Apr

15

Final Thoughts on the Komiks Congress

Filed Under Philippine Comics | 

Two months after the conclusion of the Komiks Congress, held at the National Center for Culture and the Arts on February 27, 2007, I offer my final thoughts on what went on, and what effects I feel it had on the komiks industry. If you wish to read my previous thoughts on this subject, to give you some perspective on my point of view today, please feel free to read through the following:

Thoughts on the Komiks Congress #1
Comics is an ART
http://gerry.alanguilan.com/archives/5

Thoughts on the Komiks Congress #2
Artists Deserve Respect, Credit and Proper Compensation
http://gerry.alanguilan.com/archives/16

Thoughts on the Komiks Congress #3
The Contribution of the Younger Generation, and the video many did not get to see.
http://gerry.alanguilan.com/archives/19

Thoughts on the Komiks Congress #4
What’s Good About the Congress… and the not SO good.
http://gerry.alanguilan.com/archives/20

Thoughts on the Komiks Congress #5
Misplaced Priorities and Why Atlas General Manager Deo Alvarez’s reasons for the collapse of komiks insult our intelligence.
http://gerry.alanguilan.com/archives/23

Several years ago, I received a message from someone questioning my efforts in presenting the komiks works of many Filipino illustrators of our past on my site, virtually questioning the existence of the online komiks museum itself, dismissing it and asserting that doing as I have done will *not* revive the komiks industry.

Who said that the purpose of the Philippine Comics Art Museum was to *revive* the komiks industry anyway ? I certainly didn’t. The main purpose of the museum has always been one of preservation, awareness and to a certain extent, restoration. Komiks is an indelible part of Filipino culture, and we have had a culturally and commercially significant comics culture for the better part of the last 100 years.

It is mind boggling to imagine that hardly any of that has been archived, preserved, reprinted, or even celebrated. We have had such stunning works of art created throughout our history, works that rival even the best comics art in the rest of the world, and yet most Filipinos of today haven’t even seen it. And they won’t get the chance to see many of them, specially those that are now lost to us through neglect, ignorance, nature and time.

I have written further about this in an article I wrote back in September of 2005:
Preserving a Legacy and Reviving and Industry
http://alanguilan.com/sanpablo/2005/09/preserving-legacy-and-revival-of.html

I’m bringing this up now because it’s an argument that’s once again at the forefront of the Philippine komiks industry, what with the holding of the Komiks Congress, the first serious collective effort to revive the komiks industry, and the nationwide Komiks Caravan that has resulted from it.

I initially welcomed the Komiks Congress with much enthusiasm and optimism. It is after all, an effort that seems more serious than most, and a lot of people from the old komiks industry were involved in it.

But I am unhappy and disappointed at how it all turned out. A much publicized komiks art exhibit (as a prelude to the congress) was unprofessionally postponed the night before the exhibit opening, moving it to the day of the congress itself, taking up the entire morning, cramming all the activities the congress originally had into just half a day. What could possibly be accomplished in a discussion to revive a komiks industry in just a few hours? As it turned out, nothing much.

I created a video, assisted by many writers and artists from the younger generation, for the purpose of introducing ourselves, our accomplishments and our thoughts on the komiks industry to all attendees of the congress. It was supposed to help assert ourselves, and our willingness to help in the revival of komiks. The video was scheduled to be shown, but it never was. And it is something that, I admit, extremely disappointed me. I was so disappointed that it made me sick for several days, depressed and exhausted after staying up late nights just to finish the video in time. The fact that we were never given an opportunity to offer our thoughts was probably that which turned my opinion against this “Komiks Congress”. I don’t blame Randy Valiente for this, our representative, and he was able to at least give a comprehensive view of the history of Philippine comics, including the contribution of the younger generation.

The general manager of Atlas Publications washed his hands of any blame in the collapse of the komiks industry, blaming everything from the Mt. Pinatubo eruption to the insurrection in Mindanao. In short, he blamed everything and everyone else except the poorly made and substandard comic books they published in the last few years. A snap election was held, and in a wink of an eye, Carlo J. Caparas was the president of the congress before many people could even react, much less vote. Questions from the audience, eager to get down to business, tried to prompt discussion towards ways to revive the industry, but these questions were deflected for a “later time”. A “later time” which never came.

To add insult to injury, Carlo J. proclaims “Komiks is alive!” bannered across tabloids the following day, at the conclusion of the first day of congress where nothing concrete was accomplished or even planned that would bring comics back to life.

It is probably true that comics is once again alive in the hearts and minds of the Filipinos who miss these komiks a lot. Komiks is the talk of the town, what with the exhibits, the TV and print media coverage. If that is what is meant when one says “komiks is alive”, then it would be hard to argue.

But we are talking about the REVIVAL OF THE KOMIKS INDUSTRY. A comics industry cannot be revived by promotion, grandstanding, contests, and by other well meaning activities that seek only to relive the good old days.

If a revival of the komiks industry is ever going to happen, you need people creating comics, you need publishers to print and distribute these comics nationwide, where creator and publisher both benefit financially, and the whole country benefits culturally. This is a situation that needs to be met before anyone goes off proclaiming “Komiks is Alive!”. But unfortunately, there is no indication that the congress has accomplished anything in this direction, or is going to do anything about it in the near future.

Meanwhile, Rising Star is already doing what the Komiks Congress was organized to discuss. With the publication of Filipino Komiks #1, and having it sell extremely well nationwide, Rising Star is already doing its part in helping revive the industry. It’s a remarkable achievement, proving that komiks geared for the masses can still sell, even at P100. It has demonstrated that in this current economic climate, it can still be done. Rising Star is laying the ground for a new age of Philippine Komiks. That is, until Atlas Publications kicked Rising Star in the balls by threatening legal action with a cease and desist order prohibiting Rising Star from using “Filipino Komiks”. Add this to the list of reasons why Atlas Publications was not responsible for the decline of komiks, please.

In more bad news, the much promised Day 2 of the Komiks Congress looks like it’s never going to happen.

Meanwhile, Carlo J. is busy going around the country in a much publicized “Komiks Caravan”, holding komiks writing seminars, and spreading the good word of comics. By all indications, he’s doing this voluntarily, offering his time and his own money, and it seems like he’s not running for anything in the upcoming elections, so I cannot attribute any motive on Carlo J.’s part that’s anything but altruistic.

This is good. And if I may say so, fantastic. Then it is true, komiks is alive, in a manner of speaking. Alive in the hearts and minds of the people, if not in reality.

I give Carlo J. all the congratulations, gratitude and accolades in doing something out of an obvious love for comics. He is succeeding in promoting and spreading awareness for comics, but if he is doing this with the intention of reviving the komiks industry, then he is going about the wrong way.

Like I had already mentioned, spreading awareness for komiks is different from reviving a komiks industry. Carlo J. is succeeding extremely well in the former, but not in the latter. If reviving an industry is his intention first and foremost, the 300 thousand pesos (and more) that he has already given would have been most useful in actually PUBLISHING comics. Once comics are being created and printed, then go ahead and promote and spread awareness for it all over the country. Because this time, when you go out promoting komiks, you actually have komiks to show for it. Right now, all that’s being done is spreading awareness and promoting komiks that ARE NOT THERE.

The Silver Lining

The really good thing I can say that resulted from the Komiks Congress is the attention it has offered to Philippine comics and it’s creators. I thought that the exhibit at the NCCA was a great success, and I hear news of the exhibit traveling around Manila, and even the country, which is even better. Jess Jodloman’s daughter Grace Jodloman has given me a CD of photos and videos she took of the exhibit and I will be editing that together in a video very soon.

I can’t tell you how happy and ecstatic I was to see our illustrators, who have toiled so long in anonymity and obscurity being given coverage in TV and print. To see the likes of Jun Lofamia, Jess Jodloman, Rico Rival, Carl Comendador, Ernie Patricio, Abe Ocampo, etc. being interviewed on the TV was fantastic and it went a long way in giving credit and appreciation to the hard work these men have done for our entertainment and cultural upliftment.

Lessons

A lesson I am taking from this experience, and I hope, a lesson that a lot of artists, including a lot of the old ones who were themselves disappointed by the congress, is that of “self reliance”.

It’s becoming clear to me that we cannot wait for a publisher to magically appear to give us jobs, or for a “Komiks Congress” to figure out what to do.

It’s up to US to create our own comics, and get our comics out there. Publish your own comics. A lot of people have done it, and are doing it now. Arnold Arre, Carlo Vergara, Budjette Tan, Gilbert Monsanto, Reno Maniquis, myself, and a lot more.

If you cannot afford to publish your own comics, then find ways to have someone publish them for you.

There are actually a few comic book publishers right now like Mango, Neo, PsiCom, Nautilus and others whom you could approach.

There are a few book publishers now that are open to comic book submissions like Adarna and Visprint. Create proposals and submit it to them. Approach non-conventional avenues like magazines. Even magazines that have not carried comics. With the right proposal, they could be convinced to have one on their pages.

Or you could try doing comics on the Internet. Jonas Diego is trying very hard to make webcomics profitable to demonstrate to other creators that it can be done. And I think it can.

Create your own opportunities. That is the secret to today’s comics.

July 24, 2007 Postscript:

A Tragic Turn of Events
http://gerry.alanguilan.com/archives/145
The Philippine Komiks Industry is about to be saved. But at what cost?

Comments

One Response to “Final Thoughts on the Komiks Congress”

  1. edwina reyes-villa on July 23rd, 2007 11:04 pm

    my name is edwina reyes villa. I am the daughter of Mr. Carmelo Y. Reyes who was the General Manager of Atlas Publications from the 60′ until the late 1970’s. When my father was the General Manager he made the komiks of good quality, decent while he was the manager.After my father left there was a decline of quality of komiks published by Atlas Publications. You have failed to give credit to the person who have made komiks available to the masa. During the managaement of my father, distributors of komiks was able to have their own house and sent their kids to school. I grew up reading komiks, i also know all the employess of the staff making the komiks. You could e-mail me in response . Thank You,
    Edwina Reyes-Villa

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