Ramblings on the Manga Model
By Tintin Pantoja (June 29, 2000)

Do you people think that the current Philippine fascination with all things manga and anime is a fad, or here to stay? I personally hope it will be a long-lasting adoption. For several decades Filipinos have only been exposed to the polished, professional looks (well, most of the time, anyway) of mainstream American comics (think Superman, X-men, Any-other-Men). On the other hand, the other Southeast Asian countries have been devouring translated manga for about the same time. Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, not to mention HongKong, Taiwan, and Korea have been importing translated manga over the years. Lucky them. But notice this: these countries mostly have flourishing comic book industries, while ours--the Philippine comic book industry--seems to be gasping its last breaths (no offense to Alamat, but they're such a small percentage of the total industry, and cater only to a minority). I think the fact that they've enjoyed a lengthy exposure to manga has something to do with this.

Manga is a model of what I hope the Kollective will turn out: works of every conceivable genre and style, exploring any subject matter that the creator is intimately connected with. Manga appeals to almost all age groups, to men and women.

As you may know, the American comic industry has been complaining of declining readerships, probably because its core audience--adolescent teenage boys--have moved on to cooler toys like computers. Probably the only way American comics can survive is by following manga's trend towards diversification of subject matter, and it can start with the growth of independent comic companies. Making something for everyone.

Personally, it's the rough look of black and white. Manga isn't as in love with realistic anatomy as American comics are. It isn't as in love with perspective or composition, either. I know that titles like Akira (which is highly influenced by the French linear style), Oh My Goddess, Rurouni Kenshin, and other mostly mainstream Japanese tittles have a high degree of polish. But these are only the surfaces. Looking at manga you'll find books that spout surrealist nonsense, new-age philosophy, gender-bending romance, etc. There's space in the manga format for everyone. Why?

Black and White- cheap! Can be produced and made more accessible to other income classes. No need for formal art education- most of the writing is stylized, intuitive, learned by osmosis- of course, this is also often a disadvantage, but for wannabe creators like us it's an encouragement. Anyone can do it: it's not elitist in an artistic sense (but this might be an exaggeration as well...) Often, there's an emphasis over idea than skill

Diverse subject matter- This doesn't mean that everyone should immediately abandon all other comic books styles. What I'm saying is that no one has to be ashamed of being a manga-head, an otaku--- of liking manga because it's just like everyone else, it's no loner unique and underground-cool. The Manga model, hopefully, is the New Age of comics- a truly popular art form for the masses, an integral part of mass media.

On the other hand, do Filipinos have the money to spare on comics when they're so busy trying to survive?

I think they do (hey, they buy Tabloids, don't they?). I think there's a chance that the masses (meaning B, C, D, and E classes) can have access to comics if they're cheap enough and relevant enough to their situations. Imagine drama/romance comics, or action comics, or fantasy comics with a wide variety of art and writing styles being read by bus drivers and school kids alike.

I think there's room in the public wallet for populist literature that also happens to be aesthetically good (I'm an optimist). I think creating for the masses (and let's face it, the majority of manga is for the masses) does not have to sacrifice creativity.

Sorry if these rambling seem to wobble a bit. If anyone's got objections, comments, or criticism, please feel free to write. Also, I want to emphasize that these thoughts are not entirely original, but have been culled from a wide variety of publications and creators- primarily Scott McCloud (writer of 'Understanding Comics' and 'Reinventing Comics'--and Frederik Schodt ('Manga Manga' and 'Dreamland Japan'). If you're a comics fan, you owe it to yourself to check out http:\\scottmcloud.com and Schodt's site. Anyway, all these books are available from me to photocopy (at a profit).

Also, this whole thing was inspired by Ramon De Vera's essay that circulated on the list.

A short paragraph I used for my Personality class

Belldandy, in the Japanese comic named Ah! Megami-sama! (Oh! My Goddess!), said to the mortal Sayoko, "...don't stop believing in yourself.... That belief is what makes you who you are." A person is destined to grow and to mature in his own capacity. It is our right to be able to do it at our own pace. Though others may not believe in destiny, it is our set of choices and the way we mature in them that paves our own destiny. Although some forces in our lives may not be controlled, our reactions to them are not necessarily the same. The uniqueness of the human being is something we have barely even touched on as a discovery, yet it is a universal truth. Despite the fact that there is a specific disposition in a person given to priesthood, it is his choice to enter it. And despite the fact that there are many others in the same situation, it is the unique life the person has lived which sets him apart and shouts to the world, "I am a unique part of God."

All original materiel are properties of their respective creators. Please do not use any original art without the permission of the Comic Collective or their original creators/owners.