Celebrating the Love for Pinoy Comics

Intent on preserving and promoting the love and pride for Filipino made comics, cartoons, and animated features, and expanding international awareness of these works, Mr. Hugo “Boboy” Yonzon III (together with partner Ms. Guia Yonzon) helmed the first ever Philippine International Comics, Cartoons, and Animation (PICCA) Festival at the Ortigas Business and Commercial District, Pasig City.

The four-day event, which began on Oct. 15, saw to many pre-event exhibits held at different venues around the metro, including “Komiks Yaring Pinoy,” which showcased contemporary comics art by Filipinos at SM Fairview and SM Hypermart Pasig (Sept. 21); “Slice of Life,” which featured the classic works of Pinoy comics pioneer and master Larry Alcala at the Yuchengco Museum (Sept. 24); and “Expats Express,” an exhibit of editorial cartoons by Edd Aragon and DengCoy Miel, held at the GSIS Museum. Messrs. Aragon and Miel and their works have been gaining increasing popularity and recognition in the Sydney Morning Herald in Australia and the Singapore Strait Times, respectively.

Several events were held at different locations in the Ortigas Business District, including the Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas (SKP) “SKP and Friends” at the Podium Mall, hosted by the Intellectual Property Office, which honored Messrs. Mars Ravelo, Nestor Redondo, Alfredo Alcala, Francisco Coching, Pablo Gomez, Larry Alcala, and Nonoy Marcelo.

Other activities included drawing workshops for children and art contests in which high school and college students competed for the Larry Alcala Awards for cartoon comics creation and the Hugo Yonzon Jr. Awards for caricature. Meanwhile, the Boy Togonon Awards for editorial cartooning, under sponsorship from the National Press Club, was held up for grabs for SKP members only.

Several other activities such as film showings; seminars and discussions regarding editorial cartooning and comics publishing; industry talks on film production; as well as forums on protection and promotion of intellectual property rights of artists and writers, the global comics trend, and animation in the Asia and the Pacific. The speakers included Messrs. Aragon and Miel; local artists Messrs. Gerry Alanguilan and Gilbert Monsanto; Ms. Yonzon; executive producer of the film “Urduja” Ms. Mimbi Eloriaga; Director General Adrian Cristobal, of the IPO; Dr. John A. Lent of Temple University; and Liuyi Wang of the Asia Pacific Association of Cartoons and Animation.

The PICCA, a non-stock, non-profit organization, was founded by Mr. and Ms. Yonzon, together with Mr. Alanguilan, Ms. Sherry Baet, Mr. Victor Cruz, Ms. Eloriaga, Mr. Orvy Jundis, Ms. Lulu Jundis, and Mr. Monsanto. It aims to promote the global recognition of the Filipino talent and comics creation, as well as serve as a watershed international forum in the Philippines for cartoons, comics, and animation. The organization is also targeting support from the government, corporate patronage, and academic endorsements.

For more information about the PICCA, please visit their website at http://www.piccafest.com. You may also contact the organization via telephone numbers (02) 529-8178 and (02) 892-9421, or email them at picca@piccafest.com.