TPKP 170: Melvin Calingo, Isa Songco, KWENTOON | Entering the NEW KOMIKS ERA

#komiksman #komiksmanpodcast #tpkp #thekomiksmanmethod #comics #pinoycomics

Pre-register on KWENTOONwww.kwentoon.comFollow Melvin Calingo on IGhttps://www.instagram.com/melvincalingoThe following podcast is my conversation with Melvin Calingo and Isa Songco. Melvin is a professor at UP College of Fine Arts.

He is also one of the pioneers of the pinoy manga art style and the creator of the comic book, Pasig from the highly influential Culture Crash Comics in the early 2000’s.

Isa Songco is the co-founder and owner of the start-up, comics, gaming, and animation website, Kwentoon, with her husband, Juan Songco.

We had great conversations about the rise of pinoy manga, its criticisms during its rough start, to becoming the prevalent art style among the new generation of Filipino comics artists.

We then talked about Kwentoon’s vision and plans for local comics, shared insights on the things that move it forward and the things that hold it back. We then shared tips for new creators from the artists and publishers’ perspectives. And as usual, there are tons of other stories in between.As always, please support this channel by Subscribing, smashing the Like button, and commenting your thoughts.

You can also join our membership to watch the episodes in advance before they get published! It also helps me create more original Filipino content that respects the intelligence of the Filipino audience.

And with that, I present to you, Melvin Calingo and Isa Songco for TPKP 170.

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Chapters

00:00:00 - Podcast Introduction

00:01:58 - TPKP Blues

00:02:57 - Podcast Starts

00:05:08 - The 90's Anime Boom

00:08:07 - Filipino Artists Adapt the Anime Style of Drawing

00:11:28 - Culture Crash Comics Overview

00:13:30 - Culture Crash Origins

00:15:23 - Impact of Economic Crisis

00:16:43 - Melvin Calingo's Pasig

00:18:45 - Melvin and Komiksman's Art Evolution Reflections

00:21:40 - The Rise of Pinoy Manga

00:23:38 - Pushback Against Pinoy Manga

00:26:01 - Art Styles Evolution

00:28:00 - Manga Style Popularity

00:30:00 - Physical vs Digital Publishing

00:32:10 - Kwentoon Indie Publishing Platform

00:33:40 - Target Market for Indie Comics

00:36:25 - Inspiration from Anime and Manga

00:38:05 - Understanding Activation in Creative Industry

00:39:31 - Filipino Artists Making Global Impact

00:42:12 - Increasing Readership for Comics

00:44:30 - Target Audience for Comics Evolution

00:49:11 - Emerging Trends in Local Comics

00:50:43 - Post-Pandemic Community Connections

00:52:13 - Comics Community Preparedness

00:54:04 - Challenges in Filipino Comics Industry

00:57:22 - Grassroots Nature of Filipino Comics

01:00:01 - Artist Ownership and Corporate Challenges

01:03:07 - Publisher's Perspective on Creators

01:05:14 - Artist Training and Development

01:08:31 - Animation Camp Overview

01:10:40 - Cultural Impact of Filipino Comics

01:14:29 - Challenges in the Comic Industry

01:16:51 - Leinil Yu's Ferrari

01:18:25 - Creative Scene in the Philippines

01:20:22 - Mindset Hindering Progress

01:21:50 - Impact of Negativity in Comics

01:23:32 - Quality in Comics Conventions

01:25:10 - Developing Comic Creation Skills

01:28:42 - Trends in Comic Themes

01:30:20 - Importance of Drawing Techniques

01:32:35 - Practicing Anatomy Fundamentals

01:35:40 - Understanding Perspective in Art

01:38:15 - Complexities of Comic Art

01:39:50 - Passion and Improvement in Art

01:41:40 - Seeking Feedback on Artwork

01:43:27 - Collaborative Nature of Comics

01:45:41 - Upcoming Events and Campaigns

01:47:20 - Lessons from Failed Platforms

01:51:04 - Tapping into Local Markets

01:53:02 - Hope for Local Creative Industry