Comics in the Philippines ( fil, Komiks}) have been widespread and popular throughout the country from the 1920s to the present. Komiks were partially inspired by American mainstream
comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...
s and
comic books
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
during the early 20th century. The medium first became widely popular after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Its mainstream appeal subsided somewhat during the latter part of the 20th century with the advent of other mass-media forms such as
telenovela
A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar drama genres around the world include '' teleserye'' ...
s, but experienced a renaissance in the mid-2010s with the increasing popularity of artists such as
Gerry Alanguilan
Doroteo Gerardo N. Alanguilan Jr. (20 January 1968 – 21 December 2019), also known in the Philippines by his alias Komikero, was a Filipino comic book artist, writer, and architect from San Pablo, Laguna. He was an important figure in the Ph ...
,
Arnold Arre
Clem Arnold Lawrence Arre (born September 2, 1971) is a Filipino comic book writer, artist and self-taught animator best known for his graphic novels '' The Mythology Class'' (1999) and '' Ang Mundo ni Andong Agimat'' (2006). He was born in Metro ...
komikon
Komikon (with ''komik'' as the Tagalog language, Tagalized form for ''comic'', and ''convention'') is an annual comic book fan convention in the Philippines founded by Artist's Den to be the first convention solely dedicated for comic book enthus ...
.
Webcomics
Webcomics (also known as online comics or Internet comics) are comics published on a website or mobile app. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers, or comic books.
Webcomics can be ...
produced by independent Filipino web-based artists have caught the attention of local and foreign readers.
The word ''komiks'' is simply the English word "comics," adapted to fit the orthography of native Filipino languages such as Tagalog.
History
Origins
While the first indigenous cartoons may be traced to
José Rizal
José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (, ; June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) was a Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath active at the end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is considered the national he ...
's illustration of the fable " The Tortoise and the Monkey" (1885), the origins of the mainstream komiks industry would not arise until after the
Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence
, image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = (clock ...
. Rizal's illustration did not incorporate the use of speech balloons; instead, the characters' conversation were written under the panels.
In the 1920s, ''
Liwayway
''Liwayway''''Liwayway'' Komiklopedia, The Philippine Komiks Encyclopedia, Komiklopedia.wor ...
'' magazine began running comic strips under the direction of Romualdo Ramos and
Tony Velasquez
Antonio "Tony" Velasquez (29 October 1910 – 1997) is a Filipino illustrator regarded as the Father of Tagalog comics and as the pioneer and founding father of the Philippine comics industry. He was the creator of '' Kenkoy'', an “iconic Phil ...
, such as the still-running ''Mga Kabalbalan ni Kenkoy'' (
The Misadventures of Kenkoy
Francisco "Kenkoy" Harabas is a Philippine comics character created by writer Romualdo Ramos and cartoonist and illustrator Tony Velasquez in 1929.
). Velasquez is considered the father of Filipino comics.
Golden Age
During the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, American GIs brought comic books with them for entertainment. After the war, Filipino publishers began publishing material in the serialized comic book format.
Mars Ravelo
Marcial "Mars" Ravelo (October 9, 1916 – September 12, 1988) was a Filipino comic book cartoonist and graphic novelist who created ''Darna, Dyesebel, Captain Barbell, Lastikman'', ''Bondying'', '' Varga'', ''Wanted: Perfect Mother'', ''Hiwag ...
created a number of Filipino superheroes, several of which had been adapted to multiple films and television series. His characters like
Darna
Darna () is a Filipina superheroine created by writer Mars Ravelo and artist Nestor Redondo. The character's first appearance was in ''Pilipino Komiks'' (Ace Publications, Inc.) #77 on May 13, 1950. Darna is a retooling of Ravelo's earlier cha ...
and
Captain Barbell
Captain Barbell is a Filipino people, Filipino superhero created by writer, Mars Ravelo and artist Jim Fernandez. His characteristics are similar to United States, American fictional superheroes Superman, DC Comics' Captain Marvel (DC Comics), C ...
became sources of
escapism
Escapism is mental diversion from unpleasant or boring aspects of daily life, typically through activities involving imagination or entertainment. Escapism may be used to occupy one's self away from persistent feelings of depression or genera ...
and hope post-war. Ravelo also created Bondying and like Kenkoy, the word "bondying" has entered the
Filipino language
Filipino (; , ) is an Austronesian language. It is the national language ( / ) of the Philippines, and one of the two official languages of the country, with English. It is a standardized variety of Tagalog based on the native dialect, spoke ...
.
Pablo S. Gomez wrote for ''Pilipino Komiks'' and ''Tagalog Klasiks'' before founding PSG in 1963. Most of his works were adapted into films and television series, some of which are ''
Inday Bote
''Pablo S. Gomez's Inday Bote'' () is a 2015 Philippine fantasy comedy-drama television series based on the local comic book of the same title created by Pablo S. Gomez. Directed by Malu Sevilla and Jon Villarin, it is topbilled by Alex Gonzaga, ...
'', ''
Machete
Older machete from Latin America
Gerber machete/saw combo
Agustín Cruz Tinoco of San Agustín de las Juntas, Oaxaca">San_Agustín_de_las_Juntas.html" ;"title="Agustín Cruz Tinoco of San Agustín de las Juntas">Agustín Cruz Tinoco of San ...
'' and ''Bunsong Kerubin''.
Evolution
Originally inspired by American comic strips and comic books left behind by American GIs, the medium steadily diverged, and by the 1950s, drew more inspiration from other forms of Filipino literature such as ''komedya'', as well as
Philippine mythology
Philippine mythology is the body of stories and epics originating from, and part of, the indigenous Philippine folk religions, which include various ethnic faiths distinct from one another. Philippine mythology is incorporated from various ...
. Many komiks were evidently inspired by specific American comics, such as ''
Kulafu
Kulafu was one of the earliest comic book heroes in the Philippines. Created on July 7, 1933, by Filipino illustrator Francisco Reyes and Filipino writer Pedrito Reyes, Kulafu appeared on the first colored adventure strip and the first two-pag ...
'' and ''Og'' (
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
), ''
Darna
Darna () is a Filipina superheroine created by writer Mars Ravelo and artist Nestor Redondo. The character's first appearance was in ''Pilipino Komiks'' (Ace Publications, Inc.) #77 on May 13, 1950. Darna is a retooling of Ravelo's earlier cha ...
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
), and ''D. I. Trece'' (
Dick Tracy
''Dick Tracy'' is an American comic strip featuring Dick Tracy (originally Plainclothes Tracy), a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on Sunday, October 4, 1931, in the ''Detroit Mirror'', and it ...
). The predominance of superheroes has continued into the modern day. However, other characters such as
Dyesebel
''Dyesebel'' () is a Filipino comic book character, conceived by Mars Ravelo and drawn by Elpidio Torres. Dyesebel is a mermaid, who eventually gains full human form through a deal with a sea-witch.
Aside appearing in Pilipino Komiks, Dyesebe ...
draw more from traditional folklore.
Breaking into the American comics scene
Filipino artists broke into the American comics industry in the 1970s, drawing for such companies as
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
,
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
,
Pendulum Press
Pendulum Press was a publishing company based in West Haven, Connecticut
West Haven is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. It is located on the coast of Long Island Sound. At the 2020 census, the population of the city was ...
, and
Warren Publishing
Warren Publishing was an American magazine company founded by James Warren (publisher), James Warren, who published his first magazines in 1957 and continued in the business for decades. Magazines published by Warren include ''After Hours (magazin ...
. The Filipino artists worked mostly on
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
titles, most actively in the period 1970– 1985.
Tony DeZuniga
Antony de Zuñiga (November 8, 1932 – May 11, 2012) who worked primarily under the name Tony DeZuniga, was a Filipino comics artist and illustrator best known for his works for DC Comics. He co-created the fictional characters Jonah Hex and ...
was the first Filipino comic book artist whose work was accepted by American publishers, paving the way for many others. Beginning in 1970, DeZuniga became a regular contributor to
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
' horror and Western titles. In
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6).
The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history.
Events
Ja ...
, DC editor
Joe Orlando
Joseph Orlando (April 4, 1927 – December 23, 1998) was an Italian American illustrator, writer, editor and cartoonist during a lengthy career spanning six decades. He was the associate publisher of '' Mad'' and the vice president of DC Comics, ...
(who had first hired DeZuniga) and DC publisher
Carmine Infantino
Carmine Michael Infantino (; May 24, 1925 – April 4, 2013) was an American comics artist and editing, editor, primarily for DC Comics, during the late 1950s and early 1960s period known as the Silver Age of Comic Books. Among his character creat ...
traveled to the Philippines on a recruiting trip.Duncan, Randy and Smith, Matthew J "Filipino Artists," ''The Power of Comics: History, Form & Culture'' (Continuum, 2009).
Alfredo Alcala
Alfredo P. Alcala (August 23, 1925 – April 4, 2000) was a Filipino comics artist, born in Talisay, Negros Occidental in the Philippines. Alcala was an established illustrator whose works appeared in the ''Alcala Komix Magazine''. His 1963 cre ...
,
Mar Amongo
Mar Amongo (October 9, 1936 – August 10, 2005) was a Filipino comics artist and illustrator.
Amongo was born in Santa Cruz, Manila, Philippines. His first stint was with Manlapaz Publishing, where he inked the very first Noli Me Tangere com ...
,
Ernie Chan
Ernesto Chan (July 27, 1940 – May 16, 2012), born and sometimes credited as Ernie Chua, was a
Filipino
Filipino may refer to:
* Something from or related to the Philippines
** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines.
** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
Americans, American comics artist, known for work published by Marvel Comics and DC Comics, including many Marvel issues of series featurin ...
Gerry Talaoc
Gerry Talaoc is a Filipino comics artist best known for his 1970s work for DC Comics' war and horror anthology titles.
Biography
Gerry Talaoc was among the vanguard of Filipino comics artists — including Alfredo Alcala, Nestor Redondo, St ...
were some of the Filipino ''komiks'' artists who went on to work for DC.
A similar trip to the Philippines by
Pendulum Press
Pendulum Press was a publishing company based in West Haven, Connecticut
West Haven is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. It is located on the coast of Long Island Sound. At the 2020 census, the population of the city was ...
editor
Vincent Fago
Vincenzo Francisco Gennaro Di Fago (; November 28, 1914 – June 13, 2002),Vincent F. Fago at the Unite ...
in 1970 led to a great number of Filipino artists working on the ''Pendulum Illustrated Classics'' series, which were black-and-white comic book adaptations of literary classics. Fago teamed with
Vicatan
Vincente Doria Catan Jr., known by his pen name Vicatan (1948 – May 13, 2004), was a Filipino comics artist and novelist.
Biography
Vicente Doria Catan Jr. was born in the Philippines and worked in the studio of artist Nestor Redondo. After sev ...
,
Rudy Nebres
Rodolfo D. Nebres (born January 14, 1937) is a Filipino comics artist who has worked mostly as an inker in the American comic book industry. Known for his lush, detailed inklines, Nebres' most prolific period was in the late 1970s and the 1980s. ...
Virgilio Virgilio, the Italian and Spanish form of Virgil may refer to:
*Virgilio, Lombardy, a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Borgo Virgilio in the Italian province of Mantua
*Virgilio.it, a website
People with the given name
*Virgilio Barco Vargas (192 ...
and
Frank
Frank or Franks may refer to:
People
* Frank (given name)
* Frank (surname)
* Franks (surname)
* Franks, a medieval Germanic people
* Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang
Curr ...
also illustrated books in the series.)
At
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
,
Steve Gan
Steve Gan (born May 22, 1945) is a Chinese-born Filipino comics artist. He is best known for co-creating Panday with Carlo J. Caparas
and Marvel Comics' Star-Lord and Skull the Slayer.
Biography
Steve Gan was born as Santos S. Gan but changed h ...
became highly regarded for his artwork on both Conan titles ''
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and '' Conan the Destroyer'') ...
Tony DeZuniga
Antony de Zuñiga (November 8, 1932 – May 11, 2012) who worked primarily under the name Tony DeZuniga, was a Filipino comics artist and illustrator best known for his works for DC Comics. He co-created the fictional characters Jonah Hex and ...
organized a group of New York-based Filipino ''komiks'' artists who inked various Marvel comics under the collective pseudonym of "The Tribe." Members of the Tribe included DeZuniga, Alcala, Nebres, and Chuck Nanco. In 1977–1978, the group of creators — which now included non-Filipino artists like Ken Landgraf,
Andre Gordon
Andre Gordon is an American film and television actor as well as a producer, writer and director.
Early life and education
Andre was born in Saint Andrew, Jamaica and grew up in Miami, Florida. He is an alumnus of the BFA program at Florid ...
, and Ed Monji — became officially known as Action Art Studio, an operation co-owned and managed by DeZuniga and his wife Mary. Titles worked on by the group in 1975–1979 included ''
Marvel Classics Comics
''Marvel Classics Comics'' was an American comics magazine which ran from 1976 until 1978. It specialized in adaptations of literary classics such as ''Moby-Dick'', ''The Three Musketeers'', and ''The Iliad''. It was Marvel Comics' attempt to pick ...
Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider is the name of multiple antiheroes and superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Phantom Rider.
The first s ...
Nova
A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...
'', ''
Sons of the Tiger
''The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu'' was an American black-and-white martial arts comics magazine published by Magazine Management, a corporate sibling of Marvel Comics. A total of 33 issues were published from 1974 to 1977, plus one special edition. A ...
'', and ''
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
'', as well as various specials and one-shots.
Beginning in 1978 and lasting until about 1983, the black-and-white comics magazine publisher
Warren Publishing
Warren Publishing was an American magazine company founded by James Warren (publisher), James Warren, who published his first magazines in 1957 and continued in the business for decades. Magazines published by Warren include ''After Hours (magazin ...
also utilized the talents of a number of Filipino artists, including Niño, Nebres, and Alcala.
From the mid-1980s on, fewer Filipino artists found work in the American comics industry, the exceptions being DeZuniga (co-creator of
Jonah Hex
Jonah Woodson Hex is a fictional antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga. Hex is a surly and cynical bounty hunter whose face is scarred on the ...
),
Chan
Chan may refer to:
Places
*Chan (commune), Cambodia
*Chan Lake, by Chan Lake Territorial Park in Northwest Territories, Canada
People
*Chan (surname), romanization of various Chinese surnames (including 陳, 曾, 詹, 戰, and 田)
*Chan Caldwel ...
Swamp Thing
The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/plant elemental List of swamp monsters, creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or mo ...
and
He-Man
He-Man is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the sword and planet ''Masters of the Universe'' franchise, which includes a toy line, several animated television series, comic books and a feature film. He-Man is characterized by h ...
and who had the distinction of having his original comics, Voltar, published internationally), and Talaoc.
Popularity
At one point, between 33 and 40 percent of Filipinos read komiks, but this number has since dwindled somewhat due to competition from other media forms. More recently, comic artists have begun producing what is often called "Pinoy Manga," inspired largely by Japanese
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
and
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
, which have been widely available in the Philippines since the 1970s.
PhilPost
The Philippine Postal Corporation ( fil, Korporasyong Pangkoreo ng Pilipinas), abbreviated as PHLPost and also known as the Philippine Post Office, is a government-owned and controlled corporation responsible for providing postal services in th ...
released a series of national stamps based on komiks on November 15, 2004. Among those featured were Gilbert Monsanto's ''Mango Comics Darna #3'',
Kulafu
Kulafu was one of the earliest comic book heroes in the Philippines. Created on July 7, 1933, by Filipino illustrator Francisco Reyes and Filipino writer Pedrito Reyes, Kulafu appeared on the first colored adventure strip and the first two-pag ...
Federico Javinal Federico C. Javinal is considered one of the “great achievers in Philippine Art”, particularly in the field of Philippine comics.
Biography
Javinal started working for Bulaklak Komiks in 1955. He became an assistant illustrator for Francisco ...
and Coching's ''El Vibora''.
Modern Age
Characters and stories by Coching, Ravelo and Gomez are still being adapted into films and television series.
List of Filipino superheroes
The following is a list of Filipino (Pinoy) superheroes, who have either appeared in Filipino comic books (komiks), television shows (fantaserye), or movies.
__NOTOC__
A
*A-Gel from ''Batang X''
*Abdullah from "Kuwtmak"
*Adarna from '' Sandug ...
*
List of Filipino supervillains
The following is a list of Filipino (Pinoy) supervillains, who have either appeared in Filipino comic books, television shows (fantaserye), or movies.
A
*Adobe (a.k.a. Ador), supervillain from ''Captain Barbell (2006 TV series)''
*Aerobika (a ...
Newsarama
Newsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews, and essays about the American comic book industry. It is owned by Future US. In June 2020, Newsarama was merged with the website GamesRadar+, also owned by FutureUS.
History
N ...
Newsarama
Newsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews, and essays about the American comic book industry. It is owned by Future US. In June 2020, Newsarama was merged with the website GamesRadar+, also owned by FutureUS.
History
N ...
, October 21, 2006
* Lent, John A. (2009) ''The First One Hundred Years of Philippine Komiks and Cartoons''. Boboy Yonzon.
* Roxas, Cynthia and Joaquin Arevalo, Jr. ''A History of komiks of the Philippines and other countries'', with contributions by Soledad S. Reyes, Karina Constantino-David,
Efren Abueg
Efren Reyes Abueg (born 3 March 1937 in Tanza, Cavite) is a well-known and recognized Filipino-language creative writer, editor, author, novelist, short story writer, essayist, fictionist, professor, textbook writer, and anthologist in the Phili ...
Comic strips
A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics ter ...
Titles
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...