Virgilio "Virgil" Redondo y Purugganan (March 28, 1926 – April 13, 1997) 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 ...
comic book writer and artist.
Biography
Early life
Redondo was born in the town of
San Esteban, Ilocos Sur
San Esteban, officially the Municipality of San Esteban ( ilo, Ili ti San Esteban; fil, Bayan ng San Esteban), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 8,381 peop ...
, Philippines, the eldest of eight children.
Early work
Redondo started as a staff and advertising artist. He worked, along with his younger brothers
Francisco "Quico" Redondo, and Sisenando Redondo, Jr., on a newspaper.
On December 15, 1948, he published his komik serial ''Mahiwagang Bundok''. His first cartoon comic strip was "Isyo", a humorous strip from Pilipino
Komiks
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 strips and comic books during the early 20th century. ...
. In the 1950s Virgil started to work at Ace Publication Incorporated aided by
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 Phili ...
. His writing became successful with ''
Diwani
Diwani is a calligraphic variety of Arabic script, a cursive style developed during the reign of the early Ottoman Turks (16th century - early 17th century). It reached its height of popularity under Süleyman I the Magnificent (1520–1566) ...
'' in 1951 and ''Reyna Bandida'' in 1952. The latter was adapted into a movie by
Sampaguita Pictures
Sampaguita Pictures was a Philippine film production company. It was named for the Philippine national flower, sampaguita. Though no longer functioning, the company's Sampaguita Compound remains in Quezon City.
History
Sampaguita Pictures was es ...
, starring
Alicia Vergel
Erlinda Gaerlan Asturias-Aguilar (June 7, 1927 – May 20, 1992), popularity known as Alicia Vergel, was a Filipina actress noted for her roles as fighting women and amazons and, like Norma Blancaflor, for her heart-shaped face.
Early career
V ...
. Then followed ''Tin-edyer'' in 1953, ''Talusaling'' in 1955 and ''Aling Kutsero'' in 1956, in which
Nida Blanca
Dorothy Guinto Jones (January 6, 1936 – November 7, 2001), popularly known by her stage name Nida Blanca, was a Filipina actress. After a successful acting career in films during the 1950s, many of which are with actor Nestor de Villa, sh ...
appeared, released by LVN Pictures. He also created ''Alyas Palos'', ''Bakas ng Gagamba'', ''Panginoon'', ''Ang Mga Lawin'', ''Vod-a-vil'', ''Teen-age Crush'', ''Anak ng Kidlat'' and ''Rolling Rockers''.
CRAF Publications
In April 1963 Virgilio Redondo and a group of writers and illustrator founded CRAF Publications, initially named after Amado Castrillo, Tony Caravana, Virgil Redondo,
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 ...
and
Jim Fernandez Jim M. Fernandez is a Filipino comic book artist best known for his works on ''Aztec'' and ''Aliwan Komiks''. He also popularized the fictional character, Zuma in his novels. Apart from being an editor, illustrator, cartoonist, and writer for Phil ...
. Their first comic was ''Redondo Komiks'', released on May 7, 1963. CRAF introduced many titles, such as Alcala's ''Fight Komiks'', Amado's ''Lovers Komiks'', ''Craf Klasix'', and ''Magic Comics''. The firm shut down in 1968.
Collaboration with other writers
Redondo teamed up with
Gilda Olvidado
Gilda Olvidado (born 9 August 1957 in Cebu City, Cebu) is a Filipina movie and television writer, and melodrama novelist. Her novels have been turned into live-action movies by VIVA Films, and also been remade for television through Sine Novela.
F ...
to illustrate the short stories "May Sopresa Ang Pag-ibig," "Ang Paborito", and "Narito ang Anak, Narito ang Ina." He demonstrated his artwork in Rico Bello Omagap's novel ''Bathaluman Sino Ka?'' and ''Putik sa Mukha ng Birhen''.
Other works
Virgil also worked 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 ...
. As both penciller and inker, he contributed to ''
Planet of the Apes
''Planet of the Apes'' is an American science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a world in which humans and intelligent apes clash for control. The franchise is based on Frenc ...
'', ''
Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction
''Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction'' was a 1970s American black-and-white, science fiction comics magazine published by Marvel Comics' parent company, Magazine Management.
The anthology title featured original stories and literary adaptations b ...
'', ''
Solomon Kane
Solomon Kane is a fictional character created by the pulp magazine, pulp-era writer Robert E. Howard. A late-16th-to-early-17th century Puritan, Solomon Kane is a somber-looking man who wanders the world with no apparent goal other than to vanqu ...
'', ''
Savage Sword of Conan
''The Savage Sword of Conan'' was a black-and-white magazine-format comic book series published beginning in 1974 by Curtis Magazines, an imprint of American company Marvel Comics, and then later by Marvel itself. ''Savage Sword of Conan'' starred ...
'' #20, ''
Tomb of Dracula
''The Tomb of Dracula'' is an American horror comic book series published by Marvel Comics from April 1972 to August 1979. The 70-issue series featured a group of vampire hunters who fought Count Dracula and other supernatural menaces. On rare ...
'', ''
Tales of the Zombie
''Tales of the Zombie'' was an American black-and-white horror comics magazine published by Magazine Management, a corporate sibling of Marvel Comics. The series ran 10 issues and one '' Super Annual'' from 1973 to 1975, many featuring stories of t ...
'', and ''
Vampire Tales
''Vampire Tales'' was an American black-and-white horror comics magazine published by Magazine Management, a corporate sibling of Marvel Comics. The series ran 11 issues and one annual publication from 1973 to 1975, and featuring vampires as both ...
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion.
He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associated with that t ...
's ''
The Scarlet Letter
''The Scarlet Letter: A Romance'' is a work of historical fiction
Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym ...
''.
Death
Redondo died on April 13, 1997, and rests at Eternal Garden at East Bagong Barrio,
Caloocan
Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan ( fil, Lungsod ng Caloocan; ), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Metropolitan Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most ...