bc magazine

Satirical cartoonist 阿塗 Ah To has announced that he has been forced to leave Hong Kong because he no longer feels safe…

A statement on Ah To’s facebook page explains his reasons for leaving so abruptly:

抱歉，離開香港，係因為我想繼續為香港創作。

呢句說話聽落好自相矛盾，但我內心又真係咁複雜矛盾。如今靈魂遺留在故地，肉體卻已經流亡，要咁撕裂地創作，只擔心往後的作品會魂不附體，難接地氣；但，留喺香港創作時事漫畫，精神壓力巨大，離別係逼不得已的抉擇。

畫咗十一年時事漫畫，2017年社運低潮時有諗過放棄；2021年有諗過轉型畫生活題材，但依家係香港最需要同時又最唔需要時事漫畫的時候，所以我更想堅持。原諒我軟弱無能，只能遙距透過創作繼續與香港同行。

因為離別匆匆，而且必須低調，遺憾無法同朋友一一話別。諗起再會無期的香港親友，諗起在囚或待審的戰友，諗起一直支持我的讀者，諗起要被迫陪我一齊走難的太太⋯⋯心裏非常愧疚。未試過出一個Post 會感到如此吃力，每一個字都令我難過。我會記住呢份愧疚，多替不能發聲的人發聲，希望將來香港歷史書上唔會留低一片靜默；日後提起呢個時代，唔會只剩當代人先能夠理解的零碎記憶，欠缺咗自由的表述，感觸或無從說起。

願良善的人珍重，以各種形式將良善存留下去。

English translation:

“I’m sorry. I’m leaving Hong Kong because I want to continue creating art for HK.

This sounds paradoxical, but that’s reflective of how I feel inside. My soul remains here, but my flesh has fled. I am concerned that my art may be detached from reality once I begin creating with my soul detached from my flesh, but the pressure of continuing to make topical comics in Hong Kong is too great, I am forced to leave.

I’ve been making topical comics for 11 years, I’ve thought about giving up in 2017 when the social movement was at a low point. I considered transitioning to more slice of life topics in 2021, but that was when HK least and most needed topical comics, I wanted to hang in there. Forgive me, I am weak, I can only accompany HK by creating art from afar.

I had to leave in a hurry, and must keep a low profile, so I regret not being able to bid all my friends farewell. I feel much guilt when I think of my readers who’ve supported me all the way, our comrades who are imprisoned or awaiting trial, and my wife who’s forced to flee with me.

I had no idea posting this would be so difficult, every word I type makes me so sad. I shall carry this guilt with me and speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves.

I hope that the history books of HK will not be filled with silence. In the future, as we try to remember what happened, we’ll have more to rely on beyond the fragmented memories of people who were there. Without expression free, it’s hard to express our feelings.

Take care kind folk, and may kindness be preserved in its many forms.”

Today, over a year after the article was published google sent bc magazine a warning over bc’s coverage of the Charlie Hebdo terror attacks and our publishing of a series of iconic Charlie Hebdo covers.

In essence the warning was delete/censor the Charlie Hebdo covers article or we (google) will deactivate your adsense account and stop serving adverts to bcmagazine.net.

Here’s a link to the article www.bcmagazine.net/tag/satire/

bc magazine may not agree with every viewpoint expressed in Charlie Hebdo. But free speech and freedom of the press are two of the cornerstones of a modern society so we are 100% behind their right to use satire and humour to expose the absurd and ask questions of hypocrites – without getting shot.

Fuck off google!