This blog brings back the nostalgic moment of Philippine’s Golden Age Comics. Looking back at the rich history of the Filipino comics tradition, this blog contains complete segment of “Unang Labas”.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Handsome
Handsome by Mars Ravelo Illustrated by Nestor Redondo Hiwaga Komiks Issue 200 May 28 1958
Steve, Mayroong Guwapo (illustrated by Javinal)at mayroong Handsome. Sino ang mas magandang lalaki. Of course, Handsome with his almost feminine-like face. Coching has been accused of drawing short figures (by detractors, his fans say it's because it's Pinoy height), yet, I've never heard that said of Redondo. His figures on the splash page are short, especially the one in the swimming trunks and the basketball player which almost look like a dwarfs. The one in the T-Shirt looks OK and the other one as well and the rest of the komiks. Nothing against Redondo, I love his work, he's one of our best illustrators ever, and these illustrations tells it all.
In their time, it seems that TONY ZUÑIGA's characters were the tallest. The men were the handsomest and the women the most gorgeous in local komiks. Yet, the critics used to claim that Filipinos in Tagalog komiks look all caucasian. And I find some truth in this. We actually could count in our fingers those artists who drew "true and honest" Filipino figures in local komiks. Unfortunately, the readers didn't buy it. The concept of beauty, it seems, in those days, was: someone whose nose is tall, fine lips, deep set eyes, fair complexioned, tall, slightly curly-haired, and must have an endomorphic type of build.
Well, there was Mike Lombo who drew very plain Filipino-looking characters (yet he never won the hearts of komiks readers); Dionisio Roque whose characters were short in height, flat-nosed, and definitely Malayan-looking. Both illustrators failed to reach the status of the crème de la crème league of ACE Publications.
So, it seems that only ELPIDIO TORRES, PETRONILO Z. MARCELO and MAR SANTANA made it, despite their very Filipino-looking characters. Mind you, even their Filipinos were the most good-looking type.
Therefore, we can conclude that the readers of the old komiks were more inclined to identify themselves from the more caucasian-looking characters; and if they would ever love and accept a truly Filipino-looking character, it has to be as beautiful as VIRING in I BELIEVE; as gorgeous as LILY in KAMING MAKASALANAN; and as lovely as GEMMA in GANDANG PILIPINA.
Steve,
ReplyDeleteMayroong Guwapo (illustrated by Javinal)at mayroong Handsome. Sino ang mas magandang lalaki. Of course, Handsome with his almost feminine-like face. Coching has been accused of drawing short figures (by detractors, his fans say it's because it's Pinoy height), yet, I've never heard that said of Redondo. His figures on the splash page are short, especially the one in the swimming trunks and the basketball player which almost look like a dwarfs. The one in the T-Shirt looks OK and the other one as well and the rest of the komiks. Nothing against Redondo, I love his work, he's one of our best illustrators ever, and these illustrations tells it all.
In their time, it seems that TONY ZUÑIGA's characters were the tallest. The men were the handsomest and the women the most gorgeous in local komiks. Yet, the critics used to claim that Filipinos in Tagalog komiks look all caucasian. And I find some truth in this. We actually could count in our fingers those artists who drew "true and honest" Filipino figures in local komiks. Unfortunately, the readers didn't buy it. The concept of beauty, it seems, in those days, was: someone whose nose is tall, fine lips, deep set eyes, fair complexioned, tall, slightly curly-haired, and must have an endomorphic type of build.
ReplyDeleteWell, there was Mike Lombo who drew very plain Filipino-looking characters (yet he never won the hearts of komiks readers); Dionisio Roque whose characters were short in height, flat-nosed, and definitely Malayan-looking. Both illustrators failed to reach the status of the crème de la crème league of ACE Publications.
So, it seems that only ELPIDIO TORRES, PETRONILO Z. MARCELO and MAR SANTANA made it, despite their very Filipino-looking characters. Mind you, even their Filipinos were the most good-looking type.
Therefore, we can conclude that the readers of the old komiks were more inclined to identify themselves from the more caucasian-looking characters; and if they would ever love and accept a truly Filipino-looking character, it has to be as beautiful as VIRING in I BELIEVE; as gorgeous as LILY in KAMING MAKASALANAN; and as lovely as GEMMA in GANDANG PILIPINA.