‘Komiks’ vanguard Gerry Alanguilan, 51

Gerry Alanguilan—JAM STA. ROSA

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines — Renowned comic book artist and writer Gerry Alanguilan, who helped revitalize the Filipino comic book as one of the country’s leading art forms in its popular culture, died on Saturday morning at the age of 51, his wife, Ilyn Florese, confirmed on social media.

The cause of death was not disclosed, but it was commonly known in his hometown of San Pablo City that Alanguilan suffered from a kidney disease.

In his last entry in his blog, “Komikero Dot Com,” on Dec. 14, Alanguilan — whose real name was Doroteo Gerardo Jr. — wrote about undergoing a “constant struggle” that kept him at home most of the time.

“It probably would be a lie to say that I’m doing OK. Well, physically that is,” he wrote.

“Thankfully, it hasn’t gotten in the way of me thinking creatively,” he also wrote. “But sometimes it’s so hard. Sometimes I have to lie down. But when I have to do that, I think of stories. I think of things to write down. I create characters.”

In November, Alanguilan joined the Komikon Grande 2019 in Pasig City but said it would be his “last convention.”

Keeper of the flame

Even with his condition, Alanguilan still looked forward to his work and the comic-book industry that he helped foster.

On Facebook, he announced that the Komikero Komiks Museum, which he set up in San Pablo three years ago and which served as an extension of his work as artist-writer, “will be having a large update this coming January 2020.”

Alanguilan was an inspiration not only to peers in his industry but also to his community, where he kept alive the comics culture among younger generations.

An architect by profession, Alanguilan said it was his advocacy to promote Philippine comics—“not only its rich history, but also the medium itself as a legitimate and true form of art.”

An article he wrote for the Inquirer in 2012 showed his deep familiarity with the history of the comic book in the Philippines, particularly the 1990s which saw the comic book’s decline in the mainstream media and, at the same time, its rebirth in the hands of independent artists.

In that article — ”Who says Pinoy ‘komiks’ are dead?” — Alanguilan also cited the work of fellow artists Arnold Arre, Carlo Vergara, and Budjette Tan, to name a few.

Further exposure

Like many Filipino comic book artists, Alanguilan gained further exposure abroad.

He inked for DC Comics and Marvel and had illustrated classic short stories such as “The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe, “The Judge’s House” by Bram Stoker, “The Plague of Ghosts” by Rafael Sabatini.

But the greatest renown for this “Komikero,” Alanguilan’s alias, is perhaps reserved among his countrymen — for his popular works “Wasted,” “Timawa,” “Lastikman,” and the allegorical sleeper hit, “Elmer,” about a family of chickens struggling for acceptance in the human world.

The Inquirer reported in 2011 that, for “Elmer,” Alanguilan earned a nomination in the best graphic album category of the Will Eisner Comic Industry award and won the Quai des Bulles-Ouest France and the Prix Asie-ACBD (Best Asian Comic Book Award) given by the Association des Critiques et des journalistes de Bande Dessinee, a group of French comic critics and journalists.

In 2016, he opened the Komiks Museum and in January this year, he helped mount the fourth San Pablo Comics Festival. Tributes

San Pablo City tourism officer Donnalyn Briñas said about Alanguilan: “He has contributed a lot to local arts. Through his works, many children were inspired to draw and appreciate … comics.”

On social media, comic artist-critic Travis Hedge Coke tweeted: “Gerry Alanguilan has passed, at 51. He advanced inking techniques by being the first person to ink off scans at Marvel. He advanced the game on spot blacks in color comics. He advanced the soul of comics with Elmer, proving that he could tilt your entire world with just chickens.”

Marvel Comics writer-editor C.B. Cebulski said, also on Twitter: “Another wonderful person taken from us too soon. An amazingly talented writer and inker, mentor to younger artists, and advocate for global comics, the comics world and Filipino art community lost a friend and hero today.” Mico Suayan, artist for DC, Marvel and Valiant comics, said, “I was just an unemployed artist and wasn’t sure where I’m headed. Then I met one of my idols Gerry Alanguilan @komikero. He accepted me to his group and gave me encouragement. Thank you Gerry. Our world is a little dimmer without you…”

“Malungkot na araw para sa komiks (Sad day for the ‘komiks’ world)” tweeted comics writer-artist Emiliana Kampilan (aka “Dead Balagtas”). “Via con Dios, Sir Gerry.”

On Facebook, veteran newspaper illustrator DengCoy Miel said, “Maraming salamat (Many thanks), Gerry.”“Isa kang malaking inspirasyon para sa lahat (You’re an inspiration to all).”