Nguyen Charlie
Encyclopedia
Nguyen Charlie is a tongue-in-cheek
comic strip
that appeared during the Vietnam War
in the Pacific
edition of the United States Army
military newspaper Stars and Stripes
from 1966 to 1974. It was created by Corky Trinidad
, an award winning Philippines
-born editorial cartoonist
for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin
from 1969 until his death in 2009.
Its title hero is a dedicated (if less than heroic) Nget Cong (as Trinidad calls them) who shares the battlefields of South Vietnam with his American counterparts, everyone having a common interest: survival. The comic strip is non-political and both sides are treated equally. No one dies in Nguyen Charlie's war. The cast of characters includes Nguyen Charlie's comrades and their leader (Comrade Commander), as well as the members of a U. S. infantry platoon. Non-combatants are seldom seen, the notorious "mammie-san" who does the GIs' laundry being an exception. Nguyen Charlie was an immediate hit with the GIs' and each day's entry was eagerly awaited.
Trinidad created the comic strip in 1966, when he was still living in the Philippines, and Nguyen Charlie first appeared in the Philippines Herald. It was then carried briefly by the Saigon Post, before being picked up by the Stars and Stripes. Trinidad said, "Americans have always been known for their sense of humor, their ability to joke during a crisis, to laugh at themselves during trouble. The Vietnam War was unpopular ... because it was one war where the U.S. was not laughing." Trinidad made two trips to South Vietnam
to ensure accuracy, and was always careful not to let politics play a part in the comic strip.
Three softcover books compiling the Nguyen Charlie daily strips were published:
A fourth softcover book of reprints titled Nguyen Charlie Encores followed in 1985 (Arthouse Books, ISBN 0-935021-01-9).
Tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
that appeared during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
in the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
edition of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
military newspaper Stars and Stripes
Stars and Stripes (newspaper)
Stars and Stripes is a news source that operates from inside the United States Department of Defense but is editorially separate from it. The First Amendment protection which Stars and Stripes enjoys is safeguarded by Congress to whom an independent ombudsman, who serves the readers' interests,...
from 1966 to 1974. It was created by Corky Trinidad
Corky Trinidad
Francisco Flores Trinidad, Jr. , better known by his pen name "Corky", was a Philippine American editorial cartoonist and comics artist. Born in Manila, he was known for his editorial cartoons for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin since 1969, and especially for his Vietnam War comic strip Nguyen...
, an award winning Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
-born editorial cartoonist
Editorial cartoonist
An editorial cartoonist, also known as a political cartoonist, is an artist who draws editorial cartoons that contain some level of political or social commentary....
for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin was a daily newspaper based in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the second largest daily newspaper in the state of Hawaii...
from 1969 until his death in 2009.
Its title hero is a dedicated (if less than heroic) Nget Cong (as Trinidad calls them) who shares the battlefields of South Vietnam with his American counterparts, everyone having a common interest: survival. The comic strip is non-political and both sides are treated equally. No one dies in Nguyen Charlie's war. The cast of characters includes Nguyen Charlie's comrades and their leader (Comrade Commander), as well as the members of a U. S. infantry platoon. Non-combatants are seldom seen, the notorious "mammie-san" who does the GIs' laundry being an exception. Nguyen Charlie was an immediate hit with the GIs' and each day's entry was eagerly awaited.
Trinidad created the comic strip in 1966, when he was still living in the Philippines, and Nguyen Charlie first appeared in the Philippines Herald. It was then carried briefly by the Saigon Post, before being picked up by the Stars and Stripes. Trinidad said, "Americans have always been known for their sense of humor, their ability to joke during a crisis, to laugh at themselves during trouble. The Vietnam War was unpopular ... because it was one war where the U.S. was not laughing." Trinidad made two trips to South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
to ensure accuracy, and was always careful not to let politics play a part in the comic strip.
Three softcover books compiling the Nguyen Charlie daily strips were published:
- Nguyen Charlie (1969)
- Sorry 'Bout That, Sarge (1970)
- Not In This War, Charlie! (1970).
A fourth softcover book of reprints titled Nguyen Charlie Encores followed in 1985 (Arthouse Books, ISBN 0-935021-01-9).