Hello.
It’s the end of 2019, and a week ago komiks got shook to the core that they realized it is the end of the era, with the departure of the Komikero who gave komiks its current heart. It is palpable that everyone feels the “What now? Where do we go from here, to honor him?”
It should start by contemplating what has already been done. And despite what it looks, it has been a lot.
Important disclaimer: I am an outside observer. I have been able to see effects and impacts, but as an outsider, without much insider knowledge.
Another disclaimer: Some things will be said. Some of these things may be a bit direct.
If you scroll down or check the post lists at the right, you could see that there have been an attempt at listing the important komiks of the last ten years as of 2017. A few titles can correctly be added to that list since then, but you probably know what they are.
One also should look at the treatise statement about the age of independent komiks, as done by the October 2018 Bookwatch.
Let us begin.
– The Bayanihan Center Komikon
The main catalyst of the second age of indie komiks is the transfer from the UP Diliman Bahay ng Alumni into its current location in Bayanihan Center, Mandaluyong. This made the space much larger, therefore more open to accept more creators. This sent the signal that komiks is for anyone and everyone willing to do the work and make the stories.
Thus, over the ten years, the komikeros and their komiks filled the space. It has reached the point that sponsors are no longer space fillers. It has reached the point that the Komikon is now almost full to capacity of convention goers and exhibitors, This is a very happy problem…but it is now a rising problem. The next wave of growth for komiks may need to come from a needed change in location.
It is also a repeated concern, correctly raised, that the komiks scene is still centered on the capital. While there are regional komik events, and Komiket and BLTX has tried to be present in other regions, there are limited ways and incentives toward the access of the regional komiks to the capital, and access of the material from the capital toward the regions. It is a difficult concern, but maybe some people can work together toward good answers.
– Komiket
It has to be made clear that the goals of the Komikon is different from the goals of the Komiket, even if the creatives overlap. The Komiket aims to show a wider range of Filipinos that Filipino art and komiks thrives and is worth following. It has done that, with great success, by encouraging new artists and opening itself to other artists, as well as making itself available in other regions…overall by making new friends. It is planning greater things, better exposure, and here’s to hoping for the best.
– Komiket University, Komikon camp, some mentorships, and school sequential art classes
For years of this decade, it has been overlooked by the first wave of komikeros that there was no mentorship system. I will try to say this as kindly as possible: the first wave of komikeros have had several advantages of being the last komikeros before the golden age ended, having access to such people, or having jobs and connections that gave them an ability to see more professional ways of doing komiks. But such knowledge was not passed on well or at all, and a whole generation of young people have had to learn komiks from trying all by themselves, but without good guidance (Sir Gerry Alanguilan’s background guidance could only go so far, after all).
This started to change in the last few years, when Komiket University opened a short program with the goal to develop a komik to sell. Several colleges, technical colleges, and high schools have also opened sequential art classes that aim to release a komik during an event as part of a grade. This has been a dedicated effort to mentor in story and character development, then the technical elements of making comics. There has been good guidance. All of this has helped to improve the quality of the created komiks in the last few years in both originality of art and delivery of characterization and story, and it has also helped adding the quantity.
– Defining identity
Much of the discussion, and, admittedly, arguments, of the decade was the search for the Filipino identity in komiks. Does superhero komiks count? Does manga-style count? If it doesn’t have a political message, does it matter? If it has foreign characters or fantasy characters, does it count? If it is not set in the country, does it count? If it’s all about being fun and funny, does it matter?
Yes, they do. They all do.
ALL of komiks, whatever the style or message, now has a feel and drive and emotion that is palpably unique to us already. Some of you may find that hard to believe, but this is true. We are now past the time that our komikeros imitate styles. Our current creators know that styles are devices, ways toward giving a message, and techniques that can be assimilated and changed to create something completely unique.
There are creators who are happy making komiks and webcomics that cater to an international audience, and this is perfectly fine. Even in manga from Japan there are stories that are not set in their country, and this choice is respected. So should we, about those among us who chose this way. There are ways to show identity as Filipino that is already visible in their output.
But there is no one answer nor one standard, and forcing the current state of komiks into one voice, one style, one message, and one presentation will strangle all of komiks. Filipino komiks is the voice of many, and it is better for it.
– Black Ink
A segment of komikeros, primarily manga-style creators of Inkjinks Label then followed by others like the Damasos and Mike Banting, provide the strength for the Precious Pages komiks arm. Over the years, the Black Ink catalogue has matured from not just high school romances, to now include fantasy, horror, ghost stories, sports, some detective stories, some science fiction, some LGBT stories. All of them are done in a style that, sure, uses manga devices, but in a pattern and system that is distinctly Pinoy now, and always delivering Pinoy stories by Pinoy creatives. They do this with an editorial and accountability system, that has a degree of creative liberty. Over its years they have managed a national publication reach, with fans that happily go to their events where their creators sign copies of books.
…That seems to be much of what current komiks wants to happen.
Why it does NOT happen to more of komiks and more komikeros is something that needs contemplating. Maybe there is something in the inner workings that I do not know. There may be serious legitimate concerns that I do not know, that prevents others from allowing themselves to be under them. It is certain that maybe their ways are not suited to some komikeros. But that fact that Black Ink is at least thriving should be considered, and there may be ways to duplicate its success for other komik styles. More people should take their focus away on ‘haynaku, manga style sila’ and ‘they’re pulp romances from precious hearts’, and concentrate on thinking what it is doing right.
– The rise of the introspective komik
Many first works of the younger komikeros from the universities and high schools tend to be introspective. A contemplation of what the future holds for them. A contemplating of identity, as a female in a patriarchal world, or being LGBTQ in a bigoted world, or having mental illness in a world that does not well understand. These stories tend to be oneshots and thus tend to be ephemeral, but it has also given an emotional depth to the current years of komiks.
– The rise of the political komik
The political komiks did not appear with the turn of presidential administration; this current administration just increased the rate of its production, as more correctly hot-blooded komikeros desperately wanted to put back a human face to cruelty, wanted to desperately speak truth to people if not to power.
But aside from those directly making stories about EJKs, drugs, crime, and police brutality, there are also those who speak of other truths: tearing down the patriarchy and thus being a strong woman; seeking the truth about our colonial past (go read Incognito); helping to defend the poor with community building (go read Dead Balagtas: Mga Sayaw ng Dagat at Lupa); deconstructing what we have been taught (Tabi Po is all about this). There is also the kind of political komik that is Ella Arcangel: a desperate need in the gut to correct a political and human wrong, and doing it through supernatural means, while we can’t do it in this realm, but giving hope in this way.
– The rise of the webcomic
Between the panel komiks on Facebook and Instagram (most prominent being Libreng Komiks, HungHang Komiks, Ang Hari ng Kumyut, and the online versions of Manix Abrera panel komiks), and the story comics in the various online webcomic websites and apps, many Filipinos became aware of the pure existence of the new breed of komikeros, and these also drove people into the komik conventions.
For some reason, the many shares and retweets by so many Filipinos did not fully result into a full awareness that there is a new generation of komikeros, that there are new styles and presentations. So many still know only those big names, and seek only a quick laugh then move on. This is no fault of the komikeros themselves, who have actively advocated the komik conventions, the whole indie komiks movement, as well as other komikeros. But something is missing, and the missing link must be sought.
– The new nationally-published komiks
It is no longer the weekly magazine with national reach accessible at every newspaper stand and sari-sari store, and it will never go back to that. It now presents itself as the graphic novel, the book-length work, either a compilation of issues, a series of stories, or a compilation of daily strips. It is/was made by the book publishers: Visprint, Anino under Adarna House, and Summit, plus Black Ink under Precious Pages. This is not a bad thing, far from it, but it has also changed the demographic of those who buy komiks on the national level: it is now a middle class and working class readership. This probably prevents current komiks from being in the eyes of the masa and the blue-collar working class. This therefore prevents the interest in making nationally-available content out of current komiks, like TV series and movies. And thus, more classic-komiks remakes.
Is there a way to break that given cycle? Probably, but that would need the interest, confidence, and bravery of some people with access to national media. For now, tell people about what komiks already are available on a national level. Drum up interest, tell them that we know awesome things are being made.
– The rise of independent distributors
Besides the traditional publishers, some komikeros and artists have also had enough business drive in them to create publication and distribution systems. These include Meganon, Haliya (by Mervin Malonzo), Manila Artpost, Sinag (Libreng Komiks by Toto Madayag), Kawangis, and recently MyAvenida (that will continue the Visprint catalog komiks). This has indeed helped to make many more komiks available to more readers nationally, for the whole year, without fully depending all the time on the komik conventions.
One thing that does need to happen is to have more printers available to these distributors. That is, to allow the creators to earn from their work with each sale, but removing the burden of publishing (doing their own photocopying or offset printing) from them.
– The cult of Trese
Alexandra Trese and the Kambal, for better or worse, is the face of the indie komiks age. Everyone looks to the series, unofficially makes it the standard all other komiks are judged by. Unfortunately this high standard has caused some readers to not give newer komikeros with different styles and stories a chance. Many read Trese from the bookstore, but do not proceed to read other komiks, or go to the komik conventions. You sometimes sense that people think that komiks made after Trese are not worth the notice. This is a great mistake. Some people say this is because the new komiks do not meet those high standards. Look up at the entry for Komiket University why that has happened for some. Either way, this has stopped or discouraged a good number of creators from making their own series with likeable characters that will last more than one issue; only the toughest and most komik-loving sometimes stay to make them (Whatever you think of Hotdog Prince, Francis Martelino is one of those toughest, and that is why we know said Hotdog Prince. Same with Elias of Tabi Po by Mervin Malonzo, and Ella Arcangel by Julius Villanueva).
It will always be true that the Trese series deserves respect, as well as the output of Alamat as a whole, and Nautilus and Arnold Arre, for making indie komiks worth fighting for, for being one of its greatest examples. But it is not the only well-made komik to come out of the indie komiks age. It is only one of so many. The newer komiks also need to be given their due.
– The cult of Manix
Ah, that long line in Komikon and Komiket, leading toward a quiet and kind as well as talented, intelligently humorous komikero with a great heritage. The current indie komiks age does owe some of its success to Manix Abrera of the Kikomachine series, consistently holding book signings during komik conventions, knowingly driving numbers into them. But it is also a well-known fact that a good number of people in that line come only for a few things: Manix himself signing their books, foreign titles from the sponsor stores, maybe a very few indie komiks on the tables, maybe some stickers…but that is all. This is not Manix’s fault; without him there would not be lines at all.
All of komiks is beyond grateful for his support for komiks, by buying their works, by being their friends. And yet one needs to contemplate how to encourage those long lines to also look beyond him, beyond his komiks, toward the others in the komik conventions.
(Not Sir Pol? Sure he also get those snaking lines, and there are also people who come to the conventions focusing on him. For some reason though the concentration on just him is not as bad. This is definitely not true of Sir Gerry.)
– SKP accepted indie komikeros
Sometime in the decade, the Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas, the organization of the newspaper comic strip creators of the Philippines, accepted regulars of the indie komiks scenes, and they are now distributed among the major newspapers, with an organization willing to share hard-earned wisdom and knowledge about komiks. This also therefore introduces a new and current generation of readers to current indie komiks, hopefully adding to current awareness.
– People coming and going
Most komikeros are students, young professionals (freelance and office), and parents. Komiks is done as a hobby, something done after work and tasks. Also, komiks is self-published: it is made by someone photocopying or printing a booklet several times, out of their own expense. Because of this, there is a tendency for the recurring pattern of komiks not coming out as regularly as desired, not coming out at all after one attempt, or just making one komik and no longer making any more komiks. This also explains the ‘revolving-door’ pattern of komikeros: a komikero makes one to several komiks, usually with several friends, then life intervenes, and they stop making komiks but they continue going to the komik conventions.
If this cycle is to be reduced, better mechanisms have to be set in place to allow komikeros to create. Ways to reduce the burden of printing and publishing, better incentives for staying to create, financial safeguards for creators of some sort. These are probably difficult in reality, but may be worth thinking over seriously already.
– International acceptance
The most recent development, and hopefully there will be more, is of non-Filipinos accepting our komiks and komikeros for foreign publication. There have been two patterns: 1. the one successfully done by A Sparrow’s Roar (Paolo Chikiamco and C.R.Chua), where the komik was accepted for international publication ; 2. more of our komikeros are being accepted to do work making original comics, using their own developed styles. Several webcomics by our komikeros have also been welcomed by international readers, as well.
(Breathes)
So as you see, much good has happened to komiks, over the ten years since Sir Gerry invited people in 2009 to the MetroComicon, a little before the migration to Bayanihan Center. Much good work has been done, by so many people, by so many readers, by so many komikeros. So many creative stories have been told, in so many ways, with so many characters, with so many styles. So many awesome things are still happening, individually and as a collective.
Let us work out how to give solutions to the problems. Let us all keep the momentum going.
Thanks.
Jumper Cable 