Philippines.

World
Comics

Philippines

1922

In short

Philippine comics are called komiks.

They grew out of the weekly magazine Liwayway, founded in 1922, and from Pilipino Komiks, launched in 1947, which introduced Mars Ravelo's Darna in 1950. Most of this heritage is now kept by collectors and volunteer archives rather than institutions.

Comics from Philippines

From the shelf

Philippines in numbers

01 • 04

Philippines in numbers · 01 • 04

1922

1940s

Artists

Artists from Philippines in the archive.

Comics from Philippines in the archive.

Liwayway, the earliest comic from Philippines in the archive.

The decade when the most new comics from Philippines began.

Artists from Philippines in the archive.

Comics from Philippines in the archive.

Liwayway, the earliest comic from Philippines in the archive.

The decade when the most new comics from Philippines began.

komiks

komiks · Comics from Philippines

History

Philippines in 3 chapters

A short history you can leaf through. Click a page, use the arrow keys, or press Turn the page to read on.

World Comics Heritage

Philippines.

3 chapters

Turn the page

Chapter 1

1922

to 1946

Liwayway

Cover

1922
to 1946
Chapter 01
Liwayway
Ramon Roces founded the weekly Liwayway on 23 November 1922. Francisco V. Coching, later called the King of Komiks, apprenticed there under Tony Velasquez.
1947
to 1959
Chapter 02
Komiks magazines
Pilipino Komiks began in 1947 and introduced Mars Ravelo's Darna in 1950, with early art by Nestor Redondo. Ravelo went on to create Captain Barbell, Lastikman, Varga and Dyesebel, while Coching produced more than 50 serialised komiks novels.
1960
to today
Chapter 03
Education, independents and archives
Educational Klasiks began on 11 January 1960 as a school reading supplement. Later, Gerry Alanguilan, creator of Wasted and Elmer, collected komiks history and founded the Komikero Komiks Museum before his death in 2019.