Feb

7

Jesse Santos: Filipino Comics Illustrator

Filed Under Philippine Comics | 4 Comments

Jesse Santos

Last month, Geoffrey de Vera got in touch with me with regards to his grandfather, Jesse Santos. Jesse is a Filipino comics illustrator/painter who is best known in the Philippines as the co-creator and artist of the long running detective series DI-13. In the US, he is known as the artist of comics like Dagar and Doctor Spektor, and he is highly regarded as a portrait painter.

I have a gallery of his work which can be found at the Philippine Comics Art Museum here.

DI-13Geoffrey was browsing the site when he found his grandfather’s pagee, and showed it to his grandfather who was excited upon seeing work that he has not seen in a long time. I sent them scans of some artwork from DI-13 and in the photo above, Jesse is looking over the printouts.

Based in San Fernando Valley in California, Jesse has been retired for 10 years, and he is very much enjoying his retirment. Having begun working at a very early age didn’t allow him much leisure time. Having seen only a portion of the prodigious amount of work he was able to create on DI-13, Dar Aguila, Boksingera, and the many other stories he was involved in, that is not so hard to believe. But I’m assured that he has never regretted a single moment of his career.
He still dabbles in painting from time to time, but spends much of his time singing, which is Jesse’s great passion. I’ve been told that Jesse has a great singing voice, and is in fact planning to record some songs in the future as soon as he finds the proper musicians to work with.

Thanks very much to Geoffrey, and of course to Mr. Jesse Santos himself for getting in touch. It’s always a very emotional moment for me every time I meet (even if only online), those people whose work I greatly admire.

Comments

4 Responses to “Jesse Santos: Filipino Comics Illustrator”

  1. Anonymous on February 8th, 2007 12:19 pm

    Edited. Sincere apologies, but this blog discourages anonymous comments. I am hoping that visitors to this site (and by extension, my home) offer some respect to me and everyone else by telling us who you are. It’s the human and decent thing to do. If you believe in your opinion, you validate it by standing by it with your real name, and real email address. More info here: http://gerry.alanguilan.com/before-you-post/
    That said, I hope that the postcard I posted after this one would help address your concern.

  2. Ashley Exconde on February 9th, 2007 6:16 am

    Hi Gerry!

    Wow! A postcard from Neil Gaiman!

    I’ve been wanting to get a hold of your work “Elmer” since I saw it in you website. I just couldn’t find the time to visit a comics store.

    Anyway, I’m also from San Pablo City and have lived there all my life (except when I studied in Manila). It’s hearwarming to find out that someone so world renowned artist such as you is living right in the same city I live in. I’ve been a lover of comics and have read hundreds when I was in highschool. Unfortunately these days, I have not had much time nor money to buy them. But I’d certainly to shell out for your “Elmer”.

    Hanggang dito na muna and more power to you!

    BTW, I’m in San Pablo every weekends.

    Ash

  3. Gerry Alanguilan on February 9th, 2007 8:34 am

    Hello Ash!

    If you like, you can join our Komikero Meetings here in San Pablo. The one for February is on the last Sunday of February, and we’ll be hanging out in the parks beside Sampalok Lake all day, goofing off, drawing, throwing each other in the lake, stuff like that. Just watch this blog for a formal announcement of the meeting with complete details. See you there!

  4. Ashley Exconde on February 9th, 2007 10:21 pm

    Ei Gerry,

    Not sure if it were you guys I saw last time I was in Sampalok Lake. That was a Sunday and I was with my wife buying “isaw”. There some who were carrying cameras and bagpacks… I actually whispered to my wife na “andito ata sina Gerry Alanguilan”, pero syempre the wife don’t know you so I had to explain to her that in the midst of our lovely city is a man known in the comics world but somehow or unfortunately not many San Pablenos know.

    I’d love to join you and your group in one of your “meetings” this Feb and maybe bring along my son.

    See you then.

    Ash