1. 'Natsuhi' (夏火) means 'summer fire'. It can also be translated as 'summer day' (夏日). As it is in the lullaby, Natsuhiboshi, meaning 'summer day star' (夏日星 or なつひぼし), which she sings to her son Sumaru.
2. Sunita Sumaru has been a freelance makeup artist in Edmonton, for the past 18 years, and has channeled her professional success into helping women of all ages unlock their potential through self-confidence. Sunita co-founded SEN Studios with her two sisters, and together they have grown their business from makeup artistry into an educational outlet that seeks to help aspiring makeup artists.

Sumuru/ˈsuːməruː/ is a female supervillain created by Sax Rohmer, author of the Fu Manchu series of novels.^[1] She first appeared in a 1945-1946 BBC radio serial, which was rewritten as a novel in 1950. Four more novels were published between 1951 and 1956. Two movies were then made in the 1960s and one more in 2003.

SumAru Jungle Resort, Jaldapara is one of the best and prime properties of Jaldapara and is located in close proximity of Jaldapara National Park at Dooars and just beside Khayerbari forest at the foothill of eastern Himalayan Range.

Character biography and analysis[edit]

Like her criminal mastermind forerunner Dr. Fu Manchu, the beautiful Sumuru leads a secret organization aimed at taking control of the world. Sumuru's society, the Order of Our Lady, recruits beautiful women to seduce and exploit men in order to establish a matriarchal world order.^[2][3]

Radio[edit]

After the end of World War II, Rohmer was approached by the BBC to do a radio serial. As the BBC did not wish to offend the Republic of China (Britain's ally in the war), Rohmer used the same basic plots with a female mastermind named Sumuru.^[4] The series Shadow of Sumuru was broadcast from 1945-1946 on the BBC Light Programme in eight half-hour shows with Anna Burden and Robert Beatty in the cast.^[5]

Novels[edit]

In 1950, Rohmer published his radio serial as a novel entitled The Sins of Sumuru. The American Fawcett Gold Medal paperback publishing house printed it under the title Nude in Mink, against Rohmer's wishes.^[2] When the book went into a second printing in a month's time, the publisher commissioned a book series, with the first four books having different titles in the U.K. and the U.S.^[6]

• The Sins of Sumuru (U.K.) / Nude in Mink (U.S.) (1950)
• The Slaves of Sumuru (U.K.) / Sumuru (U.S.) (1951)
• Virgin in Flames (U.K.) / The Fire Goddess (U.S.) (1952)
• Sand and Satin (U.K.) / Return of Sumuru (U.S.) (1954)
• Sinister Madonna (U.S. and U.K.) (1956)
• The Sumuru Omnibus (2011) compiled by John Robert Colombo

At the request of his American publishers, Rohmer added more explicit sexual content in the Sumuru series than was seen in his previous works.^[2]

Anthony Boucher described the 1954 installment as 'melodrama almost as entertainingly Perelmanesque as the exploits of the evil Doctor.'^[7] He later praised Sinister Madonna as 'outrageously enjoyable', describing it as 'critically indefensible, but my God, such fun . . . !'^[8]

On the other hand, the 1988 Dictionary of Literary Biography found Rohmer's work wanting: 'The Sumuru novels are second-rate, in some cases thematic recyclings of earlier, better, work. Unlike the Fu Manchu books, they contain no main protagonist in the mold of Nayland Smith, although the hero of [the 1929 Fu Manchu novel] The Emperor of America is a continuing character. Broken by Sumuru, he struggles back in the final Sumuru novel, Sinister Madonna, which ends on an uncertain note and with the promise of a sequel which was not to be.'^[2]

Films[edit]

Harry Alan Towers, who had produced the Fu Manchu film series in the mid-1960s with Christopher Lee, produced his first two Sumuru films featuring Shirley Eaton as Sumuru. Years later, he produced yet another Sumuru film in 2003. The third film took its basic plot premise from the books, but set it in the far future.

• The Million Eyes of Sumuru (1967), starring Shirley Eaton and directed by Lindsay Shonteff
• The Girl from Rio (1969), starring Shirley Eaton and directed by Jess Franco
• Sumuru (2003), starring Alexandra Kamp and directed by Darrell Roodt

It has been noted that in The Million Eyes of Sumuru, the character's matriarchal goals are subverted by the filmmakers' insistence on ultimately upholding traditional gender roles: 'Sumuru... leads an all-girl cult that rejects marriage as male-dominated and focuses on breeding children without benefit of clergy in order to build a new civilization. The movie turns all of this into a Bond knockoff right down to Sumuru -- who decrees that execution is the punishment for her followers who fall in love -- melting into West's arms and telling him she needs a man to take her and dominate her.'^[9]

The 1969 sequel also undercut the character's pseudo-feminist agenda by bowing to current fashion: 'In [Jesús] Franco'sThe Girl from Rio, Sumuru and her Amazons are transported to the future city of 'Femina', actually Brazil's own future city, Brasília. Once more the core business is the seduction, financial ruin and destruction of her rich male victims. However, herein Carnaby Street plastic capes and 'kinky boots' are the order of the day. But in attempting '60s kitsch, Franco fails to hit the mark.'^[10]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

1. ^Rovin, Jeff (1987). The Encyclopedia of Supervillains. New York: Facts on File. p. 331. ISBN0-8160-1356-X.
2. ^ ^abcdBenstock, Bernard; Staley, Thomas F. (1988). Dictionary of Literary Biography, vol 70: British mystery writers, 1860-1919. Gale Research Co. p. 267. ISBN978-0810317482. Retrieved 23 January 2020.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
3. ^Jeff Rovin (1987), 'Sumuru', The Encyclopedia of Super Villains, Facts on File, p. 331, ISBN9780816013562
4. ^Briney, R.E. editor The Rohmer Review No. 15, September. 1976
5. ^'Radio Plays 1945-1997: Serials, DIVERSITY website - radio drama, plays'.
6. ^'Sax Rohmer's Sumuru'. The Page of Fu Manchu. Archived from the original on 2010-12-29. Retrieved 2011-02-09.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
7. ^'Recommended Reading', F&SF, September 1954, p.93.
8. ^'Recommended Reading', F&SF, June 1956, p.102-03.
9. ^Sherman, Fraser A. (2010). 'Sexual Politics and the War Between Men and Women'. Screen Enemies of the American Way: Political Paranoia About Nazis, Communists, Saboteurs, Terrorists and Body Snatching Aliens in Film and Television. McFarland, Incorporated. p. 147. ISBN9780786462254. Retrieved 23 January 2020.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
10. ^Mann, Dave (2014). Harry Alan Towers: The Transnational Career of a Cinematic Contrarian. McFarland, Incorporated. p. 89. ISBN9780786479825. Retrieved 23 January 2020.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)

External links[edit]

• Richard Calder (28 September 2004), 'Sumuru', The Lost and Found, archived from the original on 9 March 2005
• The Page of Sumuru https://web.archive.org/web/20101229224019/http://www.njedge.net/~knapp/sumuru.htm
• Book reviews https://web.archive.org/web/20131001031650/http://community-2.webtv.net/BaronHermes/sumuru/index.html

Sunita Sumaru has been a freelance makeup artist in Edmonton, for the past 18 years, and has channeled her professional success into helping women of all ages unlock their potential through self-confidence. Sunita co-founded SEN Studios with her two sisters, and together they have grown their business from makeup artistry into an educational outlet that seeks to help aspiring makeup artists, and everyone in our community, tap into their expressive beauty. With a cup of coffee on her side, and her beauty arsenal in hand, Sunita is an empowering force that combines beauty, brains and a hustle-hard attitude. Thank you, Sunita, for taking the time to chat with us!

Could you take a moment to tell us about yourself?
Hi! My name is Sunita Sumaru, and I have been a freelance makeup artist in YEG for the past 18 years. I love makeup and, more than just makeup, I love making women feel gorgeous. I am the owner of SEN studios which is a business I share with my sisters. The 3 of us are makeup artists who are passionate about making women feel amazing. With SEN I wanted to start a new dream. I wanted to go from being the artist to also sharing the art. SEN is a place where you will find artists doing our daily hustle (painting faces) but it is also a place to educate. I wanted to teach all that I have gathered in my 18 years of experience to aspiring artists. I also wanted to teach everyday women the simplicity of creating beautiful looks for their everyday wear.

What direction does one take to become a certified makeup artist in this city?
Certification in freelance makeup artistry isn’t government regulated; and often a certified course is handled through an outside organization. For instance, Eveline Charles is certified using ITEC (International Therapy Examination Council). If you are not looking to do a full, extensive course on special effects and film I would suggest our local schools Eveline Charles, Marvel College, or even SEN.

I love makeup and, more than just makeup, I love making women feel gorgeous.

Where did you learn the trade? Do you have any recommendations for our readers who are interested in becoming makeup artists?
I didn’t go to school — I worked with MAC, where I learned artistry and customer service. I would suggest all aspiring artists get the foundation they need… but ultimately it is mileage that leads to confidence.

What goals did you set to cultivate your love of makeup into a full time career?
I learned a few things about dreams and goals this past year. The first thing was the power of just saying things out loud and owning it. I was raised to stay humble and modest, so saying my goals out loud seemed a little “who do you think you are?! “. It’s funny the power of hearing your own words spoken out loud — that commitment to yourself to make your own dreams a reality.

My first goal was to acknowledge what I wanted. My second goal was to remove the things that took up my time — those were the things that kept me from making time for what I wanted — and it was that easy.

They say don’t mix family with business, how do three sisters make it work?
When Anita, Susan and I realized that many people thought we were all the same person — even if they knew we were three different, highly interchangeable people — we decided to find one place for all of us that made sense. To keep things from ever getting complicated, we all manage our own clientele and do our own books. So, we are under the same umbrella but manage as separate artists.

It’s funny the power of hearing your own words spoken out loud — that commitment to yourself to make your own dreams a reality.

What is the one mistake you encountered when starting a family business that you would warn others in the same situation of?
I don’t think we would look back at anything with regret or call anything a “mistake”. I think that growing pains were all stepping-stones. What I did learn is to start all things with defined boundaries so that everyone’s expectations are met.

Can you tell us a bit about SEN Studios’ community involvement?
We love the idea of SEN Studios going to schools to empower young women by teaching tips and tricks on how to maintain their appearances. The opportunity to go to Junior High and High Schools this past year was so incredible —the personal image and hair design program at FR Haythorne Junior High School was just one of those opportunities that fell into our laps. Edmonton is a city full of these types of door-opening opportunities.

I had met the teacher many years ago, and she reached out to see if I could help with the makeup and hair portion of the school’s curriculum. Young women and image must strike a chord deep inside for me because I was so excited to participate in the class (and I’m actually an anxious public speaker). I like to make women feel amazing. I like to help their ‘outsides’ express a little of whom they are on the inside — it’s like wearing your mood. Saying a little before you’ve even spoken. I love giving women the power of knowing how to do this for themselves.

SEN studios will always be a place for women of all ages and styles. SEN Juniors is a seminar I host for 11 to 13 year olds, that is intended to provide an introduction to makeup that will give young women a kick start and a healthy attitude about makeup. I won’t tell your daughters “don’t wear makeup, you don’t need it” but I do keep things age appropriate, on trend, hygienic, and pretty. Just enough so you can own your look.

We are in the business to build the people both inside and outside our team.

Where do you hope to see SEN Studios’ empowerment program in 5 years?
This year is our year to reach out to our community. We spent last year in development-mode and this year I wanted to really focus on Culture and Community —I feel most successful when I know I’m part of the change. It took me a while to really know where I wanted to be in the community.

In October SEN kickstarted our hot lunches at Delton Elementary school. Delton is an inner-city school where, once a month, we serve hot lunch to 25 students. We aim to make food that is warm and culturally diverse that offers them a broad experience which many of them are not familiar with. We want to sit and eat with them, share stories, and to share a little about one another. It is in an effort to be involved in our community and to be part of a story for these young kids. We want to build relationships and be a constant reminder to these kids that we are here and we will be back to enjoy our food and conversation with them. I am a firm believer that people will always remember how you make them feel. I mark SEN’s success not by my financial books —our success is purely marked by who we touch, how we change our community, and what the spirit of our company does for our community. We are in the business to build the people both inside and outside our team.

Can you tell us about the concept behind ‘Super Women YEG’? How did you become involved with it?
Super Women YEG was a super special event that was organized by a group of women from diverse communities. It aimed to connect, inspire and celebrate the professional achievements of women from ethnically diverse backgrounds; specifically, to share stories of women entrepreneurs, business professionals and innovators that have found success in their own way. In many spheres of life, women of colour are often portrayed in a narrow, one-dimensional way. The goal of the organizers was to give a voice to, and shed some light on, women from diverse communities who are making strides in business.

Sumaru House

The organizers felt strongly about the impact that mentorship has had in their own lives and believe that having a mentor is vital to a young girl’s perception of self and the limits that she places on herself later in life. It was truly a blessing to be selected as one of the speakers, along with two others, to create a dialogue that encouraged a group of young women to follow their dreams and aim high in their own lives. “We can’t be what we can’t see” was essentially the message the speakers were brought in to share with the group and it was such an honour to be part of something that personally struck chords with me.

People will always remember how you make them feel.

What do the first 60 minutes of your day look like?
The first 60 minutes of my day start with a pot of coffee! That morning cup of coffee starts everything for me.I do the daily grind of getting my 10 year-old and 7 year-old off to school, and then I head to the gym!

Sumaru Movie

If you were cast away to a deserted island and could only take 3 makeup essentials with you, what would you take?
If I was cast away I would need my Anastasia brow dip, my smoulder eyeliner by MAC, and Lash Blast mascara by Cover Girl.

What is your favourite coffee shop / restaurant in the city?
I love New York Bagel Cafe in the summers, its an amazing hidden gem just off of Whyte.

Sumaru Mom

Where do you like to relax or let off steam in the city?
Waking up early and hitting the YEGcycle 6am classes with Farha and taking the family to Vertically Inclined helps me find balance in my day to day life and keeps me moving.

Sumaru Genie

Online: www.senstudios.ca
Facebook: Sen Studios