Filipino American History Month (FAHM) is celebrated in the United States during the month of October. Comics in the Philippines have been published since the 1920s when Liwayway magazine began running comic strips under the direction of Romualdo Ramos and Tony Velasquez, who is considered by some to be the father of Filipino comics. After World War II – and perhaps inspired by the comic books Americans brought to Southeast Asia – Filipino comics were frequently published as the serialized issues we think of today as “comic books.” In addition to a vibrant komiks (Filipino for comics) community in the Philippines, Filipino and Filipino-American artists frequently dazzle the panel on the pages of American-published comics.
Let’s take a look at some amazing Filipino comic artists! Please note that this list is far from complete and is meant to serve as an introduction to the many contributions to the comics industry made by Filipino artists.
Comic artists such as Mars Ravelo (1916-1988), Francisco V. Coching (1919-1998), and Pablo S. Gomez (1929-2010) were pillars in the Philippines Komiks industry and published in Tagalog or Filipino. Antony de Zuñiga (1932-2012), who worked primarily under the name Tony DeZuniga, was a Filipino comics artist and illustrator best known for his works for DC Comics, many of which were published in the early 1970s and 1980s. Notably, he co-created the fictional characters Jonah Hex and Black Orchid.
In the 1970s, in part due to the success of Tony DeZuniga with comics readership, DC recruited a cadre of Filipino comic artists, including Alfredo Alcala, Ernie Chan, Steve Gan, Alex Niño, Nestor Redondo, and Gerry Talaoc.
Alfredo P. Alcala(1925–2000) was an established illustrator whose works appeared in the Alcala Komix Magazine. Notable works include Ukala, Voltar, Savage Sword of Conan, and Swamp Thing. Ernesto Chan (1940–2012),sometimes credited as Ernie Chua, was born in the Philippines. Notable works include Batman, Conan the Barbarian, Detective Comics, Kull the Conqueror, and Savage Sword of Conan. Steve Gan (1945-) is a Chinese-born Filipino comics artist. He co-created Marvel Comics’ Star-Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy! Alex Niño (1940-) is best known for his work for the American publishers DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and Warren Publishing, and in Heavy Metal magazine. Notable works include Ghosts, House of Mystery, House of Secrets, Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction, and Weird Tales Magazine. Nestor P. Redondo (1928–1995) was known for his work for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and other American publishers in the 1970s and early 1980s. Notable works include Darna (which he co-created), Rima the Jungle Girl, Savage Sword of Conan, and Swamp Thing. Gerry Talaoc‘s notable works include Marvel Comics Presents Wolverine, The Incredible Hulk, House of Mystery, and Weird War Tales. Doroteo Gerardo N. Alanguilan, Jr. (1968-2019), a.k.a Gerry Alanguilan, a.k.a. Komikero, was a Filipino comic book artist, writer, and architect from San Pablo, Laguna. He was an important figure in the Philippine comics renaissance of the 1990s and early 2000s. He was noted for his inking on Wetworks, X-Men, Superman: Birthright, Wolverine, and Fantastic Four, and for his works Wasted and Elmer, which examines racism and prejudice. Romeo Tanghal (1943-) is noted for his work on DC Comics’ The New Teen Titans.Rolando Medina is commonly known as Lan Medina (1961-). Notable works include Fables,Aria, District X, and Deathlok Whilce Portacio (1963-) is a Filipino-American comic book writer and artist noted for his work on such titles as The Punisher, Uncanny X-Men, Iron Man, Wetworks and Spawn. He was also one of the seven co-founders of Image Comics in 1992. Wilson “Wunan” Tortosa is known for his works on Tomb Raider and the American re-launch of one of my favorite TV cartoons, Battle of The Planets for Top Cow Productions!Leinil Francis Yu’s (1977-) notable works include High Roads, Superman: Birthright, Silent Dragon, Wolverine, Fantastic Four, New Avengers, and X-Men.
