The Illustrated Press

Media

Part of The Illustrated Press

Title: The Illustrated Press
Description: Official organ of the Kapisanan ng mga publisita at mga patnugot ng mga Komiks-Magasin sa Pilipino
Issue Date: Volume I (Issue No. 2) December 1977
Publisher: Kapisanan ng mga Publisita at mga Patnugot ng mga Komiks-Magasin sa Pilipino
Year: 1977
Language: English
Rights
Place of publication: Manila
extracted text: )l\ !,,.;t 'komiks' I "'tne right word is 'illustrated' Official Organ of the Kapisanan ng mga Publisista at mga Patnugot ng mga Komiks-Magasin sa Pilipino Writers are among top-paid mediamen Contributors of local illustrated magazines are among the highest paid mediamen today. VOL. 1 NO. 2 MANILA, PHILIPPINES DECEMBER 1977 In a bid to correct the mis· taken notion of some quarters 1.hat locally published illustrated magazines are meant for children, the Committee of Publishers of the KPPKP recently passed a resolution which seeks to drop the word "kontiks" and replace it with the word "illustrated" in the titles of member publications. DPl,Kapisanan co-host conference workshop Several of the better known and more prolific writers earn a five-figure total yearly from writing illustrated serials. Aptly called "nobelas", the serials run in weekly installments for six months at the least. Quite a l'ew, due to exceptionally The resolution, which is now under consideration by the Philippine Council for Print Media, is as follows: A RESOLUTION TO PETITION THE PHILIPPINE COUNCIL FOR PRINT MEDIA TO ALLOW KPPKP MEMBERS TO DROP THE WORD "KOMU(S" FROM THE TITLES OF IBEIR J'UBLICA TIO NS AND TO USE INSTEAD TIIE WORD "ILLUSTRATED" For our soldiers 'Project Pasko' I E This year many of our soldien won't be home for Christmas. They remain at their post in some unfriendly hill or jungle fastness in Southern Philippines. This is because bands of terrorists still menace the peace of the populace. lbat is why, it will mean a lot to them if they can receive greetings from folks back home. Or copies of komiksmagazines. Knowing fully well what the komiks-magazine mean to our soldiers, especially during the Christmas season, the KPPKP recently launched "Project Pasko." Several thousand copies will be forwarded by the Kapisanan to the Philippine Anny Civil Relations & lnfonnation SeIVice at Fort Bonifacio, Metro Manila. From there, the PACRIS will take care of distributing the copies to the soldiers in the field. This is not the first time that the Kapisanan has sent copies of member-publications. For several years now, komiksmagazines have been dis· tributed to militazy stations. Soldiers on "R&R" {rest and recreation) invariably request for komiks·magazines as reading material. The K.PPKP's "Project Pasko" will be launched in coor· dination with the office of Lt. Col. Oswaldo P. Villanueva, deputy and executive officer of CRISG of the Philippine Army.• tremendous mass appeal, for more than a year. rated press, while Nick Joaquin The first-rate "nobelistas' will dwell on artistic and lite- are paid from P30 to P40 per rary values. illustrated page, and each Other topics of the con- installment of the serial has ference-workshop will be the Usually four to five pages treatment of sex and violence each. Tne writer thus earns and the illustrated medium as from Pl 20 to P200 per a vehicle of information. installment per week, or a Tentative site of the two- maximum of P800 per month day conference-workshop is for each serial. the National Arts Center in It is not unusual for good Mt. Makiling, Laguna. writers to produce from 10 to A seminar-workshop had 20 different senals runrung been set by the KPPKP earlier simultaneously. A "nobelista", this year, but it was postponed. writing more than lU serials at magazines in the New Society; It was meant to broaden the a time, would tnerefore earn a 2. To harness the illustrated base of the first KPPKP semi- six-figure income a year. media in disseminatins govern- nar held during the early days Apart trom this amount, ment infonnation andjnstilling of martial law. the writer also gets paid from positive and progresf\'e social The first seminar sought to the sale for the story1s motion values; and , acquaint KPPKP members picture nghts. Serialized stoties 3. Tc:- '"XlD lJ,;.. anab'ze with th~i.r ftl'-i>omihilltif!s ~ mman . ~ <ff:~>of_mrm1-:-- ff" .. ~. 111Jon.u. ,. · < ._._. I the pie- Imo w'4ia}e, ,;ut ten ~ vailing nauvu- E.yant. that KPPKP formulated the Pilm Dean ~oria Feliciano of specific guidelines on sex and thousands upon thousands of the lnstitu e of Mass Commu- violence. komlks readers who aVIdly nication o the University of It is hoped that the followed the serial as potential the Philippines and renowned conference-workshop, which ticket-buyers. It lS not surpriswriter Nick Joaquin are among the KPPKP will co-host with ing, therefore, that top-rated those expected to speak during the BNFI, will further improve serials are eventually made the conference-workshop. and elev'ate the quality of into movies. However, as a Dean Feliciano will touch on illustrated magazines in the general rule, publications do Filipino values and the illust- Philippines.• Please tum to page 4 Marketing illustrated magazines The marketing of illustrated magazines is an aggregate of functions which involves mo· ving the periodicals from publishers to buyers. While there are other facets of marketing, only the aspect of physical distribution will be discussed here. It is one of the most important aspects of marketing in a publishing company. In the publishing business, the circulation of a magazine or periodical means its total print order per issue. The print order is normally calculated by adding the actual orders of the agents for a particular issue plus certain allowances for anticipated additional demand and those to be given out as complimentary copies. The job of distributing illustrated magazines is assigned to Please turn to page 5 The appeal of • • comics magazines BY ROLLIE DE JESUS (The following is a r'eprinl of a two-part article which appeared in the Focus Magazine issues of October 29 and November 12, 1977. - Ed) ONE NtEDS no keen perceptions, no statistics, no special data to know that Filipinos of all shapes and sizes are mad about comic books. Just look around.Comic books or maga· - zines have proliferated and comics stands have mush· roomed in ahnost every street and alley. There is such a big floating readership that magazine and newspaper stand owners are finding it more profitable to rent comics than sell them. Publishers ther¢fore have no qualms in publishing a floodtide of these materials, said to already total two million copies every week, and these are gobble(! up by addicted readers, especially the young despite the objections of parents and moralists. Comics are so popular that even legitimate magazines such as Liwayway, Bulaklak, etc., find it advisable to include illustrated novels or short Please turn to page 6 By HERCULES DEL MUNDO Clodualdo de! Mundo, my tatay, had always caught my fancy by telling glowing accounts onwritingtechniques. He once told me that a good writer usually hears his cha· racters speaking for themselves. Everything he said was of coune credible. For Dand.ing, as he was fondly called, had written unfailingly for nearly five decades. He started early at the age of 18, when he won first prize in the Tribune's monthly literary contest held in 1929. His piece, .. The Outlaw," was a short stoiy written in En&Jish. After the initial success, he opted to write in the vema· cular, caning up with hundreds of pieces in various media, organizing writers' groups, working for the general improvement of writing, becoming a critic of note as the "Tao sa Parolang Ginto", and in the process becoming a staunch defender of Pilipino. What fascinates me up to now was his zeal in writing, sitting the hours away with typewriter, while maintaining close contact with people and events moving around him. Character, he emphasized, is the greatest element in any ~tory. He always s.tressed the !.!!£! that ideas can ~'"ome wom:Out, but c11~.;l - ao not for they acquire uruversal qualities. The emphasis on character basically explained the wide. appeal of his stories to the public. A few days before he died, he told me a story he had planned to replace a comics serial. He described a character which at once appeared vivid to rrie for the character resembled him: reserved and traditional, but nonetheless carrying priceless and valuable traits that could withstand the test of time. Tatay's obsession with timelessness in character could best explain why he wrote with restraint and clarity. His characters acquired lives of their own. They never spoke of things alien to their nature. Building up this discipline in writing, he was able to penetrate almost all media: radio, film, television, stage and print. In the latter, he engaged in its varied forms: novel, short story, poetry, as well as editorials, columns, and surprisina to most people, the comics. Tatay was one of the best "komi· keros." Comics was an art form for him. In its early stages, the comics was closely ~ociated with another popular medium: the rdio. Versatile comics writers at that time were engaged in radio drama writing. Thus, while he was serving as editor of the illustrated stories inLiwayway ,Danding was busy writing for radio. He wro~ then the most 2 - THE ILLUSTRATED PRESS associate.Comks,he1'crured Komiks as medium once, is basically the effective use of visualization and dia· of •. nf ormat •. on logue. These techRiques easily transformed nearly a hundred By MARIE HENSONof Danding's comics stories ALONZO into the film medium. their hands on. Two stories, which appear- Primarily an awareness-and ed in the comics magazine of interest-arousing vehicle, the the Ace Publications stood out komiks-magazines were in in quality and social content- - many instances, found to be ~~~~osa" and "Kadenang '{;ry mu~~fv~tf::gfa:i:i:;::~~ "Malvarosa" was envisioned fathen to practice family planby Dan.ding to be a social criti- rti.ng. In a readership survey cism of the times by creating a conducted by the Social Comcolorful of his characters-Prin- drama out of squatter's lives. munications Center, 8 out of sipe Amante-both for radio and The story betrayed his pre- I 0 housewives were very comics. The radio serial, which ~~~i{;!~~~r :~hn ~~::~~~~ MOTHERS WITH CHIL{~~y c;~~~~~~d a{:'er p::~!; came first, was vaunted as the Malvarosa as, "hindi bulaklak OREN - - after reading the the comic books. greatest drama program ·ever na nagsasabog ng samyong ma- comic books, many were con- The popular booklets, statisaired. When it was filmed, it lalanghap, kundi dahong nala- vinced.to practice family plan- ticsshow,changehanJsoftener took 18 months of production. gas sa tangkay ng panahon na ning. than most publications. They The whole of Escolta was jam- may halimuyak na ang kaman- Comics are no longer comi- are more easily picked up and packed with people when the yang ay nakikipagtagalan sa cal. In fact, some are dead read becauSe of their attractive movie was premiered. kabila ng mga taon." Recent- serious. They~ such serious colors and easy to understand During the height of "Prinsi- ly, interest in the story was re- subject matten, will you be- illustrated contents. Some pe Amante's" popularity• Dan- vived when "Malvarosa" was · lieve it, as population, nutri- comics now flaunt on their ding's contemporaries were at included in the list of best Fili- · tion, pollution and drug ad- front cove" the fact that they loggerheads on the literary pino films chosen by Lino diction. are "de-color",, ••m vari-color", paralleli$111 of the story. Some Brocka. It is these subjects, however, and "in full color". alluded to various western The other story, "Kadenang that have made the formerly It has been shown that the sources such as King Arthur Putik", which was about man's objectionable comic books an target audience understands and Robin Hood. Danding took infidelity, won for Danding acceptable and effective vehicle developmental messages better the speculations as compli- the FAMAS best movie story for information and education. if they are presented in comic ments but good-humouredly award in 1960. Previously considered a cor- booklets ·or in semi-illustrated explained a technique in his For about twenty years, his rupting influence on children, pamphlets. This is explained writing, "If my writer-friends comics stories were fertile the comic books now form part by the fact that the target readwou1d on1y acquaint them- ground for the movies, pro- of the array of mass media ers, mostly rural and ui:ban ~~~~:dw~~ :::::e~~l~r~; ~ein'~T:a:;·~ te:c:: ~:~.~: ~:~~ie:~: th~~ c~;:~se~~ ~~~inli~~:~e ~he:;e ~ ~f; steeped with the works of Du- "Nakausap ko ang Diyos," inform and educate the people. on the illustrations to help mas, Fortes and Blasco Ibanez, "Diyes Isang Kanta" "Basilio Publishers are thus taking a them better understand the they could have readily recog- Baston", "Apat na Anino", long hard look atthesepopular text. People also opt for nized. · .characters which com- "Damong Ligaw" and "Kamay publications and debating realistic renditions, true to life pare favorable with any fig- ni Cain." whether to continue calling illustrations, not loaded too ment of imagination." He cappt'd hiia movie wntrng them "komiks". Some have much-with details. The fantasy world of "Pnn- career 81~ Jonie touch; come up with the suggestion Governmental .and r.hi~ o s:pe ... "unante" was'<acccJ)ted:'-a.s- -ur a ')m..,osiu11 TofSC~n=""...,.O'"'Ca.ll tttmr"'W1istrntcd mag-.. ~·g;Jlltlattons- }ra1c. ,.. real, for Danding created living writers, he annQunced his dis- azines". The new term is more turned to the fom.cnY d.mi&i characters. Luis Taruc con- pleasure with the way pro- expressive of their novel con- rated comicbook as· one of firmed this fact when he wrote ducers handle film stories. He tents. their most effective vehicles in a letter to Dan ding during the enumerated three 1 things that Definitely, most comics are conveying their messages. height of the HMB rebellion the producers were busy with: no longer funny. However, The "Kilusan ng Wastor.J saying that he liked the t. money, 2. money, and c?mic book publishers coi;i· Pagkain" put out "Family Ko-· program and actually identi- 3. money. He was never both- tinue and make sure that theu miks" a comicbook cum ma"· fied with one of the protago· ered by the fear of losing his p~blicatiom retain their enter- azine ~arrying cartoons,'comi~ nist. source of income by making re- ~ent·chara~ter at the s~e strips, vignettes and articles on The success of "Prinsipe marks. Throughout the passing tiine that they ~bue them :-nth correct nutrition as well as reAmante" in the three media of years, he was still the critic, development ~! ~nd mpral cipes. The Philippine Atomic transformed into reality the ever the "Tao sa Parolang values. Humor lS still an essen~ Energy Commission came out fantasy of a writer making his Ginto." tial ingredient of most comics, with its comics version. The profession profitable. In 1950, In the comics, he became an the laughter serving to cushion atomic scientists brought Danding managed to build for overseer for content by be- and make the information down to the comprehension his family a house which was corning the head of the APEP- learning process painless and level of the comics reader the fondly called .. the house that COM after the term of Tony more effective. importance of nuclear energy Prinsipe Amante built." Velasquez in the late 60s. He Comics now rank as one of for peaceful uses. "Ang Tao" But the success of the story was qualified to assume such the most commonly used chan- komjks of the Social Comdid not merely stem from his post. Years earlier, he made the nels of communi~ation, ac- munications Center, was pubcreative mind. Danding had to best critical study of comics, cording to a review of dey~lop- lished not only in Tagalog but keep a writing regimen that the honors of which he shared ~ntal conununicationsstudies also in llocano, Cebuano and occupied most of his Waking with R.R. Marcelino. made ~Y the Institute - oi: Mass Hiligaynon. hours. For "Prinsipe Amante" His presidency in the A.PEP- Communications of the Uni- Comic books were formerly alone, he had to wake up early COM came at an auspicious versity of the Philippines. The regarded and read as entertainin the morning, type storie~ time. The "bomba" craze was National Media Production ment vehi9les. They have ac"even when his eyes were still prevalents. Taking a firm stand Center also made a survey and quired new and welcome closed," and come up with against any form of outside found comics to be the most functions to inform and to finished scripts by seven in the censorship, Danding batted for popular reading matter of the educate. Paradoxically enough, morning. self-censorship, foreshadowing people. Forty-four per cent of while heretofore they have. Actually, he had been pre· similar procedures at present. the research repondents read been vehicles of escapism, now pared for the demands of radio During his tenns, he conti- comic books, 26 per cent read they are conveyors of realismand comics serials. Before the nually enphasized comics as an newspapers, and 23 per cent which one has to ultimately war, he worked around the art created by two artists: the read anything they can lay face up to.• clock as literary writer, teach- writer and the illustrators. For er, and newspaperman. He was himself he looked at comics sleeping for only two hours writing as an integral part of each day for a period of one his literary activities for it year, taking naps in between communicates with the masses. the change of duties. At that Danding's career could be time, he was saddled with pro- best summed up by a Tanaga viding for the family his father he wrote, which the family left him, and his own family, chose for his epitaph: when he manied Iluminada "Higit na kayamanan Agnis, a phumacist, in 1939. na maipamamana, Danding's other stories were lyana kadakilaang ~o successes in the movies tunay na pambalaru1."• THE ILLUSTRATED PRESS is published monthty by the K1plsanan ng ffi98 Publislsta at mg1 Patnugot ng mga Komlks· Magasln ss PUiplno (KPPKP) with editorial offices at 105 Don Alejandro Roen Ave., Quezon City. BOARD OF EDITORS Francisco C. Zamora, Aca Publlcations, Inc.; Ramon R. Davila, A1t11 Publishing Company, Inc.; Tito G. Sinco, El Dorado Publlshlng. House, Inc.; Mrs. Fellcldad B. Soller, SollH Preu & Publtshlng Hou111; Alfredo R. Gu1rr1ro, Graph&c ArU S.rvlce, Inc.; Mrs. Leticia M. Santiago, GMS Publl1hlng Corporation. R.R. Marcallno, Editor PubHehed r.tnd.r ~PM C.r1fflc1tit of Retlnr8don No. 117 More of the new breed of illustrated magazines On this page are eight more of the 44 different illustrated magazines urider the K.PPKP. Of these eight, Tagalog K.J.uiks is the oldest and Weekly Ravelo Komiks is the youngest. The Modem Romances and True Confessions Magazine is the latest member. This brings a total of 45 magazines being monitored by the Kapisanan. Its Committee of Publishen sees to it that the memben follow the self-imposed guidelines on content. A very noticeable trend in the content of member·publi· cations is the growing prevalence of non.entertainment materials. Example are those coming from the Bureau of National & Foreign Jnfonnation. The materials are on govern· ment projects and programs and are written by a special staff of the BNFL . Member-publications also publish articles ofinfonnative and educational value to enrich the reader's life: nutrition, child care, general infonnation, scientific discoveries and what·have.you. Which makes contemporary illustrated magazines a far-cry from those of pre·martial·law vintage which did anything and everything to entertain-just to sell. The titles on tltis page are published respectively by (left to right): Aoe Publications, lnc.; El Don.do Publishing House,lnc,;R.A.R.PublishingHowc;Adventum: Wustn.ted Magazines, Inc.; Graphic Arts Senice, Inc.; Soller Pms &. Publilhina Howe, Inc.; Atlu Publishing Company, Inc.; and Affiliated Publications, Inc. THE ILLUSTRATED PRESS - 3 FEEDBACK What they say about komiks- magazines "KOMIKS-MAGAZINES attenuate my boredom," says Carlos Erea, Sr., a jeepney driver of Parai\aque, Metro Manila. "As members of KODA (Kabihasnan Operators and Drivers Association) in Paraft.aque, we are dispatched and aMigned to certain routes before we could make a trip. There are many members, so that waiting for my turn becomes tedious. Salamat na tang, my wife is a recular komiks buyer. I pa" my time reading them in my jeepney ." "A GOOD alternative for a movie," Mn. Remedios Villeps, a chicken dealer at the Pasay Public Market, told us. "You know, I have to work from morning till night. Usually, I ao home at about ninethirty Monday to Sunday. I have no time for the movies, and television hurt my eyes. I read komiks instead till I fall sleep." "l AM fascinated with the different novels and short stories", says Rolando P. Gitalada, a security guard at the Republic Supermarket. "My kind of job needs company. Keeping awake at night watching this building is no easy job, WRITERS (from page JI not share in the proceeds trom the sale or the movie rights for serialized stories. Top-notch artists (illustrators, in industry parlance) likewise earn as much as the more popular writers. Several leading artists are paid PSS per illustrated page or P275 per installment of the serial. Veteran artists can finish a fivepage installment in less than one day. Many of them illust4:... THE ILLUSTRATED PRESS and reading komiks helps. Add to this the information that I get from komiks and you can see why I like komiks very much." "KOMIKS are infonnative and educational", Ms. Zaida Sto. Tomm,acoed at the Commerce Department at the University of Sto. Tomas. "There is a marked change in the contents of local komiks today. Komiks have started giving information on the govemmer.t, civic and the school activities, like the YCAP. Oh, yes- -they also entertain." "I LJKE the cartoons", Angel Ca.scro m. a Commerce student at the University of Sto. Tomas says. "There is a different touch of humor. I'm not really fond of reading the other materials· in the komiks. Basta cartoons, kwela. Pinoy na.Pinoy!" - "Yes, I read komiks, and why not? It propagates our national language'', says Ms. Linda Feliz.ario, a staffer at the Registrar's Office of the Engineering Review Center, Manila. "Some people, espe· cially those in the upper level, snob komiks for the simple reason th.al it is written in the vernacular. My God, are they not Filipinos? We should be proud that there are magazines written in our native tonpie." "KOMIKS help . me entertain my customen while I do my job" , a beautician, Ms. Lerate t"rom five to fifteen "no· betas" at a time with the help of neophyte illustrators. It is through this system (fledgling artists working under a veteran) that the industry develops fresh talent. For most illustrators are without fonnal training in their craft, like most scriptwriters. That is why the dearth of good illustrators (and scriptwriters) is perennial problem of many publishers. Tnis problem was aggravated ti.Ci.a Santos, or Precy's House of Beauty, said. "Some customers don't want conversation. They should be entertained with some other means like music and of course, magazines and komiks." "KOMlKS short stories give moral lessons", says Mr. Rodolfo Agati, General Manager and ProprietOl, R/E For~~:,':~;~ k~~~sn~ ~~: galog and reading English magazines and books. Clear and concise, the stories could be understood ealily. Business· men like me sometimes have no time to read paperbacks because it takes to much time. My wife? She is a librarian (Mrs. Ester Agati) at the Baclaran Elementary School. And she has the time to read komiks. She likes novels." "KOMIKS give me relaxation", says Pat Eduardo Gonzales of the Investigation Bureau of the Metro Manila Police South Sector. "I'm too busy with my job, the tenSion sometimes fray my nerves. After a day's work, 1 sit down and read some entertaining magazines. And usually, I read komiks." Note: Pat. Gonzales, being an investigator, doesn't want to be photographed. · wnen American comic book publishers started recruiting local talents. Pioneer illustrators, attraeted by bigger pay and excited by the thought of being read mtemationally (American comic books are distributed world-wide), have left. Several of them are now in the United States. Many are still around, illustrating for U.S. comic books and being paid in dollars and at almost three times the amount they used to get.• Illustrated serials are often fihn hits Illustrated serials stand a bigger chance cif success at the box-office than original movie scripts. This is an accepted fact in the local motion-picture industry. It is not surprising, considering that a serial story has its tens of thousands of avid readers as potential theatregoers. In ract, .the motionpicture industry records among its box-office hits several illustrated serials. One memorable serial-turned-film hit is "Roberta", a major achievement of Mars Ravelo. It was published in the Liwayway Magazine with the late Elpidio Torres doing the illustrations. Filmed by Sampaguita Pictures arter its sNdioUs were gutted by a big fire, the movie broke all boxoffice records in 19S1. Main reason for the success of the film (aside from the fact that the serial was a resounding hit) was the precocious child star Tessie Agana, who played the title role. "Roberta" launched the six-year old moppet on a movie career which has not been equaled since by any female child star. "Roberta" made author Ra· veto filmdom's most soughtafter and the highest paid serial writer. The film rights to one of his "nobelas" was recently purchased by a film Company ffir 1>40,000. "Roberta" gave the cue to other motion picture producers. "Dama", another of Ravelo's serials, was filmed by Royal Productions. Produced and directed by the late Fernando Poe, Sr., it starred Rosa del Rosario in the title role. "Dama" was to eltjoy several equally succeS1fuJ sequels both in the illustrated magazines and in the movies. Other Ravelo "nobelas" were filmed. Like "Miss Tilapia" which starred Gloria Romero and introduced Susan Races and Romeo Vasquez; "Boksingera Daw'.' with Susan Roets playing th~ title role; "Basahang Ginto" starring Alicia Vergel; and several other illustrated serials all successful at the tills. At about the same time, Pablo S. Gomez. was also making a name for himself as a serial writer. His serials like "Gilda'', "Bella Filipina", Neophyte scriptwriters and artists, if really talented, can live well on their craft. The bigger publications pay a mini· mun of PIO per illustrated page of the script which is usually three to foUr pages. And a talented and prolific short story scriptwriter can produce at least two stories a day. He gets paid upon approval of the story. Besides, he is not expected to stay as a short story writer forever. Any writer worth his salt will strive ~ AMALIA FUENTES AND JUANCUO GUTIERREZ IN FILM VERSION OF COCHING'S "MOVIE FAN"- - in the film industry's record of motion picture hils, several serialized novels. ---- - "MN", and "Apat na Taga" became movie hits and gave stiff competition to Raveto's works. Other name writers cropped up: CloduaJdo del Mundo ("Prinsipe Amante", "Haring Espada") and Fran· cisco V. Coching ("Hagibis", "Waldas"). Recent film hits from the illustrated magazines are Caparas' "Totoy Bate", Gomez' "Alupihang Dagat", Aragon's "Nag·aapoy na Damdamin'', and Plaza's "Dabiana". The latter seems Ul ha•re- ~~"~ the fad for the ungl:uoorcus heroine Yesteryears' hits featuring homely heroines were "Miss Tilapia", "Kurdapya" and "Cofradia", "Bake-! kang", a popular serial featuring a homely·looking 1 woman, is now being filmed with Nora Aunor in the title role. It seems unlikely she will be the last of the "ridiculous" heroines. Several publications are already preparing "nobelas" that have common (and, therefore, unglamorous) people for lead characters. Chances are several of these works will be filmed. One may ask: Why do people flock to movies made from stories they already read in the illustrated magazines? It is perhaps the thrill of seeing their favorite serial heroes and heroines "come alive" on the screen. There have been several cases however where the movie audiences were di.uippointed with the film versions. But that is another story. • to become a serial writer, for that is where the big money is. Fledgling artists get a mini· mum of PIS per page of illustrations from the b.igger publications. A four-page story usually takes three days for him to finish. That is about P45 for a three-day work. It is good enough, but not for the artists. He is, therefore, goaded on to improve his work so he can qualify as a ·'nobela' illustrator, and graduate into the big leagues.1 '"fhe Review views illustrated magazines In 1976 the top four audited English weeklies-Women's Journal, Mod, Woman's Home Companion, Expressweek and -had a combined average net paid circulation of 235,905. On the other hand, Liwayway alone accounted for 122, 574 more than half the total circ~lation of the four English weeklies. (Excerpts from the article. pasto/ ng kalabaw who be"The Selling of Pilipino'', comes a world boxing conpublished in The Review mag- tender, a local boy who makes azine issue of October 1977.J good. Of course, this is not a defutite trend. There are may exceptions. Astronaut, for ~ instance-but the attraction is i this serial is that the lead is ; Filipino." j If publishing komiks is pro; fitable, so is writing for the ' komiks. The best Filipino ! novelists in English cannot ·i survive on novel-writing alone, • but the top serial writers for '. the komiks, if they are not i only popular but also prolific, If you bring in the komiks, which are officially classified as weekly magazines, the English weeklies simply disappear from view. Wala sa kalingkingan, 'ika nga. In 1976 ) :1m!i': c~~o~t~~ly ~~th~~ ~jji~~~IA;ti~~~~~~=IJ~:J~~~::,~~r~~~! mention the sale or movie !!I ; rights. the big four in the komiks field-Pilipino, Hiwaga, Tagalog, and Espeiyal-had a combined circu1ation of 538, 209, more than double the total circulation of the top four English magazines. In fact, the circulation of the komiks alone dwarfs that of all English newspapers and magazines combined. The estimated circulation of the 50 komiks on the market is two million. Repeat, two million. As.!wning six readers to a copy, you get a regular readership of 12 million. "The nwn.ber is really much more," reports a brochure on The Rlustrated Press, "If those who borrow or rent their copy are counted. They will bring the total up to 16 million readers. Compared with the population of--44 million, 16 _ r.!l!Hcn rear'els represent a diff u~ori nr-e· of 1 to 4. That puts the comic-magazines . in the category .of a truly mass medium." ~ THE EXTENT of mass acceptance of the komiks can be gleaned from the fact th"at thCy, alone in the field of print media, can survive solely on sales. Advertising revenue, the life-blood of the other media, MARKETING ILLUSTRATED from page J a Circulation Manager, who is the equivalent of a Sales Manager in other manufacturing firms. FOr the past several years and up to the present, the most popular way of distribution is through the appointment of agents or distributors all over the country. For Metro Manila releases, the usual procedure is to deliver the copies to the circulation office where the copies are picked up by the city agents. From the city agents, the copies find their way to various sub-agents, particularly newsstands, newsboys, and sarisari store owners who sell directly to the ultimate buyers. Copies for Central, Southern and Northern Luzon are normaly delivered from the plant to the various provincial agents by hired forwarders. Other provincial copies are delivered through the various bus companies, Philippine National Railways, Philippine Air Lines, .interisland veMels and the Post is welcome but not absolutely necessary to ensure the continued existence of the komiks. The ACI data also reveal a steady drop in the circulation of virtually all publicationsexcept the komiks, which registered a dramatic rise in circulation. The combined circulation of the three major morning dailies in English, for instance, dropped from 438,262 in 1974, to 404,853 in 1975, to 391,444 in 1976. Down the same slope went the circulation of the lloko Bannawag (from 34,564 in 1974 to 30,040 in 1976) and the Cebuano Bisaya (from 60, 128 in 1974 to 50,200 in 1976). The Dongo Hiligaynon has ceased publication, possibly because circulation diminished to the point of unprofitability. The tight money situation and the increase in selling price brought about by higher newsprint costs may have had something to do with the general circulation drop, which also affected Liwayway (from 544 in 1974 to 122,574 in 1976). But then, how account for the fact that Pilipino Komiks, to cite only one example, went up from 98,847 Office. Based on saleS records, Greater Manila and Central Luzon constitute the biggest market for illustrated magazines, accounting for approximately 70% of the total rolume. The llocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Southern Luzon, the Bicol Region, Western and Eastern Visayas, and Northern and Southern Mindanao make up for the other 30%. sold copies in 1974to151,481 last year? Before martial law, the I 00 komiks in existence (the number includes bomba komiks) had an estimated total circulation of 1.5 million. As earlier noted, the nwnber of komiks llas gone down to 50, but their combined circulation has gone up to an estimated two million, an increase of more than 30 percent. NO DOUBT about it, Pilip.ino is a profitable commodity. Komiks would be a losing pr<> position if "they were to use English. But the kind of Pilipino used is also important, says R.R. Marcelino, editor of three comics-magazines (Bondy Ing Movie Specials, Pogi and Hopi-Ha.pl) and president of the Kapi.sana•: ng mga Publlslsta at mga Patnugot ng KomiksMagasln sa Pillplno (KPPKP), the organiz8.tion that brings together publishen and editors of 43 komiks. R.R. Marcelino (the initials stand of Ramon Ramos) points out that a recent survey has revealed the chief reader of komiks to be young adults. "We try to adapt our language of this young may impose C.0.D. or prepaid transactions. Al; in other businesses, there can never be an ideal circulation policy which will favor all sectors. What may prove to be effective for one company may not be applicable to another company. The distribution of illustrated magazines may appear to be an easy task. In reality, it is beset by multifarious problems that require constant alertness Publishing companies differ and immediate action. Some in their circulation policies. of the most common probfoms While some may elect to are the "smuggling" of copies, appoint only a few agents, the encroachment of territories others may favor having as by agents, delayed deliveries, many agents as possible for a inadequate delivery facilities wider distribution base. There to some areas, loss of copies are those which may encourage while in transit, shortages and sales through subscription while the perennial problem of motiothers may shy away from it vating agents to increase their because of the fulfillment '·sales. work involved. Some companies may favor sending promotional copies to agents as a way of improving sales. Others may not. Furthermore, others may extend liberal credit terms to their agents, while others From the foregoing, it is not difficult to understand why the Circulation Manager is one of the most important executives of a publishing company.• audience," he says. "In other words, we avoid malalim nil Tagalog, ·makalumang Tagalog. Hindi '.Yan click sa kabataan, lalo nil sa mga hindi native speaker ng Tagalog. At the same time, we also avoid vulgar salitang kalye as much as possible.. like ermat, erpat, trip. A word like ermat is degrading to parents. We want the komiks to act also as some kind of a guide." ta:lmp~~~~~ lik;;Jse ~;[; sentences are the most effective. No kilQmetric sentences. No convoluted sentences. You'll lose audience attention. And there shouJd be a minimim of text in each frame. More visuals." However, it's not primarily the language that sells komiks. Plot wouJd probably be paramount, but Marcelino bClieves the choice of characters also has a lot to do with the success of a komiks serial. ''Our most successful serial revolve around one major character," he explains. "We use the Nora Aunor formula. Al; heroes and heroines we chose ordinary people that the masses can identify with. For instance, Juan Tornado, a NOT KOMIKS from page J word komiks appended to their titles was not meant to be used in the sense of being funny, amusing or hwnQrous, but to describe magazines which use comic strip form as a vehicle to unfold a narrative sequence; Whereas, it has become clear ·that our komiks-magazines started off and have evolved as fiction magazines in illustrated form for the mature Filipino audience; Whereas, komiks-magazines today contain an average of six to seven illustrated fiction serials and two to three short stories and they also devote a number of pages to movie stars and movie stories; Whereas, after" the declaration of martial law, our komiks-magazincs added pages on current events, family planning, fanning, proper nutrition, SSS news releases, water and energy conserva~ion and other serious feature articles for adults; Marcelino says the top price for serial writers in his publications is P40 per printed page. At five pages per installment, that's P200 a week, or P800 a month. If you have a dozen serials running in as many comics-magazines at one time, as is usually the case with writers who are much in demand, you can make as much as P9 ,600 a month. In these days of develop~ mental journalism, komiks are receptive to "serious and relevant articles." Marcelino says he is willing to pay P40 per printed page for "serious" material, which means P80 for about four or five typewritten pages. It isn't much, but considering that a prestigious English morning daily pays a maximum of P75 for the same nwnber of pages, it's nothing to sneeze at either. "Ani:l the beauty orwriliiig for the komiks-at least the better known ones-is that the writer can get paid upon acceptance of his contribution. One of the most frustrating experiences of the freelance writer for English publications is waiting for months to sec his contribution in print, and then waiting for months on end to get paid.• Whereas, it is now obvious that our komiks-magazines have ceased to be exclusively pwe entertainment publications and have become effective disseminators of information and education . for our adult population, especially in the rural areas; and Whereas, statistics based on two surveys conducted last year reveal that 73.9 per cent of all those who buy and read komiks-magazines are adults who are 20 years of age or older; Now, therefore, be it resolved, as it is hereby resolved, that the members of the Kapisanan ng mga Publisista at mga Patnugot ng mga Komiks-Magasin sa Pilipino petition the Philipp.inc Council for Print Media that they be allowed, if they choose, to drop the word .. komiks" from the titles of their magazines and in its place use the word "illustrated," in the firm belief that the word "komiks" is no longer a relevant and accurate description of the contents and purposes of their magazines .• THE ILLUSTRATED PRESS - 6 THE APPEAL From page I stories in their regular issues. More significant is the renderin~ of the two celebrated novels of Rizal - Noli Me Tangere and El Fillbusterismo - in comics magazine form. Indeed, many portions of our history and the biographies of certain historical per.;onalities have come out in print as comic;: books. We also find some ven.ions of such Western classics as The Three Musketeers, The Count Of Monte Cristo, et al and equally classic children's stories as Cinderella, Alice In Wonderland, et al printed as comics and in Pilipino. At the rate comic books and magazines are being read, chances are there is going~to be ·a shortage (if there is none yet) of talented comics writers and illustnton. Why this intriguing phenomenon? What make1 comics magazines so appealing, so acceptable to the genenl public? On the other hand, what makes the comics so controversial? A misnomer Before we go on, it must be understood that "comics" as applied to the subject under study is a misnomer, as the late writer Clodualdo del Mundo had pointed out. Generally taken, the term comics connotes something comical, humorous, funny. Compared to the prewar versiOns of these ~ r ':l.,oks or magazines - hich o,i.!re more or less faith· ful to the accepted defmition - the current versions hardly have any humor or if they have, are not at all that humorous. In McLuhan's theory, comics fall within popular arts, which may be seen as a clown reminding us all of the life and faculties that we have offiitted from our daily routine. This clown ventures to per· form the specialized routines:, acting out in a fulU'ly way the mores, tenets, the life-styles, ' I - THE ILLUSTRATED PRESS and the existing preoccupations of human society as much as he dramtizes ex.istin& taboos, representing the integral man, but never the man in a specialized ·situation since the integral man is quite inept in such a situation. So we witness for instance, in the nostalgic, serialized version of Kenkoy, Buliay Pillpino, or in the adventures of Kalobog En Bosyo, the art of the comics medium and the art of the clown. Today, comic books and magazines tell stories in pictures, which are very ,mueh like novels or short stories, interspened with conventional comics (tn the comical sense) strips. Novels are, for obvious reasons, serialized, a chapter coming out weekly, . to give the readers something to look forward to - an anticipation which goads them into buying or renting succeeding issues. Written in the vernacular of the times, the 1substance of novels, novelettes, or short stories is generally adventure, love, or both, and which may also veer to fantasy, or feature sex, violence, bits of humor, or what-have-you. .-Added attractions are write-ups on movie-sports-radio/TV personalities, news pages, letters from readers, a lovelorn section, one on pen pals, an advice-to-thelovelornpage, and the confused, translated reprints of certain interesting articles culled from foreign publications of special interest, as well as the lyrics and chords of popular songs, household tips, and whatnot. Because of the wide range and diversity of the contents of comic magazines, these publications appeal to a wide range of readers whose characteristics are as varied and different as the number of available comic magazines selling for 85 centavos each or rented for five centavos a seating. There is therefore, something in these books of particular appeal to specific types of comics readers or even nonreaders (that is, the irregular customer who picks up a comics publication only on certain occasions, to kill time perhaps). To the young, comics magazines bring to life throu&h colorful and vi'rid iJ.htstrationc the fantastic and incredible feats of a Dama against evil persons and monstrous creatures. To the average housewife, comics magazines can be an effective antidote to boredom, just as they can be a source of amusement or escape from office routine to working people during coffee breaks. To the household help, comics magazines bring lively gossip about the stars and superstars, or a salve to painful disappoint· ments, to frustrations, a way to find a pen pal, or even to act as inspiration, to restore hope. To a great many students who would rather .read comics than prescribed books, the former is a way of filling idle hours and, hopefully, a stimulation toward contracting the reading habit, or generating predilection for a better kind of literature. However, because of the violent or sexy contents of the comics magazines - and the danger of readers getting addicted to them - these magazines are regarded by critics as dangerous. Mincing no words in indicting comics, they say that comics magazines are a waste of time and money as well. Some serious indictments have been. made against the comic books or magazines, one of which is that these so-called comics often celebrate violence, if not downright crime. Hence, it can only abet the tendency tO)Vard violent behavior in similar fashion that the movies do. Also, the preferred subjeo\ and often even the general approach of comic books tend to under· mine the moral education of children, if not actually destroying it. Crime and violence are made to appear natural factors of life, and an acceptable way of solving problems, of escaping predicaments. Fantastic characters with supernatural poweIS carry youthful readers further still from reality and responsibility. Another valid criticism is that the vulgar quality of comics humor or behavior of characters prevents the chil· dren who had become addict· ed to them from developing any kind of sound judgment or good taste. Again, the eneriY and enthusiasm that children devote to these comics, even if the material did no harm, keep tnem from move p roductiVe o r beneficial occupations. The healthier sources of a child's fun, excitement, adventure, and knowledge should be active play, creative involvement, personto-sienon interaction rather than second-hand experience. Against these, comics defenders point out that comics are the folktales, the fairy tales of today which have natural appeal to children (and adults, too) ~d fill certain basic human needs. The mor .... s of the comics are above reproach, the advocates say. The heroes may be ·unrealistic and definitely superhuman but they know the difference between right and wrong. Bad men are al· ways punished. Crime does not pay is the message in every story. To the charge of vulgarity, the reply is that the question of good taste or bad taste is not a basic one, and cannot be used to approve Or condemn any medium of communication or entertainment. The reader needs to be given a chance to discover new values and to learn to discriminate in the exploration of every medium that he finds interesting. Finally, many children who hate to read or are slow Jeamen become so fascinated by the populai- comics that they learn to spell out the words atbibuted to the characters. In the case of "classics" stories presented in the form of comics strips, children reading them might be stimulated further to improving their reading and thus develop a predilection for reading. No laUihJD& matter Whether or not comics critics are justified in condemning comic books or magazines or their refutation of the farmer's arguments, the fact stands out that comic books and magazines are effective in comm un ica ting with their audience. The fact that there is serious ·concern over the possible ill effects these publications might have on young, impressionable minds attests to this. That being the case, it is no longer a laughing matter since thece is nothing comical about a dramatic means of communicating effectively. Neither, historically, waS th'. ere anything humorous in the way two powerful adversary count· ries sworn to uphold opposing ideologies waged verbal and illustrated war against each other and attempted to resolve the heated Cold War by winning th(( minds of people everywhere through comics magazines. Nor is there any joke in the fact that, quantitatively, comics magazines enjoy a broad, wide range of audience, their circulation comparable to other means of communications: The very fact that there is a dearth of all sorts of comica maaazines is proof of this, ·and mind you, these comics do not rely on paid advertisement for their survival. But, perhaps, the most significant - and the crowning glory - 'is the recog-nition by no less than government agencies specializing pr dealing with mass comrnunica· lions that the comics form is the most effective way of disseminating information directly to the grass roots .. Hence, what with comics ma1azines already !Ii favorite source of movie themes or film plots, because people "dig" them, editoIS and population experts are persuaded that the comics would prove the best medium too in spreading information, and thus intluencing the readers' attitude towards family planning. But, why the wide popularity of these comics magazines among the rank and fJle, the bak'ya crowd, the grass.roots population'? ' The decisive preference of comics magazines by almost everyone may be explained. by these publications' availability, accessibility, and reedability, with the contents or messages easily understood. Compared. to a television set or a transist· or radio, comics are priced low enough to be available to the lowliest reader, not to mention the advantage of being available through rent or by simply borrowing it. More so, comic:.s magazines have visual attractions: the stories are illustrated and colored. Whether or not there is some kind of a psychological or subconscious attraction colored illustrations have, which prods a curious or lively mind to read on, the tiring is, compared to English· language pocketbooks or magazines, comics are easier to comprehend sincC they speak the native language - Pilipino, or Visayan, or llocano. Apparently, interest, because of understanding, is the key to the whole issue. one buys (or rents) a copy of a comics magazine because of interest aroused in him, in the first place surfacing because the reader understands what it says. But, one may object: English is the second language of the Filipinos! True! But, alas, the fact is, even the literate Fili· pino has not actually mastered this foreign language; this is even more true \Xith the largest audience in the country - the masses. How could, therefore, any large .. number of people: be interested in somethint. which is completely me:mU-g;:j ·tess· to them? ih a "wa}, -.·, may explain why, despite the fact that the Philippines is the Asian country imposing English language books, mag~ azines, periodicals, etc. in the greatest number, these reading materials are not necessarily tfie most saleable or popular. Besides, there is always that ultimate constraint that rest· rains a prospective buyer of foreign publications from buy· ing: the abnost prohibitive prices which, to the average worker (more so with the below-average worker), is simply beyond him. This ends all arguments. In any case, language, obviously, playt a highly significant role in the life of man. Since . '"language synthe~~s the physic~, mental.and spmt· ual aspects of human nature," it is, needless to say, the vital instrument, that preserves or helps conserve human culture and experience. This is so because "linguistic symbols and forms attain stability and constancy,• says Emst Cassiers, "it becomes capable of resistinl the dissolving and destructive influences of time. Hence, whether a language is personal, abstract, or objective, it is central to the life of man for it is both the instrument of the human mind and the reflection of its soul." Inasmuch as a language is a system of symbols by which men understand each other and the world of experience, a people's experience is best undentood ~d appm:iated in their native tongue. "As an animal symbolicum," Professor Lydia Profeta notes, "man has a symbolic imagination apd intelligence; all human activities are necessarily dependent on language and symbolization for communication of meanings." It follows therefore that to commuhicate properly, one must be understood. This understanding, in turn, creates interest. No wonder there was harshness when Jose Rizal spoke through Simoun (El Filibusterismo), u he eastipted Basilio: " . To what are you tending now, with your instruction inCastillan (or English,present· ly), a pretension that would be ridiculous were it not for its deplorable co~sequences! You wish to add one more language to the forty odd that are spoken in the· islands, so that you may understand each other less and less. . . "You an letting yourselves be deceived by big words and never go to the bottom of things to. examine the results in their final analysis. Spanish (or any other language) will nn-er be the general language of the country, the people will never talk it because the conception of their brains and the feelings of their hearts cannot be expressed in that language - each people has its own tongue, as each has its own way of trunking . .. " Without doubt, a language expresses a people's peculiarities, oddities, aspirations - no matter how nonsensical, which o other languaj,e can. To use, ther.:f ... - .the language of otfier r ~ ~abso!utely aste1uog it) to express one's · d is to invite confusion. ]bat is why one expects translation to suffer. Similarly, ~me cannot expect to gain an .audience's interest if his way ~f thinking and speaking is totally different from that of his audience. At best, perhaps, he can earn some curiosity, maybe awe, but ultimately this will subside as fast as a passing fancy. And, if we are to be honest about it, this may explain why up to now Filipino literature written in English somehow lacks the native soul because a native theme written in a foreign tongue suffers inae<:uracics for want of proper idiQms, the appropriate peculiarities, and flair. Perhaps, too, this explains why there is that lethargic or indifferent attitude of our students towards literature, and a supreme unconcem for developing a liking for reading, let alone an obsession for it, as in the case of our Western counterparts. UNLIKE OTIIER types of communication, comics magazines fully utiliz.e the native tongue. They take CQlllplete advantage of a rich variety of native idioms which reflect the current modes of thlnking, or perhaps recall the past, or sometimes even boldly look forward to the future. ru a form of literature, comic books and magazines sometimes express intrinsic meanings, sometimes vividly succeed in the objectification of experience, or in the projec.tion of the native imagination, or the stimulation of contemplative thought. AJ a form of arts, the comics par· take of the literuy ideal· that of enjoyment of aesthetic pleasure, although not in abstractions. Hence, a good comic book does not only offer good stories in the fonn of serialized novels; it also supplies vivid illustrations. The best ·of these may vezy well have the makings of an art all their own. For this and other reasons, Mr. Clodualdo del Mundo was very emphatic in saying that there is much to be said for, rather than against, comics magazines or books. In the first place, comics writing for an audience is already a craft that mUst be taken seriously. Anyone who regards comics writing as something which anybody can do or merely view as a step along the way lo "real" writine does not know what he is 11yir11. Writing for the comics publications takes a lot of imagination. That is why for a budding writer, comics writing is the best way to learn how to visualize ideas and to write effectively in a terse, lucid, coherent manner. For an established writer, comics writina can ac.celeratc his pacing and tempo in the d,is. charge of his craft, while also keeping him attuned to the times. However, in taking comics writing as a serious art, MI. de! Mundo pointed out that it does not mean that every word employed should be holy or that it should be grave or pompous or heavy-handed. For instance, he said, some of the most delightful humor in writing today is in the comics magazines. Some of the wild· est nonsense is there, too. But the writers are saying something seriously in their hwnor and in their nonsense - something that is real and meaning· ful to them and they are saying it in the best way they can without writing down to their audience, an audience whose keenness and perception must always be respected. A mi.sconception Apart from the fact that comics books and magazines are identified by a misnomer, there is also a popula, misconception about them. What is not actually appreciated is that a published story must be a finished, well·rounded work of art - not just a tall-tale ccncocted offhand ,conveniently invented to amuse the chil· dren on the spur of the moment. To think so is, perhaps, a greater crime than allowing children to read comics. In any case, we find that stories in comics books have to be good, that is, suitable for cold prints and illustrations. The stories, for children or not, have to be thoroughly formed and shaped and sharpened before they can be printed and illustrated. Very important: in comics, thus, is the idea. Without a good idea, the comics writer is dead. A good idea, though, can best be defUled if left alone to develop by itself; that is, a creative writer should be able to know and make his own definition. Basically, however, the hero of a stozy should be vivid, alive, with the basic situation and things · that happen, realistic. Overall, stories should be fascinating to the audience. Generally, there is a theme, some truths one believes in, such as "one can master fear," not a moral tacked onto the story and the events narrated, acted out by the hero and other characten. Hence, there is drama and movement. Movement, whether actiori or changes -of scenery, is necessary to comics- material. These - elements provide the artist the opportunity to make different pictures which, in the p~cess, test his skill in his craft. And this is where the audience can be captured, since illustration is the an which sets comics mapzines apart from the a.rt of ~torytelling throu8Ji the written word. Some stories when told orally or as a written piece are compelling even when there is no perceptible movement. But in the comics, stories without movement are dead. It docs not, therefore, follow that subjective stories, though good in themselves, wa:uld be suitable for comics magazines. Now, therG is (like tNe literary art) the matter of ~tyle, which is the writer's trademark. He develops ··it through actuJJ writing, or in the process ·or trying out tl!chniques, of thinking and reading, and while in the heat of telling a story. This is also true in the case· of an illustrator. Style, as you Jnay know, is somethine that must be developed and acquired by the writer (or a comics illustrator) in somewhat a similar fashion as that of a painter who leaves his imprint on a canvas. While some people think that anyone can write just like that for the comics publications, by just -letting his imagination run wild, it takes quite an amount of time and patience actually to tum out a good work. For instance, since action or movement must be illustrated, words spoken by the characters must be terse, vivid, accurate. Lifeless and unne<:essary words simply have no place in comics dialogues, first, -because of the need for economy of ~pace. Of course, this does not mean that big words have no place in the narrative comics strips. But the development of a "controlled vocabulary" which would click with both the young and the adult is a specialized art born out of, the writer's awareness of life and things ·'and people around him. To gain the audience's interest, the writer (and illustrator) must be aware of himself and his audience. It is, therefore, helpful to remember that the audience is as varied as each is different indeed from one another yet united by cenain emotions and common cxperiencei and tempered by the native soul. Thus, the comics · ·creator should have a perception of emotions_. an understanding of man's experience and should have an insight into life, plus having the capability of turn· ing back one's mind to the time whCn he was a child and how it was with him then. In a broad sense, then, the conUcs creator must have a pinch of naivete. a dash of sentimentalism, and a capacity for dreams. All these help make a story realistic and alive. Concern over comics magazines being read by chil· dren is undenitandable and perhaps justifiable. Admittedly, there are blood, sex, crime, violence, vulgarism in comi"cs magazines. Undoubtedly, there is a need for uplift, if not excellence, in the reading materials accessible to children just as there is always room for improvement in our educational system or its aspects. Meanwhile, what can the young, impressionable minds read? Many of the books and printed stories are hard for them to understand or the characters, settings, and motivations are as alien to them as the word supercali· fragilisticexpialidocious. Surely; there must be some reading matter easily and cheaply available to the young. Too, there must be some way to train the people of a nation to read and develop a liking for literature. Bui developing this virtue in a people who had at an early age commenced t'o deal with ideas, who have come to recognize a system of Ya.lucs which.. includes such capabilities as ins,ight, compassion, tolerance, patience, and understanding of human behavior carries with it a responsibility of towering importance. For whether a child becomes a career woman or housewife, a mathematician or a mechanic, a teacher or a businessman, a hawker or a musician, a statesman or a common worker, these values learned arc basic to their ful· fillment as human beings. And since child1en are not born with these values, their understanding and apprecidtion of comics stories· and of life do not spring up fullgrown. These qualities come from reading, and discussing, and learning from the adults. These come from experienced guidance toward the discovery of wisdom and beauty; ~ese come because authon and teachen, librarians, and parents provide the reading materials which speak of wisdom, beauty, and joy. It is, on the one hand, the adult's responsibility to gu!de, not dictate; aiid on the other hanJ, the state's responsibility to control and supervise in a realistic manner the publication and the contents of periodicals and books, including comics magazines. In the meantime, good comics magazines (there are some, by the way) which project the gay, the sad, the joyous, and touch on wisdom, are collectively providing a basis, a means to develop a nation · of readers, a national community of people who understand themselves and conditions around them, whether these pertain to violence, crime, sex or blood, and thunder! After all, courage, compassion, humility, honor, or human decency - as well as the vulgar and the ugly - are not just learned from lectures, special seminars, :~~i~~~ ~~e ci~~~o~:;~~ are learned from the realities of life, from people around us, from the actual, existing conditions which are so aptly pictured and lucidly portrayed by the behavior, the language, the mode of living, the condi· tions, and the values of the characten who are .presented and march throujh the pages of the comics. stories. Beca\lSC. of the advantages comics mag· azincs can readily offer, it may fie very helpful if concerned agencies make full use of this . medium in disseminating information and in providing a cheap means of c;levelopini a nati6n of readers. But for now, two questions arise: Are we condemning the comics because of our inability to understand and appreciate the realities around us, or because of our feai born out of failure as persons to adequately and properly guide our young and communicate with them? Or is it that we prefer "decent" foreian publications for their status value, even if the language used in the first place is beyond us, and the way of life and experience of the people written about are .absolutely and totally different from us. And do we patronize the lowly local comics despite their being honest enough to mirror our bigotry, hypocrisy, native flair, and sense of values and decency, even in their "vulgar" u&ly way, for the same reason - to retain status? What's the real answer? THi ILLUSTRATED PRISS- 7 Komiks publishing now a big industry Thirty years ago, it was difficult to imagine that komilcs publishing would become what it is today: a big industry giving steady employment and income to thousands of Filipinos. It aU began in 1947, when the first komiks-magazine called Pilipino ·Komilcs came .out. It had a fortnightly.circulation of t 0.000 copies, and a handfu 1-not more than ten people· -were involved in putting out the magazine. Antonio Velasquez, creator of Kenkoy, was the publisher and editor, but he had no edi· torial staff to speak of. Except a layout artist, who was pa.id by piece work. This was because at the time- -and the practice has been continued since- -most of the magazine serials were produced and illustrated by contributors. In the production department .• there was only one stripper. The cameraman doubled up as the platemaker. The press was manned by th~e pressmen, while two circulation clerks took cue of distributing the copies to agents and stands. Today there are 44 different komiks-magazines coming out on different days ~ t!' week, from Monday to Friday. They have a combined circulation of over two million copies a week. And they reach out to the farthest cornen; of the archipelaa:o. from Aparri in the North to Joto in the South. To be able to produce this huge circulation of copies, komilts publishen must stock enough supply of newsprint, coated paper and ink to feed their presses; films, plates and chemicals for their platemaking; staple wires for stitching and plastic straps to wrap and bundle the copies. It has been estimated that kom.iksmapzines alone use up 12,. of the total newsprint produced yearly in the Philippines of 62,500 metric tons- -or about 7,500 metric tons a year. On the other hand, magazines other than komiks use 8,. and books account for only 45. Newspapers, however, consume 53-.. of the total newsprint output. Which puts the kontiks magazines next to newspapers as the most widely read media in the country today. There are now a total of 12 komiks publishing houses. Two of the- biggest publish about 8 magazines each, while the smaller houses have two to six publications each . . Among the more popular titles are Pilipino Kami.ks, Tagalog Klasiks, Hiwaga, Espesyal, Aliwan, Darna, Superstar, Movie Specials, Wakasan, 'Lamour, Bulaklak, Ravelo and Wow. The ci.rcula· tion leaders have each a week· ly circulation of over 150,000 8 - TttE ILLUSTRATED PRESS PRESSROOM AND SHIPPING SECTIONS OF A KOMIKSMAGAZJNE PRINTER· -thousands directly eam their livelihood from the industry. copies. Each publishing h ouse bouts of a highly skilled and experienced work force composed of competent editors, layout and lettering artists and proofreaders collaborating with a corps of creative top· notch scriptwriters and illustrators. A typical publisher with three komiks-magazines depends on at least 30 contributors to fill out the pages of his publications with serials and shon stories, issue after issue, week to week. The production department for the komiks-magazines has also become an uray of the most modem and sophisticated printing machines and faci· litics. Such as electronic typesetting composers, film processors, process cameras, color separation cameras, flip-top platemakers, sheet fed and rotary press: equipment with speeds up to 20,000 copies an hour, stitching machines and three-knife cutters. All of this productive capacity geared to give the readers the best in quality printing within the deadlines required for a nation· wide distribution of copies. And to man all this equipment is a complement of first-rate technicians: type· setten., strippers, cameramen, platemakers, pressmen and stitchcrs. As the copies move out, they are counted, wrapped and tied into the riaht number of copies and bundles ordered by more than 500 komiks-magaz.ine distributors all over the Philippines, who in tum serve thousands of subagcnts, newstand and sidewalk vendors, sari-sari store"wners and newsboys. The bundles are loaded into waiting delivery vans for shipment to outlets in Metro Mani· la and the provinces. Copies are also sent by bus, train, ship and plane to far points in Luzon, Yisayas and Mindanao. No doubt there are thousands who are dependent on komllct:s publishlng for their livelihood. And many more will be enlisted and employed as the publications multiply in number, circulation and quality After the declaration of martial law, the komiks-mag· az.ines have begun including pages of non-entertainment features and serious articles on fa'mily planning, fanning, nutrition, child care, ethics, stenography, etc. This new trend will surely require an additional different kind of expertise on the part of komiks publishers and edi· tors. It is a big job but it has to be done ifkomik.s-magazines will continue to grow and remain relevant to the kind of new rtading style ·that their readers want. • In mass media Komiks writers are the most prolific The most prolific writers are in the illustrated magazine industry. The present record· holder is Carlo J. Caparas, who had 30 "nobelas" being serialized simultaneouly ·in several magazines until lately. Caparas, it seems, produces less. than that number now but he could still be first as far as output is· concerned. Before Caparas, the most prodigious komik.s-writer was Mars Ravelo. The author of "Roberta" and .. Dama" was writin& some 20 serials simul· taneo'uly at one time. Pablo S. Gomez ranked close second. Another prolific "nobelista" is Jim Fernandez, whose "Aztec" and "Astronaut" were big hits a couple of years back. Fernandez writes some I 0 serials at present. Outstanding among them is "Anak ni Zuma". Other scriptwriters are not as prolific,· but their output is enough to ama.z.e readers. Worthy of mention are Elena Patron, Marty Gee Aragon, Nerissa Cabral, Rio Oreta, Lauro Nunag,Manuel Ramirez, Rico Bello Omagap, L.P. Calixto and Danilo Roman. Amo..!!& well-k11.own ~r? tors, we have Mar T. Santana, Rod A. Santiago and Ading Gonzales who arc also now entering the field of script· writing. It should be mentioned here that many of the more success· ful scriptwriten have been illustrators, too, or are artistically-inclined. Ravelo started out as a writer-cartoonist, drawing the very successful series, "Buhay Pilipino" and "Rita" before he took up fulltime scriptwriting. Caparas can draw very well. So does Gomez, Omagap and Calixto. Scriptwriters have to have an extra keen mind' s ~ye to visualize the scenes that are to be illustrated. That is why artists have an edce ovl!lf non· illustrator writers. How ,do these scriptwriters manage to write a good number of serialsthatrun simultaneously without saaificing quality? First of all, it must be noted that writing for the illustrated magazines is commercial writing. As differentiated from writing for the literary magI RAVELO (L) & CAl'ARAS - -The reader first, themselves next and the critic lastly, if at all. · azines, komiks scriptwriting demands that the practitioner of the an writes to please his reader fust, himself next and the critic lastly, if at all. And the artist or illustrator does the other half of the story-telling. The scriptwriter, therefore, does not have to contend with style, syntax and all the other things that the literary writer must be careful about. His first concern is that his story is easily understood by his read· er. His text and scenario must be as simple as possible, and visually eye-catching. In the script, therefore, the writer takes pains to explain to the artist-collaborator what! must beillustrated.Somescript~ wrlte.rs..&0,,,. ~ ::!.(i"r,· the artist what size ~ arne t use for the scenes. Doesn't the scriptwriter m' up the characters of his serials? He doe's sometimes, but this if the editor's responsibility. Most scriptwriters submit the synopsis of their "nobetas" to the publications before serialization. But the more popular ones only have to verbally narrate to the editor the synopsis- -sometimes only the theme or the germ of the story. That's how much the editor trusts them. It is standard practice for "nobelistas" to submit their scripts chapter by chapter. Very rarely are serial& sub· milted in full. This is because the scriptwriter wants more time to think about the details of the stOry in-between chapters. He can make the story more interesting than when he concentrates only on one serial and finishes it in a couple of days. 1bis would appear odd to writers in other media, but writing for the komik.s is really a unique craft. ************************************• ~ ~ Woyous<1Iqristmas ~ ~ anh a J rnsperous ~ ~ ~efu ljear to ~11! ~ . ' ......................................