Fu Manchu
First introduced to western reading audiences in 1913 by Sax Rohmer (pseudonym of Arthur Sarsfield Wade, 1883-1959), Fu Manchu quickly became considered the quintessential sinister Chinese villain. Featured in over a dozen books, Fu Manchu used blackmail, kidnapping, and murder in his efforts to achieve world domination. The popularity of Fu Manchu increased when the character with the long face, goatee, and wispy mustache hit the silver screen (1920s), radio airwaves (1920s-30s), comic books (1930s), and television (1950s). Since his creation, Fu Manchu has become a damaging stereotype for Asians, suggesting that they are inscrutable and evil. Fu Manchu has also become the name for a style of beard (goatee and thin mustache), and a popular California rock band that released its first album in 1990.
Further Reading:
Van Ash, Cay. Master of Villainy; A Biography of Sax Rohmer. Ohio, Bowling Green University Popular Press, 1972.
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