Vignette: Grassroot graphics

Many are aware of DC’s and Marvel’s spandex-clad heroes and heroines, the icons of the graphic novel medium. Unbeknownst to many, some of the world’s favorite characters, from Captain Marvel to Jonah Hex, have been illustrated by our homegrown talents, the likes of which include the late Alfredo Alcala and Tony DeZuniga.

Even less known may be our own burgeoning local comic book industry. It isn’t exactly booming as fast as K-Pop video views, but it has done enough over the past few years to catch the eyes of the international comic book industry. To make it more known, The Menagerie presents a collection of graphic novels leading the pack in this young medium.

ELMER by Gerry Alanguilan

Another (increasingly common) Filipino case of the internationally acclaimed but locally overlooked, Elmer follows the story of chicken Jake Gallo and his father, Elmer, in a world shadowed by prejudice and oppression. Chickens have gained advanced cognitive ability overnight, and all hell breaks loose; uprisings spawn in farms world-wide, and so have chicken rights activists, while the ethics of establishments like KFC come into question; and at the center of it all is a family simply struggling to survive.

Told page-after-page in beautifully drawn images and rural backdrops, this is an emotionally-charged tale of family struggles, forgiveness, and equality that ultimately asks us: what is it that makes us human? And it takes a chicken (rooster, for political correctness) for humanity to reflect on that.

Elmer has won several awards and was nominated for Best New Album in the prestigious Will Eisner Industry Awards. The single-volume graphic novel can be found in National Bookstore outlets nationwide.

 TRESE by Budjette Tan (writer) and Kajo Baldisimo (artist)

They are staples of Filipino folklore: the maleficent mananaggals who prey on the pregnant; the tikbalas ominously lurking on the road-side; the mischievous duwendes that live in anthills which require us to say, ‘tabi-tabi po.’

Now they uprooted themselves from their provincial beginnings, moving into the city, running amok. Tikbalas are drag racers who race to the death; their leader lives on the top floor of the highest building in Makati. Kapres are the new kingpins of crime. Manholes have become the home of duwendes, forensic experts for this new paranormal world.

But when things get out of hand and the police are left clueless, Captain Guerrero calls in Alexandra Trese, detective and vigilante of the occult.

Trese was dubbed as one of Inquirer’s “Top 10 Books of 2012.” Five volumes have currently been published.

SKYWORLD by Mervin Ignacio (writer) and Ian Sta. Maria (artist)

“Every legend hides a lie… A murdered Skygod re-emerges in modern-day Manila. A Tikbalang prince plots vengeance for the death of his father. And the queen of the asuang unleashes the mythical Bakunawa upon the streets of the city. Caught in their age-old struggle is Anody, a crippled orphan that discovers he is the fulfillment of a prophecy dating back to Lapu-Lapu himself,” as written on the back cover of Skyworld’s first out of two volumes.

This is as profound and fleshed-out a fantasy epic in local comics as one can get. Like the aforementioned Trese (whose leading lady also makes an appearance), it explores Philippine folklore in a modern-day setting.

Skyworld’s two volumes were compiled and made available by National Bookestore.

ZSAZSA ZATURNNAH by Carlo Vergara

Taking a page off of Filipino legend Darna, Zsazsa Zaturnnah features a protagonist who one day finds a round (in this case, hilariously and absurdly large) object from space, which, when ingested, grants super-powers that allows him, with the help of a side-kick, to save a small town that is attacked by a myriad of random (and again, hilarious and absurd) villains, all the while vying for the heart of a potential love-interest. Indeed, this is the generic setting for any superhero.

Where it deviates from generic, however, is in the details. The homosexual protagonist transforms to a woman in his/her superior form; this of course complicates and makes for a more interesting romance with the same-sex love interest. The villains are analogous to certain popular showbiz stars. And the very Filipino setting makes for a good zombie attack.

This comedic, poignant, and highly entertaining story is a refreshing take on an arguably worn-out superhero formula.

Zsazsa Zaturnnah has inspired both a film and a musical.  The graphic novel and the first volume of its sequel, Zsazsa Zaturnnah sa Kalakhang Maynila, is available in National Bookstores nationwide.

—

“This is incredibly fertile ground. Why aren’t you using it?” asked author and comic book legend Neil Gaiman back in his 2010 visit, referring to Filipino folklore. Indeed, there is a deep well of material in our culture and history, and Filipino comic book writers and artists have barely scratched the surface of it. But there is effort, and this is what is demanded by the richness of what is Filipino.

These are just the grassroots efforts. But with the help of a supportive people, one green morning, it could become a full-fledged forest.