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Nov

3

Philippine Comics: Struggling or Not?

Filed Under Books, Comics Artists, COMICS CONVENTIONS, Filipino Artists, Philippine Comics | 21 Comments

There was a recent article at the Philippine Daily Inquirer (via AFP) painting a pretty grim picture of the Philippine comics industry as it stands today. If you want to read the article, click here.

I’ve been tagged endlessly on Facebook by concerned people who perhaps wanted to hear my side of the story. It’s very hard to argue the facts presented in the article because they’re pretty much true. The old big companies have gone. The once ubiquitous komiks at the newsstands have disappeared. The great artists went off to America to work for US Comics. Other media have definitely made an impact on comics readership. All of that is true.

However, the article does not present all the facts. And I find it frustrating that grim conclusions about the state of Philippine comics can be made without all the facts at hand, and then presented to an International audience. Such shoddy research is completely unbecoming of someone writing for the Agence France-Presse, no less, and has given all the hardworking comics creators in the country no great service.

I think the problem people are having is that of a skewed point of view. Look, the old, great Philippine komiks industry, you know the one with Atlas and GASI and PSG and REX and all those once great comics companies, well it’s DEAD. It’s GONE. Not only is that industry dead, that whole way of life of getting your comics at sidewalks is dead. The sooner you get to grips with that, the better. I shed buckets of tears for it when I held the last copies of Pilipino Komiks, Tagalog Klasiks and Hiwaga Komiks in my hands FIVE years ago.

It’s 2010. There are no more komiks at newsstands. GASI is still dead. PSG is still dead. REX is now just a bookstore. ATLAS still publishes…. stuff. But hardly comics. They did publish one comic book in 2009, the compilation of Coching’s Lapu Lapu, but that was it.

And yet, what is this Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah comic book that was made into a movie, and wait, wasn’t it also a successful musical for the CCP?

And yet, what is this Andong Agimat comic book that’s now set to come out in Philippine TV with Dingdong Dantes in the lead?

And yet, what is this TRESE Comic book that’s appearing on the bestseller lists at bookstores, and who this writer Budjette Tan who had been Powerbook’s Filipino Author of the Month? Oh yeah, TRESE is also a National Book Awardee and is also nominated to win THIS year? REALLY?

And yet, what are all these Filipino made comic books and their creators getting so much write ups at newspapers and magazines like the Manila Bulletin, Manila Standard, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, FHM, Playboy, Philippines Free Press, High Society, Fudge Magazine, Pulp Magazine, Animal Scene, BluPrint, T3, etc.? Not to mention all that coverage on the TV?

And yet, what are all these comic book events that have been happening all over the country? I mean, in 2010 alone there were like what? Seven? Or wait… eight? EIGHT major comic book conventions in the Philippines? Are you serious? There was Renaissance and Komikstrip in February. Summer Komikon in April. Bicol Komiks Convention in May. Metro Comic-Con in August. Cebu Comics Convention in September. PICCA in October, and Komikon in November. All of that just this year?

And yet, when you go to these conventions there are LOTS of new comic book titles being sold. Some of them are printed, some of them are photocopied? Some are stapled, some are hardbound. Some are color, some are black and white?

And yet when you go to bookstores you get to see all these comic books… FILIPINO made comic books for sale: Private Iris, Martial Law Babies, Andong Agimat, Siglo: Passion, Siglo: Freedom, Underpass, TRESE, Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah, Basted, Fantasya, Tropa, Bayan Knights, Mangaholix, Mwahaha, 12, Kikomachine, Beerkada, Callwork, Chopstix, etc.? And when you go to comic book stores like Comic Odyssey, Comic Quest, Druid’s Keep and Sputnik, you get to see even more Filipino made comics including Elmer, Where Bold Stars Go To Die, Kalayaan, Maskarado, Carpool, Sulyap, Kubori Kikiam, Nardong Tae, Mascot, Super Debil Robot, Cresci Prophecies, Lipad, Langoy, Zombies in Manila, Roleplay, El Bimbo Variations, School Run, Baboy, Love Story, Plague, Punnx, Sandugan, Tog, Laban: A Love Story, etc. etc.? I’m running out of words here, really?!

I thought ATLAS, GASI, PSG, REX, and all those huge comics companies were now GONE? So WHERE are all these comic books and comic book events and happenings and stuff coming from?

If you have to ask, then you better get your head out of that sand and look around. LOOK AROUND, for once.

There is a NEW Philippine comic book industry, and it has been around since 1993. It’s nothing like the old komiks industry. It’s comic books are nothing like the old comic books. These are comics you don’t see at sidewalks or rent at your local sari sari store. They are no longer produced in the millions like the old days, but the question is: DO THEY HAVE TO BE? Do they have to be published in the hundreds of thousands for people to be happy and believe Philippine comics is alive? Do they HAVE to be in sidewalks? The answer to that question is NO. The days of the hundreds of thousands of comics in a week is GONE. It’s never coming back.

But we have comics NOW. They are fewer but they are here and they exist. They may not be found in the usual places, but they can be found. If we are not lazy and expect comics to fall out of the sky and into our laps and instead go out of our way to look for them, they CAN be found.

If you love Philippine comics so much, then get off your asses and go to your bookstores, comic book stores and attend comic book conventions so you can buy them. You can go to Lucban to get your longganisa, you can go to Lumban to get your barong, you can go to Paete to get your statues, you can travel as far as Cebu to get your CnT Lechon, why can’t you be bothered to take a trip to your nearby freakin’ bookstore or mall or attend one of the many conventions to get your comics?

Philippine poetry can’t be found at sidewalks. Philippine fiction can’t be found at sidewalks. Do we get all worked up, call a press conference and declare Philippine poetry and fiction are dead? We don’t. Because that would be STUPID. Same is true for Philippine Comics.

They are not created by huge comic book companies. They are created by individuals who do it not for money but for the love of comics. Some of them have since been picked up by book publishers. Can you imagine that? A whole freakin’ comic book industry powered not by money but by love?

It’s why this industry has so many detractors. They cannot wrap their money minded practical and logical brains around the concept of creating things out of love. To them we’re simply stupid misfits they wish they can turn their heads from and ignore. And if they can’t ignore, they attack. Ridicule. Belittle. Where’s the profit? What do we get out of it? What’s in it for me? These are questions we don’t ask ourselves, but questions THEY often ask themselves.

This is why this comics industry will never die. This is why we will never go away. Because we love doing it. We create comics even if we don’t make money from it. It’s an exercise that confounds every business sense, but it’s an exercise that will make our comics immortal.

Comments

21 Responses to “Philippine Comics: Struggling or Not?”

  1. Jerome Dizon on November 3rd, 2010 4:54 am

    Very well said Gery!

  2. Ed on November 3rd, 2010 7:11 am

    Even if some people try to look for komiks in malls and conventions, they’ll expect they will get P10 comics. Well, let’s move on coz we cannot make any more of those news prints. At hwag din sana sila mag-expect na full-color komiks natin coz di tayo malaking business, maybe in the future. Di talaga natin maiiwasan na may mga taong malaki ang expectations. :)

  3. Gio Paredes on November 3rd, 2010 3:38 pm

    Ako nga po boss Gerry ay medyo nalula sa dami ng mga participants sa Indie Tiange on this coming Komikon.
    01.Tomokii
    02.Jerrico T. Barrios
    03.Makurai
    04.Silent Sanctum Manga
    05.Work in Progress Comics
    06.Baston Komiks Inc.
    07.Inorth
    08.Skewed Studios Komiks
    09.Hee
    10.Lady Storykeeper
    11.Greepo Comic Group
    12.Camille
    13.Kickbackers
    14.Dexter Roxas
    15.Gerilya Komiks
    16.Salimpusa
    17.Norby Ela
    18.Soul Synth
    19.Carlo Valenzuela
    20.C-Shock
    21.Subway Productions
    22.David Sysing
    23.Krisis Komix
    24.NestComiks
    25.DecafClub
    26.Revel Productions
    27.Wall Push Productions
    28.Omi Remalante Jr.
    29.Oliver Leang
    30.Marked Pinoy
    31.Jeneko
    32.Section Six
    33.Manga Tree
    34.Nozombier
    Indie tiange pa lang yan ha. Wala pa yung iba.

  4. Rina A on November 3rd, 2010 11:26 pm

    Well said, Gerry. My mom just came back from PI with a stack of comics including the big Coching book. Filipino comics are alive and well, I say.

  5. Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes | Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources – Covering Comic Book News and Entertainment on November 3rd, 2010 11:52 pm

    [...] days of the hundreds of thousands of comics in a week is GONE. It’s never coming back.” [Komikero, via Journalista] The Smurf [...]

  6. Oscar Gailan, Jr. on November 4th, 2010 2:17 am

    Ang Dami talaga ingetera/ingetero.
    I was appalled and flabbergusted by the response they make. Why can’t they make their own Comics/Komiks as well.
    Many knows how to read but don’t know how to write.
    Many knows how to look but don’t know how to draw.
    Many knows how to blurb but doesn’t have any sense at all.
    Let’s help each other here. I agree we can’t bring back the past. We can’t chase the ghost of our past.
    The only thing we need to do is pull up a pen and paper and write the very essence of our existing and draw the beauty and nightmarish that our fragile cranium can hold until our hands bleed and
    achieve discipline and perfection.
    Many do this.
    Basa na lang ako ulit Komiks.
    Grrrr…

  7. Josel Nicolas on November 4th, 2010 6:12 am

    Thank you sir and all of what you’ve said is true. There is a time and high point for any medium, and we shouldn’t be bothered that, currently, komiks is enjoying being a niched artform. Same hold true everywhere, it’s not what it used to be, and from what I can gather, it’s a lot better in some respects.

  8. plsburydoughboy on November 4th, 2010 6:27 am

    Thanks Gerry! Tempted to just reshare this on my blog Friday, but I’ll just reshare this to my page for now.

  9. adam? on November 4th, 2010 9:53 am

    marami na rin akong isnabi (at marami pang sasabihin one of these days) tungkol sa isyu na’to, so magchachime-in lang ako dito tungkol dito:

    Philippine poetry can’t be found at sidewalks. Philippine fiction can’t be found at sidewalks. Do we get all worked up, call a press conference and declare Philippine poetry and fiction are dead? We don’t. Because that would be STUPID. Same is true for Philippine Comics.

    actually, me ilang tao nga na yan ang isyu tungkol sa poetry and prose at yan rin nga ang conclusion – na patay na sila – pero pareho rin naman ang reaksiyon, na estupido (o at the very least ay makitid) na standard na gamitin ang street appeal para sa isang bagay na hindi lang naman street appeal ang mileage.

    maiksing komento tungkol sa komix – yung isyu rin kasi ng deathtollers ay kasi pagpalaganap ng INDUSTRIYA ng komix ang hinahanap nila at hindi yung pagtulak sa ANYO ng komix. hindi nila maintindihan na hindi porke hindi mayayaman ang mga gumagawa ng komix ay hindi ito lumalaganap – hiwalay ang dalawang bagay na yan.

    at hindi rin tayo dapat magexpect ng masigasig o pinong paghihimay ng isyu ng mga bagay na ganito, ie, art, sa mga pahayagan ng mga manunulat na mas ang interes ay drama kesa sa inquiry. madali naman magtanong, o mag-isip, o tumingin-tingin, pero hindi ito ginagawa.

  10. hazel chua on November 4th, 2010 10:36 am

    well said on the “too many detractors” in this industry. Just take a look at the comments in this article! http://philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=626637

  11. jason on November 4th, 2010 10:46 am

    Eloquent as it is true, sir.

  12. Gerry Alanguilan on November 4th, 2010 2:27 pm

    Hazel, that’s a very interesting article you linked. I just might write about it. Although Lito Lapid’s plans are already being done today by a few groups and individuals, including Dennis Villegas, Komikero, Vibal Foundation and Atlas Publishing, we can only do so much. I mean, up to now, only three Pinoy “graphic novels” have been restored, preserved and re-published (Kenkoy, El Indio, Lapu Lapu). I hope this bill passes and whoever takes care of doing it, then let them throw money at us so we can produce more. I have a trained restorer standing by right now who can do the work but I’ve no money to pay them.

  13. Solo on November 4th, 2010 6:26 pm

    Sorry to be a nit picker but you need to edit this last part: “This is why this comics industry will ever die.” It’s ok if you deleted this comment, I just wanted to point it out. I understand you got swept up in the emotion of your pros.

  14. Solo on November 4th, 2010 6:45 pm

    The article falls under the heading of what Stephen Fry has called “The Milkman’s cheery whistle.” about how certain journalist remembering days of yo’r and equating it to the contemporary. It is sincerely hoped that someone would point out to the said journalist the changing tide of the Philippine Comix industry. In reality no one here, or whoever that wants to be a part of the local comix industry should lose any sleep over over what is said in the article. The comix idustry in the Philippines is doing fine, it could be better, but we have something to be proud of. As long as there are people who want to share stories, graphic story telling will always have a place here in The Philippines.

  15. Markus on November 4th, 2010 9:58 pm

    “Can you imagine that? A whole freakin’ comic book industry powered not by money but by love?”

    Exactly the same reason why I consider Pinoy indie comic book creators to be way much bigger than the heroes they draw or write about! :)

  16. noel cervantes on November 5th, 2010 11:08 am

    keeping the fire alive! up philippine comics!–bikol komikero’s!-(a)

  17. chummy on November 5th, 2010 12:24 pm

    Well said sir gerry, invigorating, proud to be part in some little way to the Pinoy Komiks shebang

  18. Gilbert Monsanto on November 6th, 2010 10:09 am

    Although I do have to point out a few things:

    We are successful in inspiring more and more creators to put out komiks, these komiks are indie products or underground as they say. No editors, although we do encourage collaborations thus, more and more books are being edited by more capable people for freeeeee. Yes, these new editors are another breed of heroes also. But there are still some who are doing this blindly. Nothing really wrong with that, it is their money and effort, risk away.

    Another problem now, it that because we have more and more products to sell. We are not looking for ways to broaden our audience. Our readers. We need to have a plan to reintroduce our product to more people. I wish we could set out a program or events that focuses on bringing our komiks to the public.

    Distribution is still another problem we have to face. This one is a real though one to crack. 40%-50% taken by distributors will clearly kill us even before it helps us, and we can’t afford to raise our retail price higher. Is there a way to help the industry? a coop perhaps that will focus on this task alone?

    We don’t have problem producing komiks, but we have to act to the problems I mentioned.

    The basic members of this community/industry are:
    CREATORS
    PRINTERS
    PUBLISHERS
    READERS
    SELLERS
    ART COLLECTORS

    Any suggestions please?

  19. macoy on November 6th, 2010 10:58 pm

    @gilbert,

    magagandang punto! pwede pa natin dagdagan yung listahan mo:

    CREATORS
    EDITORS
    PRINTERS
    PUBLISHERS
    DISTRIBUTORS
    READERS
    SELLERS
    ART COLLECTORS
    CRITICS/SCHOLARS
    THE INTERNET (?)

  20. Lyndon on November 10th, 2010 12:54 am

    Gilbert: Re: distribution, why not raise prices on retail but offer steep discounts during conventions/school visits? Use retail to advertise your title but make the real money during conventions. Drive the fans towards your booth with said discounts and freebies. Retail stores will be happy with the higher fees, fans will be happy with the discounts and your titles will stay afloat.

    Another idea is break even with retailed serials but earn the serious money on convention-exclusive trade paperbacks.

  21. rh quilantang on November 28th, 2010 8:39 pm

    komiks didn’t die. it adapted.