Indie komiks draw crowds in Komikon 2010

Finding Komikon 2010 at the Starmall Trade Hall was challenging to say the least. With unsolicited directions from a stranger who somehow sensed what I was looking for, I finally spotted the Trade Hall, which as it turned out was beyond the food court, beyond a tiangge area, beyond a makeshift stage. I stood in front of the map, conveniently displayed, though hardly conspicuous due to the tiny font size. It was going to be my first time at the annual Philippine Komiks Convention, and I didn't quite know what to expect. I bought a ticket for 80 pesos, took a deep breath, and entered uncharted territory. I quickly realized that the time I studied the map was not very well spent, as it was almost impossible to find the booths. The Trade Hall was a much smaller venue compared to Komikon's previous locations in Megamall and the Bahay ng Alumni at the University of the Philippines. While conveniently adjacent to the MRT station, it was inconveniently cramped with the ever-growing crowd drawn to the event. Despite the heat and the difficulty of navigating through the barely existent aisles, no one looked bothered. In fact, it was a veritable party, with people greeting each other and having conversations merrily. The noise was festive, but would prove to be a problem later on, when special guests would be interviewed onstage.

Here and there, people from behind the booths would call out, market vendor style. "Hello Sir, Ma'am! Comics po! Free browsing!" I soon learned that these were the people I wanted to find - the independent comics creators. Apart from the do-it-yourself marketing strategy (attract potential customers by getting their attention literally), the easiest telltale sign to spot the indie comics was their piles of black and white photocopied comic books. Exhibitor booths lined the hall's perimeter, and the sponsors occupied prime spots at the foot of the stage. But, as Paolo Chikiamco pointed out in his assessment published in the Philippine Online Chronicles, the layout favored the independent komiks creators, who he believes are the heart and soul of Komikon, and even the Philippine komiks industry. Based on short conversations I had with a few independent komiks creators, it would be difficult to disagree. For one thing, the independent komiks creators are also the fans. Most of them began to create their own comics after being inspired by existing comics. RH Quilantang, creator of Manila Man and Goodbye, Rabbit was inspired by Gilbert Monsanto, one of the artists behind the Filipino superheroes Bayan Knights. Being a member of Bayan Knights, Quilantang was encouraged to make his own independent comics. "It's hard, you have to get over your self-doubt. Ginawa ko lang, tapos, bahala na," he laughs. Others had talent and were recruited by groups who saw what they could do. Makurai, a student at the College of Saint Benilde, was asked by a friend if she was interested in making independent comics. She joined the group Revel Productions and has made three titles since. Some began as class projects, like Acuna's Lihim ng mga Lespu, which was originally a narrative written for his Creative Writing class. On the other hand, first-time comics creator Hub Pacheco says he's always wanted to make his own comics. His first comics about life after college Work in Progress was sold at 60 pesos, more expensive than most due to its color printing. "I'm a comics fan. For me the next step from being a consumer was to create my own. First time kong gumawa, I'm not so sure. Hence the title," he says. The artist, Ted Pavon says they haven't heard anything yet, but people have been buying. "So that's good. So far, so good," he says. Others made a conscious decision to contribute to the local comics industry. Recent graduates of the UP College of Fine Arts, Nico Zapanta, Jano Gonzales and Kube Villarete were discussing the supposed demise of the local comics industry over lunch one day when Gerilya Komiks was born. All comic enthusiasts, and all multi-talented, the three take turns writing, drawing and inking the komiks, which they describe as a mix of drama, action and comedy. Their topics are often political, tackling issues like corruption and killings. Since their debut issue in 2008, they have come out with six titles, and copies are usually sold out during conventions. They first sold their comics at news stands on campus, arranging to give the vendors 25 percent of their total earnings. A few tables away, Pugad Baboy fans approached Pol Medina to get their books signed and have their pictures taken with the veteran artist. An impossibly long line snaked from one end of the hall to the Visprint booth, where Manix Abrera autographed Kikomachine comic books from 1pm to 8pm, stopping only to answer a few questions onstage with his father, Jess Abrera, the man behind the carabao Guyito, and A.Lipin comics. Such success is a far cry from the virtually unknown independent comics, but that's precisely where the charm is. Unlike published comics which can be found in almost any bookstore, at any time of the year, many if not most of the independent comics only come out of the woodwork during events like these, which are few and far between. While independent publishing has its disadvantages, it does have advantages, too. The creator shoulders all the production costs, not to mention the legwork, from creating the comics to marketing it. The best advantage, it would seem, is freedom. Independent komiks creators have free reign over their subjects, thus coming up with a colorful assortment of themes. There's the politically charged Gerilya, the Francis M tribute barong-clad Manila Man, the apocalyptic Revelations, the autobiographical Windmills, the activist Lihim ng mga Lespu, the romantic Revel Productions, among many others. As Gerilya artist Zapanta puts it, they can get away with nude drawings and titles like Biyakin Mo Ako. "Since indie ka, di na namin iniisip yun," he says, adding that they are open to the idea of having a publisher, on the condition that their work be left uncensored. "Pero kung i-cecensor, 'yun ang 'di puwede. Kasi nasisira 'yung gawa, 'yung kuwento," he says. On the other hand, the lack of restraint or any regulating factors leaves it entirely up to the readers to judge which comics are worth their time. Grammatical errors and misaligned margins make it to print, and of course, there's the question of whether the story itself is good or not. That, however, is a debate beyond the mere fact that the komiks industry itself is very much alive, even as it competes with other more dazzling forms of entertainment like the internet. Fortunately, there is no lack of creativity and innovation. A quick survey of the independent offerings will reveal several styles, themes and even packaging techniques - despite the more or less uniform black and white look. A graduate of the University of Santo Tomas College of Fine Arts, Josel Nicolas says he tries to never do anything twice. "When you get too comfortable with one style, try a different approach," he says. Nicolas says he is probably best-known for his adaptation of Adam David's The El Bimbo Variations, but he would rather be known for his ongoing autobiographical series Windmills. For word-intensive comics like Windmills, Nicolas' style is unusual. He has no script. "I draw it first, I have a vague idea, I think about it a lot," he says. The internet is not necessarily the enemy, as webcomics are definitely a viable option for comic artists to get their work out there. While the independent comic artists are well aware of this, it seems online is a venue that has yet to become popular in the Philippines. Some get their work consigned at specialty stores like Sputnik, Comicquest and Planet X, but most rely on conventions to be able to market their work. When they aren't at conventions, their comics are sold on request. Revel Productions plans to set up shop online, but in the meantime, they hand out cards so they can be contacted in case anyone wants to buy. Webcomics it seems has yet to become popular in the Philippines, and there are several possible reasons for this. For students like the members of Revel Productions, there isn't enough time to set up a website. In cases like Karma Collective's, a UP Los Baños student organization, their website features mostly one-shot comics dealing with current issues, like the controversial large class policy, rather than serial comics. For Quintalang, he would rather have his comics in printed form, because it the tactile experience is incomparable. The average print run for independent comics is 50 copies for an event like Komikon. Given a crowd like this year's, many independent titles were sold out way before the event ended. Though this is at face value a good thing - it could be argued that having more than enough copies is better. But printing your own comics can be expensive, and the risk of not earning the cost back is unaffordable for some. Despite the obvious difficulties that come with independent publishing, the independent comics creators aren't discouraged. Many of them are old-timers, with several titles to their name. Newcomers to the scene are encouraged by the warm reception to their contributions to the scene, and believe their first time will not be their last. Perhaps it is because they are indeed the heart and soul of the komiks industry, and being true artists, they are in it for love and nothing else. - GMANews.TV