Komikero Chronicles (2014)

• 54%
• 2014
• Documentary
• Keith Sicat

National hero Jose Rizal was not only the writer of the Noli and Fili, but also the first documented Filipino to create comics. With the history of komiks starting with him, could his socially conscious ideas be embedded in this popular art? Charting komiks' development from Rizal, through Tony Velasquez and "Kenkoy", National Artist Francisco V. Coching's formidable body of work, and the popular creations of Mars Ravelo and Carlo J. Caparas, KOMIKERO CHRONICLES examines the highly political ideas that thread through these various stories and styles, recognizing the wit and vanguard thinking of many of these artists, discovering the breadth of their influence stretches all the way to U.S. shores and back. Containing interviews from internationally hailed comics artists such as Gerry Alanguilan and Leinil Yu, to controversial icon Carlo J. Caparas, covering the Filipino creators of mainstream American comics characters such as Tony Dezuniga, Steve Gan, and Whilce Portacio, and the thoughts of internationally awarded auteur filmmaker Lav Diaz who got his start writing comics, the film examines the themes and issues that make this medium an important, artistic one.