| 10.28.2019 – Halloween ComicFest is an annual event promoting literacy through giving away comicbooks at the same time trick or treating for kids who would be encouraged to find interest in reading them.
In short, it’s the Halloween version of Free Comic Book Day in a small scale that is more targeted to a general audience. The event started in 2012 and in the Philippines Comic Odyssey and Fully Booked became pioneers of celebrating this annual event. Filbar’s did participate a couple times, but for the succeeding years, they along with other local shops had shifted focused heavily to celebrate comicbooks through FCBD instead. |
For this year the ‘Halloween Season’ happened over the weekend and still continues with pocket events unrelated to Halloween ComicFest.
These special Halloween events not only attract children dressing up in costume, but it is also big business in the Philippines that catches the parents’ attention. It became the ‘tradition’ in the country to hold these types of events as compared to almost a decade ago when there was ‘no event.’
Not until Halloween ComicFest caught attention it became a ‘Halloween Event’ in general not just giving away free comicbooks. This year these events sort of overshadowed what Halloween ComicFest was supposed to be.
Healthy Alternative Treats
The main idea of Halloween ComicFest is about getting younger kids into reading not just comicbooks and a healthier alternative to receiving them instead of candies and other sweets. This also helps curb up the idea of obesity due to how young children giving them what is not good for their health.
This concept is lost in translation to many Filipinos and some parts of the world that keeps complaining how obesity is high when the problem is right in front of them, namely the idea that going to Halloween related events to get their kids sweet fix instead of giving them kid-friendly comicbooks solves not only illiteracy but also reducing the sugar intake to avoid obesity in most young children.
ComicFest of a Smaller Scale
Although it is considered a Halloween version of FCBD for kids it is not lost in participating bookstores and comic shops that this is also for the young adults as Fully Booked and Comic Odyssey held this annually at the Fully Booked flagship store with collaboration with local fan groups namely Spider-Verse PH
But sometimes the gathering of ‘Spider-Fans’ is also lost in translation becoming more of the community that is passionate fans than inclusive for those who would be interested in being part of it. The majority of cosplayers were members of the group that puts casual walk-in fans out of place as compared to last year with the trivia contest as moderated by Jiggy Cruz gives casual fans the chance to join in.
Addressing Inclusivity
With respect to the passionate fans it is their time to shine, but also the interest in being part of the community should not be reduced to comicbook readers, toy collectors, and cosplayers. It is unlikely this perspective will be inclusive to walk-in casual fan with comparison to other community groups in other countries that are more inclusive and open that everyone can be part of it.
In the Philippines, it is about ‘show me what you got’ then tap on the back kind of ‘We Welcome You to our humble abode’ than the need to prove oneself if they got something to impress a community to be accepted to the fold.
Observing Social Activity
There won’t be changes to this perspective if it continues to be exclusive than inclusive. But this understanding is also reflected that overlapping communities can be seen in a bigger perspective because of it being organized in the most populated cities in the country than compared to provincial areas.
It won’t be the first time to have this type of social activity compared to how a smaller population in Adelaide, South Australia where they make you feel welcome and everyone shares their perspective despite only a few appreciate reading comicbooks you get to see a diverse types of people from young to old and unlikely type of individuals are into the hobby and you thought comicbooks are for collectors only.
Roundabout Way of Saying…
The event was hardly noticed this year unlike the past five years earlier with other ‘Halloween-related’ events competing for attention that this year’s HCF was kind of a let-down that it did not exert its benefit for the kids.
But what in every Filipino parent’s mind is that trick or treat is about letting their kids dress up and collect candies, when they can be aware of other important things like better encourage them to read comicbooks than jostling and competing with other children for unhealthy sweets, which is one of the key points on why most Filipino kid is dealing with obesity.
At the end of the day, there will be contrasting comparisons of how an event like this is celebrated without stepping on each other’s toes. But rather inviting inclusivity but not only getting people and becoming just a number in someone’s business. So far there’s no change in perspective on how this will happen in the Philippines, but if you ever experience inclusivity you’ll see it from my point of view because I’ve been into one in South Australia and not in this country.
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