Red Monkey and Chairman Mao spoofed on 'Chinese' stamps at Javits show in New York

The World Stamp Show - NY 2016 is coming up at the Javits, and in anticipation of it, a very unique set of stamps is being designed, to be issued in an extremely limited edition of 888, with another 88 imperforates. Designed by an outspoken critic of the Chinese Communist Party who loves China and wants to see Chinese values triumph over this upstart bunch of thugs, whom he sees as disrespecting the old values and harming the environment in China and abroad, they are spoofs in the tradition of the UK and German redrawn designs of each others' stamps during WWII. There have been many spoof stamps since, including a US Michael Jackson stamp with a little boy on Jackson's lap - which caused a cease and desist letter to be issued. Wu's stamps spoof the Cultural Revolution era issues, with an obvious parody of PR China Scott #988, "Raid on White Tiger Regiment." The spoof is titled "Arrest of the Stamps Dealers." Another spoof stamp is unique in design, showing shadowy figures hunched over keyboards - titled "Hacking into the Pentagon." It is a dark, spooky piece of artwork, with figures blending into a five sided centre, a grim reaper-like ghoul being followed by two Chinese hackers who are currently on an FBI Wanted list. The rest are anonymous; hidden symbolism, including references to Operation Northwoods, make this one a top design in the genre of spoofing spooks, though I am told that some of the subliminal messages in it contain real information that both the Chinese and the US press refuse to divulge. Wu, an artist and activist, now believed to be living in the expat Chinese community in New York, seeks to bring attention to a number of issues with these offerings and poke gentle fun at the cult of collecting Red Monkeys and Chairman Mao stamps; the aforementioned "Arrest of the Stamp Dealers" starts this off with the irony of stamps collectors paying high prices for stamps that bear the image of a man who detested stamp collectors. If the ironic images of soldiers arresting dealers and hackers accessing US military secrets is not enough, Wu has just started; his next image is that of Chinese soldiers, portrayed in rather caricature form, attacking Tibetan children. And not without basis in reality are any of his designs. They are meant to make us see beyond the whitewash, (or redwash?), of the CCP, which, by the way, is very active in New York, and is suspected of trying to influence the coming US election; of which, more later. If the viewer is not awakened, and perhaps offended already by the three images mentioned, there is the last, taken from a 1970s issue, PR China Scott #1271. In it, a similar operating theatre image to the one on the stamp sets the scene, with the doctors serenely performing an operation; their serenity, however, is surreal, along with other subtle aspects of the design; on the table, the 'patient', a Fulan Gong member, screams in utter agony, as the heartless doctors are extracting his organs. Such a scene is in fact a well documented reality, and therefore demands attention. Wu could be making easy money drawing nicer, more flowery images for the CCP Philatelic Agency or any other nation's, but he chooses to make stamps that will go much further in the owner's mind than the 12.000 miles that the politically correct regular issues can achieve. So this stamp show in New York, to be held at the Javits from 28 May-4 June 2016, will have some of the rarest and most controversial stamps. Presently there are few dealers entrusted with Wu's, one of whom, whose staff includes Collectors Club and American Philatelic Society members, will be at the Hells Kitchen Market, 39th Street between 9th & 10th Avenues, Saturdays and Sundays. For those wishing to contact those dealers, send an email to nycphilatelic@gmail.com and set up an appointment to view these unique issues. Be prepared for something out of the ordinary, and certainly out of the bounds of political correctness!