Komiks
Posted on July 11, 2008
Filed Under Comic Books
Komiks, as entertaining as it is, has been a commodity, a phenomenon, an industry that caters to the taste of thousands of Filipinos nationwide. It offered the pulse of the masa. Created and distributed to and for the masses, its audience simply answers why this visual form of art, literature and entertainment has spread like wildfire like the omnipresent sari-sari store. Published once or even twice a week, the potential of an illustrated flat colored “book” with an amusing tale to tell is endless.
With the Filipino’s passion for their daily dose of hilarity or melodrama, komiks is the remedy. Komiks characters have become fitting metaphors in a filipino’s life of daydreaming, struggling and eventually defeating numerous adversaries and slaying one’s own demons. Varied interests are satisfied with the range of stories the industry offers. Moreover, prolific komiks writers get money for their works when movie companies show interest in bringing to film their stories. Local movies based on komiks are said to be considered sold since. This simply confirms how the komiks industry has influenced even the silver screen. Komiks writers, bigtime ones and illustrators alike earn a fortune with P85.00 per page. Consequently, to earn a living on this industry, one has to produce a lot. The problem with this is that satisfactory stories and fine illustrations cannot be reproduced without sacrificing quality. It is unfortunate that quality has to suffer for the sake of money-making. Along with this, the monopoly of the industry dictates the standard for fees.
From illustrated stories to educational and religious comic books, komiks has been the medium preferred to entertain and preach. In the late forties and early fifties, much brouhaha was given to this uncharted territory. Passion can be seen from the works of the pioneers of komiks. Because of its promise of numerous readership and easy reading attributes, komiks has a high potential as a medium of expression. Unfortunately, because of the growing demand from its audience, the passion has been replaced by a survival to survive. In the advent of television addiction and other various media, the komiks that was popular back then remains to be a souvenir of the past today.
National hero Jose Rizal was captivated with komiks that he drew a fable. National Artist Vicente Manansala was even caught under its spell. These two men along with thousands of komiks addicts were drawn to this entertaining but worthwhile piece of art and literature. The problem lies now on the themes that constantly appear on komiks. Considered as the Pablum of art appreciation, Filipinos and publishers alike should step forward in making komiks grow as an art. If only komiks can be developed both in content and form, we Filipinos could have an art that is distinctly ours to be proud of.
Comments
Leave a Reply