Resurgence of indie comics

Worn out pages of Naruto and Archie comic books sit comfortably waiting to be read for the nth time, while collections of individually sealed Marvel and DC comics are neatly displayed in the rooms of proud readers. And in this colorful world ran by kings and queens of quirky humor and sappy romance, ruled by icons of brain and brawn, are the underdogs known as indie comics. With stories that could just as well poke the mind and dazzle the senses, it anxiously waits to be discovered.

But the local comics industry is dead, they say. Technology is blamed for the death of Hiwaga Komiks, Atlas, GASI, and all other major comic publishers that used to make the typical average Juan laugh out loud or fantasize over local superheroes like Darna or Captain Barbel.

Perhaps not, because the familiar glory of the old comic book heroes seem to be reborn in the humble photocopied sheets of black and white and the occasional colored-in characters splashed on paperbacks—all of which
are painstakingly crafted by this generation’s comic book creators, saviors of Philippine comics.

Despite claims of its extinction, the indie comics scene is vibrant and pulsating. With comic book groups like the Meganon Comics plus comic conventions and book fairs here and there, the future of our Pinoy superheroes is bright and promising.

The process

Meganon Comics is among the pool of indie comic book groups, which keep this classic form of entertainment alive and kicking. Their goal is to help independent comic makers bring their crafts to the ever-passive public through komikons (comic conventions) and
book fairs.

Paulo Herras, one of the writers for Meganon comics, talks about the tendency of producing indie comics to dig holes in their pockets, since they need to shell out their own money to publish their works. Despite this grim truth, Herras, who used to be in filmmaking, shares that he takes comfort and basks in the freedom of doing indie comics because “when you write for film, you’re limited by the actors. You’re limited by the budget.”

He adds, “With comic books or with graphic novels, your limitation is your imagination.” It’s the challenge to reinvent ideas or create something entirely fresh that keeps makers on their toes, and the result: enthusiasts unable to put the comics down.

Contrary to the familiar notion that comic book makers only consist of illustrators, Herras reveals that making comic books is also a ‘collaborative work’ between an artist and a writer. Tepai Pascual, one of the founders of Meganon, is one the many artists Herras has collaborated with.

Often, inception of an ingenious concept is needed to give birth to a brilliant comic book story. From scriptwriting, to character sketches, they would meet from time to time to adjust the phasing or to see if some parts need to be expanded or collapsed.

As Paulo shares, “You really have to love the concept because you are gonna devote your time there in two to six months.”

Usually, Meganon comics prints roughly 1000-1500 copies because of the uncertainty of the marketability. To solve this dilemma, Herras explains, “We encourage the artists to invest time in their covers. That’s why we did some covers that are a little bit attention grabbing or that would have a unique selling point or [are] at least attractive.”

Purely Pinoy

Most of the indie comic artists today draw inspiration from Pinoy myths and folklore, similar to the early Pinoy comics about aswangs, dwendes, and kapres, as opposed to the ones heavily Western influenced like Darna and Captain Barbel. For example, there’s the popular Trese series by Budjette Tan, a horror comic about a detective who uses supernatural powers to solve crimes.

Herras shares the same passion of producing Pinoy comics that are culturally and socially relevant. Back in his college days, he realized that his pieces lacked cultural identity, himself having grown up in an English-speaking household. So instead of majoring in Creative Writing in UP Diliman, he chose to major in Philippine Literature.

In collaboration with artists like Brent Sabas and Tepai Pascual, Herras has published Philippine mythology reminiscent comics such as Sumpa and Strange Natives. “The concept here is that we are all strangers in our native land. These are stories of strange natives, actual strange natives, but on a supernatural level.”

Community, not an industry

“It’s not yet an industry because it’s not yet sustainable,” replies Paulo when asked how indie comics today are thriving.

There are still a vast number of artists that are left to doodle on paper napkins, build their portfolios on sketchpads, and work on their computers, but don’t progress from there simply because they can’t afford to publish their works. For these artists who are fortunate enough to have their works published, on the other hand, the challenge is to have their first chapters earn enough to support the creation and publication of the chapters they hope to follow.

“We don’t rely on comic books. We’re still building to make it sustainable but it’s not like it feeds [us] or it pays the bills. Our bread and butter jobs help keep us sustainable and pay the bills,” says Paulo.

The strength of this community is in its growing numbers and diversity. From the laugh out loud rom-coms to the wildly imagined, the variety of genres promises an adventure to embark on for every individual.

“Sometimes we lose that whole sense of adventure. And now that we can provide that adventure, it’s just about picking one up,” encourages Paulo to anyone new to comic books.

To komikons and beyond!

But while there are no boundaries in reality and fantasy in these stories, the reality of inaccessibility poses a threat to their creation and the chances of them being shared and appreciated by the rest of the world.

The struggle is to get indie comics off the ground and to the people. As Paulo shares, “Comic books, as of now, are still impulse purchases. If you like it, you will get it.”

While comic cons held sporadically all over the nation are meant to bring this buzzing bunch of creatives together, they are finally taking steps forward and out. Determined to develop an interest and to expose indie comics, artists are selling their works door to door, aside from joining conventions and book fairs. Some have begun treading on the unchartered waters of school sponsored events and bazaars.

“We’ve been going to different schools because they’re all available at Fully Booked, but bookstores kasi get a big cut because it’s hard to maintain a bookstore; so we actually earn more by actual direct sales,” reveals Paulo.

Just a short walk from the Quezon Avenue MRT station awaits the first Filipino comics market, Komiket, this April 5 in The Elements at Centris. Aiming to promote and recognize local talents and to reach the curious and interested, original home grown works will be for sale and here poses yet another chance to get to know the creators and their creations.

Komiket will also then be launching a student competition to cultivate up-and-coming artists. And for those looking to grab copies of the rarities outside of conventions, some are available in stores like Comic Odyssey, Bookay-Ukay, Planet X, Filbars, and online at Comicxhub. Artists are also very approachable for inquiries and more than willing to have orders delivered, sometimes even personally, just by sending them a message through Facebook or email.

Until then, indie comics in the Philippines has a future that’s looking to be a challenging yet ultimately fulfilling one, all credited to the hardworking artists that are paving the way. Through every ‘splonk’ and every ‘ka-pow!’ the growing community remains steadfast against the odds. And in their constant pursuit of pure and passionate storytelling, they themselves have become the undiscovered heroes of another beautiful tale of the Filipino voice and resilience.