Comics for the elite: Today's target market

In a readership survey conducted by the now defunct APEPCOM (a.k.a. the Association of Publishers and Editors of Philippine Comics Magazines), the Philippine version of the U.S.' Comics Code Authority, it was found that the great bulk of komiks readers belonged to the poor income demographic of C and D households at 38% and 41% respectively. Only 4% of komiks readers belonged to the upper A and B households while 17% were from class E households.

The same study further described the average komiks reader as a married adult with some high school or college education. Only four out of ten readers were 19 years old and below.

This low income C and D mass readership base was colloquially known as the achetype "bakya" crowd conjuring the typecast image of simple-minded and less descriminating countryfolk who characteristically wore clogs (or shoes with thick wooden soles). This readership however, possessed the collective purchasing power of Php 12 million per annum in 1978, later increasing to Php 18 million per annum in 1989.

Publishing komiks for a low-income audience was an editorial policy started in 1947 by the komiks publishing monopoly of Don Ramon Roces through his ACE Publications and later through his two daughters' family's ATLAS-GASI publishing monopoly. It became an industry-wide standard when other minor komiks publishing companies followed suit. Publish komiks in cheap pulp paper and in great volume while at the same time reducing production costs (which meant measly pay for the majority of comics artists and writers) in order to gain profit.

This policy however was seriously challenged when komiks sales began to dip in 1990. The decline in sales figures became significant in 1991 with the Mt. Pinatubo eruption that not only dislocated a great number of families and readers in the Northern Luzon area (even the U.S. military bases in Clark and Subic were rendered inoperable because of the tremendous lahar and ashfall) but the disaster disrupted as well the general economic activity of the area. There was a consequent migration of homeless families to urban areas in Manila and other places. This contributed to the aggravation of poverty incidence at the time. With more destitutes and unemployed individuals, accompanied by the East Asia currency crisis of 1997, the income gap between the rich and the poor in the country grew. The rich few got richer and the poor majority got poorer. This impelled the progressive reduction of the country's middle class causing them to migrate abroad and find greener pastures as Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

These major social developments of the 1990s most definitely caused a reduction in the purchasing power of the traditional and mass-based C, D and E komiks readership. With a reduction in purchasing power, there resulted a corresponding decline in komiks sales. The Atlas-GASI publishing monopoly for the first time faced real trouble. Its komiks titles and business soon dwindled as its "sister" komiks publishing corporations ceased operations one by one culminating in Atlas being sold in 1996 to the owners of National Bookstore. By this time, the measly few komiks titles being sold in the banketa or sidewalk newstands and street kiosks were priced at a high Php 15.00 mark up, too expensive for the old target market who were now being converted into "globalized" patrons of cheaper, competing media such as cable television, video, computer games, radio, cellfones and later, the internet.

Faced with rising prices and costs of production, (not to mention distribution) the daring komiks publisher of today faces a very daunting task if he quixotically attempts to sell his product to the old C, D, and E target market. This old market, though economically challenged with reduced purchasing power have now become globalized patrons of other cheaper, more accessible entertainment media such as the internet, computer games, pirated dvds, cellfones, cable, radio, and television.

Since purchasing power for print publications is now concentrated on the class A and B demographic, i.e., the elite rich and urbane few, they are now the new target market of today's local comics publishing companies. This new market is not the "bakya" crowd of yesteryear. Most of them lead a sheltered, escapist lifestyle away from the bleak, downtrodden world of the class C, D and E readership. Conditioned or more "globalized" to prefer quality products that are American, Japanese (or some other nationality) they perceive themselves as discriminating in taste and preference.

True enough, the few and expensive comics titles published today in a few thousand commercial quantities cater to this elite A and B readership. Titles such as those published by Mango Comics, Culture Crash, Ignition, Questor, and the licensed foreign comics titles of Psicom (i.e., DC Kids, Batman, Teen Titans, Justice League, etc.) Summit (W.i.t.c.h.), the faithful reprints of japanese manga, and most importantly, the more popular and imported foreign comicbooks sold at the two remaining comics specialty shops of FILBAR's and COMIC QUEST, more than proves this point. National Bookstore's "Atlas Publishing Co." even acknowledges this trend by publishing their own "W.i.t.c.h." comics imitation: "Charm".

Does this development help promote the foundation for a distinct Filipino komix publishing venture? The jaded and smart-assed among us could only but reply: "Only if its globalized my friend. Only if its globalized."

Don't go into comics publishing (yet)

Traditionally, the comics business in the Philippines has experienced only one form of organized business activity: the publishing and selling of entertainment-based comics directly to the individual consumer. Whether in the form of original or licensed material, whether in magazine, periodical, digest or book compilation format, revenue from this activity is wholly dependent on advertising and sales.

However, as previously discussed, when compared to other competing media such as magazines, television, movies, radio, and the internet, printed comics which are in the measly few thousand copies, are generally ignored by advertisers as they are not as widely distributed and patronized as the former media. Advertisers are more assured that with television, radio, magazines,and newspapers, their products would be seen by millions of people thus ensuring the possible chances of a sale. The media presence of printed comics is thus negligible if not altogether non-existent.

Unless comics publications cater to an advertiser's target market composed of a reasonable number of people who are financially qualified to purchase their advertised product, no advertiser would risk his money on a mere comics publication.

Take Summit Publications' "W.i.t.c.h." booklet-sized comics for instance. This is a licensed comics property from Walt Disney of America. Witch's audience are largely teen-age, urban girls within the very discriminating class A and B demographic. This is the same audience targeted by cellfone, cosmetics, personal care products, junkfood and movie distribution companies which is why their ads appear frequently and in every issue of Witch. Though Witch is not selling in the million copy range, it can financially support itself through advertising thanks to its limited but paying target market.

On the whole however, there are not that many comics publications in the Philippines similar to Witch's success. Rather, the reverse is true in that there are only a measly few comics titles that don't even sell in the million copy level. It is no wonder then that the traditional komiks industry in the Philippines, like its counterpart mainstream movie industry, is flatline dead. Kaput.

The problem is aggravated by the fact that with the almost yearly increase in taxes, spiralling inflation, and rising costs of living without any commensurate increase in wages and salaries, sales of many print publications such as newspapers and magazines, have gone down. With sales going down, not many people get to see the ads inside these print publications. This is why many advertisers favor television and radio as ad carriers. Millions of people don't pay anything before they get to see or hear an ad on a television or radio program.

In conclusion then, if one is to go about the traditional business of publishing comics in 21st century Philippines relying solely on sales and advertising for revenue, a rude awakening is waiting just around the corner. Amidst this bleak scenario, one is compelled to rethink old premises, presumptions and solutions. New approaches, novel schemes and innovative players must come in. The entire machine has to be overhauled and reinvented if need be. As the Chinese (and John F. Kennedy) would say, there is opportunity in every crisis. Are we prepared to take it?

Creating supply with little or no demand

This is the "Information" age and not the "entertainment" age. In our country particularly where so many people are politically, socially, and economically disenfranchised, their only hope, their primacy weapon in fighting off corruption and exploitation, is knowledge and information. Information that is, of the right kind. And it is this kind of information that is in high demand right now, not entertainment.

With the right kind of information, people would learn how to think, act, and empower themselves. Comics could help initiate and elevate the literacy level of our functionally literate populate by providing information that matters in visual narrative format. And as previously discussed, the costs would be shouldered by financially able companies and associations who have a stake in national development. In this possible set-up, comics creators would be paid a tidy contractual sum prior to their work going to print. Their livelihood would not be dependent anymore on fickle sales figures and discriminating advertisers.

Today's generation of Filipino Komix creators are indeed talented. Their talent lies in a more technical familiarity of the graphic narrative's aspect of telling "entertaining stories". In short, they are oriented and favor more, the entertainment aspect of the comics medium. Unfortuantely, sales and advertising revenue for printed "entertaining" comics, whether local or foreign, pale in comparison to the humoungous revenues generated by other competing "entertainment" media such as television, movies, radio, computer games, animation, the internet, cellfones, and others. In short, today's generation of Filipino Komix creators are not meeting the demand for more information-based content.

The information and education based komix so far produced could certainly benefit from the more modern and refined draftsmanship of today's komix creators who have gained fame and fortune in the United States. Sadly however, their orientation and inclination is more towards the traditional and globalized form of entertainment in comics. In effect, these people are unwittingly creating product with little or diminishing demand. It is--pardon the expression--a tragi-comic situation.

To stress, the demand is in information. If not from individuals then from paying corporations or associations who have a need of disseminating their information to the public. Yet, the supply for this particular demand is scant. This is opportunity in crisis but are today's komix creators up to the task? Do they have the intellectual open-mindedness to learn new things beyond their limited knowledge of art? Only time will tell.

Companies and associations: an untapped revenue source for comics

Companies have more money than individual buyers. This is obvious. Juan dela Cruz may not have the individual purchasing power to buy a glossy paged, computer colored comicbook but a company or association with an annual budget augmented by a network of various financial resources, most definitely can. Its a no-brainer.

Take the late, great WILL EISNER for instance. In 1950, after tiring of his syndicated newspaper comic feature "The Spirit" he formed a company called 'American Visuals" and immersed himself in the then unique field of educational comics. Eisner's company provided commisioned instructional brochures employee relations pamphlets, and maintenance manuals in comics format to associations as diverse as the American Red Cross, General Motors and the United States Army. Comics as social study enrichment materials were also published by Eisner's company and sold to teachers and colleges. These client companies and associations paid so well that in the 1960s, DC Comics' then publisher, Carmine Infantino and Production Manager, Sol Harrison, and even Marvel Comics' Stan Lee, approached Eisner and expressed interest in buying or merging with American Visuals. But Eisner refused.

It was only when Eisner decided later to return back to his love of graphic storytelling and sold his company to another publishing entity, that he resolved to elevate the comics medium's serious literary potential by writing and drawing what is considered by many as the first modern graphic novel: "A Contract with God" published in 1978.

In the Philippines there have been in the past, specially commissioned comics works made for government agencies, cause-oriented groups, politicians/political parties, advertising agencies, religious organizations, and schools. They were non-literary and more information (of the propaganda variety) or education-oriented pieces. These commission based comics works paid well but were usually infrequent, sporadic, and unorganized. It remains so to this day.

If these specialized activities could be properly organized and formally managed as a distinct business operation like Eisner's "American Visuals" company, it is possible that the commission works would be made more frequent, Filipino comics professionals would earn a modicum of respect and income, and most importantly, a broader adult audience for comics would be tapped and developed. It would be a whole new ballgame enitrely.

The business of comics publishing means treating comics as a medium, not as an artform

Works of art are uncommon. They do not come easily. They are not produced in huge commercial quantities and their valuation is largely based on the subjective nuances of a snooty few. The artworld and its audience are limited. Their appreciation is confined to the narrow and fickle market of "art lovers". Here, the artiste' rules. Anything that has no subjective artistic merit or non-entertainment value is shunned and excluded. Galleries and auction houses that sell individual pieces of act at high prices are the usual business enterprises that prosper in this enclosed world. Now take a look at the local Filipino komix scene (or the American comics scene for that matter). See any similarites? Same banana right?

As of this writing, the number of Filipino comics works appearing in the Philippine comics market are few and far between, not even reaching the million copy levels of yesteryear. Frankly, they are not as ubiquitous as before. They are wholly entertainment and "art" based with the comics artist in full control such that if anyone dares to suggest an opening up of the now defunct medium to content that is non-entertainment or art based, the poor soul is chastised by the comics artist as an alien pariah. "No" they say. "Comics can only entertain. It can't be anything else." Duh.

The sensitive (and oftimes immature) nature of the comics artist is easily intimidated when faced with the truth. The comics artist's impulse is to immediately pounce on these alien, non-art suggestions as wily attempts to bastardize "their" artform. As a result, the audience for this now marginalized artform has been parochially limited to geeky "comics art aficionados". Like paintings, original pinoy komix pages of yesteryear are auctioned off in tidy sums on the internet or displayed in out of the way galleries or upcoming specialized and customized "komix museums". It is in these enterprises, not the actual creation and publication of new komix, that the real money changes hands. Not between komix readers and publishers, but between komix art collectors and speculators. This is pinoy komix as an artform. Take a good, wide-eyed look.

Revive the Philippine Komix industry through good stories and art? How amusingly quixotic. Its a group effort, Juan. A group "cooperative" effort involving other people who are not necessarily (gulp!) artists like you. We're talking about publishers, marketeers, distribution people, computer people, lawyers, accountants, public relations, insurance and others. In short, you'll have to get out of your "comfort zone" Juan, and start networking with these people who will help you form a business and possibly a company. Stop thinking small for once. Get out of that little barangay of yours. Art alone will not save the world.

Without this mutual cooperation with other "non-artistic" people, you'll never make a decent living out of your beloved and chosen "artform". Its a dog eat dog world out there and you can't carry the world on your shoulders forever. Widen your horizons. We'll ALL be the better for it.

Comics are essentially a MEDIUM of expression and NOT an artform.

By definition, "medium" is a means of communication. It is a vehicle or mode used to express any thought or idea effectively to another. With this in mind, can we say that printed comics are a medium or means of communication? Can we say that comics are an effective vehicle used by a comics creator in communicating his thoughts, ideas and aspirations to another? I believe so.

In 1989, the government-run Philippine Information Agency published a media survey which found Philippine comics or "komix" as having a 54% audience share over and above other traditional media at the time such as newspapers (37%), magazines (33%), movies (45%) and television (53%). Filipino comics were the prime purveyors of the tagalog language. They were avidly read by millions of Filipinos mostly belonging to the class D and E "bakya crowd" demographic. Filipino comics as a mass medium of communication? You bet.

Though there may be some comics works (local or foreign) that exhibit some form of exceptional artistic expression and creativity, these circumstances must be considered as isolated and incidental. Why? Because not all printed comics works are works of art. Since man is imperfect and prone to error, he could not consistently and at all times, create works of art. Even legendary comics artists Francisco Coching, Tony de Zuniga, Alfredo Alcala, Alex Nino, and Nestor Redondo, were known to slack off. Besides, appreciating whether or not a particular comic is a work of art is a subjective affair entirely prone at times to never ending disagreement.

In these isolated and exceptional circumstances then where comics works have gone beyond merely communicating an author's thoughts and ideas that is, by reaching a higher level of human creative skill, that comics may be considered as an artform. By analogy, there are certain movies (i.e., Seven Samurai, The 400 Blows) and television shows (i.e., M.A.S.H., Twilight Zone) that have been recognized as uncommonly creative and artistic. But movies and television per se as a medium of communication are not works of art.

The general postulate still stands: comics are essentially a medium of expression and communication just like television, movies, radio and the internet. A medium simply is. It exists independently of one's subjective impressions but not at all closed to its myriad variations. A paradox if ever there was one.

Why Komix with an "x"?

When the late Don Ramon Roces' ACE Publications began the Filipino comics industry way back in 1947, "comics" was spelled/translated in the tagalog vernacular as "komiks". Other comics publications that followed during the late 1940s and 1950s adopted the same "komiks" christening.The industry grew with ACE leading the pack. It was a labor intensive operation from the writing, drawing and editing stage down to the printing, distribution, marketing and collection stage.

But as ACE's business grew, its workers' wages did not. Prices of commodities rose without any corresponding increase in wages. In short, ACE, the biggest Filipino comics publisher at the time faced a serious labor problem. Thus in 1962, ACE's workers went on strike paralyzing and closing down the company. This was a bad omen for ACE's top comics writers and artists who were wholly dependent on ACE for their livelihood.

Among those workers were the comics artists and writers who helped create the pinoy "komiks" industry: Foremost of those legends were: Amado Castrillo, Tony Caravana, Nestor and Virgilio Redondo, Alfredo Alcala and Romeo Francisco. As a response to the closure of ACE and presumably to the way business was run in their former company, these pioneers set up their own company : "CRAF" an acronym representing the first letter of each their surnames. They produced their own brand of comics distinctively spelling them as "KOMIX" to differentiate their product from the ACE monopoly that had gone before.

In short,"Komix" was a symbolic cry of rebellion to what had gone before. Filipino comics creators through CRAF were paving the way by independently and valiantly venturing on their own. They were making their own comics their own way. No monopoly. No exploitation. No tradition.

Komix not Komiks.CRAF was the Philippine version of America's "Image Comics" of the 1990s. But unlike Image, CRAF asserted their artistic and economic independence as early as 1963.

Following CRAF's lead, this blog symbolically asserts a break from the tradition of Filipino "komiks", specifically from a business and economic point of view. Its high time the visual medium and business of comics in this country were not taken lightly. Filipino komix can be more than just light entertainment for kids or a marginalized artform appreciated by a few nostalgists and "artists". There is untapped potential here. Let's not screw this one up.

Hello World

Aklas isip here from Manila, Philippines. In this blog, data on the history and business of comics publishing will be collated. It will serve as a guidepost for personal reflection. If any of you out there share the same interests and aspirations appearing on this blog, your posts are most welcome. Thank you.