In 1986, Chinese cartooning received its own cat-and-mouse duo in Inspector Black Cat, a cartoon about a hard-nosed feline detective who blew away any talking fauna who messed with him.
The cartoon debuted at a time when Tom and Jerry cartoons were popular in mainland China. The show however possessed an ideological dimension that wasn’t exactly present in Jerry’s ceaseless quest for cheese. Explains Asia Obscura:
The entire show is bloated with pro-China anti-American policy. The series’ ultimate malefactor is a thieving and drunk rat, wearing big white gloves, britches, and a massive button on his waist. Basically, he’s Micky Mouse. He’s lazy, corrupt, and greedy. Like America.
A later episode shows an eagle kidnapping the cartoon children of China, including a baby panda. We hear their bones breaking under his beak. It’s positively horrific. Just in case an eagle was too subtle, Inspector Black Cat shaves him down – he’s now a bald eagle! – and the children mock him. “You’re bald!” they laugh, attacking him with bats, and cheers of “Beat! Beat! Beat!”
You can read more about Inspector Black Cat (and see more crazy images) over at Asia Obscura. Here’s part of the fourth episode, which features Inspector Black Cat mercilessly murdering an army of invading insects. You can watch more of his exploits on YouTube.
