So Much for "Komiks"

 French comic series called "Vigor", published by Artima (France). 



Last weekend, I spent two quiet evenings with my boys watching the Netflix anime series “Trese”. We finished all six episodes but now and then I have to do some explanation as the boys wanted more backgrounders on the featured Filipino mythological creatures. Once my youngest had to click the “pause” button laughing at me and saying how my explanation had become too academic ( way too “Austronesian” perhaps) especially when I mentioned the connection of the “Tianak” to the Malay folklore “pontianak”. In the end, they had to calm me down: “Dad manood ka na lang”

The Netflix anime series reminded me of the art of "komiks" and the culture it spawned in the Filipino consciousness. Somehow I recall my elementary days when you have to fight your way in a group of classmates who were crowding around reading a DC Comics. We used to do science experiments at school with the aide of comic strips. I still remember my seatmate in high school who lent me his tattered copy of Bomba Komiks -- Reminding me: "Hoy isang gabi lang yan ha, bukas soli mo na!" And who would not forget the Sari-Sari store in the neighborhood, the one that had this "arkilahan ng komiks' , where varieties of local comics are presented like hanging laundries -- For rent, 15 centavos per hour. Kinse centimos lang!

Years ago, I came across an obscure French comic series called "Vigor", published by Artima (France). Vigor is the name of a French soldier, agent, journalist whatever -- A quasi superhero. He can be described as the French version of 007 and G.I Joe rolled into one. Vigor has been all around the globe fighting the Germans in Europe and also the Japanese in the Pacific. Oddly enough, one series had him fighting in the Philippines, leading a guerilla mission-- Thus the title also says, "Un Maquis aux Philippines". The word "Maquis" stands for the French guerillas in the cities during WWII. But what struck me most was the front page illustration, the half-naked guy with a sword in his hand, he looks like "Kenkoy"-- the popular character created by Tony Velasquez in komiks.

So much for "Komiks". Magandang Umaga!

Pasig City. June 2021.

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