Jessica Soho Reports on Komiks

Jessica Soho Reports
On Komiks!

An upcoming episode of Jessica Soho Reports on GMA 7 (probably the next episode) will be featuring Philippine Komiks and the people behind them. I had been contacted by them for an interview and I helped them get in touch with other people knowledgable in the industry. I think they got to talk to people like Dennis Villegas and Hal Santiago. Maybe Steve Gan, maybe Gilbert Monsanto. I've actually been avoiding interviews like this because it's becoming uncomfortable each time for some reason.

I do make an exception when it's not my own work that's going to be promoted but the comics museum and classic Filipino art. It's specifically what they had wanted to talk to me about so I agreed.

I had initially been put off by their advance questions, questions about formerly huge and prosperous comics companies that are now closed, questions about formerly popular writers and artists and now don't have work. I started to see a kind of trend in the questions the kind of angle they were going for. I made no secret of my misgivings to them but I was assured that they were in fact honoring comics and the people who work behind the scenes.

Well, let's see. I tried really hard to say that although the industry has indeed fallen on hard times, a new comics industry had been born due to the efforts of a talented group of comics fans who decided to do their own comics. This small effort has since has grown and has spawned a whole new industry with new sensibilities that takes komiks in all kinds of directions.

But even then, I did sense a sincererity in their intent on honoring komiks. After all, this is Jessica Soho Reports, and I do attribute a huge amount of credibility to them and their show. I'm fairly confident that they won't give an unfair slant or one sided view. And I am grateful to them for putting the spotlight on what I believe to be a nearly lost, almost forgotten, but important part of Filipino culture.

They did segue into discussing my own comics work but I've always tried to put it back towards the museum and the several projects attached to it.

I don't know exactly when it will be shown, but I will announce it here when I have a definite schedule.