| 08.22.2019: The week-long event for the Anime Fest: Epic Con continues through Sunday that started 19 August 2019 at the main area of the Lucky Chinatown Mall. It features local sellers and collaboration with Komikon that has a rotation of local komiks artists except for Pol Merdina Jr. the Creator of Pugad Baboy.
Medina is the mainstay of the event until this Friday, while the rest of the rotating cast certainly features the ensemble of self-publishers that have been known by the community. But can they get the same reception with the general masses that rarely see their works? There’s a story here to share and it this might be interesting… |
Creating original concepts and narrative for a local komiks is challenging, but when you take the next step and up the ante into breaking into the mainstream it takes time. This depends also on the reception how well people will accept your work. Filipinos are the most difficult audience to know if your published material would be accepted.
Not everyone is confrontational or direct to the point as it is difficult to gauge them if they like it or not. Unlike comparing to foreign readers you’ll know that either your creation is impressive or just another written story that didn’t get much impact to the greater audience. There’s a story there and the observation during one afternoon looking at people’s general reaction can say how well you made it.
Breaking the Mainstream Wall
Except for Pol Medina Jr’s Pugad Baboy that has been published in broadsheets like Philippine Daily Inquirer and recently on Philippine Star (with exception to appearing online on Rappler) has become a household name that saw his books being available previously in National Bookstore and Powerbooks. These days PM Jr. has been actively participating in local Komiks-related events since his strips have stopped appearing on Philippine Star early this year and even though you don’t see Pugad Baboy every week the brand has been perfectly established.
But with others like Lyndon Gregorio’s Beerkada, Ian Velasquez’s The New DI-13, Mel Casipit’s Sikami, Loser Mangka’s Con Artists, or JP Palabon’s Mango Soufflex and many more surprises this week it’s a different perspective how they will market their works to the general masses that hardly know these creators exist?
Seated there waiting for your work to take notice is not going to be easy. The way Filipinos market their product is an aggressive one as one example of seeing how Ban Kee, the local distributor for the Playmobil brand, which is from Germany is always mistaken for LEGO when they started selling the product. It took them almost two years and countless toy store appearances to get the brand's recognition.
But comparing to published work it is not easy as the local masses mostly are apprehensive and very careful about taking a closer look at the titles on the tables. Even Pol Medina had a difficult time last Tuesday. There was one guy who was giddy and excited to see a book compilation of Pugad Baboy, but after asking for the cover price he immediately put the book back to the pile.
Personal Observations
There was another gentleman who approached the Komikon table featuring the “Sulyap” compilations featuring local artists’ works from Volume 1 to 4. But he was looking for Mars Ravelo’s works namely Darna, and I asked why not try checking out these “Sulyap” books to see something new and he just ignored a reply. The young man said that he only see English language comic books and I asked where? With a reply back saying in his school’s library. Then asked again if he can find any Ravelo titles and I said there’s none in the last ten years as he immediately scoots away without browsing the pages of the books on the table.
But most of the people who pass by rarely dare turn the page or look at the credits at the back of the book for “Sulyap” at least Lyndon Gregorio has options to sell other merchandise aside from his Beerkada Books like pins and stickers that have been popular due to being affordable and without context-based from popular characters with the artist’s interpretation.
Comic Books versus Merchandise
Comic Books or local Komiks are the best investment for young readers because they are considered literature that for the general masses think they are not.
Most parents would rather spend buying their children electronic devices like tablets or mobile phones as a #PopularOpinion instead of books, which dictates the trend why some publishing houses are slowly folding away despite the huge turn out on the annual Manila International Book Fair.
Young people or parents would rather spend buying prints and stickers than original published work because “it’s not popular” and afraid to take a risk on investing something that is not based on a well-known brand as the age of digital they can mostly download something that is “good” to read, which is also not good for the eyes either for children for the reason why physical books are still highly advised.
But there’s nothing wrong about buying prints or stickers. It’s the chance for new eyes to invest on original published material and besides that, you are also helping creators and illustrators get their works the chance to be known by word of mouth.
The Price Scare of Published Work
Most general masses would rather spend their PHP 200-300 pesos to something else as they think published comic books like Beerkada or Pugad Baboy is already expensive. You’ll understand minimum wage-earning Filipinos in the Philippines is different shall we say in comparison with the people in Australia or any country in Asia.
They would rather spend it on Electronic devices like mobile phones or tablets, which is a good point and bad for the young ones. The guy that found out the price of Pol Medina Jr’s book won’t understand how much amount of creative process went into the book for the reason why it’s priced like that and worth investing.
Invest in the Future not Just Now
For the reason the general masses are considered Class C & D or lower class in the country and mostly influenced by the local media such as quality of shows or what they hear on radio is not uplifting their perspective on quality of life, but rather continue putting the same type of shows that has been stuck to mediocre levels, which made them stay in that level of quality is the reason the country is stuck with the influence that most Filipinos would think that their hard-earned PHP 200.00 pesos are worth more than just printed books. They’d rather spend it on load for their mobile phone or a meal at Jollibee than have a copy of something that they can share to read with their children which is also understandable.
These days PHP 200.00 is enough for a one day meal, but of course, investing long term with these books is something you can’t just invest now it will stay in your bookshelf and someone else would read it and this will be passed along to the next person or even the next generation.
Unlike electronic devices or a meal at Jollibee, but we’ll never understand that kind of perspective. It will definitely teach the creators something about how to appeal to the masses in the future besides the local komiks community.
Taking Things in Perspective
At the end of the day even though you’ve made it to the local komiks community it is the general mainstream you need to breakthrough. Even Arnold Arre or Budjette Tan’s works has not been heard of in the general mainstream unless it has spread out through word of mouth. Surely, Manix Abrera may be known by young adults, but still not in the general mainstream and that is where creators and illustrators should focus their energy creatively to capture that audience.
But not to be limited also in the local scene there’s also the international scene, but this will depend on how well your work will be accepted locally, and not everyone had made it there unless you’re Gerry Alanguilan with a story about talking Chickens it still depends on the outcome of everything you work for.
Always accept every reception of your work neither good, bad, or even terrible. It will depend on your future projects how well you will gauge them it is why there are reviewers out there that are upfront about your work. This will be the gauge on how two break the mainstream or bust.
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