Reply to Charles

Charles A. Tan's www.livejournal.com/users/charlesatan/118965.html? with an entry title: "More Comic Reactions" is one of the more interesting comments to some of the posts appearing in this blog.

First, I'd like to thank Charles for his cheerfulness and optimism; of looking at the bright side when everything else around us is down. Thanks Charles. Human beings after all, are ignorant of the future. No one human being is omniscient.

All we can do, the BEST one can do, is make an educated guess or estimate of tomorrow's probable consequences based on the empirical facts and circumstances laid before us. Our estimates may be right, or they may be wrong. Things may turn out differently than expected. Some fluke or unexpected circumstance may develop midway. We're not sure. We don't know. And since we do not know, since we are basically ignorant of the future, we can afford to be optimistic. Ignorance after all, is bliss.

But should this vague and uncertain optimism for the future be an excuse for setting aside undeniable facts presently before us, WARNING that the future may bode ill if we do not watch our step and take precautions today? Must we be like the fabled and lazy grasshopper lounging about the summer without a care in the world, or be like the industrious ant gathering enough food during the summer for the coming rainy season?

Conrado de Quiros, a columnist for the Philippine Daily Inquirer made an interesting point in defense of the gloom and doom sayers. In one of his January, 2006, columns he mentions that those optimists who chastise and are tired of "negative" people and demand that the latter "move on" are usually those who do not know where to move on in the first place.

Move on--to where? From this point on, the optimists are usually silent. They attempt to conceal their predicament by resorting to vagueries without really making any supporting particulars because there aren't any. But even in this, the optimists' ignorance and empty protestations are ultimately laid bare. Enough of your negativism, they say, your damned facts and surveys. Move on. Move on. Like hamsters inside a never-ending wheel, move on. Ignorance is bliss as we run around in circles with no ending or beginning--or direction. Hollow Optimism in action. Like Nero playing the fiddle while Rome burns or like an orchestra playing while the Titanic sinks.

Once again, thank you Charles for your optimism. It was a welcome, albeit momentary, respite. I mean, how could you just flippantly set aside our economic and political situation by merely saying that we've been having an economic crisis for the past 20 years and that we've lasted this long so there's nothing to worry about? What do we have to show for it in all this time? Please don't forget that it was the actions of 'gloom and doom' protesters and activists of the 1986 EDSA revolution that halted the crisis of the Marcos dictatorship, and the same 'gloom and doom' protesters during the second EDSA revolt in 2000 that prevented a narco-political regime from engulfing the country. Then, we have the present one. Each crisis did not last but a new one arose to take its place. And this will continue to happen so long as there are apathetic, jaded people who let the corrupt elite play around. And if you think that's too much of a tall order, then no wonder most people think local comics are irrelevant and inconsequential in today's scheme of things.

So we've lasted more than 20 years of crisis. Is that anything to be proud of? Is that any reason to put your guard down and party?

"We have had 40 years of failure. From 1961 to 2000 median family income increased 80 times from P1,105 to P88,782. But the upper 50 percent of families took 82.4 percent of total income in 1961 and held 82.2 percent in 2000. Meanwhile, the lower 50 percent of families subsisted on 17.6 percent of all income in 1961 and still lived on 17.8 percent in 2000.

Yes, it has been 40 years of failure. In ratio, the income of top quintile (20 percent) is 12 times that of the bottom quintile, putting the Philippines among aountries with the worst inequality in Asia that includes Malaysia (14), Thailand (11.6), and Hong Kong (9.5). The problem of the Philippines is that our GNP grew only 11 times from 1960 to 2000, while Malaysia's surged 39 times, Thailand's 48 times, and Hong Kong's 172 times.

We cannot repeat it enough: 40 years of failure. In 2000 a family with annual income of only P830,000 was already part of the richest 1 percent of the country. This richest 1 percent of about 150,000 families had a combined cincome equivalent to those of the bottom 38 percent of about 5.8 million families. Incomes varied much more among the middle 65 percent of all Filipino families.

Let's face it: 40 years of failure. Poverty rates only reflect changes in relative prices, not changes in underlying incomes or wealth. Considering this, the Philippines is an atoll of high-income class, an island of a middle-income class, and a vast sea of the low-income class. This has been the case since 1960 when the country had a 27 million population in 4.4 million families, as it was in 2000 when the country grew to 76.5 million (2.8 times) in 15.3 million families (3.5 times).

Where else do we see the 40 years of failure? Our forest cover has declined, coastal areas deteriorated, rivers and lakes polluted. Our quality of education for the masses has remained poor. Health and nutrition of children from poorest families have worsened." (Source: Bondoc, Jarius,"40 Years of Failure", The Philippine Star, January 10, 2005).

You say that in the midst of the present travails facing the local comics industry, some "ingenius and dedicated" -something- will find a way, or that through it all, this "something" will come up with an "innovative and effective way of distributing comics through web comics for example." How will this ingenius few arise and challenge the system if they are always met with apathy and mediocrity especially in the local comics scene?

Web comics? Elaborate. You mean there's no hope for PRINTED comics? You've given up? Why just web comics? I myself have my views on the matter and I don't think printed comics are a hopeless cause and I have elaborated on the matter in my prior entries: 'Examining the Digital Option' (August 13, 2005), 'Distribution Matters' (October 9, 2005), 'Why are Printed Comics Successful in Japan' (September 16,2005), 'The Japanese Manga Industry Revisited' (November 25, 2005) and 'When Corporations lose or have no Faith in Comics Publishing' (November 9, 2005).

What I find rather curious, Charles, is your comment that "A comic industry does not need to depend on the the masses to survive... If your comic is a luxury item, then make sure it gets to the right market. Profit does not necessitate addressing the mass market. If that were the case BMW would have gone out of business a long time ago".

Under present circumstances, I think your idea of a locally produced "luxury" BMW comic will have a pretty difficult time selling to the rich and 'globalized' income class AB that comprise 1% of the Philippine population. As I've previously mentioned, the rich and poor alike are in extreme savings mode right now. Consumer spending last Christmas season 2005 was terribly low. Supermarket shopping took a lot of competition from the flea and bazaar markets going around especially the 168 store at the Divisoria. Also, business developments last year indicate the income class AB market is nearly saturated with a lot of goods (including luxury goods) that most businesses are now being implored to look into a possibly lucrative class D and E market. So your comment that there will always be room for luxury items especially recreation? Its going to be in for some pretty rough sailing. Please see my entries in this blog related to the subject where I cite some statistical data on the matter: 'The Return of Filipino Komiks' Old Target Market' (September 25, 2005), 'What do Filipinos Spend their Money on?' (October 7, 2005), 'Filipino Komix' Finest Hour' (August 5, 2005), 'A Candid Profile of the Elite Target Market' (August 7, 2005), 'The Big Picture' (August 8, 2005), 'Comics for the Elite: Today's Target Market' (July 31, 2005), and 'Globalization should be the effect not the cause' (August 9, 2005).

You also mention about the so-called "indie" comics scene. Specifically you said: "A lot of comics creators do put out comics that aren't mainstream or kid-friendly-- but no publicity...Its not a big scene but its there nonetheless". Charles, how exactly do you quantify "a lot"? And since you admit that the goings on in the "indie comics scene" have no publicity, we'd then be engaging in a speculative, if not hearsay discussion, now wouldn't we? Wouldn't your claims at this point be self-serving if not gratuitous?

Personally, I've seen some of these so-called "indies" during the October, 2005 Komiks Convention at the U.P.Bahay ng Alumni. I may be wrong but from what I've seen, most of them are mainstream Japanese anime' "inspired". Is this the representative majority of the Pinoy "indie" scene? Anime' inspired? Enlighten me. Are most "indies" anime' inspired? I don't know because as you said, there's not much publicity about this particular scene.

You also said about the "indie" scene: "Its not as diverse as I'd want it to be, but its a start." Now doesn't this look like a cop-out and roundabout way of saying that the indies are not really that diverse? You add: "American comics is actually also diverse, but a lot of its diversity comes from the indie market." Yes, but we're talking about the indies here in the Philippines. The issue is: how distinct and diverse are Pinoy "indie" comics? What does the American comics scene have to do with any of this?

But assuming for the sake of argument that the American comics scene have a connection and bearing on the subject. Following the logic of your prior statements, if the Pinoy "indie" comics scene is AS YOU SAY not really that diverse as you'd like them to be, then the BROADER local Pinoy comics scene is not that diverse AS WELL. Agree?

Regarding your disagreement that the earnings from licensed foreign comicbooks do not redound to the benefit or resuscitation of our comatose local comics industry, I find your reasoning on this matter rather weak and vague: "As for money coming back to the foreign publisher, only a percentage of profits goes back to them. Either that or a flat rate licensing fee." Okey, so what does the local publisher do with the remainder? Does he publish a lot of new local comics titles with the money? Does he employ a lot of local writers and artists? Does he use the money to promote these locally published works? Is Summit Publishing doing this? Absolutely not. Ever since Summit put out W.I.T.C.H. (a licensed Walt Disney comic) in 2002, I haven't seen any TAGALOG or even a globalized Filipino comic published by them, have you? Ah, but wily you, you mention good ol' PSICOM.

PSICOM put out in December, 2005 its first local anthology comicbook entitled: "Fantasya". PSICOM has been in the publishing business since the mid to late 1990s when local comics was already down and out. Why only now, not earlier? If PSICOM really had any concern with developing our moribund comics industry, why did PSICOM give first priority to DC Comics in 2003? PSICOM sure took a long time to put out (in December, 2005, specifically) "Fantasya" didn't they? And then of late, the romance themed: "Basted".

Also, why the rather lopsided treatment to these local comicbooks by PSICOM? Why are their pages and printing quality not as glossy and slick like those in its licensed Justice League, Teen Titans, Superman and Batman digest reprints? Why are these PSICOM comics titles in black and white and not colored like their foreign comics competitors? Just because licensor DC Comics imposes production or printing requirements and restrictions such as these, doesn't excuse PSICOM not to do the same printing treatment to its own local titles. I mention this because you did insinuate Charles, that local comics doesn't need the mass market in order to survive, that it can and ought to morph as a "luxury item" for the more lucrative higher income class market. Local comics should after all, be a luxury item nowadays, right? Know your market. This is SOME start. But anyway, we're jumping the gun. Its too early to tell if PSICOM is really serious about helping develop a local comics market. For my money, its just testing the waters and putting out guinea pigs. Let's see how this develops.

Getting back to Summit. The issue here is Summit providing jobs for local comics creators, or helping develop a local comics industry. By broadly saying that Summit provides jobs to "Filipinos" is skirting or evading the issue, Charles. You yourself admit that Summit doesn't: "...accept local submissions and some say for good reason: because they want to meet their deadlines and publish regularly, which unfortunately some artists can't meet, especially when they're starting on a brand new series." Now just because SOME local artists are deadline lazy doesn't mean that ALL local comics creators are like that. Faulty syllogisms make for inaccurate conclusions, Charles. "Indie" comics creators are local comics creators too, right? Is Summit saying that Indie Filipino comics creators do not take their craft seriously?

On CCCom's Culture Crash: I can't say I agree with most of your observations on this matter but one thing does deserve comment: your mention of the multiplier effect. To recall Charles, you said that assuming Culture Crash has a consistent and conservative sales revenue of 20,000 to 30,000 an issue, this according to you is BIG for Culture Crash's target market. You further add, that a sold issue is passed around freely to various readers at a ratio of say, 5 readers to one copy. A multiplier effect. So, 20,000 sold copies gets actually exposed or passed around to 100,000 readers and 30,000 gets exposed to 150,000 readers. Wow. If this is the case, why is it that no regular advertiser was ever convinced of this hype?

If your multiplier theory is correct (or even remotely plausible), why weren't there a lot of advertisers regularly appearing in an issue of Culture Crash? Surely, they couldn't resist exposing their ad to a devoted fan following of 100,000 to 150,000 readers an issue? Yet, if I remember correctly, the Publisher, James Palabay, was almost always calling for ads in the editorial/letter columns of Culture Crash particularly in the later issues. You don't usually call for ads unless your sales revenue don't meet your production and other allied costs.

Could it be that the readership of Culture Crash was actually and progressively DECREASING considering that in the four years of its existence, only fourteen (14) (or fifteen (15) issues I'm not sure) were INFREQUENTLY published? And wouldn't decreased readership also translate to decreased sales? Could it be that this decreasing readership was the reason why advertisers were gunshy of advertising with Culture Crash in the first place?

If there's one thing I truly admire about CCCom, its their resourcefulness, network, public relations savvy, and the fact they were having fun in producing a product that's great eye-candy and fluff for young readers. Beyond that, its another story entirely.

In my personal opinion (which is often wrong), the business side of the operation, the "comics industry" flipside of the matter, was taken for granted by most of the players involved in Culture Crash. Why? Because they were all having "fun". They were making "art" and not devoting equal time to the business. This is why I said Charles, that in having a viable local comics industry, you can't just concentrate on having fun by making good stories and art. I never said that you should abandon making good stories and art in favor of business operations. I think you may have misread me here. I have been most emphatic about this position in my earlier entries (VIDE: Examining the Digital Option, When Corporations Lose or have no Faith in Comics Publishing, Why Printed Comics are Successful in Japan, and Distribution Matters).

Japanese manga presently comprise about 20% of Japan's total publishing output. Now that's an industry. In our country, Tagalog romance pocket books also command a huge following. If local comics could at least equal the publishing output level of the Tagalog romance pocket book or comprise at least 10% of the country's total publishing output, then I would think that we are well on the way to jumpstarting a local and moribund comics industry. At present, we are nowhere near that objective because we are inundated by mediocrity and surrounded by people who think that 20,000 to 30,000 copies is enough to constitute a commercially viable comics publishing enterprise. And that's just for one comics title marketed and produced as a "luxury item" comparable in value to a BMW.

Giving equal time and concentrating for once on the 'business" of comics which involves marketing, distribution and other considerations in the real world, is certainly my position on the matter, Charles. There has to be balance between art and business. And right now, the local comics scene does not have enough of the latter. If you find this position "funny" by interpreting it as meaning something else like: "Don't mimic American or Japanese Comics but mimic their comic industry", then I guess I'll just have to keep on being funny.

Cheers.