Okay. After I posted my first blog entry here, an idea suddenly popped out of my mind. About comics/komiks here in my beloved country. After I skimmed some blogs of some of our famous komik artists, it dawned upon me that one encounter with one of my artist friends about their rejected application in one of our famous komik titles before who are planning for a comeback.
The fuss? Well, they told me that their comic samples were rejected by this komik title comeback wannabe because they are looking for TRADITIONAL STYLES of comics/komiks that they will put in the comeback series. Not to mention that they wanted it to be MORE "kid-friendly", in a sense that they are going to create in a more childish way (more from this part on my tomorrow's blog).
My friends are of course the wave of artists who are heavily influenced by Japanese style of drawing, me included. This comic/komik title comeback wannabe doesn't like to accept JAPANESE STYLE OF DRAWINGS JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT TRADITIONAL. What?
Oh no...I'm doing rant again, but I can't help it. But for the sake of comics in the Philippines, I want to say this here in my blog!
What's the issue here? Well, for one thing, I don't get at first what do they mean by the term "traditional." I dunno for them, but for me, it got me into thinking. Deep thinking. Just what do they mean by TRADITIONAL STYLE OF COMIC/KOMIKS? Are those style they know are those of the Renaissance style, post-modernist, etc.?! Actually I'm kinda of pissed off at that kind of remark, I even find it pretty lame. Because for me (I hope someone out there who read this blog poke me in the head if I'm wrong), there's no longer the concept of TRADITIONAL STYLE OF DRAWING. That's my own opinion. Because art is undergoing a forever, continuous cycle of CHANGE. You cannot say Leonardo da Vinci's art is traditional, because until today, we always see artists doing da Vinci-style of drawing. Even the so-call Abstract Artists of the 20th century, I mean, heck until now Abstract art is still in. Is that traditional? Oh come on, get out of the shell people. In an era of globalization, you cannot say that Western-style of drawing is traditional and is old and Japanese-style of drawing is not traditional therefore new. Geez, where did that idea came from?
There must be a sensible reason for this, and the only sensible reason I found is this. American/ Western-style of drawing maybe the in-thing in the past, and just because Japanese-style of drawing became the fab of today's youth, they already labelled it as new. Which I find to be wrong. Japanese comic industry had, just by pure chance, became a booming industry today, this era, this time. That's why the world got aware of their existence only this time and the people got to love them. But Japanese comic industry is as old as Western comics and even our comics industry, around 1950's, after World War 2. Japanese people are already into comics before, their comic style is based on their style of art which is part of their culture. So Japanese art style can also be considered "traditional", based from those people's perception of "traditional" style of comic/komik.
Yeah, I'm tired of typing now, so I'll finish this blog, traditional style of drawing no longer exists, Art continues to change, to form into another new artform, and to inspire new artists. You cannot say Picasso's abstract as old, nor call Japanese style manga as new. Even the so-called ethnic art cannot be seen as uncivilized, old style of artforms, since other artists out there can use their style and be turned into a new art. Just that. Those peeps who wanted to revive their comic/komik should realized it, if they really want to help this striving industry of ours.
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