answer the pupil's questions with examples from the life of McDull's ancestor Mc Zi ( 麥子, literally wheat. a character sharing the name with 墨子 Mozi
, the founder of Mohist order). This is followed by a short history lesson from McDull's teacher Miss Chan, often featuring a Chinese festival. The episode than finishes with the evolution of a Chinese character
.
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
character that was created in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
by Alice Mak
Alice Mak
Alice Mak is an artist and cartoonist. She is one of the two creators of the cartoon characters McMug and McDull.The animated films My Life as McDull and McDull, Prince de la Bun have received numerous awards....
and Brian Tse
Brian Tse
Brian Tse is the author of the Hong Kong children comic, "McMug and McDull" series. He is one of the two creators of the cartoon characters McMug and McDull. His wife is responsible for the illustration...
. Although McDull made his first appearances as a supporting character in the McMug
McMug
McMug is a cartoon pig who first appeared in Mingpao weekly magazine in 1988. The graphics are drawn by Hong Kong cartoonist Alice Mak with stories written by Brian Tse . Although McMug comics look somewhat childish, they cover more serious social topics, including death, poverty, unskilled...
comics
Manhua
Manhua are Chinese comics originally produced in China. Possibly due to their greater degree of artistic freedom of expression and closer international ties with Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan have been the places of publication of most manhua thus far, often including Chinese translations of...
, McDull has since become a central character in his own right, attracting a huge following in Hong Kong.
McDull's background
McDull is a male pig who can be distinguished by a birthmark on his right eye. He has a heart of gold, but he isn't very smart and ordinary in every way; nevertheless, he has many dreams. However, every time he tries, he fails; he is disappointed, but tries again, exploring other dreams. In this way he creates his own colourful world. He lives his life simply and naturally. He is not perfect, but his attitude towards life, namely of never giving up, makes him a popular character.The name McDull actually has a story itself. When Mrs Mak was going to give birth to McDull, she saw a magical plastic basin flying over her head. Believing it a sign from the gods, she named her son as "Dull". In Kung Fu Ding ding dong we also find out why he is not smart. When McDull was still a baby, Ms Mak sent him to a test on the Mozart effect
Mozart effect
The Mozart effect can refer to: * A set of research results that indicate that listening to Mozart's music may induce a short-term improvement on the performance of certain kinds of mental tasks known as "spatial-temporal...
. Sadly, he was put in the control group and listened to what was said as 'nonsense songs' instead of Mozart.
Family of McDull
Earlier stories suggested that McMug is a distant (probably paternal) cousin of McDull.
McDull and Excreman
One ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
day, McDull produced a load of human-shaped dung called Excreman (屎撈人). After giving Excreman a scarf (made out of toilet paper) and a hat (actually a spittoon
Spittoon
A spittoon is a receptacle made for spitting into, especially by users of chewing and dipping tobacco. It is also known as a cuspidor , although that term is also used for a type of spitting sink used in dentistry."Spittoon" can also be slang American English...
), he was brought by Excreman to dung-world. There, Excreman shares his wish with him: to become fertilizer for flowers.
When the next morning came, Excreman brought McDull back to his room and went to fulfill his goal. Before leaving, Excreman left a message to McDull: Remember us whenever you see the humblest, the deserted and the despised.
(This story was very loosely based on The Snowman
The Snowman
The Snowman is a children's book by English author Raymond Briggs, published in 1978. In 1982, this book was turned into a 26-minute animated movie by Dianne Jackson for the fledgling Channel 4. It was first shown on Channel 4 late on Christmas Eve in 1982 and was an immediate success. The film was...
, by Raymond Briggs
Raymond Briggs
Raymond Redvers Briggs is an English illustrator, cartoonist, graphic novelist, and author who has achieved critical and popular success among adults and children...
. Note the similarity of Excreman with South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
's Mr. Hankey, another dung-shaped cartoon character associated with Christmas.)
Comics
McDull first appeared as a comic book character. Most of the books mainly depicted his daily life:- Yellow Bus Magazine
- McDull's Touching Short Stories (麥兜感人至深小故事)
- McDull - From Honey to BBQ Pork (麥兜從蜜汁到叉燒)
- McDull's Stories (麥兜故事)
- McDull's 'Tiny' NovelNovelA novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s (麥兜 . 微小小說) - McDull's Hundred Thousands Questions Collection (麥兜十萬個為什麼)
- McDull's 'Dam' 'Dam' Noodles (麥兜的擔擔麵)
- McDull's Fishball (麥兜的魚蛋)
- McDull's Stitching - A Day of McDull (麥嘜縫縫縫——麥兜的一天)
- Dear McDull (麥肉兜兜)
- Mrs. Mac's Stories (麥太兜兜)
- Unplugged Version of Young McDull's Troubles (少年麥兜的煩惱Unplugged版(非賣品))
Films
My Life as McDullMy Life as McDull
My Life as McDull is a Chinese animated feature film from Hong Kong released in 2001. The film surrounds the life of McDull, a hugely popular cartoon pig character created by Alice Mak and Brian Tse which has appeared on comics ever since the 1990s...
(2001)
The first McDull movie documented his life and the relationship between him and his mother.
As in the comics, McDull is a piglet who lives with his mother, Mrs. Mak, in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. He is a kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
student. He has a happy school life with his classmates including geese
Goose
The word goose is the English name for a group of waterfowl, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....
, tortoise
Tortoise
Tortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles . Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise...
s and other pigs. McDull and his mum love each other very much. McDull tries his best to make his mother proud of him and his mother tries hard to give McDull a happy childhood.
McDull wanted to go to the Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
. His mother could not afford a trip there but she tricks him by taking him to The Peak
Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak is a mountain in Hong Kong. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak. The mountain is located in the western half of Hong Kong Island...
by tram
Peak Tram
The Peak Tramway is a funicular railway in Hong Kong, which carries both tourists and residents to the upper levels of Hong Kong Island. Running from Central district to Victoria Peak via the Mid-Levels, it provides the most direct route and offers good views over the harbour and skyscrapers of...
. The tram has a sign "Go to the Maldives". It made McDull very happy as he thought that he was really going to the Maldives.
After realizing his dream, McDull set himself another target: to become an Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
champion just like female windsurfer Lee Lai Shan
Lee Lai Shan
Lee Lai-Shan MBE BBS is a former world champion and Olympic gold medal-winning professional windsurfer from Hong Kong. She is the first and last ever athlete to win an Olympic medal representing Hong Kong, not as part of China...
.
The McMug Story My Life as McDull is also being translated into French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and shown in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In this version, Mak Bing is the mother of McDull, not his father.
McDull, Prince de la Bun
McDull, Prince de la Bun
McDull, Prince de la Bun is a 2004 animated Hong Kong film directed by Yuen Toe. Telling the life a the fictional pig McDull, it is a sequel to My Life as McDull and it was followed by McDull, the Alumni .There was significant word play in this movie, some of it is based on the "pineapple bun"...
(2004)
The sequel, whose Chinese title was:麥兜菠蘿油王子 (lit. McDull, the prince of the pineapple bun with butter), was shown in cinemas in Hong Kong. There was again significant word play
Word play
Word play or wordplay is a literary technique in which the words that are used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement...
in this movie, some of it is based on the "pineapple bun
Pineapple bun
A pineapple bun is a kind of sweet pastry popular in Hong Kong, Macau, some other areas in southern China, and in various Chinese communities around the world. They can also be found in bakeries in Taiwan or Toronto. It is known in Cantonese as bo lo baau, in which "bo lo" means "pineapple", and...
". For example, in slang Cantonese, a "bor lo goi" ("pineapple cap") is colloquial for kneecap. The movie's theme, by the Pancakes
The Pancakes
The Pancakes is a Hong Kong based, award-winning one-girl band consisting of independent singer-songwriter Dejay Choi. The music of the Pancakes is characterised by Dejay's very innocent, almost child-like voice with bright and catchy melodies...
, was named Best Original Film Song at the 24th Hong Kong Film Awards
Hong Kong Film Awards
The Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing,...
.
McDull, The Alumni
McDull, The Alumni
McDull, the Alumni is a 2006 Hong Kong live action/animated film directed by Samson Chiu. It is the third film adaptation of the popular McDull comic book series, following My Life as McDull, and McDull, Prince de la Bun...
(2006)
McDull, Kung Fu Kindergarten
McDull, Kung Fu Kindergarten
McDull, Kung Fu Kindergarten is a 2009 animated Hong Kong film directed by Brian Tse. Telling the story of the fictional piglet McDull entering a kung fu academy, the film is the fourth in the line of film starring McDull.- Plot :...
(2009)
Soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
of My Life as McDull was released. It was produced by Steve Ho (何崇志)http://www.leadingnote.org, a Hong Kong musician who won Best Original Film Score at the 21st Hong Kong Film Awards
Hong Kong Film Awards
The Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing,...
. His blend of classical music and "modern" themes in this soundtrack led to a surge of interest in classical music amongst Hong Kong moviegoers.
Notably, McDull's theme song is Turkish Rondo
Piano Sonata No. 11 (Mozart)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K 331 is a sonata in three movements:#Andante grazioso — a theme with six variations#Menuetto — a minuet and trio#Alla Turca: Allegretto in A minor and major....
by Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
set with Cantonese lyrics.
The songs in the movie are also available in a karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
DVD format.
Television
McDull and Chinese Culture (2006)McDull and his fellow nursery pupils featured in five animated RTHK
Radio Television Hong Kong
Radio Television Hong Kong is a public broadcasting organisation in Hong Kong that is operated as an independent department in the government under the Broadcasting Authority. RTHK operates seven radio channels, and produces television programmes that are then broadcast through local television...
educational episodes running from April 2006 to May 2006. In keeping with the surreal humour
Surreal humour
Surreal humour is a form of humour based on violations of causal reasoning with events and behaviours that are logically incongruent. Constructions of surreal humour involve bizarre juxtapositions, non-sequiturs, irrational situations, and/or expressions of nonsense.The humour arises from a...
of the McDull franchise, the series used humour to make Chinese history and culture accessible. In keeping with RTHK's public service
Public services
Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly or by financing private provision of services. The term is associated with a social consensus that certain services should be available to all, regardless of income...
broadcasting
Public broadcasting
Public broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
remit these episodes (as of July 2007) remain partially available to watch from its website.
The episodes follow the same basic format with McDull and friends being lectured by their headmaster about Chinese culture, before being interrupted by one pupil or the other. The narrator would then answer the pupil's questions with examples from the life of McDull's ancestor Mc Zi ( 麥子, literally wheat. a character sharing the name with 墨子 Mozi
Mozi
Mozi |Lat.]] as Micius, ca. 470 BC – ca. 391 BC), original name Mo Di , was a Chinese philosopher during the Hundred Schools of Thought period . Born in Tengzhou, Shandong Province, China, he founded the school of Mohism, and argued strongly against Confucianism and Daoism...
, the founder of Mohist order). This is followed by a short history lesson from McDull's teacher Miss Chan, often featuring a Chinese festival. The episode than finishes with the evolution of a Chinese character
Chinese character
Chinese characters are logograms used in the writing of Chinese and Japanese , less frequently Korean , formerly Vietnamese , or other languages...
.
The episodes
- Episode 1 Hygiene and health. Qingming FestivalQingming FestivalThe Qingming Festival , Pure Brightness Festival or Clear Bright Festival, Ancestors Day or Tomb Sweeping Day is a traditional Chinese festival on the 104th day after the winter solstice , usually occurring around April 5 of the Gregorian calendar...
(a much older Mc Dull is seen at the grave of his mother and grand mother) - Episode 2 Building and construction. Mid-Autumn FestivalMid-Autumn FestivalThe Mid-Autumn Festival , also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival or Zhongqiu Festival, is a popular lunar harvest festival celebrated by Chinese and Vietnamese people. A description of the festival first appeared in Rites of Zhou, a written collection of rituals of the Western Zhou...
( the older Mcdull is seen thinking of his heimatHeimatHeimat is a German word that has no simple English translation. It is often expressed with terms such as home or homeland, but these English counterparts fail to encapsulate the true meaning of the word.-The meaning of Heimat:...
from what looks like the Brooklyn bridgeBrooklyn BridgeThe Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River... - Episode 3 Food and Agriculture. Ghost FestivalGhost FestivalThe Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival and holiday celebrated by Chinese in many countries...
- Episode 4 Chinese martial arts, medicine, alchemy.
- Episode 5 People and what it is to be a modern Chinese child.
