Me and the komiks scene, late 2009

I loved the Sunday paper as a kid. It had a whole, though small, section devoted entirely to kids, and had huge comics. Growing up, the only thing I really ever read in the paper was the one page of comics in the entertainment section. However, it wasn’t until my freshman year of college that I really got into the comics scene, at the 2009 Komikon.

I read about it online, and I heard Manix Abrera, the man behind Kikomachine Komix, was going to be there, so I wanted to go. I was attending UP Los Baños then, and being a probinsyana, I had no idea how to go around the city, where the Komikon would be. Luckily, the 2009 Komikon was held at Trade Hall 5 (if I’m not mistaken), in SM Megamall—a pretty inconspicuous and accessible place. It’s along EDSA so I pass it all the time going home. I figured I’d just take the usual bus home and drop myself off there, and pretty much wing it the rest of the way home. Brilliant plan. Last time I was in the city I followed my gut and walked about three kilometers in the wrong direction expecting to see the bus terminal until I gave up. Genius.

As much as I’d like to own it, I’m not the first of my peers to become a fan of Kikomachine. My friend Kris introduced it to us in sophomore year of high school, when she brought Blg. 3 (Die! Die, Evil! Die!) to school. I’d read Kikomachine Komix in the Inquirer before, but I found the art to be a little too literally dirty for my tastes. I had my turn at reading her copy and fell in love, and I went on to be an avid follower of the comic strip, and eventually owned more volumes than Kris, or anyone I knew, actually.

Entering the trade hall I was greeted by people with literal speech bubbles and thought clouds over their heads. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I asked around where Manix Abrera was, but the people from Visual Print Enterprises (now Visprint, Inc.) said he wasn’t there yet. I was too early. So I went around the venue and familiarized myself with the komiks scene. I didn’t know there was a komiks community in the Philippines. All I knew was that we had some animators and illustrators from the Philippines, from television features and news bits, but that was it. After lunch I went back, and Manix was already there, a line having formed about five to eight people long. (Oh, how much different it is now.) I got my Blg. 2-4 and ‘12’ signed, got a blurry picture with the creator using my phased-out phone, and went around a little more. I bought a pin and a Kikomachine shirt, and that was it. Tatay called, fortunately, and I was able to get home safe to Nueva Ecija.

I blew a lot of cash that day. I bought Blg. 5, 2 copies of ‘12’ (one was for my childhood friend back home), a 2009 Komikon button pin, the Kikomachine shirt that I love so much that says “Alab ng puso, sa dibdib mo’y buhay!”, and other indie komiks I took a fancy to.

I knew, it wasn’t going to be my last Komikon.

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Photo of a very freshman me with Manix Abrera of Kikomachine Komix

A very blurry shot of Jonas Diego and Gerry Alanguilan (Wasted, Elmer, Humanis Rex) on the 2009 Komikon stage

Komikon button pin

2009 Komikon poster