My ticket to Comicland

Stuck in traffic.

For some reason, the 2009 Komikon, at Megatrade Hall 1 in SM Megamall, was held on the same day as the 3 Day Mega Sale. That meant traffic jams. That meant parking wars.

I stayed upbeat about it, turned up the music, plurked on my phone. It’s tradition to curse in traffic, blame the traffic aids, blame reckless drivers, blame the government, blame the weather, but I guess I’m not much of a traditionalist. Even the empty parking lot next to Podium, my go-to place whenever I suspect that parking is going to be scarce, was full.

I hoped a lot of the people in line with me liked comics.

Freely Abrigo is the creator of Capitan Tog! and Kulas, the Manila Bulletin comic strip!

I’ve always liked comics. I used to doodle little stick figure comics and little flip-cartoons into my school notebooks back in grade school. My sister and I used to write and draw our own simple self-published comics with silly little stories that we would share with our friends, about anthropomorphic apples and aliens and fantasy adventures. My dad once scolded me for blowing that year’s entire aguinaldo on a single copy of the Urusei Yatsura graphic novel.

I wonder what he’d think of people who did comics for a living. Especially all of them in one place at the same time. And me paying to meet them.

Maybe I shouldn’t tell him about Vigilant for now.

Hazel Manzano, creator of the call center comic Callwork! Yay alliteration!

“It’s not about selling the physical product,” I was telling Marthy Angue, Assistant Editor for Mangaholix in front of their booth. “It’s about the intellectual property the actual comic book represents. It’s about the story, the characters, the design. It’s the intellectual creation that gives value, not the physical thing, which is just paper and staples.”

“Yeah, we live in an age where these things can be reproduced indefinitely,” Marthy replied.

I told him about Chris Anderson’s concept of Free, particularly his dictum “Atoms cost money, but bits are free.” The Internet has made sure, irreversibly so, that anyone who wants to watch, listen to, or read something will be able to, the battle against digital piracy notwithstanding. It makes no sense to prevent anyone who wants to read your comic for free from doing so anymore. “But if they want to hold it in their hands,” I said, “then they have to pay for the privilege. Because atoms cost money.” After a while I asked, “Do you have to deal with artists missing deadlines all the time?”

“We’ve had to deal with artists literally going insane between issues,” he replied. “You get a free sketch with your comics, by the way.”

This is what I got.

Devicer Girl Gizmo! sketch by Kriss Sison, penciler for Ninja Girl Ko! Actually this was just some girl he sketched that I liked, and he said I could name her.

The emcees on stage were handing out awards, which I am told is done every year. Why I never knew this before, I don’t know, and I regret it. Best Web Comic was awarded to Kubori Kikiam, easily my favorite comic out of the old Culture Crash Comics that my wife used to collect.

Our three favorite kikiam warriors continue their battle against the evil... oh no wait, these days they mostly hang around talking about vaginas. This is a good thing.

When I picked up my copy of Kubori Strips for the Soul, I also picked up a copy of the Cresci Prophecies. I started to thumb through the comic when I realized that there was a deep and engaging story going on that I was missing out on because I started in the middle. I’m gonna have to pick up the compilation at Comic Odyssey.

Don't let the photocopy-and-staples lack of polish fool you. There's some finely nuanced characterization going on here under the indie comic sensibilities.

“I always remember you from the ‘Please Don’t, Brother‘ video,” I told Johnny Danganan as I purchased a copy of the third issue of the Komikero Komiks anthology from him.

He grinned and shook his head sheepishly as he handed me my comic. “It’s his fault,” he said motioning to someone behind me, “he’s the mastermind.”

I turned and realized I was face to face with The Man, Gerry Alanguilan. Before I knew it I took his hand and touched my forehead to the back of it. Then I thought, “What the hell am I doing?”

I looked up. The expression on his face was a combination of amusement… and “What the hell is he doing?”

Fortunately he was kind enough to sign my copy of Elmer even after I made a fool of myself.

I had so many comics that I needed several bags to carry them all, a couple of them I got from the co-creators of Love is in the Bag, Ace Vitangcol and Jed Siroy, who generously helped me out when they saw my burden as I purchased the first volume of their comic. They seemed very happy when I bought their comic, sort of like proud parents. Like everyone else they simply wanted their work to be read, and appreciated, and enjoyed.

High School hijinks abound in Love is in the Bag!

As the event ended, everyone looked tired, but happy. Fulfilled, I guess you might say. Many of these artists and writers chose this life over the steady, consistent, reliable beat most regular employees follow. And there was a cozy atmosphere to the whole event, like a big party between friends, more cooperative than competitive, awards notwithstanding.

I guess cartoonists need to stick together too.

Ariel Atienza, one of the founding members of SAPAK, the Society for the Advancement of Pilipino Komiks. Nice acronym

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