Reviving classic Filipino comics

Vibal Foundation's Grafika imprint is bringing old komiks into the light

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PHILIPPINE COMICS once dominated the country’s bookshelves, especially during the 1950s and 1960s — an era often dubbed the comics’ “Golden Age.”

It was a time when readership soared into the millions and more than 40 titles hit newsstands each week.

It was a cultural phenomenon, one that introduced generations of readers to classic Filipino comics artists like the late Francisco V. Coching, National Artist for Visual Arts and long revered as the “King of Komiks,” as the word was spelled here.

And who could forget Mars Ravelo, whose works like Darna and Captain Barbell are still considered cultural icons, having been adapted into various films and television series across generations.

But as the page turned from the 1970s to the 1990s, the dominance of Filipino comics declined due to various factors, such as censorship during the Martial Law era, the brain drain of local artists, the influx of foreign comics, and the increased accessibility of other media like television.