| 04.17.2016 – “Summer Komikon” opens up the year to continue celebrating Filipino Komiks and you thought the one-year absence of this event would be permanent guess again. Its back to also show you that Filipino Komiks is striving and growing.
This is the seventh edition of Summer Komikon that began in 2009. It has become the event that opens up the only Philippine Komiks convention with the exception of 2015, and this year comes with a fresh perspective of new talent and works. |
Originally the organizers of Komikon would only held one event sometime in October/November since 2005, but to promote further how the Filipino Komiks continue to strive away from the mainstream they have to organize another one that would be a Komikon to start the year, which is the summer edition.
There has been a memorable moment that has made Summer Komikon the destination for comicbook readers as its main highlight will always be the Filipino Komiks namely the independently published works and the established ones.
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All-Around Comic Shop Retailers
There are still room for foreign works being sold as local comicbook shops like Comic Odyssey and Planet X Comics has been supportive about the grassroots. If you haven’t been to these shops they have a specified shelf where to get your local Komiks fix if you happen to miss this year’s Summer Komikon.
Besides the well known comic shops there are also the online retailers that don’t have physical stores that build up the interesting in reading comicbooks. One such store is YCS Frialde or “Your Comic Shop Frialde” which has been in all three Komikon events since it was established as go-to store for back issues. There’s also Cadimus Prime one of the oldest independent online stores that have back issues and even selling some collectible items from old books, magazines and toys.
It’s the comic shops that makes Summer Komikon one event to look forward to as most of these retailers like the ones with physical stores have something for those the collector to get that’s not available in their shop. The same goes with the online shops they have something you might be surprised to see in this event.
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It’s all about helping the Community
For this year the organizers of Komikon has partnered with the Philippine Red Cross. In the past events they have outreach to support those who in need like having auction art to donate for the school supplies to give out to children in provincial areas as one example. But in the recently concluded event they have the Philippine Red Cross where for those who want to donate blood will be able to help those in need.
Its was one of the successful outreach where 19 individuals donated blood for the Philippine Red Cross and it was definitely great help. Its actually one of the highlights of this event that made Summer Komikon successful besides promoting the local Komiks community that some have thought have been extinct.
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Guest Artists on Spotlight
One of the reasons an event is called a ‘convention’ is the featured artists for this year’s Summer Komikon. It’s how you get to acknowledge these talented individuals which are their moment to shine and be recognized. Previous so called conventions doesn’t even know that there are Filipino Komiks, which should be one of the reasons people should see in a convention that are some only go for cosplays.
Even before a foreign organized convention came to town and change the landscape on how to produce an event that featured personalities, Komikon has put their guests as the face of the event that people immediately gets introduced to and given the recognition they deserve which doesn’t feel like you’re going there to buy something.
This year Reno Maniquis, Rod Espinosa, and Andrew Villar where the highlighted guest that was put on spotlight talking on stage individually about their past works and future projects. Its one of the big elements that makes this event worth going to find out that local Komiks is at all time high with each of their works in focus.
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Eye Catching Komiks Not Seen Anywhere
One of the notable things you’ll ever see at a local komiks convention is the amount of new works being churned out by independent publishers. There have been established publishers like Anino Comics or Vizprint to name a few that have built a portfolio of well-known artists and their works. But it’s the independent publishers that kept the fire burning when local komiks slowly disappeared in the mainstream.
Its one of the reasons why local komiks continue to strive and there’s a variety of titles out there from the simple to the complex that is sometimes cerebral material some put out. They tap all types of genre that built a Filipino Komiks culture that’s diverse and several titles where launch that day.
From the reissued work of Arnold Arre’s “After Eden” to the third compiled graphic novel titled “Sulyap 3” or the underrated “Player 1 Player 2 Super Alright Komik Fun Time Edition Turbo SD Remix” (what a mouthful) by Jolo Livelo you’re probably won’t run out of komiks to buy because there’s more where that came from.
Even “Pugad Baboy” creator Pol Medina has produced and compiled some of his political-related comic strips, which he came up with a book that was named after former president who was known as a dictator that was released just in time for the heightened election season. It’s a smorgasbord event that makes you run out of funds to buy some of the note worthy works that where in full display.
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Talks, Trivia Questions, and all Fun
Summer Komikon has other elements that stands out to other events that where happening during Saturday. You’ve got workshops and panel talks held in conference rooms that featured Rico Rival, Danny Acuna, Tepai Pascual, Maika Ezawa, Ace Vitangcol and Jed Siroy.
Then there where giveways in a form of trivia quiz which was held on stage, and it was fun toward the tail end of the program that kept visitors participating. It may be a one-day event but everyone had a blast just to get the ‘feel’ of what makes Summer Komikon one of the events to look forward to.
There are other highlights that happened and if you missed this event, but you have to wait until Indieket happens (August) or hype up for a two-day Komikon (November). But overall this event was about having fun, interacting with people, and at the same time getting to see what’s good to read in the local komiks scene.
The fun never ends so cheer up there are two more Komikon-related events to look forward to just that this one was enjoyable and it was held in summer.
Summer Komikon 2016 was held on April 16, 2016 at the Bayanihan Center in Manadaluyong City. For more about this event LIKE Komikon on Facebook!
Visit the site at: Komikon.org
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